This list reflects the unique intersection of the timber boom, the isolation of the Allegheny Mountains, and the transition into modernity that defined Pocahontas County, West Virginia, in the 1920s.
THE PASSING OF THE PASTORAL: A Special Municipal Report on the Regulation of Livestock, the Safety of the Public Highway, and the Sanitary Destiny of the Modern City
Date of Publication: October 18, 1926
Compiled By: The Bureau of Municipal Affairs & The City Desk
Subject: Proceedings of the Special Council Session regarding Ordinance No. 412 (The Livestock Prohibition Act)
SECTION I: THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE AND THE MUNICIPAL CROSSROADS
The Great Transition
The year is 1926, and the American city stands precariously balanced upon a fulcrum of history. We are witnessing the violent, noisy, and exhilarating birth of a new urban civilization, one forged in the fires of the internal combustion engine and scrubbed clean by the dictates of modern sanitation. It is a time when the "Jazz Age" clashes with the Victorian sensibilities of our fathers, when the flapper and the philosopher debate the merits of Freud and Ford, and when the very geography of our municipality is being redrawn by the invisible hand of Progress.
This report documents a pivotal moment in that transformation: the Special Session of the Town Council convened to decide the fate of the "Urban Barnyard." For generations, the presence of the cow, the pig, and the goat within our corporate limits has been a fact of life, accepted as readily as the rising sun or the turning of the seasons. The family cow was the "poor man's insurance policy," a provider of sustenance in lean times.1 The wandering pig was the unpaid scavenger of the streets, cleaning up the refuse of the household before the advent of the municipal garbage truck.2
However, the "Spirit of Maryland" and the "Chicagoland" boosterism that now permeates our local press demands a new identity.3 We are told by the scribes of the Baltimore Sun and the Chicago Tribune that a city cannot be great if it smells of the stable. We are told that we must "brand" ourselves as a metropolis of the future, a hub of commerce where the streets are paved for the Packard, not the pack mule. The roaming livestock, once a symbol of self-sufficiency, has been rebranded by the civic boosters as a badge of "backwardness," a remnant of a "Rube" culture that the modern sophisticated citizen must shed like a snake sheds its skin.4
The Scene at City Hall
The atmosphere in the Council Chambers on the night of the hearing was thick enough to be cut with a knife, heavy with the commingled scents of bay rum, stale tobacco, and the damp wool of the gallery spectators. It was a gathering that laid bare the social stratifications of our community.
On the left side of the aisle sat the proponents of the Ordinance: the members of the Chamber of Commerce, the Automobile Safety League, and the Federation of Women’s Clubs. These were the "Rotarians" and the "Babbitts," the men in celluloid collars who speak of "efficiency" and "civic pride." They arrived in sedans, parking their vehicles with the pride of ownership that defines the decade.6 They view the street as a "traffic artery," a conduit for commerce and speed, which must be kept clear of all obstructions, biological or otherwise.
On the right sat the opposition: the residents of the "River Ward," the drovers, the small-hold farmers from the fringes of town, and the laboring men for whom a quart of store-bought milk is a luxury they can ill afford. They arrived on foot or by streetcar. To them, the street is a "commons," a public space belonging to all, man and beast alike, by ancient English right.6 They view the banishment of the cow not as progress, but as a theft of their livelihood, a "squeeze play" orchestrated by the dairy monopolies and the real estate speculators.
The gallery was packed to the rafters. Young men in "cake-eater" suits jostled with weathered ranchers.7 Reporters from the local dailies sharpened their pencils, sensing that tonight would provide more than dry parliamentary procedure; it would provide the "human interest" stories of conflict and drama that sell papers in this golden age of journalism.8 The air crackled with the slang of the street—cries of "Applesauce!" and "Baloney!" rang out whenever a speaker made a point that smelled too strongly of hypocrisy.7
Mayor Sterling, a man whose political acumen is matched only by his girth, pounded the gavel. He looked out over the sea of faces—the "Booboisie" and the elite alike, as Mencken might call them 10—and called the meeting to order.
