The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-28

readers at home, but which has been,
and is, constant source Of annoyance
and modification 10 q number OF Wheel
ingites who, while residing In other cit
les, still look upon the Mail City" as
their home.
What | refer to is the apparent de-
light some one individual or class Of in
diyiduals inf Wheeling seem to take in
furnishing the leading newspapers oil
the country through special dispatches,
with exaggerated aud highly colored ac'
counts OF crimes OF the most vile, blood
thirsty and atrocious character commit
ted, or alleged to have been committed
in the city and throughout the State,
These sensational articles are all dated
Wheeling, W. Va. ltmatters not where
the crime was committed, whether in
the interior OF the State or even on the
extreme borders. The journals OF the
country are invariably made acquainted
with the facts through Wheeling, This
may be the popular idea OF enterprise
among q certain class OF news gatherers,
but can Wheeling afford to DO advertised
throughout the country In this manner
The lSTRLLIeENcER, as the leading news
paper Of the State, has always been alive
10 the best interests OF the State and OF
the people, has done all In its power TO
encourage immigration and the develop
ment OF its mining and manufacturing,
MS well US its commercial interests, and !
think ! can conscientiously say has
always protected and upheld its morals,
and Tor this reason alone, II no other, It's
editors ought to have the encouragement
and support OF all the fair minded and
law respecting citizens Of the State, !
wish particularly to call your attention
to report furnished the Philadelphia
Pres by Ext Chief ofPolicO Portersmith,
which by its own showing makes Wheel
ing out tho worst city, morally, in the
United States,
What an enviable reputation 10 have
abroad. Even il the statement OF the
ex.Chief OF Police can bo proved by sta,
tistiCs, (which | very much doubt,
think the citizens Of Wheeling will agree
with me when | say that the report
shows at least a lack OF consideration for
the welfare Of the city, aud certainly
very little appreciation, to say nothing
OF gratitude, in MIR, Smith for the Office
given him by the people, However un'
firing in their.elIorts the INTRLLluENcRR
and that worthy body Of citizens COM
posing the Chamber Of Commerce may
be, to advance the interests OF the city
OF Wheeling and the State OF West Viz
ginia, it is plainly evident that peace
loving and law.0biding people can hard
ly be induced to invest capital, much
less become citizens and residents Of a
city and State reputed to be so utterly
corrupt In its morals, OF course the Gdl,
tors oil the IETELLIGENCER have not failed
to notice among their exchanges from
time to time, the telegraphic commune
cations ! have referred to, and they real.
lie, OF course, Us / do, tho difficulty oil
preventing their recurrence and rePeti-
ton In the future, but must confess
surprise to learn that any oil our city oili-
Clals would contribute to such IN unen-
viable notoriety.
With all our natural advantages, and
the many inducements held out by
Wheeling and the State OF West VIZ.
ginia to the workingman and capitalist,
II crime Is so alarmingly on the increase
as to Justify the classification she has re.
ceived, ! fear the honest endeayors oil
her best citizens to "boom" tho city, so
particularly noticeable within tho past
few years, will hardly prove as effective
as We had every reason to believe they
would.
Hoping you will in time be able to
correct, In a measure, the unjust i'm:
preston which seems to prevail abroad
that Wheeling Is the "wickedest small
city in the country" Is the sincere
wish OF a
FRIEND AND FORMER WHEELlNdIrE.
PHILADELPHIA Feb. %, 1880.