West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-01-19
WEST VIRGINIA.
Her Past Present and Future Progress
and Achievements.
A Glowing Prophecy OF History Yet
Unborn.

From Special Contributor.
Last fall while rambling among ST. Louis
aggregation Of amusemenis, 1 casually walk
ed into Monticello or the Virginia State
Building. l at once entered the recreation
or reading room, picked up n large pamphlet
an threw myself on lounge near by, and
found my literary selection, was the category
OF Virginia journalist. And his style Of
writing was brilliant and fascinating lie
had extensively sketehed the memorable
places and people of Old Virginia history.
lie told of the homes Of her statesmen and
the glayes of her heroes; of her colonial
s,ateliness, her revolutionary foriitude and
her commanding influence upon the early
destiny of the Republic. lie visits her
venerable churches TO catch the inspiration
Of her ancestral faith, and enuehes his
thoughts IN the classic atmosphere of her
ancient colleges; studies her bygone business
life in her deeayed marts of trade, and upon
the countless fields where Virginians sealed
their devotion with their lives. lie does
homage to the silent dust of persisted her
oism. The leading characteristics of her
people are reproduced in his work, and the
civilization OF the Virginia of the past lives
again in the graphic journalism of to day.
l will admit that Virginia has reared states
men, heroes and historians, whose names
will go down through history, poetry and
song. But she cant vie with West Virginia
today in mental development and material
greatness. We far surpass her In railroads,
timber, mining, oil production, gas and
glass plants. And we are sending from our
mountain State to all parts of the world
orators, statesman, heroes, historians, civil
engineers, ministers and educators Of
higher philosophy than Athens ever knew.
In fact eversince we have separated ourselves
from the Old Dominion our progress i'm
every department has been without example
and TO demonstrate our states development,
from the earliest dawn of our existence. /
will relate little narrative. One hundred
and eighty years ago, Alexander Spots
wood, Governor of Virginia led an explor-
ing expedition to the head waters of the
York and Rappanhannock rivers, and after
laborious ascent finally reached the sum-
NIT of the Blue Ridge. Upon this spot the
main body of his Adventures, who were
afterward known as the knights of the
Golden Horseshoes stayed their march and
rested from their WEAKNESS. But an old
tradition relates that less than a half score
OF the more daring, crossed the Shenandoah
Valley and ascending a lofty peak of the
Alleghenies, looked westward upon the IN
known land that lay beyond them. There
they beheld an unbroken stretch of noun
tain wilderness, unlimited in its vastness,
terrible in its wide and awful loneliness.
sublime in its impeuerable forests and in
accessible crags. Being impressed with the
peril of further exploration, they turned in
dismay from the frowning prospect that lay
before them. They retraced their steps.
rejoined their companions and passed down
the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge 10 their
Virginia homes, they then taught their
| children's children that beyond the summit
of the Alleghenies the footprints of Virginia's
destiny could leave no enduring impress.
political power and influence, mental devel-
ment and material greatness did halt on the
eastern slope of the mountain range. BUTT
Is our privilege my counirymen to see opened
up in this land from which those Virginia
explorers turned back in terror over a
century and half ago, the grand possibi-
titles of Yves, Virginia's destiny, which need
but the touch Of the masters hand and the
sound of the sovereign voice to come forth
IN forms Of life and beauty. We have
secured what to them was denied Not
alone the mountain fastness, where gathers
the tempest and broods the genius Of the
storm, the inaccessible solitudes where only
dwells the everlasting presence, but all this
beauteous land Of forest and of food, these
wales Of loyeliness and content, this won
drous wealth Of landscape beauty and health,
giving waters, and sleeping mine and TEEN
ing soil, and the moral and intellectual
capacity Of noble people. Here in our
mountain state, has long, long since been
sowu the seeds Of intellectual, moral and
material growth, from which the farthest
future will garner the golden fruits Of a
glorious civilization. Here we have bailt
chosen commonwealth, that stands among
her sisters in the National constellation, at
once their peer, their pattern and their pride.
And may the historian who Shall paint the
progress Of West Virginia be tempted to
adopt the language Of the,panegyrist OF
Greece, and say that "her name has become
a waichword upon The earth." Here has
arisen a social spiut 20 soften and refine our
chosen people, and here liberty has built her
mountain throne; here the arts and graces
dance around humanity and store mans
home with comforts, and strew bis path with
roses, and bound bis brow with myrtle and
fashion for him the breathing statue and
summon him % temples Of snowy marble
and charms his senses with glowing prospects
aud will throw over his FINAL sleep its veil of
l0yelincss. And all those great achievements
are ihe result Of the potency u West Vir.
ginia thought. In The resisiless russh OF
human progress, we catch a hini for our
work from the leading facts Of our civilza-
ton, and we must ever beat 10 mind that &,
IS en'hroned thought that governs, even
when brute forces struggle Tor supremacy.
Che Drui7lles that command the best brain
viIl invariably prevail And today The
West Virginia thinkers are setting out upon
their voyage n discovery amid the sncers of
the increiuious, and the anathemas Of Che
1iR3t ever returning like Columbus amid
The plandiis ~ sstoBnded people, bearing
back Che allegiance q new empires made.
Tributary to their advantage, and conqucsis