The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-10-11
EtkiSs And WEST VIRGINIA.
me sena,or tells How He Came %
Settle inthc Mountain State \
Chances for Making For.
times.


How did you come to settle
in West Virginia, Senator ~
There We're a variety Of rea-
sons" replied Senator Ellsins.
and one is, that men, as they 90
in life, naturally seek residences
along the lines where they we're
born. was born IN Perry conn.
", Ohio. the same county that
produced Gen. Phil Sheridan.
and not far from the Shermans
and Ewings, Ny father came from
Virginia, near here, and he
passed within a few miles Of this
place when he emigrated TO Ohio.
People northumberland the lati.
tude of West Virginia. This
State is nearly a Northern
State. II is only 100 miles from
the lakes, and seventy five miles
from tidewater. Wheeling i in
the latitude of Philadelphia and
] am very near TO the latitude in
which ! was born. Another rea.
son was thar | married a wife
who was a West Virginian. /
am also o natural pioneer
Il was taken as a baby to the
west ana spent my boyhood near
Kansas City, in Missouri. When
] became q young man / went
further west, to New Mexico.
and aided in its development. I
lived for years in the Rockies,
aud then, having made some
money in New Mexico, Washing.
ton and New York, / found what
! regarded a great opening for
me and my boys in development
OF West Virginia. The State is,
you know. in many parts as wild
as the west. | have my four
boys here. They are learning
how to do business. even while
going through college, and they
can live here away from cities
and make men of themselves.
You ask something about my
wealth, senator Elkins went on.
II began life as a poor boy with
nothing but my college education,
/ have made what have with.
out aid from any source. j know
/ am set down as a man Of wealth.
This is not SO. lam comfortable
and have an organized and prom.
ising business TO leave my child.
ren. ! am not rich man In the
sense OF New Workers, but we
have a great property here in
prospect and a chance to do
something. We have altogether
about 10000 acres of coal and
timber land, and we are rapidly
building up u population along
the lines of our railroad. We
will probably extend our lines
east and put in a branch south
to connect with the the Chesa.
peake & Ohio. We are now send.
ing our coal and coke to the west,
to The Atlantic seaboards and 10
Mexico. and supplyis practically
inexhaustible. When we came
into this region withthe road the
most of it was wilderness. 1t
now contains tens of thousands
Of people. and it is just on the
edge of lis development. West
Virginia is one of the richest
States in the Union, and | think
it has great future.
Senator, you have been a
very successful man. You start
ed life poor, and you have your
self made great fortune.
want to ask If you think the
chances are as good for money
making today as they were when
you began q
"of course they are, replied
Senator Elkins. 1.-The universal
and everlasting now is full of OPP
portunities. 1t fairly bristles
with them. The world is Just on
the edge of it's development.
Take the matter of electricity.
1t promises to change everything
under the sun, and its possibili.
ties are inestimable. The coun.
try has now 20, 100000 of people,
1t will support 100000. 600, and
until 1t grows to that there will
be innumerable possibilities for
fortunes and fortune making.p
From an inteTriet0 M Frank a.