Thursday, July 4, 1918
THE JUNE FLOOD
That noted fixture, the June flood, materialized this year. It can be counted upon with reasonable certainty. The first time that it came to be noticed and looked for was in the days when rafting was a recognized industry on this river. In those days we had a bunch or body of pilots just like they have on the Mississippi. They were the captains of the rafts, as well. These pilot-captains were very important men in the business. Usually the rafting was confined to the winter months when the floods could be looked for. Them was the days when you set an old cup out at night when it looked like rain, and if there was a half inch or more in the morning when you woke up, you knew you had a pressing engagement at some landing on the river to build in a raft as the water rose and perhaps have the luck to be one of the crew that took her down to the railroad at Ronceverte. Four feet of water was about right for a rafting tide. If it got much higher than that, it was better to wait until it ran down. For instance, at a ford here in Marlinton, the riding rock which was the danger signal for fording on horseback, was exactly right for a rafting tide when the water covered it up. The rafts at first were run in the day time and then they tried it at night and got along very well, and that saved some scant tides. It was during this period that it became noted around that the rafting season did not close entirely until the June flood was used, and it generally materialized. Now-a-days it is not noticed except that it generally keeps back the bass fishing after the open season commences and thereby saves many bass.
There is one other river where the June flood is a matter of importance and that is The Nile.
W.S.S. DRIVE
Pocahontas county either went over the top or will go over in subscribing its apportionment of nearly $400,000 in War Saving Stamps. Some places have not been reported and others are still working…
Just naturally the honors for shouldering the biggest load goes to the Town of Cass – the young giant of the upper Greenbrier at $70,000 – exceeding her heavy apportionment by about 20 percent. Other communities to go way over were Sunset, Onoto and Locust Creek.
SOLDIERS DAY
Next Sunday, July 7, will be Soldiers Day at Sharon Chapel on Locust Creek. A service flag in honor of the boys from this community who are in the army will be unveiled at 3:30 p.m. Hon. F. F. Hill will deliver the address. The parents and friends of these boys are cordially invited to be present and participate in this service.
HILLSBORO
Wheat is being harvested and the quality is only fair.
When it comes to strawberry culture we can take off our hats to Mr. and Mrs. George E. Moore, who picked this season, from five-eights of an acre, six hundred gallons of berries, for which they found a ready market at 60 cents per gallon – $360. Now, this shows what can be done by a little effort. Why not make it two acres and clear $1,000 per year.
ARBOVALE
A little cool after the heavy rain Sunday night.
There is a big acreage of buckwheat being sowed.
The wheat harvest is almost here but where is the harvest hands? Wheat was never better in this section.
A few farmers are cutting their clover which is very good.
Markwood Gum and Miss Dortha Arbogast went to Marlinton Wednesday where they were united in marriage by Rev. Keene. This young couple have our best wishes for a successful future.
Moundsville – Frank Yohn, of Marshall county, took his first automobile ride. He rode to the county jail here and was locked up on charges of failing to register, stealing chickens and vagrancy. The illiterate prisoner said he had heard there was a war but didn’t know who was fighting. He asserted that he had never seen a street car or ridden on a train.
THE GIRL WHO KNOWS
The telephone girl sits in her chair
And listens to voices everywhere.
She hears the gossip,
She hears all the news,
She knows who is happy,
And who has the blues,
She knows all our sorrows,
And knows all our joys,
She knows every girl who is chasing the boys.
She knows all our troubles,
She knows all our strife,
She knows every man that is mean to his wife;
She knows every time we are out with the boys
And hears the excuses each fellow employs;
She knows every woman who has a dark past,
She knows every man who is inclined to be fast;
In fact, there’s a secret neath each saucy curl
Of that quiet demure looking telephone girl.
If the telephone girl would tell all she knows
It would turn half our friends into bitterest foes.
She would sow a small wind that would soon be a gale
Engulf us in trouble and land us in jail.
She could let go a storm, which gaining in force
Would cause half our wives to sue for divorce;
She could get all the churches mixed up in a fight
And turn all our days into sorrowing night.
In fact, she could keep the whole town in a stew
If she told a tenth part of the things that she knew.
Now doesn’t it put your head in a whirl
When you think what you owe to the telephone girl.
~ Argus