10 Years Ago
Week of February 7, 2013
“Children and Fire”
From the State
Fire Marshal’s Office
“The single most important step in protecting children from fire is adults taking responsibility for their own actions,” said State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis, Jr. “In the majority of fires set by children, there are adults involved who failed to supervise their children, failed to keep matches and lighters out of reach, or otherwise failed to set a good example in terms of fire safety.”
20 Years Ago
Week of January 30, 2003
SUGAR GROVE
Indian Style–
Place Tobacco Leaf
In Cheek and
Kick the Habit
With all of the talk about cancer being caused by smoking, people have become very conscious of smoking or quitting smoking. Of course, tobacco is strictly American. The Indians were the first to cultivate and smoke tobacco. The colonial settlers learned to smoke from the Indians. Thus, everyone who smoked grew his or her own tobacco.
Quitting smoking was never considered a problem for the Indians. They would take a piece of the tobacco leaf, about the size of a dime and place it on the inside cheek of the mouth. The tobacco flavor was never spit out—it was just left. Once the flavoring had completely left, the tobacco was removed and a new one put in the mouth. Before meals, it was important to remove this tiny piece and put in a new piece after meals. After a week to 10 days of this habit, all desire to smoke has disappeared. The pieces of leaves in the mouth build up a distinct distaste for tobacco within a week to 10-day period of time. Small pieces of cigarette or pipe tobacco has the same effect. Putting these small bits of tobacco leaves in the mouth is non-habit forming. This ancient method was learned from the Indians, as were so many others, such as maple syrup and sassafras tea, to name a few.
Week of February 6, 2003
Mountain Hospice Could Serve Pendleton County
Mountain Hospice began as Hospice of Barbour County by a group of active motivated volunteers who had the desire to reach out to patients and families in need of support during the course of a life limiting illness.
The agency has served Barbour, Randolph and Tucker counties for several years, and has offices in those counties. In 2002, Mountain Hospice was granted certificates of need for Pendleton, Pocahontas, Grant and Lewis counties. Mountain Hospice is in need of volunteers in all areas.
30 Years Ago
Week of February 11, 1993
SUGAR GROVE
Country Waving
Shows Friendship
Valentine’s Day is upon us, so perhaps we could look at the art of “country waving” to show kindness to those we meet. Winter waving is almost the same as summer waving. It is a direct way of being friendly and saying “hello” from a distance. Living in the country makes waving seem simple but then sometimes one doesn’t know exactly which type of wave is appropriate. So one can imagine the stress a newcomer to the country experiences when they are not aware of the accepted set of country rules for waving. So, for this week, let’s look first of all to the waving from a vehicle. Waving from a vehicle to another person in a vehicle or out in the field is simply a “country act.” Perhaps this can be tried in the city, but it just doesn’t seem to mean as much as in the country—besides, it’s a different kind of wave. So, for this Valentine’s Day, let’s try the country wave, whether in or out of a vehicle.
40 Years Ago
Week of February 3, 1983
More West Virginia
Farmers Own
Their Own Land
Than National Average
Agricultural statistics for West Virginia outline an industry of 20,532 farms with a high percentage of operator-owners, farmers who are a little older than the norm, and a higher than average proportion of women, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau.
The Census of Agriculture for West Virginia shows:
- That 77 percent of the farmers, 15,737 in all, own all the land they work, in contrast with the U.S. average of 59 percent.
- Some 3,681 are part owners—farmers who both own and rent land—and 1,114 are tenants.
- The average farmer is 53 years of age, older than the national counterpart averaging 50.1 years.
- Twenty-four percent are over 65 and 11 percent under 35 years of age.
- Eight percent, 1,557 farm operators are women, compared with the U.S. average of five percent.
The West Virginia farm operator’s status is reflected in a review of data from the Census of Agriculture for 1978. The analysis offers a perspective in farmer characteristics, products and sales.
For statistical purposes, a farm is defined as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold or normally would have been sold during the census year.
50 Years Ago
Week of February 1, 1973
Club Collecting
Used Eye Glasses
For Needy Persons
It is likely that most people who wear eye glasses have some used discarded glasses on hand as a result of new prescriptions.
The Franklin Lions Club has undertaken the sponsorship of a county-wide appeal and solicitation of such discarded glasses on behalf of “New Eyes for the Needy,” a voluntary organization which provides glasses for needy patients to whom no other private or public funds are available. Glasses are provided for carefully selected needy patients in every state in this country as well as many countries of the free world.
What does New Eyes ask for? Not money—it solicits metal frames in any condition, unbroken plastic frames with lenses, soft cases, hearing aids and precious metal scrap such as old watches, any real costume or antique jewelry (even bits and pieces such as one cuff link, a single earring or a broken chain), dentures with bits of gold, silverware, etc. Unfortunately, they cannot use loose lenses or hard cases.
