The West Virginian. [volume], December 20, 1917, Image 1

About The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974

Image provided by: West Virginia University

                
| '|5?r5,0<
| A Quality Newtpa).er for th?
mm
jI ESTABLISHED 1868.
i FAIRMf
t IDALCARS ARE HOT
MOVED EVEN AFTER
| IH0 JfUU
iff: 'Martinsburg Had Trouble
wjfc to Get Fuel During Late
Freeze.
i 2,000 cars" stalled
Ifip -Fairmont District Coal AsJfen"
sociation Will Meet
V' This Evening.
The coal shortage may effect West
: Virginia more than the majority ot the
. people expected. Martlnsburg has had
an experience -with a coal shortage
which aroused that community and a
?< real famine faced that city last Saturday
and Sunday.
The situation in Martlnsburg was so
eerlous that County Fuel Admlnlstra-i
tor Henshaw threatened to comman|
deer coal passing through Martlnsburg
or rather thirty carB that wore lying
nn hi tin tracks at Cumbo. right near
Martinsburg. Mr. Henshaw called up
J. Walter Barnes, stato fuel administrator,
who refused his approval to
L- euch action and later the county coal
^ committee took it up with the national
r fuel administration at Washington
bringing a wire from F. L. Snead, who
"J ' emphatically declared:
J; i "I cannot authorize County Fuel Adminlstrator
Henshaw to commandeer
coal passing through Martinsburg. Advise
me of names and addresses of the
a' previous coal supply of the dealers of
your city."
ynttif The answer to this last part of this
rmessage further complicated mutters
as the city had been using anthracite
, coal largely, purchased out of the state
- . . and had gotten nil Its soft coal from
!' Virginia through Baltimore dealers,
excepting that the city of Martinsburg
. .. was provided with coal by the Consolldatlon
company of Fairmont.
B. -Max von Schlegcll. publisher of the
' Martinsburg Journal, with a stroke of
. enterprise, got into the deal and wired
Mr. Snead, of the National Fuel Admln.
istration and the Consolidation here.
The Consolidation had already asS.
sured Mr. Snead that It would take care
- of the immediato future of Martinsffl
' I hurg.
i: R. W. Stewart, a coal dealer of MarP
. . tlnsburg, got into the matter Monday
in a more practical way. going to Cumberland
and Keyscr and finding a car
j-" of coal consigned to his firm at the
;*>. former place behind fourteen cars and
ite: ' another at Keyser behind forty-nine
ether cars. He was told that the block
f. v* ; aae at tne two points lnoiuueu uvcr
8.000 cars. At first Mr. Stewart feared
* that there was no chance to get his
cars but be tried the railroad superintendent,
explaining the situation, and
the Cumberland car reached Martinsburg
Monday night and the Keyser car
Tuesday morning.
' Mayor Letter, of Martinsburg. called
J. Walter Barnes, state fuel admlnls.'V
trator, Monday night, and the Martins 1-.
Burg Journal tells that he told Mr.
Barnes "in plain language that the sit7/-,..
nation was critical." Mr. Barnes called
- Martinsburg later and conveyed the
Egte same inforlation that had reached
- -ttiAiin fonm Mw Cnanrl
IU6IO II UU1 1111 > UIIVUil.
?*': The movement ot coal Is still the
H?i"; great problem occupying the attention
JE * ' of railroad men and of coal men, who
can only advise and suggest, having no
real authority. The blockades are believed
to have been pretty well cleared
> out in the Fairmont-Clarksburg region
but the movement of coal remains a
' problem. It would have been an easy
.matter to relieve Martinsburg had
mines had cars. E. G. Smith, of Wes;?
ton, who is manager of the Groves
r Greek Coal company on the Coal and
'& - u. Coke, is in Fairmont today, accomjK
* panted by Lloyd Rinehart. and tells of
|f ' - -his company loading a car Saturday
Bp .' - which was still standing on the siding
yesterday. T. E. Boggess, assistant
: secretary of the Central West Virginia
jE .- Coal Operators' Association, has been
l ^getting data on such delay in West Virginia
yards for some time.
