The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-12-20
Pen Picture Of John
J. CornweN, Honesick
For Small Town Joys
ny PAUL AAY.)

Baltimore, MI, Zee. IL
man in Baltimore homesick Tor west
Virginia. ,,.
He Is general counsel for the Bait
more & Ohio railroad, consiaereu
pretty good job.
Still he's homesick.
"A great state is West Virginia. nc
said today, "a great state mlsrepre-
scented and abused but with wonderlui
na,uraI resources and the finest people
on earth"
And he's pin!n' for 'em. Ia J. ]. Corn
we'll one time governor. He came mere
To be general counsel for the rallroau
that once employed him as a seS'io''
hand: how many years he Will stay ~
acknowledgements he'll stay unu'
death parts him with this mundane
sphere: but the longer he stays. he says
the more homcsick he will grow.
The reporter found him in his preten-
tIous office in the huge headquarters
OF the Baltimore & OhiA railroad mere,
Everything in that office was calcuiateu
to make a man anything but homesich'
for there were all the comforts neceS,
sary to bring peace 10 any harasseu
soul. But the ex-governor, once coun.
try editor, still loves the country ana
pines for the Joys of the small town
ID.
betray him as 4 simple hearted person.
rather amazed at the wickedness ana
comnlexity of modern life. especially
city life. He makes It plain that legal
lorse, In which he leads. brings MN less
satisfaction than poetry, even when ne
writes II himself, simply, touchinGly'
sometimes hut not often, humorously.
He yearns for the fishing and the hunt
ing once his naStimes In West Virginia.
now denied him In baltimore.
MY hearts in the highlands OF the
AlleghenIes." says he.
Mr.. Cornwell sits rather s7rawlingly
In his oflce-at least when he talks
to newspapermcn-and plays win
cuple Of pennies as he talks IN light
dry voice, which Is pleasing neferthe-
less
You notice that he IL fastidlous In his
dress and then you begin TO notice the
keen play Of his mind. No matter what
the question IS. he instantly absorhs It,
and gives n frank. ready. clean-cut an
swer
He was born on a farm Is miles from
the county scat Of Richie county. West
Virginia, July II, 1867. HIS father was
Jacob Fl. Cornwcll a Confederate vet
eran. lie lived there all his early years,
At 16 years of age hn was teaching.
FIe kept ut il until hc was %. To start
he got SOS a month. When he ended as
principal OF the high school at Romncy.
county seat Of Hampshire county. he
was getting SGD.
He went 70 school a few years at
Shepherd colicrc. Shepherdstown. and
ono summer normal term n the state
university. That was the extent OF his
formal education.
,ri.h thn madam
IS, he wants 70 begin NJ the top" says
The West VirEin!an. who began at ire
bottom. 1.-THE boys cannot understand
why they are not given the big jobs
rr.>t No. I do not think 4 college
training is cSscntia!--!t is a good tool
but it Is not essential. The hest school
- the school Of hard knocks"
Mr.. Cornwell still owns thr Hamp-
shire Review, which he bought 80 years
ago, and still writes for Il. whenever
The mood strikes him. under KNOCK
about Notes"
lnasmu,h as hc has been a governor.
one nr his recent contributions to
"knocka bout Notes has n peculiar In
tercst. as # shows his views OF politics
It follows:
blessed is the man content with
absolute obscurity; To get mixed up
with public affairs or politics is
harasslng TO the mind. degrading to
the morals and destructive TO the
appetite. To put oneself In posi-
ton to be pinched and pulled. mis-
represented and maligned. criticised
and condemned IL the height Of tdocy.
Yet one does 1t willingly and wan
TONY, so one cannot complain.
1.-THE beat and noblest earthly thing
is true friendship. The man who
has seen pretended and professional
friends, skulk for cover when they
think he Is on the brink . can
appreciate the unpretentous and un-
processing one who steps to his side
and offers assistance or counsel or
whatever may he needed"
Mrs. Cornwcll is here with him. They
built residence at Romney in 1916 and
still keep It as summer home, hut
both have been so busy they hardly
have had time to enjoy t..