• ILlIMI&&IRlf * From the library of ULRICH BONNELL PHILLIPS Son and historian of the Old South Professor of History at Yale 1934 an iii -A^O- Ifi GUIDE. — w- J. H. DISS DEBAR, Commissioner of Immigration for the State of West Virginia. PABEBESBT7E.G: GIBBENS BROTHERS, JOB PRINTERS, 1870. THE WEST VIRGINIA Hij^nsriD - book. -ASD- IMMIGRANT'S GUIDE. A SKETCH OF THE STATE OF WEST VIltO'JXIA. Geographical Position, Historical Outline, State Constitu tion, Population, Surface and Soil, Agriculture, Stock- Farming, Woolgrowing, Fruit and Wine-growing, Timber, Coal, Iron, Petroleum, Salt and other Minerals, Manufacturing, Water Power, Internal Improvements, Education, Religious Worship, Lands and Farms, Titles and Prices, with a brief notice of each County, and, an OFFICIAL STATE DIRECTORY AND MAP. BY J. II. DISS DEBAE, State Commissi6nei'of Immigration. Gisjkjjs B»os„ Jon Piunkus, itm', THE WEST VIRGINIA JE^AjSTJD - BOOK- -ARD- IMMIGRANT'S GUIDE. A SKETCH OF THE STATE OF WEST VIKGIXIA. Geographical Position, Historical Outline, State Constitu tion, Population, Surface and Soil, Agriculture, Stock- Farming, Woolgrowing, Fruit and Wine-growing, Timber, Coal, Iron, Petroleum, Salt and other Minerals, Manufacturing, Water Power, Internal Improvements, Education, Religious Worship, Lands and Farms, Titles and Prices, with a brief notice of each County, and, an OFFICIAL STATE DIRECTORY AND MAP. BY J. II. DISS DEBAE, .State Commissifinorof Immigration, Rubens Buos,, Job Phintkiss, 1*70, ERRATA. — o — Page 16 line 8 from below, for AUeghan-y, read Blue Ridge. Page 33 line 14 from above, for valley, read Valley. Page 100 line 16 from below, fox variety, read ^Vineyard. Page 128 line 15 from above, for 25, read 12. Page 173 line 15 from above, for valley, read hill. Page 178 line 20 from above, for 40, read 10. Page 1C7, "Koligious Worship", The figures given by the Census of 1860, indicate church accommodation, and not actual membership. / A few other Typographical errors and Omissions stand uncorrected. Egk34 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by J. H. DISS DEBAR, In the Clerk's Oflice for the District of West Virginia. Pit EF ACE. r PN the 2d day of March 1864, the Legislature of West Virginia passed an Act " for the encouragement of immigration to this State," by virtue of which I received the appointment of Commissioner on the following day. Since then, in pursuance of said act, I have distributed in other States of the Union, aud in Europe, upward of 18,000 pampnlets, hand-bills and adver tisements, exhibiting the various resources of the State, and our inducements to immigration. One of the results of these publications, was an amount of inquiry from all those coun tries, which an unsalaried officer cannot be expected to answor satisfactorily by correspondence, and must be met with printed information more full than heretofore conveyed. Though not claiming to be exhaustive upon a subject capable of filling volumes, this Manual possesses the merit of supply ing, from a personal observation and professional experience of twenty-five years, that class| of unvarnished facts and fig- gures, which, in my official correspondence, forms the s>ubject of the most general enquiry. It is'hoped that its freedom from all romance and exaggeration may secure for it the attention and confidence of that class of honest and enterprising workers in.both hemispheres, whom we are most anxious to welcome as permanent settlers to our infant State. J. H. D, D. CONTENTS. Page. A. Agriculture - - 57, 77 Altitude 36, 37 Asphaltu'm - - 130 B. Baltimore &01iio Eailroad 154 Barbour county - 31, 35, 78, 94, 173 Berkeley '¦ " 31, 35, 7S, 94, 173 Springs - -. 148 Boone county " 31, 3."), 78, 94, 173 Braxton " 31, 35, 7S, 94. 173 Burning Springs 134, 135, 187, 143 Break, o'r Oil Belt 140, 142 Brooke county - 31, 35, 78, 174 C. Cabell county 31, 35, 78, 94 Calhoun county 31, 35, 78, 94, 174 Clay county 31. 35, 78, 94, 174 Climate - 35,44 Coal „ 119, 14b' Chesapeake & Ohio railroad 155-0 Constitution 18, 29 1). Doddridge county 31, 35, 78, 94, 175 E. -Education - 27, 162-7 F. Fayette county 31, 35, 78, 94, 175 Fruit growing 95-7 G. Geograpical Position 9-11 - Geological formation 4G-9, 14.0-2 Gas Springs 133-5 Gilmer County 31, 35, 78, 94, 175 Great Kanawha river 94, 159 Greenbrier county 31, 35, 78, 94, 175 Crant county 31, 25, 78, 94, 175 Grape culture 38, 97-103 H. Historical outline - ¦ 11-18 Contents. vii Hampshire county 31, 35, 78, 94, 176 Hancock " 31, 35, 78, 94, 17U Hardy " 31, 35, 78, 94, 17(5 Harrison 31, 35, 78, 94, 179 Immigration '•¦¦ ii> ¦ Internal Improvements 154-1C2 Iron 125, 136-9 J. Jackson county - 31. 35, 78, 94, 177 Jefferson county 3l', 35, 78, 94, 177 K. Kanawha county 31. 35, 78, 94, 122, 178 L. Lands and Farms 108, 173 Land Titles , . 168 Lands, value and prices - -., 171-3 Lead - 144 Lewis county 31, 35, 78, 94, 178 Limestone ¦" 145-7 Live stock, statistical table 94 Logan county 31, 35, 78, 94, 179 Lincoln county - . 78, 94, 179 il. Manufacturing -- 111 Marion county 31, 35, 78, 131, 149, 154, 179 Marshall county 31, 35, 78, 94, 180 Mason county 31, 35, 78, 94, 180 McDowell county 31, 35, 78, 94, 180 Mercer county " 31, 35, 78, 94, 181 Mineral county * 77, 64, 181 Mineral resources , » 119-146 Mineral Springs -' 147-9 Monongalia county 31, 35, 78, 94, 181 Monroe county 31, 35, 76, 94, 182 Morgan '• 31, 35, 76, 94. 182 Mountain counties 37, 71, 113, 114 X. Navigation 158-160 Nicholas county 31, 35, 78, 94, 182 O. Ohio county 31,35,78,94,182-3 Ohio valley section - ¦ 39-45 P. Parkerburg 152-3, 150, 189 Pendleton county 31, 35, 78, 94, 183 Petroleum 139-144 Pocahontas county 31, 35, 78, 94, 184 Pleasants county 35, 79, 94, 183 Contents. PopulationPreston county Production, statistical tables Putnam county B. Eailroads Ealeigb county Eandolph county Eitchie county Eoane county Eeligious worship S. Schools, Free Private Salt SalubrityScenery Sheep Husbandry State Directory Stock Farming Surface and soil T. Taylor county Temperature Timber '- Tucker county Turnpike roads Tyler county U. University "VV. Va. •* Upshur county V. Valuation of lands Vineyards W. Water power Wayne county Webster " Wetzel " Wheeling Wirt county Wood " Wyoming county - 29, 35 31, 35, 78, 94, 184 78, 94 31, 35, 78, 94, 184 154-158 31, 35, 78, 94, 185 31,35, 78, 94, 185 31, 35, 78, 94, 195 31, 35, 78, 94, 186197 162-164 , - 166 132-136 35, 36, 46 53-59 86-92 191-2 79, 86, 92-4 46-56, 173-190 31. 35, 78, 94, 186 39, 41-44 103-118 79, 94, 187 31, .32 35,-78, 94, 187 165-7 31, 35, 78, 94, 187 171 97-1-03 149-50 31, 35,78, 94, 188 31, 35, 78, 94, 188 31, 35, 78, 94, 18S 151-2, 183 31, 35, 78, 94, 189 31, 35, 78, 94, 189 31, 35, 78, 94, 190 THE GEOGKAPHICAL POSITION. ig^yNTiL the year 1863 the territory embraced within the present limits of West Virginia, and computed at about 26,000 square miles, was, with the excep tion ofthe six Potomac counties, known as the Western or Trans-Alleghany district of the State of Virginia. It is situated between North latitude 37, 30 and 40, 30, and West longitude 0.45 and 5.30 from Washington, and a legal description of its boundary would read about as follows : Beginning near Harpers Ferry, at the point where tbe Blue Eidge is intersected by the ' Potomac river, thence, with said river and the North Branch thereof, to Fairfax's Stone, a corner of the State of Maryland, on the Backbone ridge of the Alleghany mountains, thence with a line of Maryland North to the Pennsyl vania line, thence with this line West to the Southwest corner of Pennsylvania, thence with another line of that State North to Western bank of the Ohio river, thence with said bank and river to the mouth of Big Sandy river, a corner to the State of Kentucky, thence with said river to the mouth of Knox creek a corner of Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia, thence with a line of and including the counties of McDowell and Mercer to the top of Bast river mountain, thence with said ridge and with Peters mountain to the Alleghany mountain, thence with the top of the same to the Hay stack Knob, a corner of Virginia and West Virginia, thence with the Southern line of, and including, Pen dleton county to the top of Great North or Shenandoah mountain, thence with the same and Branch mountain to a corner of Hardy and Rockingham, counties, thence with lines of and including the counties of Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson to the beginning. 10 The West Virginia Hand-Book. With the exception of the five counties last named, and the county of Pendleton, which are drained by the Potomac river and branches, the whole of West Vir ginia geographically belongs to the Great Mississippi Valley, all of her streams being more or less direct tributaries of the Ohio river which forms the western boundary of the State to an extent of 300 miles. Thename "West Virginia," though relatively proper, appears almost anomalous when the boundary above described is traced on a map of the United States, and the distances are measured to the great Eastern sea ports and markets of the continent. This operation will show the distance from the Bast end of the State to be only 81 miles to Baltimore, 179 miles to Philadel phia, 286 to New York, and 540 to Boston ; all these points being accessible by rail at an average rate of 25 miles per hour. From the White Sulphur Springs, in Greenbrier county, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad carries passengers to Norfolk, on the Atlantic, a dis tance of 330 miles in 16 hours, and when completed from the Springs westward, will accomplish the distance to Cincinnati in an equal space of time. From Parkers- burg on 'the Ohio river, and western border ofthe State, Cincinnati is now reached by rail, 205 miles, in 9 hours, by river, 265 miles, in 20 hours. St. Louis by rail, 545 m., in 22 hours ; Pittsburgh by rail, 260 m., in 11 hours, by river, 200 m., in 30 hours ; New Orleans by river 6 days ; Baltimore, the principal market of West Virginia, and nearest seaport by rail, 383 miles is reached in 16 hours. Washington, the capital of the United States, 405 miles, in 17 hours from the Western, and 5 hours from the Eastern end of the State. Through the channel of the Ohio river, one of whose principal sources rises in the West Virginia mountains, the State is placed in direct communication with the markets of the far West and the Gulf of Mexico, and in fact with the trade of whole Mississippi Valley. "The ploughs and automaton harvesters," says Mr. Dodge, "which will hereafter garnerthe wealth of west ern prairies may, be transported to all those plains in vessels fabricated by the labor of West Virginia from Historical and Political Outline. 11 her own oak and iron, and the metal of those imple ments maybe mined, the ore heated by adjacent strata of coal, the requisite flux obtained from the same hill, and all compacted into a perfect machine, with timber found growing on the surface, which has been manu factured by a perpetual water power that leaps the crags of the summit and falls gently into the vale be low, meandering towards the Ohio river, quiet as the meditative ox that fattens on the sweetest of perennial herbage upon its banks." Where in the wide world, lies so broad a network of water communication at the very foot of a State so full of the varied treasures ofthe forest and the mine. That such a country with an elevation above the malarias of the lowlands and never rising above the level of corn and sorghum production, within a few hours of the sea and its treasures and facilities for transit — a land pecul iar for its green pastures flowing with milk, for its bright flowers laden with honey, and its river slopes that promise to run with wine — should lack inhabitants, or the hum of industry, or the show of wealth is an absur dity in the present and an impossibility in the future." HISTOEICAL AND POLITICAL OUTLINE. To revert under this head to the early history of the Mother State beyond the causes which induced the separation, is not important for the purposes of this brief sketch. The deep, fertile soil of Western Virginia had, long before the Eevolution, attracted the attention of land speculators, and even George Washington, when en gaged as a public surveyor west of the Alleghanies in 1750, could not refrain from entering and patenting on his own account upwards of thirty-two thousand acres in the Ohio and Great Kanawha Valleys, which, though then in a state of unbroken wilderness, were valued in his will, in 1799, at $10 per acre. 12 The West Virginia Hand-Book. No permanent settlement, however, appears to have been made in Western Virginia proper, until 1764, when John and Sam'l Pringle, deserters from Fort Pitt, located themselves at the mouth of Turkey Run, on the Buck- hannon fork of the Valley river, in what is now the county of Upshur, and only a few miles above Phillip- pa, in Barbour county, which witnessedthe first bloody engagement of the late rebellion. In 1768 these ad venturous pioneers were followed by the Hackers, Sleeths the Hughe's of hunter's fame, and John Jack son and his sons, whose descendents have filled with distinction prominent positions at the bar and bench, in the army, and in the councils ofthe State and nation. Among these pioneers and thousands of their imme diate followers, few were actuated by higher motives than love of adventure, and the gratification of their immediate wants through the manly sports ofthe forest and mountain. Game and fish, and even wild fruit and honey were everywhere abundant, and the slovenly cul tivation of a few half cleared acres in this genial cli mate, furnished in abundance the bread and other necessaries of the settler's frugal fare. Until the close of the last century, the new settlements being more or less exposed to the depredations <\f hostile Indians, the people felt little encouragement to increase or improve possessions held by so slender a tenure. While the constant struggle with adverse circumstances and the free intercourse with nature developed to an eminent degree the innate powers of mind and body, and the sturdy self-reliance proverbial in the American pioneer, this habit of living from hand to mouth, and tjie abne gation of all comforts not easily attainable, did perhaps as much as the institution of slavery, induce that lack of industrial enterprise and thrift which charac terizes the "old stock" of West Virginians to the present day. In a community so sparsely scattered over a tim bered wilderness, with few roads, and less, schools and churches, the march of civilization was necessarily slow, in contrast with the Eastern section of the State, whose wealth, intelligence and consequent power, at an early day inclined to disregard the just claims of the humble Historical and Political Outline. 13 West, and fostered that inequality in taxation and in the" distribution of internal improvements which lod to political jealous}^ between the two sections, and other events aiding, to their final separation. This solution of the difficulty was first timidly sug gested more than thirty years ago, and probably involved then the Valley of Virginia, along with the Trans-Alleghany section, leaving the Blue Ridge as the boundary between the parts to be severed. But the pride and sensitiveness of the old Dominion on the subject of territorial integrity left no hope for the dis contented spirits in the West, except in the bare possi bilities of a distant future. It was reserved for a great national calamity to afford tho long sought opportunity, which was improved in the nick of time, under the ap plause ofthe loyal nation, with a keener sense of expe diency than of scrupulous constitutional proprieties. On the 19th of April 1861, the ordinance was adopted by the Richmond Convention, declaring Virginia se ceded from the Union. In this Assembly tho western section ofthe old State was fully represented, but not; unanimous in sentiment, a majority of her mem bers voting against the ordinance. A thrill of unpre cedented excitement shook the country from the Al- leghanies to the Ohio river, when the western delegates returned home to denounce the insults arid persecutions their fidelity to the Union had called upon their heads. A few days sufficed to fan the heartburnings of the past into a fierce revolutionary flame, and to arouse the pro verbially equanimous people to prompt and energetic action. The direction of this movement, so pregnant with momentous events, proceeded from the ancient town of Clarksburg, where nearly twelve hundred citizens as sembled at the court-house upon a notice of forty-eight hours, on Monday April 22nd 1861, and the following preamble and resolutions were submitted by the lead ing spirit of the occasion, Hon. John S. Carlile, and adopted without one dissenting voice : Whekeas, the Convention now in session in this State, called by the Legislature, the members of which 14 The West Virginia Hand-Boole. had been elected twenty months before said call, at a time when no such action as the assemblage of a Con vention by legislative enactment was contemplated by the people, or expected by the members they elected in May, 1859, at which time no one anticipated thetroub- bles recently brought upon our common country by the extraordinary action of the State authorities of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Lou isiana, and Texas, has, contrary to the expectation of a large majority of the people of this State, adopted an ordinance withdrawing Virginia from the Federal Un ion, and whereas, by the law calling said Convention, it is expressly declared that no such ordinance shall have force or effect, or be of binding obligation upon the people of this State, until the same shall be ratified by the voters at the polls ; and, whereas, we have seen with regret that demonstrations of hostility unauthor ized by law, and inconsistent with the duty of law- abiding citizens, still owing allegiance to the Federal Government, have been madebjr a portion of the people of this State against the said Government ; and whereas, the Governor of this Commonwealth has, by proclama tion, undertaken to decide for the people of Virginia, that which they had reserved to themselves, the right to decide by their votes at the polls, and has called upon the volunteer soldiery of this State to report to him and hold themselves in readiness to make war upon the Federal Government, which Government is Virginia's Government, and must in law and of right continue to to be, until the people of Virginia shall, by their votes, and through the ballot-box, that great conservator of a free people's liberties, decide otherwise : and, whereas, the peculiar situation of Northwestern Virginia, sepa rated as it is, by natural barriers from the rest of the State, precludes all hope of timely succor in the hour of danger, from other portions of the State, and demands that we should look to and provide for our own safety in the fearful emergency in which we now find our selves placed by the action of our State authorities, who have disregarded the great fundamental principle upon which our beautiful system of Government is Historical and Political Outline, 15 based, to-wit: "That all Governmentalpoweris dei-ived from the consent of the governed;" and have, without consulting the people, placed this State in hostility to the Federal Government by seizing upon its ships and obstructing the channel at the mouth of Elizabeth river, by wresting from the Federal officers at Norfolk and Richmond the custom-houses, by tearing from the Na tion's property the Nation's flag, and putting in its place a bunting, the emblem of rebellion, and by march ing upon the National Armory at Harper's Ferry; thus inaugurating a war without consulting those in whose name they profess to act : and, whereas, the exposed condition of Northwestern Virginia requires that her people should be united in action, and harmonious in purpose — there being a perfect identity ef interests in times of war as well as in peace — therefore, be it Resolved, That it be and is hereby recommended to the people in each and all of the counties composing North western Virginia, to appoint delegates, not less than five in number, of their wisest, best, and discreetest men, to meet in Convention at Wheeling, on the 13th day of May next, to consult and determine upon such action as the people of Northwestern Virginia should take in the present fearful emergency. Resolved, That Hon. John S. Carlile, W.P. Goff, Hon. Charles S. Lewis, John J. Davis, Thos. L. Moore, S. S. Flemming, Lot Bowen, Dr. Wm. Dunkin, Wm. E. Lyon, Felis Sturm, and James Lynch be and are hereby ap pointed delegates to represent this County in said Con vention. JOHN HURSEY, President. J. W. Harris, Secretary. In response to this address delegates from twenty-five western counties met at Wheeling on the 13th of May, and passed resolutions denouncing the ordinance of secession as an act of treason, and providing for a Con vention of all the counties of Virginia adhering to the National Government. This Convention representing forty counties assem bled at Wheeling on the 11th of June. Upon the principle that secession was void in law and the author- 16 The West Virginia Hand-Book. ity of the State resided in its loyal citizens, this body repudiated the acts of the Convention and authorities of Richmond, and proceeded to reorganize the lawful government of the State. Though unequivocal in its professions of loyalty , this assembly contained but a small proportion of original freesoilers, abolitionists and New-State men. Yet even its moderate republicanism was in advanceof the electo-r ral majority of the counties wherein delegates had been appointed, with more or less irregularity. The vote cast was exceedingly small, at many precincts almost nominal. Twelve or more western counties were entire ly unrepresented, and a number of members were admitted to seats in this and subsequent legislative bodies, upon no other credentials than their notoriety as refugees, homeless politicians, -who were charitably permitted to mistake their personal wants for the pop ular will, and their private grudges for public interests. To exalt and to glorify the "spontaneous outburst of West Virginia loyalty" through the press, on the stump and in the legislative halls, was then the policy of the hour. But eye witnesses cannot forget to what extent popular convictions vacillated in the breeze of current events, nor resist the presumption, that had the first half a dozen regiments that took possession of West Virginia soil worn the gray instead ofthe blue, the po litical status of this section of country might have been totally reversed. The government elected by the people by authority of this Convention, with Hon. F.H.Pierpointinthe Exr ecutive chair, was bravely styled the " Reorganized Government of the State of Virginia," although its authority did not then extend over a single county East of the Alleghanies, and was warmly resisted in several counties of the West. This political arrangement, however, was necessary in order to comply with the provisions of the Federal Constitutiqn requiring the consent of the Legislature of a State to the erection of a new State within its jurisdiction. During its first session the organized Legislature elected United States Senators, passed a law staying the collection of debts, Historical and Political Outline. 17 and voted two hundred thousand dollars for the defence of the State and a like amount for civil purposes. It also issued a call for a New-State Constitutional Con vention, which body was elected on the 24th of October, 1861, and inaugurated its labors at Wheeling on the 26th of November following. At least one feature of the Constitution elaborated by this Convention failed to satisfy the friends of uni versal freedom. Human slavery remained unscathed, and not until after Congress had declined to recognize the new State upon those terms, the following compromise with expediency, known as the " Willey Amendment " was assented to by the people. "The children of slaves born within the limits of this State after the fourth of July, eighteen hundred and sixty -three, shall be free ; and all slaves within the said State who shall, at the time aforesaid, be under the age of ten years, shall be free when they arrive at the age of twenty-one years ; and all slaves over ten and under twenty-one years shall be free when they arrive at the age of twenty-five years ; and no slave shall be permitted to come into the State for permanent resi dence therein." This lingering homage to a great national sin remained a part of the new State Constitution until the adoption of the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States, abolishing slavery throughout the land, and forever. As a footprint of the march of ideas it may be noted here, that as late as the New State election in May, 1863, radical abolitionists were violently denounced and opposed, within the republican ranks, and generally de feated by men who, since then, fell into line with great exultation after the passage of the 13th Constitutional Amendmeut, and are now lustily cheering the fifteenth. The consent of the Legislature of reorganized Vir ginia to the formation of the new State was given on 13th of May, 1862, and on the 31st of December following. President Lincoln approved the act of Congress admit ting West Virginia into the Union to comprise the following forty-eight counties : 18 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Tyler, Pleasants, Ritchie, Doddridge, Harrison, Wood, Jackson, Wirt, Roane, Cal houn, Gilmer, Barbour, Tucker, Lewis, Braxton,Upshur, Randolph, Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, Nicholas, Cabell, Wayne> Boone, Logan, Wyoming, Mercer, McDowell, Webster, Pocahontas, Fayette, Raleigh, Greenbrier, Monroe, Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire and Morgan. The subsequent admission of the counties of Berke ley and Jefferson into the new State, though contested by the State of Virginia, will probably be finally con firmed bythe Supreme Court ofthe United States. Since 1863 thefollowing new counties were created by the acts of the Legislature : Mineral out of Hampshire. Grant out of Hardy. Lincoln out of Boone and Cabell. The new State Constitution, as amended, was adopted by the people on the 26th of March, 1863. A general election for the new State government was held on the 28th of May and on the 20th of June, 1863, the State of West Virginia was solemnly inaugurated at Wheeling, by Hon. A. I. Boreman of Wood county, first Governor of the State, and the assembled Legisla ture. About the same time Gov. F. H. Pierpoint trans ferred the reorganized government of Virginia to Alexandria, Richmond being still at a rather inconve nient distance beyond the Federal lines. EXTRACTS FROM THE CONSTITUTION OF WEST VIRGINIA. Seo. 1. The State of West Virginia shall be and remain one pf the United States of America. The Constitution of the United States,' and ,the laws and treaties made in pursuance thereof shall be the supreme law of the land. Sec. 2, Describes the boundaries ;of the State substan tially as given page 1. Extracts, from the Constitution. 19 Sec. 3. Declares that' the powers of government reside in all the citizens of the State, and can be right fully exercised only in accordance with their will and appointment. Sec. 6. Designates as citizens of West Virginia , the citizens of the United States residing in the State, Sec. 7. Provides for equality of representation. ARTICLE II — BILL OE RIGHTS. I. The privilege of the writ of habeascorpus shall not be suspended except when in time of invasion, insur rection or other public danger, the public safety require it. No person shall W held to answer for treason, felony or other crime not cognizable by a justice, unless on presentment or indictment of a grand jury. No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or lawimpairing the ob ligation of a contract, shall be passed. No law abridging freedom of speech, or of the press shall be passed. Exceptions are made in case of obscene books, papers or pictures, and of libel and de famation of character. (Sec. 4.) 6. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. No person, in time of peace shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law. The military shall be sub ordinate to the civil power. 7. In suits at common law, where the value in con troversy exceeds twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury, if required by either party, shall be preserved. No fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any case than according to the rules of the common law. 9. No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever; nor shall any man be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened in his body or. goods, or otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion and the same shall in no wise affect, diminish or enlarge the civil capaci ties. And the Legislature Shall not prescribe any re- 20 . The West Virginia Hand-Book. ligious test whatever ; or confer any peculiar privileges or advantages on any sect or denomination ; or pass any law requiring or authorizing any religious society, the people of any district within this State, to levy on themselves or others, any tax for the erection or or repair of any house for public worship, or for the support of any church or ministry ; but it shall be left free to every person to select his religious instructor, and to make for his support such private contract as he shall please. 10. Treason against the State shall consist only in levying'war against it, or in adhering to its enemies, giving 'them aid and comfort. l(N~o person shall be con victed of treason unless on the testimony of two wit nesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. Treason shall be punished, according to the character of the acts committed, by the infliction of one or more of the penalties of death, imprisonment; fine, or confiscation of the real and personal property of the offender, as may be prescribed bylaw. ARTICLE III — ELECTIONS AND OFFICERS. White male citizens ofthe State alone entitled to vote. Thefourth Thursday in'Ootober is fixed for hold ing State and county elections, and the vote in the same to be by ballot, No person who is a minor, or of un sound mind, or a pauper, or under conviction of treason, felony or bribery in an election, or who has not been a resident of the State for one year, and of the county in which he offers to vote for thirty days next prece ding the election, shall be permitted to vote while, such disability continues. 11. Any citizen of this State, who shall, after the adoption of this Constitution, either in or out of the State, fight a duel with deadly weapons, or send or ac cept- a challenge so to do ; or who shall act as second, or knowingly assist in such 'duel, shall ever thereafter be incapable of holding any office of honor, trust or profit under this State. 12. The -Legislature may provide for a registry of voters. They shall prescribe the manner of conducting Extracts from the Constitution. 21 and making returns of elections, and of determining contested elections ; and shall pass such laws as may be proper to prevent intimidation, disorder or violence at the polls, and corruption or fraud in voting. ARTICLE IV. — LEGISLATURE. 1. The Legislative powers shalj be vested in a Senate and House of Delegates. 3. The term of office of Senators shall be two years, and that of Delegates one year. The Senators first elected shall divide themselves into two classes, one Senator from every district being assigned to each class ; and of these classes, the first, to be designated by lot in such manner as the Senate may determine, shall hold their offices for one year, and the second for two years ; so that after the first election one-half of the Senators shall be elected annually. 4. For the election of Senators, the State shall be divided into nine Senatorial Districts ; which number shall not be diminished, but may be increased as here inafter provided. 6. Until the Senatorial Districts are altered by the Legislature, after the next census, they shall be com posed as follows : 1st. Hancock, Brooke and Ohio. 2d. Marshall, Wetzel and Marion. 3d. Monongalia, Preston and Taylor. 4th.. Pleasants, Tyler, Ritchie, Doddridge and Har rison. 5th. Wood, Jackson, Wirt, Roane, Calhoun and Gilmer. 6th. Barbour, Tucker, Lewis, Braxton, Upshur and Randolph. 7th. Mason, Putnam, Clay, Kanawha and Nicholas. 8th. Cabell, Wayne, Boone, Logan, Wyoming, Mer cer and: McDowell. 9th. Webster, Pocahontas, Fayette, Raleigh, Green brier and Monroe. J 10th. Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire and Morgan. 11th. Berkeley and Jefferson. 22 The West Virginia Hand-Book. The apportionment of Delegates to the counties shall be as follows : Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Doddridge, Fayette, Hancock, Jackson, Lewis, Logan, Hardy, Morgan, Mason, Mercer, Putnam, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Pendleton, Upshur, Wayne, Wetzel and Wirt, one delegate each. To Harrison, Kanawha,, Marion, Marshall, Hamp shire, Monongalia, Preston, Jefferson and Berkeley, two delegates each. To Ohio county, three delegates. To Greenbrier and Monroe, together, three delegates. To 1st Delegate District, Wood and Pleasants, togeth er, two delegates. 2d. Calhoun and Gilmer, one delegate. 3d. Clay and Nicholas, one delegate. 4th. Webster and Pocahontas, one delegate. 5th. Tucker and Randolph, one delegate. 6th. Wyoming, Raleigh and McDowell, one delegate. Sec. 11. Prescribes how often delegates are to be chosen from either county in the above six Districts, respective population being the basis ofthe scale of al ternation. 