Thursday, July 26, 1900
We now come to the beginning of the 20th century, but to fully understand the events transpiring in the first part of that century we must consider the cause which led up to them. We therefore review part of the history of the 19th century.
Learning became general; all classes of people could and did read; the newspapers became very cheap; all men could afford it and became enlightened. The railroad and the telegraph penetrated every part of the country. There were no rural communitas shut in from the evil influences of the cities – all classes became in a manner urban. The Bible was universally read. All men pretended to follow its teaching of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God therein inculcated was at variance with the practice of so-called Christianity.
The great civil war of secession had been fought. The North was for years dominant in the nation’s politics. The Republican party triumphed in almost every national election, and its doctrine of protection became the policy of the nation.
This policy was a form of socialism, which by means of a prohibitive tariff kept out foreign competition in certain lines of manufacture. This led to the investment of capital in those lines to such an extent that those industries would soon have fallen to their natural productive capacity. But to crush out competition, those who were engaged in the protected industries inaugurated a form of socialism, called trusts, which crushed out competition and regulated wages and controlled the prices of both raw and manufactured materials…
LOCAL ITEMS
Why mow with an old rusty scythe when you can get the best scythe that is made for 88¢ and the patent snaths for 60¢; also hay rakes for 18¢ at A. Harrison & Co.
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A party of about 20 young ladies and gentlemen from Marlinton went to the Meadows of Williams River Thursday on a fishing excursion and returned Friday. Mrs. B. M. Yeager accompanied the party.
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Miss Zoe Irvine, daughter of Captain William Irvine, one of Marlinton’s charming young ladies fell out of an apple tree last Monday morning breaking one of the bones in her leg below the knee. Dr. Price reduced the fracture, and she is doing as well as could be expected.
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One of the sensations of the day occurs when a blast is set off to displace material for grading the railroad. A hole 10 or 12 feet is bored on the hillside, a half bushel of powder poured in and rammed, a signal is given and the fuse ignited.
For five or 10 minutes there is breathless expectancy. Something subterranean and invisible at length seems to give a hoarse grunt and hump its back. Thereupon many tons of earth are displayed and slide down ready for the carts, and that is about all there is of it.
TRAVELERS REPOSE
We have been having some fine rains for the past few days which was badly needed.
Mrs. Walter Bird and Miss Maud McLaughlin, of Huntersville, have been visiting in this neighborhood for the past week.
We wonder why it is some people can’t go a short distance after passing Durbin without lying down in the shade. There must be some very fatal bug juice in that place.
We are in favor of the county court issuing license. Perhaps someone would have to pay something for selling liquor then, but the way it is now the county does not get one cent from that source. A man can come in here and sell whiskeys six or eight months and leave, taking with him several hundred dollars out of our county. Give us license and make the men who want it pay what it is worth. – MISSES SWINDHAMMER
McCLINTIC’S CAMP
The recent rains did not make driving water in the Middle Fork.
Harry Luzier has come back again. He is an all-right cook, and only weighs 240, but he is a hustler just the same. His wife and five children are staying at McClintic’s.
There are about 65 men here and are doing a good business skidding and building slide.
Mr. Samuel Rankin is the woods boss. He is about 70 years of age, but he is as active and gets around as well as many of the younger men. He is a fine woodsman and has spent several years on the water.
Six teams are at work in the woods, and two teams are kept busy hauling supplies from Cowen.
Peter Hammons has a job of road making; he will work about 25 hands. His contract is about five miles. W. McClintic is having the road made.
There will soon be a good road from Marlinton to Cowen.
Edden Hammons can play the fiddle, fish and dig ramps all at the same time.
