WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



257 



still bears some resemblance, however, to its original form. But 

 even here the slow-flowing streams have left their marks, chang- 

 ing the once smooth and lofty plateau into a rolling upland. 



The greatest elevations of the connty are to be found along 

 the mountains which border it on the south and west. Ivy Knob, 

 on the southwest, rises to 3,693 feet, and in several places an 

 elevation of 3,500 feet is reached along the Great Flat Top and 

 White Oak mountains. Big Coal river leaves the county on the 

 west at 900 feet, the lowest point ; New river, in the north, leaves 

 at 1,150 feet, and Guyandot river, in the south, at 1,600 feet. 



New river, with Glade creek, Piney river and other smaller 

 tributaries, drains the eastern third of the county. A smaller 

 area on the north is drained by the head waters of Paint and 

 Dunloup creeks, tributaries also of New river. Clear and 

 Marsh Forks of Big Coal river drain the western side of the 

 county, and Winding Gulf creek. Slab Fork and Tommy creek, 

 tributaries of the Guyandot, drain a large area in the south. 

 In the interior uplands are to be found the fountain heads of 

 numerous small streams which wind sluggishly through glades 

 and meadows and open woodlands. These finally unite their 

 waters to form the creeks and rivers which descend through 

 narrow, rocky gorges to the lower levels of the larger streams. 



The Former Forest Conditions. 



This county, with its greatly diversified surface, has been 

 and is still the natural home of many species of valuable timber 

 trees. Wliite pine once grew in abundance on about 50,000 

 acres lying at an elevation of from 2,500 feet to 3,000 feet on the 

 waters of Glade creek and Piney river. This area, with its exten- 

 sion into Mercer county, formed one of the three principal 

 bodies of white pine to be found within the state. Outside of 

 the white pine belt, hemlock is the only softwood growing in 

 large quantities. Yellow poplar and the oaks, principally white 

 oak, are the most abundant of the valuable hardwoods. Per- 

 centages of the principal timbers growing on two widely separ- 

 ated virgin tracts will show to what extent the quantity of 

 species varies in the different localities. The timber on a 30.000 

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