The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-03-02
Far on Fields That Are Not 30 Green
As They Look.

A. Ihey LOOh'
We have recently received couple OF
Letters at this office from old residenta Of
West Virginia that have been read with
much interest-one from Kansas and the
other from Texas, They go to show that
much that has been written for the public
in regard to the inducements held out to
immigrants to these two States has been
greatly over stated, and that many per-
SONS have been misled to their serious
detriment, 1t is an old proverb that "far
off fields look green," aud that the bare
aud brown spots are not visible from a
distance. Some OF the people who have
left West Virginia for the two States
named have found these bare and brown
spots, and have realized alter two or three
years residence, and the investment OF
their means in the purchase Of homes,
that they have lost certain very decided
advantages in leaving this country, among
which is health, and gained but few
il any other advantages in exchange for
those they left behind. Our Kansas cor
respondent, who is Q man OF resolute
spirit, and who has no notion OF coming
back again to West Virginia, has found
that taking dry seasons and wet seasons,
and the average failure OF crops from one
cause and another he has not rea'
lized his expectations in Kansas In a Pc
cunlary way, and has suffered no little
physical discomfort from long and cold
winters, with their piercing winds, and
from long and dry summers, with their
accompanying drouths and enervating
temperature, lie does not advise any
man who has farm or businessin West
Virginia to come West, and 1t Is evident
that II he was back again on our soil
he would be apt to stay on It, He says
nothing very decided on this point, but
such Is the whole tone and drift Of his
letter,
Our Texas friend, who went from this
county, and who now lives in Central
Texas, writes in much the same tone in
regard to his experiences in that State.
He, too, has realized that all Is not gold
that glitters, and when he comes TO speak
Of the matter OF health he sees in West
Virginia very enviable country as COM
pared with the part Of Texas where he
lives. Texas, he says, Is "a bad climate
for people afflicted with phthisIc, pulmo'
nails, opthalmia and many other diseases.
The air is terribly damp and miasmatic,
Those leaving West Virginia and coming to
this part OF Texas with view Of lettering
their health and peCuniary condition
make q great mistake" Further on he
says: 1.-THE people here are notrobuat and
hale like those Of the high countries, but
exactly the contrary, many having to
leave last fall on account Of bad health
He says the country has some adVan.
tages, but they are not equal to the advRn'
tages, after striking an average, presented
by West Virginia. Therefore he thinks
that West Virginia Is good country to
remain in,
Wesllude TO these two letters because
they are written in vein and temper en-.
titling them to respect and weight, and by
persons who are not in the habit Of ap-
pearing in public as correspondents. They
do not emaiate from played out persons
who have left or intend to leave the
States Of their adoption, but from those
who simply express their private views in
an honest and candid way, and who, al
though disappointed in their expectations
arc not fault finding in regard to their ex
perlence.
We have no doubt that their honestly
expressed views are the views Of Thousands
Of others who have gone to the States
named, and who, while realizing that they
have gained nothing by the change, are
disposed like proud spirited and cour.
ageous persons TO remain where they have
gone, and make tho most out Of their
choice.