The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-16

the special guardianship oil the sisters o
st, Joseph, whose sOmbre convent, like {
bit Of medieval antiquity, occupies ,
walled square in the midst Of the city
Mother de Chantal, French lady, as hel
name would indicate, is the lady superior
OF the convent, and 1t was her private
wealth, ] understand, that built and fos
tiers this prosperous seminary OF the
church. To lend glamour Of romance To
Mont de Chantel and the grim Wheeling
convent, let ME insert what u Phiadel'
phia correspondent, who attended the re
cent commencement exercises OF the
seminary, wrote concerning one Of the
sisters: "Sister Mary Agnes is musical
wonder. Philadelphia society folks will
remember her M Louise Gilbert, the at
tractiye center OF an admiring circle. Her
charming voice and brilliont mind won
this position for her, The years have not
broken her voice nor dimmed her intel
leCtual brightness. She sings two notes
higher than PaFepa Rosa ever reached.
heard her sing q Swiss echo song, full Of
beauty and melody, with all the power
and dash Of prima dona, Clad in her
cOnventual garb, recalled for few short
moments from n living death-dead To the
world, yet living in the world, singing the
worlds songs As though she had never
been dead-she seemed the somber.clad
and resurrectGd ghost OF u being passed
away, | could not throw off feeling Of
melancholy, though the liveliest strains
were ringing in my ears"
Something unique, to eastern eyes Al
least, is the peoples market, A walk
through it Of morning would be enough
to throw n disciple OF Teniers into rap
ture, PiCturesquely, It is complete, All
the quaint and realistic poetry Of the
Dutch glure painting here lives and
brcathes and has substantial existence.
III the great metropolitan markets Of New
York or London the gross quantities Of
things and the confusing multitude Of
people detraCt from the finer poetry Of
such u scene. But here there is Charm'
ing variety within narrow limits, and the
whole may form a comprehensive pic
ture to the eye, or, so rich and prolific in
subjects is it, that innumerable combina'
tons may be made, any Of which shall
yield a picture that Is delight to itself.
The market builling Is merely peaked
roof supported by brick piers and en-
closed only on one side. 1t extends its
narrow width some 900 feet through q
street broadcned for the purpose in the
heart of the city Market.lays come
twice week, and all tho way from sun.
rise to 10 A. NJ, women and children bur-
dened with big baskets filled with veg
etables and meats radiato from the mar
ket.house in every direction, to the fur
thest hooks Of the city. The German
names over the stalls and the Teutonic
faces OF SO many Of the customers lead nc
to suspect that this market Is essentially
n German institution, but good many
economical American housewives may be
also seen taking advantage Of what bar.
gains there are a.going. Every market
day morning l SLOUGH my granger hat
over my eyes and allow myself to drift
with the animated, huokstering crowd
through this paradise Of viviiGd Dutch
art. Herd feast my eyes u moment on
some tempting array Of vegetables daint.
lily arranged in bunches then am al
traCted by n buxOm German girl whose
cheeks vie with the beef.steaks she Is
helping her father dispense from butch
er's stall on the next stand ! NOTICED n
fantastic display Of bolOgnas, more ether
cal than gross bolognas ever seemed be.
fore, and adjoining Is table heaped with
pretzels and other confectionery dear to
The German heart. An intensely conf
cal thing to do Is to watch bevy OF
woman samping the butter frkins.
Shades of Pope and the critic, but what
an essay on the feminine criLicasters Of
their wares could not some Of these but
ter merchants write II II occurred to them
to give such vent to their woes One
figure that appeals TO my fancy Is that
OF venerable herbsellcr who, each mar
ket.day, presideS at the tail.end Of his
riCkcty wagon over punches OF sayory
herbs and various roots and banks, about
the medicinal qualities OF which he wakes
eloquent. lie Is n keen.oyed old man
with white hair and beared, and evidently
native born. Indeed, he Is n fair Speci.
men Of that almost extinct class al herb
hunters and doctors Of which nearly
every rural New England town used to
possess nj least One--simple, unlGtterGd
men US n rule but with the true botanic in
stinct that might have made them peers
Of LinnRus II only It had been rightly
cultured. But must desist right here,
lest my gallery assume too formidable
proportions. ..r. ...r. fE. Il
Had set out with serious intent Of
giving you substantial facts concerning
Wheeling and her industries, l should
have delved deeply into the statistics Of
coal and iron, for these are tho two prime
factors in tho city's existence. The IRON
worker here en- Joys great economic pd-
vantagcs. Coal In great quantity abonhds |
within pistol slIOt Of all The furnaces, and
MISC the needinl limestone to mix with the
ore in smelling. The orc itself Is fur.
nislied by tho famous Iron Mountain Of
aud, in spite Of the hundreds Of
miles Of river navigation II has to under.
CO. Wheeling eau make the manufactured |
article and set II down atthe door Of ST.
Louis cheaper than il can be made in
Missouri itself. "The Nail City" Is
Wheelings best known sOubriquet, for
nail making il tho chief form Of the iron
business here. Some half a dozen or more
mammoth establishments are devoted to |
the useful nail, and one Of them on trial
effort, has turned oUt over 5000 kegs Of
them in one week, while the annual pro-
duction Of all the mills Is said 10 be over
Il million and quarter kegs. II what
becomes Of all the pins il u mystery, what
becomes Of all the nails Is equally one.
Notwithstanding the great depression in
the iron trade, the works here are moder'
ately active, The theory being that 1t Is
better to run them at a trilling profit, or
even none At all or at slight loss, than
to allow,thcm 10 lie idle, aS their detetiura-
ton In the latter condition Is much more
rapid and expensive. Only last week,
however, n large mill over the river In
bridgeport declared n semi.NnnuAl stock
dividend Of s per cent, which would seem
to indicate an unwOnted prosperity, but
whether IL really represents the profits Of
the last six months business Is matter
Of suspicion, perhaps. Among the Wheel
ing Industries may also be mentioned a
COUPLE of extensive glNss.works where fine,
pressed table ware, and beautifully ex;;
CCntel articles Of ornament are turned
out in large quantities. ..... .,...