Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-09-15

Following Is gwen brief sum
mary OF what Morgantown has ae-
complished in an Industrial way
and something about what she ex-
poets to do in the next few years,
Homes for the homeless is the
cry heard on every side in Morgan
town these days. Nearly a thous
and houses have been built during
the past year but the demand has
not shown any sign OF Stacking but
in fact is very more fierce and in
sistent at the present time than ever
before known in the history OF the
city.
Hundreds of families are ready to
come here. More than a hundred
of them have sent their household
goods and can find no houses to
shelter them. Fifty families have
their goods and chattels stored in
the Marilla Glass factory; one of
the new plants being built. They
are waiting on the slow motion of
contractors and builders to get them
into houses now under constr uctlon.
Local contractors and builders
are rushing all the men at their COM
mand liz en- effort to catch up with
their trade and are refusing to take
contracts to be started earlier than
next season. The situation is grow
ing worse and worse and there does
not seem to be any solution except
to have outside people come to the
rescue with men and contractors.
Highest prices are being paid for
labor and for work Ordinary day
laborers are demanding and reeeiy-
ing So day and skilled labor COM
mands its own price. With it all
the town is expanding and spread
ing at rate which is amazing to
the staid citizens OF the old town
who remember when but few
years ago it was one of the sleepiest
towns in the state or the great Mon
ongahela Valley.
Nine years ago the industrial
growth of Morgantown began. A
company was formed of leading
business men OF the town and $50
acres of land bought north of the
University Six or seven houses
were located on that side of Falling
Run. Now there is ward there
with population of two thousand,
manufacturing plants are located
along the river and the scene is
most busy one. Two ward schools
are located in it, its principal
streets are paved, sewers, water and
gas give it all the comforts of city
live and street car line is to be
built through it shortly. More than
thousand people find employment
in It's mills and factories and the
end is not yet Handsome homes
line it's streets and many stores and
business houses do business in that
section of town.
With the coming of the Seneca
Glass factory six years ago Morgan
town began to take on the airs OF a
glass town. Now there are eight
glass factories here either making
glass or in the progress of erection.
None of them employ less than 300
working people. They make tumb
lers, window glass, plate glass, wire
glass and prisms. The only plate
plate glass factory in the state is
building here. The capital stock is
100000. A prism plant is build
ing which is to be 100, by TOO feet
in dimensions. Prof. Fessendsen OF
Allegheny is heavily interested in
this venture
All of the plants under construc
ton are being badly delayed by
scarcity of labor and the contractors
are advertising for men on every
hand.
A Rolling mill which will employ
l,200 skilled werkmen is being built
up the Deckers creek valley which
has not less than six big factories
along its length under course of con
.struction. These are all in or near
the city limits and will be tributary
to the town. A prominent and well
uniformed real estate man told your
correspondent today that from the
amount of building which was act
ually needed at the present time he
was justified in predicting that tn, re
would by $4,000 people here within
the next twelve months. A popula-
ton of $4,000 in five years is regard
ed as regarded as very conserya
tive estimate.
The coal of the county is being
developed. For years it lay locked
in the breast of Mother Nature wait
ing the coming of the miner with
his pick and diamond drill The
day of deliverance is at hand. Heav-
lily interested in this line of progress
is Senator S. b. Elkins of this state.
He owns twenty thousand acres of
the finest coal in the county. There
are four veins of workable coal and
1t 10 of excellent quality.
Elkins is opening big mines up
Deckers creek which will employ
hundreds of men, -Four hundred