20. The Legislature shall meet once in every year, and not oftener, unless convened by the Governor. The regular sessions shall begin on the third Tuesday in January, and Sec. 24. fixes the duration of the regular session at 45 days ; not to be extended except with the concurrence of three-fourths of the members elected to each branch. 32. Fixes the compensation of Delegates and Senators, at $3 per diem. Presiding officers receive $2 per diem additional. ARTICLE V — EXECUTIVE. The chief executive power is vested in a Governor, elected by the voters of the State for the term of two years. Salary $2,000. A Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Auditor and At torney General are elected at the same time and for the same term as the Governor. Salary of Secretary, $1300; Extracts from the Constitution. 23 Treasurer, $1400 ; Auditor, $1500. Salary of Attorney General as may be determined by law. ARTICLE VI — JUDICIARY. 1. The Judiciary power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court of Appeals, and Circuit Courts, and such inferior tribunals as are herein authorized. 3. Divides the State into nine circuits. (By subse quent acts of the Legislature, under the Constitution, the number of circuits has been increased, as will be seen under the head of "Judicial Circuits" near the end of this volume.) Judges are elected by the voters in their respective circuits, for the term of six years. 6. The circuit court shall have the 8uj)ervision and control of all proceedings before Justices and other in ferior tribunals, by mandamus, prohibition or certiorari. They shall, except in cases confided exclusively by this Constitution to some other tribunal, have original and general jurisdiction of all matters at law, where the amount in controversy, exclusive of interest, exceeds twenty dollars, and in all cases in equity, and of all crimes and misdemeanors. They shall have appellate jurisdiction in all cases civil and criminal, where an appeal, writ of error or supersedeas may be allowed to the judgment or proceedings of any inferior tribunal. They shall also have such other jurisdiction, whether supervisory, original, apellate or concurrent, as maybe prescribed by law. 7. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall consist of three Judges, any two of whom shall be a quorum. They shall be elected by the voters of the State, and shall hold their offices for the term of twelve years; ex cept that of those first elected, one, to be designated by lot in such a manner as they may determine, shall hold his office for four years ; another, to be designated in like- manner, for eight years ; and the third for twelve years ; so that one shall be elected every four years after the first election. 24 The West Virginia Hand-Book. 8. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall have original jurisdiction in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition. It shall have appellate jurisdiction in civil cases where the matter in controversy, exclusive of costs, is of greater value or amount than two hundred dollars; in controversies concerning the titles or boun daries Of land, the probate of wills, the appointment or qualification of a personal representative, guardian, committee, or curator, or concerning a mill, road, way, ferry, or landing, or the right of a corporation or county to levy tolls or taxes ; and also in cases of habeas cor pus, mandamus and prohibition, and cases involving freedom, or the constitutionality of a law. It shall have the appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases where there has been conviction for felony or misdemeanor in a circuit court, and such other appellate jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases as maybe prescribed bylaw. ARTICLE VII — COUNTIES AND TOWNS. Every county shall be divided into not less than three, nor more than ten townships, of not less than 400 hun dred inhabitant each. Townships elect annually, a Supervisor, Clerk, Sur veyor of Roads, and every four years one or more Jus tices of the Peace, and every two years as many Con stables as there are Justices in the township. The Supervisors chosen in the townships of each county Shall constitute the Board of Supervisors, and meet statedly at least four times a year. They shall elect one of their number President of the Board, and appoint a Clerk. 4. The Board of Supervisors of each County, a ma jority of whom shall be a quorum, shall, under such general regulations as may be prescribed by law, have the superintendence and administration ofthe internal affairs and fiscal concerns of their County, including the establishment and regulation of roads, public land ings, ferries and mills ; the granting of ordinary and other licenses ; and the laying, collecting and disburse ment ofthe county levies; but all writs of ad quod damnum shall issue from the Circuit Courts. Extracts from the Constitution. 25 5. The voters of each county shall elect a Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, Surveyor of Lands, Recorder, one or more Assessors every two yoars. The Sheriff cannot be elected for two consecutive terms. 6. The Recorder, in addition to the duties incident to the recording of inventories, and other papers relating to estates, and of deeds and other writings, the regis tering of births, marriages and deaths, and the issuing of marriage licenses, shall have authority, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, to receive proof of wills and admit them to probate, to appoint and qualify personal representatives, guardian, com mittees and curators, to administer oaths, take acknowl edgements of deeds and other writings, and relinquish ments of dower. 8. The civil jurisdiction of a Justice shall extend to actions of assumpsit, debt, detinue and trover, if the amount claimed, exclusive of interest, does not exceed one hundred dollars, when the defendant resides, or, being a non-resident of tho State, is found, or has effects or estate within- his township, or when the cause of action arose therein; but any other justice ofthe same county may issue a summons to the defendant to appear before the Justice ofthe proper township, which maybe served by a constable of either township. 10. Either party to a civil suit brought before a Jus tice, where the value in controversy, or the damages claimed, exceeds twenty dollars; the defendant, in such cases of misdemeanor or breach of the peace as may be made by law cognizable by a single Justice, when the penalty is imprisonment or a fine exceeding five dollars, shall be entitled to a trial by six jurors, if demanded, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. 11. In all cases an appeal shall lie, under such regu lation as may be prescribed by law, from the j udgment or proceedings of a Justice or Recorder, to the Circuit Court of the county, excepting judgment of Justices in assumpsit, debt, detinue and trover, and for fines, where the amount does not exceed ten dollars exclusive of interest and costs, and where the case does not involve 26 The West Virginia Hand-Book. the freedom of a person, the validity of a law, or the right of a corporation or county to levy tolls or taxes. ARTICLE VII — TAXATION AND FINANCE. 1. Taxation shall be equal and uniform throughout the State, and all property, both real and personal; shall be taxed in proportion to its value, to be ascer tained as directed by law. No one species of property from which a tax maybe collected, shall be taxed high-; er than any other species of property of equal value ; but property used for educational, literary, scientific, religious or charitable purposes, and public property, may, by law, be exempted from taxation. 5. A capitation tax of one dollar shall be levied upon each white male inhabitant who has attained the age of twenty-one years. 8. The Legislature shall provide for an annual tax sufficient to defray the expenses of the State for one year ; and for any deficiency that may have occurred during the preceeding year. 5. No debt shall be contracted by this State except to meet casual deficits in the revenue, to redeem a pre^ vious liability of the State, to suppress insurrection, repel invasion or defend the State in time of war. 8- An equitable proportion ofthe public debt of Vir ginia, prior to 1861, to be ascertained by the Legisla ture, shall be assumed by this State, and to be redeemed within thirty -four years. ARTICLE IX — FORFEITED AND UNAPPROPRIATED LANDS. 1. All private rights and interests in lands in this State, derived from, or under the laws of the State of Virginia prior to the time this Constitution goes into operation, shall remain valid and secure, and shall be determined by the laws heretofore in force in the State of Virginia. 2. No entry by warrant on land shall be hereafter made, and in all cases where an entry has been hereto fore made and has been or shall be so perfected as to entitle the locator to a grant, the- Legislature shall make provision by law for issuing the same. Extracts from the Constitution. 27 ARTICLE X — EDUCATION. 1. All money accruing to this State, being tho pro ceeds of fortoited, delinquent, waste and unappropriated lands ; and of lands heretofore sold for taxes and pur chased by the State of Virginia, if hereafter redeemed, or sold to others than this State ; all grants, devises or bequests that may be made to this State for the pur poses of education or where the purposes of such grants, devises or bequests are not specified ; this State's just share of the Literary Fund of Virginia, whether paid over or otherwise liquidated, 'and any sums of money, stocks and property which this State shall have the right to claim from Virginia for educational purposes ; the proceeds of the estates of all persons who may die without leaving a will or heir, and of all escheated lands ; the proceeds of any taxes that may be levied on the revenues of any corporation hereafter created; all monies that my be paid in as an equivalent for exemp tion from military duty ; and such sums as may be apportioned by the Legislature for the purpose, shall be set apart as a separate fund, to be called the School Fund, and invested under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, in the interest bearing securities of the United States, or of this State ; and the interest thereof shall be annually applied to the support of free schools throughout the State, and to no other purpose whatever. But any portion of said interest remaining unexpended at the close of a fiscal year, shall be added to, and remain a part of, the capital of the School Fund. 2. The Legislature shall provide, as soon as practica- . ble, for the establishment of a thorough and efficient system of free "schools. They shall provide for the support of such schools by appropriating thereto the interest of the invested school fund ; the net proceeds of all forfeitures, confiscations and fines accruing to this State under the laws thereof; and by general tax ation on persons and property, or otherwise. They shall also provide for raising, in each township, by the authority of the people thereof, such a proportion of 28 The West Virginia Hand-Book. the amount required for the support of free schools therein as shall be prescribed by general laws. 3. Provisions may be made by law for the election and prescribing powers, duties, and compensation of a General Superintendent of free schools for the State, whose term of office shall be the same as that of the Governor; and for the election, in the several town ships, by the voters thereof, of such officers, not speci fied by this Constitution, as may be necessary to carry out the objects of this article ; and for the organization, whenever it maybe deemed expedient, of a State Board of Instruction. 4. The Legislature shall foster and encourage moral, intellectual, scientific and agricultural improvement ; they shall, -whenever it may be practicable, make suit able provision for the blind, mute and insane, and for the organization of such institutions of learning as the best, interests of general education in the State may demand. ARTICLE XI — MISCELLANEOUS. 1. No lottery shall be authorized by law; and the buying, selling or transferring tickets or chances in any lottery shall be prohibited. 2. No charter of incorporation shall be granted to any church or religious denomination. Provisions may be made by general laws securing the title to church property, so that it shall be held and used for the pur poses intended. 5. The Legislature shallpass general laws whereby any number of persons associated for mining, manufactur ing, insuring or other purpose useful to the public,except- ing banks of circulation and the construction of works of internal improvement, may become a corporation, on complying with the terms and conditions thereby prescribed; and no special act incorporating, or grant ing peculiar privileges to any joint stock company or Population of West Virginia. 29 association, not having in view the issuing of bills to circulate as money or the construction of some work of internal improvement, shall be passed. No company or association, authorized by this section, shall issue bills to circulate as money. No charter of incorporation shall be granted under such general laws, unless the right be reserved to alter and amend such charter at the pleasure of the Legislature, to be declared by general laws. No act to incorporate any bank of cir culation or internal improvement company, or to confer additional privileges on the same, shall be passed, unless public notice of the intended application for such act be given under such regulations as shall be prescribed by law. ARTICLE XII — AMENDMENTS. When any amendments to the Constitution are pro posed the Legislature shall first submit to the people the question of calling a Convention. A majority of the votes of the State is required to authorize a Con vention. And no acts of such Convention are valid until again ratified by the vote of the people. Or when a proposed amendment be adopted by two successive legislatures after due publication in the newspapers in the State, it may be submitted to the vote of the people and shall be in force as soon as rati fied by a majority of such vote. POPULATION. The last census previous to the division of the State of Virginia was taken in 1860, one year before the East and West virtually severed their political connec tion. As the paths of the two sections in the field of material progress may diverge more or less in the fu ture, it will be of interest to note the condition of each at and before the time of separation. 30 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Virginia, up to the formation ofthe new State, con tained an area of 61,352. square miles or 40,000,000 acres, the following table exhibits the number of her whole population, white, free colored, and slave at every census, the total increase of each decade, per cent, and the number of souls per square mile. < s c £ s 0 CD irt- tcCD a o-t CDP. . 00*Cj ccCD > era cc .09 P e»? CD O cc S3" ' ¦ : a : *i : CD cc lT "I B m V & 93 C 3" ¦ » 3-" ¦-t aa1 5 at 1790 442,113 .... 514,280 551,534 603,087 694,300 740,858 894,800 .. 1,047,299 ... 12,766 ... 20,124 ... 30,570 ... 36,689 ... 47,348 ... 49,852 ... 54,333 ... 58,164 293,427 ,,, 345, 796 ,392,518 425,153 469,757 449,087 ... 472,528 490,865 748,303 17.62 ... 10.72 , 9.31 ...-13.70 ,,. 2.34 , , 14.66 12.28 11.66 1800 880,200 13 75 1810 974,622 15 22 1820 1,065,379 16 64 1830 1,211,405 18 94 1840 1,239,797 19 37 1850 1,421,661 , 20 65 1860 24.40 In 1860 the population of the counties now remain ing in the mother State, over a surfaceof 35,000 square miles was White. 691,773 Free Colored. 55,373 Slave. Total Population. 472,494 1,219,640 and the population of the counties now embraced in West Virginia over a surface of 26,000 square miles, is given in the following table, exhibiting also the rate of white increase in each county from 1850 to 1860. Note. — The eight counties designated as new in the following table having all been created since the Census of 1830, their population, in computing the rate of increase, should be credited to the old counties from which they were respectively taken. Thoueh there are no datu showing the exact proportion of population furnished by each of the old counties, it may answer a partial purpose to state, that Calhoun was principally taken from Gilmer, Clay from Nicholas and Braxton, Pleasants from Wood and Tvler, Roane from Jackson and Kanawha, McDowell from Logan, while Lewis furnished the greater part of the populous county of Upshur, and Randolph a portion of Upshur and the entire comities of Tucker and Webster. Jetferson is the only county showing a decrease not resulting from subdivision. This county, situated at the extreme eastern end of the State, contained nearly one-fifth of the whole slave population of West Virginia. Population of West Virginia. 31 Rank in scale of white iri- COUNTIES. 1)9 Barbour 27 Berkeley 7 Boone 22 Braxton 2!) Brooke 12 Cabell Calhoun (new).... Clay (new) 2 Doddridge g Fayette 32 Gilmer 17 Greenbrier 20 Hampshire 31 Hancock ..... 34 Hardy 23 Harrison 15 Jackson 4p c't. dec'r. Jefferson 26 Kanawha....... 2()p c't-d'c'r. Lewis 11 Logan 19 Marion l;j Marshall 14 Mason o ' Mercer 35 Monongalia 37 Monroe 36 Morgan : McDowell (new) 24 Nicholas 16 Ohio 33 Pendleton 30 Pocahontas 25 Preston 18 Putnam Pleasants (new). 1 Raleigh -. 38 Randolph 4 Ritchie Roane (new) 10 Tavlor Tucker (new) 21 Tyler Upshur (new) 9 Wayne Webster (new)... 6 Wetzel 28 Wirt 20 Wood 3 Wyoming Census of 1850. 76,885 White increase 27.23, free col'd 34, slave deer. 10. White. 8,728 10,08!! 4,6bl4,880 5,42r 7,6912.492 1,761 5,1685,7163.685 1",50012,478 4,442 8,521 13,176 8,240 10,06413,785 7,7364,789 12,65612,911 8,760 6,428 12,901 9,036 3,614 1,6354,471 22,196 5,8703,086 13,182 5,708 2,9203,2914,793 6,809 5,3077,300 1,3026,4887,0646,6041,552 6,691 3,728 10,791 2,795 355,526278,641 135 286 13 5124 1 51 1(122 IKK 222 1 270 3211 511181 33 13 57472946 107 24 2 126 5020 95 1050 158104 18 305 9 2134 271 52 15251213 2 1073 582 55 39602184 2311148 6329 376 362 101 1114 94 104 100 244 252 07 580 1557 183 38 72 112 2018 212 143 3 10 23 176 64 2,791 18,371 2,082 20,500 8,958 12,525 4,840 4,992 5,4948,0202.6021,787 5,2035,997 3,769 12,211 13,913 4,446 9.804 13,790 8,306 14,636 16,150 7,999 ,4,938 12,722 12,997 9,173 0,819 13,048 10,757 3.732 1,535 4,027 22,422 6,1643,958 13,312 6,3012,9453,367 4,990 6,8475,381 7,463 1,428 6,517 7,292 6,747 1,555 6,703 3,751 11,046 28,61 376,688301,223 709 2129 75,465 8, total incr. 25,50 per cent. 32 The West Virginia Hand-Book. The foregoing table, carefully compiled from the United States Census showsthe white increase of what is now the State of West Virginia for the decade end ing in 1860 to have been 78,885 white, or 27.23 percent. while that of the whole State of Virginia during the same period was only 152,499 souls or 17.40 per cent., leaving in favor of the West, an excess of nearly 10 per cent, over the average increase of both sections. ; But the difference of progression becomes still more apparent by comparison between the increases of each separate section. Thus the white population of East ern Virginia numbered in 1860 691,773 In 1850 616,159 Showing an increase of 75,614 or 12,27 per cent., which is less than half the ratio of increase of the Western section. This fact taken in connection with the inferior im provement of the West, and the formerly litigious con dition of the land titles, furnishes the measure of her superior natural advantages, and of what she may ac complish as a sovereign State under a wise and liberal administration. Other facts may be learned, and inferences drawn from this table. Excepting Mercer, the ten counties first in rank in the scale of increase being of compara tively recent creation, it is evident that the erection of county towns, the improvement of roads and other conveniences contingent upon such Subdivision, induce population to sections, which, as remote portions of largo counties, possess little or no attraction. It follows that the objection to the formation of new counties, upon the sole ground of increased taxation for- public improve ments, is not well founded, since the burden is inva riably shared by an immediate increase of new settlers. Allowing 26,000 square miles to be the exact area of West Virginia, her population in 1860 was 14.48 inhab itants per square mile. The last message of Governor Boreman alludes to an accession of 50,000 inhabitants since the inauguration Of the new State, or an average increase of 1000 per Character of the People. 33 county. If these figures refer to immigration alone, they are undoubtedly too large, but if including natu ral increase also, they will fall somewhat below the facts. In a healthy country like West Virginia, the natural increase, after deducting natural mortality, may be assumed at 2.50 per cent, per annum, which for the decade ending in 1870, would give 94,170 and swell the total population of the State to about 470,000. To this must be added the gains by immigra tion, after deducting the extraordinary mortality of the late war, and the losses by emigration lately increased by political causes. The original settlers of Western Virginia emigrated principally from the eastern and valley sections of the State, and from Maryland and New Jersey. Their an cestry was generally traced to Great Britain and North ern Ireland, and though in several of the mountain counties^ strong admixture of Pennsylvania German blood is still perceptible, yet the blending of races through several generations has resulted in a well de fined anglo-saxon type, slightly modified by that Celtic ease of manner peculiar to the dwellers of a mild and fruitful climate. The genuine rural West Virginian is not much addicted to precipitous motion, rarely loses his temper or self-possession, and beyond the acquisi tion of the necessaries of life, limited by almost Spartan frugality, is disposed to leave the improvement of things around him to time and chance. This unprogressive disposition is the more striking, as his native intellect and sagacity are extraordinary and susceptible of bigh development under proper direction or the stimulus of personal ambition. Perhaps nowhere on the continent are there such treasures of natural power buried under the rust of indolence and prejudice, and at the same time such a display of urbanity and hospitality prompted by native tact and geniality. The political differences, private feuds and various changes consequent upon the late civil strife, may have left their mark upon the tra ditional virtues of West Virginians, yet enough sur vives of these to suggest a favorable contrast with popular manners in States North and West of us. Very 34 The West Virginia Hand-Book. unlike the proverbial Jonathan, the West Virginian seldom inquires into his neighbors business with indel- Qate curiosity, and no matter how strong or antagonistic his convictions, never intrudes them upon strangers in aggressive or controversial discourse. Yet, to presume from these amiable traits upon an unlimited dose of meekness in the, West Virginia mountaineer would be a serious mistake. His self-es teem is not by far the least prominent of his character istics, and insults, even more than injuries, are quickly resented. The history ofthe late war teems with feats of West Virginia valor ; both armies counted her sons by thousands, and among them not a few distin guished leaders, and heroes of the rank and file. On many a memorable field, schoolmates, friends, relatives, nay, brothers, met face to fade under the deadly fire, always true to their cause and worthy of each others steel. Nor is the geniality of the West Virginian permitted to temper his acuteness in matters of business, when business there is. While he seldom steps out of a leis urely walk in the pursuit of worldly lucre, he watches his personal interests with an eyethat kindles up never more brightly behind its drowsy lashes, than when a chance for a trade or a speculation comes within reach. Then quickly his dormant faculties are aroused and concentrated upon the point — vital to his fame no less than to his purse— how to get the best of the bargain ; and whether the object of barter be a horse or a saddle, an ox or a gun, a house or a farm, the principle " your eyes is your market " is strictly kept in view and a bargain once struck is seldom rued, except for a consid eration. Many, a cunning speculator whose laurels were conquered in Wall Street or in more northern latitudes, after plying his arts among our homespun population, recrossed the AUeghanies a wiser and a lighter man. The foreign element of recent immigration is already quite numerously represented in different sections ofthe State. The total number of persons born in foreign Foreign-bom Citizens . 35 countries is given in the Census of 1860 at 15,960, and by counties as follows : Barbour 101 Jefferson 361 Putnam 70 Berkeley 630 Kanawha 372 Pleasanta 55 Boone 143 Lewis 549 Raleigh 10 Braxton 67 Logan 13 Randolph 100 Brooke 450 Marion 308 Ritchie 258 Cabell 157 Marshall 357 Roane 26 Calhoun 16 Mason 1194 Taylor 391 Clay — Monroe 87 Tucker 34 Doddridge, 273 Mercer 52 Tyler 108 Fayette 29 Monongalia 160 Upshur 110 Gilmer 45 Morgan 85 Wayne 27 Greenbrier 491 McDowell- 4 Webster 1 Hampshire 451 Nicholas 76 Wetzel 254 Hancock 336 Ohio 5511 Wood 708 Hardy 136 Pendleton 5 Wyoming 1 Harrison 301 Pocahontas 69 Wirt 21 Jackson 187 Preston 770 In the absence of official data for the increase since 1860, no accurate estimate can be formed, though from such information as is accessible, it is supposed to ex ceed 4000, thus swelling the aggregate foreign born population of West Virginia to about 20,000 souls. Of this number six- tenths are probably natives of the German States and Switzerland, three-tenths of Ireland, and the remainder of England, Scotland, Bel gium, France, Denmark and Sweden. CLIMATE . Alike free from extremes of cold and heat, of rain and drought,"and at an elevation inaccessible to malaria. West Virginia enjoys a climate unsurpassed, if equaled, by that of any other State. Indeed, not another area of 26,000 miles exists in the Mississippi Valley, so free from disease of any kind, and requiring so little from man or beast for the protection of health. . Gastric and pulmonary patients from other 'States annually resort to our highland air and mineral springs in large num- 36 The West Virginia Hand-Book. bers, to renovate the juices of life, and nurse their re turning strengthin the sportsof our streams and forests. Permanent settlers, who came here with constitutions seriously impaired, have, after a few years, entirely re covered original vigor, and would not again exchange climate for any consideration. From all that has been written and published about West Virginia, the above facts should be suffi ciently notorious to dispense with sanitary statistics ; yet, judging from official correspondence, localities are by no means rare where not only the social and polit ical, but also the physicial circumstances of West Vir ginia are confounded with those of the mother State, Virginia. Distant inquirers who heard of the chills and fever of the lowlands of the East, are slow to real ize that ague is a physical impossibility in our well drained valleys, sloping uninterruptedly from the lap of the Alleghany mountains towards the Potomac and Ohio rivers. Although embracing in its longest diameter over three degrees of latitude, the difference in the vegeta tion is scarcely noticed. The same timber and crops found in the valleys of Preston, flourish on the hilltops of Wyoming and McDowell, while, excepting an im perfect specimen of cotton, nothing is produced in the latter counties, that does not thrive nearly as well at the other end of the State. But the great difference of altitude in an Eastern and Western direction, ren ders it necessary to consider the climate under three separate division, as follows : 1st. The mountain counties. 2d. The Ohio Valley section. 3d. The Lower Potomac counties. Let the reader turn to the map and follow, the back bone of the AUeghanies northward, from the southern line of the State, in the county of Monroe. At the point where the East river mountains or Peters moun tains connect with the backbone, the elevation of the latter is 2,650 feet. Opposite the White Sulphur Springs at the crossing of the Covington road 2000 feet. Source of Cheat and Greenbrier rivers, in Randolph county Climate of Mountain Counties. 37 2400 feet. Fairfax stone, corner of Maryland and West Virginia 2300, and at the crossing of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad 2620 feet. The main Alleghany ridge therefore presents the highest levels in the State. Al most parallel to it, and distant from 20 to 40 miles to the West, runs what is properly a continuation of the Oumberlaiad mountains, but known at different points as Tug ridge, Flat top, Cotton hill, Gauley mountain, Rich mountain and Laurel hill, embracing the coun ties of Mercer, Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Ran dolph, Tucker and Preston, and portions of Raleigh. Fayette and Nicholas. The seven counties first named, together with Pendleton, Hardy and Hamp- shire are generally designated as the mountain group, whose climate and temperature, as differing from the sections immediately East and West of it, are ma terially determined by superior altitude. This group embraces the summit, plateaux, or table lands of West Virginia, its lowest valleys — the Potomac East and Tygart's river West of the AUeghanies — being not less than 1000 feet above tide water. The altitude of Cheat river valleys is given at 1375 feet, mouth of Greenbrier river 1333 feet, head of Elk and Buckhan- non rivers 950 feet. The relative elevation of this sec tion becomes apparent when it is stated that the level of the Ohio river above tide water is At tbe Pennsylvania line 675 feet. At Parkersburg 625 " At the mouth of Great Kanawha 560 " Average difference between the Ohio bott omand tbe lowest mountain valleys 400 feet. The highest table lands 1800 " The greatest difference between the arable levels within the mountain group is 1400 feet, which admits of considerable variation of climate and production. Upon ascending into this upland region, the traveler, not entirely absorbed by the novelty and grandeur of its almost primeval scenery, is immediately impressed with the singular dryness and purity of the atmosphere, the chrystalline limpidity of the springs and streams, and the tonic, bracing effect of the mountain air at all 38 The West Virginia Hand-Book. seasons of the year. The sensation first experienced here by the lowland dweller has been described as one of singular buoyancy of spirit, of sudden relief from the cares of health and the fears of premature death, and in truth, the most remarkable instances of human contentment and longevity in the State, are found in the settlements of this mountain range. % Inquiries in regard to the vegetation peculiar to this section, are generally answered from local sources so as to leave the impression, that its agricultural produc tions are identical with those or the remainder of the State, a statement which should be taken with some allowance. In regard to the counties of Greenbrier, Raleigh and parts of Nicholas and Pocahontas it is measurably true. Corn, sorghum and fruit, especially the grape — all of which crops are fair criterions of tem perature, other things being equal — ripen sufficiently early to escape the first fall frosts. Not so, however, in the other sections of the mountain group, especially those lying more than 1200 feet above tide water. On the table lands of Nicholas, Webster, Tucker, Ran dolph and the Preston Glades, corn is an uncertain crop, and only the smaller or flint varieties, maturing within 100 days of planting time, may be relied upon. Fruit, such as apples and peaches, especially northern varie ties, adapts itself promptly to the climate; and though the bloom may be retarded somewhat in the spring, the summer season is amply sufficient to perfect maturity. The Fox grape, and one or two inferior varieties are found growing wild and even luxuriantly on different levels of this section, but until more thorough experi ments are made with improved varieties, it is likely that only the Concord, Hartford Prolific, Norton's Vir ginia Seedling, and others of equal hardiness, would thrive here with average success. On the other hand the field and garden vegetables belonging to this latitude attain perfection without much regard to elevation, while to small grain and grass the climate is even more propitious than in the lower sections of the State. Snow falls here, generally as early as November, of sufficient depth to protect Climate of Lower Section. 