Coal Notes.
D. R. Lawson. secretary of the Cen(s??
" tral West Virginia Coal Operators' As;
aociation. is in Washington. '
UK'"'.' " Frederick Edward Saward. editor of
f<f- . The Coal Trado Journal, is dead.
' A meeting of the Fairmont District
Coal Association is railed for ?Me at en.
. tag at the office of Trevey Nutter, at
8 o'clock. All team track coal opera5
tors are aBked to be In attendance.
CONDITION IMPROVED.
The condition of Mrs. John W. Inrta,
Ki'; who was stricken with paralysis Tuesf
day night was slightly Improved today
V .-although her condition Is still regardad
as serious.
I We
mi
w ?
' t.'S#
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRES8.
WTTO
Doesn't Pay To
Get Gay With
Your Uncle Sam
(By Associated Press)
MANKATO, Minn.. Dec. 20?A
statement that the United States
might as well be under the Kals.
er's government as Us own was
among those charged to Frank J.
Busch, a wholesale grocer, arrested
on complaint that he made
seditious remarks.
He told Municipal Judge Cornstock
ho was sorry and at . the
Judge's suggestion bought a thousand
dollar's worth of Liberty
Bonds, subiicrfibed $100 to the
Red Cross and gave fifty dollars
each to the Knights of Columbus
and Y. M. C. A.
Then today Judge Comstock
fined him $000.
ElEVllK
KILLEDIN- TENN.
Seventy-Five Men in Mine,
Near Nemo, When Blast
Occurred.
(By Associated Press)
KNOXV1LLE, Tenn.. Dec. 20?Eleven
miners were killed in an explosion
at mine No. 3 of tho DarBour Coal and
Coke company at Catosa, near Nemo,
Tennessee, late Wednesday afternoon,
according to word received here today.
Seventy-five were In the mine at tho
time. Whether the explosion resulted
from a gas pocket becoming ignited or
from the premature discharge of a keg
of powder in the mine is not known.
italiansTqrged
TO GIVE GROUND
Invaders Have Brought Up
Reinforcements in the
Hill Country.
A state ot siege has been proclaimed
in Petrograd and the Ukrainian Itada
has refused to ottoy an ultimatum presented
by the Bolshevik! government.
Disorders in the capital, duo it is said,
to the looting of wine cellars and shops
made necessary the proclamation of a
state of siege.
Between Monta Grappa and the Brenta
on the Italian northern front the
Italians are resisting desperately renewed
Austro-German efforts to break
through the hills to the plains. The
Italians after withstanding strong attacks
and Inflicting heavy losses 011 the
enemy were forced to retire to new positions
when the invaders brought up
reserves. On the southern end of the
Piave line, the Austro Germans have
been checked in several attempts to
cross the river.
On the western front the Germans
have not yet given any indications of
where their advertised drive is to begin.
The German guns continue to
bombard various sectors along the
front from the North sea to the Swiss
border Including the Ypres and Champagne
area.
TV vr_ -t n 1 _ j
nop. in eeiy speaKS ai
Mannington Tonight
Tonight Congressman Neely and J.
O. Watson will make addresses at the
Presbyterian church in Mannington Bt
a mass meeting which will be held In
connection with the Red Cross membership
drive which is being carried
on quite vigorously In the oil town.
rrv./> ?u*-i. ?iti i 1- -i o
Alio uicciiiig nuaii wiu ucgm ai o
o'clock promises to be very interesting.
Mannington's Red Cross has been
very active and Its goal for the week is
1.000 new members.
City Hall Notes
City Clerk Albert J. Kehn and Water
Commissioner Ira Smith are among
the lawyers serving on the Legal Advisory
Board today. Yesterday Street
Commissioner Lehman was on the Job.
