Thursday, September 5, 1901
SHOOTING OF THE PRESIDENT
The whole country deplores the terrible affair at Buffalo, where a man who was worth no more to his country than a stray dog in the street, shot and perhaps killed the President of the United States, probably the most useful man of his time. Civilization has not accomplished much when it is possible for such things to happen.
The country unites irrespective of party in their sympathy with the president and his family and the strong men of the country would unite in serving out to the red-handed anarchist some punishment to fit his strange and unnatural crime. Sudden death is too good for him.
President McKinley has made the country an able and conservative president and to be shot by a tramp is a sad end of such a career.
JUMPING BASS
At this time of year, after sunset, the black bass begin their evening gambols and cause an animated scene. The fish come forth from their hiding places and many of them leap in the air shaking the drops of water from their sides and come down with a resounding splash. Some expert gunners have shot bass while in the air, but it takes a quick hand with a gun to do it.
We fished through a long shallow pool the other evening and, like the apostles, caught nothing.
Some hunters came along the country road about sunset and shot at a squirrel and rained shot down all around us. We got disgusted with the fishing and hunting and decided to quit. As we were reeling up, the bass began to jump, and the pool we had just waded through which seemed barren, was alive with bass. A dozen were in the air at once. Presently a big one shot out of the water and came down with a splash as though a ham of bacon had been thrown in the water.
This was more than flesh and blood could stand, and we went back into the water and flickering the fly around for a half hour had taken seven good sized bass, all we needed, in fact.
BOARD OF EXAMINERS DISAPPROVE OF TEACHERS DANCING
While the teachers’ examination was in progress last week, the Marlinton Cotillion Club gave a dance which was attended by several of the teachers. The next morning, the board of examiners made it known to the class that they disapproved of dancing on the part of teachers.
J. H. Lantz, a member of the board, used language which gave offense to some of the town people who attended the dance.
N. C. McNeil was present and objected in certain language on the part of Mr. Lantz, and some other spirited young men appeared on the scene and demanded a retraction. When Mr. Lantz realized that he had offended some of the people of the town whose respectability cannot be questioned, he made the amends due from a gentleman who has given offenses unwittingly and submitted the following for publication:
“Whereas, on this the 28th day of August 1901, I, the undersigned J. H. Lantz, made certain statements in a talk to the teachers in the courthouse in Marlinton in which I said in substance that we as a body of teachers of Pocahontas county could not afford to come here to the institute and dance with the rabble of the town, and that he had only consented to sign their certificates because they did not know any better, and that he would never sign their certificates again if they danced in town again, and they had once before done this, and Whereas after he had been replied to by a party present and been told that he had personally insulted the best element of the town and county and the Teachers Institute now assembled, the said Lantz replied that he had nothing to retract.
This statement is now to witness that I, the undersigned J. H. Lantz, hereby apologize to the parties present at the dance last night and to the teachers who were present at the dance, for any statement I made of any such purport as above stated, and I here state that I meant no reflection whatever upon the people of the town or county or the ladies or gentlemen of the Institute and if any reflection was cast on any of them in my statements such statement is hereby retracted.
I do not, however, retract that I am personally opposed to dancing. This is a personal statement.
BEAR STORY
J. B. Waugh who lives on Williams River, last week surprised some bears in a blackberry thicket and was able to observe them for some time. The bears, a mother and two cubs, had found a log which overhung a puddle of water. The bears would run along the log and turn a somerset, alighting in the water.
They continued their gambols for some time and finally winded the man and made off with all haste. John Roarke, who reported this occurrence to this office, says that his theory of the bears’ antics was that there have been so many shows in the county this year that even the wild animals are turning double somersets.
