Thursday, May 20, 1920
In the first seventeen days of May, there were fifteen frosts. A number of mornings last week, ice formed. It is not thought that the fruit crop was hurt generally, but in some localities peaches and cherries were killed.
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A very large bear has been killing many sheep for the farmers on the headwaters of Stony Creek and Williams River. The flocks of Withrow McClintic and French Hoover have suffered particularly. That the bear is large is evidenced by the trail and the fact that it carries full grown sheep up mountains and through the brush, leaving wool signs at the height of four or five feet. Bears, when grown old and lazy, sometimes grow very destructive to sheep and other domesticated animals. All efforts to shoot or poison the bear have so far been unsuccessful.
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Hull Kramer is finishing the section of road to Buckeye. It was found necessary to raise the grade on the section in the Rodgers meadow, as recent rises in Swago Creek have been overflowing this part as constructed.
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The Socialists had a convention and nominated Debs for President. Debs is serving a term in the pen, is a martyr, and is a bright and shining light. Should it hereinafter appear when the lists are closed, that Woods has failed of his nomination, Debs having secured his own, it will be another case of the pen being mightier than the sword in politics…
We have no use for the Socialist platform, but with all that, we can stand their principles better than their personnel…
THE SPOTLESS TOWN
At the meeting of the Directors of the Board of Trade last Thursday night, it was decided to get busy on a thorough cleaning up of Marlinton. Monday, May 24th is the day set, and the hearty cooperation of all citizens is asked and expected.
The committee of Municipal Affairs has taken the matter up with the Mayor, with J. A. Sydenstricker, receiver of the land company, the Ladies’ Club, the ministers, the High School, the Tannery and about everybody else.
The plan of procedure will be to make a day of it. As many business houses as possible will be asked to close up; the forenoon will be devoted to cleaning up around a man’s own premises, collecting rubbish in boxes and barrels to be hauled away by the town truck. At two o’clock the men and boys will clean up the several acres at the mouth of Knapps Creek, on which the rubbish of the town has been promiscuously dumped for time out of mind. Six or more trucks have been given for the afternoon and the Board of Trade expects every man to do his duty. Bring a shovel or rake or a fork.
A committee of ladies will make a house to house canvas to ask cooperation. A man in each block has been appointed to see that his block is cleaned up.
The present place of dumping is the first thing seen of Marlinton when coming into town on the train and it is anything but a pleasant sight. Ten million tin cans and other rubbish in like proportion scattered promiscuously over a couple acres of land. When the creek gets up, the rubbish is thrown back on the fair ground, and is not washed away. It is a place of natural beauty, with its trees, grass and water, made an eye sore.
A proper dumping ground has been designated and will be used hereafter.
DURBIN
Potatoes are as hard to get as sugar. If a man wants to plant potatoes, the price goes up according to how bad the man wants them.
Gasoline and pop have both advanced. No Sunday joy riding now.
Frank and Wallace Curry were in town last week after a load of flour.
Cecil Houchin has been moving a sawmill to his farm on Back Alleghany.
DIED
Lester A. Varner, son of Charles Varner, whose home is at Headwaters, Va., died at the Marlinton Hospital Monday, May 17, 1920, at 4 p.m. from the effects of a kick in the head by a horse. The little boy was visiting at the home of his grandmother, Mrs. Mary Varner, at Greenbank. Friday, he was driving some livestock from the pasture and got too close to the heels of a horse and was kicked in the forehead, the corks in the horseshoe penetrating and fracturing the skull. He was brought to the Marlinton Hospital the next day where an operation was performed in the hopes of saving his life. Meningitis complicated the injury and he died without fully regaining consciousness at any time since the accident occurred. The body was taken to the family home in Highland County for burial.
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Mrs. Ethel Moore Irvine, wife of Noah Irvine, of Cass, died Monday, May 17, 1920, of typhoid fever, aged 18 years. She was a daughter of W. N. Moore… Burial in Mt. View Cemetery.