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Handsomely Rewarded — A Young Man Saves a Train and Gets a Gold Watch

One night about a week ago a tremendous mass of earth and rocks slipped down onto the track of the O.R.R.R. a short distance this side of New Martinsville. E.E. Williams, a young farmer living in that neighborhood, passed along a short time afterwards and discovered the obstruction. He knew that the north bound freight, which leaves Parkersburg at 12:30 o’clock a.m., would be along sometime that night. He at once procured a lantern and stationed himself at the dangerous point and remained there all night, waiting to save the train. It was a very heavy train and did not get there on time, and he had to wait until nearly morning, but when it did arrive he signaled it and saved it from wrecking.

The railroad company of course appreciated what Mr. Williams had done, and to-day President George W. Thompson, on behalf of the company, gave expression to that appreciation by presenting Mr. Williams with a very handsome and valuable Elgin gold watch and chain. Mr. Thompson said it gave himself and the company great pleasure to recognize and reward a service of that character. Mr. Williams is about the best pleased man in Wetzel county.

The Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Jan. 16, 1889

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A No-Show — Several excuses have been named for the non-appearance of DeWitt Miller, who was to lecture on “Love, Courtship and Marriage.” Some have thought that he had so much “love” that it made him sick and could not come. Others say that he was probably devoting his time to “courtship” and didn’t want to come. But the more probable reason is that he had just been married and his wife had disabled him with a potato masher.

The Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Feb. 8, 1889

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A Very Loving Couple — Yesterday afternoon two birds (doves) flew into County Clerk T.G. Smith’s office and told him that there was a couple down street who wanted to get married, and that they wanted to get married bad. He was so fond of her that he was afraid to leave her long enough to get the license, for fear that she would fall in love with some other fellow while he was gone; and she wouldn’t go to the office after the license for fear that he would make love to some other girl, or run away; consequently they had sent the two messengers after the license.

Mr. Smith told them that he couldn’t send the license that way and advised the doves to tell the man and woman to come together if they were afraid to get out of each other’s sight.

A little later they put in an appearance at Mr. Smith’s office, and the Rev. Charles T. Caldwell, Esq., performed the ceremony that made them husband and wife. They were Almer Porter Hallett, of Athens, Ohio, and Maude Edna Dunfee, of Parkersburg. The attendants were Mr. Hatcher, Mr. Smith and the two young ladies who had been instrumental in securing the pleasant union.

The Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Feb. 1, 1889

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Our Champion Walkers — Thomas Cox, of this city, and C. Hendricks, of Lauckport, are at Wheeling, participating in the thirty-six hour go-as-you-please walking match. Cox is the champion of West Virginia and seems likely to win the Wheeling prize. This is the second time that Hendricks was ever on a track, his first experience being at the Rink here [in Parkersburg]. The other starters at Wheeling were E.C. McClelland, of Canonsburg, Pa., Wm. Nolan of Pittsburgh, George Atwood, of Johnstown, Pa., and John McGrane, of Wheeling.

The [Wheeling] Register says, “Cox holds the American record for 36 hours, of 219 miles, and it is his intention to break his own record if he can. Had he been pushed yesterday he would have no doubt broken the championship record of 87 miles in twelve hours. He showed remarkable endurance and won a bet of $100 that he could make 70 miles in 12 hours.”

[Go-as-you-please walking matches allowed the participants to walk, jog, or run.]

The Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Feb. 22, 1889

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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.