Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1916-07-21

! We heard tneln naHSleu IhS othei
dav by one of West Virginia's most
distinguished men. He had the sense
If the encomium but not the round
ed period that we love so we'll:
"cive me but a banner, and let me
n1aco it upon the mountains of West
Aeusta, and I will rally around me
men who will lift my bleeding
country from the dust, and set her
free!"'
The difference between the people
of the two counties is more apparent
than real, as they have kept up with
the proceedings in culture and refine
ment and steadfastness Of purpose
in about the same degree and a
man is man wherever he is found.
Our ancestors set US high standard
If social life and civic honesty which
we hope and believe is being main
tanned in all its pristine honor and
glory.
Iii a remarkable incident that
with the joining of the two counties
by means of railroad and making
communication easy, the coun-
ties have gone more to them3elv's
and the old time partnership is all
but dissolved. l ate breakfast at
home the other morning and attend
cd morning service in the Old Stones
Church in Lew:sburg, and that SEEM
cd very quick work to one who re-
membered the long road over two
mountains. When Judge Campbell
was on the bench he would drive
from Union to the county seat of
Pocahontas and that Teemed like
coming from another country. After
the railroad was bdilt, 1 left home
one morning at eight O'Clock and
went to Union, attended to law
suit, took judgement in the case, and
got home by six O'Clock the same day.
In the old days we were always
pining for a railroad. 1t seemed to
us that if we could just get somebody
to build a railroad that we would be
perfectly happy and contented, for
getting that we would still have the
same old minds that harrassed us
before the railroad came. We had
any number of surveys east and
west across the county. No one
ever considered it feasible to build
up and down the river. At that time
the rafting business had grown to
very considerable proportions. The
general belief was thatrthe river was
so crooked and went through such
rough canyon, that the distance was
too great, and the ways too hard for
a railroad to come In at that door.
The raftsmen used to put the distance
by the river to Ronceverte to be as
high as one hundred and sixty miles.
They finally decided to measure it
md found it to be sixty miles and
70 CONSTRUCTION. 1t is hard to be-
&eye now that the railroad journey
fs so often made that the river gorge
was once considerd a very mysterious
country. After that first survey the
railroad came promptly, and it
proved to be all that we had hoped
for and more. In our sentimental
moments when we think of the grand
forests that are no more, we are
ready to say like the broken down
GA colored man in the experience
meeting, that the railroad has we'll
nigh ruined US,
The railroad marked a great
change in Pccahontas county. 1t be-
came a self sufficient county, with
banks and manufactures, towns,
hospitals, automobiles, plug hats, and
every thing like that. We take our
tone from Pennsylvania, as much as
from a SUMMER cline, and old Jeffer-
sconian democracy has had a hard
time to survive.
We travel through Greenbrier now
ard only touch few high spots.
We can go from here to New York
and never get our feet wet. The
traveller changes at Ronceverte-
changes from young man to an old
one waiting for the trains. His bones
grow soft loafing in the tavern. We
hit the trail over Droop mountain
mn more in covered wagon though
many of US say that we will, only we
do not seem to get up nerve enough
to do it. Automobiles are getting
about as common here as the covered
wagon was and they go laundering
over the old road but with nary
coffee not, frying pan, or blanket to