J. Floyd Harrison, well known Wayne attorney who received the Democratic nomination for State Senator in the Sixth district at the August primary, announces that he will wage a vigorous campaign for election this fall. He addresses the following letter to the voters of his home county.--Editor's Note.
Wayne, W. Va.
September 15, 1926
Dear Wayne County Friends:
Through the columns of Wayne County News, I desire to express my appreciation to my neighbors and friends for the splendid vote that I received in Wayne County in the race for State Senator. For your information, I furnish the following primary tabulation: Wayne County, Curry (Lee Curry) 659, Harrison 2, 476; Mingo, Harrison 851, Curry 1, 726; McDowell, Harrison 872, Curry, 656; Wyoming, Harrison 402, Curry 113. This gives me a majority of of 1447 in the Sixth district.
The thing that makes me doubly thankful to the voters of Wayne County is the fact that owing to my law practice being particularly pressing at this time it was not possible for me to get out, even in my own county, and solicit the voters. Since this fine showing in the district, it leaves me no choice but to put up a strong fight for the office. This I shall do to the best of my ability, and in the process I shall try to show to my good Wayne County friends my true appreciation.
Wayne County is entitled to a State Senator, for since the election of the Honorable R. J. Prichard this district has been represented by people from without the county. The pendulum is swinging back, and there is little doubt in my mind that at this time it is possible to elect a Wayne County man for this office.
When I succeed in the general election, my home district will be the first in my thoughts, and I shall try to deport myself as fitting for a native son of Wayne county so to do.
Again, thanking my friends and neighbors for the splendid showing, I am,
Faithfully yours,
J. FLOYD HARRISON
The annual Wayne County Teachers' Institute at Wayne came to a close last Friday with the adoption of resolutions that had been prepared by the respective committees.
The Committee on Obituaries deplored the death of two Wayne County teachers, namely Miss Ona Wilkinson and Mrs. Effie Wilkinson Blankenship. This committee was composed of J. N. Tabor, Chairman; H. B. Thompson, secretary; E. A. Buckingham, Anna Copley, and Rachel Ratcliff.
The Committee on Resolutions was made up of one representative from each district, as follows: Rexford P. Plymale, Ceredo; T. B. McClure, Union; Una Baisden, Butler; W. C. Mollett, Lincoln; Frank Maynard, Grant; Jean M. Fraley, Stonewall; and Eugenia Wagonlander, Westmoreland. In its report this committee extended special thanks to State Supt. Ford, Supt. Berkley and the various instructors and speakers and others who had contributed to the success of the Institute. The report of this committee, as adopted by the Institute as a whole, contained one clause of special importance, reading as follows:
"This Institute desires to go on record, not in a formal way but in a most emphatic manner in an unanimous way, in favor of the plan that the county be made the Unit in school taxation, rather than the districts. We have for many years made this resolution, but at this time we desire to call this matter to the special attention of the State Educational Department and to the officials and candidates."
The Committee on School Law was composed of the following: J. M. Vanderpool, chairman; App Queen, H. F. Fry, Blanche B. Frazier, L. Burgess, and Luther L. Frasier.
Five points were covered in the report of the Committee on School Law, as follows:
We the committee . . . beg to submit the following:
1. That we ask the next legislature to enact a law authorizing the
Boards of Education of the several magisterial districts, where
needed, to lay an additional levy of 3 cents for each $100 for the
period of one or two years to create a fund to be used exclusively
for the payment of teachers' first and second months salary. This
fund when created shall not be used for any other purpose and shall
be refunded each year from the regular school fund.
2. That we favor making the county the unit of taxation.
3. That the legislature enact a law creating a teacher's compensation fund, similar to the workmen's compensation fund, to be funded and kept intact by making 1/2 of one per cent deduction out of each month's salary of teachers for the purpose of pensioning and caring for incapacitated teachers.
4. That we ask the legislature to amend section 128 of the West Virginia School Law that it may carry a penalty for the violation of this section of the law, but not otherwise to be altered or changed (Section 128 refers to compulsory attendance of children between the ages of 14 and 16 years.).
5. Resolved, that we the teachers of Wayne County do no endorse the Darwin Theory of Evolution, with reference to the origin of man, and that we hereby petition the next legislature to enact a law prohibiting the teaching of this theory in the public schools, colleges and universities in the State of West Virginia.
Five schools will take part in a Public School day program that will be given at Wilson Graded school beginning at 9:00 a. m. on Friday, September 24th. The five participating schools and their principals are:
Genoa Graded: Blanche Frazier
Greenbrier Graded: Mrs. C. L. Matthews
Patrick Graded: App Queen
Wilson: C. L. Matthews
Joels Branch: Fred Bartram
C. L. Matthews will be the chairman of the day. There will be a grand march made up of all the pupils of the five schools at 9:00 a. m. This will be followed by pledging allegience to the flag, singing, school stunts, etc.
