Look Back: Neighborhood news, emergencies
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Editor's note: The following is a collection of historical newspaper excerpts and as such contains descriptions of people that are understood to be offensive and would not be used in print today.
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Laurel Junction
A curious affair has just been developed. The chief of Police recently received a telegram from Laurel Junction which read as follows: "CAPT MEHEN: – There is a man on his way to Parkersburg with an elephant and a tiger. Stop him for he owes me $8.00 board bill." [Signed]
The Chief went to the B.&O. depot to see about the matter, and there he met a gentleman from Laurel Junction who told him that the telegram was only the freak of a man wild with the delirium tremens. The Captain is not on the lookout now for wild animals.
The [Parkersburg] Daily State Journal
July 9, 1884
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Thieves in Lauckport
Last Friday night thieves executed a raid in Lauckport. They broke into Albert Jenne's ice house and stole two pairs of boots and a coat belonging to a Mr. Haddox. They then went through Mrs. Henry Caskin's kitchen and pantry and stole cherries, sugar, butter, bread and flour. It is thought the same parties stole one-half of a veal from Mr. Joe Seevers. A squad of tramps camped back of Fort Boreman are suspected of the theft.
The Parkersburg Daily State Journal
July 13, 1885
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Lightning Bolt!
Daniel Gilchrist, who resides with is family on Lee Creek, is thankful that they are all alive after the exciting experience they had during the terrific storm they had on Saturday night,
Mr. and Mrs. Gilchrist slept downstairs, the little son lying across the foot of the same bed. When the storm was at its height Mrs. Gilchrist arose, went to another room and lighted a lamp, leaving her husband and son asleep.
There came a blinding flash of lightning followed instantly by a terrific crash of thunder. The bolt struck the side of the house, entered the upstairs rooms, played around and tumbled things around generally, then descended to the first floor, where balls of fire flitted across the room in front of Mrs. Gilchrist, almost blinding her, but [Mr.] Gilchrist slept through it all until the bolt shot through the wall, smashing the bed posts and tore the mattress he was lying on into tatters. As the bed was dropping to the floor in a wreck, he wakened up but strange to say, he was not shocked, though his head was within six inches of one of the bed posts when it was shattered. The mattress was set on fire, and a blaze broke out on the second floor, but was extinguished before making any headway. The furniture and house were pretty badly damaged.
Mr. Gilchrist believes that he was saved from death by the feather tick on top of the mattress. He says he was always told that feathers were non-conductors of lightning and now he firmly believes it. Had he been lying on the mattress he certainly would have been killed.
The Parkersburg Semi-Weekly Sentinel
July 1, 1901
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News of Jerry's Run
F.R. Buffington had quite a wood sawing Tuesday. C.E. and W.E. Boso operated the saw.
Clyde Boso and two sons of Parkersburg, spent Sunday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.M. Boso.
Zedd Lott and son Mike, went to Lubeck Saturday to visit the former's parents, returning home Sunday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Corb Swain and Ray Pierce came down from Parkersburg and spent Saturday night and Sunday with the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Pierce.
Carl Flinn has bought a new run-about this spring.
The men of this vicinity are working the Penike roads so they can travel with their autos.
Mrs. Newberry has returned to her home at the Ford [ford] after spending a few days with her sister, Mrs. Phoebe Boso.
Dr. Pickering passed through our vicinity Sunday to Selvon [Seldon] Flinn's to see the children who have scarlet fever.
The Parkersburg News
May 2, 1924
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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.