"Citizens," the Mayor bellowed, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "We are here to decide a question of grave importance. Shall we remain a village of the nineteenth century, or shall we stride boldly into the twentieth? The question before us is Ordinance 412: An Act to Prohibit the Running at Large of Livestock within the City Limits."
SECTION II: THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE URBAN ANIMAL
Before detailing the heated arguments of the night, it is essential to understand the history that brought us to this pass. The conflict between the city and the cow is not new; it is the inevitable friction of urbanization.
The Era of the Scavenger Pig and the Commons
In the early days of American urbanism, the animal was not merely a guest in the city; he was a municipal employee. As historical records from cities like New York and Philadelphia indicate, the free-roaming hog was the primary waste management system of the 18th and early 19th centuries.2 They ate the slop, the offal, and the garbage that would otherwise rot in the streets. In 1842, Charles Dickens marveled at the "gentlemen hogs" that strolled Broadway in New York, noting their confident air as they performed their sanitary duties.11
However, as the population density increased, the symbiotic relationship turned toxic. The "piggeries" became sources of stench and disease. The cows, grazed on the Boston Common or the public squares of smaller towns, became traffic hazards. By the late 19th century, cities like Montreal and Winnipeg were already passing bylaws to impound stray animals, employing police to capture hundreds of horses, cows, and pigs annually.12
The table below illustrates the historical progression of animal control measures in comparable municipalities, showing the slow but steady tightening of the noose around the urban livestock owner.
Table 1: Evolution of Municipal Animal Control (1870-1925)
The "Poor Man's Cow"
The defense of the urban animal has always been rooted in the economics of poverty. The goat and the cow were the "poor man's refrigerator," providing fresh milk and meat in an era before mechanical refrigeration was accessible to the working class.1 In the immigrant neighborhoods, the keeping of a goat was a cultural touchstone as well as an economic necessity. The milk was seen as superior to the often "swill milk" produced by the industrial distilleries-turned-dairies.13
As we entered the 1920s, however, the "poor man's cow" came into direct conflict with the "rich man's car." The cow requires land, or at least the tolerance of grazing on the roadside. The car requires a smooth, unobstructed pavement. The clash was inevitable. The transition from the "open range" to the "fenced city" is the physical manifestation of the transition from an agrarian republic to an industrial empire.14
SECTION III: THE INDICTMENT – SANITATION AND THE NEW PUBLIC HEALTH
The first phase of the Council meeting was dominated by the testimony of the health authorities. The arguments presented here reflect the growing power of the "expert" in municipal government—the doctor, the engineer, and the sanitarian who seek to manage the city like a machine.
Testimony of Dr. Thaddeus Miller, City Health Commissioner
Dr. Miller, a man of severe demeanor and impeccable credentials, took the floor to present the "Sanitary Case" against the cow. He spoke with the authority of the laboratory, invoking the invisible world of microbes to terrify the laymen in the audience.
"Gentlemen," Dr. Miller began, adjusting his spectacles. "We are no longer living in the dark ages. We know today that disease is not a curse from above, but a consequence of filth. The presence of livestock in a densely populated city is a biological crime."
He cited the pioneering work of sanitarians in New York and Boston, who established the link between animal manure and the proliferation of the house fly—the "Typhoid Fly," as it is now properly known.2
"Consider the cycle," Dr. Miller lectured, pointing to a chart that looked alarmingly like a battle map. "The cow deposits manure in the alley. The fly breeds in the manure. The fly then travels to the kitchen, landing on the baby's milk bottle or the family's butter. It carries on its feet the bacilli of typhoid, the germs of cholera, and the spores of tuberculosis. To allow a cow to roam the streets is to invite the Grim Reaper into our nurseries."
Dr. Miller presented statistics from the 1925 Health Report:
Typhoid Cases: 42 reported in the River Ward (where cows are common) vs. 3 in the Hill District (where they are banned).
