The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-02-17
clarksburg, W. Va, Feb. II, 1907
UTILIZE SAFELY RESOURCES.

The timber of West Virginia is fast
disappearing. 1t is being sent to almost
all parts of tine void. Thousands OF
men OF the present day remember waen
it was vita us in abundance. There
were forests galore less than fifty years
ago. They stretched over wide do
main. Even in Harrison county the
woodland was so extensive taat the
hunter found deer and was subject to
buck.ague- not only tine professional
hunter but also the quiet, unassuming
farmer. Today there is scarcely enough
tnicket for the pheasant. The wool fire
there must come another material for
houses. Man must shelter himself in
time in soma other way. What will be
that way? Must ne grow vegetation to
BE- used for the purpose? win ne come
to the plans and employments of tae
Filipinosg Will ne hatcn things to-
gethcr to build him nut Or will he
use mud?
Then go to tae element of neat. The
state abounds in coal and in number
of places there is natural gas. About
the transportation OF the latter from
the state there is great hue and cry.
About the transportation of the former
from the state nothing is said. Tie de-
velopment of the former is universally
considered tine greatest industry in the
state and more larg4 responsible 70,
its development than any one other re-
source. The gas proposition sinks into
insigniticance in a comparison with it,
Vet tn, latter must be preserved for
tue state and Inc former may go on nm
trammelled in lis aigat from u.s. In
other words sure and fixed rning may
escape MS but the uncertain must b.
kept vita us.
The cry has gone up every where that
the forests must be preserved and new
forests created. Tnis can be done BY
human nand in connection with the help
of the soil. But did ii ever occur that
thu coal Of West Virginia can not b
replaced by human effort? Nor can the
natural gas. WHAT step in science then
is to be taken to furnish heat to future
generations in West Virginia?
Development of natural resources, Is.
pacially, wnen ii means That the most
valuable things that appertain to not
fyspf - IL
petuation of life itself are being sent
away from taat life and utterly destroy
el SO far as tnat life Is concerned, is
certainly not d,velopmant OF an en-
during nature and in the END must b,
an irreparable disaster. unless ways and
means are devised to meet the exhaus
tion of the situation.
And this threatening condition. "a.
gethar with what the living generation
does, is enouga to convince the most
optimistic that it is mistake taat tn
present lives partly at least for the fu.
ture 1t does tsacn That the present i.
intent on developing itself to the high
est standard at the expense Of tas in
ture. though the future may in a degree
enjoy its imaginary benefits. which
benefits may prove far more disastrous
tnan if they had not been undertaken.
The idea Is worthy of consideration
at last and the parent or the citizen
who labors under tne impression that
he must accumulate wealth. even if it
b. through the sacrifice Of what nature
has endowed ais worldly possessions
vita should study it well IN, sal,
now Of a tract Of coal with tne fact
that il win BE- mined ami sent from tns
state before ne dies may profit po.terity
nothing. but it may bring to posfsrity
shoEter lease of life. The expectation
Of gas from this state, the waste of IL
may bring som etning to the present
generation, but only at the risk Of the
future Peopls Of the state
Tne devastation Of our forests ha.