May 28, 1925
The champion fish taken so far was caught by Gene Kinnison at Kinnison Station – a blue cat, 34 inches long, weighing 40 pounds. Jim Workman and Gene Kinnison cut a bee tree and took nine gallons of honey and they used the wax for bait and got this big fish.
FROST
Every garden in Pocahontas county was all dolled up Monday night. Freezable plants were covered with hats, caps, bathing suits, sweaters, pants, underclothes, blankets, rugs, overcoats, carpets, coverlids, aprons, papers, buckets, scarfs, neckpieces, shawls, socks, boxes, cans, fruit jars, crocks and whatnots…
All spring long, the older folks have been warning the people to look out for a killing frost on the morning of May 26. They had noted a fog on the morning of February 26…
THE BIG BEAR
Last Friday Elihu Hamrick, who lives at Yew Glade near Linwood, saw a dead sheep in the pasture of Elmer Poage. He investigated and found it had been killed by a bear. From the sign, it looked like the kill had been made on Wednesday night and that the bear was a powerful big one. Mr. Hamrick notified Mr. Poage, and then began to look up his own losses. He found he was short five head, and Mr. Poage found the remains where seven of his sheep had been killed. Mr. Poage knows, however, from the number of motherless lambs, his loss is nearer twenty head, but he cannot tell the exact number until he gathers the flock into the shearing pans next week. Jim Gibson and other neighbors lost sheep, too.
All day Sunday, Elmer Poage and Jim Gibson traced around the range following bear tracks and looking for killed sheep. The bear could be followed in the woods like a cow beast. They finally found that the bear was laying up of days in a patch of laurel on the Gibson Knob. This laurel patch is about ten acres, and is surrounded by grazing lands. In this thicket a few weeks ago, prohibition officers raided a moonshine outfit and shot the operator, a man named Smith, who resisted arrest and shot at the officers with a Winchester shotgun. Smith was so badly wounded in the arm that it had to be amputated.
When the bear was located, word was sent out to the neighbors and a big hunt was organized for early Monday morning.
When a bear is found on Slatyfork Mountain, he stands a poor chance to save his hide, if the hunt is property managed. There are grazing lands all around, and if he makes for Cheat, Elk or Gauley, he must come out in the open somewhere. If the sheep killer lays up for the day on the Cheat side, there is no show other than by accident to get him, and it is about as bad on Gauley side, too. The cover is so thick that the dogs have a poor chance, and the hunter cannot see more than a few feet away.
The dog poisoner has been getting in his dirty work down Elk, and all the old bear dogs, hounds, house dogs and shepherds were killed. There are some promising young hounds coming on, but this was not a hunt to be led by a bunch of pups. Twelve or fifteen miles away on the waters of Williams River lives Ernest Jackson, and he has a pack of well trained and experienced bear fighting dogs. Some years ago he brought on two Norwegian bear hounds. They are not unlike the old time cur dogs of grandfather’s day when bear hunting was everybody’s business in this valley. They are good ones. Then he has a crossbred hound that is a bear fighter all right, and a young hound that is coming along. Ernest was at church when the messengers came for him, but when he got home he was ready to go bear hunting. At two o’clock in the morning they came to Elmer Poage’s home, where an early breakfast awaited them, and then on to Elk.
Jim Gibson put four young hounds in the pack and Bob Gibson one. Two fox hounds from the lumber camp also came along. All dogs were welcome for you can’t tell whether or not a dog has a bear fighting disposition until he is tried. He either has or he has not. There is no middle ground…
To be continued…
DIED
Mrs. Elizabeth Luena Harper Moore, widow of the late Rev. James E. Moore, died at the home of her son, Lee Moore, at Millpoint, on Sunday, May 24. She had reached the advanced age of more than 87 years. Burial at the McNeel graveyard Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Moore’s maiden name was Harper, a daughter of Samuel and Malinda Moore Harper, late of Knapps Creek…
Mrs. Willie Dilley died at her home near Dilley’s Mill May 22, 1925. Her age was about 40 years… She was a daughter of the late Squire and Mrs. G. S. Weiford, of near Edray… Burial in the Dilley graveyard.
Mrs. Willie Alderman, wife of B. W. Alderman, died at her home on North Fork, Wednesday morning, May 6, 1925, at ten o’clock, aged forty years… She leaves her husband and five children, Lonnie, Elick, Raymond, Dallas and Mabel, her little son, Carl, having preceded Mrs. Lille Spriggs, one of Marlinton’s most prominent colored women, died Saturday morning at her home off Seneca Trail after a brief illness from Typhoid fever.
Mrs. Spriggs was born in Greenbrier county, a daughter of Amos and Harriet Crawford. She was converted in early life and became a member of the Methodist Church, in which she served as member of the Ladies Aid and Superintendent of the Sunday School. She was also an active member of the Woman’s Club.
Mrs. Spriggs is survived by her father, two brothers, two sisters, and two daughters and many other relatives and friends in whose memories her life and character live on.
She was a mother of whom we can truthfully say that her strength and honor were her clothing. As a counselor she opened her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue was the law of kindness. She looked well to the ways of her household and never ate the bread of idleness. It may be well said, “Lord, give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her.”
Funeral service was held at Horrock on Monday.
