The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-17
Mr.. DOLLIvER WRITES
TELLS THE PAPER IN HIS HOME
TOWN IMPRESSIONS OF THIS
STATE-A VISIT PAID TO
OLD. HOME.

s'S"@s
A series of letters Is appearing in
the Fl. Dodge. la. Daily Messenger
They are being written by Victor
Borwn Dolliver, who is now visiting
in this section. The first letter re.
lates to his coming to the State and
his first impressions on reaching 1t.
1t is as follows:
Complying with your request for
statement of impressions as to
changes and progress made. in my
native State upon my returning here
after an absence Of quarter of a
century, have taken pains to make
some notes.
It is no easy matter, in the brief
space of one letter, to indicate even
meagerly all the changes that impress
me now that am again in familiar
haunts and on old camping grounds"
as 1t were. The changes have been
SO marked and so seemingly revolu.
tionary that it is hardly possible for
me to comprehend them myself, and
will be difficult to give one unfamiliar
with the conditions that formerly ex.
listed and those that now exist any
adequate idea by comparison.
In the first place 1t would be i'm
possible to imagine town any more
secluded and provincial than this city
of Morgantown as l knew 1t 80 years
ago. The whole State of West Vir-
ginia was then in practically unde.
veloped condition--there were coun-
ties In the State as much UNEMPLOYED
as some Of the regions in the distant
Rocky mountain country. The forests
and the soil were virgin, and the
natural resources were comparatively
untouched. Morgantown at that
time was quiet village, located up
on the banks of the Monongahela
river. and had been developed some.
what by the steam-boating upon that
stream, and the trade created by a
rich agricultural country surround
ing it. The one thing that made 1t
conspicuous above other towns of the
State was the fact that here was
located what was called the state
University" although at that time,
thirty years ago, the showing made
by the institution was not such as to
impress one, either with its vastness,
richness of endowment or effective.
ness as factor in the educational
world. Morgantown had long been
known as seat of learning and CEN
ter of culture, even at that early day.
and the atmosphere was most con-
genial for intellectual pursuits. My
father selected this town as a good
place to have his family reside while
his children obtained their education.
and my older brothers are graduates
of the University located here. 1t
was during the period OF their resi-.
dence here (they graduated in 1879,
while they were in school that I OBJ
tanned the impressions that received,
not only of this city and adjacent
country, but Of my native State as
well. 1t was quiet place then, I'M
disturbed by the Entertainments of
the steam railway, the nearest sta
tion being 20 miles distant on the B.
and o. at Fairmont. and unvisited
even by steam boats which used to
ply up and down from Pittsburg at an
early day. because when I left here
1t was only at times Of high water"
that steamers successfully made the
run as far up the Monongahela as
Morgantown. With this very incom.
plete and Inadequate picture OF Nor.
gantown as 1t existed a generation
ago. turn now to the conditions
found here to-day.
In coming into the State, crossing
the river from Ohio to West Virginia
on the bridge connecting Bellaire and
1 Benwood soon began to make note
OF the oil and coal developments that
had taken place along the B. and o..
RAILROAD through the region between
Moundsyille and Fairmont. was
livery familiar with the territory about