The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-19
A VERY
BUS
PL ACE
is sFAiRMoNT,s SAYS r. w. EGAN,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF
THE PlTTssURe DISPATCH
IN To-DAY's ISSUE.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS CON
CERNiNG OUR CITY AS SEEN
RY AN INTELLIGENT
VISITOR.

under his administration. Rev. ]. Eft
gle is city clerk. The two minis
tiers were elected some time ago a
fact explains peculiar political sit
uation. The people are for good gov
fernment first, last and all the time
i But in State and National politics Re
i publicans have been controlling the
4 majority vote in Marion county dur
/ ing recent years.
Fairmont at present is botherine
| about the city's future as manufac
turing center. The people are bank
ing on the probability that the Wa
bash Railroad will reach this end Of
the State before another year, and
| they have been reserving large tract
of land in prominent part of the
city for the many manufacturers who
will possibly come with additional
trans sportation facilities.
Fairmont a Beautiful City.
Fairmont is beautifully situated az
ter you climb the perpendicular hill.
leading from the Baltimore & Ohio de-
pot. Then the town is level Along
the Monongahela river many busy
manufacturing plants are working
overtime. The cfty's main streets are
lined with handsome business blocks
and nice stores. and they lead to su
burbs which resemble part of Pitts;
burg's East End residence section. a
great view Of the entire locality OF
Fairmont Is usually shown the strang
er by local enthusiasts from a grave
yard on the heights in the western
end of town.
population of five thousand. Repub.
licans declare that the present popu.
lation is ten thousand, and. If all the
district were included, twelve thou.
sand would be the right figures. They
claim that the towns progress has
been wonderful during the past IL
years, or since the business boom fol-
lowing the election of William Nc
kinley.
Democrats claim that the develop.
ment of the city has been natural and
would have occurred under the admin
istration Of a Popu1ist president; that
the resources of this rich territory OF
oil, gas, coal and a big river had
everything to do with industrial prog
ress. Property on the main street Of
Fairmont. which sold for. $4,000 II
years ago, is now in demand for s20,-
increase in valuations.
Excellent Advantages.
The city has good hotels. The con-
of the four Methodist. |
two Christian, three Baptist, two
Catholic, two Presbyterian and a Ger
man Lutheran Church are all worship
ping in handsome edifices. There are
seven hourishfng banking houses.
Fairmont Council has beautified the
city with two parks, and there is a
street railway line which leads to them |
md to the extreme end of the city.
The Watson family Of Fairmont
laye been the pioneers in all the en-
erprise and early energetic work tha..
we're responsible for the future of the
.ity. j. Q. Watson is probably the
veaIthiest man in the town. He de.
-eloped the coal land in the Fairmont
egion and his interests are now quite
extensive all over the State. He is
associated with his brothers,. E.. s..
!. and C. W.Watson-and former Cow
rnora A. B. Fleming, a son-ln-law.
An addition is being built to the Ii
Glass plant, which em
'loys two hundred men. There are I,
1ants manufacturing window glass,
ottles, mining apparatus and supplies
ar wheels. oil well supplies, boilers :
nd engines. steam pumps, stoves, !
ui1ding supplies, elevators, wall plas
ar and other products. /
The board OF trade is kept busy at +.
ending to correspondence with sout
ide manufacturers who appreciate /
his locality for manufacturing .pur
oses. The Wabash Railroad will ex
End through the principal part OF Z, !,
airmont and the people here realizesIt IS
lat the additional transpo portation Ia
1Ittes viii mean a permanent boon.
,r the city. Il
The West VirssI nj an lob q partrnent
turning out nice line of work 9