Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-18
The West Virginia Gas Company
Drilling Towards wheeling,
Schools and Colleges, BUSINESS
Houses and Prominent Firms.
A..Mattsr Of Fact Boom, and Sensl-
BILE Community.
orrsspondens Of as Duly Register.

CtrreSpondence Of As Duly Re1isfer.
WASHINGTON, Pa. May l5-had that
venerable body, the Virginia House Of Bur.
gesses, shown the same amount Of pluck
IN upholdiug its claims that il did ingen.
uity in construins the terms Of the grant
made by King James the /. 10 the London
Company, this article would be headed
Washington, Virginia, or rather West Vir-
sinis, instead OF Washington. Pennsylvania.
Every person, OF course, is aware how that
good Queen Bess" made Q grant OF the
Virginiss 10 Sir Walter Raleigh and Others.
Bye and bye, for some reason or other, that
great but foolish King James ]. saw it to
make two more grants covering the land
given to Raleigh. One Of these grants to
the London Company was known % that
Of Northern Virginia, and was some.
what ambiguous rs to its boundary on the
west, but by liberal construction.
and to the idea of the
Virginia Burgesses. it took in large swe. p
OF the Monopgahela Valley; aud included
much il not all Of Washington county.
For years the Virginia and pennsylvania
Legislatures squabblsd about the boun-
Garies, and the people in the debAtabls
lands were LETT in blissiul uncertainty o. 10
which king" they owed allegiance. The
original settlers were mostly VirglniAns by
birth, and consequently q decided prefer.
ence, in Washington county at least, Vas
evinced for the claims and sovereignty Of
their mother State During the time Of
Lord Dunmore CT we are not mistsken)
the people took the oath OF Alleeienos to
Virginia, acknowledged her sovereignty
and paid taxes to her coIleclorA Old
maps show this part Of P.nnsylvauia to be
included in the district Of West
Augusta, and the county OF Ohio.
both OF which vera at the lime part Of vir-
ginis. The people adopted the courtly
style and generous manners OF the old
Dominion; slavery was established, and he
Pennsylvania claims were not looked upon
with much favor. But whether they met
with favor or not, matters little. Tkcy
we're pushed with vehemepce and upheld
with pluck, and finally after many v,c.ssi-
tudes, and numerous episodes, some of
which were quits wsrlke in character, the
present boundary was forever established,
and tie claims Of Virginia finally lost. On
the principle, however, that everything
good belongs TO Virginia; Washington and
Washington county is undoubtedly . part
Of cur State. The fine, rich rolling bills.
and fertile valleys. the clever, hospi,sble
class Of people who own and
develop them-All these are too
TOO grand and too productive TO belong TO
such rough and sterile section ~ West.
ern Penpsy lvanis, II this 10 not the case.
the claim can ut least be advanced that
Washington county 10 part Of Virginia;
possessing q Virginia climate and owned.
cultivated nnd developed by descendants Of
many OF the old Virginia families; but ua.
fortunately Tor us, 10 located in PsnnsyL
vsuia. Deny ths, II you can. ye Washing.
tonisnsi
The present county Of Washington vas
erected a. such March 2S, 1881. The
land on which the town nov stsrds was
preempted. or settled rather by Abrsksm
Margaret and Joseph Hunter Immediately
after il Was seeded 10 The whites BY tho
Indians upon the signing Of the treaty Of
Fort S.anvix. The warrants of the
Hunters we're dated June 18th, 1863. and
were sold by them 10 one, David Hogs.
who built house, and 10 1871 laid ont .
town, consisting Of straight broad streets
crossing each ether at right angles. and
which be named Bsssetts Tosn. after .
Richard Bassett . kibsmsn Of bis, and .
prominent politician In those times. The
name, however, was soon changed from
Bssss,t's Town TO Washington. and such
IL has continued ever since. The
ugly and 10 Wsshintoniaus) ut.
pleasant prefix Little has been some
times used in designating the city in dis-
tiDctien from the numsrous other Wsshing-
tons that exist in different parts Of tba
land. II is uncslled Tor, unnecessary sud
uDgensrous TO use It. Washington VS.
the frst town in the United States Of that
name % We were informed
by good authority, 10 b
named in honor Of the IMMORTAL and nm
equaled George. All other wsshinetoas
they ere mcss In number than the hairs
Of O mans head are base limitations, psw
corners, tenderfoots, late arrivals, msvss.
icks. strays. bohemisps, when compared 10
this, the only true. original, ancisst and
historic Washington. Tho Cspi,ai of the
United States even 10 many yssSs behisd
this Penpsylvanis city ia the adoption Of
is name. Ho7 thooehtlesa, th<n. 70 ne
Little" 10 speaking OF the first and oaIy.
Washington 10 q very attractive place;
neat, clean, we'll bpik and up 10 the times
in all respects. 10 the way Of private rzsi
depees, il can bosst Of some OF the assd
somest to be found iu Penpsylvsaia The
business blocks on the main street. are ssch
e. would do credit % city many times IN
sizs, vhiie tie schools and colleges for
Which "%sshipaton 10 famous are nsgui6
Gently equipped ip the way Of buiIdings
Indeed Trinity Hall possssses aa outfit ID
this respect which is exceeded only ny th'
Stewart foundations st Garden City. LopJ
Is!apd. sod ST. PaulS scsool ss Con
cord, New Hampshire. Ths builiipes %,
grounds Of Trinity Hall repssaes
an inysstsept Of over 500
600. and are the result OF the hbor
Of such celebrated architects - heKin
Reed, and Hale of Ne~ York. WashipGio'
and Jefferson College standing in II
midst Of splendid campus. .possessea lasRs
. fine and commanding buildings; pIsasis
to the eye ssd magnificent N propo'
tons. Washington Seminary y also up Il
surroundipgs in this rsspsct, vhile tbs pol
he schools are. everything thai eoald B
. e1petsd Tie bank boinise Of sAsss
o Hsziets, Eq, and thss Of the Estiral
|. Bank adjoining h, tss Caldwell b'o.s -
1 the elseast store sf W. w. Smith y Soay ~
. aps speciuess Of modern bsilisss. -
give tone and Style to ths set;se tow.
q Tts natural iEpoks q Washiagtoo
. scholastic, gust ard disAtsa b dBsssl
!. veil; behaves sp!sndizs. sssa pnSees .
q circns days. and lssas ; psnesfsi - -
u Efs. Far ton TIE disquiaiaG seon