The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-09-04
POINT PLEASANF
ANTIQUITY OF MAsoMs CAPITAL.
The Sup.ru;ltlons aud Memories that CIInE to the
yIlIAss-A Csltury Of Inactivity to be Fell
lowed BY an AwSksnIns-Ths Aurder
OF COruStalk and his Son-SottS.

Special Correspondence fthe EHteLligenoer.
PoINT PLRAsANT, W. Va, August 81
The Capital city OF Mason county is situa'
ted at the mouth OF the Great Kanawha.
Beautifully located ii well deserves its
name. High above the river, out OF all
danger from Il :ods, except such as that Of
the present year, with tue navigation and
trade OF two rivers, it should have been a
city or at least thriving village. It has
not though, and the thrift Of to-day and
the future will only be brought by the
railroad. The superstitious point moral
here and they go way back in the days Of
the Revolution to do so; go back to the
DAYS OF Cornstalk, the noted Shawnee
chief, and his sou ElinipsiCo, of General
Lewis and the battle OF Point Pleasant.
One would scarcely think that this quiet
little town is built over the site of The
bloodiest and most hotly contended Indian
battles up to that time ever lought 1t was
iDlLord Dunmcrs's time, aud the army IN.
der command OF General Lewis was
camped here waiting reinfomemen,S
when Cornstalk made his famous charge
that second Monday.in October, IVA. The
result OF the battle is known; how part Of
the virginians followed the Kanawha till
they come TO Crooked Greek and under
shelter Of its banks flanked the Indians;
and how the Indians buried their dead in
the Ohio and escaped that night historians
tell Of. 1t was q agallant fight gallautly won.
But il is 10 the treaCherous murder at Corn.
stalk three years later that the superstitions
point. A voluntary hostage, and receiving
q visit from his son Rlinipaico, white
man was shot by some wandering Indian,
and the garrison OF the little fort took re-
venge by numbering the Chief and his
son. Cornstalk lived long enough TO curse
the place for one hundred years, however.
1t is enough 10 say that from some cause
the town has not grown as it might.
WAKING uB.
But the hundred years is past and the
curse Is ended. The place has thrown of
its lethargy, the iron horse has brought
lie and vim, and the inhabitants pay. with
an air Of pride, ave get the Cincinnati
dailies at aao Of the day they are publish
ed." lean bear testimony to the truth of
this statement; it is not boasling, they do.
The Ohio Central is the road that has done
so much for the place, and they are build.
ing a magnificent bridge across the Ohio
here. With its approaches IL is nearly Q
mile long, and built after the pattern oil
the Cincinnati Southern at Cincinnati.
Work is not progressing rapidly on account
ofsevefal suits brought by citizens Of the
town for damages. Nevertheless, the dwell
lers on "Injunction avenue" as 1t Is ap-
propriately called, will have their street
view cutoff by the approaches OF q grand
bridge. More THAI dozen attorneys are
residents here, four or five churches, good
public schools, fine holel and any amount
of political aspirants, prove that the town
is growing. They have other historical
points, though. 9p the banks Of the kany
awha Gen. Lewis remains are buried, and
some day monument is 10 bs erected. 10
th Court HOUSE yard Corpa,glk lies, a
rather sad commentary on Justice. Out Of
the town some little distance is fine
spring out OF which Washington drank.
Mr.. II. R.. Howard, one OF the leading
Democrats Of the county, took mo around
to This spring aud gave me o drink out OF
an old can, Gu' to my sorrow 1t was not the
same from which the first citizen drank. II
is queer about the veneration in which it
ia ield. The story is told Of one Of the
leading lawyers Of his day, now gone 10 his
rest, that he fought every effort 10 have the
county road run near II, thereby saving a
heavy grade, because it might cut off the
fountain, and thus destroy the spring from
which the President drank. The folk Of
thislittle village are most hespitable, and
am under obligations to many for their
kindness. ChaS. :. Hogg, the defeated
candidate for Congressional honors, lives
here, and some Of these days will appear
before his Democratic friends again.
"' .6,,r,cs Avn ,rpsov,,s
:, - ,tS, I'i's'' .>NO F-r10NsA-'' t.SS ,,, ,..
D. H. dowatu - one Oh Tue 'am'lIar 'aceS
seen around the Court House; pleasant
gentleman who has served his county In
several lpcisla,ures bnt Is now ont Of poli.
9e''% n.. "E' vi, Wv - AO" ", M, " fS-
tics. Rankin whey, Jr., wealthy and
rising young lawyer, using to ssmeplrpose
now the qualities that made him a prime