Thursday, March 9, 1900
INCORPORATION ELECTION
The election held at the courthouse last Saturday upon the incorporation of the town of Marlinton resulted in favor of incorporation by a vote of 41 – 0. This is a majority of voters residing in the boundary, as is required by law to vote in favor of the law…
The people of Marlinton are as charitably inclined, with one or two glaring exceptions, as any people in the world. They can see a neighbor get riotously drunk and still be considerate of him, for they know that he will not last forever. But the loss they have experienced by not being incorporated is what has appalled them during the last six months. Here is an approximate calculation: 800 plain drunks at $2.50 per drunk, $2,000: 20 general-like fights at $50, $1,000; 75 cases of turning up a bottle and drinking on the street in daylight, at $10, $750; 50 cases of using profane or obscene language in the presence of women or children, at $10, $500; other misdemeanors, $1,000; total $5,250.
The intention of the people here is to make this one of the most orderly places in the country. Heretofore a man was allowed to get helplessly drunk if he did not commit an overt act, such as burning a house or shooting a prominent citizen. But by making the drunkenness itself an offense, it will nip the trouble in the bud and keep a man from getting drunk, or, if drunk, cause him to act as though he were sober, which amounts to about the same thing…
TROUBLES IN COLORED CIRCLES
Mart McDowell, Marlinton’s barber, got into a scrape last Thursday evening. It was due to corn whiskey, which you know has such deleterious effects on the system. He borrowed a Winchester rifle and went squirrel hunting and on his way back called at the McLaughlin Hotel and paid a board bill he was owing. All was serene until he fell out with Mrs. Ben Truss, a colored woman who was cooking at the hotel. They got into a scuffle in which Mart inflicted a scalp wound on the head of Mrs. Truss with the barrel of his gun. This is not permissible in society, and aside from the legal complications, Mart has regretted it since the moment it was done.
He went home and was presently visited by some friends of the woman he had insulted, who proceeded to wreck the tonsorial parlor, breaking five panes of glass and doing other damage. They broke the windows and shot into the building. Fortunately, none of the large plate glass mirrors were in range of the stones. He laid low and they presently took themselves off.
The next day, Ben Truss went to Huntersville and swore out a warrant for assault with intent to kill. Mart gave bail to appear at court and waived an examination. No warrants have been issued for the parties who damaged the barber shop.
PINE GROVE
Andrew Taylor says, get away, boys, I am going to Pig Station.
Robert Geiger is working on the sawmill and has the fiddle and banjo and reports a good time
Massie Woodie says these mornings are so cold that when he goes to feed, the ice freezes on his whiskers.
Elva Ratliff says it was a mistake about his shooting the best horse he had, for it was one that couldn’t eat.
ITEMS FROM VIRGINIA
Dr. John M. Hanger, one of the oldest and most prominent physicians and Christian gentlemen of Staunton, was found dead in his stable Sunday. The immediate cause was apoplexy. He leaves a family of 9 children and many friends to mourn his death. He was a good man.
On last Friday evening, William Nulty attempted to cross Middle River between New Hope and Mt. Meridian, the streams being great-ly swollen by the night’s rain, and he was drowned and, today, Sunday, at noon, his body had not been found. His family is sadly bereaved and has the sympathy of the entire community.
There is a great deal of sickness and many deaths, and so many prominent people have passed over to enjoy a blessed and eternal rest.
The ladies are beginning to chat over their garden seeds, and tomato and cabbage plants are flourishing in the sunny windows and we hail with delight the Easter plant putting forth her buds and enjoy the happy thought that spring has come again.
THE STINGY MAN
Once there was a stingy man with money by the peck
And all he lacked to be a hog was bristles on his neck;
He occupied a mansion with no one but his wife,
And never gave a nickel to an orphan in his life.
He lived so high on luxuries he had rheumatic gout,
And the devil surely got him when his light went out.
At breakfast, noon and suppertime,
He never thought of grace,
And went to church on Sunday with a sanctimonious face;
He couldn’t hear the sermon for thinking of his stocks,
And he never put a penny in the missionary box.
Without a bit of jolting, I think beyond a doubt,
The devil must a-got him when his light went out.
~ J. M. Shawham
