Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-05-26
THE CITY OF LEXINGTON
Editor Independent

Believing that some of your read
ers would be interested in short ac-
count of this beautiful city of Ken
lucky, | take pleasure in penning
you an article in which / have at
tempted to portray some of the many
points of interest to be seen here. 1t
would require too much of your val
liable space to write at length upon
this subject and / shall attempt to
state as concisely as possible those
facts which / think would be most
interesting to your readers.
Lexington, KY, was settled April,
1879 by Col Robert Patterson, and
others who a few years afterwards
founded Cincinnati, Ohio. Lex
ington is now railroad center, east
ly accessible, being. on the Cincinnati
Southern, the great North and South
route, the Chesapeake and Ohio, the
great East and West route, the
Louisville and Nashville for the Mis-
sissippi Valley and the Kentucky
Central for the Ohio Valley. Other
railroads are now in prospect The
shipping facilities are now superior,
and they have at their doors, at low
freight rates, inexhaustible supplies
of coal, timber, iron and building
stone The city is in the heart of
the finest agricultural region in the
world, producing immense quantities
of grain, grass, tobacco and hemp.
this is the headquarters Of fine stock
breeding; the home of the trotter
and the thoroughbred, and is now
producing the finest blooded cattle,
sheep and swine. She is also the ac-
| knowledged commercial and educa-
tional center and the gateway to the
North, South, East and West, while
her Importance in the mercantile
world is of no secondary considera-
ton. She has water works, street
railroads, telephones, electric lights,
fire alarm, telegraph, free mail deliv-
cry, public library containing $4,000
volumes nine newspapers, 1.-TWO of
them daily twenty-five churches,
eight banks, having capital and
surplus Of between three and four
millions of dollars; Chamber of
Commerce, machine shops, lock and
novelty works, manufactures, ele-
giant new opera house. History re-
minds us that the place one square
from which this sketch is made is the
site of the firstshouse "Block House"
erected in this section of the coun-
try over century ago which was Of
ten the resort of Daniel Boone We
| are reminded, too, that only half
century ago this city was the largest
! town west or southwest Of Pittsburg,
and that Cincinnati, then in its in
fancy, was almost wholly dependent
upon it for supplies Few places, if
any, contains more matter for the
Historian than this city, and not
| withstanding it's drawbacks and be-
ing counted "slow" in the north, it
is, nevertheless, Intellectually and ar
tistically alive. Although great
| variety of business is carried on here,
you are happily impressed with the
| grateful absence of noise, smoke and
hurry. Every vehicle runs so quiet
| ly, every street so clothed, shaded
and adorned with majestic trees, and
every house wears such home look.
In ITO Virginia endowed the first
institution of learning in the west,
known as the Pennsylvania Universe
ty, (now Kentucky University in
| this section Of country which at that
time was part of that State Presi
dents Madison, Monroe and jackson,
| also La fayette and Edward Everett
have made it special visits, and with
Washington and other worthless
have have made it liberal donations.
It's graduates have moved conspicu-
ously in the history of our country
with both civic and polite dstinc-
ton. Thomas Marshall, Vice Presi-
dent Breckenridge and the eX-Presi-
dent Of the Confederacy, Jefferson
Davis, who was described to be
slender, fine haired young man; quiet,
unassuming and of very industrious
habits, with many governors. Sena-
tors, and eminent statesmen are its
graduates. At this time over two
thousand ale in the halls of learning
in this city. Her female colleges
Hamilton Sayre, and st GATHERINGS
Academy occupy quite prominent
place in the pride of her citizens.
We observe that an elegant new
Court House, built of solid granite
in the center of the public square,
now supplies the place OF the histor
ic quaint old edifice within whose
walls Clay, Barry, General Brecken-