An effort is being made to get Engineer
William Musseur of the New
York Concrete Steel Engineering company
to come to Fairmont tomorrow at
which time the finishing touches on the
Monongahela river bridge contract will
he made.
The run to Jackson street this morning
was made in almost record time.
The fire department is familiar with
tbe route to the Union residence, as
the call today was neither the first nor
the second trip that tbe fire truck has
made to tbe same place.
st Virginian Believes
^ ^ Northern Wi
FAIRMONT, WEST VlRG
test!
COAl FAMINE HITS
FAIRMONT; CUT'S
PUMPS MAT STOP
pAmmicDiAnAv c?;f u A -u I
vvuiBUiowviivi UIIUUI XlBKkO
Permission to Seize Coal
in Yards.
NO COAL CARS, TROUBLE
Supply of Fuel at Pumping
Station Will Soon be
Exhausted.
Today the coal (amine hit Fairmont
just as It hit the towns In Ohio and
other parts ot the country when the
cold snap swooped down upon the country.
And (or a (ow minutes tho people
at the City hall threatened to do a little
aviating a la Governor Cox. As It
Is, through Finance Commissioner
BarneB. who Is also West Virginia
State Fuel Administrator Barnes, a request
has been (lied with National Fuel
Administrator Garfield tor authority
to seize coal in transit so that the (Ires
can be kept burning underneath the
boilers at the local pumping station.
There Is where the trouble is; at
the pumping station. This morning
C. D. Robinson who has the contract
(or supplying the pumping station with
(uel notified Water Commissioner
Smith that there was not a car in this
district available (or the shipment ot
coal (rom the mines to the boiler rooms.
Commissioner Smith's (irst impulse
wan to find out how much coal was on
hand and he was startled to discover
that it was barely enough to last until
morning.
He appealed to Fuel Administrator
Barnes and was promptly told that
(here was nothing doing, or words to
that general effect, without authority
from Washington. A statement of the
situation and an appeal for authority
to seize coal was sent on to Washington,
and there the matter rests. It
would not be very hard to seize the
coal in transit if the permission comes
to hand, for it is not transiting to any
great extent, unless resting in the
yards could bo classed under tbat general
head. But that is the way they
understand the word in the offices of
rallroal general managers at nny rate,
so it will have to go here in the present
emergency.
In ail seriousness the situation may
become quite troublesome. The coal
now on hand at the pumping station is
expected to be exhausted some time
during the night, and it that happens
before an additional supply it will be
necessary to shut down the pumps and
take some steps to converse the water
cn hand against the danger that it will
be needed to tight fires.
Dr, Tisdale Speaks on
Community Health
Keep disease away from the rural
home was the chief point emphasized
by Dr. T. S. Tisdale. a member of the
public health commission, of Charleston,
at a community meeting at the
Grangevllle Baptist church last evening.
Fifty people were in attendance.
To illustrate his lecture Dr. Tisdale
showed a number of sddes. Some of
these were views taken in the vicinity
of Grangevllle, this county, while
uiuBia wwo ouuyyea itr uarnsoii county
at Salt Wells, close to Shinnston.
Means used to protect public bealth
were Illustrated by tbe slides and special
attention was paid to typhoid
fever. Rural sanitation was also a
phaso treated upon.
1 The meeting at Orangevllle was arranged
by County Agent H. L. Smith.
Godbey Girl Again
On Stand in Boston
(By Associated Press)
BOSTON. Dec. 20.?Edith Godbey, a
white woman, ot Charleston, W. Vs.,
chief witness for the government, was
put through a searching examination
tcday at the resumption of the hearing
before Federal Commissioner Hayes in
the case of John Johnson, negro wanted
in West Virginia on Federal inditement
charging violation of the Mann
act.
In the coruse ot her direct examination
yesterday the young woman told
In detail ot her relations with Johnson.
