Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-23
PARKERsBURG.
Its People and PscuIiarities In Par
ticular.
Points About Growing West Virginia Town
that Everybody is Interested In
Some oils attractive
Features.
ITs POLITICIANS AND socIETysElLEs.

lTs POLITICIANS AND SoclETYBELLEs.
Ss16 Correspondence Of the Repiar.
PARKERsBURG, June 2l.-Parkersburg is
the chief, but not the best known of West
Virginia towns.
Parkersburg is off the line of travel Of the
majority of our people.
Hence, West Virginians, as a rule, have
a less intimate acquaintance with the most
populous and important town of the State
than with other smaller places.
Being on the ground, have mind to
Turn This Town Over
little and give the people Of West Virginia
an inside view Of this part of the States
population, nestled so pleasantly and so
peacefully together here on the banks Of
the Ohio river.
There is "birds eye view" that gives one
impression OF town; there lis the casual
view from q car window, which gives
another.
Both are misleading and deceptive.
There is also the impression which one ab-
serbs in the atmosphere of the streets, the
business houses and the public places Of q
town where one is simplya passing spec
tator.
"This also Is vanity"
You don't know town till you get on
the inside Of it; till you sit tete.a-tete with
its citizens who constitute the machinery
Of all its material affairs, and sip quietly
OF its social life, drinking in the spirit, the
tastes, the pride and the ambition Of the
various elements Of its population which
make and mould the aggregate motive
power and disclose the line Of its progress.
A Very Dirty, Ugly Toad
often carries jewel in its mouth. So, too,
a town-like Wheeling, for example
whose outside dress is smoked and dingy
and forbidding, often encloses within its
walls some of the worlds noblest men :;
some of its fairest women, and preser YES a
fragrance OF social life most exquisite and
charming in all its relations and influences.
Hence have sought to judge West Vir-
ginia's chief town, not from outside ap-
pearances, but from a kind OF chemical
analysis, resolving aggregates into their
component parts and subjecting its busi.
ness social, political and religious concerns
to an assay that would disclose exactly Of
what kind OF material it is made up.
have sought, first ana foremost, TO dis.
cover Parkersburg's ambition, its pride, its
ruling passion, so to speak. One will not
move long in the atmosphere Of this COM
munity without finding that
Parkersburg's Chief Pride Is I'm It's
People.
And after ALL what constitutes a town,
but men-high minded men;
"Men with powers so far above
Dull brutes endued
In forest, break or den,
AS beasts excel cold rocks and
Brambles rude"
Said distinguished citizen to me, PAR
kersburg has more statesmen.to the square
inch than any other town in the State"
That way Of putting it might carry the
impression of joke. But look at the
facts:
West Virginia has had five Governors,
and Parkersburg has furnished three OF
them. There are here among lts Popuia-
ton now two living ex.Governors-Steyen
son and Boreman-while the present living,
veritable, indisputable Governor.o of-West-
dent of this home of statesmen
II has furnished two United States Sena-
tors in the persons of Mr.. Wan Wrinkle
and one of our present worthy representa-
tiyes in that body. Senator Camden.
1t furnishes one of the Judges OF the
Supreme Court of Appeals, Judge okey
Johnson.
II has had no Representative in the
Lower House of Congress, but 1t sent out a
candidate in the last campaign who gave
Colonel Ben the liveliest chase for his seat
he has ever had, and If Wood county had
not been cut off from the First District
there would be enough noise in the next
Congressional convention, furnished from
this end of the District, to rival New
Martinsville war.
Moreover, il the Fourth Diitrict is not
represented in the next Congress by
Parkersburg man, it wont be for lack OF
material rerdy made and willing to serve in
that capacity. So too, without further
enumeration, IL you will begin to count on
your fingers the number OF statesmen
Parkersburg has furnished and can FURNISH,
and is willing to furnish for various other
official positions, you will find that your
fingers will run out before you are hall
through.
Parfersburg cherishes the memory Of
many
Ancient and Honored Citizens,
who have figured prominently in its past
history with tenacious recollection and
an honorable pride. There are Isaac Will.
Jams, Joseph Wood, Col. Hugh Phelps,
Stone. Allen Davis, Col. Jacob Beeson,
David Blair, John Harwood, p. G. Van
Wrinkle and last, but not least, Gen. J. j.
Jackson, and the descendants OF these.
whose names are household words, and
whose works and memories the Parkers
burg people love to recount.
One man in particular, has left an i'm
press upon this people that is as fresh and
green as when he moved among them, and
that is
Gen. J. ]. Jackson.
There is, perhaps, larger number Of de-
fuential citizens here, than of any other
of the older families of the place.
The children, still living, by the first
wife, are Judge ]. ]. Jackson, Of the U. 8.
Court, who is now in his fifty-eighth year
]. Monroe Jackson, Judge OF the Circuit
Court, who Is in his fifty-sixth year; Gov
ernor j. B. Jackson, who is in his fifty
second year, and Mrs America Small, q
widow, living here. BY the second wife,
who still living and occupying the old
homestead, here, are Mrs. Belle Thompson,
wife of George W. Thompson, Jr; Mrs.
Callie Smith, wife of VIM. II. Smith; Henry
C. jackson. merchant and partner Of Geo.
w. Thompson, and A 6. Jackson, mer'
chant, and the youngest son.
1t is peculiarity Of these two sets oi
children that those by the first wife seemed
| to inherit the Jackson traits OF character
while the latter partook more OF the mater
nal characteristics. All Of the former
male children are professional men, re
fecting the fathers qualities OF mind and
| manners, while the latter are all merchant;
| and business men.
The first wife of Gen. Jackson was the
daughter Of Hon. Jacob Beeson, who wa
one of the early settlers here, and very
| distinguished and influential man in hi
| day. and his name Is almost as familiar u
Pari ersburg people to-day As that Of Gen
| Jackson itself.
At another time will endeayor TO Civ,
some "reminiscences of Gen. Jackson anc
| others of these old patriarchs OF Parkers
burg that are exceedingly interesting, ant
part of the history of the State.