Thursday, September 12, 1946
For the sake of the record, note is made of the prevailing dry spell of weather. Little rain during the month of August and none during the first 10 days of September. Waters are lower in any time since the big drought in 1930. That was the starving year, as the dry weather came early to keep crops from even growing; much less maturing. This year, the dry weather came after most bountiful harvest matured. Of course, this does not apply exactly to the corn crop, which has been cut somewhat short.
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Last Tuesday, the schools got underway in Pocahontas county. Two things stand out: the increasing number of children in attendance; and the shortage of teachers. This appears to be the situation in most all the counties of the State.
This shortage of teachers is attributed to the war. For one thing, the salaries have not kept up with increase in wages in industry. Another thing, for four years and more the armed services took young men and women who otherwise would have become teachers to fill positions vacated by those reaching retirement age each year. Another gap in the ranks is caused by teachers returning from the armed services who are going to college instead of teaching. After the other war, there was a dearth of teachers, even more distressing than the present emergency.
FIELD NOTES
B. E. Smith saw the big old wild turkey gobbler of all the other day. Up on the Huntersville road about the mouth of Spice Run. Mr. Smith saw the old gobbler come a pacing up the pike like the thoroughbred he is. His broad breast looked a foot wide, his foot-long and-better beard swung as a silent bell from side to side, his bronze gleamed as polished armor in the sun. He was tall enough to eat corn off a five-foot shelf – forty pounds on foot if he weighed an ounce. Coming straight toward the on-coming automobile, the lordly bird of the mountains, gracefully raised on light wings to lift himself to the top edge of the road cut; to silently disappear in the forest growth as an arrow shot in the night.
Addison Pennell has been over in the Buckleys, and he reports the water drains and seeps in this springless mountain all dried out this year. Birds and beasties must seek their drink in the clean, clear flow of Knapps Creek. This was what brought the old turkey off the high tops to lower grounds – his water tank had run empty.
This is the big draft turkey gobbler of Buckley Mountain. He is surprising old and big and wise beyond the age and size and ken of the usual run of turkey birds, and the general run of such are no fools either. Good men, now gone to even happier hunting ground, sought in vain to lay this turkey low; he is still here to ta’nt us old timers who yet labor on.
This old bird has a system: when you hunt him on the Buckley side, he just hops in the air, to spread wing to sail most a thousand feet across Knapps Creek gorge to the Marlin. Hunt him on the Marlin and he comes back to the Buckley like shot off a shingle. He is no phantom; he is material flesh, all forty pounds of him. His system has saved him up to this time from man and varment, eagle and hoot owl. However, I am still expecting most any open season for some boy with a pot metal shot gun to bring down this proud old bird of the mountain, for accidents do happen, and there is no accounting for the luck of a boy.
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Miss Rebecca Jackson brought in one big caterpillar. It is put down in the book as the hickory devil. It looks up to its name, though the horns of this four inch worm are perfectly harmless. It turns into one of the larger and more beautiful moths. This moth rejoices in the nice name of royal walnut moth. Miss Rebecca got her hickory horned devil off of a walnut tree. Besides hickory and walnut, this caterpillar feeds on ash, gum and sumac.
WEDDING
Mrs. and Mrs. J. L. VanReenen announce the marriage of their daughter, Arlene, to Paul Beverage, which took place Saturday, August 17, 1946. The single ring ceremony was performed at the Methodist parsonage in Marlinton by Rev. Harvey. C. Porter.
Mr. Beverage is the son of Jesse Beverage, of West Union.
They will reside in Marlinton.