Thursday,
February 13, 1913
I read a story in your paper about the man finding the silk hat in the road; picking up the hat he found a man under it; helping the man from the mud, he was asked to kindly help him get his mule from the same mud hole. Mr. Editor, that was a bad mud hole, and that story reminds me of the two Irishmen who went into the woods to hunt. They treed a wildcat, and Pat said to Mike, “Begorra and Mike, you climb the tree and shake the cat down and I’ll catch him.” Orders were obeyed; Mike climbed the tree and shook the cat to the ground, and Pat was there ready for battle and landed on him. Mike who was yet up in the tree called down to Pat saying, “Do you want me to come down and help to hold him, Pat?”
“No,” was the reply, “But faith and be jabers, come down and help me get loose.”

FIRES
The east side of Cass again suffered heavy loss by fires this morning. At an early hour, fire was discovered in the third story of J.H. Griffith’s boarding house and restaurant building. It soon spread to the nearby dwelling and barber shop of J. W. Carpenter and then on to the large store of Max Curry. By hard fighting the fires was prevented from crossing the street.

The cab of a freight engine burned up at Cass Friday morning. The watchman had gone to a nearby house to get warm. The night being very cold, and while he was away the woodwork of the locomotive caught fire.

Two double houses belonging to the Warn Lumber Company were burned last Thursday morning. The fire was discovered by the night watchman and had started in some way unknown in an unoccupied section of a house. The family occupying the other side were at breakfast, and before they were alarmed the house was nearly ready to fall in. A small child was in the front of the house and was saved from being burned with great difficulty. An adjoining house was also burned.

ELK ESCAPE
Not a little excitement was caused Sunday by the announcement that the herd of fifty young wild elk had escaped from the enclosure of the Allegheny Sportsmen’s Association. The next morning bands of elk were reported from Watoga to Cloverlick. These reports were false, having been prompted by a perverted sense of humor. The truth of the matter was that the elk had found a weak place in the fence and had been going out for several days before discovered. They are being easily recaptured by placing feed in the enclosure, to which they return each night. They have never wandered far from the enclosure containing the herd of old elk.

TYPHOID
There is an epidemic of typhoid fever at Kidd’s mill below Beard. There are about a dozen cases and the school house has been fixed up as a hospital. The cause was traced to a spring, which has been filled up.

HUNTERSVILLE

Cold weather and talking of the building of a railroad here seems to be the news of today.

Miss Verna McLaughlin attended the literary society here Friday night.

The Huntersville Literary Society here is one of the best in the county. A program of special interest was rendered here last Friday night… Current events given by L.C. McComb was as usual, well taken. This gives us the humorous side, as well as the epic and lyrical. This brought the programme to the debate: Resolved: That America’s shame exceeds her glory, which was very ably and thoroughly discussed by G. C. Poling and M. B. Herold on the affirmative and Rev. O. P. McNeil and C. Caynor on the negative. The decision of the judges was unanimous for the affirmative side. This was followed by a painstaking and efficient report of critic pro tem, E. G. Herold. The question for debate next Friday: Resolved: That Lee was a greater general than Grant. To affirm, Maymie Ginger, Lollie McComb. To deny, Kathleen Carey, Jessie McComb. We extend an invitation to the public to attend.

LAUREL CREEK

The Supply train on the Campbell line was wrecked last Thursday and did not get back to Campbelltown until Friday evening.

John Galford purchased a good team of horses from W. McClintic at Buckeye, last week.

F. M. White found a dog trying to kill a sheep, and when his trusty shotgun was fired, the dog stopped and the sheep was free.

Mrs. Lizzie Gay and Miss Grace Waugh, of Marlinton, were visiting in this part last week. They also went to Camp 4 to visit relatives.

ARBOVALE

Pretty good groundhog weather for the first week, and it looks like we might have plenty of feeding to do yet.

While playing wolf at Pine Grove school one day last week, a little girl of Mr. Warren’s came very near dying from over exertion. Children should be careful not to run too much.

Joe Burns got the side of his face badly cut by falling on the frozen ground.

Andy Nicholas is building a cellar and granary. He says digging in the ground after potatoes, et. is not nice work this cold weather.

Mrs. Flynn came very near being drowned the other day as she was crossing a creek the ice gave away and her horse plunged with her and the saddle turned.

A young lady school teacher got scared almost to death a few nights ago, thinking she heard a burglar trying to get in the kitchen, but it was a false alarm.

STONY CREEK

We are having fine February weather.

W. W. Beverage was called to Buckeye Wednesday on account of the illness of his hephew, Emory Rogers, who will be taken to a hospital.

Miss Ida Beverage is staying with Mrs. W. J. Gilmore, who has been on the sick list for some time.

The taffy stew at Howard Meeks’ Saturday night was enjoyed by all who were present.

WANLESS

Heavy sleet Monday night; the whistle pig is causing no extremely bad weather.

A timber man was looking over the Arbogast tract last week and taking options on other timber. This looks good, but woe unto the roads.
Feed is plentiful; stock is scarce and sold.

William Barnett is putting out some fine locust timber for the Hardwood Co. at Stony Bottom.

DUNMORE

Then we had a little cold weather.

Harry M. Taylor left Tuesday for Texas, to see his brother, Jake, who is reported quite sick, and will bring him back to West Virginia if he is able to come.

Capt. C. B. Swecker has taken up the matter to get a R. F. D. mail route from Dunmore to Frost and around by Thorny Creek school house. This route is badly needed.

MONTANI SEMPER LIBERI
O, West Virginia; stern and wild,
Meet nurse for the heroic child!
Land of green fields and shaggy wood,
Land of the mountain and the flood,
Home of my sires, what mortal hand,
Can e’er untie the filial band
Which knits me to that rugged land.