Back

GENERAL NEWS

The decorations were not gorgeous but beautiful. In the drawing room they consisted of yellow chrysanthemums and autumn leaves. Here Mr. and Mrs. ST. CLAIR, their eight sons, Drs. C.T and Wade ST. CLAIR, of Bluefield; and Messrs, John, Frank and Alexander, Jr. of Bluestone; Glenn M. and Roy, of Tazewell; Otis of Welch and Mrs. Mares, the daughter, stood in the receiving line and greeted cordially the hundreds of friends who came to extend their congratulations and enjoy the festive occasion.

The dining room, in which refreshments were served, was decorated with "Sweetheart" roses and smilax. On the dining room table the brides cake was placed as a centerpiece and from the handsome chandelier above streamers of yellow tulle and smilax were suspended over and about the table. the cake was a very large one and came from an artists hands. It was exquisite in design, and the top was decorated with icing in the form of yellow roses.

The hall was banked with roses of various colors. Punch, devoid of kick, was served in the library, the room being decorated with golden rod.

Six daughters-in-law, Mesdames. Charles T., Wade, John, Frank, Glen and Roy ST. CLAIR, received the guests as they entered the front hall; and the following ladies, Mesdames E.P. STRINGFELLOW, of Bluefield; Bowen THOMPSON, W.L. MOORE, R.P. COPENHAVER, T.C. BOWEN, P.D. JOHNSTON, George H. ST. CLAIR, B.W. STRAS, W.A. SCOTT, A.J. MAY, J.D. HARRISSON and C.R. BROWN, Jr. and Miss Maria ST. CLAIR, assisted in receiving and conducting the guests to the several rooms. 

Refreshments were served by Misses Mary MOORE, Georgie PEERY, Mary COULLING, Mae BROWN, Louise JACKSON, Maria ST. CLAIR, a grand daughter, and Mrs. A.P. MCKENRY.

Although the invitation cards requested that no presents were desired, quite a number of handsome gifts made of silver and gold were sent in. Among these presents were a beautiful coffee and tea gold lined sterling silver service, a present from the eight sons and a handsome sterling sliver water set given by the Bank of Clinch Valley, of which Mr. ST. CLAIR is president. There were also numerous gifts of cut flowers, and letters and messages of congratulation. But one of the most highly prized gifts was made to Mr. ST. CLAIR by the bible class which he teaches in the Methodist Sunday School. It is a copy of Clark's Commentaries, six volumes, bound in morocco with the name "ST. CLAIR" embossed in gold on the front cover of each volume.

The bride was handsomely gowned in a dress of black lace made over black satin and she were a corsage of sunburst roses, a present from her grandson, Charles Tiffany ST. CLAIR, Jr. One of the most pleasing features of the occasion was the presentation of a splendid solitaire diamond ring to the bride by the groom, which he placed on the finger where he put the wedding ring fifty years ago. And the bride responded to this courteous act by presenting the bridegroom with a pretty diamond stick pin. 

The golden wedding was not only unusual in many of its features, but was pronounced by all the guests the most enjoyable affairs of its kind they ever attended. Mr. and Mrs. ST. CLAIR "are natives here and to the manner born,". Their forbears came to the Clinch and Bluestone Valley's direct from Ireland, a land of poetry and song, whose people were so imbued with the concord of sweet musical strains that they adopted the harp as their national symbol; a lad whose glories have continued to shine through the centuries, though it has been the hapless victim for several hundred years of cruel Anglo Norman oppression.

The assembled guests of both periods of the reception were typical sons and daughters of Tazewell, and conformed well with the bride and groom in that particular. The affair in a social way was a blending of old with the new, a mingling of the lavish, genial hospitality of fifty years ago, and the ornate and most refined attainments of the present day. Wm. C.P.

