Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-04-13
THE GROWING STATE.
interesting Letter written for The
Herald.

interior counties of the State revealed
to me the great wealth and resources
OF that section to degree greater per-
haps than we had ever realized before.
Clarkesburg which seems to be the
center of the great industrial boom
is situated in a fine coal and oil field
ii is tocuhed by the b. a. O. railroad,
the West Virginia & Pittsburg, and
will be terminus for the short line
which starts at New Martinsville, in
Wetsel county and penetrates a fine
undeyeloped field in Richie and Dod-
| ridge. This road in few years will
be lined along its entire line with a
hive of busy miners. The Pittsblrg
coal, which is fine and valuable coal
for cooking, crops out all along the
West Fork river and its tributaries
and is convenient for shipping pur-
poses as far up the w. Va, and Pitts
burg as Brown Greek, four miles west
Of Clarkesburg and will soon be ex-
tended to Lewis and Upshire. The
short line road will soon be extended
to Belington or some point on the w.
Va. Central Clarkesburg .is an old
town of wealth and respectability and
will soon be city of commercial i'm
portance and great mining and
manufacturing center
The rapid Improvement that is going
on is of a most substantial character
and almost entirely by her own citi-
zens. We were told that Judge Golf,
whose daily income from his oil in
terests is about four thousand dollars,
has under contract and contemplation
over two hundred thousand dollars
worth of buildings under way and
other individuals and companies of
means and enterprise are building as
fast as material can be obtained and
hammer and trowel can put it in posi-
ton. and what is true of Clarkesburg
is also true of Fairmont and other
towns situated in this wonderful
Monongalia Valley which is richer
than the EGYPTIAN plains or the val
leys of the Nile and perhaps the
countries from which Soloman s ships
gathered material for the building
and adornment of the temple. The
distance from Clarkesburg to Fair
mont 80 miles and for every mile
of road there is coal mine in opera
tion and one bank alone in the latter
town has ON deposit nearly a million
dollars. 1t is said that there is more
money in the banks of Fairmont to-
day than there was IN the entire State
of West Virginia twenty wears ago.
Nothing can disturb or retard this
great industrial progress, but re-
versal of the protective policy of the
Republican party which is not likely
to occurr in the near future. But
greater by far than the temporal
wealth of any section is her noble and
honored citizens This valley that
once boosted of Pierpont, a Wiley
and Trichonel and others of national
celebrity can now point with pride TO
some of her native sons, noted for
their loyal talent, their.candor, their
high sence of honor and their business
qualifications. Harrison county in
the great whirl of political events
seems to have been LETT out in the dis
tribution of offices as well as amajority
of the counties of the interior. Maj.
A. G. Moore, of Clarkesburyg, we
understand will be candidate for
Representative in the First Congress
sional District. The Maj, is first
class man, one who has had experience
in legislative bodies is deservlngly
popular man of marked ability and
above all a gentleman OF pure char
acter, trait that should characterize
every applicant for political favor.
No voter shall overlook the fact that
every recipiant of his suffrage should
be man of sobriety and virtue. No
one would reflect more credit upon
the district than Major Moore,
Talking of some one available to
bear the State ticket four years hence
whispered it that IN as much as L.
f. Davis, of Grafton has made per;
sonal sacrifice for the party, and gal
liant fight against great odds in 1892,
and in view of his fine business quail
cations and other events that have
transpired that he would be the heir
apparent and the most probable candi-
date.
But as to the general business out
look in W. Va. it was never better,
our great resources are just beginning
to attract the outside world and our
own people are beginning to appre
ciate the great wealth that lies at
their door. Our business and
enterprise is yet only in an imbrio
state with DEVELOPMENTS awaiting MS