10 Years Ago
Week of July 30, 2015
Library Marks 10 Years Of Summer Reading Fun
The summer reading program began in 2005 in an effort to alleviate what is commonly known to educators as “the summer slide.” The term refers to the decrease in reading proficiency that students experience during the months when school is not in session. Students are affected by this loss due to lack of reading and exposure to a structured learning environment.
The summer reading program continues to grow in popularity each year. This year nearly 120 children and adults actively participated in activities at the three locations.
The program at the library was expanded in 2011 to include programs at Brandywine Elementary School and North Fork Elementary School.
20 Years Ago
Week of July 28, 2005
SUGAR GROVE
The Peaceful Porch Is an Oasis On Sweltering Summer Days
After leaving the country, one can clearly hear the “creeea…k, creeea…k” of the porch swing at the farmhouse. Most everyone loved going out on the front porch on a summer evening. Long before air conditioning became common, it was an oasis from a sweltering day. Porches were windows of the world. They made the house breathe. Actually, porches were the place of momentous spots of family time. Toddlers practiced their first shaky steps on the floor under the watchful eyes of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. “Careful, don’t let the baby get close to the edge!” After the chores were completed and supper eaten, everyone would head to that peaceful porch. The swing would be the first choice of furniture. Others would join and crowd in to swing faster and faster, back and forth. The setting sun shimmered as it danced through the leaves. Insects would serenade orchestras, hummingbirds would dart, bullfrogs croaked their resonating cry and the lightning bugs set their lanterns aglow. “Creeea…k, creeea…k” the swing moaned as the days’ chores and community events were shared. There were many on the concern’s list and discussions led to how to be a good neighbor to them. Oftentimes the infirmed were visited, called on or a card sent to them. Songs were sung, nursery rhymes recited, stories told, peas shelled, beans snapped with laughter to go around.
That peaceful feeling on the porch was drunk in by all. “Creeea…k, creeea…k” the swing would moan once more before retirement. In a matter of hours, there would be another sweltering day.
30 Years Ago
Week of July 27, 1995
Ground Broken for Franklin Ruritan Club
A ground breaking ceremony was held recently by the Franklin Ruritan Club at the site of their proposed new club house on the Propst Gap Road south of Franklin. The 42×100 foot facility will be suitable for use for meetings, picnics, auctions, etc. Participating in the ceremony were Sherman Lambert, secretary; Dale Kile, director and building designer; Earl Junior Kimble, Jim Waybright, vice president, Green Hedrick, Otis Harper, director, and Carroll Kile, president.
60 Years Ago
Week of August 5, 1965
Fishermen Land 12 Copperheads
All fish stories are not about fish that got away.
Some fish stories are about snakes that didn’t get away. Here’s one of them.
Quintin Barrett, 46, principal of a school at Whitesville in Boone County, and Bill Montgomery, 35, coach of a school at Sundial in Raleigh County, were bass fishing last Saturday in the South Fork River north of Fort Seybert.
Barrett dropped one of his lizards which he was using for bait, and when he finally caught up with it and was about to pick it up, he was terrified to find that he had a snake instead of a lizard.
Dropped to the ground, the frightened serpent slithered into a nearby crevice in a ledge of rocks. Barrett, now too nervous to bait his hook, decided to poke the snake out of the crevice.
Taking a long pole, he started poking, and out came not one, but 12 or them—all copperheads.
After a busy half hour, Barrett and Montgomery started for home, their creel filled to the brim—not with succulent small mouth bass, but with 12 scaly copperheads—just to prove it wasn’t another fish story.
70 Years Ago
Week of July 28, 1955
44 Pints of Blood Given H. Mitchell
Hugh Mitchell of Sugar Grove, who has been critically ill in University Hospital, Charlottesville, has received what is believed to be a record amount of transfusions of blood during his illness. He had received 44 pints as of Monday evening, most of which had been given during the past week. Fifteen pints were administered to him last Friday.
Mr. Mitchell cut an artery in his leg above his knee while repairing bee hives at his home on May 30. It was dressed the same day at the hospital in Harrisonburg, and when it became worse he entered the Harrisonburg hospital June 9 for treatment where he remained 4 weeks before being transferred to Charlottesville. Blood clots which had formed were removed at Charlottesville.
A total of 50 pints of blood have been donated for Mr. Mitchell by local residents, most of whom are from the Sugar Grove section. Forty-five pints were donated Sunday by persons who went to Charlottesville for that purpose.
Mr. Mitchell’s condition is reported to be improved somewhat at this time.
Week of August 4, 1955
‘Butch’ Eye Is Big Strawberry Dealer
Howard “Butch” Eye, 4-H club member from Deer Run, has picked 1,506 quarts of strawberries off his 1/8 acre of land this season. This is Howard’s second year in club work. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Eye.
There were 950 plants set out on his 1/8 acre plot of land which brought in a nice little nest egg for Butch. Each plant produced on the average of 1.7 quarts per plant. He now has three $100 bonds saved for his college days, went shopping for some new clothes, and to top off his spending spree, he bought a bright new fishing rod (which Pop didn’t approve). So you see 4-H’ers what you can do with a 4-H project.
