1924– 100 Years Ago
Among The Moonshiners
After traveling on foot for more than 35 miles in the Flat Top Mouintain that divides Raleigh, Wyoming and Mercer Counties, Sergeant Frank Gibson of company C State Police led a party of troopers, deputy sheriffs, and prohibition officers to one of the largest stills landed in this section in some time. Three alleged moonshiners were caught redhanded. In addition to the still, which had a capacity of 120 gallons, the raiders destroyed 3,000 gallons of mash, 16 gallons of whiskey, eight one-dozen cases of half gallon jars, 25 gallon buckets of syrup, eight dozen packages of yeast, and large quantities of still paraphernalia.
KKK Lost Out
Sympathizers with the Ku Klux Klan suffered an overwhelming defeat at the miners convention at Indianapolis when they failed in their attempt to amend the constitution of the United Mine Workers of America, which bars Klansmen from membership. Even the members on the constitution committee who favored the amendment denounced the Klan unsparingly, and in the convention of 1,900 delegates the hooded order found no man who would take the floor and defend it.
Rainelle High School Notes
Next week is “Good English Week” in Rainelle High School. The students are beginning to practice now, to steer clear of the awful “ant” and “doneit” expressions, so as to be able next week to speak like W. J. Bryan, or the ancient William Shakespeare. This week will close with a program in which the students will banish “Bad English” forever from Rainelle High School.
1949 – 75 Years Ago
Mail Delivery
Most of the equipment and supplies for the starting of the mail delivery for Lewisburg has arrived at the Lewisburg Post Office. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have started delivering the official house numbers to all residents of Lewisburg, these numbers have been officially designated by the post authorities and the town officials. Also, the Scouts are selling mail receptacles to those who want them.
Bette Davis Gets Taxation
Actress Bette Davis copped the tax collector’s Oscar as the highest-paid woman of the year. The throaty-voiced Miss Davis collected $328,000 from Warner Brothers Studios. She bumped into second place the shapely Betty Grable. Miss Grable drew $299,333 at 20th Century Fox. Both were eclipsed by Hollywood’s toughest film citizen, Humphrey Bogart, who earned more than anyone on the acting side of the movie business. Bogart got $467,361 for demonstrating on the behalf of Warner Brothers that crime doesn’t pay.
“Gone With The Wind”
“Gone With The Wind,” Margaret Mitchell’s big novel of the Civil War, loomed as the greatest best-seller of history, with the exception of the Bible. A survey by Harper’s magazine disclosed that nearly six million copies have been sold since the book’s publication more than a decade ago. More than 3,800,000 copies have been sold in the United States, while the remainder have been purchased in translations abroad.
1974– 50 Years Ago
Kissinger Faces Toughest Task
Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s trip to the Middle East next week to try to get Israel and Syria to begin military disengagement talks present the globe-trotting diplomat with his toughest task so far in that area. The Kissinger mission also is expected to speed the day when the Arabs lift their embargo against of the shipment of oil to the United States.
Governor Imposes Gasoline Restrictions
Gov. Arch Moore has placed restrictions on the sale of gasoline in West Virginia to help eliminate long waiting lines at service stations and stop panic buying. Moore issued a two-part executive order which stipulated no one would be permitted to buy gasoline anywhere in the state unless his fuel gauge showed his tank was three-quarters empty or less.
Group Working On Security Plan For Evidence
The Constitution says a president “shall take care to see that the laws be faithfully executed.” But what if he fails to “take care”? Can he be impeached, tried by the Senate and thrown from office for such negligence? A staff report which answer the questions with a resounding “yes” appears to have driven a partisan wedge through the House Judiciary Committee as it inquires into whether grounds exist for President Nixon to be impeached.
1999– 25 Years Ago
Recommendations Stem From City’s Geology Study
During Lewisburg’s City Council meeting, City Administrator Morse Reese announced that the final report concerning the geology study has been completed. “It is a tremendous management tool for us, “ he stated. Resse said now that the study has been completed, the city must take the next step in addressing issues pertaining to water drainage. He suggested that the city appoint a committee including himself, a member of the planning commission, Director of Public Works Herb Montgomery, a city council member and a citizen-at-large, to research and develop an additional chapter to the city’s zoning ordinance dealing with water-related issues.
Local Man Co-Authors Drama About Black History In U.S.
Larry Baxter, in cooperation with John Wesley Methodist Church and Greenbrier Valley Theatre, will present The Long Road To Freedom, an original script written by Baxter and Bob Jones. This historical drama presented a selected overview of Black history in the United States from the early 1800s to the present.
Benedict To Give Reading At Hollins
Associate professor of English Pickney Benedict will give a reading of his work at Hollins College. Benedict, a native of Greenbrier County, received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1986 (magna cum laude) and his masters of fine arts degree from the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1988. He has written three books “Town Smokes,” “The Wrecking Yard,” and “Dogs of God” – all of which were named Notable Books by the New York Times Book Review. Benedict is the recipient of several awards, including the Chicago Tribune’s Nelson Algren Award, the Pushcart Prize, and the PEN/Syndicated Fiction Prize.
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