WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



hunters who have plenty of money to spend go by thousands to 

 Maine to spend it. They are willing to pay well, and the 

 thrifty Yankees see to it that their guests get their money's 

 worth. That brings the guest back year after year. Game is 

 protected and is plentiful. Streams abound in fish because 

 d^Tiamiting and other destructive modes of killing are not per- 

 mitted. The woods are in good condition because fires are not 

 permitted to burn unopposed. The people of Maine find their 

 scenery, resorts, hunting and fishing an investment which pays 

 big dividends. 



''West Virginia has not, up to the present time, done much 

 with its scenery except to mar it. mutilate it, and burn it up. 

 Except in the case of mineral springs, practically nothing has 

 been done in this state to make scenery attractive or to bring it 

 to the attention of the outside world. V^est Virginia may never 

 rival Switzerland, but it can equal ]\Iaine. The summ^er climate 

 is glorious among its high mountains and elevated valleys. A 

 series of summier hotels from 3.000 to -4.000 feet above the sea 

 might stretch across the state, following the Alleghany and par- 

 allel ranges of mountains. 



''Adequate highways connecting these resorts, and others 

 for side trips to hunting and fishing grounds, with the sur- 

 rounding forests cared for. and the innumerable mountain 

 streams clear and clean would attract to V^est Virginia many 

 thousand wealthy tourists who now hardly know the state by 

 name and who never think of visjting ii, except to rush across 

 it on the limited express trains of trunk railroads. 



■■'A good many things must be done before VTest Virginia 

 will take its due rank as a resort for tourists, health seekers, 

 and sight seers. It must first protect its woods and make them 

 attractive. It must clean its streams and stock them with fish, 

 and make and enforce civilized laws for the protection of the 

 fish. It must stop the senseless slaughter of birds and game. 

 It must build roads that can be traveled with speed and safety 

 by modern vehicles. In building these roads the value of scen- 

 ery must be considered in regions where scenery is attractive. 



"The steps necessary to the carrying out of any one of 

 these recommendations are many, expensive, and difficult. No 



