Thursday, May 13, 1948
Golden Horseshoes
The eighth-grade pupils from Pocahontas County winning Golden Horseshoes for proficiency in West Virginia History are Loren Paul Anderson, of Hillsboro, James Davis, of Marlinton, and Dora Lee Simmons, of Hillsboro, and William Lindsay, of Greenbrier Hill School, Marlinton.
BROWNSBURG NEWS
The graduation exercises of the schools of Pocahontas county will be held at the Pleasant Green Methodist Church, May 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Graduates are: Kenneth Nicholas, Billy Lindsay, Mary Joe Boggs, Gale Boggs, Vivian G. Morris and Betty Jo Church.
Mother’s Day dawned bright and beautiful.
A beautiful program was solemnized at Wilson’s Chapel and Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church. There was a very successful Rally at Stewarts Chapel that night.
On Friday night the Pastoral Reception will be held at the school house at Seebert Lane.
Mrs. Mabel Boggs, Mrs. Ethel Stewart and Miss Mamie Wheeler visited Hubbard Wheeler in Cumberland, Maryland.
FIELD NOTES
Along in April or early May every year or so, report comes to me of a full grown crow acting the baby and bumming meals of his fellows, with all the fussing so common when young crows are fed. I put the interesting item to the paper. Then comes word from other close observers who have seen and heard the same thing in their communities, at different times, many miles apart. Then an older man will come in to say he has observed this crow feeding business most every spring for the past thirty years. He believes it is the same bad actor who has learned more shortcuts to a living than a crow should know. And it all sounds reasonable to me. Crows do have sense like horses and fore knowledge like hogs. Crows range widely and are known to live twenty-five years and more.
Here is what the late John Burroughs, scientist and extraordinary and illuminating writer has to say of this crow feeding business:
“Walking in the naked woods of April, I presently heard what appeared to be the voice of a young crow in the treetops not far off. This I knew to be the voice of the female, and that she was being fed by the male. She was probably laying, or about to begin to lay eggs in the nest. Crows, as well as most of our smaller birds, always go through the rehearsal of this act of the parent feeding the young many times while the young are yet a long way in the future. The mother bird seems timid and babyish, and both in voice and manner assumes the character of a young fledgling. The male brings the food and is more than solicitous about its welfare. Is it to conserve her strength or to make an impression on the developing eggs? The same thing may be observed among the domestic pigeons, and is always a sign that a new brood is not far off.”
– – –
As usual with the darkening of the woods by reason of the opening up of the leaves, bears are on the pad. And there are more than enough of them this year, too. Over in the Black Forest, Howard Mullins tells me there is bear sign almost everywhere. And with bears on the move again, they are eating sheep wherever they can come upon them.
At Elmer Sharp’s big farm, on Jerico Road, two miles from Town, a bear got five lambs and one ewe last week.
On the head of Stony Creek, a bear raided the flock of Leonard Sharp. This bear was routed out on Little Spruce by Fred Galford and Fred Sharp.
Over on Elk, a big bear came out of Gauley to kill sheep for the Vandevenders and the Sharps. The Sharp twins and their dogs were called for. The bear crossed Elk River just below Slaty Fork. The river was at flood stage and the dogs turned back.
Up in Greenbank District, a big old bear came out of the Alleghanies to kill sheep for Wade Galford. Wade overlooked no bet to get his bear, so he set a trap and sent for bear dogs. When he took the dogs to the place of the kill, he found the bear in the trap.
Three bears came out of the Alleghany to kill sheep for Arch Galford. This was a she bear and two lusty twins. One of the young bears was killed in a day’s chase. The next day the other two bears were tracked to the Virginia State line.
The Sharp twins, Austin and Oscar, and Gilbert, killed a big bear on Laurel Run, Gauley Mountain last Saturday afternoon. The night before this bear had killed a sheep for Barny Showalter.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Moore, Jr, a son.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Leo Mace, a son, Leo William, Jr.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cassell, of Cass, a son.
Mr. and Mrs. Orvil Dodrill, Jr., of South Charleston, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Dale Updike, of Mill Creek, a daughter, named Carlon Frances.
DEATHS
Robert B. Miller, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Miller, died at the age of 85 years. His body was laid to rest in the Ruckman Cemetery.
Mrs. Mary Caroline Galford Tacy, aged 93, widow of the late George Tacy, died at the home of her son, Dallas, at Cass. Her body was laid to rest in the family cemetery. She was a daughter of the late Allen and Nancy Cassell Galford, who lived on Deer Creek.
Mrs. Early Virginia Galford, aged 73 years, of Cass. Her body was laid in Wesley Chapel Cemetery.
Penick Ryder, aged 69 years, of Millpoint, a son of the late William and Alcinda Alderman Ryder. His body was laid in the Ruckman Cemetery.
James Byrant Cassell, age 50, of Cass, was killed in an accident on the log train. He is survived by his wife and six children. He was a son of Samuel and Martha Hevener Cassell.