The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-07-08
The City Of Columbus.

! Letter from Hon j. IL. Outh~
waite, responding to the toast, at
Editorial Banqnetin Cha rIeston,
West Virgitia, June %, 1856
Mr.. Green, Chm. Com. Arrangements
t DEAR SIR 1t is with sincere
! regret that | must decline the in
vitation 10 accompany your Assnci-
ation upon lis summer excursion to
West Virginia. | appreciate as a
honor the courtesy shown me by the
invitation. | am detained by public
duties which are of so imperative a
character to forbid my absence at
his time. | feel that l cannot mens
ure in words the loss of pleasure
that Is mine in being deprived Of
the genial. bright, intelligent com
pany of the occasion. | should
have. deeply enjoyed visit to'the
Capital city of our sister State.
West Virginia. From your assign
ment TO me of the toast, The City
of Columbus infer that il was cx
pected | should do the proud for our
own Capital IN the interchange OF
verbal clvilties. | do not know how
many good things could and ought
TO be said on the festival occasion
of its entertainment of your Associ
alton, but it would he slow tongue
and dull mind that would fail un-
der the proper stimulus of The social
board to pour forth great deal of
happy thought and eloquent praise
of our own Capital city. Situated
as it is in the heart OF ono of The
most fertile regions in the Union.
near the great coal fields of the
Hooking Valley, with its rich min
eral ores in exhautless abundance,
and right in the pathway of travel
from cast to west, 1t could scarcely
help being vigorous, growing, en-
terprising, intelligent and opu'ent
community, While its citizens
take pride in being residents of the
Capital of the great State of Ohio,
it is well to reflect that it is not as
a political center that it Claims lis
greatest glory. Nor has its prosper
ity been to any great extent the re
suit Of its prominence as the seat of
State Government, Whilc We have
enjoyedssthe presence and possibly
the profit Of the splendid institu-
tions of The States provision for un
fortunatcs, it is not from such sour
ces that our best progress has flown.
Our city was not in the food tide of
prosperity until after ether favor
able resources arose. The railway S
from the east a.d The west brought
slow accretIons Of wealth and pop
ulation. But when enterprise turn
ed with bright eyes and willing
hands to the valleys and hills of the
south and southeast, a greater era
of rapid growth than the city had
ever known before at once began.
When railroads penetrated tho rich
fields of Fairfield and PIckaway
and wound their way through the
buried wealth of Perry and Hook
ing, and brought to our markets
The abundant ba-vests of both, we
started upon the career which has
given us the steady and substantial
advance, in which we take pride.
Our advance as a manufact uring
and commercial city could not have
teen so great, had not agriculture
with the products of her farms and
floeks, and mining with her coal and
oras have been thus brought near
er to us. thrust 1T will not be 900
esotistical to sly for this Capital
city of ours, that it has drawn to
itself from the surrounding regiUirs.
not only much material wealth, but
also many of their best men /; for
others have sprung up and filled
their places. ANY one who is a
long resident of the metropolis of
this dirtrict have mentioned, must
become at least a little elated over
the rehersal of its attractions. and
as the present Repres .ntative of
this Capital district of Ohlo-a dis
trict so rich in its varied resources
and SO strong IN the high character
of its citizenship, I feel that one
may truly say of it-"equalled by
few and excelled by IL one."
Again expressing my sincere re
gret that | cannot be with you, l
am Truly Yours,
JOS. II. OUTHwAITE.