Thursday,
March 9, 1899
The night of the 3rd of March was remarkable for the heavy rain and the loud and continuous thunder. The lightning caused great disturbances in the houses having telephones, as it rang the bells and caused them to spit fire, and thunder plugs in some being misplaced.
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Edgar Smith and team had a narrow escape last Saturday. He was on his way to Huntersville with a load of flour for S. J. Boggs. The water was about four feet deep in the road, and his horses lost their footing and the current washed the wagon and team against a stump. He cut the horses loose, and then swam out. The flour was entirely covered with water.
THE BIG
PULP MILL
Last week, the options of the two Caldwell farms at Caldwell, the proposed junction of the Greenbrier Railroad and the C & O, were taken up and the sale consummated, one farm bringing $20,000 and the other $16,000.
The purchaser is the West Virginia Pulp Company at Piedmont. It has been reported for some time that the company wished to change its location on account of hostilities with the city of Cumberland. The paper mills polluted the stream from which the city took its supply of water, and indictments were being made continually…
The Mail Boy
The mail keeps our town in a continual state of bad temper, which is bad for its constitution. Saturday night the carrier brought the mail to Buckeye, and Swago creek being too high to ford, instead of crossing the bridge on foot and securing a horse on this side to bring it on the remaining four miles, he harked back to the Levels and our postmaster and others who expected important mail sat up until midnight. The mail lay there until Monday when the Buckeye postmaster brought it up. Not having any mailbag, the postmaster could not send the mail out Monday. Saturday night, the mail carrier took the letter bag and what letters there were at Buckeye and went back. He told the postmaster he had killed an otter and had to get back to skin it. We are the most uncomplaining people in the world, but if the mail carrier will just telephone us the next time he intends going back, we will send for the mail, for mail we must have. It is the event of the day in our otherwise uneventful lives.
An Amateur
Electrician
A certain Physician had a large Toepler-Holz machine which gave a spark like a young streak of lightning. His wife was much interested in it and watched the doctor manipulate it until she thought herself master of the apparatus.
One day a party of friends called while the doctor was out, and the good wife seized the opportunity of paralyzing them with her knowledge of science.
She was a very dignified woman of portly presence, and after leading them into the office she began her explanation with all the impressiveness of a lecturer. She spoke briefly of the preliminary manipulation of the machine.
“And then,” she said, laying her hand upon one connection, “the electricity goes from here to here,” whereupon an angry white spark leaped out from the brass ball indicated, with a report like that of a horse pistol, and smote upon her extended finger, causing her to sit upon the floor with a violence that shook the windows.
The guests stood around in expectant attitudes looking at their fallen hostess in pardonable surprise.
Only for a moment did that capable woman leave them in doubt.
“There,” said she in the most matter-of-fact manner, as though events had simply followed their course. “You see how it works. Now, let’s go into the garden and look at the chrysanthemums.”
AUCTION
I will sell at public auction on the 16th day of March, 1899, two Cows, 1 six year old Mare, 1 set of Blacksmith Tools, 1 Buggy Rake, 2 Hillside Plows, 1 Spring Wagon, 25 Bee Stands, 75 bushels of Corn, some Lumber, some household furniture; other things not mentioned.
Terms made known on day of sale.
GODFREY GEIGER
Clover Lick, W. Va.