Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-12-18


ingly dangerous and immoral attrac-
ton ola city. These people don't APP
preciate the intrusion into their lives
that will come when their town ispaced
on the main line of great railroad. 1t
means change in their life that they
don't care for"
Our first impulse was to hunt up
friend Smith and smite him, but a
second reading convinced Us that ne
had really quoted US pretty straight,
even if we didn't mean to talk for
publication. Having said it, therefore,
we reckon the best thing is to stick to
it. And this causes US to divulge in
some reflections.
However provincial and unenterpris-
ing it may sound, we'd rather have
Shepherdstown as 1t is-a comforta-
BILE, decent, respectable old town, with
law-abiding, God-fearing, honest peo-
pie in limited number-than to see
it transformed into a hustling, rushing,
wide-open place such as have sprung
up in West Virginia in late years.
Take, for instance. the town Of Sa-
lem, on the Parkersburg branch of the
B. & o. Railroad. Salem, the name
of which means peace, was settle
ment of pious people noted for their
conservatism and contentment, and
they were happy and prosperous in
their own modest way Of living. Oil
was struck near Salem, and in few
months the boom was on in full force.
Salem was transformed-and such a
transformation Gambling dens,
speak-easie,, vile den. of iniquity Of
every sort invaded the place, and
peace has departed. In its place is a
conglomeration of people that we
shouldn't want to have in our neigh
borhood. Crime is rampant, and hard
ly a week passes that a shocking &C.
curreuce of some sort is not reported
One of the fellow.travelers of the
REGISTERS editor, Mr.. O. E. Darnall,
superintendent of the State Reform
School, was victim of this change re-
Gently. Five toughs from Salem got on
the train and in the usual fight that en-
sued with the train hands, Prof. OAR
nall, an innocent passenger, was struck
in the head with a beer bottle and
pretty nearly killed. Clarksburg is
another example Of conservative,
peaceful old town transformed into a
modern boom city, where vice and
lawlessness have more than kept pace
with prosperity-indeed West Vir-
ginia ha, scores of such places, and
we doubt if in any one of them the
sum total of real comfort and happi-
ness has been increased by their ma
terial prosperity.
The editor of the REGISTER is not
opposed to railroads, and he would not
if he could, stop the B. & O. from
building its line through this place.
Yet for every advantage it will offer
there will be some corresponding dis
advantage. How many it shall add
to our population is not as important
as to what sort it will add. There
ought to be unquestioned compensa-
ton for the fine farms the road will
destroy. What will make up for the
danger to life and limb that will be
ever present when the three main
highways into town shall be barred by
several railroad tracks2 The people
will save no money in freight or pas
senger rates by reason Of competition,
for our railroads are controlled by
single corporation that simply gets all
it can with no idea of rivalry. Do
We want to have the army of tramps
that follows the railroads marching
down upon us, with the attendant
thieves and desperate characters of
every sort? Why, our chicken-coops
will not be safe, to say nothing of our
banks and goods and household treas
ures.
The editor of the REGISTER would
prefer to see Shepherdstown developed
along educational lines, rather than
railroad advancement. Our splendid
school system is something we are
really proud of, and we should prefer
to have our college flourish than to see
more shops.
The thing that gets next to us since
this blamed interview was published,
however, is the way our editorial breth-
rem are poking fun at us. The Wheel
ing Intelligencer says: