Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13
Plenty of Coal and Few Colored
People in West Virginia.
LINCOLN And TIRE WAR GOVERNORS
Theodore TiIton and His Retired
Mode of Life.
FREMONT AND LONGFELLOW


have beer curiously modified. First, West
Virginia may be called the white state.
1t is essentially our Caucasian common
wealth, having a far smaller proportion of
blacks than any other southern state-a
proportion only one-ninth as great as that
Of the mother state, Virginia. / was there
seven days. and Travelled some hundreds of
miles, but saw only four negroes outside Of
the dining room at Grafton. 1t seems that
there never was any slavery in West Nir-
ginia to speak of, and that 1t was largely
settled by white men who escaped from the
expressions and cruelties of the institution
east of the mountains. The whites of West
Virginia do all the work there Is TO do. and
so they are growing up an Industrious,
hardy. self-relant, self-respecting race.
Secondly, West Virginia is rightly called
"the mountain state" 1t is more noun
famous than any other state east of Col
orado. not excepting Arkansas and New
Hampshire. There is hardly a square mile
of level land in the state, and the moving
machine has hard time of 1t. There Is an
enormous amount of undeveloped wealth in
the state. Under its 5000 square miles
there are, it is estimated 10000 square
miles of coal and it lies so near the sur
face and crops out SO frequently that every
farmer has an accessible coal mine near
his house, where fuel is cheaper and makes
q better fire than any wood IN the world.
1t costs about cent a bushcl to mine IT.,
believe. With its coal, iron, oil and gas,
its immense wood lands and its great
reaches of fertile valleys and hillsidos. West
Virginia offers to the farmer seeking a
home advantages probably UNSURPASSED by
any state east of the Rocky mountains.
In West Virginia | met Mr. William l..
Wilson, now seeking reelection to Congress
in the second district. The campaign is an
exceedingly hot one. The friends of Wilson
are speaking and singing. arguing ard yell
ing approval. The friends of his opponent
Mr.. Dayton of Barbour county, are con-
spicuous for thep silence and are conduct
ing a still-hunt for votes. State pride will
go far in giving Mr.. Wilson votes enough
to elect him, for 1t is felt by both parties
that thrCl gh his name and services West
Virginia has been placed upon a conspicuous
pedestal, and millions have become ac-
qUainted with her name who never before
heard it. Mr.. Wilson does not initiate the
western Congressman who Is canvassing
his district this fall in WORKOUT clothes to
catch the farmers vote. He wears his
usual garb, bue-black cutaway suit a.
slightly figured necktie inclcsing a standing
collar. and a smoke-colored soft hat
clutched together at the top. lie even
tethers his gold glasses by gold chain
His sensibilities are very easily moved by
the hurricanes of applause that meet him
everywhere, and the long iron-gray mus
tache cOmbed down over his mobile mouth
In an otherwise beartlless face, looks a little
more sedate than usual
/ asked him If he met any English lit
terateurs during his visit to London
Justin Mccarthy only" he sail Il
sought no new acquaintance and wished
no attentions. 1 went to rest"
by the way" he added, Il see that
Holmes Is dead. 1t leaves a gap, which
cannot be filled in this century. His mantle
VIII be hung up. l sat at his left a year
or two ago as he was presiding at the Sat
urday Club In Boston. He was an ideal
host. l was even more impressed by his
readiness, vivacity and tact than by his
wit, for man may have Wit and lack all
Of these. He was an Incompatible writer
but suppose he will have an adequate sue
cessor sometime, for there are q good many
promising young men at the front and
every generation seems sufficient TO itself"
Speaking OF Holmes reminds me how gra-
cious he was, and how careful to answer all
his correspondents. Two years ago Miss
Josie r. Nichols of this city published a
bright and sympathetic arac:erization of
his work, closing with serious poem Of
the same measure and name as his, The
Last Leaf" DR.. Holmes at once acknowl-
edged his admirers tribute, as follows.
Boston, 296 Beacon street. Oct 20 1892
My dear Miss Nichols: l thank YOU for
Your very kind words in prose and verse
They maize me feel younger and brighter
and do me good after SO many sad months
as l have been having. Yes, I feel as IL
there is something yet left TO live for, and
a few gracious words from an unknown
friend. who knows me through my books
are better than any prescription to bring
back my spirits and make and keep me
cheerful and content.
Very sincerely yours.
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
Governor Curtin is laid to rest. / re-
member him chiefly from the circumstance
Of his having got me into trouble on a not
able occasion. 1t was in 1862, think, in
the hard stress OF war. The south had
shown unexpected energy and activity and
the north clamored for a new call for
troops. through its thousand newspaper
voices. In this exigency the governors of
the loyal states assembled at WASHINGTON
to argue the case" with Mr.. Lincoln, as he
would have expressed 1t. 1 was then in
charge of the New York Tribune bureau
here ard wanted to get n full account Of
the meeting. That morning / met Gov
Buckingham of Connecticut and told him
that | must find out what took place at
the conference
"All right" said the obliging governor of
my native state I'm tell you all about 1t
when we get through; but why don't you
go? l don't see any objection"
/ asked him where the conference was
to be held, and he said at the White House
at IL o'clock.
took my leave and called at the White
House. There 1 explained to Col. Nicolay
my needs, and he said: II don't know
whether the conference is private or not
Go in and ask the President"
1 went in, found Mr.. Lincoln at his desk
and told my errand.
''Well. young man." he said, Il haven't
the slightest objection. l don't know what
Is to be done or said, but as far as I'm
concerned there is no secrecy. You NAY
give 1t to the people Just as quick as You
want to-"
Thus encouraged. Intercepted Gov
Buckingham at the door and entered the
conference with him. Seats had been ar
ranged for the Interview by bringing in
chairs and placing them i'm rows across
what is now President Cieveiand's chief
audience room. Mr.. Lincoln met the gov
ernors at the door, and shook hands with
all as they filed in. Tho room was pretty
full as I made my way to the chair under
the larboard side Of our tall Yankee exec
utive and chuckled at having got ahead OF
our brazen checked contemporaries.
All went smoothly at first, and 1 might
have stayed all day If had concealed the
paraphernalia of my trade and preserved
my usual solemn gubernatoriai demeanor
But II occurred to me right there that this