Fly Count: Traps set near stables captured 10,000 flies in a single day, compared to fewer than 500 in the auto-centric suburbs.
Milk Safety: Samples taken from "backyard" cows often showed bacterial counts ten times higher than the pasteurized milk from the regulated dairies.12
"The argument is made," Miller continued, acknowledging the hecklers in the gallery, "that the cow is a friend to the poor. I say she is a false friend. She gives milk, yes, but she also gives tuberculosis. Bovine tuberculosis is rampant in unregulated herds, and it is transmissible to children. We have spent the last decade building sanitariums to treat the 'White Plague'.15 Shall we now undo that work by allowing infected animals to wander our thoroughfares?"
The Aesthetic Argument
Supporting Dr. Miller was Mrs. Eleanor Van Buren of the Civic Improvement League. Her argument was less about germs and more about the "City Beautiful" movement.
"We are trying to attract investment," Mrs. Van Buren declared, her voice trembling with indignation. "We are planting trees, we are paving sidewalks. And yet, one cannot walk down Main Street without stepping in... filth. We cannot have a 'Chicagoland' if we look like a stockyard.3 A modern city is a branded city. We must brand ourselves as clean, progressive, and refined. The wandering pig is a stain on our civic honor."
She recounted the horror of visiting dignitaries who were forced to dodge a drove of sheep on their way to the hotel. "It was mortifying," she said. "They asked if they had arrived in a capital city or a cow pasture."
SECTION IV: THE INDICTMENT – THE MOTOR AGE AND TRAFFIC SAFETY
If sanitation was the intellectual argument, traffic safety was the visceral one. The 1920s has seen the automobile transform from a toy of the rich to the backbone of American transport. The conflict between the 2,000-pound machine and the 1,000-pound animal is one of physics, and the results, as presented to the Council, were gory and compelling.
Testimony of Mr. J. Harrison Ford, Automobile Safety League
Mr. Ford, representing the interests of the motoring public, took the stand with the swagger of a man who knows the future is on his side. He spoke in the rapid-fire cadence of the new age, dismissing the "horse-and-buggy" thinking of the opposition.
"The street," Mr. Ford announced, "is for traffic. It is not a pasture. It is not a barn. It is a machine for movement."
He presented a dossier of accidents that silenced the room. In the 1920s, as speeds increased and roads improved, the collision between car and cow became not just a nuisance, but a fatality event.
"Just last month," Ford recounted, "on the highway to the north, a motorist driving a respectable 35 miles per hour struck a stray bull that had wandered onto the macadam. The result? The car was wrecked. The bull was killed. And the driver? He was thrown through the windshield. We have laws that protect the train from the cow—we fence the tracks.16 Why do we not protect the automobile?"
He cited the famous "Railway Incident" where a cow derailed a locomotive, causing the engine to crush the car and "mangle" the engineer.17 "If a locomotive cannot withstand the impact of a cow, how can a Ford Coupe? We are inviting death upon our citizens."
Table 2: The Rising Toll of the Road (Local Police Statistics, 1920-1926)
Note: Data compiled from local police blotters and hospital reports.18
The "Right to the Road"
The debate touched upon a fundamental shift in legal philosophy. In the 19th century, the "Jaywalker" did not exist; pedestrians and animals had the right of way.6 Mr. Ford argued that this "Common Law" was obsolete.
"The pedestrian and the drover must learn," he said, "that the street has changed. We are entering an era of regulation. We have stop signs. We have speed limits. We must also have 'Cow Limits.' A city that allows livestock to roam is a city that treats the automobile as an intruder, rather than the savior of our economy."
He referenced the "28 Hour Law" regarding the humane transport of cattle by rail and truck.19 "Even the federal government recognizes that cattle should be moved in vehicles, not driven on the hoof. The day of the cattle drive is over. The day of the cattle truck is here.16 Let us mandate that our streets be safe for the engines of commerce."
