The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-10

Description of the Hail OF the Com
veutIOu-A Shabby and Dingy At
fair-PcrsonaI Sketches of some of
the Members.
CHARLESTON, February :.
Editors Of The Register:
In all the correspondence from this
point to your paper, | have not seen any
description Of the architectural beauty
of the hall Of the Convention, its sur
roundings and its daily occupants. |
imagine that such would be Of interest
to many OF your readers, and intend
drawing a pen picture OF the same.
But, Mr.. Editor, do not for moment
imagine that am able to do justice to
the whole subject, for no man liveth
who can find language sufficiently apt
to express his ideas Of the mighty
(mitey) intelects who are assembled in
the small room of a country church to
manufacture a Constitution for the ri3
ing generation of West Virginia.
First, as to the hall 1t is in its
interior structure like our county court
house, with the gallery and wooden
pillars supporting the same, except that
it lacks the size, being about sixty feet
long and fifty feet wide. In the hurry
of fitting it up for the reception of the
Convention, the putting in of gas pipe
and tearing ont Of seats, the walls and
waiuscoting have been considerably
marred and the paper torn, leaving
patches and shreds which DO not look
at all ornamental.
The desks, owing to the small space,
are huddled together promiscuouslv,
and are the same used by the Legisla-
ture when that body held its yearly
sessions at Wheeling.
In fact the whole appearance Of the
building carries the memory back to the
first days Of orr country, when richness
or gaudiness were never thought OF. OF
course it answers all practical purposes
without the comfort that a more spa
cious room would afford.
The President occupies the pulpit, his
capacious body reclining in an old
fashioned rush .bottomcd chair; and as
this reminds me of very funny Incl
dent, | may as well relate it here: The
Governor is a very supplemented old
gentleman and not entirely up TO the
present age in jokes, and one OF the
members being aware of this, said to
him: Governor, | never imagined that
| would live TO see YOU occupying a
Methodist pulpit" (By the way the
Governor is Presbyterian elder) The
old man studied for moment, com.
pletely nonplussed, and finally went
into long explanation as to how the
Convention had to sit there and en-.
deavored to impress very forcibly upon
the members mind that it was no fault
of his that he had to sit where he did
As to the most prominent members
Of the Convention it is not possible now
to say who they are, as the real work
has only just commenced. Mr.. Faulk-
ner may be considered the best working
or committee member. As chairman
OF the Judiciary committee he has
given that his whole attention since the
opening. He occupies seat in the
extreme back row, and he has very
little or nothing TO say during the meet
ings Of the body. For bis years, he is
considered the brightest member.
Governor Samuel Price presdes with
an easy dignity that commands respect
and his decisions on the various mo-
tons as they present themselves are
quick and TO the point. Nothing seems
to agitate him, and no matter how great
the confusion of members or how quick
the resolutions and amendments are
offered he is always ready, and his
deep, sonorous voice, ollling "order,
gentlemen, order" causes proper quiet
to prevail.
In the rear row OF seats in a direct
line from the Presidents chair. sits
0key johnson, ofWood. When say
sits, mean, since "Yorick" compli-
mented him in one OF his letters,
for there was no man during the first
DAYS Of the session that occupied the
floor as much as he. lie is chairman
OF one of the most important commit
tees, and is a hard worker. | have
been informed that he is DESTROYS Of
making a record, and that he is an
aspirant for seat on the Supreme
bench.
Within few steps Of the Presidents
chair is the desk occupied by Col. Dan.
johnson, of Tyler. The Colonel is
alive to all questions that are presented,
and principally prides himself on his
parliam entarianism. l do not think
there ia any one member who has
a better knowledge of Jeffersons Man.
ual and the general rules governing par
Elementary bodies than he.
Directly behind Colonel johnson is
"the noblest Roman Of them all" ex-
Governor Daniel D. Il. Farnsworth,
from the county of Upshur, a dema-
gogue OF the first claas, and better fitted
for pot house politician than for a seat
in body of men assembled together
to perform the serious duty Of framing
q Constitution. From the day he OF.
fered the patriotic resolution for hosting