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Town Clock vs Big Whistle

The Parkersburg Gazette editor talks strongly to the citizens of that little village about the necessity of having a Town Clock. They must have a little stronger purse in that town, with its decreasing population, than we have, with our increasing population. Although our population is double that of Parkersburg, we have no Town Clock, nor do we expect to get one shortly — but we have a thundering big Whistle on the top of the Rail Road Machine Shop, which lets all who work by the ten-hour system know when to go to work in the morning, to dinner and return again, and to quit work in the evening. It leaves all the Steamboat and Rail Road locomotive whistles in the shade a foot or two. — [Martinsburg Gazette.]

Whew! Why, what a blow you do make, with your “thundering big whistle!” But, name sake, you are wholly mistaken about the superior whistling capacity of your masher. The Steamers Keystone State and Buckeye State have fixins for whistling that will bang the world beside. Just listen, some frosty morning; you may hear them, easily, in your ancient borough, and, when you have once heard them, your penny concern will never be able to attract your attention again! — All this aside, however, we must have the clock. “Big Whistles” may do for towns whose citizens have no other business than to eat, sleep, and “see the cars” as they pass; but, for commercial communities, such as we wot of, some correct chronometer is necessary, whereby the various departments of industry may be regulated. Especially will we need the clock, in one or two years more, to start the trains in time to reach Martinsburg, where passengers usually go through the feeding motions and pay for the exercise – nothing else! By the way, Friend Gazette, your Deputy Marshall Nadenbush must have kept about the depot and counted several complements of Rail Road Travelers, in order to make up that “increasing population” we read about.

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RIVER MAILS. Change of Time!

As will be seen on reference to the Clipper’s card, that boat will hereafter make three trips per week between Wheeling and Parkersburg, carrying the mail each trip. This schedule was always required to complete the River Mail arrangement, and we congratulate the community upon the tri-weekly mail which it will secure. It proved quite refreshing to read the Baltimore American when only three days out — as can now be done. That this great facility will be maintained, in all its parts, we have assurance in the enterprise and perseverance of the gentlemanly owners and officers of the Allegheny Clipper, who seem bent upon doing their utmost to please and accommodate the business community.

Look Sharp, Editors. — Our Richmond correspondent informs us “that the speeches of the Eastern members are reported much more fully, than those of the Western members.” — We ask the Richmond Press, why this partiality is shown to the Eastern members? Or rather why this injustice is shown to the western members. The Western people [of the State] wish to hear from their own members as well as those of the East — they want both sides, and they look to the Richmond Press for full reports. Do the editors of the Richmond Press expect to gain anything for the East, by the meager and imperfect reports, which our Correspondent alleges are given of the speeches of the Western members? Or, is it done only to make them “appear less, and still more beautifully small?” If the Reporters for the Richmond Press continue to make imperfect reports of the speeches of the Western members — we would suggest to our brethren of the Western Press, to club in and employ a Reporter for the West. –

Note: This is just one of the early “beefs” that eventually led to the separation of the western portion of Virginia and the creation of West Virginia.

Parkersburg Gazette,

Nov. 16, 1850

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.