Below we are publishing an account of the first and only hanging in Wayne county. The execution of Laban T. Walker is one of the outstanding events of Wayne county's history. The following facts are taken from Hardesty's Encyclopedia:

The only civil execution that has ever taken place in Wayne county was that of Laban T. Walker for the murder of Patrick Nolen at Virginia Point (now Kenova) on the 21st day of August 1878. After shooting his victim he fled to the Ohio shore, but the same evening was arrested and brought back to Ceredo, where he had a preliminary hearing before S. D. Ward, who sent him to jail to await the action of the grand jury. At the March term of the circuit court for 1879 upon the evidence of Johnson Fry, Dr. J. T. Wharton and Patrick McLeece, and indictment for murder was found against him. He refused to go to trial, and it was postponed until the next term.

On the 9th day of August, 1879, he was brought into court and placed on trial for his life. He pled not guilty to the charge, and the court then appointed the Hon. Eustace Gibson, of Cabell county, now a member of Congress from the 4th District of West Virginia, to defend him. A jury was then empanneled, composed of the following named gentlemen: Alvis Maynard, Eli Adams, Charles Tooley, Andrew J. Fry, Joel Adkins, M. A. Stephenson, Samuel Roberts, Michael Peters, Marion Preston, George P. Dillon, Anthony Hampton and Levi Hampton. The day closed; the jury was placed in the custody of the sheriff, and the prisoner was remanded to jail. On the morning of the 10th both jury and prisoner were returned to court, and the trial continued throughout the day. On the 12th the counsel for both prisoner and State closed, and late in the evening the case went to the jury, and, on the morning of the 13th, after a short consultation, it came into court and rendered the following verdict: "We, the jury, find the prisoner, Labon Walker, guilty of murder in the first degree as charged in the within indictment." The prisoner was then returned to jail to await the sentence of the court.

On the 16th he was brought into court, and when asked the question if he "had anything to say why sentence of death should not be pronounced upon him," made no reply. Judge Evermont Ward then sentenced him to be taken by the sheriff from the jail to some convenient place on the 28th day of November, 1879, and there be hung until dead. He was then taken back to jail to await execution.

At length the fatal day arrived. It was a dark, gloomy morning, but despite the descending rain the crowd began to arrive, and by noon from seven to ten thousand persons from this and adjacent counties were swaying through the streets of the little village. A scaffold had been erected in the court house yard, and at 2 p. m. the doomed man walked forth from the jail, and assisted by the sheriff and jailor went to the scaffold. He ascended it; the black cap was drawn, the rope adjusted, and Laban Walker, in the 21st year of his age, swung into eternity. Twenty minutes later, Drs. C. R. Enslow and G. R. Burgess pronounced his life extinct, and the body was cut down and given to friends, who removed it to Catlettsburg, where it was interred. This ended the first and last execution in Wayne county.

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(WCN - 2/14/1924) New Bank In Wayne Will Open Doors September 1

A new banking institution for the town of Wayne was authorized this week by a charter granted by the State Banking Commissioner to local business men interested in the enterprise.

The new bank will be capitalized for $50,000 and will be known as The People's State Bank, according to information given Wayne County News. The new banking house will be located on the lot just across the street from the East entrance to the new court house building, regarded as one of the most desirable business locations in town. This lot was purchased by Fisher F. Scaggs from H. W. Thompson some several months ago.

The names of the incorporators of the now banking house are F. F. Scaggs, Kiah (Big Kiah) Adkins, Dr. S. C. Rhea, Boyd Wellman, C. F. Allen, Dr. A. G. Wilkinson and Noah Wellman, Sr. A number of prominent business men will be identified with the new bank, says the statement made public Wednesday.

Work on the new building will be begun within less than a month, the present plan being to turn the first spade of ground on March 15th. The building will be completed and the new bank open ready for business by September 1st. Blue prints and plans calling for a two story and basement fire-proof brick building with burglarproof vaults are already in the hands of the contractors. Stock will be on sale at an early date and the organization completed.

The announcement of a second bank for the town of Wayne comes as one of the most significant business developments in the county in many months.

