Seventy-Five Years Ago

Thursday, January 22, 1948

Eight and ten degrees be-low zero in Marlinton Monday morning, with tempera- ture as cold as 20 below reported at Bartow and other points. However, on Shavers Cheat Mountain, above 4,000 feet, the temperature was four above.

Speaking of cold winters, I noticed that neighbor Ed C. Moore has kindling wood from some of the old high stumps from the winter of 1856 on his woodpile. These old stumps were eight to ten feet high, cut for wood by ax-men standing on top of deep, crusted snow. That was the winter the mail did not get across Shavers Cheat Mountain, and brought forth the eloquent excuse from the carriers, the Trotter Brothers,” to wit: “If the gable ends of hell were blown out and its fire and brimstone rained for six weeks, day and night, it could not melt the snow drifts on Cheat Mountain!”

That winter a horse wandered off on the snow crust one day to browse the tops of trees in a great drift. Next Spring his carcass was found in the forks of a big sugar maple, fifty feet from the ground. I have always understood this was on Red Lick Mountain at the Rosser place.

Craig Richardson has loaned me to read his most interesting Christmas present, “Richmond in By Gone Days,” republished after 86 years. The writer was Samuel Mordecai. In the winter of ’56, he wrote: This winter is “the severest in the long duration of extreme cold that I can remember. The James River closed for eight weeks in almost its entire length and the earth covered with a coating of snow of nearly equal duration. The black servants and slaves are provided with food, fuel and clothing, while our poor houses and other receptacles for the destitute and the dissipated whites are crowded to overflowing.”

BASKETBALL

The Independent basketball team of Hillsboro is off to a good start. Their first game of the season was a win over the American Legion team of Marlinton by a score of 63 – 60. A win over Greenbank by a score of 48 – 43 at Hillsboro, was their second game.

The members of the team are Gene Chappell, Tom Clutter, Houston Simmons, Bill McCarty, Robert Hall, Roy McCoy, Homer Workman, Lacy Kershner, Leo McMillion and Henry Harper.

The team is coached by the one and only Dick McMillion.

BIRTHS

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Lane, of Seebert, a son named Ralph Eugene.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Clowser, a son named Paul Wayne.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Rohrer, of Newport News, Virginia, a daughter, named Ruth Ann. Mrs. Rohrer is the former Miss Ruth Dever.

DEATHS

Mrs. Bessie Phillips McClintic, aged 72 years, died Thursday, January 15, 1948, after a short illness. On Saturday afternoon her body was laid to rest in Mountain View Cemetery. The service was held from the Presbyterian Church by her pastor, Rev. Roger P. Melton. Thus is marked the passing of a truly good woman, a lifelong Christian and member of the Presbyterian Church.

Pallbearers were Beecher Meadows, Norval Pifer, Wayne Jackson, Frank Harper, Eugene Ammons and James Howard.

Flower girls were Mesdames Paul Gladwell, Mary Evans, E. J. Patterson, Jess McNeill, Beecher Meadows, Norval Pifer, Ralph Moore and Miss Louise Smith.

The deceased was a daughter of the late Amos and Phoebe Kerr Phillips. Forty years ago she became the wife of the late Withrow McClintic. They are survived by their adopted daughter, Mrs. Bay McElwee…

– – –

Harlow Waugh, aged 74 years, died Sunday morning, January 18, 1948. On Tuesday afternoon his body was laid to rest in the family plot in Mountain View Cemetery, the funeral being held from the Marlinton Methodist church by his pastor, Rev. E. M. Carlson.

Among the pallbearers were Leslie Gehauf, Robert L. Miller, Walter Mason, Moffett Williams, Edward Rexrode and John Bear…

Mr. Waugh was a son of the late Levi and Amanda Frances Poage Waugh. He married Miss Gertrude Gwin, daughter of the late David A. Gwin and Alice Rowan Gwin Robertson.

His death occurred on his and Mrs. Waugh’s 43rd wedding anniversary.