The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-23

scul-inspiring and mental exhillratmg
vocifcrous approval OF his dozen audi
tors. He then. weary and worn, walks
two miles through that self-same for
est, led by the illckerlng and very un-
certain light Of tin lantern to find a
lodging place, his body covered with
the "reminiscences of roots and brlars
and bushes and stumps encountered
when the light and the guide would
make a squirt and get too far ahead.
Once there. he retIres to rest upon a
downy couch composed OF mattress
made Of rye.straw that hadn't been
shaken since the preacher had been
there the summer before. -
Dream OF Gratitude.
More hungry and more tired, he
falls peacefully asleep. to dream Of the
gratitude that will be personally ex-
tended to him by one OF the two
"Willies" for such valiant and valuable
service. He is awakened at s O. m. to
enjoy luxurIant repast OF boiled ba-
con and warm bread. only. to take the
same Journey down the same mountain
20 make his next appointment.
These are not fancy sketches. The
writer was an active and interested
participant in both. and knows whereof
he speaks. Somewhere between, these
two extremes lie the experiences Of the
boys who endeayored to save the ma
ton and serve their party during the
last campaign: They are all pleasant
recollections now. but many Of them
had O. great tendency to tire the flesh
and weary the mind and disturb the
morals at the time.
No Idle Dream.
No; 1t is no fun to campaign in West
Virginia To the listener It might
seem easy to the, trained speaker to
hold his audience for an hour or more,
while the cut and dried phrases es.
capped from his tongue with rythmlc
regularity, with smoothness as of the
placid brook and force that carried
conviction, but II that self-same listen
er had followed that speaker for q few
days. he would have abandoned all pre-
vious convictions as to the ease and
comfort Of the "spell-binder's" career.
Some German savant has elucidated
the problem that to speak interestedly
and earnestly to an audience ,forH, an
hour is as exhausting,! physically; as
ten hours of manual labor. Most
speakers talked q half hour longer than
that. Add to this the lack Of rest, the
travelling by day and by night. the
councils Of war, the entertainment Of
either part!sans or the disaffected, and
we have physical strain which but
few men can stand.
Trail of Discomfort.
From August to November, It was one
long trail Of discomfort and toll, Of
long rides In the darkness and In the
rain: of midnight trains, OF unpleasant
occurrences and dlsappointments, OF
uncomfortable quarters and unpalata-
bic food-lnterspersed. of course, with
much Of that which was Pleasant,
amusing and refreshing. 1t Is easy to
sit IN a comfortable office md write an
itinerary from Il map: II Is far differ
ent to execute the plans thus made.
But while those things constitute the
dark and distressing sida while the
campaign ls on. the light of reflection
dlspels all that darkness, and to-day,
our "spcll-bindlng" presents one bright
anG pleasing and interesting panorama
of personal experiences. After the
country has been aaval--or lost-we
can put In many pleasant hour re.
tlectlng over or commenting upon the
amusing and interesting events con-
Dected with our weeks upon the
road"
Generosity of West Virglninns.
One mitigating circumstance ever
present In the campaign was the uni
form hospitality OF the West Virginia
people. No more generous peo-
pie ever lived. Whenever and
wherever found. they were kind
and open-hearted The tch.strlng
was always on the outside. No night
was. too dark or storm too severe and
no hour too late for them to attend 10
the wants OF the bGlated traveller. Al
though the fare was sometimes homely,
the hcartiness with which It was prof
fercd always added zest to the appetite
of the visitor. The best In the harder
and the best in the cellar was always
at the disposal OF the stranger. Whc,h-
or It be chicken or bacon. beef or NUT
ton. 1t was served In the very best
style Of the community. and In Qunntlt-
ties sufficient for many times the num-
Der OF guests. Nothing was too good
for one. and the only dissatisfaction
manifest was when n sufficient guam
tity was not disposed OF. 1t may be
southern hospitality. II may be north
crn civillty. 1t may be both. but the
fact remains that the generous, kind,
unselhsh and handed generosity
OF the people OF West Virginia ID cx-
cceded by no people on earth.
Beautiful Scenery.
Another pleasure connected with
campaigning In our state Ia the bcauu-
full scenery enjoyed. From the wood
clad SUBMITS Of the Alleghcnles to the
waters OF the Sandy and the Ohio the
state of West Virginia Is one vnst
panorama. For diversified scenery, no
state In the union equals It. Tho noun