Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1916-07-21
Hon. Thomas H. Dennis,
Lewisburg, West Virginia.


Ny dear Dennis
have been asked to write Of the
White for the Fiftieth Anniversary
of the Greenbrier Independent. dc
50 with pleasure because the first Of
forts of my early manhood are en-
twined aruond your section. You
also asked me to write a little of the
history of my life. OF course that
part of it is immaterial.
I do this nth interest because my
earliest struggles in West Virginia
began in Greenbrier County. In
1875 landed at Ronceverte with lots
of hope and twenty-five cents, in my
pocket. 1 was going to Pocahontas
County to teach school,, and / remem-
Der with a great interest, the after
N that 1 set out on my long walk
from Ronceverte,. stopped at Mr..
zIl,s store in Lewisburg and spent
ten cents Of my twenty-five cents, to
get something to eat. remember
striking the doorway Of Mr.. Allen
Liyesay on the frankfort Road and
spending the night there. The quest
ion of most importance to me that
night was whether, in the morning
would take the risk of asking my
host what his bill was, which if 1t
was a dollar would ruin me, or
would i bow my way out like gent
leman and thank him for his court
esq. l did not sleep that night be-
cause I was thinking my host might
SAY his bill was dollar or fifty
cents and l only had fifteen cents.
Finally / decided to walk out like
gentleman and thank him for his
hospitality. l did this, and after
wards, when the sun began to shine
on me, told Mr. Livesay of my stu
alton and we had much fun over my
impecuniosity.
/ taught school in Pocahontas
county, and that was my first life in
West Virginia. Since that time l
nave been busy trying to do my part
towards helping the state. In 1898
the people elected me Governor of the
State. After that was elected State
Senator. In addition to this, the peo-
pie have elected me to many other
places and sent me to many conVen-
lions, and done much for me, all OF
which was undeserved on my part.
I have written some books, a few good
and a few bad. have practiced law,
built some railroads and bridges, and
have tried in my way to do as much
as possible towards making two
blades of grass grow where but one
grew before.
As the shadows are beginning to
get a little longer, and the days come
q little more quickly than they used
to, / am filed with delight to think
that by accident, stopped in West
Virginia and made it my home and
grand and the home of my people.
It is one of the sweetest lands up
ON which, in all my wanderings, my
feet have ever touched. Its people
are intelligent, its skies are translu-
scent and blue, it's mountains are
grand in contour and outline, it's val
leys are superb, its Summers are
sweet, its winters are mild and it's
life is kindlier than any other coun-
try in the world.
/ desire to congratulate your splen--
did old paper which have read now
for forty years. 1t has been honest,
decent and square, and never a word
in that forty years, has been printed
in it that could not have been read in
the very heart and soul. of our fam
lily life. hope it may continue in
the good work of teaching to the
people OF the next fifty years the les
sons of soDriety, honesty and morali-
ty that it has taught in the past.
1 beg your pardon for this long
letter, but when look sack and re
member that the first country paper
that ever read was tie Greenbrier
Independent, that the t county in
West Virginia upon WI n 1 put my
foot was Greenbrier Co ~, and that
t irst efIorts ii fe were in
Greerbrier county and 2ocahontas
county, it makes the eminiscence
little longer posi- than this
should be.
With hopes and asura that your
life and the life of your paper may be
filed with as much COED for the PEG,
pie in the next fifty years as It has
in She mast / remain