Thursday, June 8, 1922
ROBERT POOLE
“I will be eighty-three next month,” said old Robert Poole, “and having never been complimented, have decided to compliment myself.
“As a boy, I was always picked at. Many of the boys I grew up with got into trouble, and all of them are now dead, but I have never been in jail or accused of an offense warranting arrest.
“As a husband, I was not satisfactory, though I was a better man than my wife’s father or any of her brothers. I was not a satisfactory father, though none of my children have amounted to more than I do. I was never a satisfactory farmer, though I not only made a living at that calling but accumulated something, in addition to educating seven children. I knew I was not a good farmer because I rarely picked up a newspaper that did not quote an agricultural college professor who said my methods were old fashioned. I looked up several of these professors and found that none of them amounted to much except as critics.
“My wife worried herself into her grave fifteen years ago, but I still manage to surmount my worries. My three daughters are married, but I keep house as well as they do with the assistance of a hired housekeeper, whose husband runs the farm.
“Doc Hurley, who abused me because of my careless way of living, died ten years ago, at the age of sixty-four.
“I have long been a Republican, but do not satisfy the party managers. They grumble because I do not attend the primaries more frequently, and march in more torchlight processions.
“It is occasionally said I am a miser. It is true I save what I do not need for necessities and comforts, but it is a fool who does not.
“I am a Methodist, but the pastor complains every Sunday because I do not do more for the church, though I do a little more than my share.
“I am an Odd Fellow, but the Noble Grand often growls because I do not attend more meetings.
“Still I own four good farms, and have outlived most of those with whom I began life. Of all those who started when I did, none have done better, and a good many worse. Therefore, I feel that I am a pretty good man, because I have done as well as many of my critics, and a good deal better than most of them.” – Ed Hawe, Saturday Evening Post.
THE BIG BEAR
Word comes that the big sheep killing bear got some sheep for the Dunlap Brothers and French Hoover on Big Spring of Elk last week. By his track, he was headed into Cheat Mountain. This is the same bear that killed Withrow McClintic’s sheep on Williams River three weeks ago and also for George Edgar on Cranberry two weeks ago.
Farmers tell us that he may be expected to be heard from on Back Alleghany or the head of Tygarts Valley next. This bear is known by the exceptional size of his track and by a missing toe. After this bear had killed a sheep or two in the Linwood neighborhood, a farmer followed his trail a ways and found where he had wallowed in the mud and then rubbed himself on the corner of a bear pen.
This would seem to be adding insult to injury. The man said that it was just as well that the bear did not go in the trap as it was not built for bears of his size, and he would have torn it down. It is reported that rewards aggregating one hundred dollars are offered by the shepherds of Pocahontas county for the killing of this old bear. He costs them a heavy toll in sheep each year.
This bear has a regular round and visits at stated intervals Back Mountain, Tygarts Valley, Elk, Williams River and Cranberry. He has certain places to cross mountains and roads, and walks certain logs every time on his trips. He kills a sheep and eats whenever he is hungry and never returns to a kill. An old bear hunter tells us that some bears kill sheep and other bears kill lambs, but his one takes old or young alike.
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Paris Hammons, of Williams River, sends us word that he saw the tracks of two big panthers in the last snow. All winter long, reports have come to us of a big panther on Williams river and now comes proof of a pair of them there.
SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT
We have only fourteen schools in the District, and eleven of them run through the winter, they are New Lebanon, Hill Chapel, Emmanuel, Seebert, Marvin Chapel, Oak Grove Spice Run, Wesley Chapel, Beard, Denmar and Pleasant Green.
These schools report that they had good attendance all through the winter. The three closing down were Mt. Zion, Mt. Olivet and Sharon, but these have opened up. Sharon had fifty on the roll last Sunday when visited by one of the District officers, with an attendance of forty-eight, only two being absent, who can beat that?
Wesley Chapel had a record attendance last Sunday, with such a crowd that there was not seating room in the main Sunday School room for closing exercise, a good many of the scholars having to stand up.
Oak Grove reports for the past year an average attendance of eighty-two out of a total enrollment of ninety-seven. Emmanuel and Hill Chapel have recently organized both Young Peoples’ and Adult classes. Sharon is to organize an Adult class on next Sunday.
Spice Run is getting along finely, with one of the best organizations in the District. Beard has one of the most interesting schools we have visited, with a corps of workers that have the work at heart.
The “Standard” Schools are Seebert, Oak Grove and Wesley Chapel. We hope to be able to report to the County Convention in August that Little Levels is a “Front Line” District. Let us put our shoulders to the wheel in all the districts of the county and make Pocahontas a “Front Line” County.