Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-23

vas n
! II was great day-a day that
| taxed the transportation facility of
the West Virginia railways to very
near the limit. and the Wheeling and
Elm Grove Traction line beyond limit
and il has no small capacity.
From far away Martinsburg. from
Fairmont. Grafton, Morgantown, Man.
nlngton and Glarksburg came train
after train, each containing as many
/ passenger coaches as the big engine
could haul, every car crowded to the
| doors.
Ten trains came in over the B. &
! o. alone one train, No. So, being in
five sections. and the average was nine
cars to a train or section.
But this was not all. The Ohio Riv-
er railway brought its quotas too.
! From Huntington, Parkersburg, Sis
tersville and all the towns along the
line the people came in long trains,
crowding the cars to the door.
Nor was this all. There were the
usual Sunday excursions. The Wheel
ing and Lake Erie brought 200 pleas
| ure seekers to town and the other
Vines outside of the b. & o. and o. X.
each brought numbers of people to see
the soldiers. Many came to hear
| Sousa's band. having understood that
| 1t would play here to-day, as we'll as
yesterday. These were disappointed
for moment, but soon said 1t was all
right anyway: they would take in the
parks and the soldiers encampnfent.
Graftons contingent had the honor
of being the first to reach the city, ar
irving with a nine-car-train at 11:20,
but they had been compelled to cut
off Ave coaches crowded to the doors
and leave them to be picked up by a
following train. Nearly 900 came on
the first train.
The Farmont section brought in
over 600.
Morgantown must have had quiet
Sunday yesterday, for 500 came down
from there to take in the encampment.
and the town.
Warrington filed as many cars as
an engine could pull. Must have been
700 of them at low estimate.
"Ciarksburg is pretty near all here
guess" said citizen of that town.
I'VE had nine passenger cars full 70
the brim. All we could get, but
tackled on three freight cars and
filled EN- full outside and In. Must
have been mighty near 900 of us |
reckon" That was not a high estl-
mate certainly
Martinsburg brought a delegation Of
not less than 500.
Huntington was here with almost as
many.
: Parkersburg must have had 400 at a
low estimate.
Sstersville, New Martinsville and
other cities along the Ohio river IN
West Virginia were represented oy
numbers running into the HUNDREDS
from each place.
The B. & o. people handled these In
coming hosts as clock work AS each
section come in the peop.e allghted
through the new station and out upon
the street
The writer stood on Market street
near the Grand Central Motel as The
1
crowd filling the walk, moved up the
street like an invading host.
When the head of the column reached
Eleventh street the sidewalks down to
Sixteenth were dense masses OF hu-
manity steadily moving northward and
the stream, constantly augmented by
the incoming trains, continued for an
hour or more.
The first query was for a place 70
get dinner. The moment restaurant
sign was observed crowd swarmed
into it Then the hotels were invaded
nv the welcome hosts. Those who had
prepared for it reaped the reward Of
their foresight. Those who had failed
to do so were regretting their failure
to provide for the demand.
Many of the ladies had provided pie
thoric lunc hbaskets and had no reason
to regret it.
A large number Of the visitors pass
ed directly to the Wheeling Elm
Grove traction cars and betook them
selves out to the encampment grounds.
Every outgoing car was loaded to its
utmost limit and every car on the
line was out.
There was no lettering on the way.
All the passengers had but one desti-
nation-the encampment grounds, and
as quick time was made as was consist
ent with safety Som the cars, both
in and out. were carrying capacity
loads and this continued until after mid
night.
There is seldom seen a finer body
Of citizens than that which visited US
yesterday. Fine looking. alert, educat-
ed men; splendid types OF American
citizens-vigorous, self-reliant, re-
sourceful.