Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-10-24
EX- SENATOR CAMDEN
MAKES AN INTERFERING HIS
ToRICAL ADDRESS AT
PARKERSBURG.
Contains Many Facts of EARLY Lo.
cal History--Parkersburg and
Wood County in the
Pioneer Days.
[From the Parkersburg Sentinel. ]

[From the Parkersburg scntincl.l
There was no address made yester-
day at the centennial exercises al the
City Park that was listened to with
more attention and appreciation than
that spoken by Ex-senator johnson
N. Camden.
Mr.. Camden said in part:
In the celebration of centennial an.
Diversaries, it is not the beginning that
we celebrate. but the ending-it is not
the failures of the multitudes of begin
nings, but the successes, for which we
unfurl onr flags and bring out our
brass bands The Parkersburg of to
day is a success, we are proud Of it,
and have invited our friends and
neighbors to join us in congraIulating
ourselves on the structure we have
reared upon the foundation stones laid
Tor us by the pioneers, who built their
cabins and erected their stockade on
the banks of the little Kanawha, a
hundred years or more ago. Chief
amongst them being James Neal,
whose descendants have been amongst
our most prominent citizens from that
day 10 this.
have listened with great interest
and pleasure 10 the able addresses de-
livered here this morning by the rep
resentatives from Peasants, Ritchie,
Writ and Jackson counties, formed
from the original territory of Wood
L learned more of our pioneer history
from the address of my friend Holly
G. Armstrong than ] ever knew be
fore. 1t was an encyclopedia of pio.
neer literature, that left nothing to be
added, and am glad of it, for it forces
me to pass it by. But as we are cele-
brating the centennial of our begin
ming, "reminiscences are in order from
old settlers, as marking the mile stones
and fingerboards along the pathway of
our progress. l take no especial pride,
however, in the passing years that
classes me amongst the old residents Of
Parkersburg, for it means the absence
of many, who were prominent amongst
us in the recent past-but whose places
are now vacant.
But 1 do take especial pride in the
Parkersburg of to-day.
The difference between James Neal,
the pioneer, and myself, is that Neal
Aoated down the Ohio river, hundred
years or more ago, and founded Par.
kersburg, watching with both eyes that
he did not run foul of the lurking saw
ages, whose marauding bands still in-
tested the country; while /, after the
century had about twothirds passed
drifted into Parkersburg from the
headwaters of the Little Kanawhs,
about the year 1861, in the beginning
of our Civil War, when ! had TO keep
one eye out for the Union soldiers, aud
the other for the Confederates, both sides
ready 10 nab me, as passed the scout
ing lines of one to the other. Parkers
burg then was great contrast to the
Parkersburg of TO day. / found Par
kerscurg then with little more than
500 inhabitants, with the muddiest
streets that rich alluvial soil could
make, aud with the narrowest plank
wallis that ever stranger tried 10
navigate on dark. moonless nights 1t
was not at that time just The kind cf
town for flags, music and congratuIa-
tions But l want to state right here,
as matter of history, the fact that the
town commenced growing and build
ing up from the day of my coming to
the present time, and has never had a
back set Now. naturally. you con-
clude that there is egotism underlying
this statement. but in that you are
wrong it only means that 1 was for
tunate enough in striking Parkersburg
at the right time-for nay own good.
If you ask me to tell you from my
thirty-six or seven years residence aud
observation, what has been The leading
features of Parkersburg's steady
growth and prosperity it would be hard
TO answer-unless should repeat the
words of Topsy in Uncle Toms Cabin,
that she has just growed and wasn't
born at all" Parkersburg's growth
has been gradual aud steady, We hard
y marked the steps ourselves.
1 remember that soon after I settled
here. / was impressed by the beauty Of
a large square of vacant ground. front
ing. | should say. about 400 feet on
each of four principal streets. l asked