Echoes of the Past is a collection of historical articles curated from The West Virginia News, The Greenbrier Independent, White Sulphur Star and other publications archived since 1852. You may be exposed to content that you find offensive or objectionable. For historical accuracy, articles are reprinted in their original form and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the publisher.
1923 – 100 Years Ago
May Cause Cancer
Cosmetics may easily be the primary cause of cancer, according to Sir Lenthal Cheatle, an eminent British surgeon. “Powders and soaps are especially dangerous,” he says, “as they are apt to stick and make their way into the glands of the skin and then set up trouble which might easily become cancer.”
The Freeze of ‘59
W.H. Neal of Lockwood dropped into the Nicholas Chronicle office last week and remarked, “In the year 1859 our corn was boot high on June 5, and the next morning the ground was white with frost. The corn we clipped off at the stop (his word) of the ground lived and matured, and what we did not clip off died and had to be replanted.” Mr. Neal was born in 1840 and was 19 years old when this frost occurred. He is 82 years old and hearty for a man of his age.
Amateur Burglars
Thieves robbed two local stores, the White Sulphur meat market and B. F. Dixon’s pool room. Entrance to the stores was gained by forcing the front doors with an axe. Very little was taken in either place. The robbery was the work of local talent in the opinion of the authorities. It is thought that the thieves will never take a gold medal for safe cracking as a few scars on the outside of the meat market safe showed them to be rank amateurs when it comes to “jimmying” a strong box.
1948 – 75 Years Ago
Ran Stob Through Body
Billy Diehl, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. M.D. Diehl of Charmco, was brought to the Greenbrier Valley Hospital last week and treated for an unusual injury. He was thrown from his bicycle, landing on a stob (their word) with such force that the stob ran entirely through his body, missing his liver by a fraction of an inch. He is up and making a satisfactory recovery.
Catholics Protect Attacks
Roman Catholic dignities said Saturday they had sent a protest to the Vatican that Jews consistently failed to respect holy places in the war in Jerusalem, while Arabs kept their word in this regard. The telegram said Jewish attacks in the Holy City were “for the purpose of occupying it and with the announced purpose to plunder it as they had done in Haifa, Tiberias and Jaffa.”
Lettuce New York Bound
Cauliflower and head lettuce grown in the famed Canaan Valley of Tucker County will soon be New York bound. Growers have decided to expand their acreage so shipments in carload lots can be made. The production of cauliflower, head lettuce and other cool season crops in Canaan Valley is the outgrowth of several years of experimental work under the direction of the Agricultural Extension Service of West Virginia University.
1973 – 50 Years Ago
Watergate Report
Rejecting Spiro Agnew’s view that it was likely “to muddy the waters of justice,” the Senate Watergate Committee prepared to extend its probe of the century’s greatest political scandal by grilling one of President Nixon’s chief campaign aides.
White House Economist Urges Gas Price Hike
A former White House economist says the nation’s energy shortage could be eased if gasoline prices were jacked up high that indiscriminate use of automobiles would be discouraged. An Apollo astronaut says the country should try to harness the sun’s power to solve its fuel crisis. And in Washington, where some government buildings dimmed lights Tuesday, the White House announced President Nixon will soon announce the creation of a new Cabinet-level “Department of Energy and Natural Resources.”
Officials Fear Food Shortage
An energy shortage could turn into food shortage unless farmers get enough fuel during the summer to harvest their crops, farm organizations warned Congress. In Georgia, state police were told to conserve gasoline by curtailing cruising and use of car air conditioners.
1998 – 25 Years Ago
Lions Club to Stage 19th Annual Antique Show & Sale
It’s time once again for the annual Lewisburg Lions Antique Show and sale at the state fairgrounds in Fairlea. The show began in 1980 and has grown in both size and popularity ever since. This year 35 select antique dealers from 12 states will exhibit and sell fine antiques in the West Virginia Building.
Greenbrier East Journalism Students Win State Awards
Maxanna Bennett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Farren and the late Max Bennett, earned first place in the West Virginia High School Journalism finals competition in Morgantown as a representative of Greenbrier East High School. Bennett is a junior at GEHS and has been a member of the staff of The Spartan Shield, the school newspaper.
American Heart Walk Steps Off Saturday
Saturday, June 13, is the date for the American Heart Association walk on the fitness trail behind the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Over 40 teams of walkers are accepting donations from sponsors and getting ready for an event that ideally suits an organization that works so hard to encourage people to exercise as part of the heart-healthy lifestyle.
DOH Revokes State Permits for Richlands Billboard
Last week, the West Virginia Division of Highways revoked building permits that had been issued to a company in 1994 for the construction of a billboard sign in the Richlands area where U. S. Route 60 and Interstate 64 intersect. Drema Cyrus, acting executive director of the county planning commission, explained that the area where the company wants to place the sign is currently zoned as open space/conservation, and would have to be rezoned commercial in order for the sign to be a permitted usage.
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