OLDEST WOMAN M WEST VIRGINIA
"AUNT POLLY" DEVEES BORN AT POINT PLEASANT IN 1804?HER FAMILY
PATRIOTIC.
Paiikeisbucg, W. Va., Oct. SO.?
Wert Yargima's oldest woman, and
periapt Ohio's also, is "'Aunt Polly"
Dewees, who belongs to both states,
spe?fiigpirt.rf her time in Ohio
*nd put ia West Virginia. She
re?Hy belongs t? the "Little Woun
trin State," because she was bom in
wfcat is sow West Virginia in the old
days when this state had not left the
parent -stem?the Old Dominion.
"Aunt Polly.,"" as everyone calk her;
her real name is Maiy Margaret Mc
Lane Dewees?was born in the old
Van Metre settlement near Point
Pleasant, June 10, 1804. She is
therefore something like 105 years
?and five months of age. Despite
this feet Mrs. Dewees is as sprv as a
school girL During the recent Ma
son County Fair "Aunt Polly" beat
any girl there in hopping around
over the grounds. She can beat
most young women of twenty in do
ing housework and can cook enough
to feed a lumber camp. Her pies are
the talk of the whole section where
she lives. Aunt Polly,"' moreover
did a fine crazy quilt after she pass
ed the hundredth milestone.
' MUST SERVE OUT
PRISON TERM
GOVERNOR REFUSES TO EXTEND EX
ECUTIVE CLEMENCY IN CASE OF
MASON COUNTY BOY.
Governor Glasscock, on the recom
mendation of Pardon Attorney
Waugh refuses to interfere with the
sentence of the Circuit Court of Ma
son county which gave Grover Cre
means, a mere boy, five vears_in the
penitentiary upon his conviction of
voluntary manslaughter.
On the 29th of March, 1905, Gro
ver Cremeans, a boy of sixteen years
was tried for the murder of John
Smith, in Hannon district, Mason
county, and was convicted of second
degree murder. He was sentenced
to sixteen years in prison and the
case was appealed to Supreme Court
of Appeals, where error was found in
the lower court and the case remand
ed.
At the September term of court in
190", Cremeans was again placed on
trial and this time found guiltv of
voluntary manslaughter. Creameans
then filed his petition asking that the
forty months he served in the Mason
county jail be deducted from his sen
tence.
The case had the full and earnest
consideration of the ]>ardon attornev.
The relatives of the boy made pa
thetic appeals for clemency and the
trial Judge and the Prosecuting At
torney advised against the extension
of the clemency. The crime of which
Tie was convicted was very serious
and it wasjbelieved that the youth of
the defendant was taken into consid
eration by the jury which found him
guilty.
STATE MEETING OF PHYSICIANS.
The state board ofhealth will hold
their annualfmeeting at Parkersburg,
Nov. 9, 10 and 11, the main feature
of the meeting will be the examin
ing of many applicants for practicing
medicine in this state. The meet
ing will be held at the Chancelloi
Hotel.
VETERANS DYING RAPIDLY.
Washington, |D. C., Oct. 27.?
Death's invasion of the ranks of vet
erans caused 48,312 names to tx
dropped from the pension rolls ofth<
United States last year. Of thfc
number, 82,831 were survivors o
the Civil War. The total loss of the
pension roll from all was 51 ?
681.
Sunday was an ideal autumn day
Aunt Polly's " family has been a j
Patriotic one. Her fkther was a sol
dier in the war of 1818 and receivedj
a quarter section of land in reward i
for his services. He lived until he
was nearly 100,-earsold. He raised!
j 11 children, all of whom have cross- '
<d to the other side except your Aunt:
? Polly
Mrs. Dewees was first married to
a man named Board. Three child-1
: ren were born to this union. All are i
dead. She was married to Isaac N.
