Thursday, August 24, 1899
Late advances from Paris are of a very serious character. There was a riot in the city last Sunday, brought on by a thousand anarchists. Two churches were sacked and the sacred furniture thrown into the streets. A crucifix was burned and altars and pulpits were used for bonfires. Like outrages have not been witnessed since the Communist outrages in 1871. Statues of the Savior and of the Virgin were torn from their pedestals and destroyed.
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At Mr. Alvin Clark’s place in the Levels there has been a big turtle which had destroyed a number of chickens. It lived in the spring branch near its head and by lying in wait would catch a chicken by the leg and draw it under. The back of the turtle looked like a muddy stone, and it is supposed that the chickens would feed around until the turtle could snap at them and catch them. The chicken would make an outcry. The turtle had escaped capture until a rifle was used and a shot through the shell while it was drawing its prey down.
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Among the houses which block the way of the railroad is the patchwork palace of Charles Irvings. The surveyors have already committed the indignity of knocking off a board and surveying right through it, and Irvings is now wondering whether there is any truth in the old belief that a man’s house is his castle, and “tho the rains may leak in and the winds whistle through, the king cannot enter.” He is also wondering whether the contractor will put a force of men around it and gently lift the home and deposit it at a certain place he has picked out, or whether they will put a stick of dynamite under it and let it do the work…
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H. H. McClintic is busy watching the bears which are preying on his sheep. He knows of the loss of five sheep and fears that at least three times that many are gone. The grass is so short the sheep cannot thrive on it, and when they stick their noses in the woods there is a bear waiting for them. It is enough to worrit a man. He says, too, he would rather see a week’s rain than even the railroad.
ARBOVALE
Still plenty of dry, hot weather.
Gordon Slaven is sinking W. L. Brown’s well deeper in search of more water.
Emery Conrad is working in the saddle shop with Sol Phares.
The Arbovale Church dedication will be about the last of September.
Rhodes Wenger is in from Horton looking after his interest in town.
E. M. Brown and wife have been at Travelers Repose putting up blackberries this week.
On Sunday morning, a crowd of railroad men passed through with seven, four-mule wagons loaded with tools and nine road scrapers.
There has been quite a lot of dynamiting for fish in Greenbrier River. We will hear the particulars after court.
James Phillips had several sheep killed by law un-abiding dogs. Percy Tracy’s flock has also been diminished.
LOBELIA
Warm and very dry. Corn drying up.
S. J. Payne was in this neighborhood buying stock last week.
Will Crookshanks, of Elkins, called today and reported Will Brock of this place not dead. It was reported he had been killed in Tucker county by the falling of a tree.
Alpheus Tharp came very near being killed by the falling of a horse and throwing him among rocks. Dr. McClintic dressed his wounds and he is doing nicely today.
Remus Rogers has a snake tale to tell. Your correspondent had him before Constable Shisler and he made the following statement; Length 26 1/2 inches, thick as his leg, and it was covered with black hair on its back. This takes the rag off of the bush. It was killed near the big Grapevine on J. B. Kinnison’s lands.