January 10, 1918
If you can stand to run a county paper,
And keep it up till thirty years have sped;
And not get landed in the common poor-house,
Or judged insane for ego or swelled head;
If you can keep the sheriff off your labors,
With money that you beg, or earn or steal;
When you retire, perhaps some kindly neighbors,
Will call you in and give you one square meal.
After the manner of bankers, lawyers, merchants and all such forehanded cattle, the editors of the Greenbrier Valley prepared an elegant banquet at the Greenbrier Hotel on New Year’s Day. It was an elaborate affair. One of these wild reckless occasions when you cache the old pipe and smoke a cigar with surcingles around them…Come to the banquet board tonight, for bright-eyed beauty will be there and wild and woolly editors, with type-lice in their hair. The festival was held in Greenbrier county, on the Greenbrier river, at the Greenbrier hotel in honor of a veteran Greenbrier editor, by the Greenbrier Press Association. It was the proudest boast of Mark Twain’s henchmen that he could even make a typesetter smile, and it was considered a hopeless task to wring a smile from that assembly, but the fears were not realized for the editors broke the rule and laughed right out loud in the meeting.
The feast was in honor of Col. Thomas H. Dennis, who having completed a thirty year stint as editor of a famous paper has retired…
THE GOLDEN RULE IN OPERATION
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” still finds expression among us. For example, witness the gathering at George Auldridge’s on last Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Auldridge have both had severe cases of measles. Mr. Auldridge is able to be up and around the house, but his wife has developed a case of pneumonia following the measles and has been very ill but is slowly improving at this writing.
Some of the neighbors noticed that his wood pile was getting low, and they set Friday as a day when they would come and stock up his shed. Friday morning, the following men with their axes, saws and three big teams appeared on the scene: Lee Carter, Henry Moore, Harper Moore, S. L. Barlow, Lee Barlow, S. D. McClure, Robert Beverage, W. H. Gilmer, F. M. White, Preston Duncan, Amos Gay, Reed Gay, Albert Barlow, Elmer Baxter, Charlie Baxter Levi Baxter, Anderson Barlow, E. B. VanReenan, Roy VanReenan, Noah Bright and Howard Hill.
The men divided themselves into three squads. One squad went to the woods, sawed down the trees and prepared them for skidding. Another squad took the teams and skidded the logs in, while a third squad remained at the house and sawed up and split the wood and stacked it away. Now, he has a good winter’s supply on hand.
Not only did the men come, but the following ladies were present to see that the men had a royal dinner. Mrs. Mary Carter, Miss Edith Baxter, Mrs. Edna Duncan, Mrs. Ella Smith, Mrs. Mary Duncan, and Mrs. Hannah Wanless. And a most elegant dinner they prepared as every man witnessed to.
It was a happy crowd and these two good neighbors truly appreciate this kindness.
It may be noted here that his is the second time this winter that these neighbors have come to their help in this way.
Someone during the day overheard Mrs. Auldridge, who is still quite low, say that she did not mind dying but she did not want to leave this good world.
Are you bringing sunshine to someone else? – W.
MUNICIPAL LIGHT AND WATER PLANT DESTROYED
About 6:30 Tuesday morning, January 8, the Municipal Light and Water Plant was discovered on fire. So fast did the flames spread through the wooden structure, that the building was about burned down and much of the machinery greatly damaged before the fire could be drowned out. The tannery company and the downtown hose company responded promptly and a heavy pressure of water was had from the Tannery water system.
It is not known how the fire started, but when first discovered the roof was blazing. The loss is estimated at over $8,000.
A fine new engine was just being installed, but as it was in an addition to the main building, this valuable piece of machinery was not greatly damaged.
Dyamos, engines, boilers, pumps and equipment were destroyed or greatly damaged.
For the present the town will be without light, and for water it will have to depend upon the Tannery. Only for an hour or two was there a lack of water on Tuesday morning, before connection was made from the town lines to the powerful Tannery pumps.
The light and water plant is owned by the Town of Marlinton, having been purchased by the town last fall for $20,000.
WEATHER
A thermometer is a mighty unreliable thing. When it gets too cold, they get to jumping around very promiscuous. You can hang two of them together on the same post, and one will maintain with an air of innocence that it is 16 degrees below zero, while the other will proclaim him a liar, maintaining that it is 36 degrees south of the zero mark. The observer always takes the side of the one that shows the coldest. He believes that the more moderate instrument got lazy and quit, and that the more noble record of 36 below shows that the more active thermometer never sleeps, but works day and night to register the temperature…
It is sure enough winter this year. The kind of a winter that it is good to be alive.
DURBIN
The weather has been very cold here, the thermometer registering 20 degrees below zero.
Miss Nell Nicholas and Clarence Sheets were married Tuesday, January 1st, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Sigler… Miss Nicholas is a popular young lady and has a host of friends in this county. Mr. Sheets is a son of J. A. Sheets, of Greenbank…
LOCAL MENTION
J. A. Hoover has received a car load of 260 fine Dorset sheep, which he is putting out on shares with a number of farmers.
D. W. Williams has caught a number of foxes with his pair of hounds.
Wise Herold and his daughter, Miss Margie, are at Camp Lee to see Edgar Herold, who is in the motor truck division.
Miss Sadie Rexrode, well known in this county, has sailed for Africa, where she will resume her work as a missionary of the M. E. Church.
Sergeant Ralph A. Yeager, of Marlinton, is one of the 68 drafted men from West Virginia to be admitted to the officers training school which is soon to start at Camp Lee
