Wirt County Journal January 5, 2000 Remember When ... * From the Wirt County Journal files. July 29, 1921 School Items J.M. Reed, our county's oldest teacher both in years and service, left the latter part of last week for Morgantown to attend the summer term at the university. Ray Palmer will teach the lower Greaves Run school instead of Sumpter Archer. The latter goes to McDowell County for a principalship. Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Hylbert, principal and primary teacher at Burning Springs, visited Mrs. Hylbert's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Fought, here the first of this week and were Parkersburg visitors on Monday. Automobile Wreck Joe Coate of Parkersburg, while driving three young ladies from Parkersburg to Elizabeth on last Sunday evening, failed to make the short turn near the top of Elizabeth Hill, just below the Bethel Church, and plunged over the steep embankment below., The machine with the occupants rolled over several times, all escaped with slight injuries. It seems almost a miracle that no one was killed or seriously injured. The machine, "an Oldsmobile Car," was a total wreck. There was hardly anything of value left of the machine except the casings. Farm Bureau Notes Our county "Four-H Camp" was a great success this year. We had a fine lot of instructors. All who attended were well satisfied. There were 33 there including club members in the vicinity of Hill Grove who attended the camp. The idea of these camps originated with the Great Sunday School Camp at Lake Geneva. These camps are backed by the state and national government. Every instructor sent was an employee of the government and is paid out of government funds. The idea is to give good solid instruction that will train them for leadership in their home communities. Elliott Dent, a club member of Two Ripple, has some purebred Poland China pigs for sale from a prize winner sow. These pigs came a little late so that we could not use them all in club work. Here is a good oppo rtunity for farmers to get started in a good stock of pigs. Drowned Just as we are closing our forms for press Thursday morning the news came to the Journal office of the drowning at Palestine a few minutes before of the little son of Ed Davis of that place. The body was recovered and Dr. Conley called from here but we understand nothing could be done. We have no details as to ft drowning or funeral arrangements. March 27, 1959 Buildings Burn In Forest Fire A major brush and forest fire on Courtney Ridge, about four miles from Elizabeth, Tuesday afternoon and night burned over approximately 300 acres of ground and destroyed two old dwelling houses, two barns, and three or four smaller outbuildings. Total property loss, based on actual values (not replacement values), are estimated at approximately $2,000. Originating on property owned by Prosecuting Attorney Louis Reed (the former Harley Cline farm) reportedly by the turning of corn stubble, a barn caught fire and was destroyed near noon, and spread to destroy an old log dwelling house and another outbuilding then continued to spread over a wide area. Described as a "crown fire" in some pine thicket areas, the intense blaze roared through the tops of pine trees to jump the rural road in two places and continued to spread through briar patches, tall dry grass and weeds and brush sections. Another dwelling house, said to be owned by a Turner of Huntington, was destroyed, also a barn and two outbuildings. Beulah Hill News By Mrs. Bette Reed Personally, I had a pretty full weekend March 14-15. Son, Louis, took Alonzo Reed and me to Parkersburg, where we took Saturday evening dinner with James and Mary Welch, and other guests were James, Jr., with wife, Anne, and little daughter, Mary Katherine, who was all dressed up in her first Easter outfit, consisting of pink coat, hat, etc., that she didn't appreciate being dressed in. That night we enjoyed seeing the Perry Como show, and hearing the singing of Irish songs. On Sunday we went with the Welchs to Dunbar, seeing two bad wrecks on Rt. 21; but the weather was delightful and it was a beautiful drive. We found our son-in-law, Emery Higgins, feeling pretty well after recently undergoing surgery, and in the afternoon listened to Billy Graham preach to 60,000 people at Melbourne, Australia. His question was, "Have you been converted? Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt 18:3. We are glad to note that Mrs. Beatrice Fought, who recently returned from a Parkersburg hospital, is slowly recovering from a recent illness at the home of her sister, Mrs. Robert Fought (Alma), and Mrs. Fought is also in better health after being poorly for a couple of years. Their brothers, Dock and Rex Watson, have been called back to their railroad work, each being off work for about a year. Received a card March 14 from Mrs. Dorothy Parks Roberts, from New York City, who is visiting there, but she says, "Give me the small town every time," as she does not care for the big cities and is always glad to get back home, and we are glad she is that way, for we need her here.