198 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



of about 3,500 feet for 25 miles. At one place in this distance 

 the mountain rises to 4,109 feet, the highest point in the county. 

 The west and northwest boundary line follows Flat Top 

 mountain, the watershed separating Bluestone waters from those 

 of Elkhorn creek and Guyandot river. The slope of the land, 

 then, is toward the interior of the county and northeastward 

 with the course of the principal streams. East river and 

 Bluestone river cross the county line at about the same level, 

 1,500 feet, the two lowest points of land. The surface of most 

 of the county is comparatively smooth. 



Bluestone river and East river, both tributaries of the New, 

 are the principal streams of the county. The former rises in 

 Tazewell county, Virginia, and flows northeastward through the 

 center of Mercer. The latter rises near Bluefield in the southern 

 part of the county and flows in the same general direction at a 

 distance of 1 to 3 miles northwest from the crest of East river 

 mountain. Lick creek and Island creek, two small streams 

 which empty into the New mid'way between the mouths of the 

 two rivers named above, drain a small territory in the north- 

 eastern part of the county. The largest tributaries of East 

 river are Pivemile and Twelvemile creeks. Those of Blue- 

 stone river are Mountain, Laurel, Camp, Wolf, Rich, Wide 

 Mouth and Crane creeks flowing from the northwest, and 

 Brush, Black Lick and Lorton Lick creeks from the southeast. 



The Original Forests. 



There is little left to show the character of the original 

 forests of the southern half of the county. But, judging from 

 the few isolated areas of virgin forest still left, and from the 

 statements of old residents in that section, it is certain that the 

 region once abounded in the choicest of hardwoods. The lime- 

 stone land, especially, in East River and Beaver Pond districts, 

 produced large numbers of excellent white oaks, yellow poplars 

 and others, usually associated with them. On the high crests 

 of East River mountain and on Stony and Red Oak ridges, 

 such timbers as chestnut oak, small white oak, basswood and 

 pitch pine predominated. The softwoods of the southern half 



