Evening star., 1951-09-30
Charleston, W. Va, Valley Huns With Industrial Vgor

lion Kanawha Airport within
IL miles Of its business center.
proud expectations by
winning the Hare trophy as Amer
ica's outstanding airport in 1948.
Scholarly Charles E. Hodges,
managing director of Charleston's
Chamber of Commerce and former
president of West Virginia's Sen
ate, told, me, 1.-THE economy we
have here is just as vital to peace
as it is to war, so we do not con-
vert to war or divert to peace.
When a national emergency comes
we|produce more and do it faster
Synthetic chemistry with either
condition requires continuous
Operating schedule the yeal
around, seven days week"
I From him we learned that a
vast amount of the nylon goes
out of Charleston in its synthetic
substance to be spun elsewhere
1t is the home of the Vinylite
resins, lucite, and many other
organic chemicals from which
synthetic products are made
Such anti-freeze solutions as
PreStone, Zerone and Zerex
originated in Charleston. The
hydrocarbons of coal and nat
Iural gas from surrounding hills
are the basis from which these
we'll known intermediates are
made synthetically and shipped tc
other plants.
Big Plants Make Town Hum.
/ Such plants as Union Carbide
Dupont, Monsanto, American Wis
col, Allied Chemical and Dye
Libby Owens Ford and many
others make it a beehive of in.
dustrial activity. In its midst are
the largest axe factory. the largest
fiat glass plant (window and plate
glass; in the world and one oi
the largest bottle and container
| plants.
/ Famous to connoisseurs Is
Charleston's little Blenko glass
factory, where handblown glas:
is meticulously duplicated aftei
williamsburg. It's skilled crafts
manship has been called to fur
nish most of the colored glass
used in the Rheims Cathedral res
toration. We fingered fascinated
also at the tiny Manon glass fac
tory, a family industry which
makes most of the hand-blowr
communion glasses in America
Seconds. in many of which the
flaws are barely discernible, are
eagerly sought bargains.
/ Charleston, unlike many indus
trial cities, is a place of homes
and churches. Besides its role
as an industrial and chemica
center, it plays an important part
in the governmental life of West
Virginia and has a beautiful State
Capitol designed by Cass Gilbert
It's hospitality is generous and
open-hearted.
/ It's leading hotel, the DAME
Boone, named for the famous
woodsman. who shot one of his
bears in these parts and repre-
Sented Kanawha County in the
/ Virginia Assembly, when the State
was part of the Old Dominion. is
meeting place for industrialists
from everywhere. seeking appoint
ments at Charleston's various
plants
Visit With Governor.
/ Through a cousin, Paul Davis
/ Keller, a native West Vrginian
We enjoyed the courtesy of visit
with the States popular Governor
Okey L. Patteson, Democrat. His
wife and two daughters are a.
popular as the Governor himself
who takes no credit politically fol-
his independent stand on many
matters.
"West Virginia's Governors can
only be elected for one term, sc
why shouldn't I try to be fair and
just" he told me with one of his
wide grins. Anyhow, mountain
people are mighty independent
whatever their politics." he added
! Republican Mayor Copenhavel
was elected to office on his 12-
point improvement program fol
Charleston. This, he is pushing
through vigorously with no con-
promises and considerable success
and emphasis on the fact that the