Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-07-22
Wonderful Natural Resources That
Are Lying Almost Untouched.
GEOLOGIST GRIMSLEY TALKS
Says That the Deposits of Limestone, Clays
and Cement Will Make This the Richest
County In State of West Virginia.

That Berkeley county is destined
within few brief years to become
one Of the richest, if not the richest,
comfy in the state of West Virginia.
with the neighboring county of Jeffer-
son pressing her closely for first honors
in the development Of vast natural re-
sources, is the firm belief OF Assistant
State GeoloRist &. Perry Grimsley.
OF Morgan town, as we'll es number
of shrewd and seeing business and
proft ssional men of this city and
county, who are in great measure
acquainted with those conditions upon
which they base their predictions.
Geologist Grimsley has just return.
ed to MorRantown after an exhaustive
and minute survey Of Berkeley and
Jefferson counties. where he spent
several weeks in driving and walking
over nearly every section Of the rich
in his belief and predictions concern
ing The great natural wealth Of the
eastern panhandle. His mission 10
this section of the state, at tie in.
starce of the state geological officers.
has been an eminenilv successful one,
and he will retutn again in a few
weeks to complete the important work
mapped out bv those who are sanRuine
that the richest section of West Vir
ginia is vet to be developed.
Before leaving Maitiusbure, where
he had made his headquarters and was
in touch with citizens of the county
who could afford him facilities for
prCsec cutting his woik. Mr. Grimsley
WAS intery iewed by representative
of The Evening World, and unfolded
a condition Of affairs that will prove
almost amazing TO even a great maj or-
ity of the residents of this section.
He said:
PROF. GRIMSLEY TALKS.
"For 20 years or more the attention
of capitalists has been drawn to West
Virginia by the reports of the won
herful coal fields Of the state. This
has, in great part, been brought about
by the reports of our state biologists.
These enormous and rich coal deposits
are so we'll known now to the outside
world that further efforts to direct at
tentinn to them are superfluous. For
some time past the biologists connected
with the state office have had their
ewes on the eastern panhandle, where
it has been known for years that
enormously rich deposits of limestone,
shale, CLAWS. etc. abound. The work
in this Sc ction has been compelled to
await the DEVELOPMENTS of other sec.
tions. but at the last session of the
Legislature a sum of money was placed
at the disposal of the state geologist
70 prosecute the work of Investigation
in Berkeley aud jefferson counties,
and / am already of the opinion that
this will prove to be the best invest.
ment the state has ever made along
this line.
"Ot course. your limestone deposits
are already famous. and l NAV say in
this connection that this stone has
no superior anywhere for the purpose
for which it is now used in vast
qusntities-that Of hux ug in the
manufacture of high grades of sreel.
Bot while the limestone industry has
been a great one in Berkeley and JEFF
fersol counties, the work already &C
complished is mere bagstelle in com.
parison with what is sure to follow in
the course of the next few years.
When the vast amount Of Limestone
taken out and shipped during the past
10 years by the different quarries there
from their limited acreage is compared
with the enormous deposits which
run in veins hundreds Of yards wide
for many miles, with a depth that
cannot be even estimated, some idea
Uf.what NAV be done can be formed.
To use a somewhat worn but striking
phrase, the limestone deposits in
Berkeley and Jefferson counties have
scarcely been scratched. The supply
is practically exhaustible.
But it is not to the limestone de-
Dosits alone that Berkeley and Jetfer-
son counties are to look for their future
wealth, for you have here another de-
posit that will prove to be even a
greater source of riches and which
will make possible the working Of
yonr limestone lands on a gigantic
scale for many wears TO come. mean
he enormous deposits of that shale
which, mixed with limestone of a