The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-06-24

was before the gray was though
Of. he graduated with high homo
and when the call Of the Soutt
| went up, he was instructor at thu
military school over at Lexing'
ton.
"There was much real mourn
ing here when news came thai
the famous 'Stonewall' of Bull
Run had been killed by one Of
his own men at Charlottesville.
He was only 80 years of age
when he died.
The antiquity Of this town,
which was laid out before the
Revolutionary War, in I've, is
something which impresses one
upon entering its gates. "Strang'
er, we don't pretend to be any.
thing here but real old fashion
ed town. said the barber this
afternoon as he shaved me very
carefully-that echoes the senti.
ment of our entire city. From
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
station, full three.quarters of q
mile from the center Of the city,
it presents a beautiful picture OF
repose and simplicity.
1T RESEMBLES FREDERIcKTowN.
An old citizen here tells me
that this place bears some re.
semblance to Frederlcktown, in
Maryland, the famous residence
of Barbara Fritchie, whose little
fuss with Stonewall jackson on
one September day has been SO
beautifully told by Whittier.
This may be so, for even this
great poet must have had such
an inspiring picture as this be-
fore him when he said the valley
was
Fair as garden Of the Lord
To the eyes Of the iamished rebel horde
General Clark, the famous In.
dian fighter, of Kentucky, was the
man for whom Clarksburg was
named. Two rows Of log cabins
were built in 1772. There is one
old cabin standing yet near the
big Tinsman block. 1t is said
that it was built in 1774. 1t looks
q few years older than thar, how
ever.
Yesterday afternoon I stood on
some old pieces of masonry on
the playground of the public
school. 1t is all that remains OF
the first chartered institution OF
learning founded west of the
mountains, the old Randolph
Academy, a branch of the Viii
liam and Mary College of Vir'
GINA. The acedmy was incor-
porated in 1887. James Madison
was one Of the trustees of the
academy. Raising money by
lottery for a college each year
would create quite a comment
now, but this was what was done
100 years ago for this old acade-
my. whose foundation stones are
yet plain to be seen. The Legis.
llature of Virginia athorfzed
Madison and other trustees "to
raise a sum of money by lottery,
not to exceed 1000 pounds
Fifty years later the identity
of the Randolph Academy was
lost in the Northwestern Virginia
Academy, which had q nice brick
building. A great deep-toned
bell was hung in the cupola OF
the new building, and for the last
so years that same bell has rung
out a welcome to the children OF
Clarksburg. Itnow hangs in the
public school tower. In 1866
Clarksburg passed out of the col
legiate and academic world BY
turning over the Northwestern
Virginia Academy building to the
public school authorities. The
Dispatch is indebted TO Miss Lille
Hart for this educational data.
MOST IMPORTANT R. R. CENTRE.
Clarksburg. though small, is
perhaps the most important rail
road and commercial centre OF
its size in the country. This as
sertion is made without fear OF
contradiction. When the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad put its
line through this region in the
.,o. &ol,o,, ~ fIn