The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-30
DOWN THE RIVER
FROM WHEELING TO pARKERssuRa.
Som. Observation. on the Beautiful RImr-wA,
the Tourist Doesn't Know About It-k'Talk
with Col. Thompson About the STANDARD /.
OIL Company aad It's Work. "


From he Editor Of Ire Iatettigenea.
PARKERsBuRG, May 2S-To very man!
good people the noble Ohio Is merely 4
freight road" to carry down coal and nail
and bring up ore, hams and peanuts; 3
an accommodation train-a long string Q
freight cars with caboose on the end 70
the convenience of those unhappy fol-
upon whom the locomotive headlight 9
railroad progress has not dawned. As
great highway Of pleasure tits neglected
glory. The tourist who seeks nobl,
stream with picturesque banks rarely come.
our way. The guide books are not eloquent
in praise OF our matcbless valley, and the
beautiful river goes on about It's business
in an almost purely business way. ! could
name to you people in our own Wheeling
who have not ridden ten miles on the
bosom OF the stream upon which they look
every day. j know OF man who deter
mined 10 conduct theatre in somewha,
original way. He was going to. have an
entertainment that would be its own adver.
tisement. 1t should draw by reason OF the
beauty Of the scenery, the excellence oil the
plays and the talent Of the performers. He
was going to do everything but advertise
that he wouldn't do. Alter he bad put up
the shutters he said he guessed the thing
couldn't be done without printers ink" !
guess that the reason that the Ohio. and
the tonrist have not been brought into
more intimate relations is largely owing to
meagre use OF printers ink. Your tourist
is the slave OF fashion. Make it fashionable
to 20 anywhere, and he will get there. The
North Pole is not q hopeless case ii itscan
be made fashionable. The fault must haye
begun long way back, for the habit OF npt
doing It has struck deep and taken firm
grip. I do not know that there ever
will be q reform; it is so hard 10
teach an old dog new tricks, and these
''sad sea dogs" who roam the Ohio
ape Joined to their old ways. And
then whose particular businessis Il? Nv ho
is so public spirited that he will spend his
money for the benefit Of people who won't
spend theirs? Suppose the steamboat men
were to pool their issues, employ a clever
writer to ''do up" the river from Pittsburgh
TO Cincinnati, illustrate the text put 1t all in
a neat little pamphlet and scatter it over the
country in hotels and railway stations =?
Well, 1 don't know what would come OF It,
The Long Island Sound steamers, the
Hudson River steamers, and others who
havetbeir eye on tourist travel have made
printers ink pay. What a pity to allow 30
much msjestic beauty 10 90 to, waste
A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT'S WHAT.
Coming down on Captain Lists St. Law
renee, OF deserved popularity, noticed a
well.fed looking gentleman Of advanced
years wao spent most Of his time on the
hurricane deck, who seemed to be trying
to perform the difficult feat OF keeping his
eyes on both banks and the broadening
prospect beyond. 1t came out that he had
travelled the world over, and now for the
first time looked upon the Ohio, which bad
been highly recommended to'his consid.
Grafton.
"What splendid viewl" he said; this
scenery Is stamped with variedIbeauty Of
which / had not dreamed. ! have never
looked with greater pleasure on any river
scenery, and had no idea that you had
such boats as this The world ought to
know about all this.mp y,. ,,,. .,ul
doubt whether there is elsewhere the
like combination Of natural beauty and
human activity. It is something TO be
unique. There was party on the St
Lawrence making the round trip 10 and
from Cincinnati, level headed people,, l
take It, who know good thing when they
see il. The St. Lawrence had what is called
a big passenger trip. At meal time the
long saloon was filled with tables and. the
tables with hungry people, who were also
filling. When we assembled for the grand
charge on the table Texpressed MY Bur.
prise at the strength Of the assaulting party,
and asked Captain List II he hadn't an
unusual number Of passengers. He said,
"No, not for a good stage OF water and
pleasant weather"
Do you know that the Ohio is infested
with pirates They steal the soap, towels
and pillow cases out 'ot the state rooms,
silver.plated knives and spoons from the
table, and indulge in other mild vagaries
OF that kind. l heard OF a woman who
stole one OF the red damask table covers
not from the St. Lawrence-and who, being
caught red.handed, 80 10 say, became con.
trite and confessed that she thought ID
would be o pretty shawl iforiher daughter,
who was "goin' TO meetin' now with q
young man who was courtin her." What
won't fond mother do for her child
THE STANDARD olh.coNPASY!s:E
Coming down met Col.W. P. Thompson,
son OF Judge G. W. Thompson, Of Wheel.
ing, on visit to his old home. Col.
Thompson is now living in Cleveland, The
Secretary OF the Standard Oil compan by.
"They say" that he has made $500 600 since
he went there, but we didn't talk on that
subject, and doubt whether 'fkey" know
how much he has made. am, sure he is
doing well. l volunteered some views,
which I have already expressed through
the ISTRLLIGENcER, concerning the Stand
ard on Company, asa good type Of mis-.
chieSous monopoly. = ~ -
SWELL" said Colonel. Thompson, ~ think
you would alter your opinion u you had a
better understanding of-the matter. The
Standard Oil Company was a commercial
necessity. 1t grew out, oil, the wretched
condition OF the oil industry II requited
clear headed business men with capital to
take hold, introduce new methods OF re :.
fining and marketing and to keep watch.
ful eye on the home and foreign markets.
1t Is my belief that II somebody had not
done what the Standard has done there
would be no health in the oil industry
to-day" III
/ suggested that the objection was not to
80 much as 10 methods and to GER
tain incidents Of those methods, for exam.
pie, the strangling Of individual enterprise
in refining; that nobody coEld object Is
men perfecting q great organization and
making money by it. pslb i
Col. Thompson replied:I 1We have
taken nothing for which we have not paid.
Where we have closed refneries we paid q
fair price, and we secured them, az, You
know, toicontrol what We could Of the pro.
duction. Certain things have been done
in the name Of the company which / do
not approve, and which were not directed
by the company. A great deal Of blame
has been put upon the company
. & 4. n = . i