The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1916-01-07
Negroes of Wheeling---
An Interview With
]. E. Waters
SAYS WEST vIReINIES RE-
SOURCES WELL DEVELOPED
Speaks Of the Present Condition
Of the Negro in ". Va. and
Predicts Great Future.
(Br 4, NrrcER DN~Irr ,

tBY \. NfRcER DANIEL
West Virginia ~ a vrrirsbie 81 dora
do, not only "a regards the material
things OF this world. but also As ry@rds
humanity it-eif. My recent glimpse 1T
even . small portion OF the stat MAS not
only interesting "a me, nut Was smsz-
ine.~
The words quoted were uttered by Mr..
Jsmes q. Waters, Jr., formerly contrihu-
ting editor "f The Washington Sur. law
yer and pdhlIciSt and membe- of the
we'll known firm oi Wilson Il Water.
journalists AMI compiler-, of Washing
ton aud New York City Mr. Wat
has just completed swing around the
cirrl~ which included q week each In
Pittsburgh and Wheeling
''As I viewed the swift panorams from
the windows of the daylight -ps-isl.
s~i~cted for the very purpo-- oi permit
ting such view cuntinu~d Mr.. Wat-rs,
81 bore m mind the words used i'm S.-nd-
dr's Brief History OF the United states
g 'ngress was desirons II securing t. the
Union = district 50 determinedly loyal.
and West Virginia was received As a
state June -, ls6,. since the war all
its resources, especially in manufactures,
have been rapidly DEVELOPED As our
mountain-ciImber, annihilatina tesrit:e
grade after grade. drew us past comsnu-
mites rich in wealth all out Of propo, ton
70 the comparatively small number of
people % be found in tnen., bore in
mind also that here Was grand STAT
having the area OF European empire
which, ia 1917, could offer only Hun
tlnyton 81 v h, cling a. its represent
atives among ,ities of more than $500
population; that the total population of
the state wss only ,22l, Ils soui-; and
observed that at all points the culored
brother was a part of the community,
and apparently bu-ily engaged ~ !
pOndrrs-d these facts, my mind dw. IL
upon the untold possibilities beyond the
dreams OF svsrice a~s ~siting West Virginia
when the future. With men and money.
rhzsl come To change the villages and
towns which dot the InouLtiI -.ides I'm
every direction into rItIs- of t-emir z
thoussrds and ev~ry~ here the colOred
man will he among Tire Workers and
among the r~npers of the brnsfits.
Speaking oi conditions a. lac found
upper Ohm valley. Mr. Wat - sent on
In Wheeling. 1 found the city itself
a subject OF absorbing interest. while in
divitn-is among the colored people pre-
-ent-d ns"re notable study than did tie
col rcd population a. a whole which j.
small in size
''RecOverIng slowly from the draStic
Csessris n 'op~r stioi- hound NJ in state
wide pr, hli,itiOn. and from th- precesi-
ing industrial cstscly-m ~hich followed
the political turmoil a 1912. Wheeling
may he said 10 SsmI,liiy the stay ing
characteristics If Abericsn institutions
90 marked degree. When u y RECALLED
that IN 1910 Wheeling had population
~ ~ ,s4I people, the fact that recent
clearing house statement presents Wheel
ing IN fourth plsce for tile whple natl IN
in the mstter II hank clsaring- - All ele-
meat Of amazing mp ,rfancr. How shall
the human mind comprehend the ends to
which this thriving community will at
tain IN the next ten. twenty or tnirty
year,;
The colored people IN Wheeling.
numbering IA 1910 mere c"rgo al's
guard of l,3,l -Otls. and engaged IN
honorable But mostly meni4l s~rv,c-.
presents perhaps only sne striking -ou ce
of comment Thst reist,s o. the bou. -
ing question, srd tsches tie mighty
truth that the Negro must solve his own
housing proDiem ~ buying land and
bui ding Tor himself.
Most nj the cosoreJ people live on
Eof street and ~ithsn terfit r al limits
csoss thereto. Tbo-e IN the city wno sis
bet located live IN bome- "wBed ~
themselves OF by other colored men.
Renting Q desvnt hssme under Osher con
ditsoD- is welIni1h imgx'-sisls. Foil a.
10 o perceptions. aileJ Like incl rn-. re
senbiins the -sde of an Alpine cliff How
the people make It up and down there
in the winter - mystery, and WHEN oil
10 s<sd and done. u must te admitted
that this highway 70 hardly TIM rca tl.ias
IN the cay OF de-Irsble locstsyn Tor
hosDes Of the right sort. Thus - pre
srps<d IN wheeline the probsem OF Amer
isan srbsn lie everywhere: ths hou~sns
a ~ ep,sssa ~ I'D M iaailS. Is