Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-01-13
Marshalln Murat Halstead remains

qoarer. In this it's more than prob
able the failure will be signal one.
Crossing the Ohio river at Cincin-
natl, after some delay in Covington,
we boarded the Kentucky Central
train for Lexington. From the river
TO Butler the route lay through
succession of uncaptivating knobs,
good enough perhaps for sheep rails
ing, but seemingly not fertile or level
enough to tempt one of West Vir-
ginia's poorest farmers.
Lexington is in the "Blue Grass"
region of Kentucky. Many of her
residents are very wealthy, and the
surroundings give to the stranger
abundant evidence of wealth and
refinement. 1t is here that the me-
mortal monument of Kentucky's
greatest adopted son, Henry Clay,
rises above the sylvan shades of the
cemetery hard by. The gaze of our
eyes fingered on this worthy tribute
to departed greatness until some one
wiser than the rest said that a lunch
stand was kept at the station. Hero
worship was forgotten, and all be-
came willing volunteers in the pros
pective raid soon to be made. Be-
fore the wheels stopped rolling the
station was full, and the proprietor
of the restaurant seemed astounded
at the "energy" of the writer. The
first lay out ofpumpkin pie and sand
witches disappeared like "snow flakes
on river" and judging from the
gesticulations of him who thought
he owned them in fee simple one
could not help that the raiders were
under the apprehension that the en-
tertainment was free.
The country from Cincinnati to
this place is but a continuation, the
whole route of large towns, beauti-
full villages, interpersed with mag
nificent country seats and substan-
tial farm buildings "a veritable
meadow of wealth." for so miles
along the Miami river.
Dayton is probably next to Gin
cinnati and Cleveland, in the num-
Der and product of her factories.
There are many large manufactur-
ing establishments, as we'll as a great
many small factories, where much
skill and limited capital are COM
bined. Dayton is peculiar in this
respect, owing, perhaps, to the fact
that she has large German popula-
ton, noted for their skill and indus
try. Dayton is often called the "Gem
City," and certainly deserves the
name. 1t is situated on the banks
of the Big Miami, in the midst of a
country unsurpassed in America for
it's agricultural resources, while
eight or nine railroads furnish ship
ping facilities. The Miami canal
also runs through the centre of the
city, and along its banks numerous
factories have been built. With the
exception of Cleveland, no Ohio city
is equal in beauty to Dayton, with
it's wide streets, handsome residences
and thousands of comfortable homes
for it's working classes. Nine per-
sons out of ten own the houses they
live in. This at once tells the story
of Dayton's superiority over most
other cities. There is no magnificent
quarter like Fifth Avenue IN New
York, or Euclid Avenue in Cleve-
land, but there are hundreds of
beautiful residences, thousands of
cheerful homes, and no "slums."
The population is largely composed
of Germans from the Fatherland,
Pennsylvania Dutch, and people
from Maryland, Virginia and Ken
tucky. 1t is conservative, pro.
gressive combination, and no city in
the country has higher average of
intelligence and morality. Consult.
ing friend we learn that the city
was laid out in 1903 by Col. Dayton,
of New Jersey, and others, and the
wide streets are due to one of these
gentlemen of the old school, who
said, 81 want to live in city, by
God sir, where gentleman can turn
his coach and four in the streets"
These wide streets entend all over
the city. Unlike Columbus, which
has it's business houses all crowded
On ono ctroat navf0n has a dozap