39 grass and small grain against hard frost throughout tho season; and when, with the final thaw in March, fields and meadows emerge from their • winter shroud, the luxuriant growth and dazzling verdure are surprising to behold. Where pasture has been economized in the fall, cattle are.generally turned upon grass toward the end of March, and remain out until November ; yet the average period of winter feeding in this region should not be reckoned at less than six months, while the new settler not yet provided with pasture, and dependent solely upon summering in the woods, should store up forage for seven months at least. The following table shows the mean temperature for each month of 1857, of Greenbrier county in the moun tain group, with records of two other points in the State, and of Philadelphia and Cincinnati for compar ison. Of the summit lands farther North no records ot temperature could be procured. MONTH. b3 ^°-§£<3 * -1 ^ o-S' 3 O CD <2 UN' i-d hj cr « = S SS B a. -a CD -^ •cf 5* »• s. O § ? p 29.40 35.14 41.69 51.5853.9865.6268.51 74.6773.3865.93 46.91 31.97 38.40 ,„ ,47.68 51.9668.03 69.93 74.3361.29 48.35 44.23 33.33 30.7936.44 48.1260.28 64.6570.0676-00 74.53 66.18 52.32 47.49 33.00 36111 36.20 40.32 51.20 52.37 70 85 72.87 75.42 75.64 63.60 49.35 68.36 54.37 .....43.24 , 49.30 30.18 THE OHIO VALLEY SECTION comprises all that portion of the State lying between the mountain group and the Ohio river, to which all its numerous streams are more or less direct tributaries. The level of this section, representing the mean ele vation of the State, is said to vary from 600 to 1300 feet 40 The West Virginia Hand-Book. above tide water. Descending from the tablelands westward, the country rapidly loses tlie character of mountain land. For a short distance the crystal brooks, Still leaping from bench to bench, hasten merrily along. But so soon as the general level of the valleys is at tained, the stream becomes slightly tinged with the hues of its rich alluvial banks, the current flows more gently, and the Ohio river finally reached with only an occa sional ripple to mark the gradual decline. Thus the Little Kanawha meanders across the whole of this sloping region with an average fall of less than six feet per mile, while the descent ofthe Great Kanawha from Charleston to its mouth does not amount to one foot per mile. The difference in the seasons between the- extreme levels, amounts to about two weeks in point of time, and is most easily noticed in its gradual stages by the traveler crossing the State in an eastern or western di rection, when the forest and meadow resume the garb of returning spring or fall. "The mean temperature of West Virginia for tha year," says Mr. Dodge, " as may be seen by examina tion of the isothermal lines, is lower than in any other locality in the same latitude East ofthe Missouri river- It lies between the lines of fifty degrees and fifty -four degrees, "which embrace the Southern and central por tions of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois,' with contiguous portions of Missouri and Iowa ; on the Atlantic deflect- , ing northward to include the coast line . between New York and Baltimore. The isothermal indicating a mean temperature of fifty -five degrees, passes through Baltimore and Washington, circles round the southern boundary of West Virginia, intersects the northern border of Kentucky and strikes St. Louis, leaving Phil adelphia a very little north of the line. The line of fifty-two degrees would come very near the center ef West Virginia. This would make the average tempe rature slightly lower than that of these two cities," and, it might be added dispel, another prejudice attrib- Meteorological Tables. 41 uting to West Virginia a southern climate uncongenial to northern industry." For the benefit of a numerous class of practical in.- quirers contemplating emigration, the following table was prepared from a diary kept during sixteen years in the county of Doddridge, very near the geographical center of the State. The year 1853 was selected as pre- sentingthe fullest record, and beinga fair average year, so far as crops are concerned, the winter being perhaps of more than average severity : METEOROLOGICAL TABLE. January. February. March. April. 1 Fair 22 Fair 25.44 Fair 38 Fair 74 2 Cloudy 32 Cloudy 29.52 .t 40 Cloudy 58 3 tt 30 Bain 42 tt 38 Rain 56 4 Snow 31 a 56 Snow 36 it 42 5 Fair 28 tt 58 Cloudy 44 Fair 52 6 tt 26 it 38 Fair 32 Rain 50 7 tt 30 Snow 36 tt 30 Fair • 52 8 tt 28 Fair 26.36 Rainy 44 tt 62 9 Cloudy- 34 tt 22 Snow 36 tt 62 10 Windy 29 tt 18 Cloudy 42 it 54 11 Snow 28 Snow 26 Rain 48 tt 62 12 Clear 24 Fair 36 Cloudy 46 tt 63 13 ,t 30 Cloudy 38 Fair 39 Cloudy 64 14 »t 36 Fair 22.32 tt 34.40 Rain 56 15 R'n &S'w 38 tt 20 tt 23,34 Fail- 56 16 Fair 28 Rainy 21 tt 23.40 Rain 58 17 tt 29 Fair 28 Cloudy 42 tt 56 T8 Snow 24 Cloudy 34 Rain 44 Fair 56 19 Fair 20 it 34 Fair 40.59 Rain 54 20 (4 20 Fair 18.36 tt 28,56 Fair 57 21 11 20 Cloudy 20 Rain 48.60 tt 72 22 Cloudy 28 Rainy 38.50 Fair 46.59 tt 74 23 a 30 Snow 38 Cloudy 40 Rain 74 24 Snow 33 a 30 Fair 40.51 Cloudy 70 25 tt 34 Fair 18 Cloudy 30.58 Rain 58 26 a 16 Snow 36 Rain 46 Fair 58 27 Fair °.14 Rainy 45 Cloudy 48.40 tt 70 28 a 10.34 Fair 54.64 C'd se this benificence of benefaction. European travelers have been enraptured with the ever varying scenery of the Cheat river region, as seen in a trip by rail ; and none have been more impressed by it than those who have climbed the Alps, and viewed with awe their towering heights and darkening depths 52 The West Virginia Hand-Book. beneath. It exerts unwonted emotions thus to wind around the steep side of a mountain spur, and emerge from its shadows into a sunlit slope that falls abruptly away, at the very edge ofthe car, hundreds of feet, and reveals at tbe bottom a long and winding valley, a sin gularly dark stream, whose chocolate colored waters eontrast, while harmonizing with the forest growth that reaches from the golden sunlight of the mountain top down to the river's brink. * * * The stur- diness of the forests, the hardy vigor of all vegetable life, the munificence of all visible nature, impress the traveler accustomed to see bare rock and stinted vege tation amid mountain scenery. There is nothing of poverty suggested, and no intimation of sterility ; few jutting crags are seen, unless hewn out of the moun tain side in cutting the wild pathway of the railroad ; and no rough rocks, piled heap upon heap, offend the eye as it sweeps the gracefully rounded knobs. * * * Lonely as the vast reaches of woodland appear, and bold and varied as is the contour of the mountain face, there is always present the suggestion that every acre is habitable — that the hand of art may heighten the beauties and soften the few asperities of the scene. The traveler pursues his westward way down the Alleghanian slope, through scenery similar in its type, but siowly and continually modifying, till it becomes noticeable only as a hilly, fruitful country, divided into farms naturally suited to the diverse uses of meadows, pasturage, and tillage, and watered with frequent and rapid streams. In the eastern section of the State, the lower Shen andoah valley presents views of greater beauty, with less of wildness and grandeur. More than a hundred miles, between Harper's Ferry and Cumberland, the Potomac, "a flashing thread of silver," runs out>» winding boundary between Maryland and West Vir ginia; and the neighboring meadows, and wheat fields and golden fruited orchards, and wild forests, make graceful pictures of rural realities and possibilities that touch the heart while they delight the eye. Scenery. 53 The scenery of West Virginia is worthy of the high est efforts of the painter and the poet. The " Hawk's Nest" mountain, a thousand feet in almost perpendicu lar height; its " Hanging Rocks " leaning over the per pendicular, like the tower of Pisa, five hundred feet from the surface; its "Lost River" burrowing in tbe earth, and " revisiting the glimpses of the moon" in nu merous outlets far away ; its caves and falls, and Indian mounds ; these, and many other peculiar features of her landscape, are worthy of more accurate delineation. ' This scenery," said the historian Bancroft, a few years ago, " has a character of grandeur of its own ; and in the wonderful varieties of forest and lawn, of' river and mountain, of nature in her savage wildness and nature in her loveliest forms, presents a series of pic tures which no well educated American should leave unvisited. We cross the Atlantic in quest of attractive scenes ; and lo ! we have at home, alongside of the great central iron pathway, views that excel anything that can be seen among the mountains of Scotland, or in the passes of the Appennines ;" and had the writer visited the beautiful valley of the Great Kanawha, his rapture, with no danger of abatement, might have warmed into a still brighter glow. [Dodge's West Virginia. The total absence of waste and sterile areas, that all pervading freshness and vigor of vegetation, alluded to in the above extracts, obtrude themselves to the tourist no less than to the practical economist. Among the mineral strata edgingoutof theWestVirginiahills, there are absolutely none in which analysis does not recognize superior elements of fertility. The prevailing ingre dients of our soils are silica, alumina, or pure' clay, marl, lime, magnesia and iron, which the very uneven- ness of the surface tends to amalgamate to the greatest practical advantage. Thus the alluvial or bottom lands, composed of the diluvium from adjacent and distant hills, combine mechanically and chemically every kind of mineral and vegetable decomposition in the country. This soil, which varies in depth from 2 to 30 or 40 feet 54 The West Virginia Hand-Book. produces the largest timber and the rankest crops, and resting upon a substantial basis of dark loam and fer tile clay, exceeds in reliability and endurance the black, rich but thirsty and chaffy soils of the western prairies. The second bottom, or first bench, is generally rep resentative of the rocks prevailing upon this level, with a strong admixture ofthe strata above, brought down by the gradual slips and the wash of rains, and accu mulated probably to a great extent before the present vegetation took possession of the surface. Ascending, we find the soil gradually less mixed in substance and color ; the timber is less varied and on steeper planes less thrifty. When the top of the ridge is sharp and narrow, tne bare rock is found but a few inches below and not seldom protruding above the surface, but when flat or but gently inclined, as in a majority bf cases, we find a deep, arable soil, heavily coated with humus and producing, with few exceptions, the identical timber and crops found in the alluvial valley below. Some of the most comfortable rural homesteads, surrounded by or chards, gardens and meadow3, and supplied with nev- orfailing springs are found upOn the tops of hills from 150 to 300 feet above the valleys. Extensive "flats on the summits are the exception in that larger portion of West Virginia, which, viewed . from a prominence, resembles a sea of billowy hills; but they entirely absorb the scene in the table lands referred to in the chapter on climate. Here undulating plains, which but for their majestic timber would recall to mind an Illinois prairie, reach along the mountain summits for miles in length and breadth, with scarcely here and there a swell sufficiently bold to 'divide the waters. Although less favored than the residue of the State in the sum of temperature, these mountain plains would have been the earliest settled and improved, had they been equally accessible from the natural high-. ways. Even in their present relative seclusion, their charm upon the beholder is almost irresistible, and it requires a serious effort of reason over inclination to Scenery. 55 withstand the temptation of settlement in the face of prevailing inconveniences. Not only the smoothness of the surface, the pure air and water, and the charm of the landscape, but also the depth and quality of the soil, mostly a rich, calca neus loam, class these table lands among the most in trinsically valuable in the State. The luxuriant meadows and grazing ranges of Greenbrier and Mon roe counties exhibit the capacity of such lands in the state of improvement, while their native splendor is nowhere more impressive than at the headwaters of the Cheat and Greenbrier rivers, in the adjoining extremi ties of Randolph, Pocahontas and Pendleton counties. A peculiarity, worthy of notice in these regions, is that the timber, though of unsurpassed growth and vigor, does not include poplar, hickory or oak, whilo gigantic specimens of wild cherry and black walnut are abundantly scattered among the representa tives of beech, maple, ash, birch, hemlock and spruce. Again, the undergrowth which obstructs the view and increases the labor of clearing in the lower sections, is almost totally absent here, and does not even make its appearance after the clearing or girdling of the timber lets in the heat and light of the sun. The depth of the soil on the hillsides throughout the State varies from 1 to 10 feet or more, in proportion to the inclination of the surface, or character of the rock beneath, yet subject to modifications, induced by differ- enceof exposure. Thus thesouthern and southwestern sltopes directly facing the sun's rays atthe time of their greatest intensity, and the winds and rains prevail ing from that quarter, exhibit a more shallow soil, gen erally of the clay variety, denuded of the lighter vegetable coating, and inclined to produce more brush wood than heavy timber. The opposite and more shel tered exposures retaining all the vegetable matter decaying on their surface, are but little inferior to the bottom lands in enduring fertility; and after being cul tivated in grain during a number of years, from tho base to the very summit ofthe hills, are converted into luxuriant pastures and meadows. 56 ' The West Virginia, Hand-Book. It is a matter of general remark and frequent sur prise, that crops growing on our hillsides do not seem to fee affected by the dryness of the soil, which is presumed to increase with elevation. The reason of this is very simple. The strata of rock, coal and earth of which our hills are composed being all deposited horizontally, or nearly so, the rain water, filtering through the earth and the fissures in the rocks and seeking its lev el, gradually finds its way to the surface again between the looser seams, and slowly but constantly dripping, so long as the supply lasts within, spreads and distributes fertilizing humidity over the whole surface of the slope. Whenever the descending water is obstructed in its progress by a stratum of impermeable clay or unfis- sured sand rock, numerous and copious springs on the sloping surface are the result. It is also owing to this horizontal stratification tbat almost every section of the State outside of the mountain region proper, exhibits, though in different relative proportions, the soil and mineral strata of every other section, In some counties limestone may pre dominate, and sandrock in others ; yet without any material difference in their respective agricultural pro ductions, while nearly throughout tbe whole State may be noticed at different levels, those rich, dark, crumb ling shales so welcome to the eye of the practical judge of agricultural soil. It may be assumed in conclusion, that there are no large scopes of virgin soil in West Virginia not liable to be rendered perfectly friable and productive under proper mechanical treatment, without the use of ma nure, and that the average fertilty of the State ranks at least equal with that Qf any of the surrounding States. Even if agricultural statistics were entirely reliable as datas for comparison, the result would show quite favorably for West Virginia; but it is evident to all who have observed the imperfect and slovenly style of cultivation prevailing here, that tbe actual or estimated production is far below the true producing capacity of the country. Agriculture. 57 AGRICULTURE. From the subject of soil we are at once led into the consideration of agricultural production, and it is to explain in part why a hilly region like West Virginia lays claim to farming capacity, that so much space was devoted to the description of her surface and soil. When in this capacity, West Virginia is brought into comparison with prairie States like Indiana, Iowa or Illinois, where fields of miles in extent offer no obstruc tion to the use of the most perfect farming machinery, the result in bushels per acre is not expected to be in her favor. But until the census of of 1870 settles this question with accuracy, it is by no means difficult to show that West Virginia — all other things being equal — produces the largest value on any given area, and consequently,, that whatever farming is done here, yields a larger return upon the capital and labor in vested than it would in the West. The difference is attributable to the simple fact that the market of West Virginia products is right at home, or distant at farth est but one days transportation from the source of pro duction, while the crops of the West have to seek their market over land and sea, hundreds or thousands of miles away. No statistical report of agriculture in West Virginia having been made since her advent among the States, we can, for comparison between her production and that of other States, only approximate results in support of this proposition, by calculating the value of western crops at West Virginia prices. Thus, Illinois produced in 1866, as per statistical report of United States De- ' partment of Agriculture: 58 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Indian Corn, bush. 155,844,350 at $0.43 $67,013,070 Wheat " 28,551,421 " 1.93 55,104,243 Rye 666,455 " 79 526,500 Oats " 30,054,370 " 33 9,917,942 Barley " 1,037,763 68 705,672 Buckwheat " 273,010 " 1.07 292,121 Potatoes " 5,102.085 " 64 3,265,302 Tobacco, pds. 17,556,981 9f 1,631,470 Hay, tons 2,340,063 " 9.27 21,692,284 Total $160,148,704 During the same year the average prices in West Vir ginia of the products above enumerated were as follows : Indian corn, (per bushel) 75c; wheat $2; rye $1 ; Oats 50c ; Barley $1.25 ; Buckwheat $1.25 ; Potatoes 75c; Tobacco, (per pound) 12c ; Hay, (per ton) $10. At these rates the total product of Illinois would be $211,- 821,155. Difference in favor of West Virginia prices $57,- 692,457, or 32 per cent. The official report from which the above was taken, gives the total number of acres cultivated in each crop, in Illinois, and also the production of each, per acre, as follows : Indian corn 31.6 Buckwheat 16.8 Wheat 10 Potatoes 86.5 Rye 15.6 Tobacco, (pds) 686. Oats 34 Hay, (tons) 1.47 Barley 25 This estimate, we must admit, strikes us somewhat moderate for Illinois, especially in regard to the articles of corn and hay, though no one acquainted with our average production will regard it as too high for West Virginia ; except perhaps for wheat, a crop which, owing to the practice of late, sowing, after gathering the corn crop, does not furnish a yield com mensurate with the true capacity of the soil. INDIAN CORN. Old inhabitants of the Ohio valley remember the time when crops of 100 to 120 bushels of Indian corn Agriculture. 59 per acre Were not unusual there. Onlya few years ago the premium at the Ohio County Agricultural Fair was awarded to a crop of 144 bushels per acre in Marshall county. The bottoms cleared 60 or 70 years ago, and subject to9 overflowing once in 15 or 20 years, are still producing from 60 to 80 bushols per acre, on an aver age. The same applies to the bottom land of any river or creek, however small, in the State, when cultivated with moderate care and neatness. The same return is not unfrequently obtained on hillsides and ridges in fa vorable exposures, for several years after clearing, and again after having been sodded andgrazed a few years, without any other manuring than the droppings of the running stock, and so on in rotation, without any perceptible diminution of yield. In the prairie States, excessive droughts and sweep ing tornadoes, grasshoppers, &c, may contribute mate rially to reduce the crop of Indian corn to an average of 32 bushels per acre, but in West Virginia this figure would be largely exceeded but for the circumstance, that a large portion of each years crop is raised on fresh cleared ground, obstructed by roots and stumps, and exposed to the depredations of vermin from the adjacent forest. The total yield of Indian corn in 1860 is given as 7,858,647 bushels. Nearly all of this crop is generally consumed within the State, and none exported, except after conversion into fat beef or pork. It costs so little here to rear live stock up to fattening age, on the woodspasture and beech, acorn and chestnut mast still abounding in the interior, that the operation of fatten ing is comparatively cheap, and animals in market able condition are bought away from the producers door for ready cash without further trouble or expense. In addition to these advantages, a large portion of the grain so invested returns to the soil in the shape of ma nure. Exporting grain would impoverish the farm ; feeding to live stock enriches it. Necessity, in the shape of bad roads, has taught West Virginians the virtue of this golden rule. 60 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Whatever corn is not used in that way or for house hold purposes, finds a ready market in the vicinity of its production at the hands of new settlers or in the nearest towns. Corn is cash at all times. .During the last ten years the price has never fallen below 60 or 75 cents near the Ohio river, and frequently ranged from $1.25 to $1.50 in the interior. Indian corn is the first and main reliance of the new settler on a woodland farm, and seldom or never de ceives his expectations. There has not been a total failure of this crop since the first settlement ofthe State. The writer remembers of no partial failure worth men tioning during the 25 years of his residence. On five or six acres of fresh cleared land, of which four- fifths are planted in corn, pumpkins and beans, and the rest in potatoes, sorghum, and garden vegetables, an aver age sized pioneer family can subsist without stint during the first year, besides keeping a cow and calf, wintering a horse and fattening a couple of respectable porkers. No long feed is required but the cornfodder, stalk and all, which, when properly cured and fed without waste, will carry the stock through the winter in good living order. WHEAT. The production of this grain in West Virginia is given in the Census of 1860 at 2,302,567 bushels, or a fraction over six bushels to the inhabitant. This would be inadequate to the home consumption, were it not for the partial use of corn, rye and buckwheat bread, es pecially in the more remote andrecently settled counties. In estimating the actual average yield of wheat at 10 bushels per acre, it is not intended to fix the pro' ducing capacity at so low a figure. This capacity can not be accurately determined in the present imperfect state of agriculture in the State. By reference to the table of production by counties, at the end of this chap ter, it will be seen that the oldest and more accessible counties are by far the largest producers, not only be cause their area devoted to wheat is greater, but also the soil and surface are in a better condition for thor- Agriculture. 61 ough cultivation, and some respect is paid to the prin ciples of rotation. There being an abundance of open land on old farms, preparation can be made in due sea son ; seeding is done in August, or early in September, and the crop maturing early in consequence, is less subject to accidents of weather . The harvesting and thrashing are done in the most economical style, crops of 15 bushels per acre, on average soil, or of 20 to 25 bushels on limestone land are therefore by no means unusual. Crops of 30 bushels are frequently ob tained in Harrison, Barbour and Upshur, and one of 40 bushels per acre is reported from Marshall county. On the other hand, in the newer sections, where, as before mentioned, cleared land is less abundant, and wheat is sown late after the corn is cut, among stumps and roots, the ploughing performed with a one horse shovel, without harrowing or rolling, most of the seed falls either too deejJ or too shallow for vegetation. Coming up late, the crop is liable to be further dimin ished by hard, dry frosts ; late ripening exposes it to rust, wevil and other accidents; and the harvesting be ing done by hand, and the thrashing by flail, or the horses hoof, more or less waste is inevitable. Frequent ly wheat is slovenly sown in rough new land, along with timothy, principally to protect the young grass against the effect of frost and heat. Under these circum stances, a crop of more than 6 or 8 bushels per acre would surpass expectations. Yet this same land when broken up again after a few years, will, under proper cul tivation, readily yield twice or three times that amounts Most of the known varieties of winter wheat have been introduced and experimented with in this State, with more or less success, according to soil and season, the white, flinty smooth, and early bearded varieties proving the most reliable. Spring wheat is yielding but moderate returns so far as tried, and is not gaining much favor. RYE. This crop is not very generally cultivated as yet, for the reason, probably, that it requires the same season, the same labor and care as wheat, without being quite 62 The West Virginia Hand-Book. so profitable and necessary. Rye bread is not mucb used where corn abounds, and for distilling purposes, there is little or no market near. In the luxuriance of its growth, rye far exceeds other small grain in the State; often attaining a height of 5 to 7 feet. It is much less sensitive to quality of soil, to frost and indif ferent cultivation, for which reason rye is frequently sown with good results in new cleared land which did not get ready for the plough in spring, or in rough patches too steep for the cultivation of corn. Rye is up on the average a safe and reliable crop, and adapted to almost any kind of soil in the State, though thriving best on rich sandy loam. OATS. With reasonable and careful cultivation oats must always be a profitable crop in West Virginia, being li able to no accidents, except a touch of rust in persistent July showers , which rarely occur. The largest crops of this grain are produced in the counties nearest mar ket or transportation, or in the mountains and glades where the conditions of climate, unpropitious to' Indian corn, are favorable to oats. Upon those higher levels, the grain is remarkable for its fullness and weight, and not disposed to lodge as in alluvial soil. The produc tion per acre ranges between 30 and 40 bushels and crops of 50 and 60 bushels per acre have been obtained under favorable circumstances. BARLEY. In the absence of convenient markets, the cultivation of barley has not received much attention up to date. Of 41,373 bushels (not 60,368 as officially misprinted), 38,000 were produced by the river counties of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and .Marshall, which find ready sale at the breweries of the city of Wheeling, and at other points on the upper Ohio. Like oats, it flourishes well in almost any soil, provided it be light and well drained. Its average production is reported at 25 bushels per acre, which at the current price of $1.25 per bushel is highly encouraging. Agriculture, 63 BUCKWHEAT. This popular cereal thrives with little or no care in every part of the State, and is cultivated most exten sively in the upper Ohio river and mountain countios. Preston county alone produces 95,357 bushels, or one- fourth of the entire crop of the State. This indicates its peculiar adaptedness to the colder sections, tho glades and table lands, where it constitutes a household article of almost primary necessity. Indeed, in the skillful hands of the local matrons, it attains tho rank of a culinary luxury second to none in the Alleghany regions. Buckwheat cakes are baked and eaten almost every where, and as soon forgotten, but buckwheat cakes with Glade butter, mountain honey or maple syrup, are imperishably linked in the memory of the traveler with the savory venison steak, or tho luscious trout, all of which are commonly found together on the hospitable board of every industrious mountaineer. Tbe yield of this grain is extremely variable in dif ferent soils. The writer has recorded one crop in one of the central counties of 22 bushels from 3| pecks of seed, surface not measured, and another of 54 bushels per acre. The largest yields are obtained in good dry loam, especially when sod has been ploughed under. In rich alluvial the growth is inclined to go to straw, which induces lodging before maturity. In the mountains, buckwheat is sown much earlier than elsewhere, in order to escape fall frosts which are fatal to it. In the lower counties the middle of Julyis early enough for seeding, and if desired, two crops may be obtained from the same field, provided the first be sown early in April. The last crop is generally the heaviest, being less exposed to blight from heat. To the new settler this rapidity of growth is of valuable assistance as it enables him to take a crop from the land cleaned up too late for corn, without waiting for returns until the following summer, as in the case of wheat and rye. Owing to the shade which thickly sowed buckwheat affords to the earth, it is of superior efficiency in ex tirpating the rank weeds which generally take posses sion of fresh cleared ground. 64 The West Virginia Hand-Book, THE POTATO. This tuber is not cultivated beyond the demands of home consumption, except in the sections most conve- . nient to market. Marshall, Preston, Hampshire, Wood and Jackson take the lead, the first named with a pro duction of 44,944 bushels in 1860. Baltimore, Cincin nati, Louisville and other river points as far down as New Orleans, afford the most accessible and profitable markets. Potatoes are grown successfully in every part of the State, and yield the largest crops in deep loams, mode rately dry, or in any friable calcareous soil, no matter whether on low ground or upland. In the Glades and table land regions, especially in fresh turned sod, they are reputed to be remarkably mealy, well flavored, and less exposed to disease that in the valleys. The potato rot which has proved so destructive elsewhere, never yet obtained a fair hold in West Virginia, and made its appearance only to a limited extent once or twice in twenty years in some of the older counties, when barn yard manure had been used in planting. On fresh cleared, gentle slopes, no crop is more remunerative. When planted in hills 3 to 3J feet apart each way, or in drills the same distance apart from 150 to 250 bush els may be raised per acre'; and judging from experi ments on small patches, even larger yields may be expected under neat and thorough cultivation. In the interior counties, where the wants of nejr set tlers for food and seed sustain a constant demand, the price ranges from 75 cts. to $1, and even $1.25 per bush el. But in the river counties where the products of Ohio and Pennsylvania compete with ours, potatoes fall frequently as low as 40 to 50 cents per bushel. Yet even these rates, owing to the large yield per acre, the crop is highly profitable, and its cultivation largely in creasing. In former times the Baltimore Blues, Pinkeye, Me- shannock, Mercer and Long John or Stock potato, were universal favorites, and are still popular, though of late years some new varieties, the Peach Blow among Agriculture. 65 the rest, were introduced with great success. This va riety yields well in most soils, except moist alluvial, where, unless the draining is perfect, it suffers from wet rot. The sweet potato, (Convolvus batatas) is well adapted to the climate and remarkably productive in its favorite element — a rich sandy loam — or black fresh cleared land,.well stirred. Prices range from $1 to 1.50 in the fall, and even $2 per bushel early in the season. THE TURNIP. This is another product of great value to the new set tler, because like buckwheat and rye, though with less labor, it may beraised on any virgin soil not sufficiently cleared for corn. Indeed, it is in the new, un- tilled ground, yet covered with the ashes ofthe burned timber, that the turnip matures most rapidly, and with out further labor, attains the highest degree of succu lence and nutritiveness. The seed is sown upon the surface, roughly prepared with the bulltongue Or one horse shovel, and harrowed in with a large bundle of limbs or brush. When the seeding is done evenly and not too thickly, so that not more than three or four plants will grow upon one square yard, from two to four hundred bushels may be obtained per acre. When cut up with straw or corn fodder, turnips will take milch cows through the winter in good condition, with little or no grain, and it is only on account of the trouble required by this preparation, that this crop is not more extensively cultivated by our native, easy going farmers. The flat English, or sweet white turnip is the most generally used and profitable here, Rutabaga or Swed ish Turnips receiving as yet but little attention. In old land, except fresh turned sod, the product is apt to be less thrifty and tender, and more exposed to insects and drougbt. Manuring adds to the volume, but not to the quality of the crop. New land is therefore al ways preferred here when at hand. 66 The West Virginia Hand-Book. HAY. In a State so largely devoted to stock farming as West Virginia, the hay crop is an object of primary impor tance, as it determines the capacity of the country for the breeding and permanent improvement of stock. Many sections of the continent are unsurpassed for range or summer grazing, but unsuited for maturing and propagating stock.- In West Virginia, climate, soil, water, grass and grain are in the highest degree favor able to stock farming as a business, complete in all its branches, and susceptible of every improvement else where attained. - The hay crop of 1860 is officially given at 156,136 tuns of 2000 pounds, or only 2-5 of a tun for every horse, ass, mule, milk cow and head of pther horned cattle in the State, except sheep. As this is only about one-half ofthe average quantity of dry forage re quired in our climate, per head, it may be assumed that the other half is supplied by corn fodder and other straw, and by winter pasture not grazed short in the fall. At the very low estimate of 1 J tuns to the acre, it would appear, that only one acre in twenty-three of the im proved land in the State is cropped in hay, which com mon observation shows to be far below the reality. It is therefore manifest that here, as in the case of several other items, the official reports are in error, owing chiefly to the fact that many of our farmers, suspecting the assessor behind the census man, are too cautious in giving in their property. By far the greatest proportion of West Virginia hay consists of Timothy, or Meadow Cat's Tail (Phleum Pratense) which, in favorable soil, attains a height of 3£ to 4 feet, and yields from is 2 to 2^ tuns per acre. Mead ows in which timothy is measurably mixed with blue grass, produce less in bulk and weight, though the dif ference is probably compensated by fragrance and strength. Clover is not raised for hay, except in the Potomac Valley and some of the older western coun ties, where it enters into the rotation of crops. On the fresh soil ofthe newer counties, the rank growth causes Agriculture. 