Thursday, March 28, 1901
One of the most eminent and popular literary characters of our time was Maurice Thompson, whose recent death is lamented. He was a close observer of birds and noticed how their ways would be signs of weather phases. A few mornings since, the writer, while near a stretch of primeval forest, heard something that reminded him of the first verse of a poem that was among the first to draw the attention and secure the favorable opinion of Boston critics, and thus, opening the way to fame.
“I heard the woodpecker pecking,
I heard the sapsucker sing.
I turned and looked out of my window,
And lo, it was spring.”
A LEAF FROM MY NOTEBOOK
Turning the leaves of our notebook today, we came across the place where we left off giving notes to the readers of the Times about three weeks since. If we can, we would like to interest them by giving a short account of our trip home.
We left you at A. Curry’s house. G. H. VanReenan not being at home, we did not call at his place but saw his wife and children at her father’s. Our delay in the former part of the day caused us to hurry homeward as night was coming on rapidly. Nested in close to the right of us, as we pursue our journey is Uriah Beverage’s quiet home. Time will not permit us to call, but we leave our good will and wishes for this family by the roadside as we go by hoping to return soon and call. We have a message sent us by Jacob Beverage and we must call and see him and his and have a talk as well as receive a present. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” According to this, our friend Beverage got the greater blessing of the two, yet we felt greatly blessed by his kind favor and we returned home in high glee in consequence of it.
Fletcher McCollam lives on the top of the knob above Mr. Beverage’s place. We cannot call there this time, but we were made happy there by a kind favor not long since. Such kindnesses as these shown by our friends make keen spots in our life for memory to cherish and to fall back upon occasionally as we pass on through this world to the better life beyond.
Passing down a ravine we soon see C. B. VanReenan’s nice little home. Brother VanReenan’s health is not good, and his wife is not well, but to appearances, they are preparing for a country where “the inhabitants shall not say I am sick.”
DERIVATION OF NAMES OF POST OFFICES
The new post office near Edray bears a Japanese name, Onoto. We venture to say that it would be hard to find in the Postal Guide another post office which has derived its name from the Japanese. Miss Onoto Wa-tanna is a young Japanese woman who has an English education and who writes extensively for American periodicals. When the people of Onoto were casting about for a name for the post office about to be established they caught sight of the name and being pleased with it, adopted it for the new post office.
Durbin was named for the late Francis M. Durbin who was identified with the Pocahontas Development Company.
Travelers Repose is so called because of it being one of the old inns on the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike.
Greenbank probably derived its name from a beautifully green bank, a natural terrace which stretches north from that town.
Dunmore is for the Dunns and Moores, early settlers of that place.
Cloverlick is the name of a famous deer and buffalo salt lick.
Frost is located at an elevation of 2,500 feet and its name is very appropriate.
Sunset is in the Knapps Creek valley where the sun disappears early in the afternoon. It may derive its name from this or for no special reason.
Driscol is named for Col. John Driscol, of Ronceverte, who was operating large lumber industries there at the time the post office was established.
Linwood was formerly called Split Rock; the name being derived for a limestone rock through which the Big Spring Fork of Elk had worn a chasm. It was known as Big Spring also from the bold spring at Col. Gatewood’s. It was changed to Linwood probably for esthetic reasons.
Edray is from the Biblical name Edrai.
Arbovale is probably from the Arbogast family, though future generations may insist it is from the Latin work, Arbor – tree, and vale – valley.
Buckeye is probably from the tree of that name which abounds there. The neighborhood is known as Swago, one of the few Indian names of the county. It is a corruption of Oswego, a noted tribe of Indians.
Millpoint is one of the oldest milling centres of the county.