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(WCN - 3/6/1924) PROGRESS ALONG TUG RIVER ROAD GIVEN BY LONG

Good roads enthusiasts throughout Southern West Virginia are closely watching the progress or the Tug River Highway which will connect Bluefield and Huntington by way of Wayne, Williamson and Welch. The grading and draining of this road will most all be completed this year. Col. J. H. Long, chairman of the roads committee of the Huntington chamber of commerce and an active promoter of the Tug River Highway, gives the following interesting facts concerning the present status of the Bluefield- Huntington road:

The road is now complete and hard surfaced as far as Lavalette a distance of 5.6 miles, three miles being in Cabell county. The State just finished 1.2 mi. a few months ago and was opened to the public November 28th. From Lavalette to within one mile of Wayne court house, the road is graded and is taken care of by the state, and is in very good condition for travel. At Wayne and within one mile of each side and through the town the road is hard surfaced. This brings the road to near Echo.

From Echo to Fleming, 8.8 miles is a graded road. This work is practically finished with the exception of about 1,000 feet at the Echo end to connect up the road. There is also a small piece in about the center of about 2,000 feet. The Hatfield Construction company has this contract. There are three steam shovels at work and the contractors promise to have this stretch finished this year.

Fleming-Dunlow, within 2.4 miles of Dunlow 6.5 miles. Beckwith, White and Rich are the contractors. The drainage is about completed and the grading about half done. There are two steam shovels on this work, five dump carts, two dump wagons and one compressor.

The stretch from 2.4 miles north of Dunlow to the head of Moses Fork and Bull Creek, 9.8 miles. The contract for grading and draining this road was let December 11th to C. E. Price, who has other contracts further up the road but this has been held up pending the sale of another block of State read bonds.

From Moses Fork, or Bull Creek to Crum 5.5 miles, C. E. Price has the contract for draining and grading. There are two steam shovels, one truck two teams and twenty men at work on this contract. The road is about three fourths finished in drainage and grading. The contractor is making good headway with this piece of work.

Crum to Marrowbone, a distance of 5.5 miles, C. E. Price also has this contract. The work is just about completed with the exception of a very small portion of drainage and grading - less than a half-mile of grading and one mile of drainage. There are twenty-two men and thirteen teams at work on this contract.

There are three large bridges on this stretch—one at Stonecoal, 85-foot span. The abutments are in place and the contract for the steel superstructure was let a few days ago. One at Silver Creek is under construction by the contractor. One at Jenny's Creek, 120-foot. The abutments are in place and the contract for the steel superstructure was let some time ago and should be on the ground before spring and put in place.

This brings the road to the Mingo county line. The road is graded from this point to Williamson and the engineers are now working on plans and specifications to hard surface this stretch, which is 24 miles to Williamson.

From Williamson the road is being pushed on to Welch and Bluefield and good progress is being made by the Williamson Chamber of Commerce, aided by W. S. Rosenheim, its secretary. They promise to have this finished by the time, or shortly after the Wayne-Williamson road Is finished.

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(WCN - 3/13/1924) SCAGGS RESIGNS CASHIER'S POST AT WAYNE BANK

Clyde Scaggs resigned as cashier of the Wayne County Bank of this place Monday of this week. His successor will not be appointed until after a meeting of the directors of the bank which has been called.

Mr. Scaggs, who has been in banking business in Huntington, Logan and Wayne for the past several years, has not definitely decided his plans for the future, but states that be will possibly be affiliated with the new People's State Bank in Wayne, at least in the way of a stockholder.

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(WCN - 3/27/1924) SAUNDERS NAMED NEW CASHIER OF BANK AT WAYNE

C. H. Saunders, well known local young man, has been appointed cashier of the Wayne County Bank to succeed Clyde S. Scaggs, who recently resigned this position. Saunders is a native Wayne County boy, born and reared near Wayne and is the son of G. T. Saunders, of Patrick Creek. He has been employed in the local bank as book-keeper for some time and news of his promotion to cashier's place will be gladly received by a wide circle of friends. Byron Smith, well known local business man and for many years a merchant at this place, has been made book-keeper of the local bank to fill the vacancy made by Saunder's promotion.
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(WCN - 4/10/1924) OFFICERS ROUND UP BANDIT GANG IN WAYNE COUNTY

Two arrests were made and several thousands of dollars worth of loot was recovered by Huntington detectives and Wayne county deputy sheriffs when they raided the headquarters of a band of thieves located on Camp Creek, this county, about midnight Monday.

Those arrested were Walter Hatten, 26, who lived in the house and Dayton Fisher, a 17 year old boy, of Westmoreland. Other members of the gang escaped. The two were taken to the Huntington jail Tuesday and were transferred to state court.