67 clover to fall before maturity, and moreover, its curing, during the showery weather in early June, is somewhat precarious and interferes with the working of corn. Other varieties of grasses for hay have formerly been introduced and tried, but none ever succeeded in ac quiring the preference over blue grass and timothy. Among the native grasses which in course of time creep into meadows, are the red top, and a similar looking vari ety of bluegrass, (notKentucky) both of which, though valuable in pastures, are not profitable in meadows, as they are light in growth, and dead ripe and worthless before timothy is fit for harvest. Timothy meadows generally occupy the smoothest and be3t lands on the farm, in most cases the bottoms; but heavy crops are also cut on rich hillsides, not top steep for the scythe. In the mountains, hay is cropped from every variety of surface, and blue grass being of spontaneous growth, especially on limestone land, tim othy is less frequently met with. In the most improved and accessible sections, mowing machines have been in use for many years. Unless prepared to import fertilizers, the West Virgin ia farmer should never export hay, as it is through the feeding of this forage in the barnyard or in the open fields, that, he can mainly expect to return some sub stance to the soil. Yet more or less hay is continually sold for consumption in towns, and even shipped East or South when prices are inviting. The price along the Ohio river and railroad varies from $12 to 18 per ton. Timothy, or blue grass hay requires from one to one and one-half days to cure in fair weather. It is gene rally put up in stacks of from two to two and a half tuns each, of which so much is from time to time hauled to the barn, as may be needed for horses, workoxen and milk cows, the balance being fed out to the stock cattle in Open air. Although upon principles of theoretical science, the simple feeding of a portion of the hay crop upon the field of its production, should in due course of time im poverish the land and reduce the yield, yet such a re sult is not verified by practical experience here. As a 68 The West Virginia Hand-Book. rule, the contrary is the case. When, in the course of from eight to twelve years, a meadow becomes moss- bound or infected with weeds and unprofitable grasses, it is broken up as deeply as possible, one or two heavy crops of corn are taken from it, after which the field i's seeded down in wheat with timothy, and so soon as the grass has taken a fair start — after one or two years— the yield of hay is as heavy as ever. This experience is common all over the State and defies every scientific refutation. TOBACCO. Twenty years ago, when slavery still prevailed in Virginia, this plant, which requires a large amount of manual labor, was much more of a staple than at pres ent. The production of the counties now comprising tbe new State, is given for 1860 at 2,180,316 pounds wbich, however, is thought considerably below the facts. Of this amount the counties of Putnam, Ka nawha ahd Fayette, in the Kanawha Valley, and the counties of Wood, Mercer and Monroe furnished the two-thirds. Since then, circumstances consequent upbn the late war have tended to decrease the cultivation, and to shift it to some extent from some of the older counties to the others more recently improved, though the Kanawha region probably still retains the lead. West Virginia being immediately adjacent to Mary land, Virginia and Kentucky, whose products outrank all others in the Union, may be regarded as equally fa vorable in' point of soil ana climate, and it is only in skill and experience that her planters appear to be somewhat in arrear of the neighboring States. Here it is not necessary to start the plants in hot beds as is the case farther North, but by sowing aboutthe mid dle of March, on a clean, well prepared patch of ground, upon which a pile of brush was previously burned, a fine, hardy plant is obtained for transplanting on or be fore the 1st of June. An occasional application of soot or rich liquid manure will stimulate the growth, so as to bring the plant quickly beyond the reach of the fly. Agriculture. 69 On new laud, rich in natural fertilizers, or assisted by the ashes of timber burnt upon its surface, tobacco is always a reliable and profitable crop, and even on steep hillsides seldom suffers from drought. Owing to its great value in small bulk, transportation to market is not a serious obstacle, even from the remotest sections. Under indifferent cultivation, the yield per acre varies from 800 to 1000 pounds, and under most favorable cir cumstances crops of 1800 and 2000 pounds have been idealized. Fresh from the field, West Virginia tobacco is proba bly scarcely inferior to good Kentucky, but it is in the process of drying and coloring that the skill of our planters appears to be deficient, which amounts to a difference in market value of from 16 to 20 per cent. West Virginia tobacco is now quoted in the Cincinnati and Baltimore markets at from 11 to 16 cents. To a pioneer family commanding more force than is required to clear land for the necessary cereal and for age crops, a few acres in tobacco will prove a valuable cash resource in the start. But as the very best of soils are inevitably exhausted by successive crops, without the application of specific manures, tobacco is not to be recommended on old farms, except on fresh turned sod after several years of rest. The most fertile regions of Maryland and Virginia have been impoverished by ex cessive crops, and are now offered for sale in small par cels and at seemingly low prices to foreign emigrants, not familiar with the agricultural history of the coun try. The purchasers, notable to devote' a small fortune to the purchase of manures, will find such lands a hard bai'gain, and rather than expose West Virginia to a similar condition, it would be better if never a stalk of tobacco were planted upon her soil. SORGHUM, OR CHINESE SUGAR CANE was first introduced into the State in 1857, and in less than three years became domesticated on almost every farm. Up to date its cultivation was confined to the production of syrup, for home consumption, but will 70 The West Virginia Hand-Book. undoubtedly assume extensive proportions, once the art of granulation or chrystallization is more generally' understood. Very good samples of sugar have been- produced in various sections, in some instances acci dentally. In good soil the cane attains a height of from twelve to fifteen feet, and when well matured, yield from two to three hundred gallons of syrup per acre. The Chinese black seed variety yields the largest amount, and the African Imphee, red seed; the best quality. Itsgravity is generally from 9 to 10° BeaumeV The method of planting best adapted to the soil and climate is in hills, slightly closer than corn, with about four or five stalks to the hill. In this latitude the cane should be worked, up* as soon as possible after cutting, and if not conveni ent immediately, it should be stored away in small bundles accessible to free circulation of air. MAPLE SUGAR. In the forests of West Virginia are found at least two varieties of the Maple from which sugar is manufaci tured : 1st, The Sugar, Rock or Hard Maple {Acer Sach- arinum) and the Black Maple, (Acer nigrum), the latter being commonly designated as Maple, simply, while the other is popularly called Sugar or Sugartree, it being also the most abundant, the richest in saccharine juice, and the most extensively developed. Both varieties flourish more dr less abundantly all over the State, in the lowlands as well as in the mountains and table lands, in good soil and. favorable exposures. The production of Maple sugar for 1850 is stated at 667,178 pounds, and of syrup 71,425 gallons; which gives, but a feeble idea of the producing capacity of the State. There are millions of acres of wild land on, which never a tree has been tapped, and thousands of productive trees in the sugar orchards of old improved farms stand neglected for the want of time or labor to save the crop. In the lower or valley portion of the State the development is principally confined to the new settlements convenient to the timber. But in the mountain counties, where the sugar maple thrives in. Agriculture. 71 all its glory, in groups and groves, accidentally scat tered over the sloping green as if by the tasteful hand of art, sugar making forms an important branch of hus bandry or industry in the most improved neighborhoods. There also, spring coming on a litle latter, this opera tion does not interfere with the early work on the farm, and the favorable period of cool, frosty nights with bright sunny days, is considerably longer than in the lower warmer sections. Sugar making in the moun tains is a source not only of pleasure and recreation, but of considerable profit. In the production of 1860, Greenbrier figures with 72,650 pounds; Pocahontas 63,- 725 ; Pendleton 59,590 ; Monroe 46,617 ; Randolph 43,- 692 ; Hardy 37,653 ; Monongalia 32,608 ; Mercer 21,009; Marion 19,520. But the writer has reason to think the figures largely under estimated, to judge from the case of Doddridge county, his former residence, whose pro duct is stated at only 1623 pounds, while to his personal knowledge, the amount sold at the stores exceeded 2500, and probably an equal amount was retained for house hold use. Among the least populated counties, Randolph, Up shur, Webster and Nicholas offer perhaps the most ex tensive facilities for the cheap production of maple su gar. On thousands of acres in this section, the sugartree comprises nearly one-half of the timber, and the price of land is at present so low, that the sugar crop of one year on a small portion of a tract, will pay the purchase money for the whole. Until now, the process and contrivances vised in the manufacture of maple sugar were ofthe most primitive order. Trees from 15 to 20 inches in diameter are se lected and tapped, the. incision being made in the form of a V, in which spouts of elder or sumach are in serted. Troughs to catch the sap5 are split out from poplar, or other soft wood. According to the size of the "sugar camp" one or more one horse sled or ox teams, are employed to gather the sap in barrels, and haul it to the fire, which is built between two large logs, the kettles resting on these, or being suspended on a strong pole supported by rude forks. In old, per- 72 Tlie West Virginia' Hand-Book. manent camps, the two logs are, in rare instances, replaced by a hearth or kiln of rude stone or brick, dispensing witb the pole and forks. This is all that is required in the way of preparation; but the skill which presides at the kettles and superintends the boiling, skimming, clarifying and straining is equal to any in more advanced regions, as West Virginia maple sugar is equal to the best produced elsewhere, in flavor and ap pearance. The yield per tree varies from 6 to 10 gallons per day in favorable weather, giving from f to lj pounds of hard sugar, besides a quantity of clear luscious syrup. This result may be realized from the same trees upon an average for 25 or 50 days in a season, and even exceeded in favorable seasons. Trees standing well apart in open fields, clear from brush and shade, yield the sweetest sap, and the largest quantity. Well conditioned maple sugar always brings at the. country stores the price of unrefined or brown New Orleans sugar. At the present price of 15 or 16 cents per pound, theproduct of two or three trees per acre, will pay twice for the best wild land in the mountains, in one season. This consideration alone, aside from other in ducements, should stimulate the settlement of the ma ple regions by emigrants of limited means. Excepting the teams — and even these are often dispensed with by families blessed with a large home force — no capital is required for the manufacture of maple sugar, which is always a certain crop, representing a large value in a smallbulk, easy of transportation, and never lacking a remunerative market. THE DAIRY. After all that has been said in preceeding chapters in regard to climate, soil and water, it is scarcely nee-: essary to demonstrate at length the special adaptedness of the State to the production of milk, butter and cheese. The capacity of West Virginia under this head is only limited by her want of labor and of rapid transportation. Her butter, especially that produced in Agriculture. 73 the mountains and glades, commands a higher price in tbe Baltimore market than the product of any other section or State. There is no reason why this should not be, aud whatever skill and conveniences may yet be wanting for the more perfect manufacture and preserva tion of , butter, will certainly be forthcoming, so soon as transportation facilities encourage production on a larger scale. From the peculiarly favored location of the State near the most populous markets on the conti nent, the prospects of her dairy interests are almost incalculable. The production of butter amounted to 4,760,779 in 1860, when it exceeded that of eleven other States, but has largely increased since under the stimulus of higher prices. During the seasons most favorable to the ship-. ment of butter, country stores seldom pay less than 20 or 30 cents per pound. In the markets of Parkersburg, Wheeling, Grafton and Charleston the retail prices vary between 40 and 60 cents from September to May. Sweet milk sells in these places at from eight to ten cents per quart and is not abundantly supplied. In the manufacture of cheese, the State is still farth er in arrear of her natural facilities, her production of 150,000 pounds being far from adequate to the home demand. Even this amount is very indifferently man ufactured, altogether in a domestic way, chiefly from skimmed milk and not fit for distant markets. In com parison with the most renowned cheese producing sec tions of Europe, West Virginia possesses superior advantages, particularly in the cool temperature, sweet herbage and pure water of her mountain counties. In Monroe county, Ohio, only separated from West Virginia by the width of the river, a Swiss colony is engaged in the successful manufacture of an article of cheese imi tation "Gruyere," commanding at wholesale from 18 to 20 cents per pound in the St. Louis or Cincinnati mar kets, where the demand far exceeds the supply. HONEY. Although bee culture flourishes here with but little care and labor, it is not yet carried on as an industrial 74 The West Virginia Hand-Book. pursuit. The total production in 1860 was only 423,- 559 pounds, about 67,000 of which are credited to the county of Boone ; the next largest producer, Wy oming county claiming only 19,067 pounds. If every farmers family in the State would keep half-a- dozen hives, yielding 200 pounds, the total production would reach ten million pounds. But in fact a much larger amount could be produced from the varied and beautiful flora of the forest and field, whose reign of bloom and fragrance extends from March to November, not to mention the blossoms of the orchard- and garden. On a majority of farms where bees are kept, the ar rangements for that purpose are of the' most primitive character, the old style gum or box hive, with a move able cap, being the nearest approach to a "palace " yet accomplished. These rude habitations are generally placed on flat stones, or low wooden benches, and appear to answer the purpose as well as more intricate and costly innovations. In the season of tbe moth, the hives are raised an inch or two, so as to admit the brush und erneath, and in the winter some additional shelter of plank is provided for protection from the severest weather. Beyond this, and housing young swarms, very little attention is paid to bee culture in West Virginia. In the remotest sections, the present stock of bees was mainly propagated from wild swarms captured in the woods, where colonies also return when not cared for at the time of their exit from the mother hive. The native bee is remarkable for its industrious and peaca- ble habits, and seldom uses its dart either for attack or defence. The price of honey in the comb varies from 20 to 25 cents per pound, and the supply is very scarce throughout ^State. MISCELLANEOUS CROPS. Among the other productions of the field, returned by the census of 1860 we find : Rice — 1163 pounds, raised in the counties of Boone, Wood and Wetzel, as an experiment with no encourag- Agriculture. 75 ing results. Natural swamps are too rare, and artifi cial irrigation too impracticable on undulating ground, for the successful cultivation of this crop. Cotton is grown in an experimental way in a few counties South of the Great Kanawha, with moderate success, but will never become a staple production in this State. Hemp succeeds as well here as in Kentucky or Mis souri; but edible crops are more indispensible, and more remunerative in West Virginia. Flax succeeds very wellin high or lowland in every part of the State. The production of 1860 is given at 183,498 pounds, but was probably increased three fold during the dearth of cotton, consequent upon the war. Flax is exclusively used in domestic manufac tures and not known as an article of trade. Hops are as yet cultivated only for domestic purposes, the crop of lSOO^not much exceeding 3000 pounds. This plant thrives luxuriantly wherever its seeds fall upon loose soil, but is not likely to become an object of more general cultivation, until the improved area ofthe State is greatly increased. Broom Corn is a sure crop wherever corn and sor ghum are grown, but up to date only raised for home consumption. MARKET GARDENING. In a State destitute of populous cities, this depart ment of rural.industry is not expected to be extensively encouraged, yet even the present supply is far from meeting the demand for a variety of cheap vegetables and fruits, at the proper seasons. In the markets of Wheeling and Par kersburg prices are frequently as high if not higher, than in New York and Philadelphia, and the supply irregular and uncertain. An increased pro duction and a reduction of from 25 to 50 per cent, would largely increase the consumption, and yet leave a fair profit for the producer. The last Census gives the amount realized from mar ket gardening at $44,299, which was evidently below the true figures at the time, and does not come up to 76 The West Virginia Hand-Book. one half of the present production. This branch is al most exclusively in the hands of small farmers near towns, who never made gardening a study, and for suc cess, depend more upon favorable soil and climate, than upon science or skill. Hot houses for the production of vegetables out of season areyery few in number, and quite indifferently managed. The following are, in alphabetical order, the garden vegetables which attain perfection in the open air in every section ofthe State: Artichoke, Asparagus. Beans, Beet, Borecole, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cress, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Gourd, Horse Radish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lettuce, Love Apple, or Tomato, Mangel Wurzel, Mel ons of every known variety, Mustard, Okra, Oyster Plant, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Pepper, (red), Potato, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinage, Squash, and every variety of the Turnip. Culinary and medicinal household herbs : Aniseed, Caraway, Chamomile, Chervil, Chive, Coriander, Dan delion, Dill, Estragon, Garlic, Hyssop, Lavender, Leek, Marjoram, Mint, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Paragon, Thyme and a number of others of minor utility. What is said above in regard to price and supply of vegetables, is equally applicable to small or garden fruit. With the exception of currants, which thrive without scarcely any attention, all small fruits are higher than they should be, especially the strawberry and rhaspberry. Gooseberries are more abundant. Of blackberries, a few ofthe improved varieties have lately been introduced, but cannot compete in regard to price witb the wild or native article, which luxuriates in ev ery neglected field and fence corner, and yields but little to the improved sorts in size and quality. The other wild fruits found in the market atthe proper sea son, are the huckle and whortleberry, dewberry, wild rhaspberry and wild cherry. The cranberry is found growing wild on a few patches of undrained bogs in the mountain counties, but not of very good quality. Artificially it is not cultivated at all. Agriculture. 77 There is no doubt but that small fruit may be culti vated with profit for the Baltimore and Cincinnati markets all along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and Ohio river, express transportation from that stream to Baltimore requiring but eighteen, and from the western base of the AUeghanies to Cincinnati not exceeding six teen hours. When it will be generally known thatim- proved lands, fertilized by the hand of nature, can be purchased here for this purpose at from $15 to 25, con venient to water and timber, there may be less demand for the sandy barrens of South Jersey, where unim proved lands requiring constant and expensive manur ing are now being sold to fruit growers at the rate of $25 per acre. In regard to poultry and eggs, the market is even more irregularly supplied than with any other com modity. Fat turkeys are seldom to be had at less than 18 cents per pound ; chickens bring from 12§ to 15 per pound and eggs, from 15 to 20 cents per dozen in the summer, and from 25 to 35 cents in the winter. 78 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Statement of the principal items of farm produce according to the Census of I860— Table A. COUNTIES. Wh eat. Indian Corn. . Oats. Tobacco. Irish Potaioes. Slaugh tered animals. Jju shels. 37,835 237,576 1 22,366 23,490 15.27865,715 Bushels. 197,460275'525122,749 142.122143,808248,210 Bushels. 29,680 76,17617,59594,984 7,994 18,717 Pounds. 596 Bushels. 17,256 13,962 8,300 20,488 10,620 11,119 Value. f 53, 452 93,555 15,634 '20,327 36,763 18,72968,578 30,879 4 Cabell 49,736 ^ Lincoln (new) 10,734 4,433 16,514 26,693 18,609 52,017 106,310 69,84744,310 124,133 J31.425126,944 231,479 375,090 6,4236,150 6,765 28,433 11,800 112,056 .49,259 -7,88226,229 7,025 127,713 61,104 91,000 75 6.08S4,269 13,72410,223 7,836 24,858 41,773 13.455 12,597 Doddridge 24,84844,107 21.J67 (¦Hampshire ... ( Mineral (new) 114,265109,834 16,42339,046 61,316 286,618 46,71620,200 26,00218,534 26,39671,698 1,450 55,41188,338 422,514 76,30527,191 11 ,025 60,894 74,759 108,839 43,131 49,13484,80519,404 1,041 ' 12,894 ' 20,04811,475 8,7748,933 78,796 ¦ 22,785 6,700 7,675 27,582 21,897 20,811 1,103 43,727 27,76535,319 1,586 ¦31,662 27.48874,236 6,601 320,946219,377358,267274'943136,677 199,385 214,706 241,911 264,813131,654 239,024216.513 47,676 20,446 103,193138,430122,997 48,229 71,063 197,700 102,172 39,30156,225 147,785100,074 78,001 19,955 182,239149,496224,044 25,002 180,150 115,046 227,223 62,420! 37,501 11,87854,798 45,430 12,41811,067 85,409 .133,617 6,462 55,843 126,198 59,265 10,122 2,215 26,613 82,101 16,51626,412 104,317 16,355 7,396 11,713 20,24814978 8,743 25,610 6,049 28,512 20,33713,077 ¦ 3,100 26,775 5,096 19,158 9,515 11,715 74,691 6,700 338,264 82,910 13,545 26,012 10,690 21,996 182,654 1,380 132;019 2,2341,275 14,470 15,357 32,630 31,87612,352 9,8229,794 12,618 46,63411,87310,53310,58612,692 7,806 1,410 15,52821,44913,36612,090 44,665 9,192 7,7473,719 8,349 19,490 6,693 4,2944,346 23,733 13,639 8,8982,194 14,430 8,769 33,166 4,024 75,883 40,260 110,221 66,345 28,817 30,559 65,999 44,944 56,706 58,132 46,994 78,508 21,323 8,138 64,227 26,930 45,31941,561 80,407 2,073 190 185 406, 992 27,930 34,827 1,117 18,60610,268 3,139 710 11,22560,00065,628 67,165 15,284 13,363 24,883 35,763 20,67122,383 7,721 26,15035,217 40,141 6,439 28,182 Wetzel 84,989 44,074 166,365 4,778 22,749 Wood 51,682 19,740 2,302,567 7,858,647 1,649,090 2,180,316 746,606 $0,121,829 Stock Farming, ' 79 STOCK FAEMING-. The practical farmer who has attentively perused the preceding chapters has already arrived at the con clusion that if any one section of the United States is better suited than another in regard to climate, soil and location to the successful growing of live stock, that section must embrace West Virginia, and portions of adjoining States similarly situated. Until recently, when the mineral excitement built up mushroom for tunes among us, the great bulk of the private wealth in this State was the more or less direct product of this branch of rural economy, which supports and vitalizes every oth er. Stockfarming, in short, is the pulsating ar tery of agricultural prosperity in West Virginia, and it is by her natural capacity in this line, and by no other standard, that her future agricultural development may be estimated with any degree of accuracy, If the surface of the State were smoother for the plough, her lands would be equal in price to those^of Maryland, and Pennsylvania. On the other hand they would be equally exposed to be impoverished by over cropping, and perhaps exhausted and untenanted like those of our mother State, Virginia , while as a stock region she may preserve her virginal freshness for ages. It may be safely asserted, that her surface, rough as it comparatively is, will in the long run, pro duce larger returns than the smoother lands of the ad joining States, in proportion to capital and glabor in vested, provided it be devoted 'to the purpose for which it is manifestly intended by nature. In the production of live stock, West Virginia figures in the Census of 1860, witb $12,382,680, ranking above New Hampshire, Minnesota, Kansas, Oregon, Califor nia, Connecticut, Delaware, Ehode Island, and coming . within $250,000 of the production of Massachusetts. This was ten years ago. Since then at the usual rate of progression, those figures should have increased by 80 The West Virginia Hand-Book. one-fourth, but, allowing for the prostration of agri culture during the late war, aud the large export of every description of stock to the depleted South, since its close, it is doubtful whether the next Census will confirm tbis estimate, unless it be through the un precedented increase of prices during the last five years. At any rate the stock business has never been more flourishing than at present, judging from the anxiety of our graziers to increase their landed estates. There is apparently more money made and circulated in this than any other bran cb of husbandry, and no matter how hard tbe times, or how dull other trades, whenever ready cash is wanted, live stock, in any stage of growth, is sure to command it. One-half of the live stock in the State in 1860, or about $6,000,000, was owned in the counties of Barbour, Harrison, Hampshire, Greenbrier, Monroe, Hardy, Jef ferson, Marion, Monongalia and Preston. In these counties, to which may be added Brooke, Doddridge, Hancock, Jackson, Lewis, Marshall, Mason, Mercer, Pocahontas, Pendleton, Ohio, Nicholas, Eandolph, Taylor and Upshur are to be found the most extensive and productive grazing farms, as well the best breeds of live stock of every description. Considering that in a more advanced state of improvement in land and stock,. tbe amount of livestock may be doubled in each of the ten first named counties, and there is not a sin gle county too small or too poor to yield the same results, the figure of $50,000,000 as the the total value of live stock in the State is only a question of time. HOUSES AND MULES. Assessing the 85,^62 horses, young and old, footed up in Table B. at an average price of $65 per head, we ob tain. $5,581,030, or nearly one-half of the total value of the live stock- in the State. This is a large proportion, considering that breeding for sale is not carried on as a business. Every farmer seeks to raise his own work stock, and from time to time disposes of bis surplus increase. Horses are not regarded as prof itable to grow, unless of superior blood, or if sold young, Stock Farming, 81 before the animal " eats its head off," as it is termed, on the farm. One hundred dollars is, at present, a fair • price for an ordinary farm horse in the prime of life. From that up to $200 is paid for improved grades, or greater speed and symmetry of form, for export to East ern markets, among others the tide water region of Virginia. The breed of horses throughout the State was notably improved within the last twenty years by importations from Ohio and Kentucky. Northern breeds have not yet been introduced to any extent, though grades of Morgan and Canadian are now mora frequently met with than formerly. Horses reared in West Virginia witb any degree of care, are remarkable for bottom, wind, spirited action, surefootedness and docility. If well attended the first winter, they require very little or no grain feeding un til old enough for use, and sustain themselves one- half of that time, in good order, on short commons or woods pasture. Asses are as yet sparsedly represented, thetotal num ber of asses and mules being reported at $18,000. Much tbe greater portion of the mules in the State were im ported from Kentucky and Tennessee. Although a mule is reared here almost as cheaply as a steer, yet owing to an inveterate prejudice of our yeo manry against the paternal parent, breeding this class of stock is not very popular. Aserviceable mule brings here from $150 to $200. A large number of those on hand now were, left here by the army at the close of the war. Turf Associations, or Jockey Clubs have been in operation for some years at Wheeling and Parkeisburg, but, as their object is not the improvement of the horse for practical purposes, their utility is very questionable. milch cows. Milch cows form an important item in the list of live stock, their aggregate in the State being put down at 100,154 head, or three cows for every two families in town and county. The average value probably not ex ceeds $35 per head, although in the more level and best 82 The West Virginia Hand-Book. improved counties there are animals of superior grades at from $50 to $75 per head. But few probably exceed the latter figure. In the interior and more billy sections, the native breed is still preferred, as best adapted to the circumstances of the country. This breed generally termed " our common stock," runs through all the vari eties of the long-horned and loose jointed type, whose pedigree is accident and confusion; yet, as it furnishes by far better milkers than Devon, Durham, or graded cows on the same keep, it is not likely to be discarded soon. Tbe Ayrshires, Holstein and Jersey breeds would probably prove equal, if not superior to the native stock, as milkers, but possess no advantage over it as breeders for beef cattle, which is a paramount conside ration here. The common cow is generally gentle, ea sily kept, perfectly at home in the hills and woods, where, if necessary, she will support herself during six months of the year, while suckling a calf, with milk to spare, and come to her winter quarters in prime condi tion. During the winter season she needs no stabling, at least she seldom gets any, an open shed answering all purposes in stormy weather. As a rule, cows are not kept for breeding purposes exclusively, and even in West Virginia, this would be unprofitable on a large scale, except in connection with a dairy, the returns of which would repay at least the keeping of the cow, leaving the calf as net profit. As a consequence, the supply of native stock is not suffi cient for the wants of the graziers, who make up tbe deficiency by purchases in adjoining States, principally Ohio. Stockcattle of all grades and ages are bought .up, and grazed in West Virginia uutil ready for market. Some dealers, who cut large crops of hay, winter ex tensive herds of mixed ages ; others confine themselves more particularly to grazing three year old steers up to market order, and winter but little, beginning to ship in June and ending in November. G-rainfeeding, for later use, is principally confined to the Ohio river and Potomac counties. In sections where pasture, especial ly blue grass, has been economized in the fall, fattening steers are turned on grass as early as March, and ma- Stock Farming. S3 ture in June or July. This mode of operation, while requiring the least labor, unquestionably yields the largest profit, in proportion to the period of investment, frequently 50 per cent, on the cost of the animal in the spring ; but^to pursue it on a large scale, requires an abundance of first class sod, conveniently partitioned off to afford change of pasture. Within the last fifteen or twenty years the native stock of cattle has been materially improved by cross ing with Shorthorns, Devons and grades of these breeds. On lowland farms, with good winter accommodations, «,nd an abundance of feed at all times, the Durham ma tures with profit to the owner; but the neat, compact and nimble Devon is the animal for our hills, which he climbs with the agility of a sheep, thriving as he goes. Crosses of Devon and common stock are fast being in troduced in every section of the State, and West ^Vir ginia beef cattle are successfully competing with the pro duct of other States in the Baltimore market, where, requiring but a few hours transportation, they reach in superior condition. Mr. Dodge refers to a circular sent ont in 1854 by the Agricultural Division of the Patent' Office, inquiring the cost of raising stock in different sections of the ..country. The cost of a steer three years old was re ported to be $25 in New York, $24 in Ohio, $15 in Illi nois, $12 in Iowa, and but $8 in West Virginia. The latter figure, even at that time, and under the most fa vorable circumstances was certainly a very low esti mate. Allowing nothing for the keep of the cow during the dry period of gestation, and putting the calf's keep of the first year at $6, of the second at $8 and of the third at $10, we reach $24. This figure, which includes the producers cost and profit, is as little as would now be taken by the producer for the lightest three year old, not absolutely dwarfed. Good year lings — really from 18 to 22 months old — ih com mon wintering order, are bringing now (Nov. 1869) from $17 to $22, and two year olds — from 30 to 32 months — from $35 to 45 per head. The profit of him who grazes for market, depends upon the weight he 84 The West Virginia Hand-Book. may put upon the animal between spring and fall. Es timates based upon hypothetical premises, are omitted here, as they do not satisfy the practical operator, who knows how much depends upon economical manage ment, and good judgment in buying and selling — an art bythe way — in which West Virginia traders have nothing to learn from the rest of mankind. The cost of grazing stock is materially reduced, when cattle are summered in the woods during the second- and third year, with no other trouble and expense than occasional looking up and salting. Where pea vine, and other succulent herbage abounds, as in the greater- portion of tbe State, the results in growth and flesh. compare favorably with those of field pasturing, though less tallow may be formed. In the Kanawha Valley and the counties South of it, winter feeding is consider ably shortened by the mildness of the season and, some-- times entirely dispensed with. The writer remembers- meeting a herd of two year old steers, browsing in the ¦wilds of Logan county, about the middle of January,, looking but little the worse in flesh, though horns and limbs seemed to have gained somewhat the advantage over the carcass in the race for existence. In the chapter of climate, reference was made to the duration of winterfeeding in the mountain counties. In the remainder of the State it varies from three to- five months, the longest period being required in all cases where no pasture is at hand in open weath er. The feeding is generally done in the open field, either from the stack in the meadows, or in out fields, where the shattering grass seed, or the manure of the stock may be wanted. Stock cattle seldom bave any sheds to run to, but are accustomed to " rough it " un* der the lee of hills, or timber, as best, they may. Many farmers in the older counties are in the habit of sending their stock to be summered in the woods, in distant and less improved sections, under the care of" eome settler of the locality. Others use for* that pur pose the, so-called "mountain farms " on the table lands ofEandolph, Pocahontas, Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier,. $c., under the supervision of the work hands engaged, Stock Farming. 