Thursday, March 16, 1972
Here’s Diddy
By Diddy Mathews Palmer
The conversation began with a weather discussion and ended, after a more-or-less logical progression of topics, on the subject of English teachers:
THE CONVERSATION about poorly worded weather forecasts reminded somebody of a book he was reading.
“Speaking of weirdly-worded sentences, why do so many writers fall into the misplaced-modifier trap? This book I’m reading, written by a Charleston author, is full of misplaced modifiers. For example, the author said, ‘Jane spent all evening talking to people on the telephone that she hadn’t seen in 30 years…’ The way I read it, the character in the novel hadn’t seen the telephone in 30 years. Why had someone hidden it from her for three decades?”
AND THIS reminded another person of her father’s all-time favorite fouled up sentence – one that he had read somewhere many years ago… “The day that the party was to be held that night dawned auspiciously…”
“THERE MUST be no good English teachers left,” sighed someone in the group. “The best one I ever had was Miss Alice McClintic, in Charleston High School. I wonder what became of Miss McClintic?”
AND THIS reminded me that I had a column to write, and that Miss Alice McClintic, whom I happened to know had been Mrs. Jack Moore since 1935, would be a good subject for this column’s “I Wonder What Became Of” series.
So off went a letter to Alice, dutifully relaying the above compliment and urgently requesting further information about her activities and whereabouts.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Alice McClintic Moore
“If you write anything about me, please do not brag me up as you were doing in your letter,” Alice writes from her home at Buckeye. “And don’t you dare say I was ‘the best English teacher Charleston High ever had,’ as you said in your letter. If you do, I’ll drive down to Charleston and BITE you, so there…”
AS FOR their present activities, Alice and Jack are now obviously enjoying retirement.
“We are both well and busy,” she wrote. “We have three dogs, we feed birds, squirrels, rabbits trout (Swago Creek flows through our backyard) and – inadvertently – a few raccoons and possums. Most of the time we stay at home, but we have flown to California to see our daughter, Lockhart, since she’s been there.
“I think of myself as a very active woman. I walk dogs on the mountain, swim in Knapp Creek, work a large vegetable garden and, of course, keep house for Jack…”
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Murphy, of Durbin, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Walther, of Durbin, a daughter.
Born to Rev. and Mrs. Robert Shields, of Lewisburg, a daughter, named Sandra Jean.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald R. Gordon, of Hagerstown, Maryland, a daughter, named Heather Deon.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Simmons, a daughter, named Sherry Lynn
DEATHS
Mrs. Thelma Ervine Hicks, of Webster Springs; burial in Mountain View Cemetery.
Jacob W. Sharp, 80, of Marlinton; a son of the late Giles and Catherine Cochran Sharp. Burial in Mountain View Cemetery.
Christine Jane Christian, 56, of Lewisburg; born at Cass, a daughter of the late Ernest and Laura Honaker Wykle. Burial in the Enon Baptist Church cemetery.
Thomas C. Edgar, 56, of Hillsboro, a son of the late George P. and Laura Callison Edgar…
He was a farmer, member of American Legion, V. F. W., D. A. V, Wally Byram Association, West Virginia Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Pocahontas Historical Society and a lifetime member of the American Rifle Association…
He was a member of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church.
In February 1941, he entered the United States Army, and was assigned to a Tank Destroyer Battalion of a Gun Company, was in the Third U. S. Army in campaigns through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. He was wounded at Bastogne, Belgium, January 1, 1945, and retired from the service as a Major January 14, 1947….
Mr. Edgar was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970. He spent much of his time helping to open doors for the handicapped of West Virginia. He was responsible for legislation passed on architectural barriers.
Tom Edgar, even though he lived half of his life in a wheelchair, spent his time working for and helping others. He will be remembered by people all over the State…
Burial in Mountain View Cemetery with military honors.