Metal framed glasses and metal scrap are sold to a refinery and redeemed cash is used to purchase new prescription glasses and artificial eyes for the needy in the United States.
This solicitation will be conducted from February 1 through April 30 and special receptacles have been provided at the business places named below and are labeled “New Eyes for the Needy.”
Collection points: Raines Store, Riverton; Brandywine Restaurant, Brandywine; and Pendleton County Bank, Franklin.
Week of February 8, 1973
Nature Catches
12-Year-Old Tom
Howard Shumate, Fork Creek Hunting and Fishing Area manager, found a dead tagged gobbler last December. Upon investigation of the tag number, it was discovered that the gobbler lived 12 years before succumbing to nature. Further investigation indicated that it was trapped in Watoga State Park on November 24, 1960, and released on Fork Creek Hunting and Fishing Area (Boone County) in an attempt to reestablish a turkey flock in southern West Virginia.
The previous longevity recorded for a wild turkey gobbler was eight years, which had also been trapped on Watoga State Park in Pocahontas County and released in southern West Virginia.
Wildlife biologist James Pack said, “We think many more of our turkeys live several years, but we just don’t hear about them. After a wild turkey reaches maturity, it gets wise and is less vulnerable to hunters and predators.”
60 Years Ago
Week of February 14, 1963
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.
‘Copperhead’ Groups Organize In North
The newspapers in Richmond came out with extras 100 years ago this week with what sounded like a sensational story.
John B. Jones, a clerk in the Confederate War Office in Richmond, wrote about the story in his diary. A “reliable gentleman” who had just run the blockade, Jones wrote, had reported that Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois have resolved to meet in convention at Frankfort, Ky., for the purpose of seceding from the United States, and setting up a confederacy for themselves, or joining the Southern Confederacy.
Then Jones added: “I fear the ‘reliable gentleman’ is not to be relied upon.”
The “reliable gentleman,” indeed, was not to be relied upon, but his grossly exaggerated story did have just a grain of truth. Sentiment in the North against the Civil War and in sympathy with the Southern Confederacy had grown significantly during the dark winter of 1862-63, and thousands of Northerners favored ending the war.
Together, these Northerners who opposed the war had gained the nickname, “Copperheads.” Gradually, the term was being applied loosely to all Democrats who tended to oppose President Lincoln.
Among the foremost “Copperheads,” were members of The Order of American Knights, a group which gave the “reliable gentleman,” the basis of his story. The Knights had a secret military department sworn to establishing a Northwest Confederacy allied with the South.
There were other “Copperhead” groups too. The Knights of the Golden Rule, organized before the war, had become an anti-war movement and its local “castles,” or cells, rapidly were merging with The Order of American Knights. “Copperheads” also found friends in The Sons of Liberty, the Circle of Hosts and the Union Relief Society. Many “Copperhead” organizations encouraged soldiers to desert or discouraged men from enlisting.
There were other “Copperhead” activities. The Chicago “Times” seldom missed a chance to lambast Lincoln and discourage prosecution of the war. New York’s newly-elected governor, Horatio Seymour, claimed the war could have been averted by compromise and called the Emancipation Proclamation unconstitutional. Similar sentiments were expressed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont and throughout the Midwest.
But most importantly, the “Copperheads” found a national leader. He was Clement L. Vallandigham of Ohio, eloquent speaker, lawyer and Representative in the U.S. Congress. A speech Vallandigham made in January, in his last days as a Congressman, was still being quoted:
“Defeat, debt, taxation, sepulchres, these are your trophies,” he told the Northern Congressmen. “In vain the people gave you treasure, and the soldier yielded up his life…The war for the Union is, in your hands, a most bloody and costly failure…You have not conquered the South. You never will…
“Ought this war to continue? I answer no—not a day, not an hour.”
Next week: River fighting.
70 Years Ago
Week of February 5, 1953
DAHMER
Only two men are living today who fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. They are James A. Hard, 111 years of age, of Rochester, N. Y., and Albert Woolson, 105, of Duluth, Minn., says the Grit.
Week of February 12, 1953
MEN FOUND IN CAVE
Two Washington Boys Rescued From
Trout Rock Cave After
Three-Day Nightmare Without Food Or Sleep
Two Washington men suffering from hunger and cold after 69 hours in the black depths of the Trout Rock Cave south of Franklin were brought to safety Saturday morning by a rescue party. Rescuers found the pair who “had given themselves up for dead” about 400 yards inside the cave.
Harry C. Breeden, Jr., 29, and his companion, Kenneth Sterner, 19, had entered the cave Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and became lost after the batteries burned out in their 2-cell flashlight.
Newspapers all over the country carried the story and there were as many conflicting reports as there were newspapers.