85 In fencing and clearing up the ground . These mountain . farms, which produce the finest beef and mutton in the State, are generally improved at a comparatively trif ling cost. The price of the lands seldom exceeds $1.50 per acre. After constructing a worm fence at a cost of 82 per acre, or less, according to the area enclosed, the largest timber is girdled, or "deadened," at an •expense of from 50 cents to $1 per acre, making the oost of the improvement, say $4.50 per acre, land in- oluded. The girdled timber dies during the first year, letting in the light and heat necessary to vegetation. Where neither oak or hickory grow, no undergrowth is to be found either before or after the clearing, and the first thing that comes up after the deadening, is a thick growth of blackberry briers, which will completely die out within two years, or sooner, if cattle are turned in to keep them down. By that time the native, sponta neous blue grass has taken complete possession of the ¦surface, and the farm is ready to yield a perennial pas ture, worth for each season, at least $4 per acre. In the •course of a few years, the girdled timber has dried suf ficiently to burn in the log, so soon as cut down, requir ing no piling up in heaps. The cost of the final opera tion varies with the size and amount of timber, from $2 to $2.50 per acre. In the remainder of the State, where undergrowth prevails more or less, repeated grubbing is necessary to make a clean field, but when the land is required for rough grazing alone, and not for the plough, a less ex pensive process is frequently resorted to, called "pack ing," which consists in chopping off brushwood and saplings from two to three feet above the ground. When this operation is performed during the first three days after full moon in June, July or August — especially June — it is said to be more effectual than at any other time, and without pretending to account for the fact, the writer is enabled to confirm it by his own experi ence. A majority of the brush generally dies off with in the first year, and the after-sprouts of the remainder are easily destroyed by cattle and sheep, in course of a short time. 86 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Another popular mode of preparing land for pasture consists in grubbing out thoroughly everything under- the " size of a man's arm," and then feeding out hay upon the ground during the winter to scatter the seed. In early spring all the timber not wanted for fencing- and other purposes, is cut down for browse, and per mitted to lie as it falls for a few years, until the limbs- are rotten or tramped down by the grazing stock, when fire is set to the trunks in seasons of leisure, and the , last snag is reduced to ashes. Land, prepared in this. way, is considerably enriched by the decaying limbs. and bark, and the ashes of the trunks, and produces- the freshest and most durable pasture. In this rough manner the oldest and most extensive grazing farms were originally cleared, and gradually enriched their owners. Fortunes of from $50,000 to- $150,000 were accumulated in the live stock business- by men, who started in life as common farmhands, and began their independent career with a brace of calves,. SHEEP HUSBANDKY. - It was settled some years ago, after protracted and learned exchange of opinions, that sheep raising or woolgrowing is profitable in the Northern States, not withstanding the high price of land, and the rigors of climate. And an eminent authority in the matter, Dr. Henry S. Eandall, has proved in a series of letters, ex haustive upon the subject, tbat it is equally profitable intbe South, despite the high temperature, and defi ciency in herbage. The writer might therefore be dis pensed with the task of demonstrating the success of this pastoral pursuit in an intermediate section, not liable to the objections raised against either extremes, and surpassing both in natural advantages most essen tial to success. Nor does the writer's official correspondence with strangers, seeking information upon tne resources of this State, indicate that there is any doubt upon this point in any part of the world. On the contrary, it appears to be a proposition universally conceded, that if sheep-husbandry is not profitable in West Virginia, it Sheep Husbandry. 87 were useless to attempt it in any other locality; and in quiry seems to turn mainly upon the questions : What breeds of sheep are best suited to the country? Which is the most appropriate mode of management? And why the business is not carried on to a much greater extent? Sheep husbandry was among the first necessities of the early settlers, who were confined to this resource for the greater part of their wearing and household apparel. No other branch of rural economy was so well suited their comfortable habits, as the care of sheep, which scarcely required any care at all, at least so far as food and shelter were concerned. But there were other drawbacks which prevented their flocks from assuming patriarchal dimensions; and those were the migratory habits of the animal — scattering and straying — the depredations of wolves, and lastly, sheep killing dogs. In tbe course of the improvement of the country, these obstacles were gradually overcome with nearly complete success. The county premiums on scalps have driven the wolves to their last ditch. A wise law passed in 1863 puts tbe dogs upon their good behavior, and neighbors bave settled down sufficiently close, to keep an obliging eye on each others flocks. From the nature of the difficulties referred to, the older and most improved sections took the lead in the rearing of sheep, and of 453,334 head reported in the State in 1860, one-fourth were owned in the Panhandle counties, Brooke, Ohio, Hancock and Marshall. The counties next in in rank are Hampshire and Preston, with about 20,000 head each, then Greenbrier with 16,- 000, and Pendleton with 14,000, then follows Harrison, Pocahontas, Monroe, Mercer, Monongalia, Barbour and Hardy with from 10,000 to 12,000 each. The remain ing counties numbered respectively, from 9000 to 853, the latter figure being the quota of the new county of McDowell, on the Southern border ofthe State. The Auditor's Eeportfor 1868, returns 568,563 head of sheep, an increase of 115,229, or one-fourth, since 1860. 88 The West Virginia Hand-Book. The aggregate clip of wool for the year 1860, is giv en at 1,063,163 pounds, or an average of 2 pounds : 6 ounces per head, including lambs not sheared. Deduct ing one-third for lambs, or 151,111 head, leaves 302,223 head bf sheared sheep, and brings up the average weight of fleece to a fraction over 3^ pounds, which, considering that the average of Ohio is 4.05 and of Pennsylvania 5.36 (fractions in decimals) would appear a somewhat low estimate without some explanation. In the four Panhandle counties above named, the total number of sheep is 112,094; making the usual deduction of one-third for lambs not sheared, gives 74,730 sheared sheep and increases the average weight of fleece to 4.04 pounds, equal to the average in the State of Ohio. Yet even this figure cannot be taken as a criterion of the capacity of West Virginia, for, although the the Pan handle boasts of the most improved breeds, the cleanest eheep walks, and the most intelligent and enterprising sheep growers in the State, flocks and fixtures have not yet reached the degree of perfection to which the public spirited people of that section are unceasingly aspiring, and what can be done- there, may be done elsewhere in the State as well. The favorite breeds in that section, at present, are the Merinos, Saxon, and their grades, improved by frequent importations from New York, Vermont and New Hamp shire. Wool is the object bere, mutton merely inci dental. It is the product of this section which has principally given character and reputation to West Vir ginia wool. Within a few years past, long wooled sheep have also been introduced with complete success, and among others, one sale is reported of Cotswold sta ple averaging 9 pounds per fleece, on a good sized flock. Mr. Dodge calls attention to the fact that sheep hus bandry has proved a source of large profit in those four counties, on land valued at from $20 to $44 per acre, but really worth from $50 to $100 per acre, and that the other products of the soil, far from suffering from the preponderance of sheep, are thereby increased ; con cluding, very pertinently, that the flocks of the farm add more to its fertility than they subtract from it. Sheep Husbandry. 89 In a number of the next largest wool growing coun ties, Harrison, Taylor, Barbour and Lewis among the rest, Southdowns, Cotswolds, and their grades, [are found in considerable numbers along with some very superior flocks of Merino and other fine wool grades. The larger and longer wooled sheep are regarded as pref erable for wool and mutton combined, and their fleece is better adapted to the machinery in use here than the finer grades. Cotswold fleeces are reported from Har rison of from 5 to 7 pounds, and Cotswold mutton sheep were shipped from the same locality, worth at the scales at Clarksburg, $14 per head. The price of Panhandle wool has varied within the last ten years from 50 to 75 cents per pound, and the product of the next best wool growing counties, from, 35 to 60 cents. The wool of the common native stock, of which there are many grades with occasionally a sprinkling of Merino, has varied from 25 to 40 cents, unwashed. It is a matter of general surprise, that the quality of the common wool has not more seriously de teriorated underthe careless, not to say barbarous treat ment of sheep, in the newer and more remote sections. There, after shearing about the middle of May, young and old are turned upon the commons, or into the woods, and scarcely ever seen again until fall, except when coming home or hunted up to be salted. About the first snow, if it happens to set in with a severe storm, they are let in upon a short grazed, half cleared woods pasture, where they spend the winter, receiving only a scant allowance of corn fodder, with an occasional nub bin for the bearing ewes toward lambing time. For the latter an open shed is sometimes provided, and the owner thinks he is doing uncommonly well, when the ewes survive the maternal crisis without a loss of more than one lamb out of three. In the absence of any system, lambing time comes in at any season, usually, as luck would have it, in the roughest " spell" in Janu ary, and continues until Spring, the latest lambs gene rally catching up in growth with the stunted firstlings in a few weeks, 90 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Out of a hundred such cases which came under the observation of the writer, one experience may be se lected from one ofthe central counties, and given in the party's own words : " I generally graze from 300 to 400 head of cattle, and winterfrom 200 to 300. I have no particular fancy for sheep, but I keep about 300 head, common stock, with a few grade bucks among them. They range, the whole year round, in fenced woodland, with here and there a half cleared patch to run to, where I sometimes leave some salt for them, and they can lick the ashes of the burned timber, when I don't. In the winter they shift for themselves, trimming off the sprouts ih clearings and fence corners, until the snow is too deep to paw through, when I let them into the meadow where the cattle are fed. Some eat the hay, and some don't; sheep are not very fond of it. I have no leisure to look after them in lambing time, and they must do the best they can. Some of the lambs come dead born, others freeze to death, and the'foxes get their share. I take what's left. When I gather up the flock in shearing time, I generally find from 75 to 100 lambs able to get along. My clip is about 7 or 800 pounds of wool, worth from 30 to 35 cents per pound. In August I sell off about 75 or 100 mutton sheep at an average of $2.50 per head, which, together with the wool, is clear profit, as the flock pays for its support in keeping down the brush and manuring and sodding the land." Here is a net profit of $450or$1.50 per head, say one hundred per cent, per annum on the capital invested. This man, who began the world with an axe and a few calves, has accumulated at least $75,000 by grazing; alone; as a "cattle man"'and a shrewd dealer he probably has no superior in the State. He took the premium at the last Harrison County Agricultural Fair, for the best Steer, but has evidently "no fancy for sheep." But it is not necessary to demonstrate the profits of sheep husbandry in West Virginia, by instances of such vigorous economy. Here is an example a of little milder sort, from the adjoining county of Bitchie : " I keep about 500 head of sheep, and from 30 to 50 head of cattle. The sheep are mostly a cross of com- Sheep Husbandry. 91 mon stock with grade Merino; good sized animals, prof itable for both mutton and wool. So long as they can stand it out doors, I herd them about in the open woods; am never more than two or three days out of sight of them, and salt them regularly. Never had any loss from straying or disease, and but- little from dogs. Ear ly in the winter, I turn them into my pastures and mead ows, giving the best fields to ewes in lamb. I never feed much of either hay or fodder, unless the snow is too deep to paw through, which doesn't occur very often. Towards lambing time, the ewes have the sheds and barns to run to, and get a handfull of shell corn, or twice that amount of oats a piece, per day. I save most all my lambs, except in case of triplets or una voidable accidents, and get about 125 from every 100 ewes. The wethers and dry ewes are turned upon the commons again early in April, and the ewes with lambs kept in until shearing time. I generally get from 3 to 5 pounds of wool per head, the largest fleeces from two year old wethers ; all of it worth from 30 to 40 cents per pound, unwashed, burs and all. I sell off the fatweth- ers and dry ewes every fall, say about 300 head, at an average of $2.25 per head." This man values his time in tending the flock at $100, the winter feed and pasture at $200, which counting $700 for $2000 pounds of wool at 35 cents, and $675 for 300 mutton sheep at 2.25, leaves a margin of $1,075 on 500 sheep, or 65 cents more per head than in the preceeding case, besides the improvement of his fields from manures, which this party says, he couldnot real ize so cheaply from any other source. These results are obtained on lands worth in a state of nature from $2 to $3 per acre in more remote sections, and should induce woolgrowers who meet in Conven tion to memorialize Congress for an increase of the tariff, to sell out their $50 to $100 per acre estates, and remove to the spot where their industry flourishes with out so much protection. Since the above was written the following appeared in the Ravenswood (Jackson Co.) News: 92 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Fine Eegion for Wool Gbowiho.— It is the opinion of men experienced in woolgrowing, that the hills and valleys of Jackson County are well ada pted to that business. Mr. John P. Campbell, formerly of Hancock County in thia State, is so well convinced that it will be profitable here, that, last summer he brought from that country nearly 200 fine sheep which have fed and pros pered, on a tract of land lying near the head springs of the Turkey Fork of Sandy Creek, in Jackson and Kaone counties, bought by him last spring. They have lived entirely, on wild pea vines and grass growing in the timber, and are in excellent condition. Last week, we saw in the stable of the St. Charles Hotel here, three Merino bucks, recently bought by him in Hancock, at a price, which if disclosed, would astonish some of the farmers of Jackson county. In Hancock and Brooke, wool growers frequently pay from fiftyto one hundred dollars each, for bucks, which are considered cheap at that. Mr. Campbell believes that since wool growing is profitable in those counties on farms which are worth $75 per acre, it must pay where land naturally as good, can be had for less than one-fourth that sum. We think his logic is sound ; and it is corroborated ,by the fact, that our winters are several weeks shorter than theirs. HOG EAISING. In the early stage of the settlement of the country, hog raising is said to have been much more extensively and profitably followed than at present, owing to the low price of corn, in the absence of a market, and to the almost unlimited ranges of woodland, abounding, at least biennially, in masts of acorn, hickory, chesnut and beech. Even as late as 25 years ago, corn did not bring over 25 cents per bushel in West Virginia; and 2J to, 3 cents gross for pork, was then regarded as a remunera tive price. Now corn averages 80 cents through out the year, and fat hogs do not bring over 7 to 1\ cents gross, leaving the chances of the market in favor of corn in the grain. This change in value appears to have exerted its in fluence upon the production of hogs, in which a notable decrease is perceptible, even without the aid of accu rate statistical information. The total number of swine is reported by the Census of 1860 as 427,214 or 1 1-7 to each inhabitant. This is a large figure, implying a sur plus for exportation. With few exceptions, the crop. of hpgs, taken by counties, wasthennearly in proportion to ¦ population and the production of corn. The StateAu- ; ditor reports only 180,732 head for 1868, and shows con- : sideraole shifting of the sources of production. Thus Hog Raising. 93 • in 1860 the counties of Berkely, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Mercer, Monroe and Nicholas return from 10,000 to 15,000 each, Jefferson taking the lead. According to the Auditor's Eeport Jefferson is still ahead with 10,649, but thenext largest producers in 1866 are Boone 7,786, Cabell 5,598, Ka nawha 4,394, Marshall 4,291, while Nicholas returns only 3174 against 12,390 in 1860, and the remaining counties occupy the scale from 3159 (Wirt) down to 246 (Brooke), the latter having figured up 3309 head in 1860. In the absence of sufficient reliability in the As sessor's returns, it is not safe to speculate upon the causes of these apparent differences, though the decrease, in dependently of under returns, may be accounted for by the improved price and home market for corn, while the shifting of the sources of production may have followed as a natural consequence, at least to some extent. One thing, however, is certain, that if raising hogs does not pay so well now as formerly, that which produces pork, namely, corn, amply makes up the difference in the sum of production, saving the trouble and risk of the fattening operation. In mast years the production of the back connties is always notably increased. When, duriug the interven ing periods the supply of stock hogs is larger than can be fattened on grain, the surplus is allowed to root for dear life, until acorns come again. In default of accurate statistics, it is not possible to know the relation between the exportation of pork and the importation of bacon. Large droves are continu ally shipped to the East for the want of adequate pack ing facilities in the State, and on the other hand no inconsiderable amount of bacon, mainly Cincinnati cured, is brought into our towns, and manufacturing and mining centers. Bacon of country production be ing rather indifferently put up, in comparison with city cured, does not command the same price by 5 or 10 per cent. The pork packing business is, so far, confined to the cities of Wheeling, Parkersburg and Point Pleas ant, and its annual extent is materially controlled by the prospects of the market at the time. 94 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Humber and value of five stock— Oeus us of I860.— Table B. COUNTIES. Horses. MilchCows. W'k oxen and other Cattle. Sheep. Swine. Value of live stock. Barbour Berkeley Boone Braxton...... Brooke Cabell Calhoun ¦Clay Doddridge.. "Fayette •Gilmer Greenbrier.. HampshireHancock Hardy Harrison Jackson Jefferson Kanawha...Xewis Xogan Marion Marshall Mason Mercer. Monongalia.Monroe Morgan McDowell...Nicholas Ohio Pendleton .. Pocahontas. Preston Putnam Pleasants... Baleigh Bandolph...Bitchie Boane Taylor Tucker Tyler Upshur Wayne Webster Wetzel Wirt Wood Wyoming... 3,0593,510 787976 1,3991,350 484 289 1,182 1,266 815 3,714 6,2221,1092,526 5,4041,330 3,421 1,4021,617 885 3,7622,413 1,355 1,5523,9043,216 972222 1,3581,441 2,5431,688 3,3261,229 646486 1,1891,724 783 1,137 448 1,484 1,9551,240 356 1,502 874 1,899 414 3,726 2,7281,4441,3951,319 1,475 741 538 1,6641,767 1,1973,9846,5221,1272,5614,5011,5412,316 1.1"""1,902 1,595 4,629 2,501 1,254 2,2183,8813,058I,1 673 1,7281,4083,4232,4474,9931,509 725744 1,760 2,117 1,0111,347 536 1,6442,5081,524 693 1,8061,086 2,197 8,133 3,699 3,506 1,923 l,r" 4,636 1,735 787 3,379 2,938 2,597 8,759 11,361 1,797 8,386 18,244 3,017 4,! 4,3294,r" 4,340 6,334 3,i3,8824,3277,7709,588 ¦1.725 810 5,0281, 6,3835,7176,437 3,8151,511 1,4396,343 3,8011,8722,9401,41534'9951,9391,0613,421 1,8993,344 2,464 11 ,673 7,057 3,248 6,108 40,620 6,764 2,4121,608 5,377 6,9983,967 16,067 21,287 21,402 11,378 13,202 6,615 7,2694,936 8,250 4,6739,029 10,022 5,582 10,22510,84512,288 2,992 866 9,093 40,050 14,14310,33819,084 5,924 2,837 3,569 7,565 •7,925 5,1904,7882,651 8,748 9,821 7,405 2,4746,2445,032 7,1 1,1 9;916 13,469 7,653 5,0403,3098,4082,9562,412 7,7233,864 10,97114,619 2,465 7,032 11,496 6,538 15,044 10,135 4,554 9,197 9,9858,4478,294 11,308 8,028 10.172 3,3002,463 12,390 3,244 5,7445,099 S,85t 8,0842,386 3,663 3,267 7,891 4,380 3,7101,2916,942 5,0788,898 1,691 6,293 4,188 7,2584,733 335,757120,589 109,463 282,439 195,674 74,651 41,82$ 142,269) 177,440 113,723676,298763,45* 182,746 453,768 644,325 173,354466,168197,224 225,500 161,480 466,254 280,860 . 252,063244,954454,070500,268111,439 33,785 334,820 253,090 371,228 321,003 461,133188,995 ; 84,27569,038. 244,857213,147'86,180162,864 58,860 202,707271,523175,008 44,304' 169,639110,417 214,077 81,993 85,862 100,164 209,935 453,334 427,214 (12,382,680 New counties, from Auditors Eeportl868. Gbant formed in 1868, from Har dy, 3816 head of milch cows, oxen and other cattle, 8167 sheep, 10,113 swine. Liscolh formed in 1867 from Boone, Cabell, Logan and Kanawha, 2469 cattle,- 3153 sheep, 1623 swine. Miserai, formed in 1866 from Hampshire, 4154 cattle 6877 sheep, 654 swine. Fruit Growing. 95 PETJIT GEOWING-. The reputation of West Virginia, as a fruit region, dates from the early stages of the settlement of the country. Seeds, carelessly dropped into the earth by the pioneers, rapidly grew up into luxuriant propor tions, and brought forth varieties of fruit of which many, not inferior to improved sorts from other States, are propagated to this day by grafting. Im proved varieties from the East and Worth were subse quently introduced, and are now flourishing more or less in every county. A number of sorts were even improved in size and flavor, and none are known to have foiled in consequence of migration. Such is the geni ality of the climate and the diversity of soil and expo sure, that any kind of fruit of the temperate zone is nat uralized here without difficulty. The earliest efforts in fruit growing in the State were confined to apples and peaches, the latter producing so abundantly, that untold quantities were annually wasted for the want of labor to take care of crops ; and even hogs, turned promiscuously into the orchards and lanes, were inadequate to the task of cleaning up the falling fruit. Since the last twenty years, however, the peach crop, as elsewhere in the United States, has become more uncertain, and a full crop does not occur more than once in two or three years, except under more careful culti vation than was formerly in use, and in favorable eleva ted exposures where the bloom is retarded. The larg est and most certain crops are now yielded South of a line running very nearly with the Little Kanawha, and including the counties of Wirt, Calhoun, Gilmer, Brax ton and Webster, where drying and canning for sale is carried on quite extensively. In the older counties, North of that line, much attention has been given to im proved varieties, and there arebounteous harvests of lus cious fruit in favorable seasons. Apples are at home in every nook and corner of the State, without regard to 96 The West Virginia Hand-Book. altitude, though some levels and exposures are better adapted to certain varieties than others. In the Ohio and Kanawha valleys, and along the lines of transport ation, apples have been for many years a considerable article of export, thousands of barrels being annually shipped to the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and even to New Orleans and intermediate markets, and no matter how abundant the supply in the fall, the time has never been when the demand could be met in the Spring. In the interior, where there is no market for green fruit, large quantities are dried and distilled, fed to hogs, and wag on loads given away to new settlers, and even to old ones too indolent tojplant their own trees. Excellent cider is, also manufactured in the principal valleys, and the crab cider from Blannerhassets Island, near Parkers- burg, enjoys more than a local reputation. The most popular and successful varieties of the ap ple introduced up to date, are the Pall and Winter Eambo^G-olden, Mammoth, Green, White andNewtown Pippins, Ehode Island Greening, Baldwin, Yellow Bellflower, Eoxbury and Putnam Eussets, Van de Wert Sweet Eusset, Eomanite, Eome Beauty, Northern Spy, Seeknofurther, Summer and Winter Pearmain, Smith's Cider, Grindstone Pippin, Porter, Wine Sap, Yellow Harvest, June Eating, Summer Sweet, Eed Harvest, and several varieties of native summer fruit, not ident ifiable by name. Of Peaches the Georges the IV, Morris White, Heath's Cling, Grosse Mignonne, Early York, Large White Cling, Crawford's Late, Early Scarlet, and are generally favorites. Pears are not yet cultivated to any extent, and appear to thrive best in old improved localities. Bartlett and Seekel give general satisfaction, either as dwarf or stand ard. Dwarf pears of other varieties are slowly gaining ground. The other fruits more or less disseminated all over the State are the Quince, the Apricot and almost every variety of Cherries and Plums cultivated in the Middle States. The German Plum, or French Prune is just be coming popular and yields well. Grape Culture. 97 A serious obstacle to the propagation of improved fruit in West Virginia is the want of nurseries in con venient localities. Some very reliable establishments on the Ohio side, below Parkersburg, and at Mounds- ville, West Virginia, bave hitherto furnished a large amount of trees to the remotest sections of the State ; but their production is entirely inadequate to the pres ent demand, and our farmers were frequently induced to purchase from Northern agents, principally of the Eochester nurseries, whose trees arrive in very indif ferent condition, and do not always turn out as labeled. Three or four nurseries, at least, established at accessi ble points in different parts of the State, and giving their attention not only to trees, but to small fruit and grape vines, could rely upon a thriving business within a few years. The Census of 1860 gives the value of orchard pro ducts in the State at about $230,000, not including the populous counties of Berkeley, Greenbrier, Mercer and the peach county of Webster, which seem to have been omitted in the returns under this head. The largest returns are from the counties of Cabell, Hamshire, Ma rion, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler, respectively from $10,000 to $15,000. But the utter unreliability of these returns is shown by the fact, that 3 or 4 of the most highly im proved counties figure in the table with less than $100 each. It seems, moreover, extremely difficult to arrive at anything like correct estimates in regard to a pro duct, of which such a large proportion is consumed or wasted without count or measure. GEAPE CTJLTTJEE. The culture of the vine became an object of interest in Western Virginia, soon after its success was estab lished in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and the first vine yard seems to have been planted by Mr. C. L. Zane, on Zane's Island, opposite the city of Wheeling. The re sults obtained by this pioneer, said to have averaged 500 gallons of wine per acre, encouraged the establish ment of a number of vineyards in Ohio county, whose M 98 The West Virginia Hand-Book. production in 1865 is reported 50,000 gallons, and in 1868 at 150,000 gallons. In the chapter on climate, it is shown that the whole of West Virginia is situated within the thermal zone in which the grape matures, with enough sunny days to spare between late spring and early fall frosts, to secure superior strength and quality to the wine. On a surface so diversified as that of our State, it would be difficult to survey off a one hundred acre tract anywhere, without including at least one suitable expo sure for a vineyard of from five to twenty acres, either in the valleys, or on slopes of from five to twenty -five degrees. German wine growers, who prefer steeper grades, will find the rock necessary for walling up, a few feet below the surface everywhere. While every character of West Virginia soil, whether limestone, clay loam, calcareous, sandy and gravelly loam, vegetable mo uld or alluvial, appear to be almost equally well adapted to the grape, it must be borne in mind that neither will much avail, if resting on a sub soil of stiff clay, retentive of water. So soon as this kind of foundation is reached by the roots of the vine, mould and decay set in, and fruit and plant are doomed to certain destruction. "The vine," Mr. Dodge observes, "has been cultiva ted with uniform and gratifying success in the vicinity of Wheeling, both on the hill slopes, at the top, or near the bottom, and also on the islands in the river. Low lands, especially islands^bavebeen^avoidedin other lo calities as sites for vineyards, but a" look at the islands of this vicinity will suffice to solve the mystery of their adaptedness. If subject to overflow, it is only at rare intervals of winter and spring floods, the water soon subsiding, and settling through the gravelly substratum with a rapidity almost coincident with the subsidence of the river itself. Ih such a soil, a great expense for trenching is an entirely unnecessary part of the labor of preparing ground for a vineyard. The Zane's Island vineyard gives, annually, a yield greater than the aver age yield of American vineyards. When new vines are added, the ground is broken thoroughly sixteen inches Grape Culture. 