Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-11-03
An Interesting Letter.

Virginia University. While it is in
tended only for ourselves, we do not
think its publication will interest our
readers less than it did us. We give
it verbatim:
BASKERVILLE. w. Va,
October %, 1892 {
Ny DEAR OLD FELLOW:
Human nature is prone to lie,
and because | have not bored you
with an uninteresting letter as | prom
ised when / left, you no doubt will
conclude that from one of the living
pictures of the human nature | re-
fer to. Since you yourself have
been at college you will appreciate
without any explanation that fell
low who goes to work has very little
time for such refinements as writing
to his friends, especially when he has
to make partially the funds neces-
sary to take him through. l have
wished lots of times that l could tell
you something about myself, but on
account of limited opportunities for
such pleasures, could not.
This is Sunday night and while /
have not gotten my recitations down
sufficiently well to make ten, yet /
am determined to spend some time
with you. | am 'fdone up" to-day,
because of dissipation yesterday at
game of foot ball, more properly,
a slugging, at Connelsville, Pa, be-
tween the w. Va. team and picked
team of the best foot ball men in
Western Pennsylvania. We have a
good eleven this year, and because
of a splendid victory last Saturday
we went to Connelsville, 100 strong
yesterday morning, in special cars,
expecting to wipe up the earth with
the Connelsville crowd. Even the
ride on the F. NJ. & P, which makes
about ten miles an hour, did not
subdue our spirit, although it mater
tally lessened our spirits. But, how
uncertain Is foot ball Instead of
the local team OF the place as We ex-
pected our boys found eleven of the
worst professionals they will encoun.
ter for long time, and SO to de-
scribes the result. Our boys didn't
do much but paste court plasters
over their heads and take whiffs of
the brandy bottle for the purpose of
clearing their brains. Our repre-
sentative to the next foot ball asso-
citation meet will advocate the intro
duction of an ambulance corps next
season. The following is the record
of the game: One broken collar
bone, one splintered rib, one twisted
jaw, one set of teeth knocked out,
two sprained ankles, two states of
uncounsciousness. | was reporting
the game, aid every time | looked
up from my pad saw a descending
fist in the air, and later interference
(by the police). Their interference
was fine and they tackled well.
Those of our boys who did not drop
all the money they had on the game
expended their months allowance on
big drunk, and the crowd coming
home was the modest ever got in
to. Foot ball may be sport and then
again it may not be. None of it in
mine, thank you.
I enjoyed the trip, nevertheless.
Connelsville is about 40 miles on
this side of Pittsburg and you have
doubtless read of the 'ConneIsville
Coke Regions" enough to know that
the coke industry is the principal
one in that section. Well, the town
looks as l,au ilul as load of coke.
For miles and miles around you get
to see nothing but coke ovens which
Notwithstanding the Wilson bill are
still in operation. But, neverthe-
less there is on every hand evidence
of miserable improvidence. One
used to even Bohemian luxury
would not stable his COW in the
houses where the employees live and
women and children are poorly
clothed and lean and hungry looking.
l do not know whether or not any
system of taxation is the cause of
such misery, but if could know 1t
is would give my vote to any sys-
tenn which will correct it. Over in
our part of the world we have the
poor. The Bible says we have them
with us always, but our people do
not appreciate that high degree of
prosperity characterizes the living
OF our poor when compared with the
living of these wretched people.
Half of the brightness was taken
from the ovens to me last night as
watched the flames from thousands
Of them like panorama of fireworks
mingle with the elements and / re-
f1ected that maybe half the families
of the operators might not have even
the light of small lamp by which
to go to bed. See of the grandeur
of such sight fade away in the
gloom Of such probabilities. 1t is
no wonder political parties ponder to
the prejudices and condition of such
people and inyeigle their ballot with
promises of relief. Misery, like a
drowning man, grasps at the most
feeble straw, and promises are just
as effective as performances.
l am working pretty hard this
year and get along very well in all
my classes. am carrying heavy
schedule and the weight is beginning
to tell on me, but l hope to pull
through alright. The change in the
W. Va. University since I was here
two years ago is as surprising as it
is gratifying. There is more college
spirit and more of everything that
makes up an educational institution.
The greatest change is in the class
of students. There are fewer Jasp-
ers and more gentlemen. Most of
the students now wear collars, and
blow their noses on handkerchief
custom that was not known when
/ was here before. OF course one
sees some impossible things in the
social department of a few, but the
vulgarities are fast dying of. The
club ] board at is called the Gentle
mans Club to distinguish it from
some others known as dissecting
rooms, from the skillful use OF knives
while eating. 1t is difficult to feed
the average W. Va. student upon
the fruits of civilization. IT. ia ike