Wide Variety of Loot

The loot found in all parts of the lonely farm house consisted of practically everything from valuable silverware and expensive phonographs to automobile parts, clothing, lap robes, opera glasses, cut glass ware, chinaware, pictures, candlesticks, and many other articles from Huntington homes.

The raid was made by Chief of Detectives Tom Patterson, two Wayne county deputy sheriffs, and a number of plain-clothesmen of the Huntington Department.

The party left Huntington at about 8:30 o'clock Monday night and drove out the Wayne road to Camp Creek. There they left the automobile and walked over the hills to the Hatten house about a mile from the road.

Two Make Escape

They surrounded the house and entered. Hatten and the boy offered no resistance, and the party went in and began the search of the premises. It was while this search was being conducted that two or three, the police are not sure which, other men climbed out through a side window and made their getaway in the darkness.

After locating much of the loot and assemblying it in the front room, the officers loaded all they could carry and conducted the prisoners back to the automobiles. They placed all of the loot that they could haul into the cars and came back to the city. The remainder was brought in to the station Tuesday morning.

Police believe that the band has been operating in Huntington for many months. The members, they say, go out at night in automobiles and take anything that they can find and carry it back to the Camp Creek house. From there, it is believed, the stolen goods is assorted and taken to distant cities and sold through the various channels known to the underworld.

Ben Cliff, 34, colored, 212 Eighth street, was arrested at 1:30 o'clock by Huntington City Detective Bowcan, on the charge of robbery. Cliff is believed by police to be one of the men who escaped from the Wayne county house during the raid Monday night.

He wa transferred to state court along with the other two. Other arrests are expected to he made shortly.
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(WCN - 4/10/1924) ANCIENT SAVAGE LAND GRANT WAS SOLD FOR TAXES

(Special To The News)

The Savage grant, the first land granted to private individuals in Cabell and Wayne counties, is a proposition which won't stay downed.

The other day the writer of this article happened to get chesty about one of his ancestral names being named in the first land grant here. "I guess that's how part of my tribe came here," it was remarked.

And right there another of those fond dreams were punctured.

"Nothing doing!" remarked the other fellow who takes pleasure in doing that sort of thing.

The cold truth of the matter is (and how like us yet, we thought) every bit of that first land grant was sold for taxes!

All of whose ancestors should have settled here, judging by the names, will have to do a little more research work. Not a single person entitled to a share of the Savage grant ever took possession of it.

The lands were sold after the War of 1812 for United States direct tax of two cents an acre. Cabell county, which included Wayne at that time, had to raise $1,546.50 and the old soldiers or their heirs forfeited their tracts of 400 acres rather than pay the $8.00 assessed against it.

It had been decreed that if the land tax were not paid by July 1, 1819, the land should be sold. In 1817 surveyors were directed to come here to make such surveying as might be necessary and to make appraisal reports, and the like.

General Edward W. Tupper was the surveyor. The commission was composed of George Summers, Lewis Summers, John Henderson, William Sterrett and Andrew Parks.

Their bill of expenses was $2,351,55 and was assessed at $33 to each share of 400 acres, which was in addition to the tax and equilization money. They reported the number of lots and their estimated value.

The suit had been instituted at Staunton, Va., and there in December 1818 the tract alloted in the original grant to William Buffington, 3,423 acres, was confirmed to Thomas and William Buffington, Jr.

The 800 acres assigned to Charles Morgan was turned over to Simon Morgan, Nancy Morgan and to James Wells and his wife.

There was allotted in 1775 to James McCormick 1200 acres, owner of the shares of Timothy Conway, John Meade and James Ford.

This tract was confirmed to Moses McCormick, and others.

Lots 48, 58, 59 and 60 were allotted to Isaac LaRue for the shares of N. A. McCoy.

Parts of the tracts assigned to Robert Tunstall, Robert Langdon, Joshua Jordan, Ed Evans, John Ramsey, Michael Scully and Marshall Pratt were confirmed to John Morrow.

The shares of James Given and Wm. Hogan were assigned to Robert Rutherford, later to John Morrow. Morrow also acquired the share of Mathew Doan and Richard Bolton.

David Spurlock acquired lot 26. Numbers 22 and 25, the shares of Wm. and Henry Bailey were confirmed to Charles Brown of Kanawha county.

The shares of Charles Smith was conveyed to Philip Easton and to Horatio Catlett. The shares of James Ludlow was conveyed to John Poage, that of James Latrol to John Poage, the shares of William Coleman to Achilles Rogers,

The shares of James, Samuel, Hugh, Paul and Robert Jones were confirmed to Henry Hampton, and his assignees. The shares of David Gorman was confirmed to Manoah Bostick.

