The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-04
AW AI[ENING OF WEST VI
GlNIA'SPO TENTIALITIES|

lac AAanutacturers Record. of Hal-
timore, Is publishing series Of letters
on West Virginia written by It's spc.
cial correspondent, Albert Pheuls. and
in this weeks Issue appears the fol-
lowing glowing bnt truthful picture
! of the vast possibilities Of this state:
Absolutely bewilderlng is the array
of possibilities this State contains in
the way OF wealth production. In
any attempt 10 size up the full import
of even present day activities ono ID
weli.nigh bafiied by the variety and
extent Of the operations going on. con
fessedly and paipabiy mere begin
nlnss as they are. Coal, oil, gas and
timber are the Immediate great
sources OF wealth-prouct.on here. and
either one OF them In The quantity
found here would make wonderfully
prosperous community Taken alto
gether, and in the extent to which
they exist, the mind is fairly stag
gered by the effort TO calculate hox
rich State West Virginia VIII be.
come when anything like a full utili-
cation OF these resources shall haye
been secured. No one can completely
comprehend the situation off.hand. II
at all, and in its entirety and with due
reference TO the enhanced values
which must prevail with more uni
versal appreciation OF the resources
the State contains, West vifrinia's
development must unquestionably be-.
come one OF the most remarkable
movements, in magnitude and in prom.
view the prospect DER; indeed. /
ever seen.
have by no means reached pin
acle as yet from where may broadly
view the prospect Ger; in deed.
have only come, as II were upon the
edge OF some vast forest yet to be OK.
plored. But every view I've 80 far
had OF this great section. every fact
that statistics show and every tale
that investigators and participants re-.
late, all are In the direction OF con. I
firming the belief that West Virginia
is on the eve OF development no
broad and wide and vast that the
world viii stand astonished at what
Will occur. and, seeing the reasons.
will then woner why such nctivity
was SO long delayed.
The occasion for this, however Is
simple enough. Few men are gifted
with prophetic vision. Until recent
years West Virginia, the newest Of
the States east Of the Mississippi
river, has been likewise the least de.
veloped. Although there have been
voices in the wilderness proclnimins
through scores OF years the greatness
OF the Opportunities here existing, the
needless herd, whose convincing I'M.
pressions are almost always obtained
through the eye. have been waiting 10
be Shown III West Virginia Is SO
rich In resources, why is Il so unde-
yeloped?" they have asked, and have 4
then passed by on the other side to
drop fortune in far-ofr gold-mlninR
prospect hole or make Investment IN
rubber plantation 5000 miles away.
BY dint Of perseverance,, through the
discovery that an Elkins, a Davis ard
a Camden have taken from these West
Virginia hills fortunes Of from 10000.
900 to s2o,000.0o0 apiece. but mainly
because the enormous Increase in the
worlds consumptiye demand for coal
has brought home to the vast aggreea-
tons Of capital Interested In the coal
lands and the coal-hauling railroads
Of Pennsylvania the fact that the end
OF Pennsylvania colsins.coaI produc-
ton is In sight. there has come, al
most a sudden awakening, an appse-
citation Of West Virginia conditions
which has resulted in coaiIand invest.
ments and railroad construction In
West Virginia on scale never known
before. Full and up-to-date statistics
are not available. They never are In
Continued on sixth Pape.)
Prof. Cleveland Able Is dean If The 5