The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-01-25
URGES EAIRM0NT
CONTINUED from page one)

marks: why don't you take charge Of
them and keep them off the streets
yourself?" The answer is, II have no
control over him or her."
u want the citizens to assist" said
the Mayor, "but the Mayor or police
just by an act or deliberation cannot
bring about these conditions as 1t is
an impossibility." Great applause
greeted the Mayors reply.
In opening his remarks Mr.. Wiegel
said that no more interesting subject
than that Of Bigger and Better Fair
mont could have been assigned to
him. And IL he were to choose be-
tween the two he would select bet.
ter Fairmont rather than a bigger
Fairmont. 1t is far more important
that city be good than it is to be
big. I will take this opportunity to
express to you, a thought that
has been on my mind for some time.
Doing this appreciate the fact that
this is representative body of Fair
mont citizens and ! question whether
any could be got together that would
be more representative. AS 1920 is
the time for the taking of the national
census, Just two years hence, we should
get ready Just as Wheeling, Clarks.
burg and Huntington and other cities
OF the state are doing . At that time
Clarksburg will have its population In
creased from 5000 to 81, 900 in one day,
as it were, by taking in the environs
Of the city. Wheeling has before the
Legislature at this session bill to
increase its corporate limits so that
its population records will aggregate
$4,000. My friends II the census Of
Fairmont were taken today we prob
ably would have 10000 or 10000 peo-
pie with possibly 1000 or 1000 people
added to 1t by 1920. These figures will
stand for ten years-until 1880. We
should prepare an act and present 1t
at this session of the Legislature
which will authorize the annexation
of adjacent towns.
Among the towns that he suggested
could be taken into the corporate lin
its Of Fairmont are: Edgemont, Bar
rackville, Rivesville. Norwood and
Millersville. So when the records are
made up in 1920 they might be some
what near when they should be.
A city to be bigger must be better. l
believe Fairmont is a good city. Any
one who knows the people Of the COM
munity as have known them, will
say that the heart OF this community
is good, but that is no reason why it
should not be better We are going
to build better bridges, we are going
to build better schools, but not better
churches, because it is not possible to
do so. The city will need new high
school as Superintendent Wilson can
tell you. Had it not been for the war
this would have been we'll underway.
Put your strength back Of your schools
and keep them at the top OF the list
Of schools of the state.
The first address Of the evening
was delivered by Guy S. Crigler, Of
the United States Marines, who saw
active fighting in France. Last June
or July was the most exciting and
saddest minutes Of my life.p he said,
in opening. He then told how he was
detailed for service on No Mans Land
in France. We were going over the
lines when the command came, "for-
ward" In his passage he came across
fully one hundred wounded men. Ere
quently our own dying men were yell
ing "0h first aid, "kill me, kill me- %
He recalled the saddest moment when
his companion named Hand, OF Penn
sylyania, was struck by shell. He
knew Hand well, belonging to the
same fraternity. AS he described the
wholesale burying OF dead his audi
ence shuddered. Mr.. Crigler then told
of being on duty when an airman
spied him and proceeded to drop
bombs. Crigler said he escaped to
emergency tunnels. He told how he
saw bodies that had the heads shot
OF move for a moment or two and
men who had their bodies blown on.
He told how q German came crying,
"Kamerad," but the response from tina
Americans was six bayonet thrnsts
into him. He related how on one coca.
sion whole company Of Germans
worked a subterfnge by crying Kan
Grad but instead Of surrendering
every third man bent to the knees and
fired and killed Americans. After that
Americans took no chances, especial.
ly after the command was given, take
no prisoners.'
pr6hahiv Mr.. crieiAr's mast thfililns