Norman Price's Handwritten Notes

 

Norman Price's Handwritten Notes: A Glimpse into Local History and Personal Reflections

The provided document, "Norman Price Handwritten Notes_Part2.pdf," offers a window into the past, detailing personal recollections, observations of local figures, and reflections on historical events. The notes appear to be a personal journal, capturing anecdotes and character sketches from a specific period and locality.

Key Individuals and Families:

The Rucker Family:

• Mrs. Elizabeth Leatt Rucker is described as a handsome lady of large frame and mother of three, possibly a native of Amherst County. She was literate, even considered a genius, but also characterized as dissolute and unfaithful.
• Her husband, an attorney, and Mrs. Rucker had a married life in Hunter and Marlinton spanning about forty years, marked by frequent separations and affairs. On more than one occasion, Mrs. Rucker was seen driving a team of two bay horses with her three daughters in the family chariot, prompting village remarks about her leaving her husband.
• During separations, Mr. Rucker reportedly went to Lewisburg. Reconciliations would occur, and Mrs. Rucker and the children would return home.
• One such incident around 1907 saw Mrs. Rucker take a small boarding house in Norfolk, Virginia, possibly due to a recession or public indifference to a venture that ultimately failed, leading to her return to Marlinton. On another occasion, she moved as far as Maple, Alabama, for secretarial work but returned around 1912 to reside with her husband until his death in 1924.
• Mr. Rucker was noted to not drink to excess and educated his daughters. As a lawyer, he refused cases such as defending murder if he believed the accused was guilty, and was particular about the grounds for divorce. In his later years, Mr. Rucker converted his office into a "Poker Palace," initially a resort for fellow attorneys and gentlemen, but it eventually declined into a gambling den frequented by lumberjacks and others, with betting on drinks.
• There are mentions of Mrs. Rucker leaving again after her husband's death, possibly to Alabama, and efforts to dispose of household goods to cover debts.

Wallace Lange:

• A friend and boyhood mate of the author, Wallace Lange lived a retired life in Marlinton, supported mostly by Social Security. He was married to Mary, who recently died.
• For many years, Wallace was a woodsman with a proficiency for cards. When questioned about playing poker at Rucker's apartment, he admitted to playing but denied playing commercially, stating Rucker provided cards, light, and heat. The jury found no indictment.
• He is described as correct in his language despite not being regularly schooled, possessing intelligence that could have made him a leader. He lived on a hill in West Marlinton and was granted a long life after an active one in the woods and mountains.

The Buzzard Family:

• Joseph H. Buzzard (1862-1942) was born on Anthony's Creek, the son of a Confederate soldier. In his early life, his leg was fractured, and though amputation was debated, he recovered but walked with a distorted gait. Intelligent and personable, he used his crippling adversity as an asset. He served several terms as a respected assessor of Pocahontas County and for more than two terms as treasurer/sheriff. He married Jemima Alderman, a noted belle of Anthony's Creek.
• Jemima Alderman Buzzard (died 1958, aged 96) was a personal friend of the author. She was described as having good sense, strong character, and was often found barefoot in her house or garden in the summer. Strong and capable even in advanced years, she would walk several miles to visit her daughter. The author was once called to treat her for injuries (several fractured ribs) sustained while helping corral a wild cow. She was an independent, intelligent, and strong-minded woman.
• The Buzzard family endured tragedy: their eldest son, Joseph, a sergeant in the army in France, was killed in a brawl with a French soldier after the armistice in 1918. Another son, Harry, a veteran, died by a self-inflicted rifle shot in 1940, attributed to a fit of depression.
• Joseph H. Buzzard was repeatedly elected Assessor of Pocahontas County and later Sheriff. He was not a large landowner despite opportunities. His last years were encumbered by losses in a feed and supply business partnership. His death was sudden; he was found dead in his bed, clothed. He was self-educated, a reader, and a writer.
• His son, Rodney Buzzard, lived (as of 1960), diverged politically, and was elected Republican Sheriff of Pocahontas County. Rodney Buzzard served acceptably during the third decade of the century. He later lived aged and alone in his small house near Huntersville.
• Bill Buzzard (William Buzzard), grandson of Joseph H. Buzzard, was a sober, industrious, and intelligent young man running for Sheriff (as of 1960), an office once held by his father and grandfather. He resided on his ancestral acres on Cummings Creek near Huntersville, farming and delivering the Pocahontas Times-Herald.

