Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1875-01-02
What II Think of Martins
burg After IL Residence of
Ten Months.

Zen Months.
Breathes there man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own my native land
Whose heart has meier within him burned
As home his footsteps he has turned
From wandering on foreign land.
-ScoTT.
I have seen many different coun-
tries in the course of my varied
and chequered life. ] have trav-
ersed "Old England from the
Avon to tho Cheviott Hills, have
seen the homes of " Der Fader-
Iandn and smoked my cigar under
I" der Linden" j have sailed up
the Rhine and gazed with ecstacy
upon the vine-clad hills and beau
tiful cities which crown its banks,
and / have dwelt under the soft
skies of Italy and moralized over
her corpse-like beauty. Poor TIA
ly! Lone mother of dead empires
beautiful even in decay!
Heaven has with lavish hands
scattered here her choicest bless
ings; but what avails the smiles of
nature and the charms of art, when
tyranny and proud oppression
reign supreme.
From all that is fairest and
brightest in the old world, | have
ever turned with pride and graft
tude to my own native land. L
have seenno country lovelier than
our own, nor one to which heaven
has given a destiny more sublime
or higher than to the beautiful
nome of my birth, home of the
homeless" all over the earth.
The love of country is implanted
very deeply in my breast, nor is it
confined to any particular section.
Whether my home be in the North
or the South, in the Eastern or in
the Western States, l find myself
becoming deeply interested in the
prosperity and happiness of the
people around me.
1t is perhaps natural that the
county of Berkeley and the town
of Martinsburg should claim a
large share ofthis feeling from me
Three generations ago my auces-
tors settled in this county, and
built their home upon your beauti-
full Potomac, Martinsburg was
then a village of five hundred in
habitants; the power of steam was
unknown, and the smoke arising
from the homes and wheat stacks
fired by the Indians, was no I'M
common sight.
Though my ancestors removed to
what at that time was considered
the far West" or tout back" as
it was called, long before / saw the
light of day, silt / have always
had a peculiar interest in and at
tachment for the old county of Ber-
kelley.
L have resided among you now
for nearly ten months, and have
felt pride and qualification at the
evidences of thrift and prosperity
which / have seen growing up
around me during that time.
Queen street has been adorned
and beautified by the handsome
buildings erected by Messrs. Louis
Scheu, J. l.. w, Baker, VIM. Dor
sey, Chas. Mathaei, and others !;
and improvements have sprung
up in other parts of the city.
Notwithstanding little pardon
able grumbling about the " taxes"
1.-THE people seeming to think that
kings should shear, not skin their
sleepy two handsome school
houses have reared their stately
domeS.
| must speak one word for your
merchants. They are, as far as /
have been able tojudge,a IAN honest,
courteous, polite class of men.
have heard it said since | have
been among you, that your people
do not make it a principle to en-
courage home enterprise, but fire.
quently send their money into 9TH
er channels when it might be as
well expended at home.
| am obliged to the gentlemen
of the INDEPENDENT for the cour-
tesy and consideration which they
have extended. enabling me thro'
the medium of their. paper to ex-
press my pleasure in every thing
pertaining to the prosperity Of
Martinsburg, and to wish to all her
people Happy New Year.
BACHELOR.
TConomu I