10 Years Ago
Week of September 15, 2016
SUGAR GROVE
Superstitions Play Key Role In Mountain Heritage
Hillbillies have always been a superstitious lot. Perhaps it is born and bred in them, or possibly brought over by the Irish and German ancestors and mixed with the Native American superstitions. Whatever the case, there seems to be a little in most persons.
Families used to gather around the night’s fire and discuss things that had been seen and heard. Youngsters would get deliciously frightened, but could never get enough of the old tales.
Many mountain superstitions still hold true to this day. For instance, never walk under a ladder for fear of having bad luck! Many folk believe that a bird flying in the house is a premonition of a death in the family.
Another superstition is that death always comes in threes. Notice that when someone in the community dies, there are usually two more deaths quite close — coincidence?
Another common belief is that a hound baying in the night is the sign of an impending death. Another old superstition was that a grave should never be left open overnight.
Many folk today “knock on wood” when they make a hopeful statement. They probably don’t have the least idea that this custom comes from appeasing the spirits who live in the woods. The Druids believed that spirits lived in the trees.
Some of the old sayings bordered on the ridiculous. If someone dropped a wet cloth on the floor, the saying, “someone is coming, all spraddled out” would be made. More than likely company would always follow.
Another quote, “My nose itches, someone’s coming with a hole in their britches.” Some signs are good and helpful, such as the moon signs and signifying when to plant gardens, when to harvest crops, or when to wean calves.
“What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears,” Alice Walker.
“The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses,” Francis Bacon.
“Men become superstitious not because they have too much imagination, but because they are not aware that they have any,” George Santayana.
Many folk will be winding their way to the Treasure Mountain Festival this coming weekend. During leisure conversation, bring up the subject of superstitions and see whether anyone has heard of any or other superstitions. Enjoy the conversation that ensues!
Franklin Town Pool Goes ‘Dawg Wild’
By Joan Ashley
The Franklin Town Pool went “dawg wild” on Monday to benefit Pendleton County animals.
Five years ago, Frisky Lambert, pool director, agreed with Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter to allow the pool “to go to the dogs” as it was being drained for the winter.
Owners brought their leashed pets and towels to enjoy swimming with their dogs for the benefit of PAWS.
30 Years Ago
Week of September 19, 1996
Franklin Moose Cuts Ribbon For New Lodge
September 14, 1996, was a grand day for the 400 plus members of Franklin Moose Lodge #769 as they opened a new lodge on Mill Road next to the power company office.
Construction of the new 6100 square foot lodge began in February, 1996, with the contract for $236,000 being awarded to Tim Sowar and associates. Under the direction of Tim Sowar, the project was kept on track and provided employment for about 15 locals.
The new lodge has superior facilities including a commercial grade kitchen, spacious meeting rooms, enlarged social quarters, a children’s game room, improved lavatories and state-of-the-art temperature control.
Much of the work in moving the facility was performed by local members who deserve great credit for the facility opening on time.
Franklin Moose Lodge #769 is home for Chapter 812, Women of the Moose who play a vital role in lodge activities. The lodge has provided support to many local organizations including the Franklin Fire Department, Boy Scouts, the rescue squad and various charities on a regular basis.
3 Rescued From Brandywine Campground
Three people were rescued from the Brandywine Campground Saturday afternoon, September 7, after raging flood waters washed out roads and fallen trees had trapped them in the campground located in the George Washington National Forest.
Rescued were Dorri Telles, 66, and Edward Gragg, 69, both of St. Marys and Gene Smith, 68, of Harrisonburg, VA.
50 Years Ago
Week of September 16, 1976
F106 Jets To Salute War Dead
F106 jet fighter planes will fly over Franklin in the “Missing Man Formation” Saturday during the Treasure Mountain Festival parade. The planes which will appear here will be from the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Air Defense Command, Langley Air Force Base.
Harpers Ferry Is Fall Scenic Site
If John Brown returned to Harpers Ferry today, the traffic would force him to give up before even staging a raid.
On beautiful fall weekends, the historic West Virginia town is awash with automobiles. An additional 700 acres soon will be added to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, bringing the park area to a total of 2,000 acres and alleviating the traffic problem.
‘Suicidal Fungus’ May Revive Chestnut
Will a “suicidal fungus” revive the American chestnut?
This was a fungus that has all but wiped out the American chestnut, a fungus that hitchhiked into the United States in 1904 with a few imported Japanese chestnut trees.
The fungus first turned up at the New York City Zoological Garden that summer, killing American chestnuts by girdling the trees’ bark and strangling the tiny tubes that conduct water and nutrients from the ground up into the growing tree.
In no time the fungus was sweeping through groves of 100-foot chestnut trees like a forest fire. Nothing could halt the blight, which by 1950 had killed all 9 million acres of American chestnuts. It was America’s worst horticultural tragedy.
