30 Years Ago
Week of November 10, 1994
SUGAR GROVE
Rail Fences
Have Many Advantages
Ever wonder why rail fences were built in a zig-zag pattern rather than straight? No doubt there are several good reasons—strength being one, since each angled section provides support for the next one. Another swell twist which applies typically to Pendleton County is that the land on the family farm is so hard and rocky that it isn’t practical to dig holes for fence posts. With a zig-zag rail fence, there is no need for posts! Another benefit is that these fences are a natural lattice for blackberry bushes—and the angles in the fences make for perfect nesting areas for pheasants. In days of yore, prior to treated fence posts, wood rot was a problem. This was solved by putting stones under the overlaps in the rail fences, or “worm fences.” The rail fence is a rare find today. The few that do exist expand the pleasures of country life.
Weatherproof Early
For Savings and Winter Comfort
Homeowners can save hundreds of dollars in energy costs, and make their homes comfortable this winter with some helpful weather-proofing tips. Insulating windows and doors can save as much as 10 to 35 percent in heating costs, according to the U. S. Department of Energy.
Start by prioritizing and using the right products for the two biggest energy wasters—windows and doors.
Shrink film for windows, along with foam tape and rubber seals for use around doors are some of the best tips for keeping out the cold. For the ultimate door insulation, add a “door sweep.”
Homeowners may not realize they can lose up to 20 percent of their heat through electrical sockets on outside walls. Simple, inexpensive socket sealers can fix the problem entirely.
50 Years Ago
Week of November 21, 1974
Franklin Band Performs in West Virginia
University Stadium
By Scott Harvey
At 3:00 a.m. Saturday, November 9, houses began lighting up as band members from Upper Tract, Deer Run, Brandywine, Entry Mountain, Moyers, Mozer, Franklin and Kline began to make their way to the Franklin band room. These students representing so many different hamlets, families, backgrounds, and beliefs, were joining hands for a common cause…to make music live.
At 9:00 a.m. Franklin’s bandsmen would join 5,000 others from all over West Virginia. Together, they would rehearse in the West Virginia University Stadium all morning for half-time performance in the afternoon—a show that would last but 12 minutes. And, after the game, after the crowd of spectators left, 5,000 bandsmen would wait in line for hours to board a fleet of buses for the return trip home. Our bandsmen devoted 21 hours to this event, nine hours of which were on a school bus, and nine hours in the cold, foggy Morgantown stadium.
As I looked down from the top of the stadium, down on the playing field, and heard 5,000 bandsmen make a joyful sound, I was grateful for the 10,000 parents and boosters who made this event possible. I was especially grateful for the dedication of our bandsmen, their parents, and the boosters that make it possible for the Panther band to stand up and be counted as representatives of our beautiful county.
Mail No Longer
Delivered if No Postage
Postmaster Scott Hammer today reminded customers that the U. S. Postal Service no longer delivers mail on which there is no postage.
Postmaster Hammer said the new policy was instituted because of the high costs being incurred by the Postal Service in its attempt to deliver such mail. Officials estimate that such costs total approximately $18 million annually.
“Naturally we realize that someone could inadvertently forget to put a stamp on a letter or that a stamp could come off prior to cancellation, so we urge mailers to be sure to include a correct return address on their mail,” Postmaster Hammer said.
60 Years Ago
Week of November 19, 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.
Georgia Ransacked
By Sherman’s Army
As the people of the United States waited in ignorance, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s army of 60,000 marched through Georgia 100 years ago this week, cutting a path of destruction and despair for the South.
Only the Georgians who witnessed the events know really what was happening, for Sherman had cut all communication between his army and the North. In Washington, President Lincoln paced the floor nervously, hoping somehow to get some word of success from his second-most-important general. In both North and South, false rumors spread that Sherman was beaten; that his army was starving; that he had been captured.
But Sherman and his “bummers” were far from beaten; in fact, they were in no danger. Each day through late November, they marched in fine weather eastward from Atlanta toward the sea, tearing up the countryside, devastating buildings, homes, crops and livestock, eating sumptuously off Southern foodstuffs, sleeping peacefully on Southern soil or, at times, in Southern homes.
The war was one of total destruction. Sherman’s men tore up railroads, burned the ties, heated the rails until they could be twisted into “Sherman’s hairpins” around trees. Mills, factories, barns—any buildings that could produce any good—were burned. Homes were ransacked and many of them were burned. Soldiers barged into private homes, making off with everything they could carry—foods, jewelry, even family heirlooms.
To a Southern lady who protested against the plundering, Sherman answered: “War is war, and you can make nothing else of it.”
Slaves came to Sherman as if he was their Savior, and despite his protestations, they followed his armies to they knew not where.
By the 23rd, Sherman was in Milledgeville, Georgia’s capitol, and he occupied the Governor’s mansion, himself. Some of his officers occupied the state capitol, and in a mock representative assembly full of flowery speeches in imitation of Southern accents, they elected a speaker and voted to repeal Georgia’s ordinance of secession. After destroying most of Milledgeville’s important buildings, the army pushed on.