The tract of Richard Trotter was confirmed to Edward McCarty.

Some Early History

One of the earliest settlers, Jonathan Buffington, returned to his home on the Guyandotte and found the bodies of his entire family, except a little girl, lying on the ground, scalped. He concluded his child was left to live and had been captured by the Indians. He followed them and he himself was taken, and was held prisoner for years. He finally returned to Cabell county, but no trace of his baby girl had been found.

Thomas Hannon, who settled at Green Bottom, has been called the first settler in Cabell county. The first settler in the present limits of Wayne county was probably Stephen Kelly, who erected his cabin at the point, at the mouth of Big Sandy, in 1798. Mathew Bellomy came in 1799.

Wayne and Cabell counties were both formerly parts of Kanawha county, which was formed in 1788.
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(WCN - 5/15/1924) Death Takes Woman Age 108 Years; Was Oldest Person In This County

The oldest person in Wayne county, and in all probability the oldest in the whole state, died at her home in Westmoreland, this county Friday, May 9, 1924, when Hannah Blankenship, age 108 years, died following a comparatively recent illness.

Notwithstanding the fact that she was more than one hundred years old Mrs. Blankenship was active until within a few months before her death.

The aged Westmoreland woman made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Maggie Loar.

Didn't Want Silks

"When I pass out I don't want any fine silks," Mrs. Loar quoted her mother as often having said. "I just want to wear a black dress like I used to have when I went out in the country."

And this rugged mountain woman, who was not without a vein of sentiment, wanted on her head a cap like the women of another day wore in the last long sleep.

She had her wish. Fitting snugly to her brow was a little black cap, trimmed with white frill about its edge. And the coffin—it was made at her request by R. R. Via—was covered with black broadcloth and lined with silver cloth, just as she had wanted it. Around

the edge of the coffin, at the top, was a black lace ruffle, and this also was as she had asked.

Even the curious superstitions retained by the old lady as a heritage from the mountain fastness were respected, and she was laid out, not by an undertaker, but by intimate friend. They placed copper coins on her closed eyes, and a bowl of salt on her form --the latter precaution to keep the body from swelling.

Born In 1816

Mrs. Blankenship, as nearly as she could remember, was born in 1816, in Pike county, Kentucky, and there she was reared. When she was little more than two years old her mother died. She and her brother were then placed under the care of her paternal grandmother.

"She took care of us, and we lived with her for a long time," she said recently in recalling a few incidents in connection with her childhood.

They had a hard time to get along, she said. Her father remarried when she was eight years old. He died at the age of 104 years.

Until two years ago, when rheumatism crippled her, Mrs. Blankenship was active. She frequently walked from her daughter's home in Westmoreland, to Huntington or to Ceredo. And even after rheumatism handicapped her in her usual activities, she insisted on going to the polls to vote.

She attended services on the occasion of Mother's Day one year ago at Vinson Memorial church, and won a prize awarded to the oldest mother present. Up the Big Sandy river she had been a member of the Baptist church.

Smoked All Her Life

Mrs. Blankenship smoked all her life. She couldn't remember just when she started, but for many, many years a pipe had been her most constant companion.

Her own children she reared in Catlettsburg. Three of them are living, the daughter already mentioned, and two sons, H. M. and Harvey Blankenship.

The venerable woman always wore a black sunbonnet, a white apron and collar, and took considerable pride in her appearance.

Her mind was good up to the last few weeks. Her teeth all were good, as were also her eyes. She pieced quilts up to the last year of her life.

Twenty-four grandchildren, twenty- two great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren survive. Miss Runyon was Mrs. Blankenship's maiden name. She was married at the age of sixteen to Conley Blankenship.

Funeral services were conducted Sunday morning at the home of her daughter in Westmoreland. Burial was in Catlettsburg, where her youngest half sister had been laid to rest.
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(WCN - 6/12/1924) NATIONALLY KNOWN MAN RECALLS BOYHOOD DAYS SPENT IN WAYNE COUNTY

"Once a Wayne countian, always a Wayne countian."

That remark was made to the writer a few years ago by the late P. H. Napier, beloved and well known jurist, who spent his life here.

Judge Napier added: "And it doesn't matter how far they get from home, they still cherish their life and experience in Wayne county as choicest memory treasures."

The truth of this statement is well substantiated in a recent interview with the Honorable Carmi A. Thompson, nationally known Republican leader and former treasurer of the United States who was born and reared on Paddle Creek, in Wayne county.

