Thursday, April 21, 1921
Cases of influenza have been reported as widespread throughout the county.
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The Green Hill school closed last Thursday with a spelling match in the forenoon and a hike in the afternoon. The teacher received an invitation to take dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Vanreenan, which was gladly accepted and most heartily enjoyed. After dinner the teacher and pupils climbed to the highest mountain above the schoolhouse, came along the top a mile or two and through the old McCollam place and back down the mountain to the county road and on to the schoolhouse, arriving there at 4:30. We had a fine view from the top of the mountain in various directions. The teacher has taught school twenty-three years and had never closed one this way. All enjoyed the trip very much.
The teacher never had as many pupils on the term honor roll as he did this winter. This is the first whole term of school taught here for three years. Those making perfect attendance were Dorsie Sharp, Alma Moore, Layton Sharp, Clarissa Wooddell, Alice Wooddell, Goldie Wooddell. Those making faithful attendance were Mary Vanreenan, Ada Wooddell, Glen Moore and Melvin Wooddell.
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O. B. Collins was before Squire Smith on Wednesday night charged with having liquor in his possession and distributing it among a lot of half-baked boys. Sixty days and $100 was his portion.
On Sunday evening hilarious youngsters were seen coming from the direction of the swinging bridge across Knapps Creek in the East End. The State Police were put on the trail, and they landed Collins and about four gallons of moonshine. The liquor was in a big keg, with a well-beaten road to it. Collins claims to have found the liquor in the woods.
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That marriage license law, giving the guilty man twenty days in which to escape, passed the Senate the other day, and went on to the House. For some reason or other the Senate thought it ought to take twenty days to sue out a marriage license. This practically makes those weddings, in which the sheriff is the best man, impossible.
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Out in Nevada, the state in which few persons live, they have a new law by which the execution of criminals has been made painless. They are to build a lethal chamber and when a prisoner is sentenced to death, he is placed therein, and some night, when he is peacefully sleeping, gas will be pumped into the room and the doomed man will pass out of existence without waking up.
In Persia, the theory is just the opposite. In order to deter others from crime, the convict is placed with his back to the mouth of a cannon, and the gun is then discharged and the prisoner is blown into eternity in a way that appeals to the most sluggish imagination.
In this country, the tendency has been to humanize executions, and it is still an open question as to what is the wise way. The humanity idea started in this country by cutting out public executions, as it always was a debatable question of whether the spectacle was good for the peace of the country or not. All the numerous pardons and paroles, and all the uplifting practices of the prisons, have flowered of late years, and it may be that all this humanity business has had something to do with the present wave of crime.
We are strongly reminded of what Robert Louis Stevenson said about government:
“Make these your politics: to change what you can; to better what you can; but still to bear in mind that man is but a devil, weakly fettered by some generous beliefs and impositions; and for no word, however nobly sounding, and no cause, however just and pious, to relax the stricture of those bonds.”
CIRCUIT COURT
The Circuit Court will probably finish with the jury cases and let the jurors go home on Saturday after three full and strenuous weeks.
Judge Sharp had before him Cotton Roberts, Law-rence McCune, Hunter Adams, Robert Walker, Raymond Gum, Carl Kincaid, Carl Deglar, Carl Houchin, Dave Dixon, Elwood Ruby and Clarence Tibbs, all of them boys of sixteen to eighteen years of age, who had been convicted of or had confessed to various crimes. The Court paroled them rather than send them to prison. They were placed under a heavy bond, and must report regularly to the court; they must attend Sunday School regularly; work steadily at some honest employment; must keep away from moving picture shows and not loaf or loiter around pool rooms. They are thus bound until they are 21 years of age. This is a merciful and, we would imagine, a wise decision in a most perplexing situation. If there is a spark of manhood in any of these young fellows, they are given an opportunity to let it work out and develop into good citizens.
LINWOOD
A sudden change in the weather made us gather around the fire. The ground is covered with snow and vegetation looks chilled.
J. A. Dunlap has been away the past three weeks buying cattle. Dunlap Brothers are the largest cattle buyers in this section. Not only fine cattle are found on these fine farms, but thoroughbred sheep and Kentucky horses. Lou Dillon, a thoroughbred mare, is owned by Dunlap Bros., and is the mother of Light Foot, owned by Eugene Gatewood. These beautiful horses are natural travelers and would attract attention at any horse show.
W. H. Doyle is preparing to build a handsome bungalow near his store.
The large springs with their immense water power are a boon to the people. Their homes are equipped with every modern convenience that the city homes have.
A large acreage has been plowed for oats and corn, and the farmers are almost ready to plant.
Charles Rhea, of Virginia, is moving to the Rhea farm near Mace. We welcome him to our community and neighborhood.
HER BEST RELATION
I’ve got lots of relatives,
Uncles, aunts and such;
Brothers, sisters, cousins, too,
And like them very much.
But the one I like the best of all
Is the one that I never saw;
I know it’s funny, but it’s cause
He’s so good to my ma.
My ma, she calls him Uncle Sam;
Says he’s my uncle, too;
That’s queer, but right, I know, because
What ma says is always true.
Ma, she gets letters from this man
Most every once in awhile;
And when she sees the envelope
It always makes her smile.
For she sees straight through the letter,
And says, “Well, I speck,
That this letter now contains
Your Uncle Samuel’s check
For interest on my Victory Bonds.
And now small son of mine,
Put on your cap and come along,
I’ll get you something fine.”
I don’t know what a coupon is;
Nor checks, nor interest;
But I know of all my relatives,
My Uncle Sam is best.
By G. W. S. – Camp Normoyle, Texas
