The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-23

as ours.
font has the press Of the state figured
in It's growth and progress? In 1885,
Stephen Daye, an English printer. ar.
rived at Boston, bringing q font OF
type and in the following year SET ~, up
a printing press at Cambridge. the
first American publication was an al
manac, calculated far New England
and bearing the date OF 1889. From this
beginning the art preserVutive' began
10 spread. and now We End q printing
press IN every town throughout the
land.
Berkeley Was Lamentably Wrong.
Sir william Berkeley. of Virginia
was lamentably wrong and narrow in
his outlook in 1871, when he said, Il
thank Cod there IRE no free schools nor
printing; and l hope we shall not nave
these hundreds years; for learning mas
brought disobedience and heresy and
sects into the world, and printing has
divulged them, and llbels against the
best government. God keeps US from
both" Looking back two hundred
years, we wonder that even then one
could be so hidebound as to allow him
self to utter such q sentiment as that:
The press is the leading educator In all
lands to-day. It is essential to pro-
gross and good government everywhere.
II is a mighty lever to upllft all nations
and all peoples. Newspapers and books
have awakened the sleeping talents OF
millions, and hive lifted them TO higher
conceptions OF life and duty. Paper
bullets OF the brain are more powerful
in the cause OF truth than grape and
canister belched from the muzZle OF
seventy six pound Krupp guns. News
papers are necessary for the advance
ment Of the interests of all clnsses OF
men, and this Is why they are now so
numerous In the civilized sections OF
the world Thirty years ago. when
was the publisher OF weekly naws-
paper in West Virginia, such publica-
lions were by no means numerous, but
now one or more are issued In every
county In the state. and In every city OF
5000 Inhabitants we have the daily
messages to every household. These
publications have attracted the atten-
ton Of men Of means In other and older
commemorative. and have done much
to induce them to cast their lots with
us in the wealthy Mountain State Of
the great republic. Too much credit
and praise. therefore. cannot be given
to the West Virginia newspapers for
what they have done and are now do
ing for our people. from the brickyards
Of Hancock county, to the Great Chat
taroy and from the coal fields 'of Nc
Dowell to the rock-crowned ridges OF
the Potomac.
Our Great Mountain State.
On the whole. my fellow citizens,
all Of us are Justly proud of our Noun
tain State, because mountains are use
full healthful, beautiful, grand. They
Inspire their inhabitants to higher aims
and purposes In life. They Ure essen
tlal to ones growth, development and
happiness. Man naturally longs for
mountain air and mountain freedom,
because mountaineers are always free.
Pillow down your mountains and your
hills, and the world Will become des-
ert. They furnish fountains for our
rivers, timber for our dwellings, stones
for our Quarries, fields foT our herds,
scenery Tor oil: people, minerals Tor
our wealth; they break LGe Cladlf
sweep OF the tornado ana in way
without number they add to our COM
fort and enjoyment. Above the c. es 8
of our West Virginia hills shines the
eternal sun, as he rolls his fiery chariot
across the sky. The silver Streams
wind their meanderlng ways down tn
slopes murmurinS their endless songs.
The majestic rivers sweep through the
gorges, canons and wales as they drive
ever onward toward the seas. The
music OF the mountain bongsterS, as
they leap from bough to Dough of the
forest trees along the hills. ceases only
by the coming Of the nigh. The roar
Of the cataracts lulls our Drople to rest
full repose, and awakes them from their
slumberS ut the dawnlng OF the morn.
These majestic West Virginia noun
tains have withstood the storms OF
the centuries, and will stand amid the
sunshine of mlllenial glory. Great cities,
massive temples. granite cathedrals,
viii sooner or later crumble into dust.
The pyramids will finally fall. The
sphinx will be guawed asuuder by the
tooth of time. The globe itself may
ultimately melt with fervent heat. The
sun may drag along the Earring heavens
and refuse to shine, The light OF the
roll up the rendIng sky, and hang her
latent livery on the wings of the dying
night; but these West Virginia hills
viii continue to stand until the CEN
turtles cease to roll.
The Wonder of the Century.
Mr.. President. we have in the Noun
tain State no malaria, no grasshoppers,
no mosquitoes. no razor backed hogs, no
cyclones, no deep SHOWS, no long win
tiers, no glaciers. and panthers and
bears and wolves and foxes are rapidly
going. and are well nigh gone. We
have no state debt; taxes are reasona-
BILE; churches are fiourlshing; our schools
are as good as the best; we have over
a million population; upwards Of mil
lion dollars In our treasury. and yet we
have but fairly started into business.
Talk about West Virginia, my brothers.
she is to-day the rush-liGht OF the re-
public. She Is the coming common
wealth OF the continent. She Is the
hub Of the universe in natural wealth.
She is the flagship in the procession
OF progress. She IS the wonder OF the
century. and Is the favored state for
young men to live In and for old men
to die in. She Is the Eldorado Of the
coming century. Her coal fields are
richer than the gold mines OF the Trans
wal. Her timber Is taller than the ce.
dars Of Lebanon. and her oil pools arc
more valuable than the gems of Col
conda or the silver OF the Klondike. We
have the watermelon and the pone-
granate and the grape. We have the
milk, the honey and the peach. We
have tall men, sun-crowned and
brawned and brave, and the prettlest,
happiest, sweetest women beneath the
stars Our rock-ribbed mountains
tower in the sunlight, and catch the
first rays OF the rising and the last rays
OF the setting sun. our valleys are
as charming as ScotlandI Wales and
our water Is as limpid as the fountain
OF Trcvc, at Rome, and he who tastes OF
IL viii return again.