The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-25
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mand for my personal attention over
our stock md ranches has made It i'm.
possible, tho past two years, to afford
myself tho pleasure Of a visit homo;
which heretofore has been a semi.
annual privilege and delight. Business,
however, wifi call me to Chicago with a
train OF fat cattle about tho last or mid.
do OF February, and a iew days thoro.
attor | hope to DO once moro upon my
native heath" shaking hands with my
friends. and it will be with n feeling OF
especial delight aud assurance, bcgot Of
a consciousness that I was risht-it a
little preyious-ior could l not say,
truthfully. II told you so," for away
back In 'S4did | not take tho iniatory in
the work that has eventually placed our
little Mountain State In line, with her
undeveloped millions Of mineral and
timber wealth, to claim the fostering
care OF that grand old party that will
protect and develop her RESOURCES and
enrich her people?
Peculiarly. Of all people should It BIO
the duty OF every Weat Virgin
iau to be 4 protectionist, If there 10
any justification in Helf preservation.
So pronounced and overwhelming In
the assurance Of West Virginia's great
future and 80 great and many are her
natural (yet undeveloped) advantages
encouraged as they will be, by a protec-
tive form OF government, that to enter.
prising aud ambitious youth no state.
in the union oilers better opportunities.
Having spent some ten or twelve
years in the west, land with
some considerable succesu), vet l
am satisfied had l put forth tho
same energies in my native state
and tho success Of '9i had been accom-.
plished in "a (tor which l labored and
hoped) fully rs much good and prosper.
ity might have followed. The princi.
pies have been indicated for which l
thon fought and made many sacrifices.
wen giving up my citizenship to my
native state, and adopting Horace Greel.
ey's advice to go WEST young man."
but now that things have come nv way
both hero and there. and ii l am able
to control some OF the circumstances l
may reconstruct the old adago so as to
read: go east Young man. and again
renew early relations aud first love.
This consideration you must not
infer as the result OF tho reports
OF the dire distress, want aud
restitution that exist among the
people OF some sections OF our state, for
that is only local, aud | am fortunate in
not being in tina. locality. The distress
reported is in the extreme western part
OF the state, aud in locations were it is
thinly settled comparatively, therefore
but few OF Nebraska's citizens are act
ually in want, more than AZ the result
OF the general national depreciation in
trade. The district in which the crops
have failed for the past two or three
years was never intended by nature as
q farming or agricultural country, and
1t has only been by the misrepresenta.
tions OF land and railroad agents that
these unfortunate people ever located,
intending to follow farming. II tho
land was lett in its native and original
grasses it would derive the purposes
nature intended it for, viz, the grazing
and feeding OF stock, which it has done
and yielded remunerative profits to the
herders before the homesteader located,
and who OF late for years labored and
lost, and lost and labored, always hop.
Ing, and feeling al occasional will.o,-
wisp assurance to struggle on again,
until hopes deferred, all energy spent
and starvation staring him and his
family in the face he must give up. and
he has nothing left, ior the years OF his
labor haa been for not. 1t Is only a
matter Of time until these lands again
will be used for tho grazing and herding
OF stock alone, AMI then they will yield
such benefits to mankind as nature in.
tended them to do.
Such conditions Of land and people
can In no way apply 10 eastern Ne
brnska or any part of it lying properly
within the ranZe OF what is known as
the Corn Belt" or such dia,ricts as
have been practically irrigated. Where
/ am located, in tho southeastern part
in the Platte river valley about midway
between Omaha aud Llncoln, in Saund-
ors county, We were blessed with a com.
para,ively good CROP, and. in fact, n
fuller has never been known here.
Especially on the bottoms, or valley
lands Iong the Platte, OF which mine
are composed entirely, it yielded a lair
crop OF corn aud small grains and II first
class crop Of hay this year, placing us,
thanks 10 kind Providence, in Il posi-.
ton TO extend some help to our moro
unfortunate neighbors. That tho con-
dition Of the western part OF tho state is
absolutely destitute and barron OF hu.
man or animal food there is no denying.
Starvation has already stripped the
land OF it's live htock, and tho samc fnte
has relieved a few OF the people thus
suffering, whilc it stares the balance in
the face and la inevitable II liberal and
prompt assistance is not given them.
You may say, why do they not leave?
They cannot with no means OF trans.
portation, woak, half starved and half
clothed. with tho broad, open, bleak
and barren prairie extending for miles
on every side. and not a blade Of grass
or tree, and possibly no other habita-
ton in sight. What human sou! could
have tho courage, In mid winter and
with tho possibility OF n binding storm
or killing blizzard blowing up in an
hours notice, have heart to leave even
the poor and miserable shelter Of a
dug out?'
Words cannot picture thoir miserable
plight. l know how appealing to hu.
man charity arc the distresses OF flood
and fire, but no mind can picture or
heart fully aympathizo with that hua-
band and WHO whose little ones all cling
at thoir knoo,, Vanishing Of hunger and
cold. and thoy under Coda canopy and
on His footstool. absolutply holpless In