The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-22
IN DARKEST WEST VIRGINIA.
AN AMERICAN SWITZERLAND TO
DE INVADED BY PROGRESS.

Parts Of the West Virginia mountain
region retain almost their original wildnees.
Now and then a p~rospeotor has wandered
through the wilderness. but this forerun-
ner Of railroads and commercial progress
rarely got away from tho river COURSES
or the fairly level country easily adapted
to cultivation.
One day a 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 1t on
the fire TO heat for a roasting stone. In a
few minutes a blue flame shot up through
the rock and soon II was all ablaze.
VIII what's the matter'' yelled the
young man.
'Nothin'!- laughed the guide. "Ye got
a hunk of coal. that's all. I guees we better
cook supper 'ithout tho rosstin' stone
The New York sportsman became a wiser
man. so far as knowledge OF West Virginia
roasting stones was concerned, and when
later in his rsinbles he came upon a huge
mountain Of iron ore and took notice Of the
valuable 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 oldest in
habitant goes back that all he had to do
when he wanted n fire was to a a pick
axe and break of 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 he had inquired
no furthcr-nature supplied his few wants.
why should he care about acquiring the
troubles which afflicted the rich1
The region through which some railroads
now planned will pass. lying In the New
Creek and North Fork valleys between
Kcyser and Elkins. shows the contrast
between the primitive that has been and
the progressive that will be, better perhaps
than any other. The distance between
the two towns Ia over q hundred miles.
where in reach 4 measre population Of
about 500 struggles along the n
thoroughfare that is honored by the name
Of road. which in many places bears more
resemblance to tho bed Of a mountain
stream than anything else
II is the home of the sang digger and
the moonshiner-a little primitive world
in itself. distant In population, custom
and occupation from the world outside.
embosomed In a glorious phalanS Of noun
tains, whose majestic contour gives this
region the romantic individuality and aloof-
ness Of an undiscovered Switzerland
Hopeville is at the heart Of this rugged
undeveloped region Why the place was
called Hopoville is not very obvious.
There is an elusive quality about these
place s to which IL takes an unsophisticated
traveller some little hard-earned expe-
Renee TO accustom himself For instance.
bot ween the towns of Maysvilie and Hope
willie there n a town called Jordan Run.
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 intelli-
gent search. After walking for miles
tain and forest, one looks forward with
keen delight to a town along the road.
Visions OF hotels. hot dinners, COM
Portable fires. lure one on to great exer-
tions But In this particular case pleas
urable expectancy is futile
There * no Jordan Run along the road.
for all its imposing presence ON the map
Careful inquiry afterward ELECTED the
fact that under the Mckinley Administra-
ton a new Postmaster was appointed
TO the town Of Jordan Run.
This new Postmaster lives somewhere
two miles of the road. and when he was
appointed this accommodating town moved
over TO him, thus completely changing
its geographical position. There Jordan
Run will stay In the woods somewhere
until a Democratic President IL elected
Then II will take up its old stand on the
road again and things will go on as before.
But Hopcville has nothing To fear, no
matter who may be President Hope
Vile consists Of one family This family
bears the suggestive name Of Ours
The tribe Of Gun has a house and a store.
One member - the tHbe Is a Republican,
the other IA Democrat So that when II
comer To making a Post Office appoint
ment here, Hopevill" does not have to grt
up and walk IN the map, ~ happens with
Jordan Run. lni quietly stays where Il has
been. a model 81 municipal stability.
Twelve yearS x Flkn-. which may
and Beverly was the county seat Of Ran
dolph county u IL principal city. In
fart, Beverly is among the oldest settle
msnlz ia West Virginia. dating twenty
vars back 81 the Revolution
It, prlde h. Ia Il, antiquity lts people.
living h'fc from atlor 10 cot, view tlr buhils
aud Irsh - the mn1"ru spirit that In nov
over Ntnt AtTglHia, With dignihsd
-ooh 1llihg The fields hunting t'rdirE
th',r sheep are ths pastoral occupations
thst rugrpss them
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