The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-04-12
JACOB
THRIFT'S
EXPERIENCE
OF LIFE AS IT'S ON THE WESTERN
pRAIkIEs AND IN THE PLACE OF
HIS NATIVITY.
DRIVEN FROM HOME BY HIS AM
BITIoN, HE RETURNS AFTER SEW
ERAL YEARS AND is ASr0UNDED
Grows Reminiscent and Touches viyidly
on the Scenes and Conditions Of His
Boyhood Days and Tells Story All
VIII Read.

on the Scenes and Conditions Of His
Boyhood Days and Tells Story All
WIN Read.
II was bright spring morning that
marked the return OF Jacob Thrift to
his native heath in the year 1904, from
a stay of five years in the strenuous
west. Jake.sas he was commonly cali.
el, by his young associates in his native
town, iinbned with that fever that sciz.
ed the young men Of Horace creely's
day, tired of what was such sleepy
town and bidding his friends good bye
set ont with gripsack in hand 70 grow
up with the country,
There We're many who. were sorry to-
see Jake go, for, although to some cx-
tent he had inherited that Indifference
TO the greater life that inflicted his home
town, there had early developed in him
a strong inclination to grasp the prob
lens of life and master them from the
standpoint of material success, at least.
lie mad dreamed and read of the VAST OPP
pcrtnnitics the western part Of the great
continent offered and the more he dream
ed and read the more determined he be-
came to try mis- luck in anothr cline.
His going away was great surprise TO
his boyhood friends, as well as great
disappointment to them lie had been
= leader in all their sports. ramblcs
through the thickets and plunges into
the several swimming holes in Elk creek
which was famous in those days for
bathing, even though there was more
publicity about It than the law RSiiiiesxed.
But Jake heard and Learned so much
itont the transformation Of the Mace he
had quit in his mind forever that he
longed to come back oven for a day or
20 to the scenes OF his childhood. And
Il may be added with propriety thai the
fame Of love that kindlcd in his bosom
for one OF ClarlSsburg's fairest daugll-
jers was rekindled from day to day until
II was utterly impossible to resist the
force that drew him back.
His coming was not surprise. lie
took the pains to announce it even TO
the sweetheart, who had mourned him
full FIVE years. and, upon his arrival here
he scarcely alighted from the train. than
he found himself delightedly shaking
hands with old friends and saying show
" TO all and his fice beanisa with Joy.
Yet there was a shadow on his brow
that seemed to say that he did NOT I'M
lerstand or appreciate fully the chang.
ed conditions not that among his
friends 50 much as the fact that he saw
scores of strangers. Not yet fully
awakened 70 the progress clarlsbarg has
made during his absence, II Was mol
strange that ne should look about hrm
and doubt whether he had really come 10
the place. whose every haunt he knew 50
well only few years before
Helpless TO understand how such al.
vance could be made in 50 short time.
se quietly placed himself in the hands
IL his friends and they told him the
sory. After he had seen IT as 1t is to-
lay. Jake fell into reminiscent mood 5
and wrote 10 his western friends some
What after the following fashion:
l was born on the banks Of Elk creek,
tributary OF the West Fork river,
which latter. when there wese high wal
ars. thought The greatest expanse Of
surging wafers in the world, but little
lid l dream Of the great Father Of
Waters. which awed me 80, when / went
,cress the continent and settled among
YOU Of the prairies. 1t was on the
sleepy banks OF Elk creek grew to
nanhopd's estate. and many was the
time thai we trnant school boys bafhcd
IN it, stiIl waters. Fresh and clean and
vigorous, we passed the quiet streets of
the sleepy old town. ate crackers on the
store box and njbbled at some stale
cheese. which one Of u boys bough.
with the pennies We got from the @old
nan for running an errand. There WIRE
III sorts Of grass aDi weels growing.
even in the middle Of the streets aud /.
used 70 be pleasure to US young lei.
lows. who were living OF the governor
TO stand around and guy the fellow.
who were scraping the CUTTERS to make
a living for the little ones who were de-
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