Thursday, April 6, 1899
There is much said and more surmised concerning the speedy railroad development of Pocahontas. Enough of this fancy work could be had to fill a paper, but it would not be news and might get the speculators into trouble. We mean by speculators those who sit in comfortable lounging pla-ces, in easy attitudes, and pursue inquiries and form conjectures in regard to the coming of the railroad in their minds, a priori, and without any knowledge of their own to build on; moralizing and speculating about a railroad, but not planning for it. Their name is legion…
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Easter Sunday was raw and cold. Easter Sunday, by an agreement, was fixed by the Christian church to be observed on the first Sunday after the full moon occurring on or after the 21st day of March. It can come as early as March 22, or as late as April 25. During the 19th century, Easter occurs 77 times in April and 23 times in March.
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Arbovale can boast of a store, a harness and saddle shop, two blacksmith shops, one uses stone coal, the other charcoal, a shoe shop, and everybody is a silverite. They are going to have a post office which will be a convenience to a great many.
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J. F. Todd, of Staunton, has been sentenced to three years in the penitentiary for detaining Miss Jessie B. Rodgers, of Highland county, in a house of ill-fame. The young lady went to Staunton to act as a trained nurse and Todd induced her to go to the house under pretense that she was wanted to nurse his brother who, he said, had the fever. She refused all offers of money to hush the matter up. Todd was a saloon keeper.
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Mrs. Alexander and Mrs. Ebb Barnhart died within three hours of each other at Raven Rock last week and were buried in adjoining graves Sunday. They were twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Virden, and were married to Barnhart brothers about three years ago, the wedding being a double one. The women were taken ill on the same day two weeks ago and each leaves two children. – Webster Echo
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Died, at her home on Brown’s Mountain, two miles east of Huntersville, March 20, Mrs. Mary Irvine, wife of William Irvine, aged about 75 years. She was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Burr.
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Henry McNeel was seriously injured last Sunday by his horse falling with him near the blacksmith shop between Academy and Mill Point. He was found in an unconscious condition with wounds and bruises all over his body. One of his eyes is greatly injured. The nature of the hurt would indicate that the horse had stepped in his face. He is now doing as well as could be expected.
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The steamer Rowena Lee exploded in midstream in the Mississippi River opposites the Missouri Shore. Sixty persons were drowned, two only escaping.
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Henry W. McNeel of Academy died at his home last Monday morning at seven o’clock of pneumonia. March 26th, he was thrown from his horse and sustained serious injuries. The next day, pneumonia developed and in spite of unremitting care on the part of his friends and physicians, he continued to grow worse until death resulted. The deceased was the youngest son of Captain William L. McNeel. He was 28 years old. In 1894, his marriage with Miss Eva Ligon, a daughter of Dr. John Ligon, of Clover Lick, occurred. His wife and little son, Ligon, survive him.
It can be said without exaggeration that Henry McNeel had not an enemy in the world. His genial disposition and high sense of honor in his business relations made all who knew him think kindly of him.
