Thursday, December 6, 1945
Our Army and Navy Boys
A telegram was received on Tuesday morning by Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Sharp from their son, Technical Sergeant Robert Sharp, that he had just landed in California from China, on his way home.
Lieutenant Alfred McElwee, son of Mr. and Mrs. June McElwee, arrived home on furlough Tuesday morning. He served nearly two years in Europe with the Engineers. He flew from Paris to New York.
Earl Gay, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pat Gay, is home from the Army with an honorable discharge after long service in Africa and Italy.
Staff Sergeant Roscoe Dilley, son of Hevener Dilley, who has been serving with the Army Engineers came home Saturday with an honorable discharge. He was overseas thirty-nine months and five days.
George Jerry Jackson and Early Walker received their honorable discharges and are home.
Lieutenant Fred M. Cloonan, of the Merchant Marines, has returned to New York after spending a short leave at home. He has been in the Pacific and Mediterranean Theatre for the past ten months.
James (Curley) Wamsley is home from the Army with an honorable discharge after 33 months’ duty. He served 28 months overseas.
WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS
Sutton – Woods
Mrs. Lenora Woods announces the marriage of her daughter, Mildred Arlene, to Raymond M. Sutton, of Marlinton. They were united in marriage at the Edray parsonage by the Rev. R. H. Skaggs, Saturday, November 17, 1945…
Thompson – Friel
Mrs. J. B. Sutton, of Lee Street, has announced the engagement of her niece, Miss Audra Ruth Friel, to Mr. Hollie R. Thompson, son of Mrs. Anna Thompson, of South Charleston, and the late Mr. Thompson.
Doig – Williams
Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Williams, of Marlinton, announce the marriage of their daughter, Corporal Marguerite J. Williams, to Mr. William C. Doig, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on Friday, November 16, 1945, at Elkton, Maryland.
Baber – McMillion
Mr. and Mrs. Wilton C. McMillion, of near Hillsboro, have announced the marriage of their daughter, Oleta, to Mr. James H. Baber, of Richwood, on October 17 in Lewisburg, with Rev. Harry V. Wheeler officiating.
DEATHS
Lucy Grey Cutlip, 77, wife of the late William H. Cutlip. Burial in the family cemetery on Droop Mountain.
Miss Cena Dorman, 82; burial in the Lower Church cemetery at Buckeye.
Mrs. Mary Susan Auld-ridge Carter, 77, of Onoto, daughter of the late James and Julia Duncan Auldridge. Burial in the Cochran cemetery.
William Ernest Hayes, 52, of Hillsboro, a son of the late Henry Mason and Elizabeth Boggs Hayes. Burial in Renick Cemetery.
John B. Galford, 62, of Back Alleghany; a son of the late Brown and Susan Galford. Burial in the Wanless cemetery.
Mrs. Joanna Nicely Taylor, 91, of Cass; a daughter of St. Clair and Martha Decker Nicely. Interment in the cemetery at McMillion Church in Greenbrier county.
Field Notes
Dan Carpenter reports the sign of one powerful big bear on Mt. Lick Run on Williams River. He had set a steel trap for coon, fixing up a little pen of stones and baiting it with hog lights. Going to look the other morning, he came on a double line of short stepping tracks of one powerful big fat bear. When the bear came near enough the trap to scent the bait, he circled several times before locating it. There was the sign in the snow where he had knocked down the little pen of stones, sprung the trap and then leisurely gone on about his business without touching the bait.
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J. S. Cook caught one powerful big old wild cat one day last week on Improvement Lick, over in Buckley Mountain. Fat as a fool, this cat was lumped off at about forty pounds. When three times as many bob cats will weigh less than twenty pounds than will go over twenty-five pounds, it will give an idea how unusually large this one was. It was treed in daylight by a small Spitz dog. This is the third bay lynx killed from this dog.
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Talking about wild cats, something like one in fifty taken in this region is a Canadian lynx. Of course, the common bob cat has a bay coat, and the catamount is gray, but the color scheme, in each often varies. The sure way to check is to look at the black tuft at the end of the tail. If black clear around, it is the catamount or Canadian lynx. If there is a little white streak in the black tuft, it is the wild cat or bay lynx.
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Still talking about wild cats, those in the know stoutly maintain they are most excellent eating. Personally, I have no hankering for such varmint meat. Years ago a friend of the family in riding through the Black Forest made it into the settlement at the Three Forks of Williams just as night was coming on. He was made welcome by a family deep in Indian blood. At supper, he was served just about the best piece of meat he had ever put in his mouth. He thought maybe hunger brought on by a day’s ride through the mountains was the sauce that brought out the flavor. However, next morning the meat at breakfast was just as good or better. He begged leave for to inquire what kind of good meat he had been served and had enjoyed so greatly. “Catamount, stranger, catamount. Them who don’t know, pass it up to waste, but no sweeter meat grows than catamount.”
Our friend was strong in his intention to introduce his family to his delicacy, but not once was he ever able to get catamount meat through his kitchen.
Still writing on wild cat meat for human consumption, I finally thought to look the matter up in a reference book. There, one authority, Edward A. Preble, is quoted, “The flesh of the lynx is very palatable, and is eaten by the Indians of the Wachensie (sp) region of Canada and to some extent by the white residents.”
My only comment is, I still do not choose to have any, thank you, just the same.