At 11:00 a. m. there will be a discussion of various school problems such as hot lunches, adequate books, etc. Penmanship and Arithmetic drills will follow with all schools having a part. This will be followed by a spelling match.
At noon there will be a sumptuous basket dinner on the ground.
The afternoon, beginning at 1:30, will be given over to various athletic events which will include 50 yards dash for boys of various ages, over-head relay for boys and girls, standing broad jump and running broad jump for boys classified according to age, shuttle relay for girls and other interesting events.
The closing exercise of the day will be the announcement of individual winners and the winning school in the day program. Friday, September 24th, is the date, Wilson Graded School is the place and a profitable day is promised for everyone.
The county court recently awarded damages of $100 to Frank Adkins for a slide on Adkins' land on the Wilsons Creek and Prices Creek road. The building of the road caused Millers Fork to cut away part of the bottom land belonging to Adkins. The $100 covers future as well as past damages.
Wayne County Court has accepted the road construction contract of Allen Adkins on the Bowen-Winslow road.
C. M. Fraley, Henderson Maynard, Valentine Pyles and J. P. Crabtree have recently filed applications with the county court for appointment as notary public.
The county court recently awarded a contract for the county medical practice to Dr. Glen Johnson of Wayne. There were two bids received, one from Dr. A. G. Wilkinson of Wayne for $72 a month and the successful bid from Dr. Johnson for $70 a month. The work includes medical practice at the county infirmary and the county jail.
The county court has awarded to contract the construction of a sixteen feet wide county road on Big Hurricane Creek, Butler district, from the residence of T. B. Crabtree to the top of Crabtree mountain at the residence of Chas. McKinsey. There were two bidders on this job of work and their bids were close, namely Chas. McKinsey for $972.50 and B. P. Toney for $975.00. The contract was accordingly awarded to McKinsey.
Grover C. Hunter, for several years a deputy sheriff in this county, has resigned to accept a position as private detective for the N. & W. Ry. On motion of Sheriff J. C. Wilson, the county court recently named Brady Murphy of Kenova to succeed Hunter as deputy sheriff at a salary of $150.00 a month.
County Commissioner B. B. Cyrus, County Road Engineer H. O. Wiley and P. J. Staley have been named to a committee to go on the Docks Creek road leading from the the end of the work completed to the mouth of Docks Creek, and the committee will go over the survey on this route and make such changes as they deem necessary. A county order further provides that this road shall be advertised and let to contract from the point where it is constructed to the mouth of Docks Creek to the county road along Big Sandy River.
The C. E. Price road contract on the Lavalette--Kenova route is now completed with the exception of the final dressing, which will require another week. County Road Engineer H. O. Wiley has the county road force on the Lavalette route getting it in shape to turn over to the State for maintenance shortly. This is state route number 75, and it accommodates a densely populated section of the county.
A total of 96 stills have been confiscated in Logan county during the summer, according to reports of state police, federal and county officials. Twenty-one stills have been brought into the sheriff's headquarters within the past two weeks, as well as 1,800 gallons of mash and 80 gallons of moonshine whiskey.
Harry C. Bloss, of Lavalette, this county, was elected Sir Herald in the Grand Castle of the Knights of the Golden Eagles of West Virginia at the recent annual castle meeting in Parkersburg. J. O. Miller of Wayne, Route 1, was named one of the castle trustees. it was voted that the next annual meeting be held in Huntington.
Mrs. B. B. Cyrus was hostess at an enjoyable dinner at her home at Cyrus, W. Va. recently. Covers were laid for Mr. and Mrs. R. V. Stewart of Portsmoth; Mr. and Mrs. B. K. Malcolm and daughter, Mary, and sons, George and Bayless, of Portsmouth; E. R. Malcolm of Huntington; Mrs. Julia Sprencher of Huntington; Mrs. Sophia Malcolm and Miss Josephine Malcolm of Kenova.
Rev. A. W. Damron of Wayne received this week from Rev. Lawrence Dickerson, of Prospect, Ohio, the largest apple that has been seen in this section this year. The apple, which county agent Click says is a Wolfe River variety, weighs one and one-half pounds and measures fifteen inches in circumference and is a perfect specimen. It is of light red or pink color. Rev. Dickerson, a former Wayne County man, produced the big apple on his farm at Prospect, Ohio.
180 pupils enrolled in the Wayne County High school at Wayne Monday of this week. This is an increase of 40 over the enrollment of last year, and Principal H. E. Berisford believes that the enrollment will reach the 200 mark before the year is over. 80 of the 180 enrolled are members of the Freshman class.
Don Chafin, widely known Logan county citizen, motored down to Wayne Monday of this week and spent the day renewing old acquaintances here. Don says he is in good health and happy, but declares that he is out of politics.
Transcription by June White