Thursday, June 17, 1898
The American battle cry, “Remember the Maine!” follows at least two similar war cries. In the Mexican War, the cry was “Remember the Alamo!” in memory of the massacre of the Americans in the monastery of Alamo by Santa Anna, in which Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and other heroes perished. The other was that of the Crusaders, who gave the cry, “Remember the Holy Sepulcher!” This alarm was echo-ed through the camp every night and morning by the sentinels.
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Two brothers named Boyd, of Monroe county, died last week from drinking essence of cinnamon and Jamaica ginger. Wood alcohol entered into the composition of these adulterated drugs and is what killed them. The physiology classes in the public schools should be thoroughly instructed in the subject of wood alcohol, for it has killed hundreds of men in West Virginia in the last few years. It should be called by another name, and anyone using it in a preparation in place of grain-alcohol should be declared guilty of a felony.
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Captain C. B. Swecker, the Silver Tongued Auctioneer, will attend court and will make land sales, sell horses, goods and many other things, too tedious to mention.
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Loop Bill Sheets and George Hoover returned Saturday from Beverly with picnic goods such as hay forks, horse shoes, nails, umbrellers, snuff and tobacco. These men, with four or five others, will return to Beverly this week to work on the railroad.
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There will be a big picnic at the Big Spring July 4. The platform has been built and reaches from Blankenship’s to Slanker’s, and a big merry go round after ‘em. C. W. Showalter, chief cook and bottle washer.
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Miss Mittie Kee, daughter of Aaron Kee, fell and dislocated her right arm at the elbow a few days since. She was alone and nearly a mile from home when it happened, but she managed to get back, bringing the refractory cows with her.
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John E. Bright moves from Buck’s mountain and settles on his purchase in the Flat Woods near Edray. His youngest son makes a very neat and good violin. Such mechanical talent should be improved and developed. This is the first installment of Pocahontas fiddles we have ever heard of.
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About 2 o’clock Sabbath afternoon, a large tree, five or six hundred yards from Wallace McLaughlin’s residence, was shivered by a terrific stroke of lightning. Some of the family was dazed for several minutes by the shock, and Mr. Mc-Laughlin’s hearing was affected for some hours.
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Owing to the recent improvements, supervised by H. M. Lockridge, the road from Barlow’s store to the Curry fording looks like a boulevard. The bridging of Browns Creek is in contemplation at an early day. This will be done by personal subscription.
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John Loury and Lanty Cole have undertaken a large job of hacking and brushing for Amos Barlow on Browns Mountain. They have built a camp and are going at it in Klondike fashion. It is pleasant to hear of volunteers going into a service like that.
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Those who have to buy grain for bread are having a hard time in being supplied this year. A good many families are on short rations. Mr. Uriah Hevener says there is more destitution in his section than there was during the Civil War. He has been issuing rations for some of his tenants at the rate of one pound a day for each person.
SOMETHING ABOUT CRADLE-ROCKING
One of the singular things that appear in the study of biographical history is the slight attention which professional historians give to influences exerted by the mothers of the heroes whose exploits are recorded. The history of the United States as a nation has been molded and fashioned under the auspices of twenty-five presidents…
Dr. Talcott Williams, of Philadelphia, has been giving the Presidential infant industry some special attention, and a few of his findings are hereby rehearsed.
Eleven Presidential mothers were reared in easy circumstances as daughters of families of education and of refined, gentle ancestry. The others had to struggle with poverty and hardships more or less severe. The mothers of Lincoln and Jackson were about the hardiest of any, as these venerated women were pioneers in the west and literally struggled for the necessities of life for years and years.
Some of the Presidential mothers “could scarcely read or write, and, perhaps, narrow, hysterical and bigoted in their characters,” while others were the best examples of American culture and refined, civilizing manners. There is one momentous fact, however, and may it not be overlooked, but ever remembered, that all the Presidential mothers, without exception, “were godly and devout women.
Dr. Williams says:
“No American has yet become President without the memory of the prayers he lisped at his mother’s knee.
The significant fact is also noted that all the presidents have avowedly owed more to the influence of their mothers upon their lives than of that of their father. More than half of the presidents were bereaved of their fathers in boyhood…
