Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-16
GENERAL OXLEY
Talks Entertainingly on the National
Guard aud state Development.

city, CHARTERED at the Windsor.
He SAYS the militia is in good,
healthy condition, with favorable pros
poets for the FIGURE.
How about the old companies that
have served put their enliStment?'
1.-The appropriation OF $4,000 by the
last Legislature has infused new life
and yigor ih the orgaZatiOn and will
tend 10 make the militia an honor to
the State. OF course it will make the
organization more efficient and will
have tendency to keep up the
membership. Most of the old COM
panies," said General Oxley, "have
been reOrgs nized and mustered into SER
vice again, aud others are preparing to
take similar action. There are some few
that have not manifested sufficient in
tereSt in the work to do so, but there are
more than five applications for new
companies to take the place OF each old
company not reorganized. So, by the
10th OF June, the full number of COM
panies allowed by law-that is twenty
ten to each regiment, will be in the
service and fully equipped.
"How soon and where do you expect
20 90 into campo?
"The encampment will be held about
the last week in August, or the first
week of September, and the place has
not been determined upon yet. The
main question to be considered in the
selection of site for encampment is
transportation of the men, and such
place will have TO be selected as the
men can reach.
Twill it be at or near some of the
cities Of our State?"
NO; il is expected to make the en-
campment a week of work and instruc-
ton: aud it being the first ever held
in this State, it will be necessary to put
in the whole time in drills and instruc-
ton in camp duties. 1t is thought that
this can be better accomplished away
from any city than near one"
Have you good material in your
ranks and are the officers Of the various
companies competent for their dutieS?"
"From personal observation can say
we have as good material for National
Guard a any State, and the men every
where are manifesting great inter-
est in the organization and work.
The officers, as u general thing,
are well qualified and attentive to their
duties; but as in all other new organiza-
tionS, time and experience are required
to reach perfection. Ii we are to judge
of our militia by the history of other
States where the experiment has been
tried, we must expect that more real
benefit will accrue both TO officers and
men from the one weeks service in
camp than from all the time and labor
they have heretofore spent in the
service"
General, you ought to know some
thing about the southern and eastern
parts of the State. Tell us how the bus
mess outlook is, and what are the evil
dences of developments"
The whole part OF the State you ask
about is truly on boom and from the
undeveloped natural wealth there and
the amount Of capital being invested by
both local and outside capitalists, there
can be no doubt but the boom is a
healthy, lasting one. 1t is the opinion
OF very large portion Of those who
have already made investments there;
that the boom has just fairly begun and
that this years business will show more
money made in those parts OF the State
than any previous year. We can never
let the outside world know what West
Virginia has unless the people come to
see. One of the good results of the
present boom is the bringing In OF capt.
talists from outside the State, who have
only to come and see for themselves that
this is the place for permanent, paying
investments.
.SHave the Investments in the boom
proven satisfactory, so far as you
know"
III correct statistics could be obtained
| think they would show very few In
stances of failure resulting from invest
ments in West Virginia timber or min
eral lands"
s.What about the Charlestown land
sales yesterday"
The sale was entirely satisfactory to
the stockholders and purchasers. The
REGISTER had a correct account Of that
in yesterdays paper. BY the way, |
spent Monday in MartinSburg and that
place is certainly moving along in way
which indicates that her people are
thoroughly awake, and If they don't
make bright future for their city,
then you can't judge from Indications
The location of the town, the quantity
and value Of the land owned by the De-
velopment and Improvement Company
and the business reputation of the men
who are putting their means and ener-
gieS into the enterprise, are bound to
make il great success.
Il can give you an illustration of how
some investments have paid in these
booming towns A farmer down in Mer-
Ger had good mule, which he rode to
Bluefield one day. A man approached
him and offered to give him lot 31X1o0
feet for the mule. The farmer became
very indignant; thought the man was
trying to Swindle him and left in disgust
for home He told his son about it and
the son saw what the old man had
missed. He proposed to his father that
he go and trade his mule for the lot, and
promised further that if the lot did not
prove satisfactory, ne wOnld let his IA
Their have his mare in place of the mule.
The old farmer followed his sons ad-
advice, got the lot, kept it just eighteen
months and sold it for $4,000"