99 deep with three horses, then furrowed, and holes dug one foot deep in the furrows for the reception of the vines." On the hills, however, trenches were dug in some in stances, and the vines planted in holes two feet square and eighteen inches deep. This method answered very well in naturally loose, or stony soil, but in vine-^ yards where clay was predominant, the vines, after aNfew years, ceased to thrive, and had to be assisted by addi tional trenching between the rows. In Doddridge county a small vineyard on a good clay loam hillside, planted in holes 3 by 4 feet apart, had been in bearing six years, without ripening its fruit evenly but once or twice. A portion of it was then trenched eighteen inches deep and a marked improve ment immediately resulted. Another vineyard was planted by the writer in the same vicinity, partly in holes, partly in trenches, and partly in soil thoroughly trenched eighteen inches deep, the whole on a sloping, apparently well drained bench, and the vines four feet apart in seven feet rows. But the substratum was a stiff yellow clay, which soon told upon the success of the undertaking. At the end of eight years the vines planted in holes began to wither. Two years later the part planted in trenches followed suit, but the portion thoroughly trenched would have outlived the average term, had not the mildew and rot, which affected the Ca tawba everywhere, induced the total abandonment of the experiment. At the same time trellice vines planted in the alluvial bottom a few feet above the level of the garden, in holes, and in loose sandy and gravelly loam, succeeded admirably, bearing and maturing to perfec tion the Catawba, Isabella, Concord, Black Hamburg, and Scuppernong, with but little rot, and that confined to the Catawba. At Charleston, in the Kanawha valley ,ther e are several trenched vineyards, planted with Catawba. The grape is subject to partial rot, and the vines drop their leaves before maturity of the fruit; but are, upon the whole, as thrifty as elsewhere in the Ohio valley. 100 The West Virginia Hand-Book. At Washington's bottom, nine miles below Parkers- burg on the Ohio river, Messrs. Munchmeyer Brothers have planted about 20 acres, of which 14 are in bearing. Their vineyard extends from the foot of the first bench or second bottom almost to the bank of the river, on a slope of not over four or five degrees, to the West. The soil is a well drained alluvial, very deep, good corn land, though not in a state of primitive; fertility . The soil was ploughed 13 inches deep, and the vines plant ed in holes 24 inches deep, and 8 feet apart in quincunx order. The canes are trained on two laths and wires, the lowest of which is about 3 feet above the ground, and the growth of each vine strictly confined to its al lotted space. These gentlemen began operations with the Catawba and Isabella, with the usual result, more or less mildew and rot after the first few years of bear ing. They report but little rot in the Concord,'andnone in Seedling, which ripens more evenly, and to greater perfection than any vineyard grape yet seen by the writer in the Middle States. In the same vineyard there are experimental rows of Ives Seedling, Herbe- mont, Delaware, lona and Muscadine, all producing perfect fruit. The latter variety is, almost identical with Muscat grape of Burgundy, in flavor and appearance, and decidedly a very superior table grape. This variety is cultivated with great care and intel ligence, and highly remunerative to its owners. Por the want of good cellars, very little wine is manufac tured on the place, and the bulk of tbe crop is sold to wine making firms at Cincinnati. This year, 9 cents per pound was paid for Virginia Seedling, 7£ cents for Con cord and 6 cents for Catawba and Isabella. The yield per acre for the year 1869 is estimated at 350 gallons of wine per acre. The Concord, Virginia and Ives Seedlings have also been extensively planted near Wheeling, to replace the Catawba in process of decay, and produced several vin tages, which compare very favorably with those of Ohio and Missouri. These varieties, havingbeen planted with equal success in a great variety of soils and exposures, may be regarded as solving the problem of wine grow- Grape Culture. 101 ing in West Virginia. The yield per acre is reported at300 to 400 gallons,'which brings readily, for Concord, from $1 to $1.25 per gallon , for Seedling, from $1.50 to $2 per gallon. The object of this chapter is not to furnish a treatise on the culture of the grape, but merely to point to its condition and prospects in this State. Some pains were taken to show the difference of results among the "various methods of planting, in order to meet a certain infatuation on the part of our native citizens, contem plating to engage in grape culture, who think that be cause the wild vine thrives and bears, shallow rooted, on any kind of land, thorough preparation of the soil is notindispensable. Another prejudice, prevailing chiefly among Europe an vine dressers just across the sea, is, that close plant ing and pruning is not more objectionable here than in their native country. These critics entirely overlook the fact, that the American vine is of more rapid and vigorous growth, with larger joints, leaves and roots, than its European sister, and, very much like the Amer ican people, requires more room and freedom in order to prosper. As a rule, this class of workmen, who in their conceit are extremely slow to forget and to learn, ¦should not be entrusted with the management of vine yards by owners not conversant with every branch of the business, or unable to give it their personal super vision during the most important operations. The subject of the diseases of the grape has long been one of very elaborate investigation on the part of men of science, and Vinticultural Societies on both sides of the Atlantic, and by much ingenious research the causes were traced mainly to the close planting and pruning of the European plan. If this be correct, then the te dious and expensive remedy of sprinkling the vines with lime or sulphur may be dispensed with, and a sys tem of culture adopted, which is summed up as fol lows by a very acute observer, and practical writer in the Parkersburg papers : " Ist. In planting a vineyard, lot the vines have plenty of room. Por Concords, Isabellas and Catawbas, and 102 The West Virginia Hand-Book. other rampant growers, I would suggest that they be plantedat least sixteenfeet apart in the rows, and twelve feet between the rows, and in what is called the quin cunx manner. That is, plant the first row as above, then in the second row, instead of setting the vines di rectly opposite to those in the first row, plant them just half-way between. In the third row plant the vines directly opposite those in the first row. In the fourth row plant the vines directly opposite those in the sec ond row and so on, after the following diagram:! o> The o represents the vines and the x the posts. 2nd. Train the vines on wires, or lath are better, in- the fan shape, or any other that will spread the most canes over the greatest surface, so that there will be little interference, and the light and heat of the sun will reach every leaf. Let the posts be seven feet above the ground and have from three to five wires. 3rd. Do not manure heavily with stimulating ma nures. 4th. Do very little summer pruning, and do that be fore the first of July. 6th. Thin the fruit by removing at least one-third of the bunches, provided the vine has set its full comple ment — i. e. an average of three bunches to the bud or «ye, as soon as possible after the berries are formed. Note: — Since the above was written, my attention has been called to an article in Tilton's Journal of Hor ticulture, for November, written by E.P.Underhill, of Brocton, N. Y., in which he takes substantially the V Timber. 103 same position as that advocated in this paper. His facts coincide with my observation in this vicinity." The writer of the above cultivates the grape only for table use, and for that purpose 16 feet may not be too large a space for each vine. Where good wine is the object, however, 8 feet will be found sufficient, upon the universal principle that the best wine grows nearest the root. In the absence of correct reports as to the area planted in grapes in West Virginia, no reliable state ment can be made here ; yet from what data the writer has been able to collect, the aggregate is not likely to exceed 400 acres, of which three-fourths are credited to the counties of Ohio and Marshall, and the remain der to the counties of Wetzel, Doddridge, Wood, Wayne, Kanawha, Cabell, Taylor, Hampshire, Jeffer son and Eitchie. Upshur figures in the Census with 206 gallons of wine, and a numher of other counties with from 30 to 100 gallons each, though it is likely tbat in the case of the latter, the product was obtained from vines planted in gardens or trained on walls or porches. Of wild grapes, there are three or four varie ties, only one of which, the Pox grape, presumed to be the ancestor of the Catawba, is worthy of notice. TIMBEE. Among the natural elements of wealth abounding in West Virginia, none are so conspicuous, so directly available, and so evenly distributed, as her magnificent forests, which, before the ring of the woodman's axe first resounded west of the AUeghanies, shaded almost every rod of dry land of her territory. West Virgin ians who never had occasion to build a house, a fence, or even a chimney fire in the treeless West, or to count the cost of either operation in the older countries, are slow to realize the importance and value of the treas ures in their posession. But the enterprising stranger, whose vision reaches a few years ahead, is amazed at our wanton mismanagement of this precious resource, and at our backwardness in getting it to market. 104 The West Virginia. Hand-Book. > Twenty years ago, the timid remark was occasionally ventured by old residents, that our timber might some day become of value ; but they scarcely dreamed that within a quarter of a century, West Virginia lum ber would become an indispensable article of consump tion and mechanical industry, not only at Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but in the more distant marts of Balti more, New York and New England. , DESCRIPTION OF NATIVE TIMBEE. In the absence of a standard work on American for ests, and owing to the difference in popular designations of the^ same genera, in different States or sections of the country, it was found somewhat difficult to identify every variety under its proper botanical name. Errors* or omissions that may appear in the following list will, however, be found to affect only two or three sub-vari eties of minor importance. EYJEKCJBEEJTS. White Pine. Pinus Strobus. A very large tree, when fully developed ; but seldom over 120 feet high in West Virginia, and not generally prevalent. Timber equal to Pennsylvania or Michigan pine. Pitch Pine. Pinus rigida. Never over 60 feet high. Thin, sandy ridges; not very abundant. Very rich in turpentine. Tellow Pine. Pinus variabilis. From 50 to 85 feet high. Tops of ridges, solitary or in small clusters. Valuable timber, not subject to warp or spring. Hemlock or Hemlock Spruce. Pinus Canadensis, Rich mountain and table land. Prom 70 to 100 feet high. Coarse grained but useful limber. Bark valuable for tanning. Black Spruce. Pinus nigra. Banks of streams, and other damp places, A handsome tree, 50 to 60 feet high, of pyramidal Shape in open ground. Wood not used. Bed Cedar. Juniperus Virginiana. Moderate sized tree of pyramidal shape ; thinly scattered through the State, disposed 4o come up as second growth on thin land; wood light and very durable. Hollt. Ilex opaca. Mountain streams ; gravelly or sandy soil. About 15 feet high„ Tough wood, good for turning pur poses. Laurel. Kalmia latifolia. Thin, cold hillsides and moun tains. From 4 to 10 feet high. Two varieties in West Virginia; the largest growing on Tygart's Valley river and other streams on similar elevation. Beautiful flowers; leaves poison for cattle. Timber. 105 DECIDUOUS TREES. White Oak. Querents alba: One of the largest and most abundant trees in the State. Found in bottoms, on hillsides, and ridges. From 75 to 100 feet high, and 2K to 4 feet in diam eter. Grows in dense woods to two-thirds or three-fourths of its height, without a limb. Acorns good for mast; bears upon an average onee in two years. Bed Oak. Q. rubra. Not quite as large as White Oak, nor as straight or durable. Bark rough and dark, valuable for tanning. Wood coaise grained but heavy. Acorns large, but inferior for mast. Black Oak. Q. tinctoria. This is the Quercitron so valuable for its bark, the extract of .which is used for dyeing and calico printing in Europe. From 40 to 80 feet high. Bark rough and blackish. Good timber ; found on high benches and ridges. Jack Oak. Q. nigra. Scrubby and never over 30 or 40 feet high. Not valuable. Thin sandy ridges. Spanish Oak. Q./alcata. Not very abundant. From 60 to 80 •feet high. Tough and valuable ; good, for staves ; bark valued for tanning. Chesnut Oak. Q. castanea. Abundant on rather thin and stony or clayey ridges and benches, but very thrifty in good soil also. From 60 to 80 feet high; to ugh and durable wood, equal to White Oak for many purposes; furnishes a larger supply of tan bark than any other oak. Known as Yellow Oak in other countries. In addition to the above, one or two varieties of scrub oak are sometimes met with, especially among evergreen timber in the mountains, but not well defined. Poplar, properly Tulip Tree. Liliodendron Tulipifera. White and Yellow Poplar; the latter the most valuable for floor ing, ceiling and cabinet work, also for shingles; answers all the purposes of pine. This is the largest tree in West Virginia, at taining a height of from 100 to 150 feet and a correspond ing diameter. Flourishes equally well in the valleys, and on rich hillsides and ridges. In the East, paper has been manufac tured from the bark, which is also an excellent tonic, used in the manufacture of bitters. Black Walnut. Juglans nigra. From 50 to 80 feet high and from 3 to 6 feet in diameter. In open ground grows large limbs , •widely spread. Found in rich soil at any elevation, but no where so abundant as in some of the mountain sections. Nut of fine quality. White Walnut, (Butternut.) Juglans cinerea. Grows near ly as large as the black walnut, and multiplies more rapidly. Bark used for dyeing home made woolens. Inner bark yields a laxative extract. Nut of softer shell than black walnut. Hickory. Carya Sulcata. Thick shell bark hickory. Shell Bark, or Shag Bark Hickory. Garya alba. Both varieties abundant in rich soil among deciduous timber, the bark of the latter separating more freely and fruit with a 106 The West Virginia Hand-Book. thinner shell. Height from 80 to 100 feet, diameter seldom over 2M to 3 feet, grain fine, fibre hard and flexible. The best fuel in our woods. White Heart Hickory. C. tomentosa. Similar to the above, but white to the core, and superior for uses requiring str ffngth and flexibility. Bark rough but not scaly. Broom Hickory, (Pignut.) C.porcina. Similar to above with a very tough fibre. Best for splint brooms; Fruit small and bitter. Chesnut. Castanea vesca Am. A large and spreading tree. Dry, elevated ground in every part ofthe State, but more abun dant in the mountains. Rapid growth; may be renewed from the sprout or seed every 15 or 20 years to sufficient size for split ting posts and rails. Wood very strong and durable, next to locust for posts. Fruit of superior quality. Chinquapin. C. pumila. A small tree, npt abundant. Small edible Iruit. Buckeye, or Horse Chesnut. Aesculus glabra. Large tree of rapid growth; prefers bottom land. Soft wood, not durable when exposed. Bears fruit very young, not edible. Locust. Pobinia Pseudaceacia. Good sized tree, in thin or open woods on high ground. Irregularly distributed, generally found in groves; a rapid grower and easily propagated.j * Honey Locust. Gleditschia triacantos. Moderate size, thorny. Very fragrant flower; not abundant.' Beech. Fagus sylvatcia. White and red. .Found in bottoms and on lower, benches all over the State, moderately abun dant. Height 50 or 60 feet ; not much used yet, except for fuel. . Good for boxes, journals in machinery, chair bottoms, and makes durable fence board's when nailed up and exposed to the air immediately after being sawed. Nut very sweet and fat tening. Sycamore. Platanus oceidentalis. A very large and pictur esque tree from 70 to 120 feet high; solitary, or in beautiful clus ters along the banks of streams ; white.'smooth bark, very fine, hard wood, used for bedsteads and other turned furniture; rapid grower and easily propagated. Elm. Vlmus Americana. A very handsome spreading tree from 60 to 80 feet high, seldom found in the woods, most fre quently on river banks and more or less open ground. Seldom cut down for any purpose. Cucumber. Magnolia accuminata. Moderate sized tree, sel dom more than 70 feet high, white wood, not very hard or fibrous, and very manageable under the turning lathe. Ger mans use it for wooden shoes, and other hollow ware; bark aro matic, large showy flower; fruit resembles a small cucumber, and is taken along by Virginians going West, as an antidote and remedy for fever and ague. Linden, or Limetree, (vulg. Basswood or Linn.) Tilia. Rich soil, height 60 to 80 feet, soft white wood, well adapted to light cabinet work. Easily reduced to a pulp and suitable for paper manufacturing; sweet scented flowers ; bark makes ropes for temporary purposes. Timber. 107 White Ash. Fraxinus Americana. A large, straighttree, on rich hillsides; wood tough and elastic, used for flooring, mill works and carriages; much sought after. Mountain Ash. Pyrus Americana. Not over 40 feet high; said to occur in the mountains, not well identified. Wild Cherry. Cerasits crotina. A fine looking tree from 40 to 70 feet high, diameter from 2 to 6 and even 7 feet; not very abundant, nor of the largest size, exoept on the table lands im mediately below the Alleghany summits; fine grained, valua ble wood ; fruit made into brandy and bounce; bark aud twiga highly medicinal. Maple, (Hard Maple or Sugartree.) Acer Saccharinum. A beautiful tree, growing on rich ground to a height of 80 feet. Wood bright, finely curled, tough and compact; used for many meohanical purposes; first class, but expensive fuel. Abundant all over th* State, especially in the mountain counties, where, in several sections it constitutes one-half of the timber. The fall hue of the leaves is the brightest red in American land scape. Black Sugar Maple. Acer nigrum. Resembles the above somewhat in foliage, but has a darker bark and darker, coarse wood; yields a saccharine sap, but is not developed where the proceeding variety prevails. Gum. Idquidamber. (Sweet Gum.) A tall slender tree, not often very straight; with twisty wood that'cannot be split, used for mill works and carriage hubs; resists fire longer than any timber in the country. Sour Gum, (Black Gum.) Nyssa multiflora. From 50 to 60 feet high ; bottom lands;; wood tough and twisty as in preceed- ing variety. Birch. Betula. White, Red, and Sweet or Cherry Birch are represented in various parts of the State. The writer has seen more of them on Elk river and tributaries, and on table lands than elsewhere; height from 40 to 70 feet. A graceful, pictur esque tree, especially on river banks; the wood ofthe Yellow Birch alone is said to be valuable for cabinet work and its bark is used by tanners in other States. Alder. Alnus serrulata. From 10 to 15 feet high, on river banks. Water Beech. (Hornbeam.) Carpinus Am. From 18 to 20 feet high; on banks of streams, rough, intricate branches, tough wood,' but not used. Ironwood. Ostrya Virginica. 30 to 40 feet high; heavier and even tougher than hickory, unsurpassed as a lever. Aspen. Populus pendula (?). A rare tree, not properly ident- • ified in West Virginia, but evidently belonging to the poplar family. Specimens seen as high as 50 or 60 feet in the central counties. Another variety of young trees were found in Dod dridge county, much resembling the Silverleaved Poplar. Of the smaller and less important varieties of timber and brushwood, the following most conspicuous may be added to the list: 108 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Mulberry, Persimmon, Hazelnut, Pawpaw, Crab-ap ple, Wild Plum, Hawthorn, Service, Wild Grape, and Elder, all of which are fruit-bearing and numer ously represented. Then we have: Leatherwood, Dogwood, good for handspikes, wedges, &c, Sassafras, Slippery Elm, Spicewood, Witch Hazel, several varie ties of Willows, one of which good for basket work, Sumach, Red Bud, Pipestem, Honeysuckle, &c. A volume, larger than this Handbook, could be filled with a brief description of the endless array of shrubs, roots, barks, plants and herbs used in industrial arts and pharmacy, not omitting the Eattieweed or Snake- root, and last, but not least, that famous back county staple, Ginseng, of wbich many tons are still being gathered and exported to China, for medical purposes not fully appreciated upon its own native soil. If the medical works of the Thompsonian school are to be believed, West Virginia possesses in her fields, forests and mountains, an inexhaustible supply of un failing remedies for all and every ill the human family is heir to, in every country on the face of the globe. WASTE AND VALUE OF TIMBEE. The exportation of sawlogs, shiptimber, lumber, staves and barrels from West Virginia, now computed at$2,500,000per;annum, must assume enormous propor tions as the natural supply of surrounding States di minishes, and our own shipping facilities are increased. The clearing of timbered land in the United States, for agricultural and manufacturing purposes, is reported at 3,000,000 acres per 'annum, or 10,000 acres, for each working day. In the six or seven principal lumber States the production has been annually decreasing for several years past. In New York 200,000 acres of tim bered land is cleared away annually; in Ohio not less than^OOjOOO. Our neighbor State, Maryland, with the exception of one county, already severely culled, has little, or no wood land left. In Eastern Virginia, where good timber has been getting scarce for years, the de struction of buildings, fences, railroad bridges and cross ties, during the war, has been immense, and is not yet Value of Timber. 109 retrieved. In Pennsylvania, the lumber trade has de nuded entire district that once seemed inexhaustible, and development is now confined to the rougher and least accessible sections. Those of the lumbermen who shun the hardships of the new fields, are transferring their capital and enterprise to the more inviting re-t gions of West Virginia. When it is considered that three-fourths of the land, now being cleared, will be permanently diverted from the production of timber, and that even if permitted to grow up again, will require two or three centuries to replace a tree, the lumber from which may last but a few years ; that the ratio of increase in the consumption of lumber is nearly double that of the increase in pop- lation; that the Census reports 36 occupations, repre- sentating 475,000 artisans and laborers in the United States engaged in the manufacture of articles of com merce and consumption from wood ; and that every ar ticle so produced, from a shingle to a railroad bridge, and from a clothes pin to an ocean steamer, is of a per ishable nature, and must be renewed every few years ; when all this is considered, it appears that the price of lumber must increase from 25 to 50 per cent, every ten years, as it has done for the last decade or two, and that it will become a question, even in the back counties of West Virginia, whether it is more profitable to destroy timber now, to make room for the production of bread and meat, or to hold it a few years longer for ready cash. CAPACITY AND PROSPECTS. Of the 16,640,000 acres constituting the area of West Virginia, ,14,000,000 acres, or nearly seven-eights are unimproved, and of these at least 10,000,000 acres are still in all the vigor and freshness of original growth. Reserving 4,000,000 acres for all the purposes of home consumption, which under economical management is abundantly sufficient for the domestic purposes of a population of two millions, in a country so rich in coal, there remain 6,000,000 acres, averaging at a low esti mate 5000 feet of lumber per acre, which at the cus tomary rate of $2.50 per thousand, on the stump, gives 110 The West Virginia Hand-Book. $12.50 per acre, or $75,000,000, and at the average price of $16 per thousand, for lumber manufactured, sawed and delivered at the railroad or river stations, represent an aggregate value of ($480,000,000) four hundred and eighty millions of dollars ! Michigan statistics exhibit that State under process of being denuded of 1,500,000,000 feet of lumber per an num, valued at $21,000,000 dollars. At this rate it is estimated that she cannot keep up the supply longer than 15 years, without stinting her own population. And a similar result is inevitable in West Virginia. When our contemplated railroads and river improve ments will be constructed, and the exportation of lum ber from West Virginia gradually increases, until the average annual amount will be three or four times what it now is, we shall have less than half a century to run through with our spare timber. Before the end of that time we will have to engage in planting, to provide for future generations, under penalty of paying four times as much for timber from British America, or the Ama zon region, than we received for our own. A moderate amount of figuring over statistical data will show that there is no exaggeration whatever in this estimate, which should warn us of the necessity of en tering at once upon a more economical management of a resource, about the value of which we appear to be entirely at sea. In small and widely scattered clearings, remote from market and transportation facilities, the waste of tim ber will be inevitable yet for years to come ; but in denser settlements, accessible to light, portable saw mills, hundreds and thousands could be annually saved from the log heap, with little extra labor. And even without a mill, staves, shingles, wagon stuff, shipknees, and even blocks for veneering could be hewed, sawed by hand, split and riven out of oak, poplar, hickory, chesnut, walnut and ash, and stored away under shelter, until th,e improvement of the surrounding country opens a local demand or a way to market. The time will come when even railroad ties will at tain a sufficient price to justify storing up, or hauling Means of Transportation. Ill on wheels for several miles. Each mile of railroad re quires 2000 sleepers or crossties, to be renewed every, seven years. At this rate the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. Wheeling and Parkersburg branches alone, con sume 166,571 ties per annum, representing, at 40 cents. per stick, a value of nearly $70,000, mainly furnished by West Virginia, and requiring to be hauled to the track over a greater distance each succeeding year. MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. The lumber trade in West Virginia has been among the earliest vocations of the pioneers who settled on the banks of navigable or "raftable" streams. In the ab sence of anything like a reliable record of the business, some idea of its extent may be formed from the fact, that streams like the Little Kanawha, Guyandotte and Big Sandy rivers respectively, bring down logs in rafts to the aggregate value of from $40,000 to $50,000 at a single rise. Up to this date, rafting and floating have been confined to the larger streams and tributaries, yet the floating of single logs and small rafts is practicable from five to six miles below the source of almost any stream West of a line of rapids, extending from the Valley Palls in Taylor county, to the Kentucky line, and crossing Elk river 8 or 10 miles above the mouth of Holly, the Little Kanawha at Bulltown, and the Great Kanawha at the Great Palls in the county of Payette. East of that-line, the rapidity and tortuous- ness of the streams and protruding rocks and boulders in their beds interfere, more or less, with the safety of rafts, though single logs are floated down without much trouble, and then caught and rafted in the stiller wa ter below. Not only timber in the log, but staves and sawe d lumber, green and seasoned, are floated down the prin cipal streams in good sized boats. Prom counties as far inland as Lewis, Gilmer, Braxton,' Calhoun, Roane, Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming and McDowell, and the counties below these, boats, with gunwales hewn out from a single poplar, over 100 feet in 112 The West Virginia Hand-Book. length are brought down in ordinary freshets without difficulty. Smaller sized boats descend Pishing Creek, Middle Island and Sand Creeks from points within 10 miles of their uppermost source. As late as ten years ago, seven-eighths ofthe lumber consumed in the State and exported, were manufactured by water-power; but since then, portable and stationa ry steam sawmills have rapidly increased. Alongboth branches of the Baltimore & Ohio R. R., from twenty to thirty first class mills, are cutting on an average 3000 feet per day. This product consists of flooring, scant ling, furniture stuff and ship and railroad timber, for Eastern and Western markets, the Railroad Company itself being an important customer. Many of these mills possess a capacity of 10,000 feet of lumber per day, which maximum is seldom reached for want of adequate force to supply logs, and take care ofthe lum ber. Large mills are also in operation at the principal points on the Ohio audits largest West Virginia tributa ries. A company of enterprising Pennsylvanians, with a capital of $300,000, under the corporate style of "The Elk River Land, Improvement, Manufacturing and Boom Company," obtained a charter for the exclusive privilege of booming Elk river and tributaries, as far up as the mouth of Holly river, and are now engaged in developing 80,000 acres of land in Braxton and Webster counties with sawmills, planing mills and businesshead- quarters at Charleston, on the Great Kanawha. One of the first operations of this Company was the ship ping by river to Parkersburg, and thence by rail to Baltimore, of 10,000 feet black walnut plank, which, not withstanding expensive freight over a distance of 650 miles, yielded a handsome profit. KINDS AND LOCALITIES OF TIMBER. The largest proportion of West Virginia timber now being developed, consists of Oak and. Poplar, found everywhere in the State, except on a few high levels in the mountain section . Walnut, Cherry, Sycamore, Ash, Chesnut, Chesnut Oak and Locust are next in impor tance, though much less abundant. In the whole basin Means of Transportation. 113 drained by Pishing Creek, Middle Island Creek, Lit tle Kanawha and branches, Sand Creek, Great Kanaw ha and those of its branches emptying into it below the Falls ; and then Guyandotte and Big Sandy rivers, these species of timber attain a size not surpassed on the iSTorth American continent east of the Rocky Mountains. Here, straight and stalwart oaks and hick- orys, and poplars may be found, towering up side by side, interlacing their contracted crowns 75 or 100 feet above the ground, representing to the business man from 800 to 1500 feet of lumber 'per tree, and to the lover of the grand and beautiful in nature, some of the most imposing sylvan scenes imaginable. This region is emphatically the home of deciduous timber; but evergreens, especially the white pine, are seldom met here, except in occasional groves, and scarcely ever of the largest size, or unmixed with other timber. East of the line ofrapids mentioned above, evergreens gradually increase in size and quantity, and the largest pine region in the State probably extends through the counties of Payette and Raleigh, on both sides of New river and some distance up Gauley river. In the moun tain counties, not only the White Pine, but the Hemlock and Spruce are extensively found among deciduous timber, and of remarkable size and faultless growth. The finest specimens of Hemlock abound in the Cheat and Greenbrier mountains, and .on the table lands of Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Nicholas and Webster. Here also, as mentioned in the chapter on climate, neither Oak, Poplar or Hickory are to be found, but in their room thrive noble specimens of Sugar of Har.d Maple, Ash, Beech, Birch, Wild Cher ry and Black Walnut, some of the two latter measuring from 4 to 5 feet, and exceptionally even 6 or 7 feet in diameter. From the Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike, near the head of Greenbrier river, toward the north, south and east, stretch upward of 150,000 acres of the most magnificent forest in the State, scarcely broken by less than fifty scattered mountain farms. These lands, which may now be purchased at $1.25 to $2 per acre, 114 The West Virginia Hand-Book. will easily command from $5 to $10 per acre so soon as an outlet for timber is provided. When land is cleared in this region, the beech, ash and even the sugar are girdled, and burned or per mitted to decay upon the ground, and Virginia worm fences are built of Black Wal nut and Wild Ch erry, worth in Baltimore from $45 to $80 per thousand feet. There is no remedy for this, almost criminal waste, except in the speedy construction of an outlet to the nearest nav igable point of Cheat river, at, or near Tucker Court House, a distance of 25 miles above Rowlesburg station,. on the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. From the Staunton turnpike to Tucker Court House, or St. George, the dis- ¦ tance is about 55 miles by way of the Laurel Pork of Cheat river, and a double track tram road connecting those two points, would promote the development of a region large enough for a separate county, and unsur passed in timbered wealth, and grazing and dairy fa cilities. Above the main forks of Cheat, in Tucker county, the several branches of the river are entirely too rough and too rapid for safe navigation, though it is supposed that Avith some blasting, LaurelFork could be made practical for single logs and small rafts. Main Cheat river, for some 20 or 25 miles above the railroad and the Black Pork of Cheat, have been to some extent developed 15 years ago for ship timber, for the English market, by a company whose mill- works were located at Rowlesburg. This whole Cheat river region also abounds in valuable tanbark which is largely consumed by extensive tanneries in the vicinity, or shipped East even as far as Europe. The Black Oak, or Quercitron, is also present here, and in fact elsewhere in the State, in sufficient numbers to justify development, and although the bark commands $10 per cord East, no one has yet thought of turning it to account. The white oak timber from the foot of the Cheat mountains to the Ohio river, in the railroad counties of Preston, Taylor, Harrison, Doddridge, Ritchie and Wood grows chiefly on heavy, but rich clay loam, holding more or less iron and potash, and is estimated, of very- superior quality and durability. For oil barrels, re- Means of Transportation. 