West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-06-07
Our GREAT MOUNTAIN STATE.
Extract from the Eloquent Address or
Governor Atkinson Before the Edito.
rial Association at Parkcrsburg.

year set up printing press at Cambridge.
The first American publication was an alma.
nae calculated for New England. and
bearing the date of 1859. From this begin
ming the ''art preservatve" began to spread.
and now we find printing press in every
town throughout the land.
Sir William Bctkely, of Virginia, was
lomcniobly wrong aud narrow in his outlook
IN Io7I, when he said ''I thank God there
are no free schools nor printing; and hope
we shall not have these hundreds years;
for learning has brought disobcdence and
heresy aud scc,s into the world, and print.
ing has divulged them, and lbels against
the best government God keep us from
both" Looking back two hundred years.
we wonder that even then one could I've So
mdebouud as To allow himself to utter such
sentiment as that. The press is the lead.
ing educator ia all lands today. Il Is essen
lial to progress and good government every
where. II is mighty lever To uplft all
nations and all peoples. Newspapers and
books have awakened the sleeping talents of
millions, and have lifted them to higher con.
eeptons of life aud duty. Paper bullets of
the brain arc more powerful in the cause of
truth than grape and canister belched from
the muzzle of sevenly.siN-pound kupp
guns Newspapers are necessary for the
advancement of the interests of all classes
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 newspaper in West
Virginia, such publications 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 attention OF
men of means in other aud older common
wcalths, 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 doing for
our people, from the briekyards OF Hancock
county, To the Great Kanawha, and from
the coal fields of Mcdowell to the rock.
crowned ridges of the Potomac.
On the whole, my fellow citizens, all of
US arc Justly proud Of our Mountains State,
because mountains are useful, healthful,
grand. They inspire their inhabitants to
higher aims and purposes in life. They
are essential to ones growth, developement
and happiness. Man naturally longs for
| un al afv
cause mountaineers are always free. Plow
down your mountains and your hills, and
the world will become desert They fur
nsh fountains FOR our rivers, timber for our
dwellings, stones for our quarries, fields for
our herds, scenery for our people, minerals
for our wealth; they break the deadly sweep
Of the tornado and in ways without number
they add TO our comfort and enjoyment
Above the cresls Of our West Virginia hills
shines the eternal sun, as he rolls his fiery
chariot across tho sky. The silver streams
wind their meandering ways down the
slopes murmuriug their endless songs The
majestic rivers sweep through the gorgcs,
canons and wales as they drive ever onward
toward the seas. The music Of the mountain
songsiers, as they leap from bough to bough
Of the forest trees along the hills, ceases
only by the coming Of the night The roar
Of the cataracls lulls our people to rcstfu
rcpose, and awakes them from their slum-
bcrs at the dswning Of morn. These ma.
ieslic West Virginia mountains have with.
stood the storms Of the centuries, and will
stand amid the sunshine Of millcnial glory
Great cities, massive temples, granite caihe
dfals, viii sooner or later crumblc into dust.
The pyramids will finally fall. The sphinx
will be gnawed asunder by the tooth Of
time. The globe itself may ultimately melt
with ferveui heat The sun may drag
along the jauing heavens and refuse to
shine. The light of the stars may pale
away. The moon may roll up the rending
sky, and hang her latent livery on the wings
Of the dying night but these West Virginia
hills will continue TO stand until the cen
turies cease 20 roll.
Mr.. President, We have in the Mountain
State mo- malaria, no grasshoppcrs. no mos.
quitos' mo- ralor-backed hogs. no cyclones,
no deep SHOWS, no long winters, no glaciers,
and panthcrs and bears and wolves and
foxes are rapidly going and arc we'll nigh
gone. We have no state debt: taxes are
reasonable. churches are nourishng. our
schools arc as good as ihc best. we have
over million population: upwards Of a
million dollars iu our treasury. and vet we
have buf fairly started into business. Talk
about West Virginia, NY brothers. she is 10.
day the rashlighi Of Che republic. She Is
The coming commonwealth Of the continent
She is che hub OF the universe in natural
wealth. She is the aag ship BOO Che pro.
ccssion IF progress. She IS the wonder of
thc century, aud IS ihc favored state for
young men 20 live in and for old men 20 die
in. She IS The Eldoado Of The coming
century. lfcr cold fields are richer han
the gold mines Of tbc Transvaal. Tfer
timber s taller ban thc ccdars of Lebanon.
and hcf oI pools arc more valuable ihan
Che gems If G1'cond1 or the silver Of the
klondikc. We have the watermelon and
thc pomcgauaic and ihc grape. We have
ihc milk. ihc honey and the peach. We
have taIl mcn, snn-erowncd and brawned
and brave, and tbc prcuicst. hanpiest
sweetest women beneath ihc STARS Our
rock-uhbcd mountains tower in the SUNLIGHT.
and catch Che FIRST rays of thc rising and Inc
lasi rays Of thc setting SUN. Our valleys
arc as charming as Scodaud's wales. and our
water s as limpid as the fountain Of Trcvc.
az Rome, and hc who tastes Of DO will re
torn again
This, nay ficnds is West Virginia. and
the Wruraununre H.ara ffnf .... ...ft... $500.