The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-10-21
Battle ANlVIV ERSARY Us
CELEBRATED II YORIITO OWN
School Children Of Several.
Several Counties Are in
a Big Parade.

~ tsl9-t q -
SPEECH BY MR.. MOORE
:. Calls Attention to Fact That
George Washington Adj
vocated Good Roads.
YORKTOWN, Va. Oct. 1s-on
1.-THE historical grounds where Lord
CORVALLIS years ago sealed the
doom OF Great Brtain's rule over
what is now part of the United
States. patriotic Americans gathered
today to celebrate the anniversary
OF the famous surrender.
4 The exercises were held under the
Auspices of the descendants
of the assigners of the Dec
laration of Independence, the
Yorktown Historical Society Of the
United States and citizens of York
county. The exercises opened with
marking fifteen historical spots. A
parade by the school children Of
York and surrounding counties fol-
lowed.
Representative j. Hampton Moore
made the principal address during
the day.
YORKTOWN. Va, Oct. 1s.-Declar-
Ing that while with good roads and
improved waterways in the United
states the Revolutionary war could
not have lasted eight years. j. Hamp-
ton Moore, of Philadelphia, president
of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways
Association. in addressing large au.
dience here today showed that General
Washington had insisted that free and
easy commercial intercourse between
the Atlantic seaboard and 1.-THE amaz-
Ing territory to the westward of u.s.
was the best If not the only cement"
that could bind the Colonial states
upon permanent basis. Washington
and his compatriots. he pointed out,
counted upon international trade to
assist in building up the colonies and
to populate and develop the vast coun-
try over which the grasp of ENGLAND
had been released.
Not Prior to Others.
Modern advocates of improved
roads and water courses" said Mr..
Moore. can in no wise claim priority
as promoters of what we believe today
Ito be essential aid to our country,s
progress.
Through numerous other letters
and papers, Washington's keen inter
est in this form of national develop
ment may be readily traced" contin-
Iued Mr.. Moore. "He had personally
inspected much of the country to
which he referred. He was skeptical
owing to the Spanish possessions, of a
Developments of the Mississippi, lest 1t
might involve some, disagreeable com
sequences to the trade and interests
of the Atlantic seaboard states, but
he was ever and always thinking of
that INSTRUMENTATION as between
the Atlantic seaboard and the west.
which the rivers alone were able to
afford. He had the desire that many
rivers coursing through Virginia
might be connected up with other
rivers from the West in order that the
products of the settlers might be read
ily brought to market. but his inquir-
les and suggestions were as compre-
; hensiye with regard to the opening
UP of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic
and all other sections along the coast.
as they were to his native state.
/ Question Merely Revived.
This important problem. there
fore, revived in the public mind as It
recently has been by the creation OF
many associations and by a growing
interest in Congress and amongst the
state legislatures. is not new. Why.
then, after the lapse of more than a
hundred years, are the minds of the
people again turned to the problems
which confronted their forefathers?
The answer is clear. Our ancestors.
charged with the perilous task of orr
J, ganizing a country which had been
woefully retarded by an eight years
war. were compelled to depend upon
the river or the canal or the lumber
Ing coach for the transportation of
themselves and their commodities.
They never knew of the railroad and
Its manifold advantages. nor had the
steamboat yet come to aid the ship
per or the merchant"
Citing the wonderful railroad de-
/ yelopment in the United States as d
/, reason for temporarily detracting
!. from the usefulness of the water
= courses and diverting the attention of
the people from them Mr.. Moore In
( sisted that today there was an awak-
sntng not only along the Atlantic
coast. but along the Father Of the