The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-24
A MODERN ARCADIA.
THE LAND OF FAT CATTLE AND SHEEP
War "Reminiscences -rhs First Rattle of The Re.
-PhlIippp. BsastIruI situatIOn-Flne
GrsIluE EFsrn'-NswspGptrs ahd Their
EdItOrs-BsRutIfuI Surroundings

/ ~
the great green hills that crowd down to
its very streets. People are never in q
hurry. They walk about the shady streets
in diguitled manner. that speaks ol
ample time for everything. The merchants
chat TO their customers Of tho crops the
weather, the chidren's ills, the next style
OF wearing shingled bangs, repeat the bits
Of neighbOrhood gossip. Most Of the stores
close early, and the proprietoIs move all
their chairs 10 the walk, where they are
soon occupied by friends and neighbors,
who argue the case pending in court,
venture opinions as to the verdict Of the
jury out ina civil action, and wonder what
the damages will be in the slander suit.
Astonishing as 1t may seem, Philippi has
u SANDER suit in court. 1t is the first the
town has ever had, and like boy with
his first pair OF trousers, the good people
don't know what todo with It.
A sLANDER SUR.
II anything in the eworld would stir Phil
ippi intosomething like semblauce Of ex-
citement, that thing lisa SANDER suit. The
town was shocked beyond measure at It.
Nothing like it had been known. Even
the "oIdest inhabitant was at fault for a
precedent For years the town people had
been as one family. i. was Tom and Joe,
Mary and Jane. mister" aud "Aal-
ame" were terms reserved for strangers
and special occasions. Every man ielt in
duty bound TO defend the character OF ev-
nRI tt, ,,tkl
little scandeis were repeated, and q careful
search would have faiied to iind man so
base as to talk behind his neighbor's back.
wonder then, thut when it was whL-
ptred with bated breath, that an attorney
had dared to call u minister namGs, the
town was shocked. But now the old time
quiet rtigps and the affair is spoken OF as il
II were u matter OF course. Lovers walk up
the river aud stone frogs us of old, and the
band plays nightly on the streets. Doors
are never locked. Iewould be an insult to
every man in the place il one villager
should lock his door, IL base insinuation
that traitor %ss in the camp. Hucksters
leave their loads vi chickens, butter and
eggs in the street all night without the
walchinl protection OF even dog. The ex.
changes III the newspaper offices are safe,
and linen hangs upon the clothes line al.
ter the weekly washing 70 dry IN the night
air, with none 10 m9l,st or take 1t away.
1t is not considered good taste to knock at
your neighbOr's door 1t il an insinua.ion
that YOU hesitate to enter for fear the family
skeleton Eas not been properly Gagged for
your arrival. "WaIk right in and make
yourself AT home; don't knock" is the le.
10 IL &,
Verify this ia mud,rn miniature bound
in cloth and gold edition OF Arcadia.
HmH A READING PEOPLE.
But II the people are staid, sober minded
individuals, they are not so for luck OF
intelligence from the outside world. Each
Of the three newspaper Offices here receive
several dailiesin in exchange, and every man
in town feels it a religious duty to borrow
them. As const quPnce all the news OF
the day il current mere. II gentleman
takes Century, and there are several who
do, he feels greatly aegrieved II his maga-
zine is not borrowed by all his friends.
Indeed, l am almost ready TO believe that
the criterion OF q mans popularity is his
success in loaning literature. The teachers
in the public schools loan the Popular
Science W0nthjy to the attorneys, who, in
turn let out iOr 'thank you," Udrpers
and Litteips Liri0g Age. The ladies loan
their fashion publications. am told that
the millinery stores loan hats TO their best
customers, and the bank is accredited with
negotiating numerous loans 1T ruinously
low rate Vi interest, The latter seems in-
credible. Yes, the people OF Philippi read,
and any fine evening you can hear Il dis.
strtali0n on ART, lecture on political econ.
onIy, opinious on Iecgnt scientific discov.
efips, proenostications for the coming cam
paigu, and desulIory conversations on the
men along the sidewalks, that would be
acceptable for their cogency, depth OF rea.
soning and logic in any circle OF intelligent
men to be found anywhere.
Ant OF HISTORY.
Barbour county, OF which Philippi is the
county seat, was organized out Of Randolph
and Harrison counties in 1913. 1t was
named after Judge Barbour, Of Virginia,
who aided the delegates from the north.
west in securing the formation Of the coun.
ty. Asa further display OF their gratitude
10 Judge Barbour, the postofllce, located at
what Is now the town Of Philippi, was
named Phillippa in honor Of the wife OF
the Judge, that being her name. When
the Legislature came to incorporate the
village and county seat, the erudite states
men by some unexplained act, changed the
final vowel in the name, and it was known
as Philippi. Soon after, to avoid annoy.
ing mistakes in sending and receiving mail
matter, the name OF the postoiiiCe was made
the same, and as Phiippi the world knows
the town and office. The village has had
steady, il not rapid growth. The housts
Of them bull. with careful view to the
best architectural effect, beautifully shaded
and altogether very desirable houses. Dur.
ing the early days OF tho rebellion, this
vicinity had some experience in the more
passive features OF the war Philippi was
the recruiting and drilling camp for eight
or ten companies Of confederate troops,
enlisted in this and adjoining counties.
Gen. Porterfeld was in command. 1t was
determined to capture this incipient army,
and with that object in view Gen. Kelly
with q Thousand or more Union troopR
marched on the town.
WAR STORY.
The advance was madei the night, and
the attacking force formed in two bodies.
One Of them came mp the river, preventing
escape in that direction; the other section
made detour over the hills to reach the
road above town leading to Beverly. The
other exits from the valley in which the
camp lay. were commanded by parks of
tillery stationed on the hills. The two
columns OF UBion troops were 10 have
reached their posts at the same hour In the
early morning, and the signal for the attack |
was TO be the firing ot cannon on the
hills. The river detachment arrived at its
RENDEZVOUS on time, but the companies de.
tailed for the Beverly road were late owing
10 heavy rainfall in the night, which
renderei marching heavy. At the an.