Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-05-10
BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS.

the State, the objective points being
Fairmont and Morgantown. Taking
the II o'clock train over the b. u D.
Railroad at Martinsburg, the limited
express was soon whirling us toward
the mountains. After leaving Pied
mont there was remarkable change
in the evidences of spring. Although
trees in this county were in almost
full foliage, in the mountains they
were as bare and bleak looking as
though it were January. Over and
around and through the mountains
the train glided-up the famous Sew
enteen-mile Grade with two engines
snorting and putting, down the Cheat
river grade with only about two yards
twixt time and eternity-the ride was
a most pleasant one, varied by the
most delightful and picturesque seen
cry. The train arrived at Fairmont
about six O'Clock, and here we hung
up for the night. We found mum
Der of old and new friends here, among
them being Editor Ohley, of the Inder.
The attraction of the town for the
evening was Mrs. Belva Lockwood,
who delivered lecture on Washing
ton City and few hundred other
course, and our conclusion is that Bel
va will never be President Of the Uni
ted States.
Thursday morning we took an ear
ly train for Morgantown, twenty-five
miles further down the Monongahela
river. We were in good company, as
several committees of the Board of
Regents of the University had meet
ings on this day. DR.. W. w. Brown
represented Jefferson county at the
University. Prof. John A. Myers, Di-
rector of the Agricultural Experiment
tai Station connected with the Uni
versity, and several gentleman at
tached to that institution, took our
party in charge in the most hospita-
BILE manner. The center of attraction
was the Experimental Station. A new
creamery, under the superintendency
of Mr. Magruder, was in operation
Thursday morning for the first time,
and was crowded with interested Wis
itors and the people of the communi-
ty. The working of the creamery was
a success, and a practical test proved
that the butter was of excellent quail
ity. The visitors were shown through
the Station building by Prof. Myers,
under whose direction it was built. 1t
is well equipped in every way for the
work proposed, being provided with
all necessary apparatus required for
experiments, including also very
good library. But while the building
and its apparatus are all right, and
while Prof. Myers isa gentleman more
than usually well qualified for the po-
sition he holds, there is one thing, we
think, that will prevent the full de-
velopment of the scheme and the con-
sequent advantage it is designed to
give to the farmers of the State. This
is the lack of sufficient quantity of
suitable land. An Experimental Sta
ton should, above all things, have Il
large and fertile farm attached to it.
Experiments on patch of ground a
few yards square will not be of much
practical value What is wanted is d
liberal-sized tract of good land, where
full and complete tests of seeds and
all agricultural products can bemade.
Such lands, we believe, Morgantown
or the surrounding country do not af
ford. We understand that so far it
has been found impossible to obtain
even the required quantity Of land.
1t will be hopeless task to endeavor
to get the proper quality among the
hills of Monongalia. An enterprise
that promises to be of such vast i'm
portance to the agricultural interests
of the State should have every re-
quirement fulfilled for the practical
working out of agricultural ideas.
Surely the first of these requirements
is suitable soil and plenty of it. Stu
ated in a well-developed agricultural
section like Jefferson county, or the
fertile South Branch valleys, the Ex-
detrimental Station could be made a
most wonderfully beneficial thing for
our farmers. But its proper place is
not among the coal mines or oil wells
or grazing lands of the State-kept
there, its opportunities for good will
be very limited.
After few hours spent at the sta
ton Prof. Myers dined the visitors at
his handsome home, his agreeable
wife and charming sister Frightening
the occasion by their presence. Col.
Farnsworth seemed to be the lion of
the hour, and had a full stock of re-
miscences-chiefly snake stories-to
relate in his happy way.
Morgantown is an old town, and a
very pleasant place indeed. The most
wonderful thing to an eastern man is
its supply of natural gas. Piped from
the gas fields dozen miles or more
below town, this wonderful agency is
used almost exclusively now for light
ing, heating and domestic and me-
chanicaf purposes. The street lights
burn all the time-day and highland
they say it is actually cheaper to let
it burn continuously than to buy
matches to light it every evening. In
CRATES and stoves it makes gentle
blaze or roaring fire just as you want
it-all by the simple turn of a valve.
1t is inoffensive, convenient, cheap.
1t makes no smoke or dust. Indeed,
-, nna ,rot a ,va wara cboup a II 20 tb a +