Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-03-06
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.


the capital of West Virginia. Our
principal reason for taking the back
track was the report Of great floods
\ throughout the region of the Upper
Potomac
AT midnight we boarded the famous
f. f. v. East Flying Virginian) the
popular c. & o. limited and was soon
speeding across the Old Dominion.
Daylight caught us at Staunton.
where hotel porters reused us from
peaceful slumbers by their persistent
efforts to capture the passengers who
alighted from the train.
Nothing unusual attracted atten-
ton until we reached Ronceverte, on
the Greenbrier river. There we came
in proximity to the floods which so
generally prevailed.
Ronceverte is noted for its saw
mills. There appeared to be enough
sawlogs stacked up in the various
booms to supply lumber for ten States.
At Hinton we found the New river on
rampage. 1t was rushing and roar
ing. and for fifty miles, had it not at
times inclined to encroach on the
railroad, it would have been "a sight
to delight in" When the New river
gets move on itself it is a hustler
A garrulous woman on the train asked
fellow passenger What might be
the name of this riverp' He replied
ut might be the Rhine or the Rhone,
the Yangstekiang or Hoangho, the
Chattahoochee or Ouichata, but it
isn't, it's the New river" well, ;"
said she. ~ thought there was some
thing strange about it. / guess it's
not finished vet = NO said he,
ut will not be lnished until they get
allthose big rocks down off the noun
tains. well, really, 1 never
knowed that was the way they made
rivers; but it's live and learn, and, -
just then the car gave lurch as we
swung around a curve-"if we'd
a-gone over then, it'd been die and
forget it all" Strange to relate, all
on that car agreed with her.
Below the Falls of the Kanawha the
water was not SO turbulent Many
farms and goodly number Of houses
were inundated, but there was much
less damage than would have been
supposed.
At Charleston only the front street
was above water. To reach the Capt.
tol one had to ferry across in a boat.
Cellars were flooded, gas and electric
ity were missing. The hotels were
illuminated by candles stuck in
empty beer bottles. Water could not
be had for love or money and it is
said that the night previous every
body except members of the Legisla-
ture and visiting statesmen felt the
effects of the contents of those bottles.
1t was amusing to see members of
the Legislature sitting at their desks,
with hats and oyercoats on, striving
to serve the people. The Senate Jared
better than the House as that body
finally assembled in committee room
where there was a coal fire in an open
CRATE.
This being our first visit to
Charleston during the session of the
Legislature, we took special note OF
the members composing the two bod
les, and are free to state that for in
telligence and the orderly dispatch OF
business, we doubt if there has been
its equal during the past quarter of a
century. All of the speeches made
were commercially brief and decidedly
pointed. 1t was an independent
crowd composed of men who do their
own thinking.
The presiding officers were very
efficient. Hon. N. E. Whitaker,
President of the Senate, filled his po-
sition with grace and dignity. Chief
Clerk John T. Harris has not an equal
in the State and with his principal as
sistant. E. M. Showalte business
did not lag.
Speaker Hanen was courteous and
prompt. thought by some to be slight
ly Czarish, but right up to the times.
Our own representatives, Senator
Getzendanner, and Delegates Small,
Henshaw and Hunter did not occupy
rear seats by any means. Everybody
spoke we'll of them and well they
might. A. B. s.