Thursday, January 7, 1898
THE BOGUS PREACHER
Rev. John A. Ratliff will be prevented by force of circumstances from filling any appointment made by him. His next sermon will be delivered before a congregation of twelve, from the text: “A Horse is a Vain Thing for Safety.”
Henry Dawson and E. F. Beard, of Alvon, Greenbrier County, arrived here New Year’s day with the sham evangelist and placed him in jail on the charge of stealing J. W. Miller’s horse, at Academy….
He was tried and sentenced to three years in the penitentiary. At the same time, another horse thief was sentenced to two years. The judge remarked that as a preacher ought to set a better example than a layman, he would give him one year longer.
The Romantic Burke McCall
The latest intelligence from Burke McCall, who made a horse trading trip through this county last summer and camped in tents with his wife and employees, is that he eloped with the Queen of a band of gypsies who had camped near Moorefield in Hardy county. McCall had also been encamped near Moorefield but, the day before, apparently broke camp and left. However, he returned in the evening, and, by previous arrangement, under the cover of darkness, ran away with the Queen. When the elopement was discovered, the whole encampment turned out, but the night was very dark and, as the elopers had a good start, they were not overtaken.
Report of the Swago School
For the month ending December 24, 1897: Number of girls enrolled 13; boys 16. Number of pupils engaged in the study of orthography 24; reading 20; penmanship 15; general history 1; United States history 11; geography 13; physiology 6; language lessons 3.
Pupils neither absent nor tardy for the month are Jennie Fleming, Pearl McNeill, Elsie May, Phebia McNeill, Malvin Overholt, Joe Hanna, Dorsey Little, Jammie and Ruby McNeill and Hunter Lightner.
WEDDING
Doyle – Kramer
A very auspicious society event transpired at the home of Philip Kramer, Esq. near Clover Lick at high noon Wednesday, December 29, when Mr. John H. Doyle and Miss Lou Edna Kramer were united in the holy bonds of matrimony; Rev. Wm. T. Price officiating…
About one hundred guests were present, and a very beautiful and well prepared dinner was served. When it was known that the dining arrangements were supervised by Mrs. Dr. Ligon, it will go without saying that everything was done in a very befitting and satisfactory style, aided, as she was, by alert and attentive assistants…
BIOGRAPHIC NOTES
AMONG the persons who have been identified with our county history, the Cochran relationship claim recognition. For more than a hundred years the name has been a familiar one. The Pocahontas Cochrans are the descendants of Thomas Cochran, senior, a native of Ireland, one of three brothers settled in Augusta and his descendants are highly respected in that county. Another of these Cochrans went to Kentucky, it is believed.
Thomas Cochran married a Miss MacKemie, near Parnassus in Augusta county, and settled first at the Rankin place, on the Greenbrier, near the mouth of Locust Creek. Then he moved to the place now held by Colonel J. W. Ruckman and son, Matthews. The relationship is so widely extended that it is only possible to trace his descendants to a degree where the present generation can take up the line and complete it.
By the first marriage there were three daughters and two sons.
One daughter, became Mrs. William Carraway, and lived on Muddy Creek, Greenbrier county.
Nancy, a daughter of the pioneer, became Mrs. Masters, and went to Ohio.
Mary, the third daughter, was married to William Auldridge, Sr.
John Cochran married Elizabeth (Betsy) James, daughter of David James, Sr., at the end of Droop Mountain, and settled near Marvin on property recently occupied by Michael Scales. They had four sons and four daughters.
David James Cochran married a Miss Corby, in Augusta county, and went to Clay county. His son, William Cochran, represented that county in the legislature a few years since.
William Cochran, son of Thomas the progenitor, first married Jane Young, near Swago. Her children were Washington and Elizabeth..
Captain William Coch-ran’s second marriage was with Melinda Moore, daughter of the late Aaron Moore, on the Greenbrier. Her children were William Cochran, junior, and Catherine, now Mrs. Giles Sharp.
Captain Cochran was a busy man of affairs, noted as a skillful blacksmith, and built the first tilt-hammer on Swago. He was Captain of the Stony Creek militia, superintended the construction of the Warm Springs and Huntersville turnpike, and was superintendent of the Lewisburg and Marlin’s Bottom Road. The Captain also took much interest in church affairs as a prominent layman of the M. P. church.
