The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-08


MUGS to.the landings are very steep and
inconyeriient. The court house Of stone.
with q small belfry, has nothing in
beauty to boast OF. The gaol Joins 1t
In The rear. s. Va. 4
"It isFprobable that Mr.. Zane. the
original proprietor, now regrets that he
had not placed the. town on the plat be-
low. at the. coupling OF the Wheeling and
Ohio. where Spriggs' Inn and the ship
yards now are, instead OF cnltlvating II
as q farm until lately, when a resolve
OF Congress to open d new public state
road from the metropolis through the
western country, SwhlchSwill come to the
Ohio river near the mouth of Wheeling
creek, induced him 10 lay 1t out In town
lots, but j fear he Is too late to see 1t be-
come considerable town to the preju-
dice OF the old one, Notwithstanding Its
more advantageous situation. The pres
ent town does not seem to thrive, II one
may judge by the state OF new build
ings. two only OF which saw going for
! ward In IL The stores also appeared
rather th!nly stocked with goods. and
the retail prices are high. When the
new road Is finished, It Will doubtless be
OF great use to Wheeling, as It Will be
a more direct route to the western
states than any Of the others hitherto
used. and besides there are no material
impedlments to the navigation Of the
Ohio with the usual craft, below that
town In the driest season when the
river Is at the lowest. *,
"The surrounding country In sight Is
hilly and broken. but am informed
thntIt Is very rich and plentiful at a
short distance from the river" (The
interesting account Of the climate, and
vegetable productions, diseases, their
causes. ETC., we must omit. l7
wheeling Island In front OF the town.
is about mile long and half a mile
wide in Its broadest part. 1t Is very fer
tile. and Is all cultivated ms farm by
Mr.. Zane. The post and stage road to
Chillcothe, in Ohio. goes across It, which
occasions two ferries. an Inconvenience
which will be remedled by the new
stage road crossing by one ferry below
the Island.
Indian Wheeling creek a fine mill
west, opposite the middle of the island,
and Mr.. Zane has lately laid out new
town there named Canton, which has
now thirteen houses. but from It's prox-
unity to Wheeling It can never become
considerable" (Warren, Roland's Ferry
and Canton must be located by the old
or inhabltants). After delivering himself
Of these not very complimentary re-
marks friend Cunning entered his bat
tcau and proceeded down the river. His
opinions Of the other towns and their In
hab!tants are as freely and candidly ex-
pressed. His account Of Moundsville Is
full OF interest.
Describing GAINESVILLE, o., he says: ut
was named after Mr.. Zane, OF Wheel
Ing, who as recompeuse for opening
the first road from Wheeling to Chilli
Gothic, got a grant OF three sections of
land OF six hundred and forty acres
each. On one section he founded Zanes-
vile: on another, New Lancaster, and
the third Is part Of the rich bottom on
the bank Of the Scioto, opposite to Chill
icothe."
In the appendix to this book are two
letters containing geographical topo-
graphical and medical information con-
corning the eastern part Of the state OF
Ohio" written by DR.. Gideon c.
Forsyth, of Wheeling. to DR.. A. c.
Wiley. Of Block Island, and By him
given to the editors OF the New York
Medical Repository. One Is dated,
Wheeling, August, 1905" and the other
November "a, 1908. Two quotations
from these letters are apropos:
The influenza appeared general In
this country twice last year. viz: May
and October. In my note book for May
90. 1907. find the following remark:
For several weeks past, the influenza
has prevailed In this and the adjacent
counties, supposed 10 be- caused by the
sudden melting OF the SHOWS In the
mountains. which produced very great
rise of water In the Ohio: the cir very
damp and cold; wind north and north
west" Then follow the symptoms
very similar to our modern grip. Again
we quote:
Our atmosphere is very moist; our
cellars are SO likewise. It Is difficult to
keep milk twelve hours without souring,
or things even in the upper rooms from
moulding. My books were moved two
or three times this summer past, in
consequence Of being mouldy'"
Two other letters Of interest to Wheel
ing people are one dated Marietta. jan
uary II. 1909. from DR.. S. P. Hildreth,
to DR.. Mitchell. editor Of the New York
Medical Repository, giving an account
OF the diseases, climate. vegetable and
mineral productions in that nelghbor
hood. The second Is dated Bellepre,
March 3. 1908 In Cramer's "NavIga-
tor" published in 1914, is another de-
scrlptlon OF early Wheeling, part Of
which we quote:
Wheeling fronts the Ohio on high
sravellv bank, opposite the middle OF
the Island, and having Immediately back
OF the town. Wheeling creek hill, which
is steep and lofty. and so narrow a.
the top, that In some places there Is
scarcely room for wagon to pass
along. and nearly q perpendicular pre-
cipice to the bottom OF the creek. This
sinGularly formed backbone, as 1t were.
between the Ohio and Wheeling creek.
slopes of gradually into 4 fine bottom
Just below the town and above the
slderably lower than the ground on
which Wheeling stands. md in some
seasons has been known to be inunda-
ted by the floods There are on this bot
tom an excellent public inn. q ware
house. n boat yard. and rope walk.
and some other buildings. Immediately
above the mouth Of the creek there
used to stand n fort. serving as from
tier pest during the wars with the In
dams. . The town has about
115 houses, eleven stores, two potterfes
of stone ware, market house. and 1t
had In 1869 n printing office, a book
store and library. The two first Quit
the town for want OF public patronage,
the last Is still upheld by the citizens.
The mail stage from Philadelphia. Bal
timore, etc, arrives here twice a week
by way OF Pittsburgh, Washington and
Caarfest6wc, thence westward the mall
is dispatched once week on horses"
VIII Wheeling ninety-two gears hence
be as great contrast to the Wheeling
Of to-doS as Is the town OF nincty-two
years ago?
Commissioned by the Governor.
Sreril, Dispatch to tho ln:elligcnccr.