Resistance was slight, Confederate Gen. Joe Wheeler, with a cavalry force of 6,000, harassed the Federals but was too heavily outnumbered to even delay the march. Georgia militia—mostly young boys and old men—also opposed the march with little effect. Southern leaders issued proclamations calling upon the Georgians to repel the invaders, but they did little good for the Southern cause.
By December 3, Sherman had reached Millen, the second of his three objectives. The third—Savannah and the Sea—was within a few days’ march.
Next week: Tennessee invaded.
Mail Truck
Lands in River;
Patrons Get Soggy Mail
Franklin residents were stewing Monday because their mail was wet.
Newspapers were soggy, catalogs were faded and letters were dripping.
Upon inquiry, postal patrons’ ire changed to concern for their mailman.
Richard Calvin Walker, 27, of Ellerslie, Md., who drives the early morning mail from Cumberland to Franklin, the patrons learned, was in the Grant Memorial Hospital, Petersburg, with injuries sustained when his mail truck skidded on the wet pavement, missed a bridge and flipped over into the South Branch River. The truck landed on its top with just the wheels emerging from the water.
Fortunately Walker was not seriously injured. He was able to kick out a window and escape before his truck cab filled with water.
The accident occurred about 6:30 Monday morning on Route 220 three miles north of Petersburg. Officers and witnesses were amazed that the driver was able to escape from the truck.
Mail clerks went to the scene after the crash and recovered the contents of the truck. Most of the third class mail, such as newspapers, was damaged extensively. The first class mail was badly water soaked but not destroyed.
It was Blue Monday in Franklin. Late risers dined on soggy toast and read soggy newspapers.
70 Years Ago
Week of November 18, 1954
Pendleton County
‘Coon Hunter Treed
By 5 Bear On Timber Ridge Last Week
It is not unusual for a hunter to tree a bear, but when five bear tree a hunter, that’s news—and that’s exactly what happened to a Pendleton County ‘coon hunter last Monday night.
Glenn Ketterman of Onego was standing in the woods on Timber Ridge about a mile from his home last Monday night waiting for his dogs to pick up a ‘coon trail. Suddenly five bear came crashing out of the brush and attacked him.
Ketterman emptied his Winchester pump gun of all six No. 4 shells at the bear before he finally killed one of the smaller ones, a 125 pounder. The other four bear continued their attack, growling, bawling and snapping at him.
When Ketterman realized that he had no more shells, he lost little time shimmying up a tree where he remained until his dogs came back and rescued him. With the attention of the bear diverted by the dogs, Ketterman slipped down the tree and ran home for help and more ammunition. He returned with a rifle and his brother, Arlie, and found that the dogs had treed one of the bear but the other three were gone. Arlie shot the 225 pound bruin out of the tree, the first that he had ever killed. Glenn had killed four. A neighbor, Archie Harper, helped carry the two animals out of the woods.
The bear were within 100 yards of Ketterman’s sheep when they attacked him. He said that they have not lost any sheep to bear since three years ago when they killed three large lambs.
80 Years Ago
Week of November 17, 1944
THIS WEEK IN THE WPB
COUNTY KITCHENS
BECOME TIN MINES FOR WAR ITEMS
Women of Pendleton county can “mine” tin sufficient for 352—1-1/2 ton Army trucks this year.
These figures were compiled by J. A. Stewart, vice-president of the American Can Company, on the basis of canned foods consumed by civilians in the county during 1943. On the basis of last year’s consumption, civilians will open 881,604 cans of food this year. According to a table recently issued by Washington, 2,500 cans provide tin sufficient for one 1-1/2 ton Army truck.
Meanwhile, the armed forces consumed approximately three billion cans of food during 1943 and needs for the current year are expected to rise to three and a quarter billion cans, Mr. Stewart said. He pointed out that with a greatly increased number of the armed forces in overseas duty, more canned foods will be needed because the can has proved the most practical container for the shipment of foods abroad.
PAPER SHELL PECANS IN STATE
CHARLESTON, W. Va.—From Joe Cox of Weston, the Forestry Division of the Conservation Commission has received a picture of a large paper shell pecan tree that is growing about five miles outside of Weston. The tree was brought to West Virginia as a seedling from Missouri about 70 years ago, according to Cox, “and since then, has seldom failed to produce good crops.” The tree apparently is 30 or 40 feet tall.
State Forester D. B. Bonebrake said that he plans to obtain some of the nuts and to have them planted at the State Tree Nursery at Lesage, in an effort to raise seedlings for distribution. West Virginia, he explained, is out of the normal range of this species of tree, and only a few are known to be growing in the state. There it is suggested, the tree may have developed cold resistant qualities that will enable its offsprings to thrive in this climate and give West Virginia another valuable nut tree.
FRANKLIN HI LIGHTS
6th War Loan
Our school is going to help in the Sixth War Loan by making an effort to earn the right to fly the Schools-at-War flag. When 90 per cent of our students participate regularly in the Savings Program we can fly the white and blue Schools-at-War flag right under the Stars and Stripes.
