Thursday, December 14, 1967
Cornerstone
It was a sad day when the wreckers moved in to tear down the burned part of Marlinton High School. H. A. Yeager opened the cornerstone and has an interesting display in his office. Maybe he will bring it to a store window. The metal box had partially disintegrated and had ruined many of the contents. In good shape were copies of The Pocahontas Times (Calvin W. Price was Editor at the time) and Marlinton Journal (Editor H. K. Bright) of October 19, 1916. A list of all the students is pretty crumbly and a history of the school was completely gone. A Bible, pictures of the hospital, courthouse, three churches and school, lodge officers, Bank of Marlinton medallion, Masonic pin, arrowhead and an 1863 penny were among the items. E. D. King was the contractor.
Deer
The State deer kill was about 18,500 deer, the sixth highest ever. Exact figures are not compiled yet. The total last year was 21,249. Few hunters early and the big snow at the last of the season probably account for the decrease. Pocahontas recorded 1,211.
Outdoors
By Franz L. Pogge
Outside My Door
The doorbell rings.
As I can’t pretend I didn’t hear it, I get up to open the door. A girl is standing there, a little girl with a paper bag in her hand.
“Hello! What can I do for you?”
“I brought you a little bird that is real sick,” she begins, full of confidence. “You can make it well again. Here!”
She hands me the brown paper bag. Carefully I open it, inside lies a small bird – a song sparrow.
“It is dead.”
The eyes of the little girl are filled with tears, and I am just standing there helplessly.
“It is cold outside and the nights are long,” I try to explain.
“Did it freeze to death?”
“No, it was hungry and then slowly lost its strength.”
“Did it have any pains?”
“I don’t think – no.”
And after a pause I ask, “Do you want to bury it?”
“Yes, maybe under our rose bush.”
And the girl goes away through the snow. She will look after the small grave for a while and later forget it. The hurts will pass away.
But I can no longer concentrate on my reading. Sure, I should read and know about tiny beetles burying small animals in the soil; about the bluebird in West Virginia. Sure, but suddenly they seem unimportant. Just like John, earlier this year, helping the screech owl get well again and Tonia looking after the stray dog until it found a home. These are just as important.
It is winter outside our doors. Let us all open our eyes and our hearts.
Our Boys and Girls in Service
Private Frances E. Schoolcraft, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Schoolcraft, of Buckeye, completed eight weeks of basic training at the Women’s Army Corps Center, Ft. McClellan, Alabama.
Sergeant Billy B. Howard, 22, son of Mrs. Gilda G. Carpenter, of Marlinton, received the Army Commendation Medal November 12 while serving with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Sgt. Howard earned the award for meritorious service as a radio relay team chief in Company A of the division’s 9th Signal Battalion.
John R. Williams, 20, son of Mrs. Nellie Ellen Williams, of Marlinton, Delbert H. Reed, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Delbert H. Reed, Sr., of Marlinton, and Willard L. Shears, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard W. Shears, of Arbovale, were promoted to Army private pay grade E-2 upon completion of basic combat training at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
The promotion was award-ed two months earlier than is customary under an Army policy providing incentive for outstanding trainees.
Seaman Recruit Eddie L. Pyles, USN, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Pyles, of Huntersville, and Seaman Recruit John L. Waugh, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde M. Waugh, of Clover Lick, have been graduated from nine weeks of Navy Basic training at the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Darleigh Shue, of Beard, a son, named James Wyatt.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. William T. Shank, of Green Bank, a son, named Michael Scott.
DEATHS
Mrs. Sadie Irene Lightner Beverage, 88, of Huntersville; born in Highland County, a daughter of the late Robert and Augusta Bird Lightner. Burial in the Mountain View Cemetery.
Mrs. Florence M. Hull, 88, of Hillsboro; born at Lobelia a daughter of the late Shannon and Levina Anderson Clutter. Burial in Emmanuel Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Henry W. Lantz, 75, of Green Bank; born at Circleville, a daughter of the late Jay and Frances Teter Lambert. Burial in Maplewood Cemetery in Elkins.
William G. Barnewall, of Green Bank; a veteran of World War I. Burial in Arbovale Cemetery.
Forrest A. Pritchard, 82, of Durbin; born at Dunmore, a son of the late Charles Edward and Betty Yeager Pritchard. Burial at Dunmore.
Mrs. Lucy Fuell Winters Perry, 69, of Fairlea; born in Renicks Valley, a daughter of the late Alvin and Sallie Clutter Fuell. Burial in the Woodlawn Presbyterian Church cemetery.