West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-09-23
Letter from Judge Shaw
EScASro. CAL. Sept. 6, 1915

ENoANfo, CAL., sept. y, lyio
Dear Argus:
L wrote you some time since, bu, per-
haps my letter miscarried, "a il was not
published. On August 81 Mrs. Shaw and
myself received a terrible shock by
telegram from Duquesne. Pa. informing
us that her son, David Reay Wiedman,
was instantly killed on that date. II was
too FAR for us to reach there i'm time, aud
Mrs. Shaw was Frustrated, so that she
was unable TO travel, therefore were COM
PEELED to remain In suspense for week
before letter could reach us. He WAS
electrician in the Merchant Mills of the
Carnegie Steel Works, and at the noon
hour had gotten between two motors
just when the mill started. The voltage
was 30 great that il drew his arm against
the motor and 5000 volts passed through
his body. The mill had to be stopped
before they could reach him. They car
ried him to the hospital and used three
pulmometers and 800 worth OF oxygen,
but all TO no purpose. He died instantly.
lie was model young man, a membt r
OF the Baptist church and Sunday
school teacher. He leaves young wife
and son four years old. We all loved
him dearly. My BOYS did all they could
Tor us. Edward came fifty miles from his
camp in the mountains to be with ms in
our sorrow and they all loved Reay. He
left here and went east little more than
year ago and took work at Duquesne.
lie had just been promoted TO foreman
at $l35 per month. He was a grandson
OF David Weidman of Cassville, w. Va.
and OF @. l.. Reay and wife of Morgan
town. Two weeks before his death he
wrote his mother and to come east and
make our home with him. That @ was
young and strong and could make liy-
ing for US all. lie was just "a years old
at the time OF his death.
Mrs. Shaw and l will go TO Oaksnitis
to the camp and may remain all winter.
L think we need the change. Edward is
running his mill in his timber contract,
but his trucks have not arrived yet to
begin the delivery. He thinks it may
take five years to complete the contract
The trucks and trailers will have to make
ninety-five miles to deliver one load per
day, but California has the best roads in
the United States and it is all down grade
We expect Mr.. McComas Murphy and
family OF Braxton county, West Virginia,
TO arrive here in October to make their
home. This will bring all my family but
two to California.
The exposition is holding three days
celebration OF Labor day. Tomorrow
Miss Tina Broadwlck is to drop 2. 900 feet
from an aeroplane, using an aerial life
preserver invented by her father. She
has frequently dropped 1000 feet at
North Island.
am looking daily for Mcclellan Hart
man and wife from Valley Point, as they
wrote me some time ago that they were
coming. MIR. j. u. Kelar likes San
| Diego very much. He visited me once
and am going to call on him again i'm a
few days. Living out of the city miss
seeing many visitors that have known.
MIR. John Liston informs me that Mrs.
Ashburn and Mrs. G.. G. Stone were IN
the city for several days, but they were
gone before / knew they were here. ANY
one wishing to find me can call Main SO j
on Sunset phone and get into communi-
cation with me.
The Mexicans in Lower California are
very peaceable, but in Arizona and Texas
they slip across the border and murder
and steal at great rate. The soldiers
and rangers are killing great many of
them, but they keep on coming. The
only thing that can stop 1t is to send
10000 men into Mexico and clean up
the whole business. 1t will have to be
done sooner or later, and it would be a
wise policy to stop it before any more
innocent people are killed by them.
They even torture our people whom they
capture. A few days ago they caught
two men and poured boiling water over
them and cut the soles off their feet be-
fore killing them. They are worse than
savages. We would be glad to see il
| ended. JIM. Shaw