BASKET BALL NEWS - T.H.S WINS THIRD VICTORY

The Tazewell boys won their third straight victory here Wednesday, by defeating the Richlands team. The game was fast and snappy and at times a little rough - but nevertheless our boys showed that they were the superior team. KISER and MOSS starred for Tazewell and kept an endless procession of goals rolling into the basket. GILLESPIE, of Tazewell, was knocked out in the first half and lost his chance to display the fine goal shooting which he has been doing for Tazewell. The final score was 26 to 12. The Tazewell girls came to the front Wednesday and won their first game from Richlands. The star of the fame was Miss ELDER, who shot 10 of our goals. Miss KISER also played a good game. Our guards kept it away from the Richlands basket and giving them a chance to shoot only two goals. Score 26 to 4

Miss Margie WALLACE, daughter of Mrs. S.R NASH, of West Graham, and Mr. Beunos TABOR, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward TABOR, of the same place, were married on the 19th inst., in Bristol, the announcement of the marriage just having been made known. The young people will make their home in Graham.

NORTH TAZEWELL

Mr. A.A. BOOTHE is building a house in the annex of North Tazewell.

Miss Launah IRESON, spent the weekend in Bluefield with her friend, Miss Georgia RATCLIFFE. 

Mr. and Mrs. Sam SMITH and children of Abingdon, were the guests of Mrs. H.F. IRESON, Saturday and Sunday.

TROUBLE AGAIN OVER ROADS - Commissioner Coleman Visits Tazewell and Orders Work on Road Stopped - Reason for Discontinuance Not Known. The road business seems to be up in the air at present. Commissioner COLEMAN came to Tazewell last Sunday - yes it was on a Sunday - and dropped a wrench in among the cog wheels, and stopped the work on the road between Burke's Garden siding and North Tazewell, which, as was generally understood, was to be financed by the Board of Supervisors of the County, and reimbursed later by the state, as the apportionment of road money for this work was used up. Whether this is a correct statement of the true condition of things or not, this writer cannot say, as the road people are not over anxious to talk.

One thing is certain, that road from the siding between home of Mrs. Nellie PEERY'S residence and the lime works is all torn to pieces, and impassable almost. The road bed has been narrowed, preparatory, until there isn't room for two vehicles to pass each other. Somebody, some where, at some time, has blundered badly, and split the beans. 

The road force is practically idle at the expense of something like 400 dollars a day. Report has it, that the camp will be idle for 30 days, until the tangle is straightened out.

"HOOCH" RUNNERS - Federal agents A.M. MUTTER and H.D. BRYANT arrested John BILLIPS and William C. JOHNSON last Friday on a charge of moonshining, and brought them to Tazewell where they gave bail for appearances in next court. The men were building a furnace around a kettle, preparatory to making hooch when apprehended by the Federal agents. MUTTER and BRYANT also captured a man by the name of DAY and "John Doe" on Mud Fork last Tuesday. The men were operating a still and are said to be old offenders. In addition to the still the officers destroyed 800 gallons of beer, five gallons of whiskey, and confiscated one high power rifle, one revolver and one horse.

POCAHONTAS IN THE OLDEN DAYS

Immediately upon the resignation of Mr. ILESLEY, as President, Mr. Henry T. WICKMAN was selected by the board of directors of the company to succeed Mr. ILESLEY. This office Mr. WICKMAN continued to hold until about one month before the 4th of July celebration in 1892, when he resigned for the purpose of taking a trip to Europe, and was succeeded by Mr. BROCK, of Philadelphia. Mr. WICKMAN brought with his as successor to Mr. LATHROP one Mr. John I. MUNSON, who had for some time been connected with the H.C. FRICK Co., of Connellsville, Pa. Mr. MUNSON'S term of office with the company as superintendent was very short lived, the men claiming that his domineering traits were very pronounced and very obnoxious to them, and by anonymous notes posted to him notified him that his resignation was in order. He did not stand on the order of his going but went at once, and formally and regularly tendered his resignation to the president of the company after he had reached the city of Philadelphia. When the president became aware of Mr. MUNSON'S departure from the place he came at once to the seat of war to investigate the matter as far as possible, but all the employees wer inclined to be reticent and noncommittal. Therefore no information was gained from them. It was said that some of the most prominent citizens of the place had a hand in it, but this I cannot vouch for I know some of them winked at the scheme. During this little excitement, the municipal authorities strove as far as they were able to prevent any assembling in numbers of the men, but that means trusting to keep down any undue excitement.