Today William H. Lewis, counsel for
Johnson, attempted to question Miss
Godbey concerning her dealings with
ilia nnlifa "? ?"??
?>w rwi(?w vuwsawukwu UUU uu nUCg'
ed attack by her on a citizen but tbli
was ruled out.
Newspapers Should
^VueNewst
IN1A, THURSDAY EVENI
WOMEN S^OW
fe ^^.v: -: ;:9HhhB9^K
W ^ ' '* $!** ' '^V'
iff ^ jrfMBp 88^^
Mrs. Patricia Fee and Mrs. M
white flakes, for men are scarce an
women were not expected to do as g
iisllim!
CUM TITLE HERE
Securities Believed Now to
be in Possession of
Germans.
Bonds of the Excelsior-West Virginia
Collorles^pjpaiw, edalns county,
it developed today \'n\ circuit
court, are in the hands of ihe GciSi
mans in Belgium and perhaps the:
Kaiser himself has gvien tftem the
once over. This fact has pus an interesting
.phase upon an otherwise
commonplace legal proceeding;
It appears that the Excelsor-Colleries
Company procured 6,000 acres of
coal land in Paw Paw district, this
county, and issued $730,000 in bonds
uuu iuu c,iuzuns savings ac mtusi
Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, became
the trustee under the mortgage,
dated October 1, 1912. The holdings
of the company were acquired by Edward
II. Thomas, who let the outstanding
bonds remain against the
property. In the meantime $700,000
worth of the bonds were sent to
Comptores National Bank, of Brussels,
Belgium, where they wero to bo
offered for sale by that banking, Institution.
After n time Thomas sold
the property to the Fairmont & Monongahela
Coal Company, which proceeded
to re-call the bonds so that
It could get a clear title .While this
action was in progress the European
war broke out and the Germans loot-,
ed Brussels.
This morning wa$, ^;e time set for
Judge Haymond to hear the petition
of the Fairmont Coal Company asking
for the release of the deed of
trust. The company was represented
by Attorney Charles E. Hawker,
while the blinking-institution was re-'
presented hv Attornev .Tnmps A
Meredith.
Judge Haymond held that he had
no right to release the lien against
the coal company's property. First
lie held that thero was no evidence
that the bonds bad not been sold,
secondly, that there was no means of
securing evidence as the bonds were
In a country with which this country
Is now at war and that the court had
no jurisdiction In the matter and no
steps could be taken until the close
of the war.
legal action of this sort was tested
out during the Civil war in the State
of West Virginia. The court held that
it was Impossible to sue a man in
time of war who was In the ^ontines
of an enemy's country because It
was impossible to get service of process
on htm.
It developed during the Interesting
proceedings that about $10,000 of the
bonds may be in the London market.
It is thought that perhaps $19,OOTT of
IhatM kn ?nn?) /~?t-1
tuciu v?** UW iwuuu iu vmwatsu.
Special Venire
Being Summoned
Seventy-five additional jurors were
drawn this afternoon by Judge Haymend,
Sheriff A. M. Glover and Circuit
Court Clerk William 8. Black In the
court room. They compose special
venire summoned for the trial of Willie
G. Morgan on Thursday, December
27.
Within the neit day or so the deputy
sheriffs will bo busy serving the
summons papers.
Be More Than Net
' I.I | jg "I _ g . .
M, ?. M,^L?
NG, DECEMBER 20,1917,
,.M,
VERS IN
SHOVBLERS HELP CITY'S
9
ary Kelly at work In the streets of N o
tl could not be obtained by the Street 1
ood and rapid work as tho men, they n:
Snuff Boxes Are
Again in StyleTo
Carry Sugat
(By American Press)
LONDON, Dec. 20.?Snuff boxes
are said to be coming back into
fashion, but with the diilerence that
they now contain sugar Instead of ,
snuff.
