Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-03-27

world. It extends still further south
/ west through the State, but perhaps its
| more valuable qualities are reached
in their perfection within this area.
Some of you, perhaps all Of you, know
! how high your Pittsburg coal ranks In
! the markets OF the country. The same
excellent qualities attend it In the coun-
] ties of Monongalia, Marion, Harrison
and Taylor, through which the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad runs. Its coking
| qualities in this section have been
| thoroughly demonstrated by practical
experiments, and in the Fairmont region
nearly
A MILLION TONS OE COAL
are mined and shipped, and several hun
! dred thousand tons of coke are mann
featured and sold annually. But all
! these details are somewhat snperhuous,
as your people are generally acquainted
| with the fact that West Virginia, Is
only, after all an extension in
a southerly direction of the min
eral deposits that have done so much
TO build up the great State OF
Pennsylvania, and will leave this sub
ject with a quotation from the highest
authority. The official report OF the
census when published will contain the
following reference to the mineral de-
posits of West Virginia and its prospec-
! tive growth and Importance: mo State
in the Union is more favored in the ex-
tent and diversity of its mineral pro-
ducts than West Virginia. Her coal
embraces all grades Of bituminous,
steam, coking and gas Goals of the high
est Qualities. The natural waterways,
improved slaCkwater navigation, and
| increasing railroad facilities are impor-
tant factors in the development OF the
resources OF the State, which must soon
be accorded leading position in wealth
and industrial prosperity"
But here a pertinent inquiry may
| suggest itself TO you. How is Pittsburg
interested in all this?
Just 10 the extent that you would be
| interested in the development OF a
neighboring section in Pennsylvania
whose prosperity will be made tributory
TO your business interests. Pittsburg
is the natural market Of the greater
portion of West Virginia. The last rail
has been laid, the last spike driven, in
the road which places you in direct
| communication with two-thirds OF our
State.
ITS PRESENT BUSINESS
with all its future approximations, grow
ing out Of the development OF its mines
and the operation of its mills and facto-
res ought TO be made, and will be made,
to contribute to the greater growth and
advancement Of your city. Our people
have long sought to establish close COM
mercial and trading relations with you,
because your city is near us, and there
fore is a convenient supply point from
which nearly every article we use could
be gotten as cheaply and as rapidly as
from other places. Without direct
line of railroad up the MonongaheIa
Valley this was impossible. But
now, with the completion of the State
line railroad, or the PttsburR, Morgan
town and Fairmont branch Of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad, which ex-
tends directly from Pitts0urg to Fair
mont-the southern terminus-you are
not only brought into direct communi-
cation with the towns, the people and
the industries OF the upper Mononga-
hela Valley, but through the various
railroad lines and extensions that can
be reached at Fairmont, Clsrksburg and
Grafton you come in touch at those
points with the whole northern and cen
trail portion of West Virginia, and
should make the business Of all that
seccion tributary to your city. The
first place OF importance in West Vir-
ginia reached by this line is Morgan
town, a rapidly growing business and
residence town, which is the seat Of the
State University and present head OF
navigation. Twenty-six miles further
south we reach Fairmont, which is a
bustling business place of several thou
sand people, and the contemplated head
of
THE sLACKwATER NAVIGATION
on the Monongahela. There you strike
the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad system, which runs east to
Baltimore through the counties Of Ma
riOn, Haylor, Preston, Mineral, Hamp-
shire, Morgan Berkely and Jefferson.
West from Fairmont the same line runs
through the counties of Marion, Wet
Eel, Marshall and Ohio To Wheeling,
our principal city and manufacturing
center. At Fairmont you also connect
with the northern terminus OF the
Camden system OF railroads, which eX-
tend $50 miles south into the very
neart Of the interior counties Of the
State by the Mouongahela River Rail-
road to Clarksburg, and thence by the
West Virginia and Pittsburg Railroad
TO its present terminus az Camden-on-
Gauley. This system Of road is OF re-
cent construction. IL extends along
the West Fork Of the Monongahela
river from FairmOnt 10 ClarkSbuTg, a
distance OF 80 miles, through one Of the
finest agricultural and mineral valleys
of the State. In this valley the Pitts
burg coal assumes the highest state of
perfection In West Virginia. Mines are
opened along the whole route between
these points, aud this magnificent val
ley is a veritabe hive OF industry,
where the thousands Of people are en-
poyed, and news towns and villages
have come into being. From Clarks-
burg the road extends through the
counties OF Harrison and Lewis 10 Yves
ton, a thriving town OF severa! thousand
inhabitants. Here the road forks, 60
ing in two directions
INTO THE BEST FORESTS
OF the State. One branch extending
through Lewis aud Upshur to Plckens,
in Randolph county, and the other
through Lewis, BraXtOn and Webster
counties TO Camden-on-GauIey. The
Gauley river, which is reached at this
point, is a stream which flows south.
ward to the Great Kanawha river. At
Clarksburg, which is one Of the largest,
wealthiest and best towns in the State,