DISCLAIMER: The articles in Echoes of the Past are printed in their entire original form, typos and all.
1923 – 100 Years Ago
Narrow Escape
Lieutenant John Richter of the United State Air Service, a brother of S. J. Richter of White Sulphur Springs, narrowly escape death August 28 while participating in another endurance flight at San Diego, California. The plane in which he was flying fell 800 feet, but recovered within 40 feet of earth. Four air records were broken by Lieut. Richter and Capt. L. H. Smith before they descended. They passed the 5,500 kilometer mark of approximately 3.200 miles. The previous record was 4,000 kilometers.
Land For Soldiers
The Department of the Interior has announced that in the near future 42,700 acres of public land in California and Colorado will be opened for entry with a period of preferential rights available for ex-service men. Under general law, veterans of the World War have preference in making homestead entries on all public lands opened for entry.
Good Luck On Gauley
Gauley fishermen have been having some fine luck this season. The catches have not been so plentiful, but some records have been made in the size of fish caught. A salmon was caught at Swiss which weighed ten pounds after being dressed. Clyde Brown at Gauley Bridge landed the big catfish of the year. It weighed 82 pounds.
Pays Tuition With Dimes
Eighteen-year old Nellie Ross of Mount Gay, Logan County, is dime certain that she is going to get a college education. Before the astonished eyes of Glenville State College Financial Secretary Lloyd M. Jones, Miss Gay plunked down 2,121 dimes for her tuition, board and room and books. She said she had been collecting dimes for years – all
Roosevelt coins – and that her parents had been helping her.
1948 – 75 Years Ago
Fashionable Radicalism
The Roosevelt propaganda machine made radicalism fashionable. The New Deal was like a magnet in attracting Reds and Pinks of every kind and shading. Roosevelt himself was susceptible to any crank idea, just so long as it was novel; so the Communists and their ilk who flooded into the New Deal had a free hand in their plans to make over the country.
Winners At Charleston Fair Include Greenbrier Stock
Fifteen firsts, plus four champions, were won by Greenbrier Stock Farm of Lewisburg in the Black Pole Aberdeen-Angus beef cattle division of the West Virginia Agricultural and Industrial Fair at Dunbar-Charleston. Tuscawilla Farm, also of Lewisburg, got four firsts.
Now A State Fair
The Greenbrier Fair is now known as a State Fair since the state appropriates $9,000 to aid in paying premiums and awards.
1973 – 50 Years Ago
Mitchell, Stans Win Trial Delay
John N. Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans won a last-minute delay in their trial on conspiracy and perjury charges. Mitchell and Stans, the first former Cabinet secretaries to be tried since the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s, are charged with conspiring to influence a fraud investigation of financier Robert L. Vesco. The defense attorneys maintained that because of the Watergate investigation, Mitchell, former attorney general who became President Nixon’s campaign director in 1972 and Stans, former commerce secretary, were not yet able to defend themselves.
Peace Pact Signed To End Laotian War
Government and pro-Communist Pathet Lao negotiators, shaking hands and clicking champagne glasses, signed a peace pact today to end more than 10 years of war in the Kingdom of Laos. Diplomats from the United States, China, North Vietnam and South Vietnam witnessed the brief, five-minute ceremony at the home of Prince Souvanna Phouma, the 72-year-old Laotian prime minister.
Membership Drive Is Kicked-Off
The membership drive for the Greenbrier Valley Arts and Humanities Council will kick off throughout the Greenbrier Valley. Joe and Sue Holt are marshalling their forces and many residents will soon be connected with the effort. The concert series opens October 7 with the Charleston Symphony at Carnegie Hall. Area ladies working on the membership drive’s reception following a free piano concert by Dr. James Taggart are, seated Mrs. Joseph P. Ford, Mrs. Richard W. Ford. Standing are Mrs. Eddie Yarid and Mrs. Julian Masters.
1998 – 25 Years Ago
Confiscated Marijuana Stolen
Approximately $80,000 to $100,000 worth of marijuana being kept under lock and key by the Lewisburg Police Department is missing and presumably back on the streets. According to Chief of Police Tim Stover, the marijuana, which was seized during a drug raid earlier this month, was scheduled to be destroyed on September 11. When officers arrived to pick it up for disposal, it was discovered that the leaves, which had been stripped from the plants, and an additional bundle and bag of the substance were gone.
Citizen Comments Sought On U.S. 219 Bypass
The West Virginia Division of Highways is now conducting three public meetings designed to provide citizens with information concerning the proposed Route 219 bypass alternatives. According to an informational brochure supplied by the WVDOH,” the workshops are being held to familiarize citizens with the project, present alternatives, detail the environmental impact evaluation and design process, and to receive public comments.”
Clothing Shop Opens In Downtown Lewisburg
Continuing the explosion of new businesses in downtown Lewisburg, a new retail clothing store has joined the ranks. Owned by local resident Jane Baldwin, Tinsley Outfitters opened its doors to the public August 8. Charlie Hardiman, former owner of Something Special, the clothing shop which previously occupied the space Tinsley now does, assists Baldwin in operating the store.
