50 Years Ago
Week of March 7, 1974
Fast Waters
Carry More Silt
whose woods are these . . .
(A Weekly Column of Wilderness Lore by The Woodlands and Whitewater Institute Staff Spruce Knob Mountain)
Perhaps it is premature to talk now of spring. Such talk might bring the heavy snows. Nevertheless, the spring days approach when streams are swollen and rivers are full. This week this column considers what happens when rivers flow full. Next week we consider the consequences, the mechanism of erosion. The week following we will consider how these rivers form our West Virginia valleys.
When rivers flow full, they are obviously not only wider and deeper, but also faster. The speed of rivers is interesting. Look at them, streams look to be moving faster up in the mountains where the water tumbles around rocks and foams over little falls. Down in the valleys, the water is not so excited—rivers often seem flat, yet the water is moving faster than it was up in the mountains.
A simple check of a river’s speed is done by putting dye (a water hose paint is good) into a mountain stream and seeing how long it takes to move a hundred yards. Compare this time to the time it takes dye to move a hundred yards downstream later after the stream joins the larger river in the valley.
Rivers move faster lower down for two reasons. First, downstream they have the weight of the upstream water weighing down upon them. This works like an enormous water tank. The water, hanging above, is trying to flow forward pushing the water on ever faster downstream.
Second, there is less friction downstream against the riverbank and obstacles. Relatively little water in a large river touches the bank; most of the water just touches other water. The passage of water as it flows around boulders and rubs against the bank slows it down.
As is easy to see, fast moving rivers pick up more silt and sand, carrying these downstream making the river look muddy. A muddy river is, interestingly, a fairly fast moving river. For instance during the spring, rivers and streams are muddy, not because the water level is higher and hence rubbing dirt off that before was too low to rub off, but rather, the water is muddy because in the spring, with more water, it is moving faster. The fast movement does not give the mud a chance to settle out, in fact, it picks up material and carries it along.
One way of comparing how fast a river flows was to use a dye as suggested earlier. Nature provides her own dye however. This dye is the mud, silt and sand in a river. Compare the amount of mud, silt or sand in it when it was a mountain stream. The water at the river’s mouth is moving so fast it is usually very muddy. A mountain stream (as we who live in West Virginia well know) is clean and pure. Although bubbling and falling over boulders, a mountain stream is moving more slowly. In fact, it is because of these boulders and bubblings that it is moving more slowly; they act as roadblocks, or perhaps more accurately, stream blocks.
County Residents Donate Historical Papers to
West Virginia University
Miss Elizabeth Boggs of Franklin and Richard Ruddle, Jr. of Ruddle, two residents of Pendleton County, recently donated materials of significant historical value to the West Virginia Collection at West Virginia University.
Miss Boggs presented the library with nearly twenty complete years of The Pendleton Times, and with several issues of The Herald for the years 1929-1933. After West Virginia University Library microfilms these newspapers in order to permanently preserve them, other state libraries may obtain copies.
Miss Boggs made the gift in honor of her mother, Elsie Byrd Boggs, a Pendleton historian who wrote The Hammers and Allied Families and A History of Franklin.
Mr. Ruddle, who is presently an undergraduate at West Virginia University, donated several complete volumes of the South Branch Review, a newspaper published in Franklin from 1894 to 1912. Until now, the library had only scattered issues of this periodical. Ruddle also gave to the collection several old photographs of Pendleton, a family history, a history of the Ruddle Church, and several old deeds and land grants.
John Taylor, a Pennsylvania State University student, alerted Rodney Pyles and George Parkinson of the University to the existence of these materials. When not attending classes Taylor resides in Pendleton County where he collects materials for his planned history of Pendleton County.
Residents who own old photographs, letters, diaries, newspapers, ledger books, or legal documents are urged to donate them to the University Library where they can be preserved for posterity. If the owner desires, the original material can be copied and returned.
60 Years Ago
Week of March 12, 1964
100 YEARS AGO
By LON K. SAVAGE
Editor’s Note—The following is one of a series of articles on the Civil War. Each weekly installment covers events which occurred exactly 100 years ago.
Grant Arrives In East
To Take Over Armies
Ulysses S. Grant, summoned to Washington to take command of all Federal armies in the Civil War, arrived in the nation’s capitol 100 years ago this week and immediately showed the stuff of which he was made.
Within the first days of his arrival, he showed his full character—his humility, his modesty and, above all, his ability to go directly to work on the task at hand with little waste of time.
When he arrived in the capitol city, it was like the arrival of any nondescript army officer. With little fuss, he went to his hotel and asked for a room.
The hotel clerk eyed the unprepossessing figure before him and said, “I have nothing but a room on the top floor.”
“Very well, that will do,” said Grant. And he registered his name.
The clerk glanced at the name; his eyes bulged, and he nearly fell across the counter in trying to arrange the best room his hotel had for Grant.
Soon, Grant was en route to the White House, and he made the visit with nonchalance, wearing a rather seedy uniform and pulling on a cigar. It so happened, President and Mrs. Lincoln were holding their weekly reception when Grant arrived.
Word of Grant’s coming preceded his arrival, and when he stepped into the White House, a hush fell, and the crowd parted as the man of the hour—the hero of Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chattanooga—approached the President of the United States.
