The Somerset Journal
The Oldest Democratic Newspaper in the Mountains of Kentucky
Feese & Williams
Somerset, Ky., Friday, July 16, 1920.
Page One

Quits Business.  The Watson Cancer Sanitorium has quit business and Mr. Watson has vacated the building.  It will most likely be used for a government hospital if everything works out as planned.

Painting Up.  Judge Tartar is giving the Courthouse - both inside and out - a coat of paint.  Some of the offices will be papered.  It is a work that has been needed for some time.

Editorial.

The retail business men of Somerset instead of pulling together are always fighting and pulling against each other.  There should be more cooperation between our business people.  It is planned to organize in Somerset a Retail Merchants Association.  Only eight or ten merchants were interested enough to attend the meeting Tuesday night.  We hope every retail merchant in Somerset will become a member of this organization.  It will be the means of bringing the merchants together for their mutual benefit.

Seven Killed In Explosion.  Paducah, Ky.  Seven men were killed instantly by a dynamite explosion at the rock quarries of the Katterjohn Constructing Company at Cedar Bluff, Ky., 48 miles above Paducah.  All were residents of Cedar Bluff.  The men were loading a heavy shot preparatory to blasting.   They had brought almost five tons of explosive from the dynamite house.  The cause of the explosion has not been determined.

Two Million Fire.  Judge James Denton returned from Cincinnati Wednesday where he witnessed the burning of $2,500,000.00 worth of bonds of the Cumberland River & Nashville Railroad Co.  These bonds were issued several years ago when construction was started on this road from Monticello to Burnside.

Gragg Chosen.  Mr. William B. Gragg of this city has been chosen by the Prohibition Party as National Committeeman from Kentucky.  This honor is in recognition of the great work Mr. Gragg has done in the interest of prohibition.

Without Lights.  The City Council of Lebanon, Ky., would not grant the Light & Water Company an increase in rates for the city lights and the company proceeded to cut all lights off.  Now the city is in darkness.

Page The Doctor.  "Red" Roberts Wants To Work - He Is In Louisville Looking For A Job.   The Louisville Times of yesterday carried the following interesting story:  "Somehow or other Louisville looked pretty good to me, so I came here to stay the rest of the summer," said "Red" Roberts, member of the Centre College football team, who was named by Walter Camp for the fullback position on the third All-American eleven last winter.  "I don't know just why I came, except maybe that things in Somerset were kind of slow, and I thought things might move a little faster in Louisville.  I've got a sister living here you know," he continued, "and of course I'm going to stay at her house while I'm here.  Just now I'm looking for a job.  No, I haven't got one, but I have two or three prospects."  "Red," whose fiery hair and ruddy complexion have given him his name, and which have caused his fellow students at Centre College also to nickname him "Brick," put in his appearance in Louisville Saturday.  He came from Somerset, his home, where he was confined to bed for two weeks in June with a severe cold.  His slight illness left him apparently none the worse though, for his 185 pounds of huskiness seem just as solid and healthy as they did when last fall he plowed and plunged his way to national recognition on the gridiron with his ears bound back with a strip of adhesive tape.  "I'm going to stay at the Y.M.C.A. for a few days until sister opens up her new house," Roberts said.  "While I'm at the Y I'm going to begin to get into condition for next fall.  I reckon I'll have to roll on the mats and pull the chest weights a plenty.  You know that Uncle Charlie Moran is going to open his fall training camp on the Kentucky River on September 1, and I'm going to try to get into some sort of shape to go there and do some hard work."  He is not only an athlete, but is also fond of dancing.  With several of his fraternity brothers from Centre he went to a dance at the Louisville Country Club Saturday night.  He is a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and has many friends in Louisville.   Roberts sister is Mrs. M.E. Burke, who is stopping at the Seelbach until she opens her new home on Baringer Ave.  Sam English, official dinner planner for the Louisville Phi Delta Theta, is at work on a dinner to be given Roberts at one of the parks about Louisville in the near future

*****************

Marriage Licenses.  The following marriage licenses have been issued since our last issue:  Harlie E. Godby and Rusha Smiley, Howard C. Godby and Alla Gertrude Dick, Mit Hill and Maggie Lowrey.

*******************

Slessinger Returns.  Mr. John Slessinger has returned from the Grand Lodge meeting of the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks which was held in Chicago.  He says that the meeting was one of the best ever held and that 210,000 Elks were registered there during the week.  Mr. Slessinger attended every session of the Grand Lodge and will make a report to the local lodge at the next meeting.  Mr. Slessinger was a delegate from the Somerset Lodge.  He was accompanied by Mrs. Slessinger.

Sail For Europe.  The Lexington Herald says: Passports were applied for this morning in the office of Federal Court Clerk Spencer Finnell by Dr. R.H. Crossfield, president of Transylvania College, his daughter, Miss Dorothy Crossfield, and Miss Helen Backer of Monticello.  They will visit England, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland and Italy.  The party will sail from Montreal, Canada, July 23.

