Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-05-19
FOR SOLDIERS MONUMENT
Geo. c. Baker Writes Commun-
ication on The Subject

lV0dfu tts
To the Editor of the New DOMINION.
AS treasurer and chairman of the
Executive Committee of Oak Grove
Cemetery, in making many necessary
improvements my duties call Inc
frequently on the grounds to oversee
and direct them. During the year
great mprovements will he added
to the cemetery grounds which are
badly needed and which will not on
ly be useful but will add beauty
thereto
Onr farefathers forty years ago
recognized that Oak Grove Gene
terry was fitting place to inter the
dead and secured these grounds.
In 1866 | was living in my home
just opposite the main entrance to
the cemetery At that time | was a
small, barefoot boy, in short pants.
yet | well recall the day on which
the first general public meeting
after the war was held, when the
ground for the soldiers monument
was broken and the foundation laid
The terrible war between the North
and the South had ended few
months before and patriotism Sas
at a premium in old Monongalia
The people gathered in thousands to
listen to the patriotic eloquence Of
orators, who stood upon that conse
Grated spot and spoke to them. II
was a most impressive occasion and
made an indelible STAMP even upon
us little chaps. Strong men wept
like children as the speakers re-
counted the tragedies Of the war, on
the one hand, and the next mo-
ment the people made the hills reyer=
berate with their huzzas as they
listened to the successes OF our arms
as narrated By the speakers. With
glowing eloquenee, almost supernat-
ural, the speakers electrified the
great assembly gathered there as
they reminded them that the tenn
pest had passed, that the country
was safe, and that the flag was broad
enough and long enough TO envelope
every state Poor as the people
then were, the flower of their man
hood left buried unknown on
many battle fields; with indebted
ness staring the returned veterans
in the face, and large majority of
the people knowing not from whence
the second dollar would come, yet,
on that dedication day several hun
dreds of dollars were subscribed Tor
the erection of fitting memorial to
the men who bled that the flag
might float over united country.
| believe that our people are as
patriotic to day as they were in the
sixties, but for years our citizens
have been so busy in these great
times of plenty That they have had
little time to think OF anything else
save the accumulation of wealth
which has been flowing into this
grand old county in golden streams
from oil, gas, coal and from other
sources
In 1866 Morgantown was but
small hamlet. nesting quietly among
the hills, unknown to the outside
world, with no railroad, no telegraph
no telephone, no daily paper, no
packet line, no manufactures, no
university, no gas, no oil, no water
works, no sewerage system, no paved
streets, no street cars How is it
today? We have them all. Steel
mills, glass factories, great coal and
coke plants and varions other in
dustries come knocking at our doors
on every side, asking for admission
and permanent locations. Within
ten years Morgantown will have
population Of $4,000 people at the
rate it is increasing, and the county
$4,000 Our sister county of Fay
cite has $4,000 people and Monon
gala has as much coal, which, to
gether with our great OIL and gas
fields, and with our timber, glass
sand, fire clay, and other minerals
which are bursting our hills with
their inherent wealth, all, no doubt,
surpass any other section Of c untry
in this republic.
1t has been my pleasure to cross
this continent from ocean to ocean,
aud from the lakes to the gulf. and
anyone with his eyes half open, can
not help but recognize the fact that
this IS the richest valley and nearest
to the greatest markets under the
sun
Is it not time to pause tor brief
period in these times of great bless
ings and recall the fact that while
our fathers laid the cornerstone for
tue soldiers monument, it remains
unfinished today Nearly halfa cen
fury has speedily glided past and
the monument to our soldier boys
remains uncompleted.
What sacrifices the men in blue
made are known to us all, but we
younger men do not seem TO realize
it. 1t IS well that Decoration Day
comes every 3Oth Of May. The sol
dier boys lett their homes and fire
sides, their farms, theii dear ones,
their all, knowing that they faced
death, because they loved their
country supremely. Their bones lie
in unknown graves DER this broad
land They made these sacrifices
and suffered death on the altar of
patriotism that their children today
Il !. Il