Thursday, March 14, 1901
DRIVING BEGINS
Rain fell Saturday, and Sunday night there were violent thunderstorms, loud claps of thunder and a heavy downpour of rain. Monday morning, there was a good tide in the river and creek.
Smith & Whiting brought their arks back from Ronceverte on the cars, and Captain John Peters is building them at the Gay Eddy this week.
The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company have a log drive in the river, which we suppose will start on this tide.
Smith & Whiting have about eleven million feet in Knapps Creek to come out.
TWO ITALIANS DROWNED
Two Italians by the name of Ross and Rafi were drowned in the “Deep Hole” at the Harper Place last Sunday at 2 p.m. The Italians belonged to D. Morelli’s force, which is getting out ballasting material at the Edray siding, and three of them went to Jasper Friel’s house to buy eggs.
When they left, Mr. Friel warned them to be careful as the water was up and the boat was a very small affair capable of holding, with anything like safety, only two persons.
They all got in the boat and had barely got started when they dipped some water. When about the middle of the river where the water is very deep, Mr. Friel’s daughter told her father that the boat had upset, and all were in the water. He ran out in time to see their hands above the water. Ulysses Johnson’s boat was locked nearby, and Mr. Friel ran to it and cut the limb to which it was tied. By that time one of the men, the only one who could swim, had reached the shore. All the trace that was left of the others was their caps floating on the water.
Sunday night, the water raised considerably and their bodies were not found.
One of the drowned men was implicated in the shooting of Porter Mann near Academy last summer and was in jail here until the court met. No indictment being returned against him he was released.
RIVER CLAIMS TWO MORE
Arthur Watson and George Gibson were drowned at the second crossing of the Greenbrier last Monday afternoon. They, with Ed Burner and Bert Norton, quit work for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company Monday to go on the drive to take advantage of the better wages offered for that work. They made a dog raft of five logs with an oar on each end and started down the river.
The middle pier of the railway bridge stands right in the middle of the current, and the water runs like a mill race at that point when the river is high. The raft lacked about six inches of clearing the pier. One corner struck with great force throwing the men into the water. Burner and Horton reached the shore with the help of some section hands who pulled them out with poles. Watson and Gibson never rose to the surface as far as any of the spectators could see.
The accident occurred about four miles above the point where the two Italians were drowned the day before.
Mr. Editor:
As the road question seems to be at its height in Pocahontas, I would like to claim a little of your valuable space to express the opinion of an old resident, who likes to give “honor where honor is due,” regardless of self-interest or anything else. Every section of our old county seems to be calling for new and better roads and I hope to live and see the day when the wishes of all will be gratified.
What I wish to say is, that the roads that are most needed and will accommodate the most people and will last the longest should be built first. And certainly, one of these is the road that leads from Linwood on Big Spring across the mountain to Greenbrier river and up Laurel run and connect with the Huntersville and Dunmore Pike.
This is by far the best location and can be made the best road at less cost than any other.
Across the county, between Marlinton and Durbin connecting the Huttonsville and Edray pike with the Dunmore and Huntersville pike according to my early recollections has always been a thoroughfare through the county and passes through one of the richest sections of grazing and farmlands that the county affords…
Along this road lies thousands of acres of land owned by large cattle dealers who pass over the road with thousands of sheep, cattle and horses besides travel of every description…