29 Pass Examinations.  There were thirty-four applicants for teachers certificates at the last examination held in June.  All except five passed
and will receive certificates allowing them to teach.  Mr. Meece hopes to fill the vacancies now existing with some of those who passed.  Nearly all the schools in the county have now started.  One or two will not start until next Monday.  Mr. Meece is very much gratified at the way things have started off.

Another Buick.  Ed Moore, the Buick dealer, returned last Saturday with a
five passenger car for Dr. H.K. Fulkerson.  Mr. Moore has an order in for three more and hopes to get them this month.  This makes about twenty Buicks Mr. Moore has sold since taking the agency.

Fishing in Buck Creek.  Messrs O.W. Swaim, C.V. Thurman and W.H. Jenkins in company with some out-of-town companions, went fishing in Buck Creek Tuesday and from reports made a fairly good catch.  It appears that Mr. Thurman was foreman and champion fisherman while the rest of the bunch under his direction and supervision had good luck as a result of his long experience with "the rod and line."

Ohio Trip.  C.D. Stigall, M.L. Tally, John Easteridge and Joe Osborne of near Somerset have just returned from Ohio and Indiana where they spent a few days looking over Roby L. Johnson's farm bargains.  They are well pleased with their trip and all say they looked over several states and that Darke County, Ohio, is the best land they have had their feet on: the best improved country they have ever visited and more wealth to be seen.

Farm News.

One among the finest pieces of corn in the county is on the Luther Bales farm in the Dallas neighborhood now owned by Mr. Whitis.

Mr. D.D. Bales has an excellent crop of alfalfa which has been cut once and is ready for the second cutting.

Sixty Miles of Streets.  Some of our people who are kicking on paved streets and what little they cost should take a trip to Ashland, Ky., and see what a progressive town they have.  Those who are kicking would then return and be ashamed of themselves.  Ashland has put down sixty miles of paved streets and when a new addition is opened the promoters are first required to put down permanent streets and make all improvements before the street is opened up.  Even some of the county roads around Ashland are being built of brick with concrete curbing and guttering.  We are just about twenty five years behind the times here and will continue to be until we get rid of the knockers.

Getting Worse.  The streets of Somerset are getting worse every day.  It won't be long until automobiles won't be able to go over them at all.  It is a pity street improvement has been blocked.  There is just one kind of street to put down and that is a permanent street.  We hope the day will come when every street in Somerset will be paved.

Fiscal Court Will Likely Accept Loan From Coal Company to Build Road in County.  The Fiscal Court met in special call session last Friday to consider a proposition form the Kentucky Coal & Electro Chemical Company of Elmira, N.Y., to build a road from Somerset to Sandy Gap and Acorn.  The company proposes under certain conditions to load the county $50,000.00 to build this piece of pike.  The terms and conditions will be discussed at a later meeting.  A committee of Oscar Catron, R.B. Waddle and Judge Tartar were appointed to confer with the representatives of the company and report at
another session of the court to be called.  It is the purpose of the company to get a road built to the coal fields of Eastern Pulaski so that development of that section can begin.  Until there is a road so the output can be hauled to Somerset the company does not feel like beginning work.  This is a movement that means much to Pulaski County and should receive the backing of all our people.  It will mean the development on a large scale of the coal lands in that section of the county.  Before adjourning Saturday the court in a body inspected the work that is being done on the Stanford Road. 

*********************

********************

Holding Meeting at Murray.  Dr. D.W. Scott, pastor of the Christian Church left Sunday to hold a two weeks meeting at Murray, Ky.

Bible Class Picnic.  Victor Stone's Bible class of the Christian Church gave a picnic at Parker's Mill Wednesday.  All members of the class were invited and a general good time was had fishing, bathing, boating and enjoying all kinds of games.

*****************

Waddle.  Mr. John H. Waddle, a member of one of Somerset's oldest and most respected families , died at a Sanitarium in Lexington, where he had been taken for treatment last Friday night.  He had been in ill health for some time.  Mr. Waddle was 68 years of age.  Funeral services were held at the home, Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock conducted by Rev. Hunter pastor of the Baptist Church.  Interment followed in the City Cemetery.  There were many beautiful floral offerings.  Mr. Waddle had for the past forty years been connected with the business life of Somerset.  For two terms he served the city as Police Judge and made a most excellent official.  Later he was connected with other departments of the city government.  He leaves a wife, one daughter, Mrs. R.L. Joplin, four brothers, Joe, George, J.L., and Chas, four sisters, Mrs. Bourne Goggin, Danville, Ky., Mrs. Neal Sears, St. Joseph, Mo., Mrs. James Sears and Mrs. J.C. Tuttle both of Somerset.  The pall bearers were B.L. Waddle, A.B. Waddle, Sam Waddle, Harvey Waddle, Marshall Waddle and Ernest Sears all nephews of Mr. Waddle.

******************

Sells Farm.  Mr. William Jones has sold his farm to a Mr. Johnson, of
Tennessee, for $3,500.00.  The farm contains 78 acres.

********************

W.E. Difford manager of the Louisville branch of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., was in Somerset last week looking after the interest of his company in this territory.

Mr. T.L. Swinford of Lexington, Ky., formerly with the Journal, has accepted a position with the Commonwealth.

Continued on Page Two