I am informed that one funny incident transpired which is worth repeating, which created considerable mirth at one time. Mr. MUNSON, when he came down to take charge as superintendent brought with him from Connellaville one of his pets (pots??), whose name I have forgotten, and installed him as fire boss, thereby misplacing others who were entitled to the promotion and had been a greater length of time with the company and just as capable in every respect, if not more so. This act grated severely on the men's knowledge of right and justice and more especially on their sensibilities. And with one determination they resolved that this fire boss must go, as had gone the superintendent. When the supt. had received his notice he did not wait for the train but immediately started on horseback for Graham, then a small town east of Pocahontas. In the afternoon of the day of notification under the escort of one trusted lieutenant, about 11 o'clock pm of the same day, when this fire boss when to the mine to perform his accustomed duties he was grabbed in one of the entries by a number of masked miners, with drawn revolvers and ordered to leave on the passenger train next day or suffer death. Bright and early the following morning he presented himself to the cashier's desk with the request that all wages due him be paid at one, and after explaining his excuse for making this demand he was promptly paid and as it happened took the same train for the east that the superintendent boarded at Graham. When this official stepped in the car the first person he recognized was his pet and sauntering up to him with a careless air remarked "Where in the h___ are you going?" He received in reply the following answer. "Where in the h____ are you going? and as companions in the same craft they condoled fully with each other, I presume. There was another instance about this time of the enforced departure of one of the company's employees, to which we may or may not refer later. We are indebted to the Richlands News of July 4, 1892 for this story. J.M.N.

A quiet wedding was solemnized Sunday, September, 25 at 3:35 in the Beckly parsonage, when Miss Elizabeth J. YOST and Mr. Harvey D. PLUMMER were united in marriage. Rev. Mr. LINERYEARER officiated. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. YOST, of this town. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert PLUMMER, of Kentucky. The bride is well known in this town, having held the position of saleslady in Fuller Brother Store. Mr. PLUMMER is connected with the Leckle Fire Creek Coal Co.

S.N. HUFFORD, Graham angler, believes that he has won the big fish prize in Tazewell County said to have been offered by Mr. POBST, the Tazewell jeweler. Mr. HUFFORD, some days ago, caught a bass out of the Falls Mills dam that weighed three and three quarter pounds. It was by far the heaviest bass caught by any Graham rodman during the season and it is believed locally that Mr. HUFFORD has copped the blue ribbon and ten dollar bill. The fish was a "Whopper" and attracted much attention when brought to Graham. It was caught of course with hook and line. - Graham Daily News.

GAVE HIS LIFE TO SAVE FRIENDS - S.B CARTER, a well known citizen of Bluestone, was killed last week by being crushed to death by coal cars on the tipple of the Bradshaw Coal Company on Dry Fork. CARTER'S body was taken to Bluestone and was given a Masonic burial last Saturday, members from Tazewell, Graham and other lodges assisting the Tip Top Lodge in the burial ceremonies. CARTER, it is said, was employed near the drift mouth of the mine. The tipple of the Bradshaw company is located several hundred feet below the drift mouth and the cars are lifted and lowered between the tipple and shaft by means of cables. It was said there were eight empty cars on the track leading from the mouth of the mine to the incline going down to the tipple. A motor coming out of the mine bumped into the string of empty cars and started them rolling towards the incline. CARTER was only a few feet from teh top of the incline when he noticed the cars rolling toward him. Realizing the cars were uncoupled and were not attached to a cable, and knowing ten or twelve employees at the tipple would be killd if the cars started at wild speed down the incline, CARTER picked up a piece of timber and succeeded in derailing each of the eight cars and turning them down the mountain side. The eighth car was derailed in the direction of CARTER and he was caught as the car turned. His injuries resulted in his death.

