Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-22

To look abroad upon the grandeur and
agniicence of the United States with its
asst territory covering an area of between
nree and four million square miles, and
iaving a population of over 20 million
people, 1t seems almost impossible to bring
ne mind to realize the fact that it is only
~ years since the first permanent settle
nent Of whites was made on tn shores of
the new world, its only inhabitants in 1907
peing wandering tribes of Indians; or that
mighty forests of trees and tangled brush
Etretched out for hundreds OF miles in all
directions Astounding with wolves, grizzly
and black bear. panther and wildcat, the
more open portions of the country being
ne haunts of immense herds OF buffalo,
FER, elk and focks of wild turkey, geese,
ian and other game. And it seems equally
surprising to know that less than 150 years
Ego civilization was Just beginning to cross
me Alleghenies, Christopher Glss being the
hrst Englishman to explore the country
oetWeen the MOnongahela and Great Kan
awha in 1749, followed later on by Col.
GIognan in of an English explor-
ing company.
As late as 100 years ago when George
washington made his memorable voyage
rom Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg,, to the
of the domain OF the United States did not
exceed half a million square miles. and its
population was not over three million, the
pnly whites below Pittsburg being "a few
and spectators sent out by the govern
nent as emissaries to explore the country:
But the best idea perhaps. of the wild
ana unsettled condition of affairs in those
sariy days. may be Obtained from the fol
lowing review of the Glary kept by Wash
lngton during the voyage referred to. IN
connection with this, we also fiDd mucn
valuable in regard to the OHIO
valley as late as IS years ago, in an Old
OHIO NAVIGATOR unfinished NV Cr3mer and
DSpear. of Pittsburg, in 1924. At the time
4 this book was written the places now call
q cities were mere villages, while the
\ beautiful farms SO numerous along the
OHIO were. covered with dense woods.
Br,ef1y glaneing over the diary referred Sd
Overland trip from Mount Vernon to
Pittsburg,, October 5, ITO, in company
with his life long friend and companion
a lied horse" on which to carry their bag
bs sakei T rSad 5he1 they srE stopped a. for a G dinnss
but soon after resumed their journey,
reaching Leesburg late in the day after a
! On October 9th they fed their horses
,"on top of the Ridge. but did not remain
Long g, at this his point, arriving at et1t the sb home Sg4er Of
Marsh" a little after the family had
dined. the distance travelled during the
! Washington dispatched a message to Col.
stephens apprising HIM of his arrival and
Intended journey.
The Following Day, October z,
his "~portmanteau horse failed and he
brother and borrow one of him in his place
IN order that he could proceed on his jour-
ney, which he began early, stopping that
He describes this mans house as very
good" there being also fine pasturage,
good fences and beds tolerably clean"
! On account of the sudden illness of one
of his servants, he left him at Pritchard's
in charge Of DR.. Craik, and continued his
journey in company with Valentine Craw-
4 him the particulars of a grant said to have
been sold to Walpole and others for a
\ certain tract of country on the Ohio"
! This man. he tells us, had lately arrived
4 from England.
The distance travelled on this occasion
1 was about 26 miles.
On October 8, he went up to Romney,
/ where he met DR.. Craik and baggage. This
tow is in Hampshire county, West Viz
Lord Fairfax in 1747. 1t is picturesquely
! fine view Of the surrounding. country, and
contains, according to the. latest census,
q population of 1900. 1t is here where the
State Institution of the Deaf, Dumb and
Blind is located. Washington does not de-
! scribe the place. His object in visiting
Romney; he tells US, was to purchase
! other" which had been gone from him for
snear three years"
OCTOBER lUln ne despatched his boy StldS
(ome, and proceeded on his Journey, arriv-
b~istance Travelled being % miles;
}"wet and heavy" they did not resume
1 their journey till about IL O'Clock; THAR
next stopping PLACE was at one killams
ten and a half miles from the north branch
! of the Potomac Here Washington says
Ahe crossed the lower end Of his deceased
brother Augustine's land, known by the
name of Pendergrass's." He describes the
I road as bad and the country billy and
stony 1T is the same distance from Fort
that it is to the crossing above mentioned,
yand the road from there to Joliffs," con-
Atinues the diary, "by the Old Town much
October 18th they left Killams early and
ARRIVED at Little Meadows, ten miles dis
they set out again, reaching the Great
Crossing about dark, having travelled a
distance of thirty miles, which" says
! work" The land over which they passed
! continued mountainous and stony. there
being but little that was good, and that
SSResuming their journey October 18th they
arrived at Great Meadows. thirteen
miles o dietant the IN sa flme ey fer orea aeaehed a the
home of Capt. Crawford, where they re-
mained till the 18th. In speaking Of this
DAYS travel, Washington says: From
Gtstis to Crawford's the land is very
broken. though not mountainous, in spots
exceedingly rich, and, In. general Tree from
stones. Crawford's,"s he continues, lis
very fine land, lying on the 1ouhiogany
at a place commonly
Called Stewards Crossing"
: The following day, October. IA, Wash
\ 3neton visited a coal mine On the banks of
The river, not far from the house. He
seemed pleased with the quality OF the coal
which he describes as burning freely"
there being abundance Of it,"
n October 18th he accompanied Capt;
era Word to view a tract of 1,600 acres of
land the latter had taken up for him near
the Youhiogany, distant about twelve
miles. He seems also to have been greatly
nIeased with it. describing it as well
wateredF and containing "a great deal of
Itch meadow" In going to this land he
savs he passed two other tracts which
Cant. Crawford had taken up for his
hrothers Samuel and John. 1t was his in
tention also to have visited the land which
Sra wford had procured for Lund Washing
ron but thine falling Short he was
obliged to postpone 1t.
That which surprised Washington most
concerning the country was the soil which
WAS the richest he had ever seen, that
,rnop the sides and SUBMITS being. as
hfark as a coal, and the growth walnut
nd cherry" The flats, however, were not
90 rich. being mixed with stone. Upon
their arrival home, night having overtaken
hem. they found Col. stephens. 1t was
nof till the evening of the 10th the party
yain resumed their journey, being
accompanied with this gentleman as far
light While his guest. Washington says,
Le was visited by a man named Ennis Who
Eiaimred to have travelled down the Lit
II Kanawha almost from the head to the