SECTION V: THE DEFENSE – TRADITION, POVERTY, AND THE "POOR MAN'S COW"
The proponents of the ban sat down to polite applause. But when Alderman Michael "Big Mike" O'Connor rose to speak, the gallery erupted in a roar that shook the dust from the chandeliers. O'Connor, representing the working-class wards, is a man of the people—a populist who speaks the language of the street and knows the price of bread.
Alderman O'Connor’s Rebuttal
"We have heard a lot of high-hat talk tonight," O'Connor boomed, hooking his thumbs in his suspenders. "We have heard about germs from the doctor who lives in a mansion on the Hill. We have heard about 'traffic arteries' from the man who sells automobiles. But I want to talk about the man who walks. I want to talk about the widow who feeds her children with the milk from her goat."
O'Connor launched into a passionate defense of the "Poor Man's Cow." He argued that the ordinance was a direct attack on the subsistence economy of the poor.
"You call it a 'nuisance,'" O'Connor sneered. "I call it survival. A quart of milk from the dairy wagon costs ten cents. That's a fortune to a family with six kids when the factory is laid off. The goat eats the grass in the alley. The goat gives milk for free. Now you want to tell that widow she is a criminal because her goat stepped on a piece of pavement?"
He invoked the "Poor Man's Milk" argument seen in global contexts, where the soybean and the goat are hailed as the saviors of the underclass.20 "The goat is the poor man's cow, the poor man's sheep, and the poor man's horse.13 To ban it is to starve the poor."
The Farmer and the Drover
Joining O'Connor was Mr. Jebediah Cance, a rancher from the outskirts. He spoke of the difficulty of moving stock in a world of fences.
"It used to be," Cance said, his voice raspy, "that a man could drive his herd to the market on the hoof. It was the way of the West. It was the way of America. Now you put up fences. You put up stop lights. You tell us we can't use the road our taxes paid for."
Cance argued that the "Stock Law" would force small farmers out of business. "You say use a truck? I can't afford a truck. If I can't walk my cows to the butcher, I can't sell 'em. You are handing the market to the big meatpackers, the ones with the fleets of trucks and the refrigerated cars.16 This law is a gift to the monopoly."
The "Class" Argument
The debate quickly turned from cows to class warfare. O'Connor accused the Council of trying to turn the city into a "Country Club" for the wealthy.
"You don't like the smell?" O'Connor shouted. "That smell is the smell of work! You want a city that smells like perfume and gasoline. Well, I tell you, you are building a city of 'Ritzies' and 'Cake-eaters'.4 You are pushing the working man out. You zone us out of our homes.2 You zone us out of our food. And now you want to fine us $2.00 if a cow gets loose? That's two days' wages!"
The crowd chanted "Applesauce!" and "Horsefeathers!" at the Mayor.10 The tension was palpable. The issue was not just the cow; it was the right to the city itself.
SECTION VI: THE ORDINANCE AND THE VOTE
As the clock neared midnight, the debate exhausted itself. The Mayor called for order and the City Attorney read the text of the proposed Ordinance. It was a document of sterile legalism, designed to crush the chaotic life of the street under the heel of bureaucracy.
Text of Ordinance No. 412
Article I: "It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly, willfully, or negligently permit any livestock (defined as cattle, horses, mules, swine, sheep, or goats) to run at large upon the public highways, streets, alleys, or commons of the City." 21
Article II: "The City Sheriff and the Pound-Keeper are hereby authorized to impound any such livestock found at large."
Article III: "The owner of impounded livestock shall be liable for a fee of $2.00 for the taking up of the animal, plus $1.00 per day for feed and care." 22
Article IV (The "Unknown Owner" Clause): "If the owner is unknown, notice shall be published in the daily newspaper for three days. If unclaimed, the animal shall be sold at public auction to satisfy the costs." 22
The Debate on the Fine
The $2.00 fine was a sticking point. Alderman O'Connor argued it was confiscatory. "You might as well steal the cow," he argued. "A man who lets his cow roam doesn't have two dollars."
Alderman Thorne, representing the wealthy First Ward, countered: "The fine must hurt. If it is a pittance, they will treat it as a grazing fee. We must teach them that the city is not a farm."
