100 Years Ago in Huntington
By Brandon Woolum

-Probably the largest crowd that was ever assembled in the Huntington theater gathered Saturday night to listen to addresses by Hon. Henry G. Davis, and other members of his campaigning party. From pit to gallery every seat was taken, and standing room was at a premium, while many were altogether unable to obtain a place in the house. It is conservatively estimated that two thousand people were in the hall. The stage was crowded with prominent citizens, and the interest that was manifest combined with the crowd to render the meeting the greatest by far of the entire campaign. The meting was presided over by Hon. John H. Holt, who declared that in the afternoon, they had been addressed by republican speaker of the lower house of the American congress; that tonight they would be addressed by the next presiding officer of the upper branch of that congress, the highest type of American citizenship, West Virginia’s grand old man, Hon. Henry G. Davis.

-Senator Davis’ remarks were devoted exclusively to national issues. He said that we were drifting rapidly toward imperialism and yet more toward centralization. He pointed out the immense increase in the expenditures of the government under republican rule, from $2.10 per capita under Buchanan to $7.10 under Roosevelt. He said that he was not a low tariff man, pointed out that under democratic rule, the expenses of the government were borne almost exclusively by custom duties. He believed that the government ought now to be supported largely from those duties. Speaking of prosperity, he said that the material growth of the country in every respect was greater during the decade between 1850 and 1860, under democratic rule, than at any subsequent decade under republican rule. He pointed out the manner in which the high protective tariff affected the home consumer. He declared that he had recently had occasion to purchase steel rails and that the best price at which they could be obtained was twenty-eight dollars per ton. At the same time, J. J. Hill told him, he had purchased rails for his Canadian roads from the same mills at nineteen dollars a ton. Sewing machines, too, furnished an example, the machines being shipped abroad and sold at a much lower price than they can be bought in the American market.

-One of the unusual coincidents connected with the all star political combination, Messrs. Davis, Hill, Whyte, Daniel, McGraw and Dailey, who visited this city last Saturday night is the fact that the six prominent democratic orators are paired off with regard as to their age. Vice Presidential Candidate Henry G. Davis, as all know, is eighty-one years old. Ex-Governor Pinkney Whyte, who is a member of the party, is one year his junior, being eighty years old. David B. Hill is sixty-seven years old, while Senator J. W. Daniel is sixty-six years old. Wood Daily of Elkins is forty-seven years old, and John T. McGraw is one year his junior. The fact that the speakers paired off in such manner was commented on by the various members of the party when they were assembled yesterday afternoon in the Florentine hotel and they all revealed their ages.

-Th have pretty, white, pearly teeth and keep them from decaying, you should clean them throughly each day. It can be done with little trouble. All that is needed is a good toothbrush and an antiseptic powder or paste. At our store you can get them both. We sell the best 25 cent toothbrush that can be bought, and if it does not give satisfaction we gladly give you another. Euthymol or Pasteurine Tooth Paste will do all that any preparation can do as an antiseptic to whiten, clean and preserve the teeth. Price 25 cents. Florentine Drug Store.

-Winning a battle depends on the officers, the men, the guns, the ammunition. All must be the right kind for weakness in any one point may result in defeat. It is the same thing in business. Likening the management to the officers, the clerks, to the soldiers, and the merchandise to the ammunition, every element in forming an organization, must be right to win success. We believe that you will find our merchandise, prices and treatment right. This is what wins leadership for us. Koontz’s, "The Hardware Store"