Thursday, February 5, 1914
On Friday night, February 20th, at the Opera House, the ladies of the Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church will render a play entitled “The Spinsters Return,” sequel to the “Old Maids Convention,” which was given by the same ladies more than three years.
A small house belonging to Rev. Wm. T. Price, occupied by W. L. Reynolds, burned down Sunday morning. Mr. Reynolds’ loss is several hundred dollars.
Squire G. R. Curry of the Levels had his foot amputated at the University Hospital, Charlottesville, last Friday. The operation was very successful and Mr. Curry is doing as well as could be expected. He has been suffering for some months with an abscess upon his foot.
I.O. Smith, of Clover Lick, says our groundhog snake story is not the first of season by any means. That on the 31st day of January, a fine big snake was killed at his sawmill. It had come out to enjoy the fine warm day.
Gum Johnson and George Bird killed a “cross fox” on the Kee Flat below town Wednesday. Its back and tail were very dark and the rest the color of a red fox.
The train from Ronceverte Tuesday morning had two F. F. V. passenger cars, carrying several hundred foreign laborers to Elk River by way of Cass to work on the new railroad of the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company.
A CLOSE CALL
A bad fire was narrowly averted last Sunday in Klein’s Department Store. One of his boys and a visitor of about the same age were playing in the second story in which a lot of goods are stored, including a lot of cotton batting. Dr. Howard who lives in the adjoining building smelled smoke and investigated and it appeared that the boys had set fire to pieces of cotton batting and, when they heard the alarm of fire, had buried the burning cotton in a big box containing pieces of cotton rags, and this was found and the fire put out.
The little fellows gave no explanation of the affair whatever. A fire at this point endangered the business part of the town and the liveliest sort of interest was taken in the occurrence by merchants and others whose property is in this section. Mr. Klein is absent in New York.
We would like to impress upon the town authorities the danger of young boys having matches. With laws against fireworks, and a law against boys smoking, it strikes us that it would be no bad idea to make it an offense for a boy under sixteen years of age to have matches in this possession in the town limits.
A few years ago a show lady came to town with a fine show tent which she had recently purchased for one thousand dollars. Some boys were playing with matches in the afternoon when the tent was being put up for the performance and they set it on fire, and in a few minutes it was entirely consumed.
If matches are kept away from boys, their pernicious activities will be turned in some other direction.
HILLSBORO HIGH BRIEFS
On Saturday, February 14, Mr. Douglas McNeill, principal of the Buckeye Graded School, will deliver a lecture in the auditorium about his trip around the world as chief yeoman on the “Round-the-World” fleet. Everyone should hear this entertaining lecture. Benefits will be for the libraries of the Hillsboro High and Graded Schools.
With part of the proceeds of the Shakespeare-Browning Literary Contest, the likenesses of William Shakespeare and Robert Browning, for whom the societies are named, will be purchased and hung in the auditorium.
LOCAL MENTION
Paul Golden is in the eastern markets this week.
Mrs. Lewis Simmons, of Bartow, is visiting her son L. O. Simmons.
Mr. and Mrs. L. Klein are in Baltimore, Boston and New York buying their spring stock.
E. D. Waugh has accepted a position as edger-man on the Thornwood mill and will go there next week.
Mrs. W. B. Sharp went to Elkins Wednesday. She was accompanied by her father, B. M. Yeager, as far as Durbin.