The Roll Call
The clerk called the roll. The room held its breath.
Alderman Thorne (Ward 1 - Wealthy): "Aye." (For the Auto).
Alderman Miller (Ward 2 - Business): "Aye." (For Sanitation).
Alderman O'Connor (Ward 3 - Labor): "Nay!" (For the Poor Man's Cow).
Alderman Schmidt (Ward 4 - Farming): "Nay." (For the Drover).
Alderman Higgins (Ward 5 - Suburban): "Aye." (For the Garden).
Alderman Wilson (Ward 6 - The New Development): "Aye."
The vote swung back and forth, reflecting the fractured identity of the city. Finally, it came down to the Council President, who cast the deciding vote.
"The time has come," he said somberly, "to choose the future. We cannot look backward. Aye."
The Final Tally: 7 Ayes, 5 Nays.
The gavel fell. The Ordinance passed. The era of the open range in the city was dead. The "Poor Man's Cow" was now a fugitive.
SECTION VII: AFTERMATH - "TOWN TOPICS" AND EDITORIAL OPINION
The passing of the ordinance was the headline of the morning papers, displacing even the latest rumors from the "Teapot Dome" scandal. The reaction was immediate and mixed, playing out in the editorial pages and the gossip columns.
Editorial: "The Forward March"
(From the Morning Gazette)
"The City Council has done its duty. By banning the roaming livestock, they have cleared the way for a greater, cleaner, and safer city. The sentimentalist may weep for the 'village days,' but the progressive citizen knows that a city cannot be half-pasture and half-pavement. We have chosen the pavement. We have chosen the automobile. We have chosen Health. Let the cow remain in the country, where she belongs. The city is for Men.".3
"Town Topics" & "City Briefs"
(A survey of the local gossip and news briefs) 23
Saunterings: It is whispered that Mrs. Vanderbilt-Jones was seen yesterday in a state of high agitation when her prize-winning poodle was nearly trampled by a runaway goat on High Street. She was heard to exclaim that the Council's vote came "not a moment too soon" to save the dignity of the neighborhood.
City Briefs:
Impounded: The Pound-Keeper reports a record business last night. Three mules and a jersey cow were taken into custody within an hour of the vote. The "lock-up" for livestock is full.
Protest: A group of "Dairymaids"—local wags dressed in drag with milk pails—serenaded the Mayor's house at midnight, singing "The Old Grey Mare She Ain't What She Used To Be".26
Accident: A collision occurred on the North Pike when a driver swerved to avoid a pig. The driver, Mr. Gatsby (no relation), was unhurt, but the car is a total loss. The pig escaped.17
Slang of the Day: The young people are calling the new ordinance the "Bee's Knees," while the old-timers call it "Banana Oil".9
Conclusion: The City of Tomorrow
As we look forward, the implications of Ordinance 412 are clear. The city has zoned itself into a new era. By excluding the animal, we have also excluded a way of life—the subsistence living of the immigrant and the poor. We have committed ourselves to the cash economy, to the grocery store, and to the dairy delivery truck.
We have made the city safe for the "Rattler" (the car) 4 and the "Flapper." We have banished the "Rube." The "Poor Man's Cow" has been replaced by the "Poor Man's Ford." Whether this trade-off will bring the happiness promised by the boosters remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: The silence of the streets this morning, broken only by the hum of engines and the honk of horns, tells us that the Pastoral Age is over. We are now, for better or worse, a Metropolis.
Report Filed: October 1926.
Status: Adopted.
APPENDIX A: A GLOSSARY OF THE DEBATE
To understand the Council Minutes, one must be fluent in the vernacular of 1926:
"Absotively": Absolutely and positively.7
"Applesauce": Nonsense; used to dismiss the Mayor's speeches.7
"Cheaters": Eyeglasses; worn by the Health Commissioner.9
"Mangled": The preferred journalistic term for the results of a car-cow collision.27
"Spifflicated": Drunk; the state of several hecklers in the gallery.9
"Tin Lizzie": The Ford automobile, the nemesis of the cow.
