Thursday, November 4, 1920
THE ELECTION
The election that was held on Tuesday throughout the United States was a one-sided affair. It has already been termed an election held by the Republicans. The Democrats expect to hold one in the future.
For awhile we could not figure out what was the matter with our Democratic party, but as the returns came in, it gradually dawned on us that we had been greatly outnumbered.
In pawing over the statistics, it reminded us of an old gambling term about a deck of cards. All faced but one.
Our chieftain Cox was a mighty restless man and he played all around Mr. Harding, and all that Mr. Harding did was to wait until election day and take his revenge.
It is hard to see how the Democrats took four out of the seven county offices, with Harding carrying the county by a big majority. It shows some discrimination.
Judge Sharp comes into his third term as judge with a large increased majority. While we were tied up with the nominee of our unfortunate party, it is but the absolute truth to say that is we have to have a Republican judge, we would choose Judge Sharp.
We are glad that the election is over, and we are glad that the old party beat us, if we had to be beaten, for we have as much use for a radical as we have for a rattlesnake.
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In 1910 when the census was taken, the lumber business was at its high point, and the sawmill towns made up a large part of the population. There has been a change since then. In one part of the county, seven post offices have been discontinued on account of the timber having been cut in the last few years. These active towns have faded away: Wildell, Gertrude, May, Burner, Mount Lick, Winterburn and Nida. The land is there still and the timber is growing again, but it will be many generations before that country will be covered again with large trees.
It is very likely that it will never be well timbered, for the land is good for grass and with the great increase in the population of the nation, it may be that the land will be cleared for farming and stock raising, for each year the western range grows less and this country comes more and more in demand…
The timber made big times when it was going but it is nothing compared to farming. Land can be farmed a thousand years and get better each year…
LOCAL MENTION
Sherman Gibson reports the best bunch of lambs taken up this year as 123 from James Wilfong, of Dunmore. They averaged 86 pounds, and not a cull in the lot.
The Edray District High School football team was defeated by the Baptist Academy at Alderson last Saturday by a score of 14 to 7. The Allegheny College Institute team will play here on Saturday afternoon.
On last Friday, George W. Allen supplied a number of his customers with gallons of the most delicious strawberries imaginable. They were of the ever-bearing variety. Mr. Allen specializes in berries, and has found it very profitable.
Boats will be necessary to navigate the Huntersville road this winter, unless something is done pretty soon towards draining the road.
BARN BURNED
On last Sunday night the large barn, granary and other outbuildings of J. H. Buzzard, near Huntersville, burned down, entailing a loss of eight or ten thousand dollars. There was no insurance.
About eleven o’clock the barn was discovered in flames. It appeared that the fire had started in the big hay mow, and nothing could be done with the means at hand to stop it. It spread to a large grain house nearby, and the residence was saved with difficulty. A horse was burned to death in the stable. Among the items destroyed was a lot of hay, 1,500 bushels of corn, a tractor, a mill and a great deal of other valuable machinery.
The DISHWASHER WHO BECAME BISHOP
In December 1882, a black boy, 17 years old, was trying to make his way back to his home and birthplace at Union, West Virginia, from Toledo, Ohio, where he had been a laborer on public works and coal mines, but he decided to spend Christmas in Charleston. The chief reason that impelled him to stop at the latter town was because he ran out of funds at that point. Instead of waiting for a position, he took the first job which presented itself – that of a dishwasher at the Hale House. On the princely wage of $2 a week, he soon was enabled to proceed on his way.
The boy who found means to make his way at 17 has succeeded in making his way ever since. On May 20, 1920, he was elected by the recent general conference at Des Moines, Iowa, by 569 votes out of a total of 734 votes cast, a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the highest honor that can come to a minister of that faith. On May 23, 1920, Matthew Wesley Clair, former dishwasher at the Hale House, was consecrated to that high and holy office, and he is now performing the duties of that exalted station.
That black boy who had been so singly honored was never a wild, reckless lad. He was born at Union in Monroe County, October 21, 1865. His parents were loyal Christians and the very name they gave their son, Matthew Wesley, was both Biblical and Methodistic. While a lad, he readily responded to their training. In his own words he confessed, “I always was devout and revered my Lord. Even in early childhood I played preacher…”
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ressie Wilfong, near Marlinton, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Clawson Underwood, near Huntersville, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. James Swisher, at Clover Lick, a daughter.
