

IIS, AMERICAN. (WHEELING.) 



th fine elms nnd contains a costly drinking 

 ;n iiiui a monument to the 900 soldiers 

 furm-licd by Watcrhury during; tin- civil war. 

 Wheeling:, the largest city ill West Virginia, 

 .it df Ohio County, in what is kin>wii 

 the "Pan Handle," on Ohio river, and on an 

 d in dial stream connected \vilh the maiii- 

 d by n MI-|M 'ii-ion bridge 1,010 feet long. It 

 is known as the "Nail City" from its leading 

 ustry. and is surrounded by a rich and well- 

 tivated a.L'ricult iii-id region. For the most 

 the ; iie is on bottom lands 40 to 50 feet 

 ve low water in llie river, and the altitude is 

 ut 650 feet above sea level. Bluffs on the 

 rise 100 feet above the river, which is navi- 

 le to Pittshurg. The city was first settled in 

 !) by three brothers named Zane, thence 

 ed Zanesburg, and in 1774, in consequence of 

 ireheiided Indian hostilities, Fort Fincastle 

 erect ed. the name of which was changed two 

 rs later to Fort Henry, in honor of Patrick 

 nry. the first patriot Governor of Virginia. 

 1 structure, which was near the present inter- 

 ion of Main and Eleventh Streets, was a par- 

 logram. 150 by 75 feet, surrounded by pali- 

 "i feet high, the strongest defense on the 

 'estern frontier next to Fort Pitt. It was 

 er regularly garrisoned, but the defense was 

 intrusted to settlers. In 1777 it was besieged 

 ami in 1781 was attacked, the savages and their 

 allies being repelled. In 1782 it was again be- 

 sieged by ;!00 Indians and 40 British soldiers, 42 

 n withstanding a siege of thirty-six hours. 

 the last blood was shed (of one man 

 nded) and the last gun fired in the War of 

 Revolution. Soon afterward the name was 

 ged to Wheeling. In 1796 it contained 40 

 se<. It was incorporated as a town in 180C, 

 as a city in 1836. In 1863 it was made the 

 pital of the State on its admission to the 

 Union. The seat of Government was changed 

 to Charleston in 1870. restored in 1875, and 

 again transferred in 1885. The population was 

 500 in 1800. 1.5(87 in 1820. 8,793 in 1840, 20.000 

 in 1860. 23,000 in 1870, 30,737 in 1880, and 35,- 

 013 in 1890. In addition to the river, transpor- 

 tation is afforded by the Baltimore and Ohio 

 Railroad, two divisions of the Pennsylvania sys- 

 tem, the Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling, con- 

 necting with the Lake Shore and the Ohio River 

 Railnmd. Two million dollars have been ex- 

 pended by the Wheeling Bridge and Terminal 

 Company on a bridge across the Ohio (one of the 

 arches of which is the largest span save one in 

 America) and three double -track terminals. 

 Another bridge was constructing in 1891, costing 

 $l"j0.o<M). The superior quality and abundance 

 of coal near Wheeling place her beyond compe- 

 tition in the manufacture of nails, and the prod- 

 uct of 8 nail factories is used throughout the 

 country. The first iron mill was established in 

 l s; M. ,'ind the first exclusive nail mill in 1847 

 with -10 imiehines. Seven nail mills in 1890, 

 with 1,140 machines, had an aggregate capital 

 of $4.100.000. and an annual capacity of 2,830,- 

 000 kegs of steel nails. Three iWsemer steel 

 plants represent a capital of $1,300,000, pro- 

 ducing 210,000 tons of soft steel yearly. There 

 are also 3 sheet and 2 bar mills, 7 blast furnaces, 

 and numerous foundries, forges, and machine 

 shops, which present a striking view from the 



COLOMBIA. 



175 



river by night. Next to the iron and stwl in- 

 dustries come the glass factories, the first of 

 which was built and operated in l^vM. making 

 window glass a specialty. In IH'J'J a'cut-glaeH, 

 and in 1835 a flirtl-glass factory was M-I up, and 

 the product of half a dozen plant-, in l. w '.l i- 

 shippedto Kurope (largely to Germany), as well 

 as throughout the United Mali-. Numerous 

 factories are also maintained by Wheeling vapi- 

 tal in the neigborhood and across the river in 

 Ohio. Three potteries have a capital of $700,- 

 000 and employ 900 persons when in full opera- 

 tion, the progress in pottery having been re- 

 markable during the past fifty years. Steel, gas, 

 and steam pipe, tacks, sheet steel, tin roofing, 

 metal coiling, leather and harness, paper and 

 cigar boxes of all kinds, are also manufactured. 

 There are a hinge company, employing 150 men ; 

 a lantern company, employing 250: a brewery, 

 turning out 40,000 barrels yearly ; an axle com- 

 pany, with output of from'20,000 to 30,000 sets 

 of axles yearly; brick works; and woolen mills; 

 and another important manufacturing interest is 

 that of cigars and tobacco, 2,267,270 pounds of 

 smoking and nearly 6,000 pounds of plug tobac- 

 co having been manufactured in 1889, as well as 

 millions of cigars, mostly "stogies." Natural 

 gas is supplied by 2 companies. Canning and 

 preserving 01 fruits have assumed large propor- 

 tions of late years, one establishment, dating 

 from 1875. employing 100 persons. The city has 

 a large wholesale and jobbing trade, and large 

 quantities of wool are shipped yearly. Ginseng 

 is exported almost exclusively to China. Wheel- 

 ing has 11 public -school buildings, valued at 

 $258,828; the enrollment is nearly 5,000, and 

 112 teachers are employed. The streets are well 

 paved and broad. Eleven banks (1 national) 

 have an aggregate capital of $1,210,000. Four 

 daily and 7 weekly newspapers are published, 1 

 semi-weekly, and 2 monthlies. There are more 

 than 5 miles of horse, 8 of steam motor, and 5 of 

 electric street railway. The City Hall and Post- 

 office are fine buildings, and the Young Men's 

 Christian Association have a building of their 

 own. There is a home for aged women at Mount 

 Belleview. Wheeling Park is reached by the 

 Wheeling and Elm Grove Railway. The ordi- 

 nary expenditures of the city yearly are placed 

 at $332.367. or $9.49 per capita. 



COLOMBIA, a republic in South America. 

 It was formerly a confederation consisting of the 

 nine States of Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca, Cauca, 

 Cundinamarca, Magdalena. Panama, Santandar, 

 and Tolima. The Constitution of Aug. 4, 1886, 

 reduced the States to departments, administered 

 by governors appointed by the President of the 

 republic, whose term of office was lengthened 

 from two to six years. Each department elects 

 a member of the House of Representatives for 

 each 50.000 inhabitants, and sends 3 members to 

 the Senate. The President nominates 6 more 

 Senators. Every citi/en who can read and write 

 or has an income of 500 pesos js entitled to a 

 vote. Each department has its legislature, which 

 has authority to legislate on financial matters. 

 The President is I>r. Rafael Nuiicx. who was in- 

 augurated on June 4, 1887. The Vice- Presi- 

 dent is Carlos Helguin. The Cabinet is made 

 up as follows: Minister of Foreign Affairs, An- 

 tonio Roldan ; Minister of Finance, Joso Manuel 





