Jefferson Barracks Citizens Military Camps - Jeffersonian Yearbook (Lemay, MO)

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JEFFERSONIAN --- population of more than l5,000. One constable. and zu poor one at that, is the only police officer in that section whose duty it is to enforce the laws. According to that ratio, Charleston with at population of nearly 40,000 would have only two and a fraction policemen. If there were only one policeman to every 15,000 in New York Pity, there would be more riots and blood- shed in one week that has ever occurred in NV:-st Virginia in its history. In some counties of this state where the population has grown from one or two thousand to twenty-five or thirty thousand within a period of a few months, deputy sheriffs have been ap- pointed to supplement the constables. In some eases these extra officers have been paid by eoal companies located in those counties. This is wrong in principle and should be corrected, and is being corrected by legislative action providing more adequate police protection. Even our crities do not complain when every rail- road in the country employs officers to ride the trains to protect the travelling public and at the same time to protect the companies property. THE REAL NVEST VIRGINIA lNIany people do not know the real NVest Virginia, the state that has some of the most hospitable people in the world, the state that can boast of the purest blood in America. Outsiders frequently think of it as the place where feuds exist, where moun- tain people do not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way. where mining towns are armed camps with coal operators and mine guards in a trench facing armed miners in another trench opposite, with no man's landt' between, and where life is gener- ally held cheap. They arch their eyebrows and say: 4'Yes, but how about your armed march? When you explain that in a week's fighting there was one deputy sheriff killed, two volunteers and four miners, they think you do not know what you are talking about. The Herrin massacre, the bomb explosion in NVall Street, and even a daylight robbery in New York take precedence over any- thing that has ever happened in VVest Virginia. Those of us at all familiar with the facts know that a wrong impression has been created about VVest Virginia. We know that there are no horrible conditions here such as investigators have reported. The West Virginia we know has been hid behind the screen of sensational newspaper stories prepared by prej- Pnggf' iSlf'f't,Ilf5'ifiIJll!

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,IEFFERSONIAN Uwing to the diversity of climate caused by the wide dif- ference in elevation in the various sections of the state, we find three well-defined life zones, the Carolinian, the Transition and the Vanadian. These life zones afford opportunity for many kinds of animals to make lVest Virginia their home. In the mountainous regions may still be found the black bear, deer, wild cats, panthers and many smaller animals. Also we have 260 known varieties of birds which have been officially listed. CLIMATE The highest recorded temperature for this state is 107 degrees, the lowest 35 degrees below zero. Everybody thinks about Florida as being the state of perpetual summer where the people enjoy invigorating sunshine the year 'round But careful observation has proved that there is more sunshine in WVest Virginia than there is in Florida, and less snowfall than in Ohio or Illinois. The climate is so favorable that some of the most famous summer resorts in the country are to be found here. Guests from all over the world visit White Sulphur Springs and other lVest Virginia resorts each year. Whether we see the hills and valleys of ever-changing scenes or the huge mountains covered with luxuriant forests, there is beauty, grandeur and simplicity on every hand. As Isaak Walton said of the world, we may well say of VVest Virginia: Doubtless God could have made a more beautiful place, but doubtless God never did. THE MINE GUARD SYSTIQIVI The one thing that has been emphasized more than any other by outsiders is the so-called deputy sheriff or mine guard system. Une is led to believe that West Virginia originated and has a monopoly on an unique plan,and that all other states are so highly civilized that they would not tolerate anything like it. The facts are that the same system is used in New York. Pennsylvaiiia, Folorado, and in every other industrial state. Why is this system such a horrible thing for West Virginia and of so much value to the industries of other states? 'lihis is not a defense of the mine guard system, but if I were living in certain sections of lVest Virginia, I would welcome it. li was in nr mining district a few days ago where they have :1 fir! I: S1'L z'll!wX'-fflVU'

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--l JEFFERSONIAN --- udieed eorrespomlents and printed in yellow journals. Then, too, people who have ulterior motives have taken advantage of the situation in order to gain their ends. SOME FACTS ABOUT IVEST VIRGINIA Area, square miles . 24,022 Population, Native IVhite 1,315,321 Population, Foreign Born 61,906-492 Population, Colored . . . 86,345 Population, Indians and Others . 121 Total population .... 1,403,701 Deepest well in the world near Fairmont. Largest stogie factory in the world at Wheeling. Largest proprietary medicine plant in the world at Wheeling. Largest axe factory in the world at Charleston. Largest sheet glass factory in the world at Charleston. Largest sanitary pottery in the United States at Mannington. More people own their own homes per capita than in any other state in the Union, 1910 census. Government eensus shows that lVcst Virginia has greater percentage of native horn population than any other state in the Union. Charleston has more wealth per capita than any other city in the United States. VVest Virginia has more coal than any other Static in the Union. Iinmined coal 160,000,000,000 tons. At present rate of coal production it will take nearly 2000 years to exhaust our supply. Second state in the production of coal in the Union, Penn- sylvania first. Best smokeless eoal to he found in the world. Best hi-product coal to he found in the world. Foal area estimated at 0,500 square miles, equal to com- liined coal area of Europe excluding Russia. West Virginia is now producing about 00',f more coal than was mined in the United States in l380. 19 ot' the 55 counties are underlaid with coal. West Yirginia is the heart ol' the greatest coal field in the world, the Appalaellian. There are 20 ditterent seams mined in a commercial way. l'f1,:'w .S'w. wilyifi:'f'