The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-01-18

progress and Development Enc
mountains u West Virginia Seem .
have given the people lofty asnira-
tions. grandeur and stability OF pur-
pose. while the moving river cur
rents suggested action and progress
was once with friend in colora-
do. who pointed to peak OF the
Rocky Mountains, wrapped in eternal
snow. and asked me II that scene
did not represent the sublime In ma
lure. Il replied that it was truly
sublime. but preferred our West
Virginia hills. which wore the same
white emblem OF purity at the joy
Gus Christmas time, and then lifting
their coronets of snow. and revealing
the fragrant flowers Of spring. repre-
scented not only the sublime in nature
but the Divine drama of the resur-
rectIon. The early inhabitants Of our
state were without educational adj
yantages and had but little time for
meditation. The did not read ro-
nance. they made ii; NOR poetry. they
lived Il. The years sped by until the
descendants of the pioneers had to
meet new conditions. The wealth Of
mountain and valley had been dis
covered. Capital was knocking ut
the door and the line ofccleavge be-
tween the old and new was clear and
distinct. The Ieisurely march OF
events was accelerated by the force
of irresistible destiny. In forty years
we have added almost one million
souls TO our population and almost
eight hundred million dollars to our
taxable wealth. Forty years ago we
had about 400 schools in the state;
today we have 1000, schools and
5000 teachers to whom are paid an
nually two million dollars.
The worlds greatest coal field. is
the Appalachian, and the heart of
this area is West Virginia. Great
Britain, Germany and France com
bined. have 1900 square miles OF
coal. West Virginia has three times
as much. Were 1t possible to cap
italize the coal values of West Yir-
GINA at 10c ton. 1t would represent
a wealth of ten thousand millions of
dollars or three times as great as
all gold and silver coined in all the
world, sum vast enough to pay the
national debts of England. France
and the United States, AS have al
ready said. we are regarded as a
mining state. and people are enthu-
siastic about the forty-fiye million
tons of coal we are producing am
nually, but let me tell you some thing
else. We have brought under civili-
zation 100000 farms which produced
values last year .aggregating over
$40, 100000. The fruit product of
one county alone win soon reach
S5,0o0,00O annually, and it is estima-
ted that when the agricultural idea
is developed the fruit and farm pro-
auctions of the state will in time
reach $500. 100000 annually.
Great Natural Wealth
Great natural wealth and expand
ing commerce inspire us with exalted
ideas of our Importance. and set the
imagery of our. brains to erecting
phantom pedestals upon which our
vanity may poser but, Mr.. Toast Mas
ter, these things never made state.
What constitutes state? Men, high
minded men - who their duties
know. and knowing. dare maintain"
Mr.. Hubbard, the distinguished
congressman from my district once
boosted that West Virginia had with
in itself all the resources necessary
for the comfort and well-beIng of
Its people, thatslf the state were to
be set asg an island in the midst of
an impossible sea, inhabitants would
never want for houses, food cloth
ing, fuel or education. That state
ment was not oyerdrawn, sir. 1t |
would indeed be land splendid in ex
clusiveness, in which poetry, music,
literature, philosophy. science and
Christianity would be perpetuated
in institutions and temples wherein
the scholar would trim his lamps
and contemplation would prune her
wings" and though unheard should
be the drum taps of other marching
ISANih6thAlbhSt VIC WOuld SbAiA Jul
place in the triumphal procession of
the quickening ages.
In conclusion, friends. must give
the message I bear from your old al
ma mater state. 1t is an invitation
to you to come home occasionally. |
No matter how far ambition and du-
ty may take you from West Virginia,
her blessing and benediction, will fol-
low you. If you have been away long
you must be prepared for changes.
You may not be pleased with them at
first, but at home we are growing
accustomed to the new order. You
may find that the cascade now turns
wheel or furnishes water for great
steam leviathans. That the vine COW
cred ledge you once loved has been
transformed into stone quarry, and
that the wild bird has flown in
search of some place where the soli-
tudes are tenantless and the forces of