Thursday, March 14, 1918
Question: Is it better to be single and go to war, or be married and stay at home.
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Blow, bugle, blow, thy faint, far tones are wailing;
Blow, bugle, blow, the Daylight Bill is failing;
Broken, bruised, and beaten, in a legislative melee;
Blow, bugle, blow, and sound that old reveille;
Blow, bugle, blow, voice that pathetic warning –
I can’t get ‘em up, I can’t get ‘em up, I can’t get ‘em up in the morning.
As we write this, it looks like that legislative, pious piece of camouflage called the Daylight Saving Bill was being postponed out of existence. Anyway, they have frittered away the dark part of the year when it would have been of more importance. Forward, turn forward, oh time in your flight, get me up earlier, nearer daylight!
An intellectual was mildly critical and skeptical about the wisdom of the proposed law which made high noon come at eleven o’clock, and she pretended to ask us to explain it to her.
We answered her in pure Kant: “The cosmological idea is either too great or too small for the empirical regress in a synthesis, and consequently for every possible conception of the understanding.”
That was some food for reflection. We did not mean nothing by it, but she did not warm up to the discussion…
The best example of the Daylight Saving Bill is the experience that this town has had this winter after suffering from electric lights for some time, the plant burned down and there was darkness. Then the people all began to take an interest in when the sun rose and when the sun set, and worked by the sun all they could and managed to get along pretty well and the days have lengthened until a pretty fair day’s work can be done by natural light.
The political economists reason that the habits of the people are such that if the clocks are changed one hour that the day’s work will begin an hour earlier than common, and there will be an hour more at the end of the day to spend in some side employment such as cutting wood, catching fish, making garden, rocking the baby and the like.
They are probably right about it. We take no note of time, save by the blowing of the whistles. Early to bed and early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy and wise. Then for the sage remark: Earlier he was late, but of late he has been early…
BIG FIRE AT CASS
On Monday afternoon the big store of the Pocahontas Supply Company at Cass was burned. The fire started in the second story and was put out before it reached the first floor. How the fire started is not known. The immense stock was greatly damaged by fire and water. The loss is fully covered by insurance.
This was probably the largest small town store in the state.
HIGH WATER
On Tuesday night and Wednesday, rain fell to the amount of 3.46 inches, an average month’s rainfall. It put the Greenbrier out of bounds, and there is more signs of a flood in Marlinton this morning than at any time since the town was established. Knapps Creek got up too, but not so high as five years ago.
Much damage was done to farm fences, and the railroad, but no particular damage was done in town other than littering streets and yards, flooding cellars and the first floors of a few houses. The water was three inches deep in the Marlinton Drug Store.
A number of families played safe by going to higher ground when dark came, and a fast rising river and alarming reports from upstream.
MINNEHAHA SPRINGS SOLD
Dr. R. J. Hersey and L. M. Stephens, of Wheeling, are here this week to look over the Minnehaha Springs property, which we understand Mr. Stephens has purchased, and will convert into a summer home.
HOSTERMAN
Plenty of rain and wind, and the snow about all gone.
Feed is getting very scarce in this part, but if we can get through the month of March, we are good for the rest of the season.
Vanburen Hevener and Page Sutton attended the Fultz Sale Saturday and report quite a large sale. Mr. Hevener equipped himself with a grain drill and says he is going to do his part to help win the war.
ARBOVALE
We had quite a wind and snow last Sunday. The wind blew a sugar tree across Sandy Patterson’s camp, but nothing hurt but the camp.
J. B. Orndorff is ready for sawing. Russell Crowley has been working for him, and Lawrence Conrad will do the firing.
J. W. Hollen passed through town Monday on his way to mill. John says he must eat if sugar is high.
Lanty Wooddell is making sugar at R. J. Brown’s.
Born to Mr. and and Mrs. R. W. Brown, March 3, a daughter.
GREENBANK
We are having real March weather at this time, but farmers are plowing between storms.
Wm. Malcom and brother are getting the Odd Fellows hall about completed. We welcome the lodge to our town.
The worst wind cyclone of the season visited our town last Sunday morning. It was something unusual in severity, but not much rain. People in the country were afraid to go out to church, and the congregation was very small at the Methodist church at 11 o’clock.
The Red Cross Chapter at Greenbank will give a supper in the Darnell store house March 16th, commencing about 6:30…. Bring anything good to eat, and don’t forget your money.