Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-04-27
GROWTH OF WEST VIRGINIA.
Industries I'm Marftnsburg and
Berkeley County.


Berkeley County.
State Labor Commissioner L. Y.
Barton has great faith in the future
of West Virginia. In speaking of her
development he said:
Things have changed greatly in
this State the past few years, but
there is still great room for improve
ment in the sentiment of the people
A few years ago great mass of the
residents of West Virginia as we'll as
those of other States, did not appreci-
ate the vast wealth of this State This
is now true of too many of our people
today. One reason for this was the
fact that having grown up surrounded
with natural resources of untold
wealth which had not been at all utiliz-
ed, they failed to grasp their vast i'm
portance. In many sections now these
resources are fully appreciated, though
in many sections and in some of the
resources it will take several years
yet to impress on our people as well
as upon capitalists their value. One
native element of value is marble In
several counties we have marble in
as large quantities as any where in
the world. In Berkeley county this
has been worked to some extent but
owing to the fact that one of the
finest beds of limestone is located
there the marble has been to great
extent neglected for this.
Lime one mining is practically
a new industry, but the demand is
such that for large portion of the
time they are unable to secure cars
for shipping. 1t is of the finest quail
ity and is used in the manufacture
of the finest grades of Bessener steel.
This is a growing industry, and the
boom which the natural resources of
this State is having at this time, is
doing much to advance it. This is
also bringing III outside capital
which is assisting to develop other
industries.
One of the greatest industries in
the interior of the State is the textile
industry. One factory at Martinsburg
employs upward of 900 and upward of
300 are employed in the textile de-
partment.
This is 80 per cent more than in
1899.
Pulp is another of the coming in
dustries of this State. Attention
was only called to the vast amount of
spruce pine, suitable for wood pulp.
in this State, few years ago. No
other State in the Union has the
amount or the quality of this that is
to be found in West Virginia. The
pulp mill at Piedmont has attracted
much attention from the fact that
every postal card used by the United
States government is made there.
They have contract for the manu-
facture of these for number of years
to come. A New York firm has made
West Virginia for the manufacture of
wood pulp. and recently organized a
company with $780, 600 capital for the
purpose of erecting and operating a
mill in this State, While they have
not given out statement as to where
this will be located it is believed that
it will be located in Fayette county,
on New river.
1.-THE vast tracts of coal which have
been purchased recently have given
some the idea that West Virginia will
soon exceed Pennsylvania III the pro-
duction of the black diamonds This
can not be, however, until more rail
roads are built to get to many of the
large fields. In the northern and CEN
trail portions of the State and along
the rivers, the great coal fields are
being randy developed, and many
thousands of additional hands are
employed.
"What is not generally known is
the fact that the timber interests of
the State are much greater than
those of coal. There is more monev
invested and more men are employed
i'm the timber operations than are en-
ployd in conducting the mining OPP
erations. The southern and middle
counties of the State are making the
greatest advance at present in devel-
oping their coal and timber, and as
result lands have EXCHANGED in value
rapidly in these sections.
It's the little colds that grow into
big colds; the big colds that end IN
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