The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-10


Gov. MacCorklo to tho legislature:
TO ne Numbers Of ne senate and house Of tiatgdtu.
GENTLEMES:-I havo tho honor to luy
before you my titst biennial message.
Iextend to you tho mos. cordial vel.
come, and hope that your service may
be pleasant to vou rs woll "a conducive
to tho good OF tho state.
IA directed by the law II Ia my duty
TO report 10 you tho condition OF tho
state, and 10 recommend what legisla.
ton | shall deem cxpedien,, believe
tho condition OF tho state to DO unex.
ampled In hor history. Her finances
arc In the best condition her growth In
material prosperity Is almost without n
precedent; her institutions have been
managed with al oye single to the good
OF the state; and II there ID any corrup.
tion in any Official board or state insti.
tuition 1t has go far escaped the most
rigid investigation. Our sister states
look with surprise when they SEQ our
wonderful progress on the road to pros.
-perity and wealth. Our own people,
who thought they know, and correctly
estimated, our hidden wealth, are
amazed when tho hands of progress
iiaya Disclosed to them treasures OF
which they had not the taintest con.
ception.
New minerals aud new oil folds are
daily astounding the world with the
vast possibilities Of wealth within our
borders. In noarly ali reports the coal
area OF the state has been placed at six.
teen thousand square miles. New dis
coveries OF coal aud new investigation
place the amount at not lees than seven
teen thousand square mies.
Upon this vital question OF material
wealth will be paraoned ior tho intro.
ductIon OF specific illustrations.
OIL DEVELOPMENT. Y
In 1855 the production OF oil was 49,
his barrels; in 1892 tha oil output OF
this state, in round numbers, was g.
100000 barrels, which were sold for
s., 100000. This is not all. In the
amazing increase since that year, wcll-
informed men believe wo have seen but
asmall earnest OF tho future.
In 1895 the rich stream had swelled
into maicsiic river. 1t is difficult for
the mind TO grasp the increase OF nearly
; five million barrels over 1892, making
for the year 1893 about 100000 barrels,
which sold at IN average OF sixty cents
per barrel, and poured into tho hands
OF our people more than 100000, an
increase in clear income OF S3,00O,O00
in one year.
The report for the year 1894 is not We.
made. | hin informed, however, that
the :abulation for the early months OF
this year as completed shows tina. the
daily output was o1.000 barrels, which
sold ut an avefag, OF eghty-one cents
per barrel. making an average daily
! yield to our people OF $2l,S7o. At this
rate the oil production for West Viz.
ginia for 1894 will amount TO more than
= SS,00O,0 showing the enormous in.
crease OF 3, 100000 over 1898. and more
{ than S60OO,00O over 1892. This pro.
duction has been Accomplished with
the rich sands barely touched, aud the
supposed oil territory scarcely invaded.
Our possibilities OF production will be
more kecnly appreciated when it is seen
Z from every possible indication that the
oil belt extends from Wetzel aud Marion
counties, on the northern, to Wayne
and Logan, on the southern border.
AS A COAL STATE.
In tho production OF coal and coke
the state has increased her proportion.
ate lead. She il now fourth in coal and
second in coke production. As an illus.
tration, kanawha and Fayette counties
alone produced one twenty-seventh
r. it,pTl Of hn coal v,,irn1 IL, fI,a IT.tt.l
States. At the present ratio Of progress,
in from three 10 four years West Vir.
ginia will be the third coal produnv
state; and from five to six years, che
will be second. from six to eight years,
tho proud and rich old commercial com.
inonwealths OF Ohio, Illinois, and Penn.
hysvanla must step aside aud bow ia
obedience, whilst our state passes
ahead. easily the drat in this great com.
marc!al rate. This Is n wonderful in.
crease, when you understand that in
1876 tho state was paratively un.
known as coal producing state. and In
that year. there we're mined within her
borders less than 100000 tons OF coal.
but that she produced LOO 900 in 1877;
i 100000 tons in lS79;-2.24O 900 tons
in,lS82 a, 900, 900 tons in 1885, G,231,.
I $50 tons in 1855, 220. 900 tons in 1891 !;
--l0,70S,573 tons in 1893; aud, notwith-
standing the strike and unprecedented
lockouts and the bushes, depression,
the state produced 9,+2S,0G5 tons in
1894.
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
In tho production OF coke, unsurpasaed
in quality, tho state is second in the
union. lior increase OF from 22S, 900
tons in 1854. to 9,42S,O35 tons in 1894, is
another instance OF her vast and varied
progress and unlimited capability.
In tho production OF lumber tho state
iss!i!l maintaining her advanced posi-
ton. She has tho largest body OF hard
wood in the union, and within hor
borders is ouo-thrd Of all tho poplar
timber in the United States. Our an
nual product Ia more than 125,O0O,0 900
feet OF poplar, 75,000,000 feet Of hard
wood, 5O,000,000 feet OF spruce, with
millions Of ieot OF pine. Notwithstand.
ing ths vast output which increases
year, We have within Our state great
forests which hevcr heard tho rythm Of
tho woodmans axe, and acarcey evor
the sound OF tho human voice.
In all Of tho productions OF the farm
= and manuinctory, the states'a progress
has hecn most satisfactory and pleas.
ing. Her citiea aud towns show n very
marked and healthy ratio OF increase in
population, md capital invested in
business. The mortgage indebtedness
ri our people, Ia, with the exception of
few western states, aa low as any state
in tho union. Our taxes arc compare
lively low. Now cntorprisos are hoing