The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-22
AMERICAN SWITZERLAND.
MOUNTAINS OF IRON AND COAL
COVERED WITH LUMBER.

| Enormous Wealth of the Least
| known and Least Cultivated Por-
sion of the United states~Jordan-
run and HopetOvn Are Two Typi-
cal Towns, the Former Moves
About on the Map, the Latter
Boasts of One Family as Total
PopuIatiOn-New Railroads VIII
Open Up This Section, One Line to
HUN to Connections with the
West, Another VIII Have the
Chesapeake Outlet-Fight for a
County Seat Which Reminds One
of the Middle Ages.
Copyright, 1901. by Clifford Smyth.)
Charleston. w. Va, Dec. 20.-The
year that is closing has registered GER
tain realroad and mining deals in West
Virginia that indicate the commence
ment of commercial and industrial
revolution in this hitherto undeveloped
state. Until quite recently the greater
part of this section of the country was
as devoid of easy communication with
the outside world as one of the most
backward of the South American re-
publics. Its forests of valuable timber.
it's mineral resources, it's grazing lands,
were left in the hands of a struggling
population without capital or the am
bition for conducting large enterprises.
Now, however, this primitive condition
of things seems to have run its course,
and new West Virginia, vigorous, en-
terprising, is taking the place of the old
pioneer state, with its simple traditions
and customs. To-day more capital is
being invested here for the develop
ment of natural resources than in any
other state in the union.
1t is safe to say that no section of
our country is less known or less Gull
tivated than parts of these mountain
regions. Now and then prospector
has wandered through the wilderness,
but this forerunner of railroads and
commercial progress rarely got away
from the river courses of the fairly
level country easily adapted to culti-
walton. One day an enthusiastic New
York sportsman pitched his camp
among the back hills. His guide
chuckled quietly when the young man
picked up a smooth rock and placed
it on the fire to heat for a roasting
stone. In few minutes blue flame
was all ablaze.
"Wh-what's the matter?" yelled
the young man.
"Nothin' laughed the guide. Eye
got hunk of coal. that's all. 1 guess
we better cook supper ithout the roast
in stone"
The New York sportsman became
wiser man, SO far as a knowledge of
West Virginia roasting stones was con-
L. T. IL.
bles he came upon a huge mountain
of iron ore and took notice of the val
ouable timber all about, he began TO
study the situation.
Now the curious thing is that the
West Virginian mountaineer has known
for longer than the memory of the old
est inhabitant that all he had to do
when he wanted g. fire was to take a
pickaxe and break off a bit of the
rocky ledge or hillside which lay back
of his cabin. Every day he saw the
wealth of timber and iron all about
him, but his simple nature had inquir-
ed no further-a kind nature supplied
his few wants. Why should be care
about acquiring the troubles which
afflicted the rich?
The section through which the new
railroads will pass, lying in the New
Creek and North Fork valleys between
between the primitive that has been
and the progressive that will be, better
perhaps than any other. The distance
between the two towns Is over hun
dred miles. At present there are no
railroads anywhere in reach. A mea-
ger population of about 500 struggles
along the one thoroughfare that Is hon
ored by the name of road, but which
in many places bears more resemblance
70 he haI Of fuf, CIV nV11 flar,
anything else. 1t is the home of the
sanddigger and the moonshiner-a lit
tie primitive world in itself, distant in
population, custom and occupation
from the hurrying world outside, en-
bosomed in a glorious phalanx of
mountains whose majestic contour
gives this region the individuality and
aloofness of an undiscovered Switzer-
land.
Hopeville is at the heart of this rug
ged undeveloped. section. Why the place
was called Hopeville is not very OBJ
vious. A kind of deprecatory modesty,
perhaps, that is not always prominent
in these mountain "towns"-an appeal
to the future for what is lacking in the
present. There is certainly an elusive
quality about these places to which
it takes an unsophisticated traveller
some little hard-earned experience TO
accustom himself. For instance, be-
tween the towns of Maysville and
Hopeville there is a town called Lor-
danum. Its location Is clearly defined |
on the map, and with compass and
pedometer there would seem to be no
reasonable possibility for the place to
evade an intelligent search. After walk
ing for miles through an unbroken |
wilderness of mountain and forest one |
looks forward with keen delight to a |
town along the road. Visions of hotels, |
hot dinners, comfortable fires, lure one |
on to great exertions. But in this par
ticular case plesurable expectancy is |
futile. There Is no Jordanrun along the |
road for all it's imposing presence on |
the map. Careful inquiry afterwards |
elected the fact that under the Nc
Kinley administration a new postmas-
ter was appointed to the town of Jor- |
danrun. This new postmaster lives
two miles off the road, and |
when he was appointed this accom-
modating town moved over to him,
thus completely changing its geograph-
ical position. There Jordanrun will stay
in the woods somewhere until a Dem
cratic president is elected. Then 1t will
take up it's old stand on the road again
ubiquity of the town is quite confus-
ing and one can imagine with what
GREATNESS interest the Inhabitants of
Jordanrun wherever they may be,
must watch a presidential election.
But Hopeville has nothing to fear, no
matter who may be president. Hope
beasr the suggestive name OF Ours
f,.sb nf n M |