Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-01-14
West vrginias Participation at the Panama Exposition
Continued from page)

Francisco with over $50 families con-
shutting its membership. who are
proud of West Virginia. their native
state. who are waiting anxiously to ex-
tend a welcome greeting to the folks
from home. The present attorney gen
eral of California, General Webb. is u
( West Virginian. had the pleasure of
meeting him, and | know that he Is
still looking to the Mountain State with
great pride, hoping that she may fulfill
her mission at and during the Exposi
ton. We can be assured that the West
Virginians now In San Francisco will
see that our entertainment, our enjoy
meDt and the beauties of the Pacific
coast viii be offered us.
One of the most interesting places
West Virginians can visit will be the
ascending to theNtop of Mount Tamal-
pals. You reach the summit of this
mountain over the crookedest road in
the world, and in the afternoon or
evening on the return trip you seem to
be floating with the clouds, not being
able to see any part of the city.
Another interesting place to visit will
be the Wine Haven wineries. l do not
know If the late election will prohibit
West Virginians from making this visit
or not We will have to leave that to
Commissioner Blue The Wine Haven
wineries are perhaps the largest in the
United States. Nearly all of these
places are visited by power boats, gas
oline launches, ETC., and are only few
hours ride from the Exposition gates
Features of the Exposition.
l shall not undertake to give a mi
mute or graphic description of the
Exposition, except to enumerate few
of its principal features. The EXPOSE
ton grounds cover approximately
1,150 acres. -Four million square feet
of roadway and magnificent boule-
wards, made out of and from California
red rock, has been used in the paving.
These boulevaltls are shaded by hun
dreds of native California trees, and
the landscape gardening is and will be
q revelation to all travellers.
The Exposition has a palace of arts,
a palace of horticulture. palace of
machinery, IA palace of education and
social economy, u palace of liberal
arts, palace of manufacture and
varied industries, a palace of trans
portation, a palace of agriculture, a
palace of agriculture food products,
palace of mines and metallurgy, pal
ace of live stock exhibits and Il great
Exposition auditorium. The main
auditorium of this building will ac-
festival hall, main tower or tower of
jewels, which will be the center of the
great and modern illumination scheme;
the palace or the court of the universe,
the court of abundance, the court of
four seasons, the court of palms, the
court of flowers, which will be para
disc of varicolors 1t is said that the
amusement or concession district will
be so modern as to be unlike all of the
other great white ways" of previous
'Expositions
Advantage to West Virginia.
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the
State Board of Trade: 1t strikes me
that the last part of the subject as
signed me is perhaps the most i'm
portant on this occasion-the EXPOSE
tons advantage to West Virginia. Did
it ever occur to you, gentlemen, that
West Virginia is now practically
coastwise state, made so by the
Panama canal? Did it ever occur to
you that the great Ohio river, border
ing the entire state on the west, Is
only something over 600 feet above the
gulf Of Mexico i'm altitude? Did it
ever occur to you that the Little
kanaWha river. that penetrateS
through the center of the state as to
north ands south, is but little over
600 feet in altitude above the Gulf of
Mexico? Did it ever occur to you that
the Great Kanawha river, penetrating
southern Vest Virginia, is but COG
feet above the Gulf of Mexico along
its shores at Charleston? Did it ever
occur to you that the Little Sandy
river, skirting the southern border. of
the state, is but little more than
GOO feet above the Gulf of Mexico,
making these four rivers the upper
branches of the great canal, practically
with am average water fall of about
three inches to the mile, free and
water course from the
state to the Pacific coast by way Of
the canal, giving to us an inland state,
with all the natural resources of an
inland state in mineral wealth, prac-
tically coast state in so far as trans
portation counts? BY reason of this
West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and
Virginia are sure to be-
come the fuel zone that will supply
the power necessary for the worlds
commerce.
Located at Colon on the south and at
Panama on the north will be the great
fuel stations, supplying fuel for the
great commerce that is to pass through
the canal. You men of West Virginia,
who are furnishing possibly the best
marine coal in the world, are in posi-
ton to supply a large portion of this
great commercial commodity. The ma
tional government has already made
n substantial appropriation for the
locking and damming of the great Ohio
river, giving a nine foot stage during
the entire year. We of the Great Ka-
nawha river firmly believe that this
great improvement will be carried out
by the enlargement of the locks and
dams of the Great Kanawha river, and
there is no question in my mind but
the Little Kanawha river will be prop
erly cared for. This will mean that in
the near future great steel barges, with |
nine foot displacement will take the
place of our present small wooden
barges. These barges will be construct
ed with upper and lower decks, the
lower decks carrying the fuel products
Of. the state, The clay products of the