Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-05-17
WEST VIRGINIA IN FIFTY YEARS

From Manufacturers Record)
West Virginia is preparing to cele-
brate in June. 1913. its fifty years OF
Statehood. Those fifty years have
made history in material progress. In
the past thirty Of them the population
OF tue State has more than doubled,
the capital in its manufacturing ins
dustries has increased twelve times,
the value Of its farm properties has
more than doubled. the value Of It's
mineral products has increased fifty
times and It's wealth has more than
trebed In 1880 West Virginia made
62.S02 tons Of pig iron and 1896
tons of coke. cut 1S0112,gJ0 feet OF
lumber, mined 1S29.S4 tons OF coal
and GS.S02 tons OF iron ere and pro-
ducad $4,000 barrels Of petroleum.
In that year the total resources of its
National banks were $5,939,454. and
Individual deposits in all It's financial
Institutions aggregated only SG.074-
500 There were but G91 miles Of rail
road in the State. In 1911 the produc-
ton Of pig iron rose to 291,472 tons;
Of coke, 10 3.S0000O tons; Of lumber,
TO l,376.737,000 feet; Of coal, to 61.-
100000 tons, and of petroleum to H.
600. 900 barrels, while the National
bank resources had become S7j,GS0-
642, and the individual deposits in
banks and trust companies $107,366,-
COZ, and the railroad mileage was B.
/ 1854
West Virginia's area of PATIO
square miles embraces something
more than ouathird of the area Of the
original State of Virginia, and the
progress that the younger state has
made is strikingly illustrated by com
parison of its position in 1911 with
that of the Old Domionion fifty years
ago In 1860 Virginia had a popula
ton of 1,596.31S, or about 100000
more than West Virginia has today
The mineral development in the Unit
ed States had hardly begun fifty years
ago Petroleum was discovered in
Pennsylvania only a few months be-
fore 1860, and in that year the output
was but 100000 barrels. In the same
year only 14,61o,042 tons cf coal were
mined in the country, and of that to-
tai Virginia, where bituminous coal
was first mined In America, produced
only 473.36G tons. West Virginia's
production in 1871 was $50 times that
amount. The value Of products in
manufacturing Industries in the Unit
ed States in 1860 was something more
han 81 900, 100000 and of that amount
Virginia's share was over ISL, 200,0 00.
In 1909 West Virginia factories pro
duced to the value Of $751; 800, 600. The
wealth of Virginia in 1860 was esti-
mated at $793,249,681, That of West
Virginia today is close upon $1,000
000. 900.
Great as has been the advance Of
States of the Union in annual coal
production and fourth in petroleum
output, West Virginia has still within
itself the clements for much greater
progress OF its estimated original
supply of 15O,0000Oo,o00 tons of coal,
more than 10000, 600, 100000 are still
to be mined OF 14.610,000 acres of
woodland, 100000 acres remain. The
total area of the State is 15,374,0S0
of which 1861 900 acres are in farms,
but of the farm land only ;, 1872 600
acres are improved. Much of the acre
age of the State will never come I'M
der the pillow and it should not be cul-
tiyvated but should remain forever a
part of the great Appalachian Forest
. Reserve, guarding the headsprings of
mighty rivers of the Continent. But
ginia, the future that will be when ev-
cry acre of tillable land Is handled as
it should be, is indicated in the fact
that between 1899 and 1910 the value
of nine leading crops produced in
West Virginia increased from $1S,450,-
000 to $43.O4G000. or at the rate of 113
per cent In the first ten years of the
century the population of the state in
creased PA per cent, to 1.221,ll9 But
that population averages only about
fifty to the square mile, whereas in
neighboring Maryland the average is
1873.
These few random facts, suggested
by the approaching seml-cFntennal OF
the State. are likely to be expanded as
plans for the celebration develop and
to be effective in giving publicity to
the opportunities for homeseekers and
investors in a region brimful Of miner
al timber and agricultural resources
convenient to the great markets for
manufacturing products.
Child Lacerated by Dog
Attacked by a large shepherd dog
: Enr 20 ID .r. Id LrnaLnL. IL r.l- tl1a a.-n-