The sugar rationing is expected
to make it necessary for visitors to
carry around their own sugnr and
the old tightly fitting snuff boxes,
of sllrer, enameled and inlaid wood
arft being brought to light for this
purpose. There is said to be also a
demand for futurist boxes with
weird effects painted on them.
Will BRING W
AND JOBSTQGETHER
Employment Bureau to be
Established by Y. W. D.
of Y. M.C.A.
A community employment bureau
is the latest undertaking o? the Young
Woman's department ot the Y. M.
C. A. A committee, consisting o(
Miss Nettie Johnston, Mrs. C. E.
Hutchinson, and Mrs. Jane Montgomery
has been appointed to work
out the details.
The bureau has not yet bcsn organized
and has not begun its work.
Orgahization will take place sometime
in tho near future,, following llio
meeting of the commitee.
It is generally belived that the
woman's employment bureau will be
of great aid to both the employers
and tho employees of the city. Business
men, housewives and others do
siring -women employees will report
to the Young Woman's department
as will all who are seeking work.
Those who have heard of the , employment
bureau aro pleased with
the prospetcs ot such a local organization.
Questionnaire Rush
Is Now on in Pull
Each day the number appearing to
get the assistance ot the Legal Advisory
board in preparing tbelr questionnaires
Increases. Yesterday evening
there was the biggest rush yt
for legal aid. While all the lawyers
were busy with clients fully thirty
waited in the Jury room and about the
court, bouse.
The number of questionnaires that
are returned Increases from day to
flay. Today the local draft board sent
out questionnaires to those holding
order numbers from 388-469 Inclusive.
Tomorrow morning questionnaires
with order numbers 470-560 Inclusive
will be sent out.
Laborers Wanted
In Shipping Department. Apply
OWENS BOTTLE
MACHINE CO.
vs Purveyors?It Tri
^ TODAY'S NEWS TODAY
I GAS nn
?WT1PPK mvmsa^.- - ^1
j
w York to free them from the fluffy
Cleaning Department. Although tho
loro than exceeded expectations.
AjmfTnF?T~
rtliuIIILIl I MIL HI
LIS ONIK PLACE
Central Department Made
Record Run to Jackson
Street Place.
What was at first expected to he a
dangerous fire was put out In quick
time shortly betore noon this morning
by the central fire department. The
property owned and occupied by List
Union, colored on Jackson street
caught fire and before the alai-m was
sent to the fire station the flames had
gained considerable headway. Within
a minute after the nlarm was sounded
the city fire fighting force were on
the sceno fighting the flames, which
had started In tho rear of the restaurant
on Jackson street.
The location of tho building made
the ITamos hard to fight, but soon after
tho water hose were turned on, tho
fire was under control.
Quito a bit of damage was done to
the upper story and the rear of the
building. The cause of the fire seems
to be unknown.
Fewer Losses at Sea
Declares Lloyd George
m
(By Associated Press.)
LONDON, December 20.?Speaking
In the House of Commons > today,
Fli, v til T.lnvil fipnrpp PriHqh Primo
Minister said that tho margin of
losses at sea is narrowing.
Sinking by submarines, ho declared,
is decreasing while ship building
is increasing. The Premier'said the
sinking of submarines was increasing,
Bltliough merchant tonnago was
down by 20 per cent. Ho added the
loss has been only six percent ot
imports over that of last year.
Templar's Toast
To the Saviour
In keeping with an International
custoi - among the Knights Templar
of the United States, on Christmas
.uay tne members of Crv-ie Commandery
of this city will meet in the
Masonic Hall in the morning at 11:15
o'clock, when exercises will be observed.
At 12 o'clock noon a toast will be
taken In commemoration of the Savior's
birthday. At the same time all
over the country similar toasts will
be taken by Templar bodies, the time
at the various places being calculated
in advance. It is a beautiful custom
and will be open to the public.
