Thursday, November 16, 1950
Mrs. Warwick Sharp, of the Jerico Road, had all of us scientists at a loss to identify some bushy heads of some fox tail like grass. The grass looked like timothy in every respect except the heads. Then Mrs. Sharp produced a head of timothy which was bushy only part way. The mystery was out; the unusually warm and wet fall weather had made every seed to sprout and grow.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Traffic lights have been installed at the intersections of Main Street and Second Avenue and Main Street and Third Avenue. These lights have long been needed at these intersections and will help situations which were very dangerous and a bit trying at times.
A PANTHER
One morning last week, Boude and Frank Beverage saw a big panther in the road by their home on Dry Creek three miles across the mountain from Marlinton. Frank took a couple of hasty shots but missed.
The panther looked to be better than two feet high at the shoulders, with a body from three to four feet long, with a tail about as long as a man’s arm. Its color was a dirty brindle.
WILDCAT
Raymond and Summers Dean were in for the opening day of squirrel season with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Dean. As far as squirrels went, the trip wasn’t very successful, but Raymond had the unpleasant experience of being attacked by a wildcat in the daytime while hunting. He was seated on a log on Horseback Ridge waiting for a squirrel to come up when he was hit by a mighty force that knocked him off the log. He jumped, thinking it was a younger brother, but looked in the face of a big wildcat crouched for another spring. He emptied his gun at it, and it took off in one direction and Raymond in the other. On checking up later, he found plenty of hairs where the wildcat was, but he wasn’t sure if it was hit or not. His leather jacket was full of claw marks from the claws of the cat.
I have heard of people being attacked by cats before, but this is the first time I have heard of them being jumped in broad daylight. There are several wildcats back in that section and on Honeycomb Ridge where they have a den and with the deer law so strict there are few hounds chase there to get them. Their tracks are seen in the snow most anytime in winter right near the houses.
BEARS
Fred Galford got a couple of dogs badly chewed up by a monster bear on Black Mountain one day last week. The bear got away.
Three bears were killed from the pack of dogs of Austin and Oscar Sharp on the North Fork of Cranberry last week. The parties were from the Warner hunting lodge.
Cass – Well-nigh unbelievable, but the following is a true story. On Friday morning, at 1:30 a.m., George Tacy, son of Dallas, the bear hunter, was awakened by a noise in the yard. It was most too loud for one of the dogs to make jumping over the fence, so George raised up in bed and took a peep through the window. The moon was shining bright. He could make out a big animal on the fence. It looked most too big, but he thought it might be a big dog. Then the varmint got down from the fence and leaped across the yard to a better place to get over the fence.
George then saw it was a bear. He got dressed and woke his father. Getting their guns, they put some young hounds on the trail. There was soon a big chase for nearly four hours. Then the bear crossed the river at Raywood and hit it for the other side of Shavers Cheat Mountain. The young hounds would not attempt swimming the river.
Had Dallas had his old stock of bear dogs, he would have gotten the bear without a doubt. Had George had his gun and shells handy he would have shot the bear from his bedroom window. It is supposed the bear smelled the bee hives in the yard and came on in for to get the honey. He had been on one of the hives and almost tumbled it over. He smashed the fence and broke some of the wires where he went over. The sign showed it to be about a two year old bear.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Lee Jackson, of Marlinton, a son, Denny Lee.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Norman Joseph Hiner, of Marlinton, a son, Robert Allen.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lewis Cain, of Marlinton, a son, Stephen Lewis.
DEATHS
Mrs. Margaret Jane Auldridge Hannah, aged 90 years, died Thursday, November 9, 1950. On Sunday afternoon the funeral service was held from the Marlinton Presbyterian Church with burial in the Buckley cemetery on Bucks Run. The deceased was a daughter of the late Thomas and Catherine Moore Auldridge. She was united in marriage to the late James J. Hannah…
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Albert Dean, aged 73 years, of Droop Mountain, died Thursday, November 9, 1950. On Sunday afternoon, his body was laid to rest in the Whiting cemetery, the funeral service being conducted from the Mount Zion Church. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maggie Goode Dean…
