Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-08-28
GIVES A HINT TO
The B. & O. RAILROAD
Martinsburg JeweIer Tells About
Wide and Beautiful Streets in West
ern Cities, Great Deserts of Sand
and High Mountains.

Jones, the %well-known jeweler OF Mar
tinsburg who is on an extended tour
Of the West, will be Of much interest
to our readers. Mr.. Jones says:
Salt Lake City, Aug. IA %.
Editor Of The Herald:
Not having had a communication
from the heart of the world" since
Aug. 3rd do not know what is hap.
/ pening or how full of copy you may
be. If crowded, consign this to the
waste basket.
We are travelling by Easy stages to
the Pacific. Our impressions of the
cities we have visited are favorable
in the extreme. Our business men
could profitably initiate many OF their
methods. All, while working for self
interest and personal profit, work like
Trojans for the general good of their
home section. Their streets are wide
as well as the payements, and ! have
yet TO see the first instance of the in
diyidual appropriating to his own pri-
vate use what belongs to all the peo-
pie. In Salt Lake City many of the
pavements are 20 and 25 feet wide
and clear of all distractions, while
the width from building line to build
ing line runs from 100 70 100 feet. In
the residence section they either
park the tree rows or the centre OF
the streets. This is cheapr than
bricks and is very beautiful and rest
full to the eyes.
Denver is the busiest place / ever
saw for the size. It's buildings will
compare favorably with any of the
largest cities, while the parks, resi-
dences and streets are the most beau
tiful it is possible to imagine. In
Salt Lake City We learned lots about
the Mormons from their lectures, all
of which sounded very nice from their
standpoint. They fought hard to have
the anti-poligamy law declared uncon-
| stitutional, and have strong hopes that
with general enlightenment as to
their true belief, they shall yet ac-
complish their purpose.
This is called the Great and Gold
en- West" / think it must get the
name from the intense heat which
seems enough to turn everything,
even the people, yellow.
Not a word that may interest the
farmers. If our young men would
voluntarily submit to the privations
that they would be compelled to en-
dure out here, they would make nor
money. Fully so per cent. of the
farm houses are four rooms and less,
and ] am sure ! am we'll within the
limits when | say that 40 per cent.
have three rooms and less. Their
farm buildings are on a par with their
homes. This applies to The rich states
of Iowa and Nebraska where farm
lands sell for 800 to 5000 per acre
and are occupied by the owners.
Through Colorado and so far
through Utah the rainfall is so slight
they must resort to irrigation. This
is expensive and may lead to litiga-
ton, as the ones lower down the
streams feel thmselves unjustly treat
ed.
One thing very noticeable is the lib
eral treatment by the railroads. They
seem to realize that what helps the
people must eventually help them.
They are very liberal in their appro-
p~riations for stations and sidings. 1t
leads to the reflection that If the B.
& o. would give US more local trains
and a better station, what a liberal
interest Martinsburg would pay back
on the cost.
What can l say about the sand
deserts and the mountains? Words
fail to describe either. We believe if
all the sand were dumped into the
Atlantic there would be no ocean, AS
for the mountains, they are grand.
might say fearfully grand. When you
find yourself 1000 feet and more in
the air clinging to the side OF a rock.
and look down into a gorge over 1000
feet below you, it is fearful even If
it is grand. That was our experience
early in the week on the Moffatt road.
When on the summit of the noun
tain in the regions of perpetual SHOWS,
we were able to make snowballs with
one hand and pluck flowers at the
same time with the other.
1t seems strange that thousands OF
feet above the timber line, where
nothing else will grow, these beauti-
full hardy flowers are ready to spring
up just as soon as their place OF abode
is uncovered. This process continues
as the snow recedes, thereby giving
the visitors and few residents fresh
flowers all summer.
We could write for a week and not
say it all, but do not wish to tire you
or your readers. Perhaps ! may say
more later,
W. L. JONES.