West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-01-02
COL. BROOMSEDGE
THE PEN"
Bat Is Soon Released And Tells
About The Big Muond at
Moundsville.
Christmas And Other observations
Caught on The Fly While Walking
Across 'rhe Country.
From Our STAFF Rous,abou,.


every direction. But during tho recent
cold snap, the people were reviling the gas
companies and the water works. The zero
weather clogged the water pipes and there
was an insufficient and uncertain supply OF
gas. This kind Of fuel is the most conven.
ieES of any. but il is also the kind which
leaves person In the worst sort of lurch
when the supply fails
In this coal center. the stores are
open very early, even IL the days arc short.
and before IL is daylight. one may hear the
footsteps of men going to their work.
Breakfast is not generally left till half past
eight
The school children were having fine
coastingi down the grade which extends
from the public school building toward the
middle of Main street. BY the way. how
much more seasonable il would have looked
had the dry cold air OF the week preced.
ing Christmas only lasted into the holidays
IL was section of Canada winter slipped
southwark. but the bracing air would not
hurt anyone who was prepared for IT,
IL is a jump of 90 miles from Fairmont to
MoundsvIle. The last named place. which
made a showing of more than 5000 inhabi-
tants. in the last census deserves its name
from tumulus or artificial mound. the
the largest In our State. II lies right in the
town and is surrounded by houses The
city lies on broad river, bottom. and the
mound which occupies a vacantIot rises
very abruptly from the general level to a
height-in former years at least OF % feet.
IL covers about an acre and its sides which
are quite steep. are covered with forest
trees, bushes andlbriars. Some'of the trees
are beeches and names have bten cut in
their bark to great height, ~
A tnnnel was once ahySen horizontally
into tlt-Jase, and shaft sunk to meet il
from the top. But these passages have
been allowed to cave in. and the visitor
finds az the top big. circular hole some 20
feoi deep, This has caused some lessen.ng
of the altitude of the mound. BY looking
intp the hole. the material in the mound is
sedn TO be clay. Not very far distant is
circular depression and Il is supposed that
the builders went there for clay. Near the
bottom of the hole in the mound is a layer
OF stones. Some relics were found in dig
ging the tunnel ,mong them being rock
prttation of these has yet been made al
though the stone was once sent across the
Atlantic TO be examined by an expert
When the Ohio valley was settled by the
whites this mysterious tumulus was found
lying iu forest Solitude When was 1t
built and by whom and for what purpose2
Certain antiquarians say il was built by In
dams about 100 years ago. These people
may be tight md then again they may not.
Ei,rthworks when once protected by GOV.
ering Of vegetation arc very enduring. and
this mound may have stood here for 100
or ZOO years just as well as 100. And while
the Indians that lived here one and two
Centuries ago were a mound building peo.
pie. thcy were not given TO throwing up ar.
tifcial bills Of size that would 6il all the
cellars in a good sized town.
But no matter who built this mound nor
what they built It for. it is mysterious
relic Of people that has passed away. and
il ought to be preserved. The owner OF the
lot who IS apparently more thoughtful Of
his pocketbook than OF this relic OF by
gone age has long been talking Of digging
the mound away so as to use the ground for
building purposes But ground is not yet
so scarce in West Virginia that this little
square is Indispensable to the expansion Of
Moundsyilc The State ought TO purchase
the spot and preserve the, mound Il is
we'll able to do so and wobld, doubtless
take suitable action. were tire matter
properly presented to the legislature.
In this town is tho largest boarding house
in the State and II is maintained by the
State Ohicially and in dlgnihed converse.
ton It's styled the State prison. or the
state Penitentiary But in common par.
lance 1t is widely known by very short
and expressive title--"the Pen"
The main building is a huge structure Of
gray stone with the long grated windows
thai arc characteristic Of prisons ali over
the civilized world. IL also constitutes a
part Of the high wall Of an inclosurc that
contains several large brick buildings.
These arc used as workshops. except the
dining'foom. the hospital. and few other
/ places
onc OF The shops is a broom factory and
! here are 70 be seen brooms by the hundred
10 every stage Of completion larriaga
/ whips arc made In another room. hosiery in
/ a third while in another. ladies skirts are
manufactured IL seems a little odd to find
such an article made By convicts and by
men at that Butitl said the convicts
soon learn % do the work neatly and we'll
Inc cells are low. whito-washed rooms
Che single bed occupying about one.third Of
| ihc floor space. Sometimes the inmates
makes n liitlr show Of ornamcuting his cell
BOZ cheap wty and once in a while the yis-
iior a. % notice magazine. or something
else d iho way Of reading matter. The
bed clothing never looks any too clean but
ono may see plenty OF beds in The land Of
frcetom which are no cleaner than the
bufe of these convicts ltcannot be the
/ mot' pleasant of sensations Co be locked up
for Pie night or Tor the day IN a dark. s,uay
root hardly bigger than a pantry
al Jew days ago. ono Of the prisoners
thotght hc needed some exercise and un.
dcriaot TO climb over the wall 20 see what
wa4 % sight on the other side But tho
pr$a authorities did not approve Of this
and Doe fellow was walking about the
yars with heavy iron bracelets cncircllng
DIS srk.cs
The vast majority of fbc prisoners are
youns or younash looking mon and some
are kardly more than boys An cnfcemcly
large proportion Is made up Of negroes.
although or4.pcoplo are in great ml
/ uoriU ln our SAr Not aH the convicts.