APPENDIX B: ACCIDENT DATA (Supplementary)
The rise in accidents was the primary driver of the legislation. In 1924 alone, the "mangled" bodies of livestock on the railway and highway cost the county over $5,000 in damages. The "cow-catcher" on the train is effective; the bumper on the automobile is not.27
Citations
1
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A report on the "Sheep Protective Association" meeting in Hillsboro to discuss rising coyote and stray dog attacks.
The announcement of the annual Pocahontas County Fair in Marlinton, highlighting the prize for the largest pumpkin.
A "Farm Bureau" column advising on the best fertilizers for high-altitude corn planting.
A classified ad for a local farmer seeking a "stout boy" for seasonal haying work.
News of a record-breaking cold snap damaging the apple blossoms in the Little Levels district.
A feature on the success of a local 4-H club’s livestock exhibition.
Results of the annual seed-corn testing at the Cass schoolhouse.
A public notice regarding the quarantine of cattle due to a "blackleg" outbreak.
An advertisement for the newest John Deere tractor model available at the local hardware store.
A human-interest story about a farmer who discovered a prehistoric mammoth tooth while plowing near Mill Point.
Timber & Industry
An update on the daily board-foot production at the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company mill in Cass.
A report on a "log jam" on the Greenbrier River and the efforts of the river drivers to clear it.
A notice of a new "logging camp" opening on Spruce Mountain, seeking 50 experienced sawyers.
An obituary for a local woodsman killed by a "widow-maker" (falling branch) in the backcountry.
A feature on the expansion of the Greenbrier, Cheat, and Elk Railroad line.
News of a boiler explosion at a portable sawmill near Durbin.
A report on the declining population of virgin red spruce in the high Alleghenies.
An advertisement for "heavy-duty logging boots" at the company store in Cass.
A legal notice regarding timber rights disputes between two prominent local families.
A story about the "log train" excursion offered to tourists during the summer months.
Crime & Prohibition
A report on a Sheriff's raid on a "moonshine still" hidden in the Cranberry Glades.
The arrest of a "rum-runner" caught driving a modified Model T on the Seneca Trail.
A court summary of a dispute over a boundary line that turned into a "fist-fight" at the post office.
A warning about "snake oil" salesmen operating out of a tent near the Marlinton bridge.
The mysterious disappearance of several prize-winning hounds from a farm in Huntersville.
A report on a "grand larceny" case involving the theft of copper wiring from the mill.
A public notice from the Sheriff regarding the "loitering" of young men near the pool hall.
A sensationalized account of a "shootout" between revenue agents and local bootleggers.
A report on the sentencing of a local man for "public intoxication" during the Christmas dance.
An editorial calling for more "law and order" following a series of chicken coop robberies.
Social & Church News
A detailed list of attendees and the menu for the "Ladies’ Aid Society" strawberry social.
The announcement of a "revival meeting" under a tent in the Greenbank district.
A "Personals" column noting that Miss Sarah Miller spent the weekend visiting relatives in Elkins.
A report on the wedding of a prominent local couple, describing the bride's dress in detail.
The schedule for the "itinerant preacher" visiting the outlying mountain chapels.
A notice for a "box supper" fundraiser to buy a new organ for the Presbyterian church.
A feature on the 90th birthday celebration of the county's oldest resident.
A report on the local "Woman’s Christian Temperance Union" (WCTU) meeting.
An invitation to the "Old Settlers' Reunion" at the fairgrounds.
A list of students who achieved "perfect attendance" at the Marlinton High School.
Health & Medicine
A warning from the County Health Officer about a localized outbreak of "scarlet fever."
An advertisement for "Dr. Miles’ Nervine" available at the local pharmacy.
A report on the arrival of the "traveling dentist" who will stay in town for one week.
A notice about the importance of "vaccinating children" before the start of the school term.
A human-interest story about a local midwife who has delivered over 500 babies in the mountains.