Next year Butch plans to set out 1,000 more virus-free Catskill plants to add to his strawberry patch. He also has a feeder calf as another project this year.
Many of the 4-H members carrying strawberries for a project are interested in berries for fresh consumption and for freezing. The surplus is then sold on roadside stands, to neighbors, or to a local grocery store.
Any boy or girl with some available land and plenty of ambition can carry a strawberry project and make it pay. How about coming to the County Extension Office for added information on growing strawberries.
DAVY CROCKETT ESCAPES HEAT
Davy Crockett, who has been chased all over the country by hero worshippers, turned up in Pendleton County.
Estyl Lambert said yesterday that Davy was found sitting in the Seneca Caverns on a ledge atop of Niagara Falls.
“I’m not surprised,” Lambert said, “Where else could he find 58 degree temperature in this kind of weather? Davy Crockett is a smart man.”
What actually happened, Lambert explained, is that a large stalagmite approximately 1200 yards from the entrance of the caverns closely resembles Davy Crockett wearing his coon skin cap, and we named it Davy Crockett much to the delight of all the young cave explorers.
DAHMER
Buckwheat
A few years ago a field of buckwheat was as common as corn, oats, barley and wheat. At that time the demand for buckwheat for making flour was much greater than it is today.
Buckwheat cakes, tree molasses and sausage were a regular breakfast. Pennsylvania is the leading state in the production and followed by New York, Ohio, Michigan, some counties in West Virginia ranked highly too in production, but not like it once did because other grain crops have proven more profitable.
There are six common varieties or types of buckwheat—Japanese, Calcutta, Common Gray, Silverhull, Australian and Tartary. Most of the buckwheat grown is of the first five varieties which are suitable for milling purposes and the most widely grown. The Japanese variety makes a better and bigger yield to the acre than the other five mentioned. Tartary is only used for feeding purposes.
Buckwheat is more resistant or tolerant to soil acidity than any other grain crops. Lime and fertilizer can be used to make the crop more profitable.
Once in Pendleton County the buckwheat trade was very profitable, but now in some localities it as dropped almost out of existence or not grown at all. We will mention a few families who were expert growers, whom we knew—John Pitsenbarger and family, William Propst and family, Henry Sinnett, Jr. and family, and Sylvester Simmons and family and scores of others not mentioned.
The time mentioned tractors were unknown to the farmers here. The land was plowed and harrowed with horsepower and the seed usually broadcast or sown by hand. Of course a few farmers had drills. When ripe it was cut with a grain cradle, threshed with the old time flail—that is the grains of buckwheat were beaten from the straw, and the chaff was separated from the grain by the use of the family mill.
Two mills famously known for the manufacture of buckwheat flour were McCoy’s Mill at the mouth of the Black Thorn and Kiser’s Mill at Sugar Grove.
Farmers often took their buckwheat flour to the Valley of Virginia and exchanged it for wheat flour or cash in hand was often paid for this valuable product. —John Dahmer
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Local Taxi Driver Is Proud of Tires
Editor, the Times:
So many people have asked me in the last number of months about the tires that I use that I have decided to take this method of telling everyone the whole story.
In May of 1953, I bought five used Goodyear Double Eagle tire casings that had approximately 20,000 miles wear on them. I had these tires recapped and put them on a 1953 Studebaker and then drove the Studebaker 121,000 miles. I then placed the tires on a 1953 Ford which I have driven 30,000 miles to date. This makes a total of 171,000 miles of wear on the tires. Some of the tires have been recapped six times and the others seven. Most of the recapping was done by the Pendleton Motor Sales, whom I think has done a very fine job.
I still have all five tires, and they are in use both day and night, 365 days a year; and, in all kinds of weather. I can not say how much more wear they will give, but they are still in first class condition and should give many more miles of service. Any one who desires to is welcome to examine the tires for their own satisfaction. They have been so superior to anything else that I have used that there is no comparison.
I am not a tire salesman, nor am I trying to sell tires, but as I stated in the beginning, so many people have asked me about my tire service. I thought I would state the facts about them up to date, for all to see.
Simmons Taxi
A. M. Simmons, Owner
80 Years Ago
Week of July 27, 1945
MOUTH OF SENECA “A Bull Attacks Farmer”
Walter Thompson was attacked recently by a mad bull and injured right badly, sustaining a dislocated shoulder, broken collarbone and other chest and body injuries. The bull is owned by Roy Bowers and was driven off by his son with the aid of a pitch fork when he heard Thompson calling for help, otherwise the result might have been more serious.
This is the first case we ever heard of any one being injured on North Fork in like manner and the second case in county.
The National Stockman always placed special emphasis on “Keep your eye on the Bull.”
Mr. Thompson, who was removed to the hospital for treatment, has sufficiently recovered to come home. Don Bland brought him over last week.