N. Dewees after the death of her;
first husband, and to them were born
six children. She had four sons fn :
the Union army. At present she
lives with W. S. Dewees, one of her I
two surviving sons, near Mt. Alto,:
in Athens county, O. Another son,' i
Melvin M. Dewees, took high hon- 1
ors in photography at the Chicago
World's Fair 1S9S. ?
Mrs. Dewees has 14 grandchildren,
19 /treat-grandchildren and one great
great-grandchild, now two vears old
"Aunt Polly" is good for many
vears, so says she, so say her neigh
1 bors.
BODY OF SUICIDE RECOVERED YES
TERDAY.
| The towboat Sam Brown, [wirt of
the coal fleet which p^sed here
Thursday, was delayed for several
i hours on account of a tragedy enact
I cd here. Just as the boat passed
under the Ohio river bridge John
Gaybeak, a boatman, leaped over
board and drifted under one of the
| barges and drowned.
! Graybeak's body was found near
? Glen-wood yesterday*.
i When the man leaped from the
deck of the boat a stop was made
and several houre were spent in try
ing to recover the body of the drown-1
ed man. All efforts were fruitless,!
however, and t!\e boat proceeded in !
the wake of the remainder of the
fleet.
Other members of the crew stated ,
that Gravbeak had been drinking'
heavily. He had made two other at- j
tempts to drown himself on the trip, i
it is said, but had been recovered by!
the boatmen. This time he passed !
under one of the barges almost im
mediately after striking the water1
; and rescue was impossible.
The unfortunate man's home was |
at Pittsburg, and the body will prob-1
ably be sent there.
BROWS PENSIONS j
THE FOLLOWING ISA LIST OF PEN
SIONS RECENTLY ALLOWED.
Thomas J. Sampson, of Glen wood,
j inc"?se of pension from $17 to ?24
? per month.
Nancy B. Fisher, widow of Gideon
Fisher, of Buffalo, W. Va., widows
original pension of $12 from Julv S
1909. ' '
Jerome Plants, of Greer, increase
jof pension from $12 to SlT per
month.
Lewis D. Allen, of Point Pleasant,
increase of pension from $17 to ?24
per month.
I Sarah J. Martin, widow of Preston
Martin, of Ben Lomond, accrued
pension due her deceased husband at
date of death.
Henrietta Johnson, widow of Asa
| S. Johnson, of Condee, widows origi
nal pension of ?12 per month, from
July 21, 1909, also the accrued pen
sion due her deceased husband at
date of his death.
The baptism of a young lady in
j the Ohio river last Sunday nigkt, at
1 North Point Pleasant, drew quite a
large gathering.
Every subscriber should closely ex
amine the label on their paper.
GOOD PRICES
FOR TOBACCO
WEST TOBOA CMC H MM.
ESCE AS PRODUCER.
A dispatch from Hootiii]iton s*ys: I
Gradually coming into the lime light
daring the past five years as a tobac
co producing region, Southern West
Virginia has at last assumed suffici
ent importance in this respect to in
vite battle between, the trust and the
independent tobacco industries of the
country. Five years ago the tobac
co growing industry in this section
was so light that it attracted no'at
tention from the great tobacco cen- !
tens. The few hogsheads that were!
produced at that time were usually.
shipped to Louisville, by steamboat, j
where the product commanded a fair j
price, but such a thing as soliciting'
the crop had not been heard of.
This year, however, it is different.
Then the tobacco territory was con
fined to a slight acreage In Lincoln
county. Now there are great barns
of tobacco in Cabell, Putnam, Lin
coln, Mason and Wayne counties.
On one farm in Mason county, near
Gallipolis Fern-, a field of fifty acres
was grown. The tobacco cut in the
counties named will, this year, bring
an immense quantity of money into
this territory, and the quantity and
quality of the crop are such as to ex
cite the keenest interest among buy
ers for the big manufactories.
Henry Blumen, representing a
Lynchburg manufactory, arrived in
Huntington last night, and will spend
the next ten days in southern West
Virginia, engaging tobacco for his
firm. Letters received by local grow
ers indicate that two representatives
of the American Tobacco Company
will be here Wednesday, and then
will be started the race between the
trust and the independents fbi' the
capture of the West Virginia crop.
