The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-01-19
TO Hon. w. l.. Wilson, M. G.

constituents, and to indicate what W,
believe to be the public sentiment il
regard to this matter, and what the,
are expecting of you as their servan
and representative in this behalf.
1t has now been about ten years
since the United States Government
undertook the work of improving thu
Monongahela river and rendering il
navigable as one Of the important
public highways of the country.
1t was not very formidable I'M
dertaking or necessarily one of large
expense. 1t required but the con
struction Of two or three dams and
locks to give stage of water that
would open to the markets Of the U
s. one of the richest coal, mineral
and timber regions in the world and
make it tributary to the wealth, com
fort, convenience and prosperity oil
that vast population which is settled
along the banks and spread over the
great valleys of the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi.
The building of these two or three
little dams was therefore, work OF
not only national Importance but OF
great local necessity, in that it was
the main and only dependence of the
people Of large section Of northern
West Virginia and southern Penn
sylvania by which to utilize and de-
velop the vast mines Of wealth in
their possession but also to enable
them to contribute to the resources
of their sister States.
But how has this important and
urgent public enterprise been CON
Quoted? Instead Of making an APP
preparation sufficient to cover the
expense and ordering the work to be
done with all possible dispatch, Con
gess began doing out a small an
nual pittance, just sufficient to keep
a small force of men at work between
the intervals of the sessions, and en-
abling them to quit at point in
their work each year where good
part of it would be washed out and
destroyed by the floods, before the
next appropriation was available.
Thus the work has been extended
and delayed and bungled and dam
aged and made costly and harrassing
and exasperating through ten long
tedious, and tortuous years.
What is the condition now? A
dam has been built at the head of
the work, leaving the space between
It and the Navigation Company's
works below, entirely unnavigable-
even worse than before it was put
there. 1t is Of no special value to
the river above it, for the boats can't
get to it from below, and if they were
above it they could not get back.
What part of it has not been washed
away is standing there simply as an
to the river above and
below and can be of no service to
anybody or for any purpose until an
other dam is built in the intervening
space. 1t serves, however, as a mon
ument of the dilly-dallying, shiftless,
thriftless, penny-wise- and pound fool
ish policy the Government is pur-
surfing in regard to this important
public enterprise.
Now, the object of this letter is to
say TO you frankly, freely and as for
chilly as we can, that your constitu-
ents in this end of the district are
expecting-yea, they are demanding
that you will secure an appropria-
ton for the completion Of this work
during the present session of Con
gress. They are expecting and de-
handing that you and your col
leagues from this State shall make
this matter one of the chief, if not
the very first and foremost, as it is
the most important, part of your mis-
sion as their representative in the
national Congress. We propose to
have our eyes upon you, and If this
thing fails from any neglect or want
of craftsmanship on your part you
will please accept this as notice, duly
and returned, to pack your
traps and get your grip-sack ready.
Winter Excursion Tickets.
In view of the increasing popular
ity of winter trips to the sea side and
to Florida, and the demand for round
trip tickets to the prominent resorts,