For the first time in their lives, the two men shook hands, and Lincoln said, “I’m glad to see you, general.”
Then, as the two entered the East Room, the crowd burst out with cheers. Grant, in what he later described as a hotter spot than any he’d had in battle, soon found himself bowing, waving and strolling through the White House, Mrs. Lincoln on his arm, beads of perspiration glistening on his brow.
Next day, March 9, President Lincoln formally presented Grant with his commission in a short ceremony at the White House, and the following day, Grant went to work.
Crowds all over Washington tried to see him, and, invitations came in from all directions. But Grant spent his time touring the city and inspecting fortifications, and on the 10th, he left Washington for the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac at Brandy Station in Virginia.
There, he met General George Gordon Meade; Meade offered to relinquish his position to any man Grant would name, and Grant, pleased with Meade’s spirit of cooperation, assured Meade that no such change was contemplated. He returned to Washington.
On March 12, orders were published announcing Grant’s assumption of command, but Grant was nowhere to be seen in Washington. On the night of the 11th, he had taken a train for the West, where he planned to set things straight once and for all before tackling the Confederates in Virginia.
Next week: Sherman gets Grant’s old job.
70 Years Ago
Week of March 11, 1954
Soldiers Jump
In Airborne Exercise
Three local boys, Pvt. Robert R. Crigler, Pvt. Gerald Smith and Bobby Gene Eye, took part in two mass parachute jumps made by the 511th Airborne Infantry Regiment at Camp Carson, Colorado, recently.
Airborne Infantry Officers applauded the two mass jumps as “one of the best parachute operations ever conducted by the 511th Regiment.”
The first wave of Globemasters flew over the high plains east of the Rocky Mountains and dropped 498 men into sub-freezing weather. Shortly after sunup the second wave of men jumped three hours later.
The jump, involving some 1200 men, was termed as routine as the men have been training there for the past several weeks.
This jump was made by fully equipped men including skis and ski poles.
The 511th flew back to its base at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, upon completion of the exercise.
Editorial
We Salute Our 4-H’ers– – –
This week 235 boys and girls in Pendleton County are joining with over 2,000,000 other youths across the country in observing National 4-H Club Week.
The 4-H Club program has done a great deal for boys and girls who live in rural counties such as Pendleton. Many of our progressive farmers and homemakers are quick to tell us that they first became interested in improved methods of agriculture and better homemaking practices through the 4-H Clubs to which they belonged in childhood.
Essentially, 4-H Club work is a nation-wide educational program sponsored by the Agricultural Extension Service to teach rural boys and girls the economics, including the fine and significant things in rural life. Through the projects which they carry the members learn the latest methods of farming, livestock raising, cooking, sewing and homemaking. Also the members participate in social meetings, camps and community projects where they make new friends and develop a zest for living and a sense of community responsibility.
The 4-H Clubs have been particularly active in Pendleton County in recent years. Of the eleven clubs in the county, two of them, the “Wide-Awake 4-H Club,” of Fort Seybert, and the “Upper Tract Producers” were blue ribbon clubs last year. Some of the requirements that a club must meet to be a blue ribbon club are the following: 100 per cent of the members must complete their projects, 30 per cent must attend county camp, they must hold a community meeting, and they must sponsor a worth-while community activity. These requirements are examples of the wide range of activities in which the 4-H Clubs participate.
We have also had some outstanding individual 4-H’ers who have brought state and national recognition to Pendleton County recently. Last year Naomi Ruth Judy won the state home improvement contest and was awarded a trip to Chicago and a $300 scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan College. Neil Hedrick won the Standard Oil Scholarship last year which is presented to one outstanding 4-H Club member in the state. It is worth $100 per year for four years.
Our livestock and poultry boys have been doing all right too. In 1952 the Pendleton County 4-H livestock judging team, composed of Arlin Kile, Paul Mallow, Neil Hedrick and William Hevener won the regional contest at Petersburg, and then went on to win the state livestock judging contest at the state fair. They were awarded an all-expense paid trip to Chicago where they participated in the 4-H livestock judging contest at the International Livestock Show and attended the National 4-H Club Congress.
The 1952 4-H poultry judging team composed of Jed Conrad, Ralph Dunkle, Raymond Mallow and David Dyer were also outstanding. They won the state 4-H poultry judging contest at the state fair and were awarded a trip to the northeastern poultry show in Boston where they placed ninth in the judging.
While the 4-H members have the fun and get the recognition, the adult leaders are really the keystone in the 4-H Club work. Pendleton County has been fortunate to have accomplished club leaders. Mary Gay Dyer is the dean of the club leaders in the county with 17 years’ service. Pink Bowers has almost caught up with her with 15 years in the harness, and Mrs. Jasper Adamson is not far behind with 13 years. These three leaders are members of the “West Virginia 4-H All-Star Organization,” which is made up of the state’s leading 4-H Club workers.
Mrs. W. P. Hevener has been an assistant leader for nine years and the Rev. S. Kullman has been an assistant for eight years. Other leaders of shorter duration are Macie Phares, John Hevener, Bonnie Harrison, Leonard Hedrick, Mrs. Raymond Hedrick, T. J. Clayton, Mrs. Bardon Harper and Louise Mullenax.
We think our 4-H boys and girls are doing a great job, and so long as they continue to have leaders like they have had in the past, we will be expecting even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