An update on the fundraising efforts to build a dedicated hospital in the county.
A column on the benefits of "mountain air" for those suffering from respiratory ailments.
A report on a "quarantine" placed on a household due to smallpox.
An advertisement for "electric belts" claiming to cure rheumatism and back pain.
A report on a local doctor’s harrowing midnight journey by horseback to treat a logging injury.
Infrastructure & Technology
News of the first "radio set" being installed in a local general store.
A report on the progress of "paving" the main street in Marlinton.
A public notice regarding the expansion of telephone lines to the more remote hollows.
An advertisement for "Delco-Light" systems for farms without access to the grid.
A complaint about the "deep ruts" and mud on the road between Marlinton and Lewisburg.
An announcement of a new "hydro-electric" project on the Greenbrier River.
A report on the arrival of the first "air-plane" to land in a local cow pasture.
A notice about the installation of new "street lamps" in the town center.
An editorial debating the merits of the "motor car" versus the reliable horse.
A report on the "telegraph office" moving to a new, larger location.
Nature & Environment
A sighting of a "black bear" wandering through the outskirts of Cass.
A report on the "trout fishing" conditions on the Williams River.
A feature on the unique flora of the "Cranberry Glades," described as a "botanical wonderland."
An account of a "forest fire" on Droop Mountain and the efforts of locals to fight it.
A report on the bounty paid for "timber wolf" or "panther" pelts (even if rare by then).
An update on the "chestnut blight" devastating the local hardwood forests.
A notice regarding the "closed season" for hunting white-tailed deer.
A story about a "meteor" sighted over the mountains on a clear Tuesday night.
A report on the "record high water" levels of the Greenbrier River after a spring thaw.
An advertisement for "trapping supplies" at the local hardware store.
Commerce & Economy
A report on the "market price" of wool, beef, and ginseng.
An advertisement for the "Grand Opening" of a new millinery shop in Marlinton.
A notice of a "public auction" of a deceased estate, including furniture and livestock.
A feature on the success of the "Pocahontas County Bank" despite national economic fluctuations.
An advertisement for "Sears, Roebuck & Co." catalog orders available for pickup.
A report on the "shortage of silver coins" in circulation at the local stores.
A notice from the "Marlinton Chamber of Commerce" inviting new businesses to the area.
An advertisement for "Ford Model T" cars starting at a new low price.
A report on the "ginseng harvest" and the high prices being paid by exporters.
A legal notice of "delinquent taxes" for several large tracts of mountain land.
Politics & Government
An announcement of a "political rally" for a candidate for the House of Delegates.
A report on the "Town Council" meeting discussing the roaming of livestock on city streets.
A notice regarding the "voter registration" deadline for the upcoming primary.
An editorial on the impact of the "Nineteenth Amendment" on local elections.
A report on the "State Road Commission’s" plan to improve the Seneca Trail.
A notice of a "public hearing" regarding the school board's budget.
A profile of the local "Postmaster" and his 20 years of service.
A report on the "Grand Jury" indictments for the current court term.
A notice regarding the "dog tax" and the requirement for all pets to be tagged.
An update on the "Veterans of Foreign Wars" (VFW) chapter’s Memorial Day plans.
Entertainment & Sports
A report on the "Marlinton vs. Richwood" high school football game.
An advertisement for a "silent movie" showing at the local opera house.
A notice of a "fiddlers’ convention" to be held at the schoolhouse.
A report on a "baseball game" between the Cass mill workers and the Durbin locals.
An announcement of a "traveling circus" coming to the county for two days.
A report on the "chautauqua" lectures and performances scheduled for the summer.
A human-interest story about a "turkey shoot" held on Thanksgiving Day.
An advertisement for "Victrola" records featuring the latest jazz and mountain music.
A notice for a "square dance" at the community hall, with music by the "Mountain String Band."
A report on the "horseracing" event held on the main street during the July 4th celebration.
Would you like me to expand one of these prompts into a full news article written in the style of the 1920s?
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