The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-01-18
News OF 1909 Is Revealed By
Old Issue OF Ashe Recorder
Paper Belonging to Fred Col
ward Contains Many It.
ems of Interest.

PASAAoAA(A 4NSNs ASSSi
recently brought to the office OF
The Skyland Post, by Fred Col
ward, reveals many interesting
facts about conditions 80 years
ago, which are now greatly
changed.
T. w. Adams, who was publish
er, issued four page paper
which differed greatly in appear
ance from the paper today, chief
ly because it was all hand-set
type, and because the use OF
headlines, and display type ir
advertisements had not come into
popular usage at that time.
One of the most interesting
items regarding progress, which
appeared in the paper, was in
connection with a proposed rail-
road. Of that the editor writes:
1T was argued by those who
were opposed to the late railroad
proposition, that the proposed
railroad would not give us good
market for our produce, said we
needed a southern market. The
week after the railroad election
Mr.. w. E. Eller took a load of
cabbage and chestnuts to North
Wilkesboro and got Csc per humid
red for the cabbage and ST per
bushel for the chestnuts The
week following he took a load
of cabbage and chestnuts to
Damascus, Va, and got 81. per
hundred for the cabbage and 1Oc
per quart for the chestnuts. This
it seems would answer such argu-
ment and shows that absurd and
foolish arguments were used
against the proposition"
An another interesting COM
ment from the Laurel Springs
News, on the railroad is as fol-
lows:
"In as much as a railroad seems
to be slow in coming to Ashe,
should not the people make the
best of what they have anyway?
For instance scatter some good
jacks over the county-raised
good calves instead of scrubs
continue to raise good horses
raise more or less on land? We
believe that if this does not bring
the road it will not retard its
progress, but that it will make
the people more prosperous while
the railroad develops itself"
Interest in the cattle business
was developed at that time.
Among other news items from
Laurel Springs is notice that
"Doughton and Bledsoe shipped
a car load of cattle Monday" The
items also state that wv. A. Fend-
err, of Whitehead. brought a load
cattle into the village Saturday"
Ashe county evidently had its
temperance troubles at that time.
One of the largest advertisements
in the paper was that Of Sunny
brook pure food Whiskey," which
was carried on the front page of
the paper. The beverage was
advertised at SIS per quart.
A news item regarding whiskey
bears the following head "a Bold
Bad Klockader in Jaip', which is
proof that even 80 years ago
papers frequently made typo
graphical errors. The articles
states:
News comes from Sparta, AL
legheny county, that revenue Of
ficers, Harkins, Miller, Reynolds,
and Haynes together with Deputy
Sheriff Robert Conner. of Surry,
captured Ray KILN at his home
near Murphy's Gap, on the Blue
Ridge. He has the reputation OF
being the most noted blockader
in this State, and for many years
has been a terror to all of that
section. 1t has been reported that
KILN boasted that God might
make him stop making liquor
but men and laws never would
KILN is now in Wilkesboro Jail
awaiting trial. A large still and
about 1000 gallon of beer were
destroyed"
Interest in highways was deve-
Looping at that time. The paper
carries a notice that ''the stock.
holders of the Wilkesboro and
Jefferson Turnpike Company are
requested to meet in Jefferson or
the Is of November at 2 o'clock
P. M. The notice is signed by
John Dent.
One would assume that ever
in the good old days of 1909 the
churches had some difficulty ir
raising their quotas. Under the
head of Notice, is the follow
ing. 'The pastor of the Jefferson
Methodist church takes this OPP
portunity to write all of thu
members and friends to attenc
services next Sunday morning
.nd ni0ht thew are the cloSins