Dr. George Ervine:

• Dr. Ervine and his wife Mary reared a large family on a portion of ancestral land. A man of native genius, he early gave study to medicine and surgery. He was credited with the "discovery" of Cedar oil as a botanical medicine, distilling it from cedar trees, a venture that required long absences from home.
• He developed skill in extracting teeth, using a single right-angled forceps.
• The notes recount finding Dr. Ervine's body on a railway track on Knapps Creek, apparently dragged by a train. An autopsy was demanded by his sons, and the author, as Physician-Coroner, determined the death was probably caused by the train, though some days before discovery.
• Dr. Ervine would occasionally recite verse describing his profession as a botanist, surgeon, and tooth-drawer. He was never a drunkard or "dope fiend".
• His son, George Ervine Jr., while quarrying stone, suffered a fatal accident when a large flat stone he was moving fell on him, causing multiple fractures and internal hemorrhage. Another son, Edward Ervine, was struck by lightning in July 1937 while working as a farm hand; the lightning strike was described as a "fireball". He survived the initial shock.

The Avestasio Family:

• An Italian family, likely immigrants, who attempted to create a "Little Italy" at Big Run. Mr. and Mrs. Avestasio labored in middle age to build their settlement. They were described as unlearned in "bookish lore" but rich in living, with travel and good sense written on their faces. Mrs. Avestasio had a "Madonna-like face".
• Their venture at Big Run did not endure with the onset of the "auto age" in the 1930s, which brought idleness, extravagance, and debt. The integration of the younger generation with a predominantly Protestant local population bewildered the devout Catholic elders.
• Tragedy struck when Patsey Avestasio, presumably a son, incurred debts for autos and killed himself. His body rests at Cemetery Ridge, marked by a handsome cross. Mrs. Avestasio (Quiti) also passed away.

Personal Reflections and Local Observations:

• Dental Practices: The notes include a detailed section on "Early Dental Practice". The author recounts his own dental experiences, including having two molars drawn without anesthetic around 1885. He mentions a skilled artisan, Purtzer, who made a full set of dentures for his mother around 1880. He also describes visiting Dr. James H. Weymouth, a dentist practicing at the home of Mr. Clark Kellison on Dry Branch of Knapps Creek, who filled several of the author's teeth with gold in 1891. Other local figures involved in tooth extraction are mentioned, including brothers John Wesley Ervine and George Ervine (Dr. Ervine's father).
• Historical Events: There are passing references to Prohibition and the difficulties it created, and the economic hardships of the Depression era, including bank closings (the "Bank Holiday" of 1933) and the low value of cash. The author notes his own financial struggles during this period, despite maintaining a medical practice and other activities. He also mentions the "Bonus Army" march on Washington in 1932 and its dispersal by troops under General Douglas MacArthur.
• Personal Health: The author details a struggle with an allergic dermatitis affecting his face and hands around 1932-1933, which he eventually diagnosed as an allergy to tobacco. He found relief by ceasing shaving and applying a "healing meddlement".
• Nature and Weather: The notes frequently include observations about the weather, seasons, and local flora, such as the freezing of water, snow, frost, and the state of rivers and foliage.
• Local Landmarks and Life: Descriptions of local places like Price Hill, various creeks, and the general landscape feature throughout the notes. There are also mentions of community events, such as the opening of a bridge.

These handwritten notes provide a rich, albeit fragmented, tapestry of life in a particular community, highlighting the characters, struggles, and everyday occurrences of a bygone era.

Note:  Transcription experimental and subject to error.