Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-05
CORNER STONE LAID.
The State Capitol Annex at Charles
ton Formally Begun-A Large
Crowd Present.


Crowd Present.
Special to the Register.
CHARLESTON, W. Va, July 4.-Fhe
ceremonies attending the laying of the
corner stone of the capital annex and
the parade of John Robinson's circus
we're rivals for the attention of the i'm
mense throngs of people in the city
to-day AS the circus parade was soon
over there was an immense crowd at
the cornerstone ceremonies following
soon after the circus parade.
The procession from Masonic temple
to the capitol annex site was quite i'm
posing. It included the city police,
Company NJ, Second Regiment, Nation
al Guard, the members of the Masonic
lodge, Knights Templar State officers,
etc. 1 lie ceremonies, according to the
Masonic ritual, were performed, and
| the stone with the copper casket con-
tanning the valuable articles for pos
terity, was lowered to its place, when
Governor Atkinson delivered a care
fully prepared address.
Governor Atkinson said:
My friends and fellow citizens: It
seems to me most fitting that the
corner stone of this, to be, splendid
new capitol building, should be laid
with elaborate ceremonies on our ma
tons natal day. Here under God
free sunlight; here, as our locks are
tanned by the air of liberty; here, at
the capital of one of the richest and
most prosperous of all the States OF The
Republic; here, under the protection
of the Stars and Stripes; here, on
banks of the great Kanawha, in the
twilight of the nineteenth century;
here, amid the hum OF industry and
development on every hand. and be-
meath the shadows of the majestic
hills which have withstood the storms
OF centuries, in the presence of this
magnificent throng of our West Vir-
ginia people, we are assembled to
lower to its place in the northeast
corner of this proposed imposing edi-
flee, a massive corner stone which
weighs $4,000 pounds Only great
builders can accomplish such an I'M
dertaking; only master mechanics con
perform such work Hail to the great
fraternity of free masons to-day! Hail
to this massive gathering of freemen!
Hail, all hail, to you as patriotic West
Vrginians! and better than all. I
hail you as Americans Patrick Henry,
more than hundred years ago, build
ed wiser than he knew when he said:
1 hail the day as not far distant when
1t Will be regarded as the proudest ex-
clamation of man, I am an Ameri-
can!' Better than Persian. Greek or
Roman, is the four syllable word Am
erican.' On this day of days, higher
hac t. &c
erican patriotism; more than ever be-
fore is the American flag revered.
From sea to sea and from lake to Gulf
to-day will our countrymen shout
loudest over the privileges we enjoy.
To-day we rejoice, not only because
we are in the front rank of the great
| nations of the earth. but better still.
we are happily united under one flag
and one constitution, and are to re-
main, we hope, one nation and one
people, now and forevermore. Old ma
tdonal divisions have been removed,
and the true national purpose before
US, as citizens, is to strengthen the
bulwarks of our civilization so that
righteousness among all the people
may be the inimitable basis or our
great Republic
One cannot, my fellow-citizens, but
be impressed by this august presence
and this splenuAd demonstration. I
count it high privilege indeed, upon
an occasion so fraught with public in
terest, to be permitted to speak to so
splendid an audience of my own West
Virginia people. I congratulate this
Oldest and greatest of all fraternal or
CARNATIONS, and all of you as well,
upon the suspicious circumstances
which SURROUND us on this memorable
occasion.
This is the 124th anniversary of the
birth of the Republic under which we
are now living. Some nations have
had rapid growth; others slow. Ours,
in growth and progress, is the wonder
of the centuries, and its marvellous de-
velopment is by no means circum-
stantial. The United States possess.
beyond question, the most wonderful
| productive power on earth. AS pro-
duction is wealth, the nation which
| produces most is necessarily the
wealthiest and most stable
Continuing, the Governor discussed
the genius of the American people and
the progress they had made during the
century just closing, and paid a glow
| ing tribute to Freemasonry In clos
ing he said:
I'VE shall soon return from here, my
| wcitizens, to our various avoca-
tons. The storms as they come ana
go will beat upon the walls which will
rise above this corner stone. Let us
hope that the lightning's shaft will
spare this edifice and may Gods best
blessings be showered upon our State.
May faith and peace and good will to
men shed their benign influence upon
the officers who shall occupy It's portals
and sit beneath its dome, and may the
shadow of the centuries gently hover
over the work we have done to-day.
Blessed Is the nation whose God Is
the Lord, q ii0uI he