Richard M. Archer, of the Wheeling (W. Va.) Telegraph carries a column known as "Arrows In Friendly Flight," It is in this column that Mr. Thompson's interesting interview recalling boyhood days in this county is published.

Mr. Thompson was Republican nominee for governor in Ohio two years ago and assistant Secretary of the Interior during Taft's administration. He is a big business man and powerful politician. He is chairman of the Committee on Arrangements at the Republican national convention which is in session this week in Cleveland, Ohio, which city is the home of Mr. Thompson.

Wayne County News has secured special permission from Mr. Archer by wire to publish the interview which is copyrighted.

Writing to the Arrow man Mr. Thompson says:

"On account of the fact that my time is so completely occupied in caring for the Republican national convention, which is to meet here in 7 June—you probably know that I am chairman of the local committee, I cannot write you a better story of my boyhood life in West Virginia, but I have jotted down some facts for you, and if they are worth anything, if you will weave them into a story that will interest your readers, I will appreciate it. "

The Arrows column is proud of giving Mr. Thompson's story just as he has written it.

By Carmi Alderman Thompson

Doubtless your readers will not be interested In my genealogy, but suffice it to say that I am an offspring of the old mountain families whose names are so familiar in the history of the mountain sections of West Virginia. My forefathers were of the Ferguson, Polley, Pack, Kirby, Robinson and Thompson families. I was born on a little creek in the upper part of Wayne county, now locally known as Paddle Creek, where I spent the first few years of my life.

My father had drifted away from West Virginia some years earlier and had become a coal miner, having worked throughout Kentucky, Ohio and most everywhere else that coal was mined fifty years ago. But when the time came for him to choose a life partner, he sought a playmate of his childhood and went back to Wayne county to marry my mother. He undertook to farm in the primative way that farming was done in those days, and it was while conducting this experiment, that I was born. It did not last long, however, and when I was about four years old, he went back to Ohio, taking myself and my mother with him.

But our association with West Virginia was always very close. All my relatives lived in and about Wayne county, so that, perhaps, a third of my time was spent there during my childhood days.

When I was close to sixteen years of age I graduated from the Ironton high school at Ironton Ohio and being too young to get a certificate to teach school in the state of Ohio, I returned to my native state where I had no trouble in passing the examinations and was granted a certificate and was hired to teach what was known as the Hurricane school, located not more than three miles from the place of my birth. The little school house was nestled down by the side of Hurricane creek in the hills, and there I began my career, such as it has been. I opened my school about two weeks before I was sixteen years of age. It was a four months school and while I was teaching I believe I was earning my money; but in after years I have doubted very much whether I accomplished anything more than drawing my pay and interesting the whole community in the simpler form of athletics.

Within the past week one of my relatives wrote me from that vicinity, asking whether or not I was as good a jumper as I used to be.

Jumping was one of the favorite amusements of the time, and I am pleased to say that I became the champion among them. I was just at the age when I could fully enjoy my friends and relatives, their habits of life and their amusements. It was a log rolling on Saturday, and apple peeling or paring another evening, a jumping match or the most popular of all amusements, perhaps a shooting match.

I could not jump ten feet now on a running and broad jump. My shooting eye is still fairly good, but I wish I could draw a bead like I did in those far-a-way days.

I might refer to dances, opossum hunts, etc., but neither time nor space would permit me to go into these pleasant recollections.

Permit me to say in conclusion, that I am proud of my West Virginia ancestry. The entire stock came from the best blood of the Revolution. Wayne county is populated by pureblooded Americans. They are men of sterling worth and splendid character. Honor and honesty are each a part of their very being.

Since the days when I was a chid, railroads have passed through the county, and mineral and timber have been developed, and in general, Wayne county is rapidly taking its place as one of the prosperous, progressive counties of the state.
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(WCN - 6/12/1924) CONTRACT IS LET FOR NEW PEOPLES STATE BANK HERE

At a meeting of the Board of Director's of the new Peoples State Bank, of Wayne, held Tuesday evening of this week, the contract was let for the New Bank Building, and the contract was awarded to Fred W. Castle, Contractor, of Huntington, W. Va.

The new building will be erected on the square east of the Court House, where the directors have already purchased the site. Work on the new building will begin immediately, and will be completed in about ninety working days, according to announcement of Fisher F. Scaggs, chairman of the board of directors.

