Thursday,
December 23, 1915
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town,
The old boys were meeting and drinking it down;
Then when they had dallied too long with the cup,
They made it all even by whooping it up.
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Sheriff Cochran was thrown out of his buggy and painfully injured when his team ran away on Drennin Hill above Campbelltown Wednesday evening. He was driving a spirited team of Kentucky horses and they ran off. The buggy was torn up and Mr. Cochran was painfully bruised about the head and has a cracked rib. He was able to go home after having his wounds dressed at the Hospital. This is the fourth serious accident to occur within a two mile stretch of road within a month. J. E. Hannah was killed by being thrown from his wagon; three men were badly hurt when an automobile went over the road, and Dr. Norman Price’s automobile skidded over the bridge abutment.
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Oscar Lawson, a woodsman, was found dead in his bed at the Marlinton Restaurant Friday morning. He had been drinking heavily for two weeks and had gone to bed drunk the night before. The same bed was occupied by another woodsman, James McGraw, who found his bedfellow had been dead for several hours when he went to get up in the morning. An inquest was held over the body, and the jury returned the verdict of death from the excessive use of alcoholic spirits. Lawson was about 35 years of age, a native of Pike county, Ohio, and has been in the county the past eight or ten years employed in the lumber camps. Some years ago he married Mrs. Andrew Reed, who lives at White Sulphur Springs. His body was taken to White Sulphur for burial.
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Frank Noonan, a woodsman aged about 55 years died at the Marlinton Hospital Friday night, after an illness of about three weeks. He suffered a stroke of partial paralysis while working at the Thorny Creek lumber camps. He was not married and had no near relatives nor near friends in this part of the country, but was well liked by those who knew him. The men at the camp contributed liberally toward a fund to defray expenses of his illness and burial. He was buried Sunday at the Marlinton graveyard.
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The Marlinton Presbyterian Sunday School will hold its first session in the Sunday School apartments of the new church next Sunday morning at 10 o’clock. There will be no preaching services at the new church next Sunday owing to the delay in receiving the pews. The congregation will worship with the Methodists morning and night.
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Norman Wilfong, charged with murder, was admitted to bail; on the ground that the charge lacked all elements of murder in the first degree and was therefore bailable, and on the grounds of chronic physical ailments certified by Dr. McCord. Wilfong is in the hospital at this place. Bail was granted and fixed at $20,000.
OAK GROVE
We had a fine rain last week which raised the waters considerable. Much to the delight of many farmers, some of whom have been hauling water for some weeks.
J. F. Ashford returned from Virginia last week bringing with him a fine heavy draft horse.
Chicken pox broke out in the Oak Grove school last week, causing several scholars to be absent from school a few days.
YELK
W. W. Kennison and his force of carpenters have completed L. D. Sharp’s large dwelling house at Slaty Fork, and returned to their homes last week.
George Gay killed a hog recently that weighed nearly 500 pounds, the best for this neighborhood, so far.
Mrs. W. H. Dilley, of Dilleys Mill, is here visiting her daughter, Mrs. Berdie Dilley.
The officers and stockholders of the Elk Telephone Company met Saturday the 18th, and transacted their business in a very short time and all agreed in a very mutual and manlike way.
DURBIN
We have not yet heard of a hog weighing any more than Farmer Cavenaugh’s which net 717 pounds. We think this was the heaviest hog in the county.
Squire W. W. Marshall has landed one more bootlegger – don’t know his name.
J.C. Ashford is home from Harrisonburg where he bought a fine team of horses.
IN MEMORY
Mrs. Lydia Hiner died on Wednesday, December 1, 1915 as the first rays of the morning sun began to tint the crests of the mountains; what more beautiful time for a christian to be wafted to the portals of heaven!
Aunt Lydia was born and raised at Doe Hill, Highland county. Her maiden name was Wilson and her father was one of the early settlers of that locality. At the time of her death, she was 83 years, 5 months and 11 days old. Her husband, Bennett Hiner, died September 28, 1891.
After the death of her husband, she made her home with Mrs. Taylor Townsend, of Frost, whom she had raised from a little child. At this home she was kindly treated, and will be sadly missed.
The funeral was conducted at the Frost church by Rev. H. M. Ramsey. The service at the graveyard was conducted by Rev. Pearsey and her mortal remains were laid beside her husband in the Hiner graveyard. Over three hundred people congregated to pay respect to the memory of this good woman.
-G.M.J.
DECEMBER 25,
A.D. 1915
By Anna L. Price
The Christmas story ne’er grows old,
But fresher still the oftener told;
Like oil, new pressed and beaten gold.
“Friends, citizens, lend me your ears…”
And ye beloved of infant years.
Heirs to a life of smiles and tears.
First Christmas was at Bethlehem town,
Where lay a Babe in swaddling gown.
And Magi from the East bowed down.
Then angels stayed them in their flight,
And sang ‘twixt heaven and earth that night.
While shepherds gazed upon the sight.
Ah! Christ shall reign eternally,
His Kingdom stretch from sea to sea,
However faithless men may be.
Let joys awake at Christmastime,
If innocent, they sweetly chime
With joys of heaven that are sublime.
If God hath blessed your earthly store, And filled your cup to running o’er,
Remember the needy at your door.
So, as each Christmas comes and goes,
It brings another twelve months to a close –
Peace, plenty, freedom and repose.
Ye merrie Christmas.
