The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-06-15


ests rs Described Below.
Noah Webster, no doubt, was one
Of the brainicst men that ever lived,
and, as known by all, he compiled.
arranged and published a dictionary.
In this great work of his it was his
object to fix and set up a standard
that should in future years govern
and control all English speaking pco-
pie in regard to the proper and cor
rect way of spelling all words then
in use. Not only did he undertake
this, but the still greater Hcrculcan
task Of defining and explaining the
meaning Of each and every one
OF the many different thousands of
words contained in his great book.
This work of his was commenced
many years ago-for it has been
about 135 years since he was born,
and lie died about SO years ago-and
Mr.. Webster, although wise, was
not wise enough in every instance to
give the definition Of every word, and
at the same time feel thoroughly
satisfied, or know that the same
would thoroughly cover the case one
hundred and thirtyfvc years hence.
Take one little word with three let
tiers to be found in his dictionary
-LlE-and his strongest definition
of it is: "To utter falschOod with an
intention to deceive, or with an I'M
moral design. To exhibit a false
representation; to say or ito that
which deceives another, when he has
right to know the truth, or when
morality reqires just representations
Now, at the time Mr.. Webster at
tempted to explain this little word
Mr.. J. n. Walker--whoevcr Mr.. D..
n. Walker may be--was not born,
neither had any Of his kind ever
been seen or heard of in the land.
Had such been the case instead OF
spelling it die it would have been
spelicd 81. n. Walker then, when
low-down, mean, malicious state
mcnt had been made; one that was
as black as the blacklist midnight
darkness of perdition; one that was
SO Internally contemplate and often
sivc that it almost tainted the air III
which it was repeated, it would have
been properly recognized and known
as a 81. N. Walker" instead of lie.
The following is clipped from the
Cincinnati Tribune, of June 7th:
"GAUNT sTAnvATIoN-3,0 600 SOULS IN
TIE VILLAGE OF BIG STONE GAP, VA,
LEFT WORSE THAN DESTITUTE
"Thc substitution at Big Stone Gap, Va.
has been referred to in the papers lately,
but no adequate idea of the real condition
of things has been published.
ID. N. Walker returned last night from a
trip through the South in the iron Inter
est, and being called OH by II Tribune re-
porter, said q was in Big Stone Gap
Monday morning aud found most piiiful
state OF things. The recent failures there
havr practically hankruptcd the town and
the Immediate meiyhhorhnod. 1t is w"rS"
than bankruptcy; it is starvation. The
Bi. Stone Gap Improvement Company
failed Il month ago, aud last week the
the Aupnlachiam Steel g. l-un Works went
under Their liabilities aggregate over
$750,000, and their assets N. practically
nothing. The two establishments en-
ploycd between five and six hundred men
the cntirc working force of the village.
ut is u scattered mining town Of about
5000 population, in among the hills, with
little agricultural country around it. The
merchants and shopmen depended wholly
OH the wages of the employees of these TIVE
large establishments, and not one OF them
is able to give credit long, even if fhcre
were hopes Of the workmen sometime
paving These shops were in debt to their
men before their assignment, and cOnse-
qucntly few Of the latter have any money.
Even those that have it can't buy any
thing, for the merchants arc in the same
boat with themselves and there is moth
ing to buy. The whole place is paralyzed
The people are destitute largely even OF
clothing and the only food even the ahlest
OF them have is coarse corn bread mixed
with water. These people have no money
with which to go away and none to live On
If they stay, and there seems none to help.
The complete collapse Of the only indus
cries in the place have NOT only wrecked
che community, but bound the people to
che rock. A more hopeless, helpless con-
dition can scarcely he imagined"
1t is not believed here that there
is any such person as j.