Today, here and there a rare chestnut still escapes the disease. Roots of old stumps continually put up new sprouts, but spores of the killer fungus find the small trees before they become more than saplings.
A few years ago two French scientists sent Dr. Jaynes a new strain of the disease. The fungus had leaped the Atlantic in 1938 to infect even the more resistant European chestnuts.
With the strange new strain of the fungus came a cautiously hopeful report. Experiments showed this hypo-virulent strain— “H” for short—didn’t hurt the chestnuts.
But when injected into the bark cankers of a diseased tree, it took over the virulent fungus strain, zapping it of its killing power. Then the tree usually recovered.
Winter winds spread airborne spores. The feet of squirrels and birds spread the sticky spores of summer.
Around 1900 one of every 10 hardwood trees at the sawmill was a chestnut. The wood, a warm yellow that mellowed without wax or any finish, was prized by furniture makers. Chestnut fence posts outlasted the fence builder. Millions of chestnuts became telephone poles and railroad ties.
“The sound of chestnuts falling on the leaves was part of autumn,” recalled an old-timer. “After a good frost you could spot a chestnut tree just by listening.”
DAHMER
The native chestnut sprouts looked promising in Sharp Ridge last year but now are rapidly dying due to the old plague, chestnut blight. In an old winter ledger, during October 1915, chestnuts sold at Franklin for 3 cents, 2-1/2 cents and 1-3/4 cents per pound. On October 5, 1914, John Dahmer sold 72-1/2 pounds of chestnuts at 4 cents per pound and in the same year on October 17, 1914, he sold to David Eye 6 lambs that weighed 497 pounds at 6-1/2 cents per pound.
Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs This Month
September is the time for planting spring flowering bulbs. Spring bulbs are referred to as hardy bulbs since they will survive the winter in the ground.
Spring flowering bulbs are an important source of color and enjoyment to the garden, usually flowering at a time when few other plants are in bloom. An important advantage of these bulbs is that they usually require little care.
To grow spring flowering bulbs successfully, start with mature bulbs that are of good quality and disease free, firm and have an unblemished skin. Purchase bulbs from reliable sources.
Plant them in a proper location. Most bulbs need full sun with at least six hours of sunlight. If bulbs are to be left in the ground for a number of years, the planting site should have eight to 10 hours of sun per day.
Don’t Waste Leaves—Make a Compost Pile
If you’ve never made a compost pile, this is a good year to start one at the end of the growing season.
Leaves are not the only material that can be used. Clean the garden and use the old plant material along with the leaves.
You will also find that it will be much easier to compost the leaves if you first pile them in the garden, wet them down well, and let them lay for a couple of weeks.
60 Years Ago
Week of September 15, 1966
Many Spelunkers Here for Annual Cavers’ Reunion
A total of 318 spelunkers attended the annual Old Timers Reunion in Franklin over the Labor Day weekend. This was the largest group ever to participate in the informal gathering of caving enthusiasts in its 17-year history.
“The Old Timers Reunion” is an annual get-together of spelunkers from throughout the eastern United States, principally from the Washington, Pittsburgh and Richmond areas. Many of them belong to the National Speleological Society.
They gather in Franklin for the long weekend each year to relax, swap caving stories and do a bit of exploring in some of Pendleton County’s 55 caves.
Headquarters for the reunion was The American Legion Home at the old McCoy Mill three miles south of Franklin. The Legion auxiliary served a picnic supper to the group Saturday night and a barbecue chicken banquet Sunday night at Thorn Spring Park.
Cave olympics were held throughout the day Sunday. The group enjoyed swimming in the old mill hole throughout the weekend and dancing at the mill Saturday night.
2-Day Rain Brings Drought Relief
Drought-stricken Pendleton County received relief this week from a two-day rain which began Monday night. A steady shower fell throughout most of Tuesday, Tuesday night and Wednesday.
George W. Hammer, local observer for the U.S. Weather Bureau, said yesterday that a total of 3.42 inches of rain had fallen by noon Wednesday. Hammer said .05 inch of rain fell September 4, bringing the total for the month to 3.47 inches.
1,600 Attend County Fair Saturday
Approximately 1,600 persons attended the Pendleton County Fair Saturday and a colorful grand parade following the coronation ceremony and an eventful riding tournament staged by the South Branch Riders.
70 Years Ago
Week of September 20, 1956
Another New Bridge For Pendleton County
A new, modern, concrete highway bridge was opened to motorists without fanfare last week, bringing to Pendleton County one of the biggest improvements to its road system that has been made in recent years.
Of the latest design, it took over a year to build and it cost over $166,000. The bridge which is 24 feet in width, spans the North Fork River at Judy Gap on the western side of the North Fork Mountain. It replaces a narrow, one-lane bridge which was the last one-lane bridge on Route 33 in the county.
This is one of four modern, concrete bridges on US 33 in Pendleton County. The other three are located at Onego, Franklin and Brandywine. The old bridge has been sold for junk.
