Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-03
ELK|NS TALKS
Sterling Senator Gives His Views
on the South's Advancement.
WAS BORN IN GREAT OHIO

WAS BORN IN GREAT OHIO
But the Blood in His Veins is Old Virginia
Blood-Came to the New Dominion for
Abiding Pace---TelIs Of the Posi-
bities Of this Wonderful State,
Rich in Minerals and
Forests.
In the Baltimore Manufacturers Re-
cord, Thomas p. Grasty has the fol-
lowing interview with Senator S. b.
Elkins:
yirginian, said Stephen b. Elkins,
looking out upon that view of views
from which he selected the site of
his West Virginia home. / had just
spoken of how both of us. after so.
journing for some years In the west
had at about the same time come TO
live within the limits of the great
original breeding ground of American
pioneers, developers, expansionists-
the area embraced within the two
VirginIans.
''The blood in my veins, " continued
the senator. us Virginia blood.
with the pioneer instinct uppermost.
My ancestors crossed these very
mountains westward bound, little
dreaming however, that they were
passing through what would, with
the coming Of the twentieth century,
be the most string scene of the very
kind of activity, j. e., development,
they were bent upon. 1t is likely
though, that they took little account
of this region of lnterminable noun
tains and afterward remembered it
only for its sublime scenery. Its clear
bold streams, its glorious rhododend-
rons, its gigantic, but then worthless
forests The time was not at hand
for the exercise here of that eager
energy which characterized the Vir-
ginian going forth TO fulfill his des-
tiny as a conqueror and developer of
new empires.
GAME HOME TO ABIDE.
ut was my innate, bred in the bone
fondness for doing what they went
out TO do that swept me westward to
the Rocky mountains. But when
afterwards l found ont what West
Virginia had wherewith to tempt the
venturesome pioneer, | quickly con
cluded that in the Alleghenies and
not the Rockies, was where belonged
And so | came home, not to sojourn,
but abide. 1 told Senator Davis that
right here was the land of opportun-
ity, the field for energetic activity.
and joined hands with him in his
development work. A great many
people are now engaged in this sort
of work all over West Virginia, but
only n start has yet been made.
Though so long DELAYED. the open
ing up OF West Virginia could not, in
the nature of things, have been be-
gun very much sooner. 1t has TO wait
for the incoming TO the era of trans
portation and mechanical appliances
In more level countries, where the
axe, the grubbing hoe and then the
pillow were the instruments of progress
the work began with the advent of
stout hearted muscle. But here, where
the sources of wealth were mainly in
the mountains, the work OF develop
ment had to await the building of rail
roads, the improvement of machinery
and. what was of more consequence
that everything else, the wants of the
Worhi
RESPONDS TO WORLDS WANTS.
III the worlds wants had not
grown so wondrously in the last few
years West Virginia would not be the
scene of any very considerable acti-
witty. The world today wants all the
Lumber West Virginia can supply ami
all the OIL but the pace of her steady
progress will be set by the worlds de-
mand for coal With increasing coal
NohsuiIlptlOh VIII oui stdtc reap thc
fruits Of her richest inheritance. The
worlds wants and means to supply
them thus become a question of great
est direct interest to West Virginia,
as In fact, it is to all sections whose
available resources are being made
quately developed.
''Our people are beginning to know
and understand that American COM
merical expansion means more bread
and meat to them. / think they I'M
people of some of the other southern
states, especially those whose indus
trial education has been somewhat