Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-20


JeSse James-InterestingL Letter from
n Barbour County, West Virginia,
Man.
S.,ecioI Correspondence ofthe Register.
PARIS, Mo-, April l6.-The year
1881 was no less remarkable, in many
respects, Throughout this part of the
Great West, than in West Virginia and
other States of the East. In MISSOURI
the chiefamong the misfortunes brought
to US by that eventful twelve month,
was the failure of crops. Hay, corn
and oats, except in a very limited
measure were not known in the harvest
Throughout an extensive scope of coun-
try within this State, and to-day it is no
uncommon sight to see the streets In
many of the towns we'll filed by
farmers wagons in search of bailed
hay and other provender in for stock.
The hay is transported by rail i'll large
bales, from the prairie country III
Nebraska and other States where the
scOrching rays of the sun did not burn
the grass into q crisp, while corn and
oats are purchased wherever they may
be found. AS a further result of poor
crOps, many articles absolutely nece5-
sarS for every day use are command
ing prices which would no doubt strike
the Eirginians as being fabulous. But
ter, for example, is very hard to get in
the country at 10 cents pound, and
many other things are commanding a
proportionately high price. 1t seems
VERY strange, no doubt, to people who
have been used TO hearing of the West
! rs a sort of agricultural EldoradO, to be
told that crop failures here are not con-
fined by any means to such remarkable
wears rs 1851 proved to be, but that they
| NAV be looked for in some degree with
| considerable certainty every year. There
| aresO many causes for disaster, especially
| 10 the cereals, to be noticed here, that
! one does not have to reside long in the
| country To be convinced that West Viz
ginia, with its high hills and its little
/ valleys, possesses numerous advantages
/ over the States that boast Oftheir sweep
| ing and almost bOundless prairieS. Lay
! ING aside the important consideration OF
! GOOD health, and viewing the land
| only in respect to its paying capacity IN
| dollars and cents, my advice TO west
| Virginia farmers who are contemplate
| inc removal to this country Is to stay
where they are, and be thankful that
| they don't live in 4 land where, II one
! invading raviSher misses getting h0id oil
! the fruits of full years labor, another
rises up ready To SEIZE all.
There are already serious apprehen-
SionS i'm respect To the crops for the COM
ING year; some are suggesting 4 con-
siderable falling off i'm the wheat crop,
which last wear was the only valuable
pro,luct of Missouri soil, while many
SAGE old huSbandmen are inclined to
take even u more gloomy view OF the
situation. Last year nearly every va
ricty of staple farm production promised
an abundant yield up to the very time
when crops are said 10 begin to make
themselves
A few days ago the prospect for
plentiful fruit supply was the most en-
rouraging observed here for years. To-
day, however, everybody is willing to
cOncede the fact that the buds OF
promise have been fatally nipped.
II is not in the least unreasonable to
suppOSe that men who are seeking
homes i'm new country will have some
regard for health, and it would there
fore be the part of wisdom to give
Missouri "wide BERTH" Typhoid fever,
pneumonia and other lung disorders
prevail to an farming extent. About one
ease i'm every five of pnuemonia proves
fatal. while the former disease numbers
IFS victims by scores. And these are
not all by any means, but 1t can be
said of Missouri that there Is scarcely
any malady known among men anu
horn of "A most wretched climate, that
does not make itself felt in a degree OF
intensity altogether unknown TO west
VIRGINIA. GraYeStOne men ana I'M
dertakerS have n fine field here.
That delightful sensation OF freeZ-
ing and burning, described here by the
unhonious term, ''ShakeS," will not
fail ON the bodies of folks from the
hills like the news Ofan Inherited for-
tune would upon their ears. Maybe
YOU never saw man who cousdn
talk for ehattering his teeth, or who
couldn't walk straight because his eyes
were almost shook out Of his head.
ont here the lkfe is often mOnotonouSly
frequent and occasions no surprise.
Passing over the matter of the value
of lands and other subjects OF interest
perhaps To MiSsOuri-tever struck IT.
aiuianS, let me lay before your readers
another very important consideration 10
home seekers, VIZ: = proper coicePtioh
| of moral obligations and, consequently,
q due respect and desire for good govern
ment. The lack of these among no
| insignificant number of otherwise larry
! good people, has been clearly demon
J Stratel i'm the expressions of sympathy
! with the late Mr.. James, of this State,
publicly uttered within the past ten
I DAYS. Many people may not be willing
10 credit the statement that there are
. No
Governor Crittenden to have diSgraced
the State by hunting down the notorious
Jesse James and his gang OF obedlent
cut-thruats. And not only 80, but tue
press of the State to surprising, not 10
say alarming eNtcat has added us
voice and influence to the clamor 0t the
thoughtleSS public. Only to-day l
heard gentleman reading rom the
editorial columns Of paper, published
i'm one Ofthe most denSely populated
and thrifty counties of the state an
abusive and indecent article charging
Governor Crittenden with conspiracy
with a band of outlaws tine Loru
brothers and others for the purpose Oh
murder. y few months ago, durinS the
Red Men excitement in some parts OF
West Virginia, and notably IN Barbour
county, was nearly ready 10 oeiieNe
the little Mountain commonwealth au
fallen under a shadow of shame when
il would take months Oflaithful enforce,
ment of law and an improved general
notion of correct ethics, to dISSlpate'
but, coming here as i did, at SO oppor-
tune time 10 discover the state OF the
public mind in respect to one OF the
most mereileSs and blOody-handed
land and