Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-09-07
w. C. YOUNG's LETTER.

| DNai AAi. 1SoieOis
1t has been so long since last
wrote you that will not try to apollo.
Igize for my seeming neglect, or for.
getfulness. That l am neglectful,
will not deny, but MS to forgetful-
ness, whilst my memory is not as
good, generally speaking, as it once
was, yet there are some things | will
never forget. The memories of Taze-
we'll and the many friends l left be-
hind will always be dear to me and
it is through the columns of. this pa
pei. that manage to keep in touch
with them, but they do not always
bring me glad tidings, for so often |
see notices of the passing of some
friend, or acquaintance, that bring
the feeling of sorrow and regret.
Notably among these Of recent men
ton was the death of my friend,
Frank Moss, the stalwart oak of
Burke's Garden, whose success and
usefulness in life is crowning mon
ument TO his memory, and the victims
OF the automobile accident near Oak
vale, two of whom were the daught-
ers and grand-daughters of two of
my best friends. Those deadly autos
vii they never let up on the fright
full toll of death they daily exact!
One sees accounts Of them here in ey-
cry paper you chance to read. As for
myself, never ride in one. I had rath-
er take chances in fooling with a
loaded gun, or the business end of n
kicking mule, for would then know
what to expect, but with an auto it
is different, for the blamed thing
run along so nice and smooth, gain
ing your confidence, and making YOU
think you are as safe us a "coon in
a cliff" until 1t gets you where it
wants you. generally q twenty-five
or fifty foot cliff or embankment, and
then the first thing you know you
know nothing, and nightly little Of
that. have read with much Interest
and pleasure your account of your
visit to TT. Oglethorpa, and / would
like to see you and shake your hand,
Tor now, for the first time since
have known you, we stand together.
Formerly we were Democrats, and
Republicans, but now we are Amer
leans, with no uncertain sound).
standing squnrely behind our Presi-
dent, and Uncle Samn doing the best
we can, by lifting up our voices and
giving our sons to help him in his
time of need. and ] dare say that Ii
Father Time" would knock off thirty
live years and set us back us we were
then, that we both would be with the
boys.
Archie left one month ago today
for Fort Stevens, ut the mouth of the
Columbia river with the Oregon
Coast Artillery to which regiment he
belongs. John Is fireman on he
Southern Pacific and is aow our main
dependence, but he is wanting to get
into the navy: and is trying to figure
out how his grand mother and could
get along without him. If could see
you could tell you many things not
seen in the papers, told by wounded
Americans returned from the war, of
the atrocities perpetrated on the peo-
pie of Belgium, and France by the
German soldiers, of mutilations and
debauchery, horrible almost beyond
belief, but there is so much partial
proof of its truth here in this city in
the Belgium children sent here,
where the boys have both of their
hands cut off, that no one can dispute
or fail to believe that it is all too
true. Verify, it would have been bet
ter for them had they never been
born, for there are some things more
horrible than death. II this is not q
humanity, and does not bring down
the wrath of Heaven on the Kaiser,
then all have to say is that Bro. ].
N. Harman need not worry over the
Almighty showering his wrath on us,
because His name was omitted from
our Constitution, or some other of
fetal document. When you last saw
me, do not think / was especially
noted for my piety, but times have
changed since the war commenced and
now when am not playing the fiddle,
or otherwise engaged, / put in good
deal of my spare time in blessing lin
my own peculiar way), the Kaiser in
particular, the Germans in general,
and the 1. w. WIS, that diseased
bunch of humanity, cancers in the
stomach of our nation and others who
ought to lie wiped out according tu
MIR. Elihu Roots notion, for he had the
right idea, and take it from me, / can
do it to the Queens taste" 1t is
the only one of my many virtues that
| am egotistical about, but of this
speciality, | am not far short of n past
master, real professor; if you could
hear it would put sweet taste in
your mouth. do it by note from low
G to the highest note in the gamut,
in all the sharps, flats, major and mi
nor scales, with various and sundry
grace notes, and variations, and if
my invocations could be heard and
answered the Germans would have
no need to worry over the scarcity
and high price of fuel this winter, and
the war would soon end.
Since the rain stopped in the latter
part of June, we have had no rain, ana
everything is burnt up and dry as
tinder. The drouth had done almost
incalculable damage to the crops in
this State and those of Idaho. Wash
ington and Montana, and the damage
from forest fires will never be known,
as they are more numerous than ever
Laf<.,.. L., Il.a a