Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-07-02
MuEEL1Na. june 17. ISIS.

Wheeling scots US. The longer We stay
the more We are sooted. Population thirty>
five thousand. Two hundred and fifty manu-
featuring concerns in full blast, employing
about eight thousand men. Five thousand
kegs of nails made here every day.
Wheeling is q solid city. The tidal wave
of hard times rushed madIy against its solid
front and was scattered defeated and re-
treated, leaving behind not single wreck to
tell of its visit The State may we'll be proud
of the high financial standing of her Capital
City.
Wheeling is a moral city. Twelve police,
men have charge of its streets and they are
not kept busy. Order and quiet and peace
reign on its streets, bcggars are scarce. No
variety shows disgrace its public highways,
no concert saloons open their gilded halls for
the ruin of its young men. "Where," we
asked reporter the other day, sis the hard
part cf your city, the part where the rough
element makes its home" "We have noue,"
answered the reporter, ''our rough element
from personal observation, We believe to be
true, and it speaks volumes of praise for the
moral standing of our capital.
But Wheeling is dirty city. A cloud of
smoke forever hangs over it. 1t rains dirt
all the year. The very sun itself has a
blackened face, and the moon and stars a
dimmed lustro as they look down on "the
dark CITY," The sound of the broom never
ceases, and the wing of the defunct turkey is
never still. Dust thou" is the song of the
mistress TO the maid, aud the refrain Goats
back on the morning nir sad its echoes reach
into the night as the maid answers Il dust"
and she dusteth The walls and ceilings of
the capitol building, once Gas pure rs the
beautiful snow" are covered with this fine
black dust that crceps in every crack and
crevice. 1t would be hard work to white
wash member of our Legislature, if he had
been hero any time.
But the city has clean record Take for
instance the capitol building-evidently there
was 10 jObbinG in its construotion-built at
cost of one hundred thousand dollars, it is a
marvel of cheapness and convenience. The
cheapest public building it has ever been our
privilege to enter The city is shaped very
much like deviled crab, bulging out a little
in its centre, but dwindling down and long
drawn out at both ends.
The world is full of pleasant people and
| Wheeling has its share, probably more than
its share. In our intercourse with the busi>
ness mon and State officials VIC have found
! them universally polite courteous, aTable and
careful to entertain strangers"
The world is fall of pleasant boarding
houses, that is our world is. The boarding
house of strong butter, weak coffee and thou
sand legged chickens exist only in our inn
| imagination. We have never been there-our
landladies, as a rule, are fair, fat and not all
forty by long ways. Among our boarding
house acquaintances We number some of our
best and truest friends and some Of our most
pleasant hours have been spent in ''other
| peoples houses" As we write in our cosy
room at Mrs. Anderson's, the voices of merry
children float up to our window, two canary
birds in their gided cages are trying in vain
to keep even with the children, while down
in the parlor ''our bass singer" is singing in
the heavy notes on "The Old Sexton" In a
few moments the silver-t toned supper bell will
crowd out all these other noises, and yet We
are not happy, for we are sick for sight of
dear old Charicstown, and after all it is very
truo that ''there is no place like home"
Il