Thursday, March 3, 1949
The trip last week was over to Harrison County, to try to talk at a journalistic conference of Salem College… It was not a question of what could a body say on such an occasion, but what ought to be said to such a bunch of punks. However, it is always safe to start out by saying that the term fourth estate had its beginnings a way back when kings were kings, and the influence of honest, able, courageous individual journalists made their influence felt. In fact, such men did exercise so great an influence there came the popular saying which likened them to a fourth estate of the realm of the king. The estates of the realm were the lords spiritual, the lords temporal and the commons.
However, this is now a day and a time of rich and great and massive publicity vending corporations, whose kept-writers too often have to write what they are told rather than what they think – if anything. Too often us journalists are merely little dogs who run in front of the wagon. Our estate is now so low it would appear from the results of the last five presidential elections that overwhelming journalistic sup- port is too great a handicap for any candidate to overcome…
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Last Tuesday, a heavy electrical storm centered around about Marlinton, the first thunder of the year. A haystack on the farm of Z. S. Smith, Jr., below Knapps Creek, was struck by lightning and burned up.
You know the old sign about thunder in the winter being followed with colder weather. To go into detail, let it be said if the thunder is to the north and the rumbles travel south, then the weather will turn extremely cold. If the thunder is to the south and the noise goes north, the weather will be cooler, but not too cold. …
Of course, all these folk signs have a foundation of truth. They are a result of age long observations by people much more dependent for comfort and even actual existence on the weather than we who are not much exposed to the elements. …
How to tell the difference between electrical stores?
Why, look to see if the hogs are running about with straw in their mouths, if you live on the farm. Keep a weather ear tuned to the radio, if you have no hog. Look up the weather map in the daily paper, if you live in town.
FIELD NOTES
Hillsboro – Allan Halbrook and Kenneth Brown killed a 30-inch water snake at Droop Mountain State Park February 20.
Cloverlick – The other day Newton Kelly went out on his farm with his dog. There was a groundhog and the dog caught it.
A recent February day, Robert Kelly was going to catch the Marlinton bus and he saw a big black snake stretched across the road.
Durbin – On Valentine Day, workers coming to work at the Tannery from Arbovale and Greenbank saw a great number of frogs. There were plenty of frogs in the road between Durbin and Frank.
SQUIRE SMITH
It is Squire Smith now. I might have written it is Squire Smith again. For Harper M. Smith has been appointed to and qualified for the important office of Justice of the Peace of Edray District. This office was held honorably and efficiently for so long by the late Captain A. E. Smith.
I have only words of commendation for my friend in this, his first venture into public office. When barely more than a boy, he went to work in the woods and drove white pine logs on the Greenbrier. He was a jam breaker, and many a time he has ridden to safety on a white pine stick through white water as hundreds of logs came tumbling after, when a great jam would begin to haul and break. …
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Moats, a son, named William Lee.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Hollandsworth, a daughter, named Linda Carol.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Hill Pritt, of Droop, a daughter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Morrison, a son, named Samuel Leon. This is their fifth son and seventh child.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Cody R. Miller, of Cloverlick, a son.