Fifty Years Ago

Thursday, June 8, 1972

STANDARDS
By Ralph Beckwith

Wood is our only renewable natural resource. It should be conserved not preserved.

Timber, like people, grows old and must die to make room for the young.

A forest of all old timber would be as a society of all old people.

Timber should be viewed as a crop. When it is mature, it should be harvested.

We have a service forester, paid by the state, who is available to advise and assist you. There are also consultant foresters available for those people with large acreage.

We, as a member of the West Virginia Sawmill Operators Association, have endorsed and are doing our best to comply with the West Virginia Forest Practice Standards. These standards are a set of regulations by which timber should be removed. This is one step further we are taking to help make sure private as well as Government owned lands are used in the best interest of all…

Beckwith Lumber Company, Inc., has gone to total utilization of wood at our plant at Slaty Fork. We have discontinued burning anything, thus eliminating the pollution problem. Bark, sawdust and shavings are trucked to Parsons and used in the making of charcoal.

We, too, are conservationists.

NEW IDEA

Hubert Buzzard has made a unique suggestion to Governor Arch Moore and Governor Moore replies that he is transmitting a copy of his letter to his legislative staff for consideration. The idea is for a bill to give military personnel a parcel of state or federally owned land instead of a cash bonus, which had been done in the past for servicemen in World War I and II. Mr. Buzzard feels it would be the proper way to return some land to private ownership, realize taxes for local governments, and improve the morale of military personnel.

BIRTHS

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Kessler Pritt, of Hillsboro, a son, named John Randall.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hammons, of Marlinton, a son, named Trampas Edward.

DEATHS

Mrs. Bonnie Peterson, 81, of Huntersville, a daughter of the late George and Julia Arwood. Burial in Mountain View Cemetery.
Willie Ann Boggs, 80, of Brownsburg; burial in the Brownsburg Cemetery.

Clebert W. (Skatter) Shearer, 17, of Marlinton, was killed early Saturday morning in a logging accident on Williams River. He was a son of Junior and Rella Shearer. Burial in the Edray Cemetery.

Mrs. Neta Rachael McCoy McMillion, 82, of Beard, a daughter of the late McKinney Nixon and Mary Susan Mann McCoy. Burial in the Oak Grove Cemetery at Hillsboro.

Terry Pat Bennett, 21, of Garden City, Michigan, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Bennett. Burial in the Arbovale Cemetery.

Seebert Franklin Wilfong, 76, of Marlinton, a son of the late Noah and Nancy Sharp Wilfong. Burial in the Wilfong Cemetery.