115 quiring a close, impermeable grain, it is not excelled anywhere. Several factories along the road are turn ing out from 150 to 200 barrels per day, besides ship ping-immense quantities of dressed and seasoned staves for coopering at Baltimore, and as far North as Massa chusetts. Along the line of railroad, well timbored land is sold at from $10 to $16 per acre, and several operators have obtained their timber clear of cost, by fencing and cleaning off the smoothest portions of their lands after sawing up.allthe available timber, and then selling the whole at original cost. This operation will be found practicable in any nook and corner of the State to which a steam sawmill may be conveyed. Staves are now being made almost at the very source of the streams flowing toward the railroad and Ohio river, floated down loosely in time of freshets, and caught by booms at convenient points. Good white oak staves, 34 inches long, 1 inch thick at the heart edge, command now from $18to $20per thousand along the railroad. For larger or smaller staves, the owners of the land or timber pay from* $7.50 to $8.00 per thousand for making and piling them up at a place in the woods accessible to teams, so that from $8 to $10 per thousand remains for timber, transportation and profit. Dry staves are now being hauled to the Baltimore barrel factory at Pennsboro, by wagon, from 12 to 15 miles over indifferent roads, and still leave an encouraging profit to the producer. The development of ship timber is receiving much -attention just now along the railroad, and late orders from abroad have disclosed the fact, that not only oak, but other kinds of West Virginia timber were in de mand for that purpose, as for instance : White Oak, for keels, planking, beams, knees, floors and ceilings. Ash, for blocks, oars, &c. Hickory, for capstan bars and handspikes. Sugar or Hard Maple, for keels or bottom plank. Beech, red preferred, for frames, planking &c. Poplar, for cabinet work. 116 The West Virginia Hand-Book. White Oak knees bring higher prices in proportion to cost than any other class of ship timber, and will am ply repay hauling on country roads to the station over 1 5 or 20 miles. Thousands of limbs and tops, admira bly shaped for knees, are thoughtlessly destroyed in our clearings every year. Hoop poles are among the primitive commodities ex ported from West Virginia, and, being speedily re newed from the root or stump, the supply is almost inexhaustible, so long as the grubbing hoe is kept out of the woods. The home price for a good article of hickory or white oak is from $8 to $10 per thousand. Wagon and carriage stuff is beginning to be manu factured for exportation at various points of the rail road. The prejudice heretofore prevailing in favor of Connecticut hickory is rapidly waning, judging from the large orders now being received for West Virginia spokes, etc. An occasional survey of the railroad de pot at Parkersburg, when filled with tons of wagons, carriages, ploughbeams, furniture and twenty other ar ticles of wooden ware, manufactured from West Vir ginia timber, outside of the State, and westward bound, gives but a faint idea of what is continually being lost through our lack of manufacturing enterprise. What a difference would be realized in amount of our pro duction and consequent prosperity, if to the bare value of timber exported in the log, we could add from 300 to 500 per cent, as the price of mechanical skill and labor, earned, and consumed or permanently invested here by our own population ? PRICE OF liOGS, 1LUMB3EK, tic. The following prices are now being paid for timber in the log, per cubic foot, at Parkersburg, Guyandotte and other points along the Ohio river : 9©10 " " " Walnut, " 10@12 " " " Prices of Logs and Lumber. 117 Sawed lumber at the above named points and stations of tlie Baltimore & Ohio K. R. is commanding at present, per thousand feet : Poplar $10 to 16 ; Oak $18 to 20 ; Walnut and Cherry $30 to 30 j White Oak staves 33 inch. Ions, 1 inch thick at heart edge $18 to 20—% inch thick $15.to 18 ; Poplar, Oak and Chesnut shingles, sawed, $4 50 per thousan-i. Wholesale Lumber Prices at Baltimore. Poplar and White Oak inch flooring plank $2Ga28 Black Walnut, (West Virginia) 5-8 to 2 inch, thick 65aT0 Cherryplank, inch, thick 38 45 White Oak Staves, 33 in. long 4 to 5 in. wide, IK in. thick per M 38n4U " " " ,4to6in. " 1% " " 42a45 Heading, 32 in. long, 8 to 12 in. wide, 1% " " 48 Light Hhd. Staves, 45 in. long, 4 to 5 in. wide, % to 1 in. thick, per M..„ 50a53 Heavy " " 44in. long4% to 6 in. wide, l^ in. thick, " 55a60 Light Pipe Staves, 56 in. long. 4 to 6 in. wide, 1% in. thick, " 66aC0 Heavy " " 57in. long, 5 to 7in. wide,l% in. thick, " .... 90oT5 Hoop Poles, for whiskey bbls. shaved, 9 feet long, per M 13al4 do for flour bbls. Oak or Hickory, per M , 10al3 do for Hbds. " " shaved, per M 20a25 Bark, Black Oak, (quercitron) per cord 9al0 do Black Oak, (rossed quercitron) per ton 14al5 do Chesnut Oak, per cord 16 do Sumac, bark and twigs, per ton 65 Wholesale Lumber Prices at Cincinnati. Poplar, dry inch plank per M $25a2S Oak " " " *25a28 Pine, *' clear, first quality, per M 56a60 do " firstcommon, " 45n50 do " second do " 30a33 Poplar, green, on arrival, perM 20 Oafc, ' e » ' " " 18a20 Ash, " " " 22"24 Walnut, " " " «a45 Cherry, " " " 30a35 Cincinnati prices for staves of every description generally range from 25 to 30 percent, below Baltimore prices, but the difference is compensated by the lower rates of river freight. Wholesale lumber Prices at Pittsburg. Oak, Poplar. Ash, Walnut, and Cherry average from 10 to 15 per cent high er than at Cincinnati. _ Oil barrel staves 33 to 34 inch, long and 1 inch at the heart side $27a30. Pittsburg is the best market for lumber, staves, &c, shipped by Railroad from any point west of Grafton. 'She freight rates to Baltimore do not allow any profit on green, lumber , sand dry lumber and staves pay best in either market. IiOcnst Timber, in rough, Price at Parkersburg. Locust Pins, 14 in. long by 1% square, full size, per M $10 do 16 " " " " " 10 do 18 " " " " " 1° do 20 10 do 22 " " " " " W do 22 " 1}4 " " " 12 118 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Freight Tariff of the Baltimore & Ohio K. E. Co., for Logs, Tim ber and Plank, no more than 30 feet long, Hoop Poles, Staves, &c, in full car loads, carried at the following rates. isv tc) Jct£DO ° tf To Baltimore. main stem. Harper's Ferry Martinsburgi Great Cacapo'n Patterson Creek Cumberland New Creek Piedmont Swanton Oakland Cranberry Summit. Rowlesburg Tunnelton Independence Grafton Valley River Palls- Fairmont 81 100 131 170 178 201 206220 232 242253 260269279187 302 Mannington | 319 K'O td ° O H-. e-o'g. ?2.90 3.90 4.304.704.905.055.055.105.30 5.405.65 5.85 6.106.206.25 6.606.70 To Baltimobe. Burton Cameron Mounds ville Benwood Wheeling PARKEBSBUBGf BK'H, Webster Flemmington Bridgeport Clarksburg Wilsonburg Salem West Union Pennsboro , EUenboro Corn wal lis Kanawha Parkersburg XT O 330 351 368 375379 283 289 296301305315 329341 346351 376383 $6.85 7.007.00 7.00 7.00 6.25- 6.406.506.60 6.606.70 6.80.6.90 7.00-7.00 7.00-7.00- Lumber, &c, Westward from Baltimore, or. from Way to- Way stations Westward, the charge will be made at 15 per cent. advance upon the above rates for same distance to Baltimore. Between Way Stations the charge Bastwardly will be mad* at 10 per cent, advance on that for the same distance to Balti more. This trade will be accommodated, in all cases when practica ble, by Gondola cars, and the car load will be rated at not less- than 20,000 pounds, or 10 tons at the above charges. Pins, Staves, &c, requiring House Cars, must pay not less than 18,- 000 pounds, or 8 tons at the above rates. No car load for any distance, howeyer short, shall pay less than five dollars. The cars to be weighed in all cases, when going to, or passing stations with car scales, otherwise the weight will be estimated according to the following, viz : Firewood and Posts and Rails, if dry, at 4,000 or if green, at from 5,000 to 5,500 lbs. per cord. Pine and Hemlock Board, Plank and Scantling, if well seasoned, at 2500 lbs. and if not well seasoned, at 3,000 lbs. per M. feet B. M. Ash, Oak, Wal nut, Maple and Cherry, if dry, 3,500 lbs., if not drv, 4,500 to 6,000 lbs. per M. feet B. M. Green White wood Boards 4,000 lbs. per M. feet B. M. f Mineral Resources. 119 MINERAL RESOURCES.- The information contained under this head would bo more authentic and complete, if based upon a thorough geological survey of the State. Such a measure was first proposed by the writer, when a member of the legislature, in 1864, but postponed then and ever since upon the plea, that the Treasury of the now State was absorbed by public enterprises of more urgent necessity. Up to date the highest authority generally cited up on the subject of West Yirginia minerals, is the Report of Prof.' H. D. Rogers, who from 1836 to 1840 conducted the geological survey of the State of Virginia, which was never completed. Prof. Roger's investigations, so far as they extended, were very thorough and reliable, but at this time his valuable Reports cannot be procured in the original, the last official copy having strayed from the public library at Richmond two years ago. COAL. The area of coal in "West Virginia is computed at 15,000 sq. miles, after making a liberal deduction for so much of the coal measures as was carried off by the erosion of the valleys, no allowance being made for seams dipping under the water level in the higher sec tions ofthe State, and possibly in some ofthe others. The coal measures are known to embrace the entire State, with the exception of the lower Potomac counties, and the strata, with few exceptions, running nearly hori zontally or with but slight undulations, through the "whole of this territory, there is scarcely a county with in its bounds, that does not contain one or more seams, at some distance above or below the water level. Only three States of the Union outrank West Virginia in the area of coal, namely: Illinois, total area, 30,000 square miles; Iowa 24,000, and Missouri 21,000. West. Virginia exceeds Pennsyvania 1,000 square miles, and contains one-thirteenth of the coal area of the whole 120 The West Virginia Hand-Book. United States," by surface measure only, no account be ing taken of her greater aggregate thickness of work able seams. The late Prof. R. C. Taylor, a learned and skillful geologist and mining engineer in the Pennsyvania coal regions, also visited some of the richest coal districts.of West Virginia, but the following statements in his in teresting work, (Statistics of Coal) appears to be prin cipally taken from Prof. Roger's Report : " At Wheeling, and for fourteen miles down the Ohio, the cliff or bank of the river presents an uninterrupted bed of highly bituminous coal, about ten feet thick. This seam, with. some smaller ones, constitute Wm. B. Roger's " upper coal se ries," and extends from Pittsburg southward to Clarksburg^in the parallel of Marietta ; and according to Prof. H. D. Rogers does not extend beyond the Guyandotte river. Along the valley' of Monongahela are several fine beds of coal. One of them, distinguished as the Pittsburgh seam, is the ten foot bed spoken of, which, to some is known by the name ofthe " Main Coal " of Northern Virginia, and is readily recognized where it passes the Great and Little Kanuwha rivers, and thence to the Big Sandy river on the borders pf Kentucky. The greatest thickness of workable coal is stated to be nine and a half feet .at the mouth of the Scott's run, a third isjfrom' three or four feet. A fourth, geologically the highest known coal bed of any value in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, is five feet in thickness. The workable coal seams in the upper group, are -thus enu merated by the State geologist : The first, or main seam from 5 to 9 feet. The second, z% " The third 5% ". The fourth 7 » Total 25 Twenty -five feet workable, and one vein not workable. Be sides beds of limestone amounting to fifty-feet thick. The middle division or group contains five feet of coal in three beds, and twenty-four feet of limestone, in eleven beds. The lower group contains five small seams, whose aggregate is but nine feet, only one bed of which is workable. It would seem, therefore, that these thirteen coal beds, having an agggregate thickness of forty feet, four seams, comprisng eight yards of workable coal through nearly the whole length of the State, may be relied upon as the productive power of Western Virginia." Mr. Taylor gives a table of analysis of European and Amer- can coals from which the following, referring to West Virginia, also taken from Prof. Roger's Report, are selected : ' Mineral Resources. 121 Locality. Designation of coal beds. Analysis. County. Car Vola- til e Ash bon. m'tt'r es. Clarksburg 56.74 41.66 1.60 Pruntytown ... Morgantown... a 57.60 39.00 3.40 Monongalia.... tt 60.54 37.30 2.14 Turner's Bank 55.55 41.85 2.60 tt Grand Creek... t. 52-75 43.20 4.05 tt 56.50 42.00 1.50 cc Traa Fork 55.00 41.00 4.00 Pigeon Creek.. 80.24 17.48 2.28 it B. Sewell M'n. L. Sewell M'ni 75.88 22.32 1.80 cc Second seam... Roger's seam- 74.55 21.13 4.32 Campbell's C... Stockton's m'e 55.76 32.54 11.80 k cc Ruffner's 2 s'm 64.16 32.24 3.60 tral and Marietta and Cincinnati railroads, both of which are under the control of the Baltimore and Ohio. Company, andlargely contribute to the trade and travel through West Virginia. The distance from Baltimore to Wheeling by rail is- 379 miles, from Baltimore to Parkersburg 383 miles, and the whole extent of the road through the State or along its line on the Potomac, 370 miles, including 15 miles of the Winchester branch from Harper's Ferry through the county of Jefferson. The traffic of two-thirds ofthe State in point of sur face, and of three-fourths in population, is at present. more or less directly tributary to this road ; which since its completion, fifteen years ago, has enhanced the value of real estate for many miles inland, from 100 to 300- per cent. Its western railway connections reach to the Pacific Ocean, while two lines of steamers respectively to Liverpool and Bremen, extend its traffic to the heart of Europe. The natural and historical scenery along the route in Maryland and both Virginias, excites the wonder and admiration of the most experienced travelers. As a work of science and persevering skill, this road is* one of the boldest triumphs over defiant and rugged nature. The tunneling on both branches amounts te over six miles, and for many miles more the track skirts and winds along precipices never before attempt ed in railroad engineering, and yet such is the perfec tion of the construction and management of the road that its merited reputation for safety and comfort is. superior to that of any road of the same length on the most favorable ground. Next in extent if not greater in importance to the State is the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, destined to connect one of the great Pacific railroads with the har bor of Norfolk, reputed deeper and more spacious than the port of New York, which now wields the sceptre of maritime commerce in the western hemisphere. This- improvement once completed, the southern half of the State, by far the richest in mineral and manufacturing resources, will be thrown wide open to capital, enter- 156 The West Virginia Hand-Book. prise and immigration,and the traditional croaking about West Virginia's neglected resources will cease forever. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, formerly known as the Virginia Central and Covington and Ohio Rail road, is now completed and in active operation from the Atlantic to White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia, a distance of 330 miles. From this point, the road is located and under construction down Greenbrier river, New river and Kanawha river to Coalsmouth, 10 miles below Charleston, where it leaves, the valley for the hills, and after crossing Mud river and Guyandotte river, strikes the Ohio below the mouth of the latter stream, near the town of the same name. Thence a short run along the banks of the Ohio, brings it to the mouth of Big Sandy river, where it meets its connec- tipn with Cincinnati and the West. Business men of experience predict, that one rail road with double track will not be adequate to the trade and travel of this route, once the western connections are established, and the country under fair way of de velopment, and that the James River and Ohio Canal must eventually be completed to supply the wants of heavy freight. This water line, more recently known under the name of the "Virginia Canal," has long been in operation from tide water to Buchanan, Virginia, about fifty miles east of the Allegheny summit, a dis tance of 198 miles, leaving -203 miles yet to be com pleted to the Ohio river. Lieut. Maury, in his able work "Physical Survey of Virginia," expresses the well sustained opinion "that the railroad will build the canal." Repeated surveys of this water line demonstrate the feasibility of its construction, and the only doubts seem to hinge upon the supply of water on the summit throughout the year, without expensive reservoirs and aqueducts from a distance. The West Virginia Central Railway is another line of isaprovement projected through the heart of the State, and under its amended charter granted in 1864, was intended to. connect the Pennsylvania Central with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The points named Internal Improvements, 157 upon the route are Brandonville, Preston Co., Mouth of Raccoon, Taylor county, Buckhannon, Upshur Co., and Charleston, Kanawha county, with privilege te change the location of its northern end, so as to follow the Monongahela river, Charleston still remaining a point at the other end. Upon either location, this road would aid in developing the rich belt of country em bracing the largest portion of Elk and Monongahela valleys, famous for their wealth of coal and iron, mag nificent timber, water power, and varied agricultural capabilities. Several counties upon the route are dis posed to subscribe largely to the stock, and steps are being taken abroad to secure the residue ofthe capital required. The distance between the Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, by the nearest practicable route is estimated at 125 miles. Another North and South line, the Monongalia and Lewisburg Railroad, was chartered in 1865, but is not yet surveyed. The points named in the charter are Morgantown, Monongalia Co., Fairmont, Marion Co., Clarksburg, Harrison Co,, Buckhannon, Upshur Co., and Lewisburg,' Greenbrier county. The construction of this road will develop at once the minerals, timber, the dairy and grazing resources, together with the im mense water power of nearly the whole group of moun tain counties. The prospects of this road were mate rially improved of late by its consideration at the hands of prominent capitalists in Pennsylvania, who are seeking a direct connection with the iron deposits of both Virginias, and the cotton fields ofthe South. The Uniontown and West Virginia Railroad, lately chartered in Pennsylvania, and now being canvassed, will form the northern or connection link of the Mo nongalia and Lewisburg road. An extension of the Cumberland Valley Railroad is contemplated from the Potomac river up the Valley of Virginia by way of Martinsburg. The Potomac and Ohio Railroad, to connect the Ohio river south of Parkersburg with some point at or near Harper's Ferry, was chartered in 1869, but of its pros pects of consummation nothing definite is yet ascer- 158 The West Virginia Hand-Book. tained. The same may be said of the Cumberland, Moorefield & Broadway Railroad, intended toconnect the North Branch ofthe Potomac, in Mineral county, West Virginia, with some point on the Virginia State line near Highland county, Virginia, probably with a view to a western or southern extension. A direct railroad line from Washington City to Cin cinnati has lately been surveyed through, the central counties of West Virginia, crossing the Little Kanawha southwestward, near Glenville, in Gilmer county. This enterprise, though not chartered, is regarded as a ¦"fixed fact" at no very distant time, and cannot possi bly fail to traverse our State from East to West. The Hempfield Railroad, connecting the Ohio Cen tral with the Pittsburg and Connellsville road, has been in activity for several years past from Wheeling to Washington, Pa., a distance of 32 miles, of which 15 are in West Virginia. Another short line from Steubenville, Ohio, to Pitts burg, now under construction, also crosses the Panhan dle very near the Brooke and Hancock county line. Should only one half of these iron roads be completed within the next ten years, there can be no doubt but that the time for profitable investment and location in West Virginia is now. NAVIGATION. The Ohio river, "the beautiful river" of early explo rers, which forms the western boundary of the State for a distance of three hundred miles, is open to navi gation with but rare interruptions from ice and low water, below the city of Wheeling, throughout the whole year. Daily, semi -weekly and tri-weekly steam ers from that point and from Pittsburg to Cincinnati, Marietta and Parkersburg, and mail boats from Park ersburg to Charleston, by way of Gallipolis, Ohio, keep up constant communication between all the river landings in West Virginia, and between those points and the great markets in adjoining States. In a good Navigation. 159 stage of water, boats ascend the Mcnongahela as far up as Fairmont, the Little Kanawha to Glenville, and the Great Kanawha to the Falls, 35 miles above Charleston. The Ohio and Kanawha river navigation gives direct access to fifteen counties, placing seven others within one day's travel from its landings. By adding these to the eleven traversed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and ten more, accessible within 6 hours from the stations, it will be seen that the counties usually termed "remote," or inaccessible by easy routes, are reduced to a surprisingly small number. "The Great Kanawha Navigation Company" is at present engaged in improving the river of tbat name by dredging, and in such other manner, as will furnish at least five feet of naviga.ble water during the lowest stages of the Kanawha, from its mouth to Loup Creek Shoals, a distance of 95 miles, with privilege, upon cer tain contingencies to extend the said improvements up New river to the eastern line of the State. The works of the Company extend as far up the river as the Ka nawha Salines, to which point navigation is uninter rupted in any stage of water. The Little Kanawha Navigation Company is rapidly progressing in the improvement of the Little Kanawha river, from its mouth at Parkersburg, to the oil region at Burning Springs, a distance of 38 miles. Three locks and dams are required for this purpose, all of which are now under construction, and to be completed in 1870. The immediate effects of this improvement will be : 1st, A large increase in the development of petrole um, which until now was materially thwarted by the uncertainty and irregularity of transportation. 2d, The end of rafting and floating of timber in the log, the erection of numerous saw mills, planing mills and similar institutions above the head of navigation, and the inducement of enterprise, population and im provement to the interior counties. Once this enterprise in successful operation to Burn ing Springs, the salt, iron and lumber resources of the liittle Kanawha basin, which embraces nearly 4000 160 The West Virginia Hand-Book. square miles inclusively of all head waters, will soon induce an extension to Glenville or above, and solve the problem of the growth and prosperity of the city of Parkersburg, and intermediate points possessed of enterprise and favorable location. Coal River was improved by locks and dams, and was navigated several years before the war, to the Pey- tona mines, 35 miles above its mouth. The reorgan ized Coal River Navigation Company has placed the improvement in good repair in view of large and steady developments. Little Coal river, by law a public high way, at present, is susceptible of improvement as far up as Ballardsville, the county seat of Boone. On the Guyandotte river, improvements were in progress before the war, and dams built for some dis tance up, but neglected since and finally destroyed. The Guyandotte Navigation Company was rechartered in 1866, with privilege of completing the work within ten years. The Big Sandy River, which divides West Virginia and Kentucky is navigated as far up as the lumbering town of Louisa, at the forks, but often practicable for many miles above. The Monongahela is improved by slackwater from Pittsburg to within the West Virginia line. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, from Cumberland to tide water. at Georgetown, is fed by the Potomac river, and follows the West Virginia line from Cumber land to Harper's Ferry, a distance of over one hun dred miles. Of the natural capacity of inland streams, for boat ing and rafting, some information was already given in the chapter on Timber. TURNPIKES AND COUNTRY ROADS. The Cumberland road, formerly known as the "Na tional road," a first-class macadamized turnpike, was once an important link of communication between the East and the West. Within this State its, usefulness is Navigation. 161 now confined to the traffic of Ohio county and the ad joining section of Pennsylvania, with the city oi Wheeling. The 28 orth western Turnpike, macadamized for the greater part of its length, connects Parkersburg with Winchester, Va., a distance of 230 miles, through nine counties. The grade nowhere exceeds four degrees, and the road is kept in tolerable repair, notwithstand ing its proximity to the railroad West of the moun tains, has somewhat diminished its utility. This road crosses the AUeghanies in Maryland, 40 miles East of the German settlement in the county of Preston. The Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike, also par tially macadamized, extends between the two points which give its name, over a distance of 209 miles, through the counties of Wood, Ritchie, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph and Pocahontas, crossing the Alle ghany ridge and State line in the northern corner of the latter county. Its steepest grade is said not to ex ceed three degrees, and although the road was severe ly abused during the war, and lacks a few bridges, it is still in tolerable repair, especially the western half. The Kanawha and Lewisburg Turnpike, from Point Pleasant to White Sulphur Springs, is another East and West road, formerly much used, but in very in ferior condition since the war. Upward of thirty other Turnpikes of respectively from 10 to 100 miles in length, and none over five de grees of inclination, intersect the above East and West roads at different angles, and connect with each other all the counties North of the Great Kanawha valley. South of this line, roads are fewer and in worse repair, and in need of prompt and effective legislation. Un der the old Virginia government, which held a three- fifth interest in all the chartered Turnpikes in the country, Superintendents were employed by the State to see to the repairs and the collection of tolls. The New State has relinquished all her right in those im provements, and turned them over for supervision and repair to the counties through which they respectively pass. Q 162 The West Virginia Hand-Book. County roads from 8 to 12 feet in width; and varying from 5 to 10 degrees of inclination, are constructed every where upon the petition of one or more settlers, praying for an outlet to the mill and to the county seat. There is not a county in the State without such neighborhood roads, and in many of them, one mile of road is found to every square mile of land, though it is but proper to add, that the quality is not generally in proportion to the quantity. EDUCATION. The educated and intelligent in West Virginia are so much like the educated and intelligent of every other civilized community, that the stranger, whose inter course is confined to that class, can hardly realize the depth of popular ignorance, which was systematically nursed beneath this polished surface under the old State rule. Then the number of white adults, who could neither read nor write, amounted to over fifteen per cent, of the white population, while those who could not spell, but were never counted, probably represented 50 per cent. more. FREE SCHOOLS. All this is being changed now as rapidly as circum stances permit. Though remiss in regard to many other progressive measures, our Legislatures did not underrate the value of popular education, and a few months after the inauguration ofthe New State, a Free school law was elaborated, which was regarded as in ferior to none in the States. Subsequent experience suggested a nuniber of changes, which were successive ly adopted, without, however, having the effect of sup plying the amount of intelligence, patient zeal, and public spirit required in the officers charged with the application of the system, in the rural districts espe cially. The jacket is yet too large for the boy, and a perfect fit necessarily a question of time. Education. 163 From the Report of Prof. W. R. White, the State Superintendent of Free Schools, for 1868, it appears that there are 1825 school districts in the counties that have made their reports. Of these 519 are without school houses. Over 1200 school houses have been erected since the school system went into operation. These are valued at $668,817.92. The valueof theland and other school property, such as furniture, apparatus, books, &c, swells this amount of $727,343.28. At least one half million dollars worth of school property, has been acquired since the organization of the State. Of the 1306 school houses, 653 are frame, 51 brick, 7 stone and 595 log. Many of these log houses are a great improvement on the old style of log structures, affording very comfortable and appropriate school rooms. Furniture and apparatus are supplied to a large number of these houses. The libraries begin to show themselves, as well as other indications of progress in culture and intelligence. The average value of school houses is $483, the minimum value being $94, and the maximum $6000. The house now being built in Wells- burg will cost $25,000. It promises to be a model school house in every respect. Three Union schools, twenty graded, and 1731 pri mary schools have been taught, which, with five gram mar, and ten graded primary schools in the city of Wheeling, make the whole number of schools 1769. The number of youth is 130,898. Taking the returns from several counties, where the schools are in full operation, about sixty per cent, of the youth enrolled attend school, and about forty per cent, is the average daily attendance. These figures show an increase of nearly ten per cent, over last years report. At the time of this writing the State Superintendent's Report for 1869 is not yet published ; but the annual message of Gov. Stevenson refers to it as follows : From the Report^f the General Superintendent, it will be seen that the amount expended within that time for building purposes, was $264,995, being $20,609, more than was expended for the same purposes during the previous year. 164 The West Virginia Hand-Book. The total amount expended for carrying on the schools, was $295,950, an increase over the expenditures of the previous year of $9,485, The number of schools taught within the year was 2164, being an increase over the preceding year of 395, The whole number of school houses built within the State up to the close of the school year, was 1708, the number erected during the year just past being 366. The value of school property within the State at the present time is $956,112; increase in the value of prop erty over the previous year $228,770. The number of teachers employed during the year was 2,283, being 463 more than the year preceeding. The enumeration of youth in the State, between the ages of six, and twenty-one, is shown to be 154,864; an increase over the enumeration of the previous year, of 2243. The number of children attending school was 78,342; exceeding the number in the previous year by 24,618. The permanent, or irreducible school fund, amounts at the present time to $231,200; the increase of the fund during the past year was 21,400." The irreducible school fund referred to in the above report, is defined in article X of the State Constitution, page 27 of this volume, where the annual taxation for school purposes is also provided for. NORMAL SCHOOLS. The insufficiency of competent teachers within the State, was severely felt when the new system was first introduced, and at present a large proportion of schools are under the direction of able teachers from other States. To lessen our dependency in this respect, the Legislature provided for the establishment of Normal Schools for the special education of teachers. The principal institution of this class is located at Barbours- ville, in the county of Cabell, and its first branch at Fairmont. The Regents recommend that the West Education. 