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WV TIDBITS |
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MRS. OR MISS
When I first got
to Whitesville
Junior High
School Mr.
Barrett, the
principal took
me around to
meet the
teachers.
Example... he
would say this
is Mr. Arvon,
Mr. Hoffman,
etc. When
introducing the
women he would
say Miss
Anderson, Miss
Grubbs, Miss
McClung and so
on. As I thought
to myself, that
is something, no
married women
teachers. Up in
PA, Miss was
unmarred and
Mrs. was
married. As I
later learned
that is the way
the women were
introduced.
Ended up there
was only three
Misses at the
time, Miss Clay,
Miss Ryan and
Miss Lemon.
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MR. WILLIAMS
I remember my
first year
teaching 5th
gradet
Whitesville Jr.
High school.
After being
there a while I
to get to know
some of the
parents
I was talking to
several of the
mothers and that
they thought I
was a nice guy
but didn't
understand why I
was kind of
stuck up when I
first came. I
thought to
myself that I
didn't think I
had acted that
way so I asked
them why they
thought that.
They said when
you first came
we would see you
walking in town
and they would
say hello Mr.
Williams and I
didn't respond.
Then it hit me,
I was Mr.
Williams. I
wasn’t used to
being called Mr.
Williams at that
point in time.
Mr. Williams was
my dad.
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HALLOWEEN
My first
Halloween in
West Virginia
caught me off
guard. I lived
in a rooming
house across
from the
theater. I had a
room and a
shared
kitchen and
bathroom. On
Halloween I was
out on the porch
sitting on the
steps leading up
to the porch
chilling out.
The place had a
small chained
linked fence
around it and
had a side walk
from the house
to the street.
As I was setting
I noticed kids
on the streets
dressed up for
Trick or Treat.
Then it dawned
on me that it
was Halloween.
About that time
2 kids came came
through the gate
and up to me on
the porch. I
prayed Lord me
out with this.
Then I
remembered that
I had 3 sticks
of Juicy Fruit
gum let in my
pack. So when
the first 2 kids
came up I put a
stick of gum in
each bag. Next
came 3 kids. So
i put my last
stick of gum in
the first bag
and when doing
so I grabbed a
loose piece of
candy out of
their bag and
put that piece
in the 2nd kid's
bag and followed
that process the
rest of the
night. Believe
me, I was
prepared for the
next Halloween. |
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HOLIDAYS |
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Another thing
that caught me
off guard my
first year when
it was a holiday
that we had
parties in our
rooms. This
Yankee from PA
hadn't thought
about that but
thank the Lord
for the mothers.
They took care
of everything.
The cupcakes,
cakes, snacks,
drinks and
decorations. I
then learned
that in the
future the only
thing I had to
do was check
with the
mothers.
All the mothers
through my time
there did a
great job each
year. It was
much
appreciated. |
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CHRISTMAS GIFTS |
I hadn't
realized that
the kids would
be giving me a
gift at
Christmas.
Everyone gave me
something, which
was appreciated
especially due
to the economic
situation in the
area. The one
gift I received
the most was
cologne. I
forget how many
bottles of
cologne I
received thet
year but that
was the one
common gift. I
kept and used
the ones that I
liked and the
others I used as
gifts. Over the
years those
gifts of cologne
lasted me over
25 years. |
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BISCUTS & GRAVY |
While eating at
the White House
operated by Ed
White I noticed
people ordering
biscuits and
gravy. I had not
heard of that
before.
I saw that that
some orders were
a biscuit cut in
half with gravy
over the biscuit
and others the
biscuit broke
into piece and
gravy over the
pieces. I wanted
to order some
but didn't know
how to order it.
So one weekend I
stayed with
friend Bill
Price who worked
at the
Whtiesville
State Ban. We
stayed up all
night and went
for breakfast
early Saturday
morning. So I
thought I would
just order it
and see what I
got. I fell in
love with
biscuits and
gravy after
that. After
moving back to
PA I only found
one restaurant
that had
something close
the WV biscuits
and gravy but
later it closed. |
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HOT DOGS |
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Another surprise
was ordering Hot
Dogs at the
White House. I
discovered when
you ordered a
Hot Dog it came
with Cole Slaw
on it. New to
me. When friends
came down we
would eat at the
White House and
I would tell
them about
thatin a way
they thought I
was joking.
Their eyes about
popped out when
the Hot Dogs
came with Cole
Slaw. |
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WHITESVILLE (BOONE)THEATER |
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There was
Theater across
from where I
lived. I think
it was called
Boone Theater
owned by Mrs.
Kinder. During
my first year I
went one
weekend. They
just waved me in
and wouldn't let
me pay. I went
in and sat down
and in about 2
minutes Ada
Morris brought
me in a pop and
pop corn. From
that point in
time till I
moved back to PA
they never let
me pay and
provided me with
snacks. They
treated my
cousin Tim who
came to visit
the same way. |
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LATE NIGHTS |
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I was a late
night guy and by
late-night I
mean if I was in
bed by two I
thought that was
a good time
usually later
and sometimes
never did go to
bed. I soon
realized that
the town closed
down around 8 pm
with nothing to
do after that.
The bars were
open but I
wasn't a
drinker. So to
kill time in the
evenings I would
kick a stick (a
can was too
loud) up the
middle alley
from the Theater
to the Big Star
grocery store at
the other of
town and back.
Later met Ted
Anderson a
policeman in the
town. His mother
Mrs. Anderson
taught 4th
grade. Ted
worked the
midnight shift
and I would ride
along with him
some evenings. |
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BECOMING A
STEELER FAN |
When I first
came to teach I
was a Browns fan
because of Jimmy
Brown my hero
from my early
days. The time
leading up to
going to WV the
Steelers were
lousy and the
Browns were
good.
People would ask
where I was from
and I would say
Transfer, PA and
I would get that
blank stare and
they would say
where is that.
Then I would say
Sharon PA, the
same scenario.
Then I would say
I live near
Pittsburgh (70
miles from my
place). So
Pittsburgh was
my answer
when someone
asked where I
was from. Over
time people
assumed I was a
Steelers fan.
With the
Steelers winning
two straight
Super Bowls
after arriving
in WV I gave in
and became a
Steelers Fan. |
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EXPLAINING WHERE
I TAUGHT AT |
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When people back
home in PA would
ask where I was
teaching at I
would say
Whitesville WV
(which they
never heard of)
and they would
Wytheville (VA).
I would say no,
Whitesville WV.
Over time when
people asked I
would say
Whitesville WV
and thay would
say Wytheville
and I would just
yes. |
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