The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-04-12
Jacob Thrills Experience
Continued from page


snakes and escaped with what seemed to
US ac.million bites, 1t happened on an
April day, when the thunders rolled anu
the clouds hung low. II drove Us ali
back TO town faster fhan<oir-legs would
really carry us and from that day TO this
there is a myth about snakes there and
1t at once took the name OF stae old
snake farm
But that tradition has given way 90
something better. There are no longer
any snakes there. But am somewhat
ahead of my story. / set out to tell
you something of cIarlsburg as it was
five years ago, when I pulled stakes and
declared that it was too slow for me.
1t is enough to say of it that it was
about as sleepy as any thing could be
and tae inhabitant of live town or
cIty would have said that it was one
Of the many that are remembered only
by the mound or the tombstone. That
was what 1t was when I left It for quits
as ] thought, although I did not count
the cost the pangs for love and home
would give me in after years. There
was really nothing then to induce a
young man to stay at home and the
truth is there was nothing to persuade
the old settler to spend the remainder
of his days here, unless he was content
creep along like the snail.
1t was trying period not only in the
life of older citizens, accustomed to the
ways Of man and not acquainted with
the life of activity and method that
bring success. Trying it was because OF
the graphic accounts of the progress of
the west, such accounts as convinced
me of my duty to myself to ego west"
There was nothing to hold an ambitious
! young man here. There were no fac.
tories, except carriage works or two
and a foundry here and there. Natural
gas had not been thought Of, much less
brought into use. The town was a mere
over grown village and there was little
development of any sort. The popula-
tion numbered less than three thousand
and was fixed in its ways. 1t was with
us boys, 60 TO school few months in
winter and spend the summer roaming
the hills and playing hide and seek in
the thickets. There was but little ia
inspire on to the activities of real lifei
and as the result / like many others,
fell easily into the habit of taking
things as they came, or in other words
being satisfied with what might happen,
although it never did happen, excepting
the county fair or an occasional circus.
These annual events brought happiness
and contentment supreme to us boys, and
from the glee the few merchants seem
to take over the sale of few goods to
one here and there of the many who
came to town on those occasions, older
heads thought it was great day when
a couple thousand people were in town.
1t makes me ashamed of myself to re-
call how foolish was TO thing Clarks-
burg was a great place in those days,
and yet every one thought the same way.
when these annual gatherings occurred.
All would have been well, pertains,
with me. not to mention others of my
associates and closest friends at that
time. if had not become so ambitious
as to seek the love of one of the daugh-
ters Of a man who was rated as well
to do in that day but who at present
is at the foot of the ladder so far rs
riches are concerned. Her name was
Susie-well, it is not necessary to give
her last name. She is well known in
Clarksburg and it is told even to this
day that she would have married. had
the old man consented to tine one OF her
choice, but don't you fool yourself; 4
am going TO get her yet. 1t was what l
have intimated as well as the dreams
had of the golden opportunities that
drove me from my native heath, anu 70
tell you the truth, the same conditions
brought me back, except that it is
matter now OF consent on the old mans
part and within fortnight i will have
for my own the idol of my youth and the
one who mas been true to me and / TO
her. And, though it pains me to tell
you, yet I have decided to make this
my home in the future.
You have not the faintest conception
Of what natural gas is, nor did until
l saw the mountains ablaze Just before
! reached clarksburg. To me it was
more startling than any thing had
ever seen. tell you, cannot begin 70
describe my feelings. / was perfectly
mystified and still more so, when / 4
heard of the remarkable things it had
done for the fuel city of the fuel state,
as they call Clarksburg here Why, they
actually cook with it, read by it, warm
by it. run big factories with it and do
all but battle in it. 1t is, indeed, the
greatest discovery within the history OF
the country, the famous gold finds not
t.J