165 Liborty Academy, in Ohio county, be placed upon the same footing with the other Normal Schools. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY. This institution occupies the seat of the former "Mor- gantown College" in the town of that name, situated on the banks of the Monongahela river, and noted for salubrity, morality and social refinement, no less than for the charm of its scenery. The University was par tially endowed by a Congressional donation of Western lands, originally intended for, and applied to a State Agricultural College, which is now a part and branch of the higher Institution. The three departments of the University, Literary, Scientific and Preparatory, embrace at this time the following: Mental and Moral Philosophy, English Lit erature, Astronomy and Physics, Mathematics and Military Tactics, Chemistry and Natural History, An cient and Modern Languages, Agriculture and relatod subjects. The number of students in the various departments for the current soolastic year, is 154, including 22 State cadets, two from each Senatorial district. The University is already provided with the nucleus of a respectable library, physical and mathematical apparatus, and a Museum of natural and historical cu riosities, which will be greatly augmented by contribu tions from the State Historical Society, lately founded under the auspices of the officers of the University. ' The Governor's annual message thus refers to the ¦condition and prospects of the Institution : " Pupils are in attendance from nine different States and Territories; and in numbers greater than at any previous time. There is every prospect of a still larger increase, when the new University Hall, now being erected, shall have been completed. So far, this institution has been more than ordinari ly successful, and it is now exerting a wide influence for good throughout the State. Its success is due in a great measure to the good fortune of the Regents in se curing the services of able and popular Professors, to 166 The West Virginia Hand-Book. the absence of political or sectarian influence in the management of the Institution and instruction of the students.; and the sound judgment and persistent ener gy of its President. The University is fairly entitled to a plaee in the front rank of educational institutions,, and merits continued encouragement and liberal sup port at your hands." PRIVATE SCHOOLS. In addition to the public institutions of learning, private Colleges, Academies, and schools of minor grades are found in almost every county in the State. Most conspicuous and successful among these is Beth any College, in. Brooke county, founded many years ago by the eminent Divine and scholar, Alex. Campbell, and extensively patronized by students from every part of the Union, intended for the ministry or the profession of teacher. Ever since its foundation this institution has occupied a distinguished position among the nur series of all that is true, and great and good. West Virginia College, at Flemington, Taylor coun ty, was founded in 1866, by private enterprise, under highly respectable auspices, and is patronized by near ly one hundred students of both sexes. The Academy of Mont de Chantal, near Wheeling, a Catholic Institute for young ladies, ranks high. among, schools of that class, and is open to pupils without dis tinction of religious persuasion. Private schools, seminaries and academies of fair reputation, for both sexes, are flourishing at Wheeling, Wellsburg, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, Lewis burg, Charleston, Romney, Moorefield, Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Charlestown, Harper's Ferry and other less populous county seats. Wheeling also boasts of a first class commercial college, and a public library of several thousand volumes. COLORED SCHOOLS. "The claims ofthe colored youth, "says the State Su perintendent, " have been duly considered, and I am gratified in saying that all agree in extending to them Religious Worship. 167 the greatest possible educational facilities. In places where their members will justify it, schools have been started, and their desire to learn has become very man ifest. The Freedmen's Bureau has extended great help in the erection of school houses, for the use of colored people." This assistance, amounting to $3,788.53, was distrib uted among thirteen towns of this State. RELIGIOUS WORSHIP. The early settlers of Western Virginia, notwithstand ing their long seclusion from opportunities of religious worship and instruction, did not permit the seed of Faith to decay within their breasts. One of the first promptings of the growth and prosperity of a pioneer settlement, was the erection of a house of worship, a rude, hewed log meeting house, if nothing better, where, " in default of a regular pastor, the oldest inhabitant or 'the best scholar,'" conducted the prayer and ex pounded the Holy "Writ. That much of this religious profession, up to this time, among the more illiterate classes, was little better than unthinking observance of the letter, without that intimate communion with the Deity which marks the intelligent Christian, cannot be questioned. Still, even viewed in this light, it is cred itable as an indication of public opinion, which in West Virginia has always been decidedly conservative in matters of religion. Neither in the moral and intellectual character of her clergy, nor in the number and appearance of her houses of worship, is West Virginia in arrear of any of her sister States similarly situated, and in this as well as in other channels of improvement, it is clearly apparent that the spirit of progress is on the move. The Census of 1860, since which no official enumera tion has taken place, gives the aggregate ofthe various denominations as follows '. Methodist, both branches, 149,550, with 508 churches ; Episcopal 6675, with 24 churches; Baptists 55,749, with 16S The West Virginia Hand-Book. 169 churches ; Presbyterians 37,660, with 90 churches ; Union 9396, with 57 churches ; Christian, (Campbell- ites) 3600, 19 churches ; Dunker Baptists 2275, with 7 churches ; Seven-day Baptists 750, with 4 churches ; Gorman Reformed 900, with 2 churches ; Lutherans 5050, with 15 churches; Friends 135 with 1 church; Universalists 100, with 1 church. The Roman Catholics are reported at 7950, but the R. C. Almanac for 1870, computes the aggregate num ber of members in the Diocese of Wheeling at 15,000, from which must be deducted about 1200 for three par ishes in adjoining counties of Virginia, in all 35 church- «s, 9 chapels, 1 Orphan Asylum aud 1 Hospital. Nearly all of the above denominations maintain a well organized system of Sunday Schools, in charge of zealous and efficient teachers. The Young Mens' Christian Association, not sectarian in its character, and having for its object the mental, social and religious advancement of the young men, has organizations" at Clarksburg, Moundsville, Park ersburg and Wheeling. Under their auspices, libraries and free reading rooms have been opened at Wheeling and Parkersburg. LANDS AND FARMS. TITLES. The Commonwealth of Virginia, being one of the thirteen original States of the Federal Union, always held the individual right and title in the soil, and no United States or Congress lands were ever known within her limits. Applicants for entries were required to pro cure a warrant from the Register of the Land Office, paying for the same at the rate of 2J cents per acre. The cost of surveying and patenting varied, according to size and shape of the tract, from 2\ to 5 cents, ma king the total cost of State land from 5 to 1\ cents per acre. The entry or location of the land was entirely at the option and risk of the patentee, and upon the Lands and Farms. 169 principle of caveat emptor, no responsibility rested upon the Commonwealth, in case of interference with tracts previously granted. The State conveyed such title as she had, and nothing more. In this manner the greater portion of the public lands was patented in tracts of from 50 acres to 500,000 acres, in early days, when danger from hostile Indians, and other inconveniences from a state of wilderness, did not admit of accurate and protracted surveying, and careful marking of boundaries. From these causes and subsequent conflicting legisla tion in regard to forfeitures, tax sales, &e, much litiga tion arose, which seriously damaged the reputation of land titles in the old State. During the decade preceding the war, however, this evil was materially checked by remedial legislation, and the limit of ten years for the perfection of title by ac tual possession, also tended to reduce litigation. One of the first steps of the new State government, was to stop the further entering and patenting of lands, by abolishing the Land Office forever. Practical legisla tion for the settlement of disputed titles within a few years, is now under consideration, and will probably be adopted. In the meantime, no stranger seeking a home, or profit able investment, need to shun West Virginia lands, of which several millions of acres, in responsible private hands, may be obtained with titles as perfect as the Uni ted States grant to their own public domain. In no State of the Union, may real estate be bought with perfect safety, without consulting the public records or legal assistance, and when this simple precaution is observed in West Virginia, fraud or deception will not occur in one case out of a thousand. To the large capitalists contemplating investment here, advice in these pages is entirely superfluous. Parties at the head of from twenty to one hundred thousand dollars generally know how to get the worth of their money. As for the immi grant of moderate means, without friends to advise him, he may obviate every risk by purchasing through or with the assistance of a respectable land agency ; or 170 The West Virginia Hand-Book. legal counsel, or by learning something of the history of the people and locality by a little personal acquaint ance, before closing the transaction. Instances where parties have been defrauded by bad titles purchased here, on the spot, are equally as rare as in any adjoin ing States, and much more so than in Missouri, at present. Parties purchasing tracts in the interior or border counties of 5,000 acres and upward, may generally ex pect to find a few adverse occupants upon them, who, if not removed by the seller, will have to be compro mised with. Some of them who have occupied their improvements for ten consecutive years under color of title, hold under the statute of limitation, and will have to be "let alone," or bought off, if their land is needed. Other occupants, without color of title, are simply squatters, and liable to an action of ejectment. Butan amicable arrangement with these settlers will always be found the most expedient course, besides being the most just. The improvements and roads, however rude, have added to the actual value of the land, and if' wanted, should be paid for at an equitable rate. An offer to do this, and courteous treatment, will sel dom fail to effect the desired result. Land suits should always be avoided in West Virginia, even at a sacri fice, by parties not in possession of a full purse, super human patience, and a long lease of life. LEASES. Immigrants not willing or able to purchase lands, may find an opportunity to lease improvements in the older settlements, for a third or half share of the crops, or for a stipulated cash rent. Where the owner fur nishes the seed and team, the tenants share is propor tionally less. Leases on unimproved land are usually granted up on the following terms : The tenant agrees to build a house and outhouses,, plant an orchard, and to clear and fence so many acres within so many years, and to have the exclusive use and benefit of the same during that time, at the expiration of which the improvements Lands and Farms. 171 revert to the owner, unless the contract provides, that the tenant shall have the option to purchase the land and improvements at a stated price at the end of his lease. The latter clause brings the acquisition of lands within reach of immigrants of very limited means, with the advantage of holding the land, as it were, on probation, until they are satisfied with the adaptedness of the country to their wants and circumstances, without being in the meantime burdened and disquiet ed by pecuniary liabilities. TERMS OP PURCHASE. Nearly all the cheaper lands in the State may be ob tained upon easy terms of credit. The usual condi tions are from J to \ cash ; balance in several annual payments. There are not a few land owners who will require only a nominal cash payment, or none at all, from actual settlers, in order "to make a start." On improved lands one-half cash is generally expected on their vacant estates ; balance payable in 1 to 3 years, unless, the owner intends to remove to a distance, and needs his means to pay for a new home, in which case the credit is shortened or altogether dispensed with. The legal rate of interest on deferred payments is six per cent. VALUATION AND PRICE. The Census of 1860, reports the number of farms in West Virginia at 28,349, classed as follows : From 3 to 10 acres, 1266 farms. 3 to 10 acres , 1266 10 to 20 u 2955 20 to 50 a 9030 50 to 100 a 7653 100 to 500 u 7438 500 to 1000 u 246 1000 and over ) 65 At the rate of progression of population, the number of farms in the State, at this time, should be near 40,- 000. The total value of land and buildings i. e. unim proved land and farms, is stated in the Auditor's Re- 172 The West Virginia Hand-Book. port for 1869, at $81,358,232, and that of town lots and buildings at $14,826,256. Total valuation of real es- tate,t$96, 184,488. But as these figures are based upon the Assessor's returns, from 50 to 150 per cent, should be added, in order to reach the true cash value, which owners, disposed to sell, are willing to take. During the prevalence of war taxes, now entirely paid up, the people contracted the habit of largely undervaluing their land, and the Assessors, being landholders them selves, connived at the deception. Since the abatement of the mineral excitement, the land market has relapsed into a normal condition, and in many localities prices are not higher at present than when gold was at par. Landholders are beginning to appreciate the policy of selling off a portion of their estate, in order to improve and enhance the remainder, and are holding out unprecedented inducements to im migration, by colonies and single families. Wild lands, in sections of the State not accessible by railroads and navigable streams, no matter how rich in minerals or timber, are now offered at low farming prices, and in tracts to suit purchasers. Rich, rough, declivitous mountain lands, with a small proportion of arable surface, may be had at from 50 to 75 cents per acre, in the counties of Fayette, Pocahontas, Clay, Tucker, Nicholas, Randolph, Raleigh, Logan, Wyo ming, McDowell and Webster, which are named here in the order of their ofiicial valuation. Such lands may some day be developed for their timber, and then profitably used as sheep pasture. But moderately hilly and table lands in the same counties, of sufficient quality to afford a comfortable existence to an industrious family on one hundred acres, command from $1 to $3 per acre. Among this class of lands there are large tracts- that would command $10 per acre now, if situated within two hour's travel from a line of transportation. The lowest price above named is asked for large tracts, if taken entire, of from 5000 to 20,000 acres, and even 40,000 to 50,000 acres. For smaller and piclied lots an advance is of course expected. Sketch of Counties. 173 The term "Improved land," is assumed to apply to farms of which from one-tenth to one-half or more, is under cultivation, and the balance in timber. • BRIEF SKETCH OF COUNTIES. BARBOUR.— Tygart's Valley river. Several turn pikes. Rich'Mountain on the east. Land rich, rolling; and hilly. Well improved farms. Coal and iron. Im proved land $10 to 20, unimproved $2 to 6 per acre. Postoffices 14. Philippi C. H, — By turnpike from Clarksburg 20 m.; from Webster Station 14 m. Favorable location on the river. Weekly paper, " The Old Flag." BERKELEY.— Potomac river and canal, B. & O. R. R., and turnpikes. North Mountain. A fair propor tion of bottom and smooth valley land. Good improve ments. Some anthracite coal. Improved land $15 to 100, unimproved $5 to 15. Postoffices 13. Martinsburg, C. H. — 101 miles from Baltimore, a wealthy and thriving town. vJjITOO inhabitants. Man ufactures. Banks: First National, capital $50,000. Weekly papers, "The Berkeley Union," "New Era," and "Valley Star." BOONE. — Coal and Little Coal rivers. Turnpike from Kanawha river. Rich hilly land; narrow but fer tile valleys. Large veins of bituminous and cannel coal, mined at Peytona and other points. Improved land $5 to 15, unimproved $1 to 5 per acre. Postoffices 5. Ballardsville, C. H. (address Boone C. H.) — A new place, 20 miles from Ches. & Ohio R. R. BRAXTON. — Elk river, Birch river. Location of West Va. Central R. R., turnpikes. Fertile country, with a variety of surface, good proportion of smooth upland. Improvements medium. Coal, iron, salt; gas and burning springs. Improved land $5 to 15, unim proved in large and small tracts $2 to $5 per acre. Postoffices 9. 174 The West Virginia Hand-Book. Sutton, C. H.— 60 miles from Bait. & O. R. R., 90 m. from Ches. & 0. R. R. A small place, but well located. Aceessible from Clarksburg via Weston. BROOKE.— Ohio river and railroad. Highly im proved farms. Bottom and rolling land. Abundance of coal. Farming, wool growing and manufacturing." Improved land $30 to 100 per acre. Postoffices 5. Good roads. Wellsburg, C. H. — An old and wealthy town, 16 m. above Wheeling. Weekly paper "Wellsburg Herald." Banks : First National, capital $100,000. Bethany Col lege 8 m. distant by turnpike. CABELL— Ohio river, Ches.& O.R. R., Guyandotte and Mud rivers. Large Ohio bottoms, well improved. Interior hilly butrich. German settlements. Coal and iron. Improved land $30 to 100, unimproved $2 to 10 per acre, according to proximity to the Ohio river and railroad. Barboursville, OH. (P. O. address, Cabell CH.)— , At the junction of Mud and Guyandotte rivers. Mar shall College, the State Normal School, is situated in this vicinity. Weekly paper, "The Cabell Co. Press." CALHOUN.— Little Kanawha river, West Fork and Steer ereek. Turnpike. Rich, hilly and rolling land. Improved lands $5 to 15, unimproved |2 to 5 per acre, large traets^at lower prices. Postoffices 5. Grantsville, C. H. — The county seat for the pres ent; Arnoldsburg claims the court house. Both very small places ; reached from the Bait. & O. R. R. by Ellenboro. CLAY.— Elk river, location W. Va. Central R. R. Large bituminous and cannel coal seams ; iron and probably salt. Large gas springs. Surface broken, river bottoms narrow. Large tracts of wild lands with minerals and good timber at $1 to 2 per acre, improved lands $5 to 15 per acre. Postoffices 2. Marshall, C. H. — About 50 miles above Charleston and Ches. & O. R. R. P. O. address Clay C. H. State Directory. 191 STATE DIRECTORY. GOVERNOR. His Exc,y W. E. STEVENSON. SECRETARY OF THE STATE. Capt. J. M. PIPES. AUDITOR OF PUBLIO ACCOUNTS. THOMAS BOGGESS. STATE TREASURER. J. A. McCAUIiEY. ADJUTANT AND QUARTERMASTER GENERAL". Gen. T. M. HARRIS. ATTOBNEY GENERAL. A. B. CALDWELL. JUDGES SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS. Hos'a. JAS. H. BROWN, L. S. BERKSHIRE, E. MAXWELL. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: U. S. Senate.— Hon. WAITMAN. T. WILLEY, ' " — " A. I. BOREMAN. House of Repr. 1st Dist.— Gen. R. I. DUVALL, " 2d " —Hon. JAMES C. MoGREW. " 3d " —Gen. JOHN S. WITCHER. JUDGES OF STATE COURTS. 1st Circuit— Ohio, Hancock, Brooke, Marshall. Thayer Melvin. •2A Circuit. — Wetzel, Ritchie, Tyler, Doddridge. C. J. Stewart. 3d Circuit. — Monongalia, Taylor, Tucker, Preston. John A. Biile. 4th Circuit.— Harrisbn, Marion, Barbour, Randolph. T. W. Macrison . 5th Circuit.— Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Mineral. J. T.Hoke. dth Circuit. — Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jeflerson. Jos. E. Chapline. 7th Circuit.— ^Monroe, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Greenbrier M. Harrison. . 8£fa Circuit. — Lewis, Upshur, Braxton Clay, Webster. Rob ert Irvine. 9th Circuit. — Wirt, Pleasants, Wood. Geo. H. Loomis. 10th. Circuit. — Roane, Gilmer, Calhoun, Jackson. R. S. 192 Tlie West Virginia Hand-Book. Brown.-, HJh Circuit.— Mason, Putnam, Kanawha. J. W. Hoge. 12th Circuit.— Logan, Boone, Wayne, Lincoln, Cabell. Jas» H.Ferguson. 13th Cibcuit.— Mercer, Fayette, Wyoming, McDowell, Ra leigh. J. L. Gillespie. JUDGES OF UNITED STATES COURT. TJ.rS. Circuit Court.— Hon. S. P. CHASE. ., ' Z-" District Court.— Hon. J. J. JACKSON, Jr. LEGISLATURE. « SENATE. F 1st District.— Lewis Applegate, of Brooke, and A. Wilson, of Ohio: | lej»2ei District.— J. R.|Brown , of Wetzel and Doo little, of Marshall. Sfid District. — Wm. B. Crane, of Preston, and J. H. Cather, of Taylor. 4th District.— "William I. Boreman, of Tyler, and A. Wernin- ger,;of Harrison. (epeA District. — James SCather, of Gilmer, and G. K. Leonard, of Wood. ; : 6th District.— Spencer Dayton, of Barbour, and D. D. T. Farns- worth.fcof Upshur. s^J te.7JA District. — Dr. Spicer Patrick, of Kanawha, and J. M. Phelps.Jof Mason. i%8th District.— Mitchell Cook, of Wyoming, and Z. D. Ramsdell, of Wayne. £ f 9th District, — Alex. H. Humphreys, of Monroe, and S. Young, of Pocahontas.j wtlQth District.— George F. Harman, of Grant, and H. Davis, of Mineral. Uth District. — George Koonce, of Jefferson, and Samuel Gold, of Berkeley. Hon. D. D. T. Farnsworth, President. E. W. S. Moore, Clerk. HOUSE OF DELEGATES. Barbour — Joseph Teter. Berkeley — John W. Lamon and J. D. Ropp. Boone — F. W. Meadows. Braxton— Alpheus W. Mc Coy. Brooke — James Hervey. Doddridge— Floyd Neely. Preston — Asbury C. Baker. and John Collins. Putnam — J. T. Bowyer. Ritchie — Noah Rexroad. Roane — William Gandee. Taylor— Reuben Davisson. Tyler— Selaiaa Wells.' XIpshur— T. G. Farns-worth. State Directory. 193 Fayette— R. A. Flanagan. Hampshire— A.. H. Pownall. ' Hancock — Daniel Doneboo. Harrison— Nathan Goff and John J. Davis. Jackson — F. R.IHassler. Jefferson — Jacob J. Miller and George M. Beltzhoover. Kanawha — Benj'n.H. Smith and A. E. Summers. Lewis — Henry Brannon. Logan — Rhodes D. Ballard. Marion — Francis H. Peir- point and Robert M. Hill. Marshall — E. C.Thomas and Wm. R. Howe. Mason — Hiram'R. Howard. Mercer — George Evans. Mineral — Wm. M. Welch. Monongalia — William Price and George C. Sturgiss. Morgan — Joseph C. Wheat. Ohio— Daniel Lamb, E. C. Cracraft and Faris. Pendleton— W. H.'H. Flick. Wm. M. Welch, Speaker. W "Wetzel— James Guthrie. Wayne— Goble C. Burge 39. Wirt- Charles B. Fisher. 1st Del. Dist— (Wood and Pleasants) Jas. M. Jackson and J. M. Agiiew. 2d Del. Dist— (Calhoun and Gilmer) George Lynch. 3d Del. Dist— (Clay and Nich olas . M. Rader. 4th Del. Dist — (Pocahontas and Webster) N. G. Barlow. 5th Del. Dist — (Randolph. and Tucker) Rufus Maxwell. 6th Del, Dist— (Raleigh, W y- oming and McDowell) James Scott. 1th Del. Dist — (Gra"ht and Hardy) Martin Judy. 8th Del. Dist— (Cabell and Lincoln) J. A. Wilkinson. Oreenbrier and Monroe (to gether)— B. F. Ballard, Kufus A. Chambers and George W. Carpenter. P. Hubbard, Clerk. WEST VIRGINIA HOSPITAL FOR INSANE. President of the Board of Directors. Hon, N. Gofl, Clarksburg BOARD OF REGENTS W. VA. UNIVERSITY. T. H. Logan, Hon, F. H. Peirpoint, George M. Hogans, Sam uel Billingsley,"Hon. A. I. Boreman, Hon, J. Loomis Gould, W. W. Harper, Mark Poore, Hon. Samuel Young, Hon. James Carskadon,jHon. J. T. Hoke. STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF FREE SCHOOLS. H. A. G. ZIEGLER. COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION. J. H. DISS DEBAR, Parkersburg, Advertisements. * WEST VIRGINIA UUIYERSITY. Hon. J.'T. HOKE, President '"Board of Begents. G. C. STUBGISS, Sec'y " " ''.,.,: ALEX. MAETIN, D. D, President, Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy. P. S. LYON, A. M., Vice President, Professor ' of English Literature, and Principal of , -. ty. Preparatory Department. S. G. STEVENS, A. M., Professor of Astronomy and 'Physics. A. H. PIERCE, A. M., (Capt. U. S. A.) Prof, of Mathematics and Military- Tactics. J. J. STEVENSON, A. M., Ph. D., Professor of Chemistry and Natural History. EBED. W. WOOD, A. M., Phi, D.,. Professor., of Ancient and Modern Languages. A. W. MILLEE, A.- M., Assistant in the Pre paratory Department. D. B. PUEINTON, Tutor. GEO. M. HAGANS, Esq., Sup't. of Grounds. HUGH W. BROCK, M. D„ Lecturer on Physi ology and Hygiene. Ht)N. JOHN A. DILLE, Lecturer on Civil and Constitutional Law. Fall TepAi begins on the First Tuesday in September, v Winter Term " on the First Monday in December. Spring Tekm " on the Third Tuesday in March. Commencement, Third Wednesday in June. Tuition.— Preparatory, $5.00 per Term of 13 weeks. " " University, $8.00 per Term of 13 weeks. Eoabbing — Not to exceed $4 per week. Moboakxown, ^Y. Va. Advertisements. LOCAL LIST. 4 CO. WHOLESALE DEUGGISTS " - AND DEALERS IN PA TENT MEDICINES, PAINTS, '¦ OILS, VAR NISHES, CHEMICALS and PERFUMERIES. Proprietors ofthe EXCELSIOR BAKING POWDER. . Nothing equal to it Sold. Every one speaks well of it. Bridge Corner, Main St., WHEELING, W. VA. " J. N. CAMDEN &' CO., PURIFIERS AND DEALERS IN CRUDE, REPINED & LUBEICATING OILS, STORAGE IN IRON TANKS. Office on Juliann Street, below First National Bank. Yard and Refinery near the Outer Depot. PARKERSBURG, W. VA. REFINER AND DEALER IN PETROLEU Office on Juliann Street, below First National Bank. Yard and Refinery on South bank of Little Kanawha river. PARKERSBURG, W. VA. UNITES SMIIS «1L~ OPPOSITE THE COURT HOUSE PARKERSBURG, W.VA. The undersigned having purchased this house, has put it in thorough' repair, and is prepared to accommo date guests in the best manner. Stabling, and thebest attention to horses. W. H. STAHLMANN, Pro. Advertisements. IEA HAHT'S ; AT CLARKSBURG, W. VA. This establishment has grown up with the Stafe and makes ma chinery suited to its needs. PORTABLE CIBCULAE SAW MILLS, combining the proprietors own patents and improve ments with all other known improvements, makingthe most por table, powerful and convenient mill ever made. Portable Flour ing and Grist Mills, for -Merchant or Country Work, Carding Ma chines, Sorghum Mills, &c. Send for circular. H. A. Manufacturer and Dealer in all kinds of LUMBER, TIMBER, Oak and Poplar Shingles, Barrel Heading of all kinds. All orders promptly filled. CAIRO, RITCHIE CO., WEST VA. References. — Frank Pringles, Grafton; Andrew Ackley, Pittsburg ; Wm. Harris, Marietta ; J. II. Diss Debar, J. W. Curtis, J. G. Blackford, Parkersburg. I. A. FIJRBIM aid SON, Manufacturers of WOOLEI MACHINERY M. A. Furbush. ) 118 MARKET STREET, C. A. Furbush. j PHILADELPHIA. HENRY K. LIST & CO. /!!.._ And Dealer in FLOUR, BACON, LARD, &c, Cor. Main & Quincy Sts., WHEELING, W. VA. Advertisements, SAM. Q. J±. BURCHE, Dialed in English German and American Heav,y, and Shelf HARDWARE, A.gric-ult-ural and ECor.tioialtural IMPLEMENTS, Such as Mowing, Reaping and Threshing Machines ; Potatoo, , Double Shovel, Hill Side and other Plows ; Cultivators, Feed Cutters, Corn Shellers, Apple, Grape, Cane and Family Grist Mills; Shovels, Spades, Bakes, Hoes, Snaths, &c, &e. Also Gar den, Cistern, and Deep Well Pumps. ' Mechanics Tools, Building Hardware, Iron, Nails, Steel, Horse Shoes, Hollow Ware, Wood en and Willow Ware, &c. MANUFACTURER OF Sash, Doore, Blinds, Mouldings, Brackets, Newell Posts. Bed steads ; Axe, Pick, Mattock, Hatchet, Hammer, Hoe and other Handles. All kinds of Scroll Sawing and Turning done to order. Pabkersburg, Wood Co., W. Va. State Insurance Company Of [Parkersburg, "West Va. Authorized Capital, $500,000 Insures Against Loss or Damage by Fire. WRITE CAREFULLY. ADJUST FAIRLY. PAY PROMPTLY. Dikictoks:— Gen. J. J. Jackson, .Tas. M. Stephenson, J. V. Rathbonc, M. 0. C. Church, Geo. J. Hopkins, M. P. Amiss, Rev. T.H.Monroe, Thompson Leach, S. Prnger, Wm. M. Evans, Henry Logan. OFPICEES: Gen. J. J. Jackson, Pres't. K. S. Boreman, Sec'y. M. P. .Amiss, Vice Pres't. Wm. M. Monroe, Gen. Agt. Particular attention given to the insurance of Farm Property, Isolated Dwellings and their Furniture, for 1, 3 or 5 years. This Company insures against Loss or Damage by Fire, on Buildings, Merchandise and. Manufactories, except of the most perilous kind'. OFFICE— Boreman's Building, South Side of Public Square. Advertisements. S. HOFFMAN, INVESTIGATION OP WEST VAz/JLjAND .TITLES. CLAEKSBJJEG, W. VA. '. " , ' ¦ : THOMAS L. BROUti, ¦'¦'-.,' ' (OF WEST VIRGINIA) ' ; '' "• = ¦¦"¦ Specialty.— Virginia, and West Virginia Laws».Land Titles. i 58 Broadway,'' 'NEW YOBIv.'; & w. -t c. b. colton and c6. ' 172 William street, NEW TORK. PUBLISHERS; Offer the largest asssortment of MAPS and ATLASES to be found in America. • -Comprising MOUNTED MAPS for OFFI CES a.nrl LIBRARIES, MAPS, for COLLEGES and SCHOOLS and POCKET MA,PS_$ov travelers and tourists, in great variety. Their large Map of WEST VIRGINIA, by mail, for One Dollar, A new and revised edition of COLTQN!S GENERAL AT LAS, containing over 200 Maps and Plans, and 170 folio pages of Statistical and Descriptive. matter. Price $20.00. .. ,. . p OF* FRENCH AND GERMAN BOOKS, Has removed to NO. 77 UNIVEESITY PLACE, One door from Fourteenth Street. NEW YOBK, "Where he'keeps constantly .on hand a large assort ment of European Literature. Catalogues and a Monthly Bulletin of all New Publications, sent gratis, on application. Advertisements. MercliaMts' , Bank of Charleston, KANAWHA 'C. H., W. VA. - ¦Authorized Capital, $300,000. DEPOSITORY of the STATE of W. VIRGINIA. •Money receiYejd, on deposit ; interest paid on Special Deposits ; Notes and;. Bills. ; Discounted ; Exchange Bought and Sold; Collections made on all points and proceeds promptly remitted. Geo. Jeffries, Cashier. J. SHIELDS, Pres. J . A. KIKQSBUSY. H. P.gKINGSBUaY. Kingsbury & Co., FORWARDING. COMMISSION AND STORAGE MEEOHANTS- DEALER IN OIL, FLOUB/SALT, IEON, COAL, &C, &C. AGENTS- POR Phoenix Mills, Ohio Eiver Salt Co., Marietta Irom Works, Pa. & Ohio Anthracite Coal & Trans. Co. Warehouse Corner Ifanawha & Axery Streets. P. O. Box 363. PAEKEESBUEG, W. VA. "~ R 0 SEN HE IM'S Celebrated Stomacli Bitters 1 Great Western Remedy! Manufactured Exclusively from W. Va., Herbs. The beneficial effects of these Bitters can be attested by thou sands who have used them and acknowledge thern superior to any thing of the kind ever before offered to the public. As a sure cure for Diarrhea, Loss of Appetite, Fever and Ague, Cholera Morbus, Cholic, Dyspepsia, G-eneraljJDebility, or Nervous Headache, this medicine has no equal. It is especial ly recommended to persons traveling, as tending to counteract the effects of a change of water. These Bitters should be round upon the side-board of every family as well as at the Bar of ev ery well regulated Hotel. DmEc-rioNS.— A wineglass full three times a day before each meal. Prepared and sold by the Proprietor, H. KOSEWMJEIOT. ParkersJint-g', W. Va. Advertisements. BALTIMORE AND OHIO Tlie Great National [Route. 3 DAILY PASSENGER TRAINS -ARE NOW EUNNING BETWEEN THE EAST & WEST, Tbe Only Direct line to and from Washington. The only Route offering the Traveler the advantage of passing through all the Seahoard cities at the price of a through ticket by any other line East. B®~ Western Passengers have the privilege of visiting "Wash ington City without extra charge. This line has been extended by way of the Central Ohio Eail road, and the Sandusky, Mansfield ahd Newark Eailroad, to Lake Brie, connecting with all the lines leading to Chicago, and by way of the Marietta and Cincinnati Eailroad, and Indianapo lis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Eailroad. to Chicago, St.-Louis, Lou isville, and all points West and North West. To Shippers of Freight this Line offers Extra Inducements. Through Bills of Lading can be procured at the Principal Cities. Freights shipped by this Line will at all times have Dispatch and be Handled with Care. "L. M. COLE, - General Ticket Agent. JOHN L. WILSON, - Master of Transportation. G. E. BLANCHAED, - General Freight Agt. "3&ie from Baltimore to Wheeling or Parkersburg, - $10 Emigrants, per Adult, ---....5 Children under .12 years, half price. 100 lbs. of baggage free. " "4 " Free. YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 03525 2759