Miss BYER, Home Demonstrator Agent, will chaperon a party of girls and boys in Baby Beef Club to the State Fair. The party leaves for Richmond Sunday night, October 2nd, and will return the 9th. The number going includes: Elizabeth PEERY, Clara KINZER, Mary, Frances and Hugh CASSELL and Reese T. BOWEN, Jr.

Oscar George WILLIAMS, Jefferson City, Mo., son of the late Titus WILLIAMS, of this county, is here on a visit to his old home and friends after an absence of a quarter of a century. He is practicing law in Missouri, as counsel for State Banking Department of Missouri. There are seven children of Titus WILLIAMS still living, all in the west. Capt. Titus WILLIAMS was born and reared in Tazewell, taught school here, and organized a company and led it into the civil war. He was brother to the late, P.H. Cyrus and Julius WILLIAMS of this county.

Miss BROWDES and Miss WIMMER, teachers of Laurel School, invite all to be present at the school house Saturday week, Oct 8th to enjoy a box party which is to be given.

CEDAR BLUFF

Rev. H.E. KELSO preached for us last Sunday evening. He also held the last official meeting of the charge. The review of the year's showed to advantage. A revival has been held in each one of the group churches. All benevelent claims have been paid. The church officers were re-elected for the ensuing year.

Mrs. W.F. GRINSTEAD and Mrs. G.B. WINGO are visiting Rev. C.H. WINGO in Knoxville, TN. They will on their return, take in the annual conference in Morristown, Tn.

Mrs. Laura J. HURT, widow of the late William H. HURT, died at her home near Wittens Mills last Monday. The burial took place on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, in charge of Undertaker PEERY. The funeral discourse was delivered by Rev. Mr. HODGE, of Graham. Deceased had been a consistent member of the church since early life. She was in the 70th year of her age. The floral tributes were profuse and the crowd in attendance, all testified to the esteem in which she was held. Besides two daughters she leaves three sons, the well known Hurt Bros. Merchants at Wittens Mills and Frank M. HURT at Raven.

Mr. N.W. MCCONNELL has so far completed his new brick residence east of town as to permit his moving in. Mr. Eugene REPASS and his family, have moved into the property vacated by Mr. MCCONNELL - the rooms over the Hopkins store.

The little son of Mr. and Mrs. Harman HELMANDOLLAR, fell from a porch at his grandfathers, Mr. Albert HAGY, and broke his arm, on Tuesday of this week. It is feared that his skull was injured by the fall, but this does not seem to be the case. He is getting along nicely.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter MILLARD, of Hazen, ND are here on a visit to his mother, Mrs. A.M. MILLARD and other relatives in the community. He has held an important position with the Northern Pacific Railroad for a number of years.

Mr. James F. HURT, who has been ill at his home here for the past ten days, is gaining strength fast, and will soon be able to be out.

Mr. John F. IRESON'S many friends will be grieved to learn that he is still in an enfeebled condition, growing weaker daily. He has had two paralytic strokes, and not only his body but his mind is seriously involved. His advanced age, nearly 70 years renders his recovery not at all probable.

Mr. and Mrs. A.A. BASHAM, of Somerset, Ky., who have been pleasant visitors to Mr. and Mrs. Aaron RUSS, have returned to their home in Kentucky. Mr. BASHAM was formerly cashier of the Peoples Bank at Cleveland, Va.

Miss Bess NEEL, of Graham has accepted the position as stenographer with the law firm of Graham and Bowen. She formerly held a similar position in Grundy.

FOUND - Two black and one bay mule branded on front feet as follows: 102, 104 and 106. Came to my place on Mud Fork about three weeks ago. Communicate with Mrs. Sarah BILLIPS or see rural carrier on route on Pocahontas, Va.

Mr. and Mrs. J.P. WILLIAMS, of Pittsburg, former residents of this town, are the proud parents of a fine girl baby. "Pete" will accept congratulations.

A news item, over looked, reached this office last week, reporting the death of Harvie the year old son of Mr. and Mrs. S.L. PATTON, of diphtheria, at the home at Cliffield. Mr. and Mrs. PATTON express gratitude for much kindness shown them by friends and neighbors.