The Lynchburg man, having two
days advantage of the trust men,
will probably succeed in making a
number of heavy purchases before I
his rivals come on the scene, but
when they do come it will be two toi
one for the trust men, and they will
be able to cover twice as much ter-!
ritorv as their rival.
Many farmers seem to be disposed !
to hold their crops, believing that
prices will advance betore the first of
the year. The West Virginia pro
duct this year, compares favorably j
with the crops of the long-tried to-!
bacco growing sections of the coun- '
try, and the prices offered are al
ready considered fair.
Present conditions are such as to
demand the construction of a ware
house, somewhere in the West Vir
ginia district, and various parties now j
have this project under considera
tion. It is looked upon as an abso- '
lute certainty that a warehouse of lib
eral dimensions will be erected either
at Point Pleasant or Huntington.
Huntington, all concede, is the logi
cal location for the warehouse, but
there seems to be a prospect that
Point Pleasant will also erect one,
and will act independent of any ac
tion that Huntington may take.
Last week three barn burnings oc
curred in West Virginia, one of the
i barns burned, and the biggest of the
three, was in Mason county, another
in Putnam, and a small barn in Lin
coln county. There has been some
; speculation as to the origin of these
j fires. Incendiarism is strongly sus
pectcd in two of the cases, but per
; sonal grievances are believed to have
I been the motive, and not any feel
I ing with reference to the troubles
; which have agitated the Kentucky
and Tennessee tobacco regions.
?
Coxey, who marched to Washing
ton some years ago with an army of
unemployed, is now riding in an
automobile.
There is a widespread movement
all over the country for improved
highways. There is certainly a great
need for better highways.
IMPROVED WATERWAYS.
. ? ?*
The culmination of tie campaign
for improved waterways will be,
reached in Washington, D. C., when!
the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress meets December next. ;
President Taft, who will be the cen
! tral figure at this national conven
tion, has made more extensive plans
for a personal inspection of the rivers
and canals of the United States than
any other chief executive in the his
i tory of the country. He ? not only
nuking a water trip from St. Louis to
New Orleans to be present at the
Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterway conven
tion, but * ill be in Norfolk, Va.,and
deliver an address before the Atlantic
Deep Waterways convention. These
two conventions represent particular
projects for waterway development
and naturally precede the National
Rivers and Harbors convention, which
for a number of years hits been meet
ing in the capital city of the nation.
President Taft will have as his as
sociates on a most extensive program:
two members of the cabinet, Secre
tary Dickinson, of the "war depart
ment of commerce and labor, both of
whom, by reason of the portfolios
which they hold are intimately asso
ciated with the waterways of the
country. In addition to these distin
guished citizens, addresses will be
made by the German ambassador,
Count J. H. von Bernstorff; Governor
i Judson S. Harmon, of Ohio; Governor
Hadlev, of Missouri, and editors of
leading newspapers representing the
several sections of the country. It is
also expected that in view of the prom
inence of this national convention,
whose one object is to improve the
waterways of the United States, that i
the Canadian government will be rep
resented either by Sir Wilfred Laurier,
premier, or Earl Gray, the governor
! general, efiorts with that end in view
being already under way.
! ""f15ie*object of the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress is to educatc
the people to the importance of the
fact that the national government,
having assumed the control and im
provement of the riven and harbors
of the country, is unequivocally bound
to discharge these obligations prompt
ly and by sound business methods,
that the great natural waterways may
be made to do their share in the
work of transportation.
Interest in the forthcoming conven
tion is on the increase and it is con
fidently believed in the capital that
there will be 5,000 delegates in at
tendance, Secretary Frank Ellison of
the congress having assurances from
governors of states, mayors of cities
and officials of commercial bodies that
the movement for a broad ond com
prehensive policy of waterway devel- !
opment is spreading throughout the
country, due in large part to the cam
paign inaugurated by the National
I Rivers and Harbors Ccngress.?Padu
cah News-Democrat.
