Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-14
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
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To the Members of the Senate and

Gentlemen:-lt is my duty 10 lay be-
fore you my Second Biennial Message.
II anords me great pleasure TO say that
since your last meeting the State has
continued in its career Of prosperity.
Considered financially and industri-
ally, the State is in splendid condition.
1 think our growth I'm the last four
years has been unexampled in our his
tory Our valleys are rapidly filling
with a good class of population. Rail-
roads are being built in every dlrec-
ton in the State. The mountains are
being opened by the pick and the show
ell. The forests care being cleared OF
their growth and the improved farms
are taking their places. New and inn
proved methods Of agriculture are be-
ing adopted and the crops Of the farm
ers have been very fine. From all
parts Of the Union the eyes OF capital
are directed TO our splendid coal de-
pOsits. There has been q rush from
every section of the Union into our
oil fields; and in the middle West no
State can compete with US in our
wealth Of merchantable timber With
out exception our towns and cities have
a healthy growth. new manufactures
are being erected. and new products are
being created within the State. Our
rivers are being improved by the gen
eral government. thus allowing our
coal the cheapest transportation 10 the
markets of the world. We are becOm-
ing tn great rival of Pennsylvania to-
day in the markets of the East and
West, and we are largely dominating
the Southern trade. Within snort
time the Kanawha river the key TO
OSe Of the great coal fields of our State,
viii have its Improvements completed
10 its mouth Such is the case with
the MOnongalia. which will be entirely
free from tolls. and the slack water
will be completed by the National Gov
eminent to FairmOnt, thus allowing
the splendid coal of that region free
and cheaper transportation to the
world. thus giving impetus to vast
industry in three OF the great counties
of our State. Our growth in all of
our products has been amazing. I'm
matter of such vital Importance TO the
State. / win be pardoned when 1 dis
cuss the vast growth within the short
term Of this administration. West
Virginia is becoming one of the great
producers Of petroleum i'm the world
From last indications it seems there is
than under any equal amount of ter
ritory in this country. In 1892 the
State produced 3.S1OOS6 barrels of pc
trOleum This was a wonderful gain
upon 1O2 600 barrels i'm 1856, but I'm
1896 this magnificent production of
1892 was increased 10 S.2l6.500 barrels
an increase Of over four million bar
rels
So. with every product of the State,
p vast increase can be discerned. Such
is the case i'm our great production OF
coal In 1892 was produced 9.I3S,l55
tons: in 1895 we produced l,3SI96l
tons. a gain within that short time
of / $40 2O6 tons. The OUTPUT of 1896
will exceed that Of 1895 This increase
is unexampled i'm the history of the
United States This vast increase has
hcoarJzl-l,e IN of national depres-
lion and i'm spite of the closing down
of the mills and the silence of ma
chinery. But not alone have we in
creased in the production Of coal, but
also in the production of coke I'm
1892 the State produced l054.75O tons
OF coke: but I'm 1895 our production
was 1.2S5.206 tons, an increase of
$50 456 tons.
This rrOduct Of our state was pecu-
liarly a ected by the iron industry, and
in 1892 and 1898 we were also affected
bv the labor troubles within the State
and over the country.
This Increase within the four years
also extends to railroad building I'm
1892 we had 1906 miles of railroad;
in 1895 we had increased it to 2.OI3
miles. and the railroad valuation had
increased from S17.519.723 in 1891 10