The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-02-08

w wa F:A RNlERs
AXE K PROS |. ! S !;
GENERAL CONDITIONS in THIS
STATE FAVORABLE TO
SOIL CULTURE.

SOIL CULTURE.
FarrerE living IN the agricultural
sections Of West Virginia are making
more money and have more In the
banks than ever before. according to
the bankers living In the agricultural
counties. Bankers writing to tho, Man.
ufacturers' Record portray the genera:
eonditt,ns existing In agricultural sec.
tlonn of The state: 4
jackson County.
W.. w. Riley, cashier OF tbs Valley
Bank Of Ripley, says:
sour county Of Jackson hitherto
hse been strictly an agricultural and
stock raising section: Had valuable
timber which has mostly disappeared.
No mineral produets Of any kind.
However, at present. there 10 eonsld-
cradle activity y Development for oil
and gas property. Our farmers are
let's In debt than for many years pas.
and have moro money IN local banks
than ever before. Our farnssa pro-
Luce corn. wheat, oats; potd,s>-. -.r..-
also considerable tobacco is grown,
and the, amount 10 increasing each
year. Poultry raising is an Important
Item In the, list OF industries, aHe
brings into the country large sums Of
money, whs.h Is more widely dis
.trlbuted than any, other. Our farm.
orc in the main, use surplus funds
.int improving farms and homes, max
inc themselves, comfortable. Real
estate, values have increased about
!. Is per Gent. In two years. ,uala
.., Braxton County, ,u,
+. r. -. kewlon,. cashier of the First
National Bank, OF Sutton, Gays:
"The !farnere Ct this section OF
West Virginia, as =. rule. are pros
rerous, and are In very good elreum-
stances financially. They owe leas
money for ti,e:r farms, than ever be
fore. and xery5few Of them arc in!
.debted for lands at all, unless. It is
Tor very recent purchases, J, The. ma
jority Of the, farmera in this tRrax-
,ton) county carry, accounts In some
of the local. banking Institutions, and
me should say that their balances arc
on the average, anyway, twice an
much ae they -wero five year.a ago.
! might add as reason for this, ct
least to some extent, that nearIy, :thn
whole acreage OF. Rraxton county is
under lease by the Standard Oil Com
Fany, or some of Ito subsidiary. cor
porat:cns for oil and GAS purposes,
snd every aero under lease is bringing
In minii1um' royalty Of go cent? to
$1.25 an, acre. ayerapeing something
like 81, pers. acre annually. You can
readily seet.hat this brings thousands
| Of dollars. to Braxton. county yearly.
..."As to foreign capital Of settlers
coming into this peetlon, will gay that
&C yet not, ia great many OF people
from distance arc. located n this
corning in -9qulte. rapidly. This lie
practically, virgin country, and
money is being Invested In timber
Iands, coal lands ana tho. like. Jus
consumamted whereby !. 17s,ooo aeres
/. OF coal land changed hands at a price
Of $50 per mere. Ticking everything
, tito confederation the FORMS, the
lumber business, the. activity In coal
In tha last day or two a deal was
and timber. iandu, otcr we should say
that this sectIon of West Virginia 10
' In a very prosperous condition, and
from the outlook generally we believe
that ths community Is entering upon
a period 90 general and material
prosperity"
Monroe County. =,
II, p. Tracy, cashier the Bank OF
Monroe Of Union, Gays:
"The financial condition Of the
farmers Of thla section 10 much better
than fivs years ago. Better prices
ior live stock and farm products
were realized the past year than 70.
mahy years. Tho average Indebted;
ners OF tho farmers. 10 smaller, and
theru ie not as much 'surplus money
In the banks, but this Is oecasloned by
the importation Of .h:5h.grade draft
horses for breding purposes. The gen,
eral business outlook 10 brighter than
for some time past. There Is no dis
position on the part Of our people. we
are happy to say, to invest their sur.
plus earnings In 'wiId-cat' enterprises.
! The recent business Improvement Ia.
had the effect Of worry materially n.
ereaelnu land vaiues. The inereasS
over the past decade would average
from 20 to 40 par cent, and present
land values would be further aug
mented were good roads the rule ratl'-
or than the exception In this section.
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