Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-05
WEST VIRGINIA.
A State Rich in Timber. Coal, Iron and
Oil, and Where Cheap, Profitable
Homes Can Be Secured by
Those Who Wish to
Till the Soil.

NSol NhSihtd hoo Oh alta Vi <fIfoo
square miles and according to the cen
sus Of 1890, a population of 762, 7o4.
The State is mountainous or hilly, the
highest land being upon the eastern
and southern boundary in some places
reaching an elevation exceeding 1000
feet. 1t has a general slope to the
northwest, and is lowest along
the Ohio river, where the ele-
walton is from GOO to 500 feet. The
mean annual temperature ranges from
540 to $50 F., icing highest in the
western part Of the State and lowest
upon the mountains in the eastern
and northeastern portion. The rain
fall is from 40 to so inches annually
The State contains a large extent of
arabic land, the principal products
being wheat, corn. hay, oats, and to-
bacco. Stock-raising is extensively
carried on and large numbers ofhorses
cattle, and sheep are annually shipped
from within its borders. Fruits do
we'll, and its peaches are among the
finest sent to the principal markets
of the Uuited States.
It's timber resources are enormous,
and consists, mainly of the valuable
sorts of lumber such as chestnut black
walnut, cherry, ash, poplar, hickory,
locust, maple, and oak. There are
also considerable quantities OF hem
lock, spruce, and cedar.
The coal of West Virginia forms its
principal mineral wealth, and it is es-
timated that Of its entire area, not
less than 10000 square miles are un-
derlaid by workable beds of coal.
These are of every variety and are
noted for their purity for coking,
steam, and gas purposes, and for fuel.
Iron ore is abundant in various. por-
tons of the State, and oil and natural
gas are found in great quantities.
The State has an excellent system Of
free schools, there being in 1890, 1905
schools; 20 being high schools, I6I
graded schools. There are also six
Normal schools supported by private
or UNCONVENTIONAL funds, and two col.
leges, Bethany College, located al
Bethany, Brooke County, and the West
Virginia University, located at Nor
gantown. School facilities are
constantly being added, the number
of school houses being increased from
4,I59 in 1885 to 4,SI4 in 1890. More
and better schools are provided than
are found in some of the older States
of the Union.
BERKELEY COUNTY.
The county extends about twenty.
five miles from the line of Frederick
County, Va, northeasterly with the
strike of the mountains and between
Sleepy Creek mountain and the Poto.
mac river. 1t embraces every kind O
soil from the alluvian and loan of the
river bottom, through clays, the lime
stone formation and sand, to the
shales and conglomerate of the noun
tains on its westerly border, and un
derlaid in many places with mari and
phosphates of much value, though
undeveloped. Wheat of very fine
!. grade is raised. Other cereals and
general farm products do we'll, and
much of the land seems especially
: adapted to the raising of small fruits
A number of plantations of peaches
extending to thousands oftrees, have
been started within the last three
years, and the older trees give prom.
Use of a fine crop during the present
season.
The railroads are the Baltimore &
Ohio and the Cumberland Valley.
The Chesapeake & Ohio canal
affords another outlet to tide water.
Limestone exists in large quantities
and of especially find quality. The
lime burned here is in demand, and
regularly shipped to Pittsburg for
glass and iron manufacturing. Iron
exists in many places throughout the
county. Fine grade pipe ore has been
mined neal Martinsburg, while brown
hematite is found in the western and
northern portions of the county where
manganese also appears, though its
extent has not been ascertained. In
the Sleepy Creek mountain, extend
ing along the whole westerly side of
Berkeley county, is a basin of anthra-
cite, some fifteen miles in length and
one and a half miles wide, with veins
varying from three to eight feet in
thickness, the anthracite being of fine
quality, but not yet mined for mar
ket.
Pine lumber is manufactured in lin
tied quantity. A great deal of good
oak and poplar remains throughout
the county. There is a good demand
for the oak for car building and for d.
rect shipment to Europe. A great
deal of second growth hickory is
found in the mountains, and a spoke
and handle factory would do we'll
here to work it up.
Agriculturally, Berkeley is one of
the best counties in the State-having
a good soil, well watered by the
Opequon, Tuscarora, Back creek, Elk
creek, Meadow branch and Cherry
run.
To settlers it offers the inducements
of low priced lands, ample competing
transportation to the great markets
Of the country, good social, schooi and
church privileges, and low cost of
living-all of these to be had within
100 miles of the seaboard at a very
little more than that of land 1900
miles farther west, and with the man