The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-11-07
4 visit to the univer.i.z Of west vsrginia.

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Editors Morning Star and Catholic Messenger:
We left Baltimore Just after good rain had
laid the dust and took the Baltimore and ONO
Raiiraad in order to visit the various cities of
the West. What pen can portray the maGhiE
cence OF that mountain scenery through WITT ~.
our journey lay, and yet what perlect,i91li "a
has attained in tunneling,s grading and lever
ing, to make it possible to- traverse TINS coun-
try as rapidly in more fiat and monotonous
regions. The distressing was the ia,n";i
spite of ats smoky atmosphere aud business
appearance, proved very Interesting. we VS.
tied tho nail factories, and saw AMIDST CHATTER
and smoke, myriaas of nailspourlngouto Oh nun
dreds of machines, bat the deafenlng noise mace
us shorten onr visit, and pass on 10 tne g''Sss
factories, where every variety OF cut-S4ass Vi
Factories tho ONLY attractive feature of Wheel
ing Tt is the seat of learning IN west plr-
GINA. The Bishop is one of those enterprlslng
men, who combine administrative aDniIS|"lIh
rare mildness and Christion meekncSs'
A great hail-storm, some months previous,
had severely injured his Cathedral, and we
found him experimenting ITS reparataou anu
Improvement in person, being his own archl-
tect. He has Large and HeafishinS cohsleI
CATION and a,fine school for boys Inc sehooi
for girls,>sShich had been IN operation sercIal
tycarsf/nuder the charge of the Sisters OF the
Visitation, Il branch of the Convent at George
town, ID. O.. he transferred to n distance Oh
mile and half from Wheeling, wnere' III
1862 he erected new Convent on an eieHateti
plateau, situated in Il valley amid magnticent
mountain and water scenery. We never peilel"
II loyelier spot, nor one more healuny an" ~
mantle tFAe Convent is situated on Deautl-
full emiuence, with spacious grounds, covering
a hundred acres where the inmates smut ouu
from the busy city life in the distance ENJOY
the most delightful atmosphere, ana every
thing tends to elevate the heart OF youth ana
invite the mind to- the cultivation OF refinement
| and. learning. The teachers of this INSTITUTION
are elegant ladies from the most rehned circles
of society, who adopt progress as theif mot
to, and keep pace with every Improvement III
art and SCIENCE They seem To be animated by
the go-ahead spirit of tho Bishop, VINO con
siders that SeunC ladies should DO educated To
meet the requirements of the present progress
i've age, and that their minds should not De
cabined and confined within the narrow limits
of the past. This to us was one OF the greatest
ATTRACTIONS of the institution for we have pain
fully experienced the absence Oh progress IN
some of our Catholic institutions. Inc system
of eIlltcaGion that prevailed twenty years ago
is inadequate to the demands OF the present
epoch Music in this institution IS taught to
perfection. Each Sister who teaches Is re-
quired to practice and study TWO hours uallS
and the Sister who directs the vocal depart
ment the pupil of Parelll, OF whom ne
might well be proud.
While on his tour through America, Thai
berg, was invited to visit the institution. tie
was charmed not only with thus rare and sn-
perb voice. apparently hidden away in a clols-
! ter, but with the'graceful and easy department
| of the young ladies, who readily complied Win
his desire to hear them perform ON the various
| instruments. But what attracted us most, as
| Southerners, was the benevolent enterprise
| which these good Sisters had undertaken, to
| raise a fund by small contributions through
out the United States, for the gratu1tous educa
ton of young ladies, reduced in circumstances
by the events of the late civll war Nulerous
applications had been made to them to receive
aud educate Southern young ladies, who nae
been reduced to poverty during the war.
Though some OF these applications were re
sponded to- the great majority were necessarll.
rejected, because the institution was unable U
meet the demands npon it, in consequences o
debt incurred in the erection OF the hulEulhSs
Feeling, however, the Importance ana neces
Esity of providing education for these unfortu
: nate girls in the South, whose parents were de
arrived of resources by the war, the Sisters o
the Visitation determined in 1666 to make a
7 i:appeal to the whole country for means to NEE
the demands made upon them ms .cuarita
BILE appeal has not meet with the success ~ dc
served hut, nothing danltted, the good Sister
taTtree-.t+Iy renewed tAeiFiafa n NOR
attractive form. Zone of thciF number hS'
offered to the public, as II prize, a farm OF ON
; hundred acres, near the city OF washington
b and every person who snbscrlbes one dollar I
the cause of free education, VIII not only u
Z entitled to the prayers in perpetnltS OF I'll
good sisters, but will also receive a ticket ei
j fitting the holder to the chance of drawIHg-tl
a farm ANY one who subscribes ten dollars, {
induces others to subscribe that sum, III ada
: ton to the benefits above mentioned, Will ais
be entitled to the registry OF ms name for
q weekly mass to he offered for the next tc
, years from July, 1870, to July, lSs0, Tor I'll
u ! beuefacfOrs of this fund. And this benefit, 1
Q the option of the subscriber, can De apPropl
0 ated to any deceased relative or friend. Ne
I Orleans Is me great city or th5 ,S0utfI' I
riches and its prosperity are deriyedfro tt
s contiguous States and as the representative
[. the great Southwest, it should contrl6ni
= largely to this benevolent and pioHs euterpris
especially as the Sisters make no discriminate
k between those WHO are to he the recipients
the fund. Catholics aud non Catholics stan
8 on the same footing. What enterprise moi
u humane or more deserving of encouragement
! How little is asked of each one-only one do
}, liar! Yet if all contribute, the end Is acoOn
), plished, and the young girls of the South wi
| bless those who have raised them up from Il
depths of ignorance and rescued them FROM Il
o temptations of poverty.
; THE Couxc11.-1t is curious to observe Il