Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-04-12
I. COsIJiIrxfCATED.
SHEPHERD COLLEGE.


tie citizens of this community to come
forward and sustain the institution. !.
one of its patrons, had predicted that
the time would coms when The burden
of this College would rest upon us,
knowing full well that its struggle tor
.x;s,once wou,d be but short lived if
den.nden. upon the caprices and whims
ota legislature ini,uical TO the interests
ot educational advantages.
Sir, in looking back 10 the period our
fathers entrusted Us with the manage
sneut of the affairs Of this community, it
is with pain we chronicle very decided
retrograde movement III all our public
enterprises. Strange as it may appear,
That in the year 1885, the first invention
If steam was applied 10y 4 practical and
successful test on the waters of our
beautiful Potomac, and since that time,
although steam has been introduced cr-
crywhere civilization has spread lis M
flnsnce, over almost all the habnable
globe, vet since its frs. introduction by
James Rumscy TO the present time this
portion Of the Potomac river has never
borne a steam vessel.
Look back u few years, and we had
TWO extensive WOODEN factories, furnish
ing employment 70 many operatives aud
manufacturing large quantities OF fist
class iabrics-now hardly the iuunda-
zion stones are 10 he found. Other fac
zories have disappeared from our midst,
such rs two large carriage factories,
halter factory, leather factory, axe-han-
die factory, tlouriug mills, hotels, and
other enterprises could name, among
which first class paper mil capable OF
turning ont many tons Of board paper
daily, with Eull complement OF ma
thinerv, embracing all the modern M
provp,n,nts, now ruS;ing an0 deserted.
Where are the many happy families
these enterprises supported! Why
this tleceuerucy Have we who were
chen boys, but now claim 70 be men,
upon whom the responsibility ct buSi-
ress and the moral obligations for the
condition OF our community, secisi, re-
ligious and commercial, have descended
upou by the natural laws Of ii!t-have
We done Our part 10 sn5taln the various
enterprises ollcgs have labored to tst"5-
l:sh ior our benefit? -lre We. - pee
3Ae, Wholly b,anticSS ior the lameEl"bIe
dcg,ueracy ara tie decline in CONNECT
cia Importance q OGr community?
Ii Is true saying that The gods
iclp these Who help themselves We
Lave 10 one to blame bCi ourselves /
have seen much 20 justify this coociu-
sion. Lsye known iarge "mo0nts q
Iasney sent TO other States t:om this
section for iA ycs;tnci.t iistead OF invest
irg ths same here, thereby hu.Ming up
our own property aud community, aitd
furnishing employment 10 OK skilled
mechanics who are forced 20 scpi; tEtir
fortunes elsewhere, To the 3c,liniemt oi
al valuos. have kr.own lbat capital
lost bsyoud redemption, when if invest
"a hers would hayr been secGyc aud IL
,nrscd an hundred fold to lis owner,
hvsiies Lenclliag Tic entire ccm'au-
niiy.
have seen bridge Guiit c"rr tho
Potomac river a tnis point, ti!e high
sQlls Of which ,;F,ctHally prevent our
good ncightors # MaIy lnLd from ming
iirg with us socially, and prohlSItinc
our merchants trcm supplying them
nth merchandise. This bridge should
be purchased 10y "ar people aRG made
irea, to encourage this important trade.
! have known Of no action being Ia
ken BY our representatives IN Congress
looking TO the Improvement Of thc 70
1ouIac river fur Steamboat naVigsi'on
4rom the national uap!t0i, on which 1t
ds located, tc the beautiful mountain
city OF Cumberland THIS improvement
wonIi benefit On1 town immensely.
] have seen quite 3 icet o. cana! craft
,noored 10 DER harris, loading and IT.
loading coal, lumber, plaster, fish, sat,
whr.t, corn, pork, bacon, beef, -four,
.lSc., .tsc. Now all tits trade las dam
died down 10 one boat. aud that not
.r;sploycd n.ore than half The time b. II.
! have Known Legislature after legs
ldtuye 10 close their sessions without
tsking sny effective action TO publish 10
our sis,er States, and totle Old Void,
tsr great advantages West Nirgini& u
4sred IN The way ol its cheap aud fertile
2lnr.s its immc..se watcr power, lis r!eh
and inexhal.stible mineral resources OF
every character, It's magnificent ninOe
regions, its marked advantages and
great railroad facilities, thereby euconI-
aging immigration to our State, and Of
teriug raro inducements 20 the peore
OF our osercrowded sister State OF Penn.
sylvapa, and others, TO come and settle
amongst us, bringing with them their
capital, their energy and their enter
prise, and aid us in developing the vast
resources Of Our State.
We now haze railroad facilities to
limited cXtcnt-rlet us unite and push
our road across the Potomac and gain
the uorthern connections and adyanta
yes we were told had been arranged for
us, bat wlich am afraid viii not come
TO US unless we exert ourselves 10 CT
tain tie same.
sir, our State, and particularly oar
community, haze not kept pace with
any Of our sister States in point OF coul-
nereial progress and enterprise, and We
may truly lay the fault at our own door
tor not doug with our might what our
hands found to do. 1t we continue in
this state Of torpid iaaction and in-
difference, we will soon be brushed
aside by those possessed OF spirit Of