Thursday, March 7, 1974
POSTAGE
In case you have not noticed, first class postage went to 10 cents last Saturday, post cards to 8 cents, air mail to 13 cents and similar raises in other classes.
BIRTHDAY
Cherie Lea and Carrie Lynn Mace, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Mace, Jr., celebrated their first birthday February 27 with a party at their home. Those attending were their paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Mace, Sr.; maternal grandmother, Mrs. Mary K. McLaughlin; maternal great-grandmother, Mrs. Irene Smith, and cousin, Miss Beth Sharp.
OVER 80
Hoxie Pugh
By Annie L. Cromer
I always believed Hoxie Pugh to be the most genteel gentleman I have ever known, so I think it is fitting to remind his neighbors and to tell others about one who was 84 on November 15.
One day a friend, Florence Price, and I had been in Marlinton. I had taken medicine that should have been taken with food, so I became very sick. I said, “I am going to stop and ask Mrs. Pugh for a slice of bread or an apple.” When we got there, she was sick in bed. I wouldn’t have mentioned it for anything. Guess what. In a few minutes, Hoxie came in with a generous portion of ham between two slice of homemade bread, fresh from the oven. I can taste that yet, and shall never forget it.
Today, he said the reason that he is a good cook is that his mother was sick for many years and he prepared the meals while taking care of her, and for 25 of his more than 60 years of married life, he had never expected his wife to fix breakfast or any other meal because she wasn’t able. Hoxie added, “I wouldn’t know anything about moving either because I was born and lived my entire life in this house.”
His house is one of the most “homey” I have ever seen. Most of the remodeling was done by him and reflects the personality of real home lovers. …
I asked Hoxie why he thought older folks like to talk about their early days. After some thought, “Why, I really believe it is the best part of my life. There was plenty of work, if money was scarce. Friends were never in a hurry. There was no place to go except to church and then someone came home with you and spent the rest of the day. …
“My father died and left my mother with six small children to support by washing clothes over a washboard. The neighbors came and helped out by cutting wood or in any way they could help.
“I went to work a distance of seven miles at a time. I had a four-wheel speeder that was great for coming home which was all downhill but not too good for going up. We worked six days a week from daylight to dark and during the week and made up time to be able to get off at 5:00 o’clock on Saturday. Two dollars a day was top wages. Before going to work, we had to tend the livestock, cows, pigs and whatever we had.
“I hope we never see another depression as I honestly do believe our younger people couldn’t take it without going beside themselves and doing something drastic.
“I remember helping a neighbor sell wood at 50 cents a cord so he could go by the store and trade the 50 cents for a bag of flour. To another, I rented a farm for $4 a month. In that day, a dollar went a long ways, but the thing was to get that dollar.”
I had wanted to ask someone with the mentality and experience of Hoxie Pugh, “Do you think that in many ways today, with thousands being fed from welfare rolls, is a better day than that day we remember when each family had a cow, pig, chickens and a garden and was taught the honesty and joy of living by an honest self effort?”
We agreed that much of the character of days gone by is being lost today and help programs are basically good, but greatly misused…