The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-09-05
Our Future.

TO become the seat of the grandest
manufacturing empire the world has
ever seen. England has for centuries
dominated affairs and her position has
been due to the vast beds Of mineral
fuel that she possessed. But the
shafts have gone lower and lower after
the coal, which has been the very life
blood of her prosperity, until to-day
the average depth of mines there is
1000 feet. In very few years, COM
paratively, mining will be no longer
profitable and her greatness will in
evitably depart.
No large coal beds exist in any 9TH
er parts of Europe or in Asia, and in
| Africa and South America there are
practically none. This leaves the con-
tinent of North America to supply the
world with its fuel Here we find fine
large coal fields containing mineral
wealth far exceeding the widest
dreams of avarice. OF these, the best
for manufacturing and fuel purposes,
as well as the largest and easiest
mined, is the one in which we live.
When machine wears out in New
England or factory burns, it is not
replaced but slow exodus is going on
toward the new Ell Dorado on the
banks Of our beautiful river. This
movement is not confined to New Eng
land alone, but is making itself felt
from the gas belt of the middle west,
which has become almost exhausted.
All over the country the tendency is,
to concentrate the manufacturing es-
Establishments as near as possible to
fuel supplies, thus reducing the ex-
pense Of operations very materially.
The building of the Lake Erie canal
will be like the addition of another
river to this already prosperous, bust
ling river basin, giving US an outlet
to Canada and the Great Lakes by the
cheapest transportation in the world.
This will increase the tendency of
manufacturing plants to come to this
valley and only a few years will see it
one continuous line of industry from
Pittsburg to Fairmont. The manu-
featuring of the entire world will be
done here, and vast as this demand is
now, how much greater must it be in
consequence of the natural growth of
civilization and its demands on the
manufacturing arts?
Thus we see that great as England
has been this valley will be greater be-
cause it will have all, while the Brit
ish Isle has only had part.
Then close examination of this
favored region, shows us that our
thriving little city is near its very
center. Here the beds of coal are the
thickest, the most easily mined and
the facilities for transportation are
the best. The beds of coal here ag-
gregate 40 to so feet, of which 80 feet
is at very slight depth below the
surface and lies in beds Of immense
thickness. Nature seems to have en-
deavored to put forth her utmost prod
igality in preparing our favored town
to take her place as the queen of the
rich cities that must shortly make
this river the abiding place.
We find, in addition to the vast
coal beds, seven productive gas sands
fairly oozing richness at every pore.
Only one Of these has been levied up
on and the supply from this shows no
sign of diminution but on the con-
trary seems to grow stronger from
year to year. When it gives out there
will be six Others of equal strength to
draw upon and by the time these are
exhausted half century must have
elapsed. When this time does arrive,
American engenuity will, no doubt,
contrive to extract as desirable and as
cheap fuel from the COAL As far
as human intelligence can pierce the
dim veil of the future, nothing can be
seen in store for our city but success
sion of triumphs more brilliant than
the greatest triumphs of the worlds
great heroes, because accomplished by
the gentle arts of peace. No town in
the United States or for that matter
in the world, has such promise of a
rapid, substantial progress as it has.
Nowhere will an Investment in real
estate pay greater dividends nor yield
them more quickly. These may seem
extravaganza assertions but calm
survey of the situation is all that is
needed to convince one OF the justice
of the conclusions. Wide awake cap
italists are aware Of these advantages
and the tide has begun tI set strongly
towards us. Get on the band wagon
before all the available SEATS have been
, taken, by investing in some OF the
gilt edge bargains that are now to be
had but which must soon be out OF
the reach Of the ordinary investor.