Thursday, April 29, 1948
Registered Voters
Returns just completed in the County Clerk’s office give registered voters as 4,025 Democrats; 3,084 Republicans; and 81 others.
The Big Trout
Dear Mr. Price:
A bunch of trout fishermen who were myself, Verl Pyles, Virgil Gladwell, Ralph Goode, Bland Kershner and others were just getting ready to start home from fishing on Locust Creek. It was dark of the opening day of the trout season, and a car drove up from up stream and the driver, the only occupant of the car, called out as he stopped, and said, “Is this fish legal?”
He held up a big fish and with some hesitancy allowed me to take the fish around the car to the lights and lo! an 18-inch Rainbow trout – and a beauty!
Pyles called to the man, “guess that would be the biggest trout caught in Pocahontas county on the opening day.” So it looked as if it was up to the lucky angler to set up the drinks.
The man answered, “I’m sorry, Sir, I can’t do that, as I’m a Minister.”
The lucky angler proved to be my friend, the Rev. Griffin Callahan, of Ronceverte.
So, for the benefit of the record, credit him with an 18 inch, or better, rainbow trout caught in Locust Creek on the opening day.
No scales were available to get the weight of the fish but it sure was a “honey,” and was the Parson pleased? And how!
Sincerely,
J. G. Hamrick
Beard, W. Va.
FIELD NOTES
Last Wednesday, an early morning hurry-up call came to Austin and Oscar Sharp to bring their bear dogs and come to Anthony’s Creek. A big bear had been raiding the valley below Neola. One night, he took ten lambs on one farm. Hounds were put on the trail, but lost all account of the bear down in the Blue Bend and Gun Powder Ridge country.
In a night or so, the bear was back to kill a sheep. Then the next night, he returned to kill a calf on an adjoining farm.
Austin Sharp and Gilbert Jack responded to the call with a pack of five bear fighting dogs. They started their trailing dogs on the sign fairly early in the day, but they never were able to put the bear up. The bear had eaten his fill, and then proceeded to leave the country before lying down… The next day’s training was equally fruitless.
Not far from where the killed calf lay, the dogs did put up a big wild cat. While a bobcat might kill a calf, it does not pick up such a big kill and carry it over fences. That cat was just hanging around for to get his fill of meat after his betters.
Since the foregoing was written, that bear came back Friday night and killed another sheep. Jack’s Taxi station was called and the Sharps responded. They got there by ten o’clock, and in less than an hour the bear was dead.
BIRTH
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nelson, of Cass, a daughter, April 24, 1948.
DEATHS
Peter Washington Simmons, aged 92 years, passed away at his home on Droop Mountain April 14, 1948. His body was laid to rest in the Whiting Cemetery, the service being held at the Mt. Zion church… He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Oliver Wiley, of Droop, and Miss Nettie, at home…
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Mrs. Willie Kelley Ryder died Tuesday, April 13, 1948, aged 55 years… On Thursday afternoon the funeral service was held at the Wesley Chapel Church of Dunmore and the body was laid to rest in the church cemetery. The deceased was a daughter of the late Clete and Lucy Rogers Kelley, of Huntersville…
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James Buchanan Lambert, of Greenbank, aged 95 years, died at a Ronceverte hospital April 23, 1948. On Monday afternoon the funeral service was held from the Greenbank Methodist church… His body was laid in the Arbovale Cemetery.
ANDY E. HEFNER
Private First Class Andy E. Hefner, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hefner, was born August 21, 1918, and died June 9, 1944.
Andy enlisted in the Infantry of the United States Army in March 1942. Later he was transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division, 325 Glider Infantry as a machine gunner. On the first day of the Normandy invasion, his outfit was dropped about fifteen miles behind the German lines. Three days later, June 9th, about 9 o’clock in the morning, he was killed.
At the time of his death, his buddy, Don Taylor, of Terra Alta, whose life Andy had once saved, was with him. The family is glad that Andy could save his buddy’s life, so that he could return to his home and live in peace and happiness with his wife and little daughter.