FOR
One second hand Sevenl
with stack and attachmer
insured by the Maryland
mium paid for two years
selling, larger boiler to I
407 Jacobs Building, Tele]
gs to Be Public Spiri
In tonight, probably taralnata '#
Friday; ooldtr Friday. . |
PRICE THKEECBirra^;-!
atp
iwiiuniini iueI
IIILL IULLUIV 1IIL j
mm tEi I
Special Gas Committee Told 1
to Go Ahead With a
ill BE ? AFFAIR I
Dudderar Tells What Clarks /
burg Has Been Doing'
About Matter. "i
West Virginia gas for WesfVlrgjtatS'
by the most direct method practical
was the keynote of the meeting of the
board of directors of the Fairmont * i:
Chamber of Commerce last night to
the rooms to the Watson building.1
Most of the discussion was confined
to meUiods for hastening relief and - \i
many opinions were given and threshed
out during the meeting, which Jut-/ "1
cd less than an hour and a halt It ,1 /'?
was stated that Governor Cornwall hps ,V
bad a listening ear this way and* hps j
heard the "S. O. 8." calls that wars ;Wj
tent out from tho suffering common}. /
ties, particularly Clarksburg and Fairn.ont.
Forces will rally around, the
Governor and the matter will be put i
up squarely to the West .Virginia Pub*
lie Service Commission. If advantage, ..' . if
cub a concerted movement <^ill>Jlp
made In couunctjlon with Clarkthnff.
Morgantown and possibly other com-.
munltles. As the matter stands thp jfta
committee Is to work out the be?t*pleh
The principal speaker of the evenlug
was G. W. Dudderar, secretary{61 /..i .
tho Clarksburg Board of Trade, who re- %
lated the activities which that -hddjjr '
and tbp manufacturers of that city had M
teken in the fight for gas. Hsl staled' - '
that the movement was for an adequate
natural gas supply as well"as a
cheaper rate. He said that eighty pfcr .J
cent, of the gas to that sectlomli owned
by eight pipe line companies and that ~
8b per cent, of their production Igbea ,
cut of the state. Six times as much
gas went out of the state'than ..WpJf
marketed within the confines of 'West;
Virginia bv fhnan rnmnirllmi ntH Mr.
Dudderar, during tho past year. Each .
year they Increase their outafdesop* " a
Hon. 0. S. McKlnney was emphati'* ::
cally of the opinion that the gasoomianles
should furnish West Virginia
people first. He believed that It would *
ho impossible to pass an act that would"-. :'
interfere with their outside business,
but providing that they' first gave.aa''^?a
adequate supply for local consumption
that would not matter., We must have : ,^
an adequate supply, said Mr. McKln- 5
ney, but it should not be any concern
of ours what they do with the, surplus V~?tgas
produced. Mr. McKlnney stated f
that he gathered from Ms telephone message
with Governor Cornwell that
Clarksburg's rate case would, come up
for action on January 3. He intimated! 4
that pcr,hapB tho entire gas situation
in vnrious West Virginia cities might;5!!
(Continued on Page (2)'
Notice to Taxpayers Who M
Failed to Tate Advan- ?|
tage of the 21/2% D5&i$
You are now notified that De* } ' <?
comber is the last month you cain ],
pay your taxes at face value. Jan-'Jv?
Aary is the month that the >J?to$||g
compels us to add on 10% inter- Ifi
est I am sure yon will not .we&t-fj*
to pay that amount of interest-If
while money is so plentiful.. PU??t: |!0
be prompt and come In and' naV Irjrara
your taxes before the rjish at.the'.||
last of the month. For your ben-'JJl?
eflt and accommodation , tfiifclS
Sheriff's Office will be kept opebdl
on Saturday nights from 7 to ;
during the month of December, jj
y-Five Horsepower
its, in good condition; sii4||
Caualty company.'
t in advance. Cause
a iwofollo^ Inflmwo R/iftmSi
'V 4UWVWUVVM >U4?|??MV AWWWMIV^I