Thursday, January 24, 1918
The Pocahontas Jewelry Company announces that all men called to military service from Pocahontas County may have their watches put in first class condition free of charge before they go.
ODD FELLOWS’ HOME PROVING GREAT INSTITUTION
By E. E. Meredith
Charleston Gazette
The West Virginia I. O. O. F. Home for aged members of the Odd Fellows and their dependents, which is located in Elkins, and which has been open for six or seven years, is doing a splendid work. It houses ten old people and eighty orphans. It is maintained by a dollar a year tax on the members of the order in this state. There is now a surplus fund of $30,000, which speaks much for the careful management of the institution…
Orphans of Odd Fellows are placed at this home until eighteen and then efforts are made to secure positions for them. Five of the boys are in the army and navy, two or three young men are school teachers in West Virginia, and four girls have occupations secured through the home. As the institution is young yet, there are not many “graduates.”
The board of directors were gratified when over forty of the orphans got certificates of perfect attendance at school, as home is but one and a half miles from Elkins.
After school, the boys work on the farm and the girls find employment in the house, the cooking department, the dining room and laundry. They are also taught sewing and other arts.
Five of the boys were large enough to help the farm manager last summer, and they planted 12 acres of corn, 2 and a half acres of potatoes, 7 of oats, 5 of soybeans and buckwheat, and a big garden…
The girls of the home are proud of their canning record for they “put up” 18 quarts of apples, 40 gallons of apple butter, 641 quarts of beans, 130 quarts of beets, 97 quarts of blackberry jam, 56 quarts of jelly, 96 gallons of pickles, 10 quarts of plums, 5 quarts of peach butter, 21 quarts of peach jellies, 95 quarts of peaches, 20 gallons of sauerkraut, 449 quarts of tomatoes, 94 quarts of tomato preserves.
RAYWOOD STORE BURNED
The store and postoffice was burned at Raywood Monday night. The origin of the fire is not known. The building formed the commissary of the Warn Lumber Corporation, one of the big lumber concerns of the state. Most if not all of the stamps of the postoffice were saved, but the general outfit of the postoffice was destroyed.
COLD WEATHER FREEZE, FREEZE, THOU BITTER SKY
The people have gotten so used to zero weather that they cannot tell that it is zero weather except by looking at a thermometer, and they vary as much as a dozen degrees. The government station is about an average. We looked at one the other morning that showed 18 below and at another on the other side of the street that said 36 below. Average 27 below. And that is what the weather bureau thermometer showed.
A man went whistling to his work Monday morning, and the notes froze in the air and dropped on the sidewalk with a tinkling sound…
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Monday was the coldest day ever recorded in this county. On that day a screech owl took up its position on the frame on the window in the gable of Mrs. John S. Moore’s house in town, and maintained its place in full sight of the street all day.
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The clubs and societies of this town when they meet with the members and refreshments are served, limit the menu to three items. In the interest of Mr. Hoover, it is suggested that the menu be tooth-picks, spring water and chewing gum for the duration of the war.
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A hunter was standing on a mountain side the other day watching for varmints, when he noticed steam arising from a hole in the ground down the mountain some ways. He went down to the place and found a path made by foxes. There must have been quite a large family holed up to judge by the way they smoked on the frosty air. Did he tell us just where the place was? He did not.
LINWOOD
Extremely cold weather at this writing and snow three feet deep in places.
Stock is looking fine but feed is going rapidly.
People are talking of preparing for sugar making.
Edward Wooddell has some nice young lambs.
GREENBANK
The worst day of the winter here was January 15. Snow 12 inches deep, new light snow, and the wind blowing 75 miles an hour and the mercury around zero. This has been the coldest winter for twenty years or more.
Several people are burning wood as coal is not available.
Jack Nottingham was in town and reports the loss of over 100 bushels of potatoes and a lot of canned fruit and jars by freezing in his cellar.
J. B. Lambert lost a fine horse some time ago.
CUMMINGS CREEK
Six inches more snow Monday night, making a total depth of 30 inches.
Lake Alderman was at Marlinton Friday and purchased a sleigh.
Several of our farmers were at Marlinton Monday after feed. Why couldn’t this feed be raised and sold in our own county? Just think of the thousands of dollars spent each year for that which could be raised on our farms.
MAY
January 21st was the coldest of the seasons – 36 degrees below zero.
Anyone wanting good fresh ice could find it at May just now.
Ralph and Hubert Kelly and Glen Varner are flanging snow on the W. M. R. R. on this section.
DUNMORE
B. B. Campbell had the misfortune to lose a very valuable horse.
We are having fine winter weather – snow 16 inches deep.
Harry Thompson and others are doing a rushing business, getting wood and building fires.
W. T. McElwee has on hand a nice lot of horses that will be suitable for the army in the spring.
Jimmy Galford took sick at Cass and has not been able to get home.
LOCUST CREEK
Misses Eva and Vernie McCoy made a trip to Marlinton Saturday.
Miss Mildred McKeever spent Sunday with her sister, Miss Ada McKeever, at Watoga.
John Sheets is on the sick list.
John McCoy has purchased a new sleigh and many of the girls are looking forward to sleigh rides.