The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-16
GhtGatelIi9Ettcer
CHARLESTON LETTER.
Life AT the " Permanent Seat"
The Designations of the "Gay Cap
itaI."
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
CHARLESTON, Feb s, 1879.

Correspondence ClnC'hhAu SoN'lAe'elH
CHARLESTON, Feb 8, 1879.
TIE BLOCKADE.
In the nineteenth century, the age
oI steam and lightning rods, telegraphic
cables and female rights, when the hI,
man mind is as a whCttcd appetite, &t'
ways craving something fresh, and impA.
tent Of an hours delay in the receipt OF
the daily dose Of intelligence-in such an
age, To- be suddenly cut of from the
world for a week is, ! may briefly say not
pleasant.
The mails reach here IN ordinary
timeS-that is TO say, times when the
Kanawha Is not frozen over, or dried up,
or too low, or too high, or too full OF ice,
or too something or too other-every
day between thchours OF five In the after
noon and twelve at night. But for nearly
two weeks the erratC kanawha has been
frozen up, and no boats could plow her
lovely waters. Consequently we had no
mails, except such as came in wagon
from GallipOlis, or over the Allegheny
mountains from White Sulphur Springs
in stage over roads worse than any. y.hll.
man ingenuity could invent, unless the
Atlantic was bailcd out and the bottom
used for a driving park. 1
BY all odds the most important mail
that reaches here Is the Northern and
Western, which the contractor contracts
to carry daily, but tails to do so, and II
the special agent for this country, II there
is any, had half the amount of blood in his
veins that is usually accorded to mortals
here below, he would bring the matter to
tue attention Of the Department, and have
the contractor removed, and a business
man put in his place. don't know who
the contractor is, and don't care, but do
know that he is paid and paid well to de-
liver the mail here daily, aud that he does
not do it, lie knows that the river is lia.
bic to freeze up, and he should always be
ready, at this season oi the year, Tor such
an emergency, having hacks ready to come
across the country from GAllipolis. But
he is content TO send over one old wagon
drawn by two superannuated mules when.
ever il suits his convenience, which Is
usually about once in four days. BY put.
ting three good teams on the road a mail
could reach here every day, but he don't
propose to go to that trouble 10 fulfill his
contract.
To add TO the agreeablcness of our sit.
uation, the papers here take no dispatches,
and we arc as ignorant of what is going
on in the world as the man in the moon,
il there is any man there; and If such be
the case, | hope, for his own good, that he
will remain, ,.and not come TO this country
while the river is closed. 49,.
The long continuance Of the blockade
and the almost utter failure OF the mail
service 10 keepup communication is do.
ing u great deal 10 endanger the prospects
Of Charleston us the permanent seat. Was
the question before the convention now,
they would vote 10 remove to Wheeling,
although they can not get there. Every
night the delegates assemble around tho
pOsl'OtliCe and talk about home and swear
The few who don't swear find plenty to
swear for them. The Cincinnati papers
are delayed beyOndRll reason, for instance,
letter of mine reached here in the Rich.
mond DtGpdth nearly as quick as It did in
the Commercial, having gone from Gin.
cinnati to Richmond, been copied, and
then come back over the Alleghany
Mountains by stage.
Here the kanawha is frozen over from
bank to bank, and teams cross without
difficulty. On top Of the ice has come
s0mG five inches OF snow, and now on top
OF that We may look for two days rain. Ii
that comes things will be torn up. Lot
them tear.
THE PRESIDENT ARRAIGEED.
President Grant has escaped the con.
sequences Of his msdecds so long that
the country will not be surprised that the
West Virginia Senate has at last taken
him in hand,and will deal with him firmly
but vigorously, They have solemn set
OF resolutions before them for action of a
more severe nature than the famous arti.
cles OF impeachment against Andy John
son. II the blockade would ever raise so
that the President could SEQ these resolu.
tions he would tremble in his boots, and
his craven knees would knock Together
like two shin bones in the hands of negro
minstrel. This action on the part Of the
Senate may do the cause Of Grant and a
second term irreparable injury. lie can
hardly survive their desperate assaults.
They are, Indeed, as a terrible army with
banners, shifting him hip and thigh. +
have not been partial to Grant, but | feel
sympathetic tenderness for him in his
hour OF trial.
Senator Wilson, Of lIarper's Ferry, is
tue author OF these mighty. resolutions,
anu he has come to their support with a
lengthy and able speech. Senator Wilson
49, perhaps, the leading spirit in the Sen.
ale; young man oI zeal and ability, II
iawycr0I promise and culture; and | am
sorry to see him crying aloud and sparing
not Let us give Grant some peace
ANOTHER CHARGE. saEsf
The editor OF the Huntington laGenend.
Mt, who happily combines, in one Eigan.
tic skull, the ability to conduct soiI.shell
newspaper and retail scalp wash and bel.
lyplaster, is offended because saw "IQ.
dependent Drugs" painted upon the gable
end Ola skeleton house ut Huntington, aud
asked in an innocent way what sort OF
medicine that was. 1t is the opinion Of
the Independent that | was very drunk or
very green, or Iwoull have known that
the "Independsnt" part of the gable end
sign referred TO its own magnificent self.
did not know at that time of the ex.
lslence OF the botched and blubbery sheet
which has since been brought TO my no
llce, or ! should not have coniounded II
with pill shop, out of respect TO the pill
fraternity, But have one consolation ID
this gloomy hour. Whatever the hide
pendent Belly Plaster may say about MI
cannot do much harm, for it is so wretch
edIiy printed that few read i, and nont
believe 1t. H
LIFE IN CuPRLEsToN.
Charleston is gay. this winter. The
blockade has helped this, perhaps; for sucl
HsaFe here can't get away, and the bes
thing all concerned can do IA IN net nc