Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-05-11
rnE slsrrEsv1LLE slruArloN.
What Citizen OF That Place says of Sen
sasional Stories IN the Pittsburg Papers.
SISTERSvuLF. w. VA. May Q.


What Citizen OF That Place says of Sen
sasional Stories In the PIttsburG Papers.
SIsTERsvuLE, w. VA, May Q.
10 tAs Editor OF ne RsgsStsr:
SIR:-The hearing OF the sporting
men, who were arrested last week,
took place yesterday at Friendly,
but as the prosecuting witness,
A. Braggner, had broken jail
and skipped, the case was dismissed.
The better class OF citizens here are
very Indignant over what they term a
olackmailing scheme and express them
selves very emphatically on the subject.
a REGISTER reporter interviewed DR..
w. Il. Gillespie, the city treasurer and
superintendent of police, this morning
and he expressed himself in the follow
ing language:
"Our citizens SEQ so many misleading
and untruthful articles in the PittSburg
ard other city papers concerning our
town, its officers, citizens, etc, that we
naturally feel disguised, but lately we
have been considering the source Of said
articles. The old citizens OF this place
are OF course a good deal as they al
WAYS have been; for human character
does not change in a day. The change
ia the situation here is OF course due TO
oil development, and the immense mum
Der OF strangers attracted here. The
largest proportion of the newcomers
are active, honest and able bushes men
snd excellent citizens.
Another large number are regular
followers Of the oil field, bumpers, drill
lerS, teamsterS, etc, who work hard
while on duty, but when of of duty in
dUlge Ia drinking, gambling and other
designations; and experience has shown
that they do that in every oil field, re-
CARELESS Of legal restrictions or enact
ments. Then, of course, the class OF
men who furnish these different means
Of dissipation and seif-grati6cation, fol-
low every oil field, and these last named
are again arranged into two classes.
The most respectable Of these classes
conduct their illegal business in as or
derly manner as is possible for such
business, and pay the heaviest fines
without grUmbIing, aud thus assist In
paying for water works, sewerage, etc,
and other improvements which will out
last the oil field. In the event OF de-
termined attempt TO crush out this
class, the attempt would be successful
In one sense and unsuccessful In an
other The more decent and respect
able Of the classes would quit business,
and Immediately be succeeded by the
lower and habitualiy criminal class.
The might bugs" who are attracted
here By the glare OF the great gas jets,
who pay no fines, defy the officers and
sell bad whisky on the dead run,
and in back alleys and among
the dark willows of the river bank.
Men who are awake and prowliug
around while honest men sleep, and
sneak TO their hiding places when day
light appears; who make trouble and
danger for the police department, and
furnish TO means 20 provide for the
payment of said officers.
The oil field and its followers are like
an army In "a strange country; they take
with them their wagon train and equip
ments Of every kind, both 20 provide
for legitimate business, as well "a TO
furnish the means of gratifying their
various designations and amusementS.
The officers OF this town have tried the
extreme and repressivo method OF root
ing out Legitimate business, and found
that IL involved more disorder, more
drunkenness, more rioting than ever be-
fore, with no money 10 pay expenses.
We finally felt compelled TO acknOwl-
edge that we were confronted by sit
uation which, though bad, was never
theless fact, and recognizing that, we
have o good faith tried 10 make the
best out OF the situation such as II Is.
The different articles in the papers
rejecting upon the management o. the
town, have frequently emanated from
thought,ess people who imagine like
Don Cuixole that they could make
everything better and possibly improve
on the management OF the Almighty.