The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-26
WEST VIRGINIA
IS TODAY THE
LAND OF PROMISE
ECLARES COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE WILLIAMS
IN ADDRESS.
Tells Delegates at Woman's Club
Convention That Wonderful Oppor-
tunitieS Have Been Overlooked.

West Virginia Is today the land OF
promise, Stale Commissioner Of Agri-
culture ward +. Williams, Of
Charleston. told delegates attending
yesterday afternoons session Of The
thirteenth %nnual convention Of the
West Virginia Federation OF WOman'$
clubs. being held here this week. ut
lis strange, indeed. Commissioners
Williams said. that during that mighty
rush "a the middle and far west, West
Virginia with the greatest oppOrtuni-
ties for safe investment. with more
material resources, with more natural
wealth than has been shown on like
area Of land anywhere else on earth
should have been overlooked for so
long. And more amazing Is the Fact
that her own native citizens are the
last to realize it and to take advantage
OF it for themselves"
West Virginia. Commissioner WI
liamS pointed out, has Il greater Vari-
city Of climate. latitude and lungilud"
considered. than has any other state.
It has It wider range of altitude from
the Ohio Valley n the city OF Hunt
ingt0n with 400 feet and from Har-
prr'S Ferry with an elevation of $50
feet. 70 Jobs Knob in Grccnbricr coun-
" and Spruce Knob in Pendleion cuuu-
y having an elevation Ut little less
than 5000 feet above the level Of the
sea.
American-born Citizens
The registration Of the last CEN
SuS." The commissioner continued,
shows Il greater proportion Of Amer
lean horn people living in West Vir
Cinia than in any other state. We have
more natural blue grass land than IAN
be found i'll the great state of Ken.
lucky. West Virginia has more coal
than Ohio and Pennsylvania combined,
and Maryland and Virginia thrown in
for good measure.
West Virginia is among the richest
states in the Union in its deposits Of
oil and natural gas, and today immense
pine lines are carrying both oil and
gas from West Virginia fields to near
and light towns in other states and
turn the wheels OF industry which
should be made 10 turn in our own ma.
tive state. Great beds Of YrOn ore I'M
developed. lying close TO mountains or
purest limestone while within easy
reach may BE- found rich deposits Of
coal. oil and gas must soon MAKE If
, West Virginia L beehive Of industry,
the equal Of which has rot been known
: on the American continent"
Agricultural Statistics.
tAGCtI uIuS " SldIlSlilS NuulSu W
Mr.. Williams, West Virginia has -.
37+,0&0 acres OF land, with 4 total
farm acreage OF l0,026,442, Of which
5.52l 1871 acres may be classcd as I'M
proved. SiXty-fve per cent of the
total area Uf the state is in farms.
tit'ty-fivc per cent of which, or thirty
five per cent Of the total acreage, is
, improved. We have in West Vir-
ginia," he said, "9G,6S5 farms having
having an average size Of 1D4 acres
with Il total valuation Of farm property
Of $%74. 80 900. Tie average value per
farm. including all farm property, IS
81 800. The averag" value per acre
is approximately thirty dollars. It -
found that thirty-thrcc per cent of he
improved farm land il, now under cui-
tivation."
The value Of live Stock produced
aud now on the farms. according 20
Mr.. Williams. is as follows: Cattle,
$1o.Sd@, T64.; horses. $lS.5S&.3SI.; mules
Sl,%%G. 160.; hogs. $3.QSI,%02 sheep,
$%.i0U9Al. value of live stock nor on
farms, $41.3fS.I36; estimated value
dairy products, $4,000. 0uU: value If
wool. $7G2,24T, eggs and poultry, s..
S73,193.