Thursday, April 19, 1951
This is Tuesday, April 17, with snow a flying. This is the 47th snow of the winter and still three weeks till corn planting. According to the old sign, we were due for only 42 snows – one for each day counting from the date of the first snow to the first day of winter, December 21.
LEWIS GAY
Master Shepherd of West Virginia
Lewis Gay, co-owner of the title of West Virginia’s Master Shepherd for 1950, lives on a 282-acre farm three miles south of Marlinton in Pocahontas County.
Lewis inherited the sheep business at the age of five when his father died leaving his mother with three children to raise and a farm to pay for. Lewis has been taking care of sheep ever since that date and has found a lot of the fundamentals out the hard way. Lewis says, when talking about the sheep business, “the success in the sheep business is looking after them.”
Lewis keeps a flock of 29 high-grade ewes which are bred to a purebred Suffolk ram. He saves about 10 ewe lambs each year for replacement. His sheep are extremely clean. He accounts for this by explaining that he follows a rigid parasite control program, does a good job of feeding and keeps a mineral mixture of salt, ground limestone and bone meal before them at all times. Grain is fed once a day from November through March.
All of Lewis’ success cannot be attributed to his hard-earned education but to a good mother. Lewis and his mother found out in the early days that, for the small investment they had, the most money could be made on sheep. The Gays realize the value of sheep so much that one son, Bob, just recently went to Canada and bought 10 of the best Suffolk ewes he could find. Bob plans to go into the purebred sheep business and has got a very good start in this direction.
As the old saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding.”
The proof of Lewis’ practices is in the money you see in front of you. The 29 ewes this year grossed $1,463.34. The price alone is not as amazing as the way his lambs graded; 50 blues, 1 red and 1 medium. This is proof that a breeding flock well managed will show 100 percent return on the first year’s investment.
FIELD NOTES
Paul R. Overholt found visitors the other morning on his fishpond at his place on Kee Flat. The Mallards were in no hurry to go, but the canvas back went away from that place and stood not on his going. This was sign he has suffered an uneasy winter in the far south.
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Paul Underwood, of Beaver Creek, plainly saw a big panther near his home last Tuesday night. Near the Moses Underwood place, a rabbit came off the hill and across the road. Then in full light of the car, there was an immense panther, fully eight feet long. Mr. Underwood had seen mountain lions in the zoo, at Washington, so he knows what he saw – a panther.
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One day last week, Ernest Snyder came face to face with the big panther of the Black Forest as he was coming down Davis Run. He was close enough to see the eyes of the varmint, and he had a little time to observe before it scented him out. Then it went away from that place in long sweeping bounds. The color was a bindle. It had a long tail and was an able varmint.
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The presence of panthers in this community is not much to joke about these days and nights. Frank Mann, at Clover Lick, had a fine calf killed and partially eaten up by panthers, the tracks in the light snow showed a large one and two small ones.
BIG FLATS FARM WOMEN
The Big Flats Farm Women’s Club met at the home of Mrs. Chester McLaughlin for their April meeting with Mrs. Cameron Beverage calling the meeting to order. Devotion was led by Mrs. Eldon Friel. The Club lesson “Study of Cleaning,” also a demonstration on house cleaning was led by Mrs. Vallie Jones. Mrs. Wilbur Miller with 12 members and two visitors present.
DEATHS
Mrs. Nora Kennison Irvine, 82, of Seebert, widow of the late A. E. Irvine; funeral service was held from the Oak Gove Church with burial in the family plot in Oak Grove Cemetery.
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William C. Greathouse, 78, of Durbin, died at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Annie Cromer. Funeral service was held from the Bethel Methodist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
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Mrs. Annie L. Slaven aged 78 years, of Durbin, wife of Charles W. Slaven, died April 10, 1951. Funeral service was held from the Bartow Methodist Church with burial in the Goodsell Cemetery.
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Mrs. Anna Grace Arbogast Ervine, aged 68 years, of Durbin, wife of William Ervine; funeral held from the Arbovale Methodist church with burial in the Arbovale cemetery
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Adis Montgomery Shra-der, aged 30 years, died at his home in Akron, Ohio, April 3, 1951. Funeral service from the Mt. Zion Church with burial in the church cemetery.
