Thursday, July 9, 1925
Sunday week, I invaded the Swago country to worship at the lower church. Swago is a rich bluegrass region drained by Swago Creek, a short bold stream fed by big limestone springs. The name is a mystery but is supposed to be a corruption of Oswego, the name of a tribe of eastern Indians who once roamed through the Appalachian Mountains.
Captain John K. Thompson used to call it a glen. The Captain was a great student of words and this is the best description that I have heard of it. As I understand the meaning of glen, it refers to a secluded valley, with natural boundaries so as to wall in the inhabitants thereof to form a distinctive community, and I know of no place that has a better right to claim to be a little world to itself than Swago. The breed of men there is perhaps the purest Scotch Irish that can be found anywhere in the United States…
No where is there such a marked proficiency in the graded schools. The children there are all proficient in their studies and they produce a race of readers. And this subject of readers is a very close one to me, for I never have any trouble to get my stuff across with the Swago people, and they know what I am driving at even if I do not express myself well.
The first time I ever saw Judge McClintic was at a debating society on Swago Creek where he upheld one side of the proposition to a large and critical audience gathered in the old schoolhouse at the mouth of Dry Branch close to his ancestral hall.
This was a famous school in the old days after the Civil War. There used to be an attendance of some 75 students in a one room school, under one instructor. They had good teachers, but I had an idea that in a symposium like that, the students learned from each other and that the talent was in the body of the house rather than in the faculty of one man, harassed as he was to maintain order and exercise discipline in that intellectual kingdom.
THE FOURTH
Safe and sane and a general good time describes the Fourth at the Pocahontas County Fair Grounds. Nearly 3,000 people were in attendance.
There were horseshoe games, trap shooting, band music, stunts by the children, swimming, boating, horse racing and other track events, a squad of soldiers in uniform, picnic dinner on the ground for some, moving pictures and fireworks at night.
The good old sport of pitching horseshoes created a lot of interest, and the game is coming back. Charley Barlow, of Edray, was high man, with Buck Roberts and Jesse Buchannan in second and third places. So popular was this feature that arrangements are being made to have horseshoe pitching every day of the Fair and a grand exhibition on the last day of the Fair.
In the trap shooting, Harry A. Sharp won over Floyd Baxter by a slight margin, with Fred Allen in third place.
In the all-day saddle class, the blue ribbon went to Guy Barlow and his mount, “Billy Barlow,” and then came Andy Hefner on “Mag,” and E. F. McLaughlin on “Lady.”
Half mile dash – Black Boy ridden by Moody Johnson, and Rose Bud ridden by Clarence Tyree.
Free for all Pace – Homer S., driven by Z. S. Smith, Jr.; Honey Bee, driven by Wm. Tate; Spark Plug, driven by Lawrence Powers…
The children of the Daily Vacation Bible School, attended in a body under the leadership of Miss Virginia Lewis. There were about 100 of them. Their stunts and songs were very interesting and highly entertaining.
MARRIED
July 3, 1925, Harry Curry and Miss Virgie Nottingham, both of Nottingham. The bride is a daughter of Austin Nottingham, and the groom a son of Frank Curry.
DIED
Mrs. Mary E. (Hannah) Beverage, aged 77, wife of John A. Beverage, was born on Elk and passed quietly away at her home near Clover Lick, June 29, 1925… She was a loyal wife, a kind, loving mother and a friend to all those who knew her. Her kindness and care for the family and home was all that could be desired.
She is survived by her son, Harper W.; grandson, Earl Beverage; and brother, Samuel Hannah, of Elk. The funeral service was conducted at the home and her body was laid to rest in the family graveyard on her farm.
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July 2, 1925, David Warwick Sharp, aged 62, of near Marlinton. His older brother, Henry Sharp, of Millpoint, having preceded him to the grave one month ago. The deceased leaves to mourn his loss 11 children to his first wife. They are John, Hattie, Dexter, Levis, Clifford, Fred, Frank, Pearl, Dennis, Lock and Howard. His first wife was Amanda Beverage, who departed this life about 10 years ago. About eight years ago he married Mrs. Nancy Beverage, who survives. She cared for him almost as a mother would a child since January when he suffered a stroke of paralysis. Funeral service was conducted at his home, and he was laid to rest in the Sharp graveyard.