APPEALS TO ALL CLASSES.
Searching the realm of fiction for
j material for a great play, Mrs. South
worth's "The Hidden Hand," ap
, ]>ears to many to offer more fine op
! portunities than any other story. It
appealed so strongly to one of the
leading modern actors, Eugene
Moore, that he made a new drama
tization. This new drama of "The
Hidden Hand" was immediately pro
duced by Fred G. Conrad, owner of
numerous successful attractions, and
will be seen at HoofTs Opera House, j
Nov. 9th.
With the madcap Capitola and the
arch-villian of stage villains. Black
Donald, as the leading strong dram
atic characters Mr. Mooreevident
ly has constructed a drama chock
full of American life. Comedy,
pathos and romance arc constant,
rivals for the interest of the audience.
The picturesque Bine Ridge Moun
tain scenery is cleverly reproduced.
When a man prolongs _his hand
shakes with a modest girl it is apt to
make her blush.
MM FROM TREES
CABLE GOCNTYIANTO REVOLUTIONIZE
DAIRY BUSINESS. j
'> '
According to the Huntington Ad- j
vertiser, t Cabell county man intends
to revolutioni*e the dairy industry of
that county. He proposes to furnish
his patrons with cowless milk, and j
there will not be a single cow in hisj
heard, if it can be called a herd. His!
product will be purely vegetable, but:
he will probably have to consult the j
pure food law before he *ells it as j
milk, that is, as milk as it is commonly j
understood. Instead pf herds of cattjf, i
the gentle bossie will be absent. In'
her place, his dairy will consist of an
orchard of trees, and milking will be
the simple process of making an in
cision in the bark of tree and catch
ing the precious fluid in pails. The ^
product is pure vegetable milk, rich
and nutritious and a valuable food
product, but there is some question
as to its buttermaking capabilities.
Any rate, there is no danger of the
existing dairies going out of business
all at once, or even soon. The Adver
tiser savs:
"There stands in the lobby of the
Huntington theater one of the most
remarkable specimens of the world s
flora ever discovered. The scientific
name of this plant would be under
stood bv so few that it is omitted
here, and the less technical term of
milk tree is substituted. The speci- j
men now on exhibition is about eight
ieet in height and the main bole is
two inches in diameter. Beginning
at a height of one foot from the root,
a myriad of sponge-like branches
strike out from every direction. In
spite of the number and size of these
offshoots, the tree maintains its size
until near the top, where an umbrella
like canopy of branches spreads above, j
"The specimen now on exhibition ^
is potted, but the tree is quite capable,
of surviving in the open. The milk
tree is aptly named. By making an
incision in one of the branches asteady
flow of rich, thick milk, breaks forth,
the sack-like bark seeming to be
almost to the bursting point with the
milky fluid.
"This much for description of the \
plant iself.
"Mr. Gainer, manager of the thea
ter. is the owner of the plant. It j
* # ;
has been demonstrated that the main
branches, if clipped close to the
body of the tree, will live if planted
in moist earth, take root and grow j
with remarkable rapidity. It is said !
that a full-grown tree, if properly
cared for, will produce four quarts of
rich milk a day. This product is
palatable, and a chemical analysis I
shows it to be entirely wholesome.
"Mr.Gainer recently purchased a!
number of lots and it is said by some
of his closest friends that he intends
to establish a milk ranch, upon]
which he will grow the milk tree and j
market its product. Mr. Gainer owns j
two lots, each 30x200 feet. It is j
estimated that this space will accom-1
modate 4,000 milk trees of average!
size. With this number of trees!
showing a production of four quarts
daily the output of the 'rauch would
approximate 8,000 gallons per day.
'"The butter making qualities of
the fluid have uot yet been tested.
