The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-30

tatlon, and mules haul them back. 10
condhct these operations we have let
oa. several contracts, mostiy faT log
ging and sladdlng. These contracts are
taken up BY native woodsmen who are
us perfectly at home In the woods as
the beasts that roam the forest. We
have over two hundred men employ
cd that have come to US from Ohio.
Pennsylvania. KePtuciy and Nova SEQ
tia, For the mills. tramroads and
yards the Nova scotlans are superior.
We have twenty-sx of them and wish
we had as many more.
The Timber Land.
The timber lands on the Elk river are
the finest in the state. It consists Of
poplar. chestnut. oak, hickory. linn, Gu
eumber sycamore, buckeye, beech and
hemlock. The last is called spruce pine
by the natives here. The country is
mountainous. the only level land being
the bottom land near the river and at
the mouth OF the creeks. The woods
arc very open and free from UNDER
growth. One can easily ride horse
back all over our tract Of timber, and
the best Of the timber grows at the
heads of the lnnumerable rayInes.
Some OF 1t is very large, tall and
straight It often grows from fifty to
seyenty-dve feet without limb, and II
Is quite common to cut tree contain
ing 1880 feet or upwards. Yesterday
Ernest Jones quarter-sawed an oak log
that yielded 464 feet, board measure.
We are producing at the present time
about $4,000 feet daily Of the above
mentioned kinds Of timber. It is saw
ed mostly into boards for use Of furnl-
ture manufacturers. Quite a cOnsid-
cradle quantity, however. is sawed into
large squares for England. We also
manufacture lath and railroad ties.
Most Of the ties are hewed in the woods
and drawn down on the tramroads to
the Charleston, Clendennin & Sutton
railroad, which extended It's line
through this county to Clay Court
House, seven miles beyond US, a little
over year ago All of our mills, with
one exception, are placed on this line Of
railway. which Is building up a splen-
did business.
The climate here Is simply grand. I
have not worn an Overcoat but three
days this winter, although we have
had 1t down to zero. But the air is so
very dry. and the winds such a rarity,
that we do not seem to notice the cold
as you do at home. The country
abounds with coal, which costs US
nothing except the digging, and we
build large fire-places, and keep big,
cheerful fire going all day and all
night, We have had two or three snow
storms; during the heaviest the snow
fell to the depth Of four inches, and
lasted about as many days, when 1t was
gone, Most of the men from Nova
Scotia are gaining in flesh.
Our mutual friend, Mr.. suther B.
Fulton, OF Bass river, who is superin-
tendent of our operations, has gained
twenty-four pounds since he came
here, and is giving me race for the
two hundred pound mark. The only
thing to be cautious about is the water.
Springs are very rare and 1t is mostly
creek water that is drank, and this
washes such a large surface OF the
earth's face 1t is apt to upset one II
taken immoderately. This Is easy over
come IL men will only take the precau-
ton to boil 1t and cool 1t before drink
ms.
Food a Serious Problem.
Food at first was another serious
problem. but we are gradually over
coming that by securing better class
of boarding housekcepers and cooks.
The cost of living is less than in any
country 1 ever did business In. And II
a few enterprislng women would only
come here and start boarding houses,
they would surely die rich,
This country offers the best opportu-
mites TO laboring men, or men with
small means. that are willing to take up
land and build home Of any known to
me.
Cattle roam the mountain1 the year
round; stables are almost unknown. The
West Virginia mountain hogs bring the
highest price in the New York market
o. any pork that Is sold, viz, twenty
eight cents per pound. They are small,
rarely Weighing over $50 pounds. of the
long nose type. They get their living
In the woods on nuts and roots and
their meat is very sweet IT costs
scarcely nothing To raise hogs and
cattle here. Below me, on the Elk, IN
enterprlsing man has taken up i've
hundred acres, closed II in with wire
fence, stocked It last spring with calves
and is clearing IT, His only expense 80
far has been for his fences and his la
Dor, and a little salt for his stock, and
he 10 sure to make handsome profit
Chickens are plenty. Everyone raises
large numbers of them. In fact chick
ems. eggs, hog meat and cornbread are
the principal articles of food. This,
with q little tobacco. which the natives
can raise themselves, and some coffee,
makes the average family happy and
contented, Houses and clothes are
secondary considerations.
While writing this letter, two Of our
native workmen have come to the Of
Nee and purchased 1000 feet OF hem
lock to build them house. This will
give you an idea Of the amount OF lum-