The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1895-09-21
ELKINS AND WEST VIRGINIA.
The Senator tells How He Came to Set
tie in the Mountain State-Chanees
for Making Fortnnes-the Presidency


tie in the Mountain State-Chances
for Making Fortunes-the Presidency
From an interview by Frank G. Carpenter
"How did you come to settle in
West Virginia, Senator?"
There were variety Of reasons,p
replied Senator Elkins, land one is
that men, as they go on in life, nat
urally seek residences along the lines
where they were born. was born
in Perry county, Ohio, the same
county that produced General Phil
Sheridan. and not far from the Sher
mans and EwIngs. My father came
from Virginia. near here, and he
passed within a few miles of this
place when be emigrated to Ohio
People don't understand the latitude
of West Virginia. This State is
nearly northern State. 1t is only
100 miles from the lakes and seven
ty five miles from tidewater. Wheel
ing is in the latitude of Philadelphia,
and / am very near to the latitude
in which was born. Another rea-
son was that married a wife who
is West Virginian. / am also a
natural pioneer
81 was taken as baby to the west
and spent my boyhood near Kansas
City, in Missouri. When l became
a young man | went further west, to
New Mexico, and aided in its devel
opment. | lived for years in the
Rockies, and then, having made some
money in New Mexico, Washington
and New York, | found what | re
garded a great opening for me and
my boys in the 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. Il
began life as a poor boy, with moth
ing but my college education. have
made what | have without aid from
any source. / know / am set down
as man of large wealth. This is
not So | am comfortable, and have
an organized and promising business
to leave my children. l am not a
rich man in the sense of the rich
New Workers, but we have a great
property here in prospect and a
chance to do something. We have
altogether about 100000 acres of
coal and timber land, and we are
rapidly building up population
along the lines of our railroad. We
will probably extend our lines east
and put in a branch south to connect
with the Chesapeake d Ohio. We are
now sending our coal and coke to the
west, to the Atlantic seaboard and To
Mexico, and our supply is practical
ly inexhaustible When we came
into this region with the road the
most CT it was wilderness. 1t now
contains tens of thousands of people.
and it is just on the edge of its de
velopment. West Virginia is one OF
the richest States in the Union, and
| think it has a great future"
Senator, you have been a very
successful man. You started life
poor, and have yourself made great
fortune. | want to ask you if you
think the chances are, as good for
money making to day as they We're
when you began?"
"Of course they are" replied Sen
ator Elkins THE universal and
everlasting now is full of opportuni-
ties. 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 it's
possibilities are inestimable. This
country now has 100000, people.
1t will support 700,000,000, and I'M
Til it grows to that there will be in
numherable opportunities and un-
limited possibilities for fortunes and
fortune making.