One milk tree required as much water
as the average cow, but one of the1
peculiar qualities of its product is that
it absolutely refuses to coalesce with
water. The instant water is poured
into the fluid a sort of rubber shield
I forms on the surface leaving the water
standing clear above.
WEDDING.
' Invitations are out for the wed
ding of Miss Ennalia Van Denmanto
Hon. James Capehart, of Point Pleas
ant, W. Va., to occur on Thursday
evening, November 4, at 6 :S0 o'clock
at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, fol
lowed by a reception at the home of
parents, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Van
Denman, on North Sandusky street.
Delaware, O.?Cincinnati Enquirer.
BREWERYLICENSE
GRANTED BY CHARLESTON COUNCIL
WITH CERTAIN RESIRJCITONi
$83;
s
V$>Sa
m
'?4
'w
Councilmen Stephenson and Robins
voted last night to allow the brewery
here to run, providing none of theit
product is sold in Kanawha county
I am a dry man and don't ? like tc
see whiskey or beer sold at all, bat I
am not so radical as to want to des
troy peoples' property," said Coun
cilman Sam Stephenson at the meet
ing of the city council last night.
And if the brewery people give us
a pledge not to sell their product in
Kanawha county and if certain of the
wet ' councilmen whom I know and
whose word I would just as soon
have as a gold bond, will stand by us
in refusing them license in 19J0 it
they break their promise, I will
change my vote." Mr. Stephenson :
concluded in speaking of the request "
of the Kanawna Brewing Company
that the council concur with the 4
board of affairs in granting the license.
At a former meeting of the city
council the vote on granting the p
brewery license stood SO to 20, but
the announcement of the vote was
postponed until last night in orter to
allow Councilmen Stephenson and
Robins and others to investigate the
justice of the brewer's claims. After
much discussion at the meeting
Messrs. Stephenson and Rob'ins ? ere
fully satisfied that the brewers would
not break their word and changed
their,votes to grant the company
license if they would execute a writ
ten agreement not to sell their pro- V.i
duct in this city or county.
The votes was then announced by
President MacCorkle as being 22 to
18 in favor of license for the brewery. VK
Much Discussion.
When the brewery question came
up Mr. Stephenson arose and explain*
ed his position. He said .he was at
heart a dry man and did not believe
in the liquor traffic, but that he also ~
believed the brewers who came to
this city and have invested more than
$800,000 in a business here had a
right to some consideration, and that
if they did not sell in dry territory
and disposed of their product where
the traffic is licensed they cannot in
jure the city and will have some
chance to prevent their investment
from becoming a total loss to them.
Mr. Stephenson made the stipula
tion, however, that he would have to
have the pgpmise of the wet council
men that if the brewers violated the
treaty" that all would see to it that
they receive no license in 1910.
Captain S. B. Avis, on behalf ot
the brewers, addressed the council.
He said that the brewers had proved
themselves to be good citizens, law !
abiding and conservative and that
with the future of their business at
stake not only would not, but could
not afford to break their word. He
| said, moreover, that they will be glad
for the people to closely observe the
way they will keep faith with the
; parties to the agreement.
| Mr. Stephenson asked for a roll
call of the " wets'' present who would I
stand by the agreement with the
brewers and the following members
declared with Messrs. Stephenson
| and Robins that if the brewers vio
! lated the agreement they would see
j that no license be granted them in
1910: Carr, Carrol, Daniels, Frist,
Gardner, Gebbart, Grosscup, Isccas,
Jeffers, Leaehman, Froth, N'earman,
Popp Slack, Smith, Stuart, Scherr
jantJ MacCorkle. Mr. Singleton did
not vote, saying he was a wet man
and would not bind himself br any
promise.
The brewing company will probab
ly be given license today.?Charles
ton Daily Gazette.
Justice Peckham having been re
moved by death from the federal
supreme bench the Parkersburg Dis
patch-News names Judge Alston G.
Dayton as a suitable man to succeed
him. Dayton is all right, but we
believe most West Virginians would
rather see Judge Goff promoted to
this office.
M
i