Thursday, February 12, 1920
The Census will show 1,178 people in the corporate limits of the Town of Marlinton; 71 cows and 66 hogs. In Edray District outside of the town there are a few less than 1,900 people, 250 farms and 50 barns on lots of three acres and less.
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The big ice gorge that went out of Knapps Creek some weeks ago changed the channel of the creek at the island at the mouth of Marlin Run, something the town has been trying to do for years to save the banks.
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The next big development in this part of West Virginia looks like it might be the Spring Creek Valley. This is one of the large tributaries of the Greenbrier River. It is mostly in Greenbrier County, though the extreme headwaters reach into Pocahontas County. It runs back pretty close to the Richwood country, Briery Knob, one of the high peaks of West Virginia, being the head of the stream. The headwaters territory is rich in coal and timber. The development depends on a railroad up Spring Creek from the mouth. It is a coal proposition but will open up a lot of timber also.
TOWN MEETING
There was only a fair turnout at the Town Meeting of the Board of Trade at the High School Building on last Friday night.
C.M. Kincaid, chairman of the committee on membership, brought in the names of a lot of new members and renewals and reported that there was a general response from the citizens of the town to associate themselves with the organization that is striving to make Marlinton a better and a bigger town.
The Committee on Municipal Affairs, F. M. Sydnor, chairman, was on the job as usual. They recommended that the Board and Town Council busy themselves to take the necessary steps toward securing a Western Union Telegraph office independent of the railroad office; also to see what is necessary to be done about securing the free delivery of express. That the Town Council enforce the hog ordinance, and urge the householders to put the numbers on their houses and that street signs be put up. That the road to Mt. View Cemetery be put in good repair and graveled from the Class A road; that 10th avenue be opened from the Class A road to the courthouse, and that the railway company be approached in regard to cooperating in the work of filling 4th avenue about the freight depot so that wagons may back up and be loaded conveniently…
FROST
We have young boys and girls in this section who need schooling but it seems the very sight of a school house is a terror to them and their parents. This law should be strictly enforced. It was passed, became a law and should be carried out.
Sherman Gibson showed us a nice bunch of calves that he intends keeping over. He is one of our progressive farmers.
Speaking of the Flu which is raging through our county and town – we remember back January 10, 1890, the great epidemic, a disease called LaGrippe spread over a large part of the world. It was a kind of influenza or epidemic catarrh. It frequently resulted in pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs and proved fatal. In Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Switzerland, it reached its height. The number of deaths in New York January 1st was 196. It interfered with business in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Utica, New York, and our opinion is that the disease in our country today is the same.
We see that Mr. A. A. Sharp is a candidate for the office of assessor on the Republican ticket. We are glad to hear it, although we are not of that party. In offices such as this, party principles are not an issue. Mr. Sharp is well fitted to fill the office he seeks – educated, a good farmer, a good judge of livestock, a breeder of prize winners, and of a genial disposition – a man who supports church, and law and order in his community, a friend to every honest man or woman regardless of social or financial caste and an uncompromising foe of dishonest ones. We hope he is elected.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT
Last week, Mrs. Stitzinger, the wife of G. G. Stitzinger, president of the Deer Creek Lumber Company, was killed at her hometown, Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in a collision of an automobile and a trolley car.
The street car company was having trouble with a dead car and the car was being pushed in front of a car when it reached a grade and got from under control. The man on the runaway car jumped, and the car continued down the street.
Mr. Stitzinger with three ladies in an automobile turned a corner just in time to be caught by the car. The car touched the rear end of the automobile and slewed it around but did not upset it, and the car continued for some feet and upset and began to burn. Mrs. Stitzinger had been on the front seat of the car and after the excitement was passed, she was missed and the presumption is that she was either knocked out of the automobile or jumped and was caught under the car where her dead body was found a few minutes later. A great crowd had gathered in the street and enough men were present to lift the car, but life was extinct.
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William H. Bostic was killed at Raywood on Tuesday morning February 10, 1920, by being caught between a locomotive and two cars loaded with lumber. He was conductor on the log train. In backing up to the cars, the coupling failed to catch. The cars were on a slight grade and the brakes had been loosened. When the coupling failed to hold and the engine moved off, he attempted to fit the coupling. He stood in the middle of the track with his back to the cars. The cars moved down and caught him. He lived but a few minutes. Mr. Bostic was a native of Monroe county and about forty years old. His wife died just about a year ago of influenza. Two little children are left orphans. For ten years or more, Mr. Bostic has been in the employ of the Warn Lumber Corporation. Burial at Deer Creek on Wednesday. This is the fourth fatal accident in the lumber industry of the Greenbank District in a month’s time.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Luther Irvine, near Warwick, a son.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Guy Thomas at Buckeye, a son.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Morris Friel, at Woodrow, a son.
