Thursday,February 25, 1915
Monday night a big square boulder weighing about four tons loosed its hold on the mountain and came down on the railroad track a mile below Bowes station on the Greenbrier. Number 143 was running forty minutes late and was delayed by the obstruction. A cab was attached to the stone but the locomotive could not move it and so the train retreated gracefully a mile, and the section boss piled 180 sticks of dynamite on the little stranger. The explosion shook the train and made ballast of the boulder.
Nineteen miles away the town of Renick was aroused, that town being a little shy of dynamite since some amateurs tried to blow open a safe in the bank.
FIRE AT CASS
Two buildings belonging to Max Curry burned down Wednesday afternoon, and a barber shop of J. W. Herbert badly damaged. Damage was done to buildings of J. W. Brill, Finger Seigle Co., and Jacob Cooper which stood on the opposite side of the street. The fire originated in the second story of the building occupied by Curry’s store and as a residence. The adjoining building belonging to Mr. Curry was occupied by the Cass Jewelry Store, a pool room and as a residence. The loss may possibly reach $20,000, partially covered by insurance.
WAUTOGA
There is much to regret that the aboriginal names of all our streams have not been retained. These names refer to some feature that characterizes the stream. Swago, at Buckeye, means “swift water.” There are cogent reasons for thinking that Wautoga was the Indian name for the Greenbrier, which signifies “starry water.” The writer has never seen a stream to which the phrase “starry water” would be so peculiarly pertinent as the Greenbrier. W.T.P.
LOCAL MENTION
J. L. Baxter received a carload of Ford automobiles this week. He has rented the Hiner shop on Camden Avenue and will fit it up as a garage.
Gay & Carter have about completed their big warehouse building and will engage in the feed and supply business.
The three D’s, druggists, dentists and doctors are all registering with the collector of internal revenue. Uncle Sam is going to see about this opium business.
The Campbell Lumber Company has sold 137 acres, a part of the Levi Gay farm, to Andrew Price.
FROST
The little son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rhea, of Frost, died February 18, 1915, after a long illness, aged one year. His little twin brother died about two months ago.
DURBIN
Fine spring weather and some maple sugar coming into the store.
A fire was narrowly escaped in the parsonage of the M. E. Church, Saturday, when an oil stove blew up.
H. E. White is making fine progress with his music class. Miss Eva Curry is organist.
A literary society is being organized here.
DENMAR
R. M. Maugans has constructed one of the double glass sash hot beds and will grow lettuce and garden plants. He bought sash from L. O. Simmons, Agent, of Marlinton.
HUNTERSVILLE
Jacob Loury has purchased the Rodney Buzzard timber and commen- ced to operate last week.
If our Dunmore correspondent had as much energy for road work as he has egotism, the roads in his section would be the best in the state.
While we have nothing in the discussion on schools, we will venture to wager all the buttons on our old blouse that neither Old Scholar, nor Hardworker, was of school age forty years ago.
WANLESS
The ground hog has lost out in that we have had the finest February in many years.
The Old Scholar and the Up-to-Date teacher are quite interesting. We feel that the teacher may be a good instructor and very much in advance of the Old Scholar’s methods, but give the Old Scholar credit for what he has said and we may hear from him again.
BUCKEYE
Rain and mud and the waters are up.
The big mill is doing some sawing now. The company is cutting timber and making a railroad.
Aumiller & Co. are putting up a new store over at the depot – quite a town there now.
John Moss is building a house at Violet.
Feed is scarce with some of the farmers in this community.
ARBOVALE
Born to Albert Dilley and wife, a son.
Geo. P. Wooddell, of Clearwater, Florida, ship-ped a barrel of oranges and grapefruit to some of his relatives at this place. They seem to think him a “cracker cousin” of some account if he doesn’t live close to them.
Misses Flora and Mabel Gillispie, Flossie Conrad and Mabel Woods attended the reading circle at Dunmore last Saturday. They report a good meeting.
DUNMORE
Some of our farmers are pulling stumps, and some very stumpy land has been cleared up nicely which makes farming a pleasure. We hope to see more grass seed sown this spring than ever before.
Charles Williams store of N. Y. will soon have to have a branch room at Greenbank to hold the goods he ships in, and Russ Campbell says he wants an airoplane to carry the mail in.
There is strong talk of building a High School at Dunmore, which has the best location in the district. The town never overflows. Fine water and a railroad help out.
If the smell of powder indicated war, the ladies would be on the verge of a battle every time they dress up.
DROOP TOP
Guy Dean is preparing to build his house soon.
Clive Alderman killed a red fox last Saturday morning which measured 4 feet and 3 inches from tip to tip.
Mrs. Nat Hollandsworth was visiting at Mr. Rebecca McCarty’s Saturday and Sunday.
Grandmother Hollands-worth is very sick at Mrs. McCarty’s. Also Andy McCoy is very low at his home here.
FROM THE
HIGHLAND RECORDER
Mr. Pritchard representing the firm of C. J. Richardson, of Marlinton, was in our community selling wire fencing.
Warwick Judson, one of our old war veterans who resides in Pocahontas county, came across the Alleghany Mountain on foot with his pardner, Met Gum, and spent several days with their old friends in Highland. Mr. Hudson has many friends in this county who always welcome him. It is very interesting to listen to him telling of the hardships and adventures of the Civil War. We are always glad to see him come. He spent his 75th birthday with his Highland friends.