The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-31
THE NEW COUNTRY
Opened Up by tho Now Dry Forl;
River Railroad.
FROM HENDRICKS UP TO HARTMAN
Aud What Ono Experiences Enroutr.
Primitive Modes OF Living Giving
Way 20 tho Progress OF Develop.
incnt-rhc Lumber Induslry-A
Justices Court ut linrmnn.

Special Correspondence ofGr miellignnn
ELIiSS, W. Va, May 2S.-WhOu l
stepped from tho train OF tho West Vir.
GINA Central road on to tho platform ut
liendrlcks, on my way to uarman, on
tho now Dry Fork railroad, ] asked a
native who was lettering around AZ 10
the running Of trains on tho latter road,
aud tho probability OF my getting back
that evening In timo to mako connec.
ton with tho south bound train for
Elkins. lilo said: "Woll, tho train Is
usually lalc, but II thoy do not have m
accident or anything else tho chances
aro you will got back hero in time"
Tho Anything else" phrase was
rathOr pukzling until had gotten icw
miles on tho journey. when found that
It covered multitude OF sins; anything
from crawling around tho base OF
mountain at almost foot pace, over u
very uncertain roNdbed. to stopping tho
train TO allow some lumherman TO got
OF and examine pilO OF lumber along
tho roadside. and II Is Graycly asserted
TINT tho train stops ut tho small stores
cnrouto long enough TO allow drum
mer 10 sell his bill ofgoods.
Tho road extends como thirty.cight
miles UP in the mountains to tho ex-
tensiYo lumber mills OF tho Coudon
Lane Boom aud Lumber Company,
which have proscn. capacity OF from
$4,000 10 10000 feet per day, and with
improvements which arc now being
added. will soon have capacity Of up.
wards Of 100000 teot. This company
employ altogether over three hundred
hands and control soma $1,000 acres OF
land covered with tho most valuable
timber.
1t is rugged and wild country. Tho
Dry Fork river. which At this time Is
quite respectable sized stream. foams
and rOars in thousand beautiful cas-.
cades and rapids, and winds in and out
in a manner that is puz2ling to keep
track OF, while tho towering mountains
rear high overhead, and in some places
immense rocks actually oyerhany the
train. and Mt one stop made it was pos
sible to pluck wild.howers from tho Gre
vices Of tho rock from the car window.
| The numerous streams triCSling down
tho mountain side in places almost
| poured in the car window, while some
OF the larger have TO DO drained of be-
low the road bed.
Tho native born population are usual.
ly n shit.lcss. ignorant lot, with scarcely
energy enough 10 make bare living
from the rich bottom and valley lands.
which, properly cultivated, would yield
large returns. Here and there some
Sigh. attempt at fencing IN and cul,i-
waiting is seen, but it does not amount
to much. and as rule they appear con-
tent 10 live in state OF rs bllsslul idle
ness rs any mortal need.
| The houses arc almost universally
small log cabins. probably % feet
square, and 10 these whole families will
live. 4 hoio in the middle OF the low
ceiling making an entrance to the loft
above, where the children are lifted TO
when night comes to sleep. Some few
OF the houses boast OF 4 ladder, but this
is generally deemed 4 supest!uous lux
uary, and the strong arms OF the parents
|
| children ever know.
Hartman is an old-time town that be-
fore the advent OF the railroad depend
cd for communication with the outside
world upon Piedmont. eiGh. miles away
across the A!leghenies, and from there
all supplies were teamed, tho round
trip lasting usually from sixteen to
eighteen days.
Court was being hold there when |
arrived. the question OF the ownership
OF haystacE bringing in the mount
aiucers aud their families from miles
around, and the occasion seemed to be
uado gala day. AZ the squircs Office
was small and the crowd curious, court
was adjourned to the sidewalk, where
everybody hid fair show, aud the jury
sat around in their shirt sleeves, looking
and feeling rs important n. tho average
| Jury usually does. No lawyers were em-
| ployed, as there are none ia the neigh
borhood, but both plaintiff and defend.
| ant prosecuted their own cases and pro-
pounded questions and insinuaied rea.
sons that would have put regular
practitioner in frenzy through hav.
ing TO object so constantly. An inter.
rupton was caused by fight further
up the street, and court was suspended
| lon. enough to allow tho constable 10
arrest hepar,icipants, who were then
held for trial until the haystack qucs.
lion had been disposed OF.
This country is paradise for tho
angler, the upper streams Astounding in
trout, whilo in tho lower waters, sal.
mon. bass and suckera are plentiful. 4
peculiar feature OF these mountain
streams is what arc called sinks"
VIII ere the water sinks.and disappears
in the earth. to appear again ut an out
let, often several hundred yards away.
Tho most noted OF these ID at the head
oil Candy. where tho river has in tho
course OF ages worn itself passage
completely through tho mountain. Il
distance OF three.Guartcs8 OF Il mile, and
| in places fully hunnrcl loot high, and
oil M average width OF twenty feet. Tho
! rock ID OF limestone FORMATION and is
said TO bc nrChcd and smoothod as
though tho best engineering skill had
Deem bestowed on IT,
Tho Iumberman is certainly the pio-
necr to open up this country 10 tho out
side world, and 10 doubt a-iew years
vii! work wonderful difference in this
section, rs has been done in other paris
Of the state. aud West Virginia i. prov
ing more and more each year good
state 10 hold to for natural riches and
future development.
Fortunately the train returning was
on time aud got u1 safely back to Hon
bricks without further incident than
making u stop, when the crow aud nil
tho passengers unloallod themselves in
the woods and gathered wild flowers,
oue of which enclose you. ",