The new building will be fireproof, dark red rough teck brick being chosen for the exterior walls, and trimmed with grantex stone for the front columns of the building. The building will be 30 by 50 feet in the clear, and will include a full sized basement. The vault of the building will be burglar proof, and the vault equipment will be the most modern, with burglar proof, fireproof and blow proof vault doors.

The fixtures, arrangement and equipment of the banking room will be of the most modern type of construction and will be arranged for the most convenience of the public. The building will be wired for electricity, plumbed for water and gas, and provisions made for future installation of a heating system, should necessity in the future demand it. The organization is capitalized at $50,000.00 and about sixty percent of the stock has already been subscribed, according to announcement given this newspaper Wednesday.
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(WCN - 6/12/1924) WATER PLANT TO BE AWARDED ON FRIDAY, JUNE 20

The contract for the building of the Wayne Water Works will be awarded June 20th, according to announcement to bidders made by the committee this week. It will be recalled that the town of Wayne voted bonds to the extent of $12,000 some time ago for the purpose of buiding a plant that would supply the town with running water. The official announcement to bidders follows:

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed proposals will be received by the Water Works Committee for the town of Wayne, Wayne County, W. Va. until 3 p. m. standard Eastern time on June 20th, 1924, at which time they will be publicly opened and read, for furnishing all tools, labor and materials and constructing a complete water supply system in and for said town.

Bidders will be permitted to bid on the construction of the entire plant or any part thereof as set forth in the form of proposal. All proposals must be accompanied by a certified check or bid band in amount of not less than five per cent (5 percent) of the amount of the proposal.

Plans and specifications are on file and may be seen at the office of the Chairman of Water Works Committee, Wayne, W. Va., or may he obtained by depositing Ten Dollars ($10.00) with the Engineer, Isaac Hathaway Francis, 501 Pearson Bldg., Charleston, W. Va., the same to be refunded upon returns of the plans and specifications in good condition.

WAYNE WATER WORKS COMMITTEE

By B. J. Prichard, Chairman
Isaac Hathaway Francis, Engineer
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A new spur track has been completed by the N & W at the R. Booton gasoline station just South of town. Mr. Booton plans to install tanks, buy in car-load lots and [sell] gasoline to both wholesale and retail trade. The Steffy Oil Company has also installed a wholesale gasoline station at Wayne on the brick-yard spur track and will be in the position to supply the wholesale trade in the county within a few days, according to announcement from the management.

Continued rains during the week have further handicapped Wayne county farmers, practically all of whom are already several weeks behind with their crops because of wet weather. Cherry picking is the order of the day on local farms this week. There is an unusually big crop of cherries. Prospects for a [big] black-berry crop are good as vines everywhere have been heavy with bloom.

Sam Ferguson returned home this week from Richmond where he completed his medical course this [term]. Belvard Prichard has returned from the University of Virginia at Charlottsville, Virginia; Earl Burgess and Earl Mosser are at home from Columbia University, New York City.

[A large crowd] is expected to be in Wayne. . .June 16th to witness the naturalization ceremony of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. A large delegation will be here from Huntington according to announcement made Wednesday. Three crosses will be burned and a large class of candidates will be naturalized. The ceremony will probably be held in the bottom just South of town, near the railway station, and the general public is invited to witness the affair from this hill-top. It is understood that all members of the local Klan [will be] present, since this is said to be the biggest out-door meeting of the Klan that has ever been held in this county.

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(WCN - 9/18/1924) BONDS AUTHORIZE NEW $100,000.00 WESTMORELAND SCHOOL BUILDING

Voters in Westmoreland district approved the $109,000.00 school bond issue Saturday by a vote of almost 8 to 1. The exact vote at the two precincts in the district was: Westmoreland, for 328, against 13; Kellogg for 112, against 48.

Of the amount raised by the bond issue approximately $100,000.00 will be used to erect a new school building in Westmoreland and the remaining $9.000.00 to purchase lots, playground equipment, etc.

It is understood that a handsome modern building of about 14 rooms will be under construction just as soon as the contract can be advertised and awarded. This will probably be located on Hughes street and on the site of the old building which burned last March.

Due to the rapid growth of Westmoreland the new building will not more than accommodate the present needs of the community for the pupils in the grades and in junior high school.

The Westmoreland school opened this year with an increase of 20 per cent enrollment. All the rooms now available for school purposes are in use and overcrowded. The board recently built six temporary buildings which will be discarded when the new school is completed.

There are at present 490 pupils enrolled in the first six grades in the Westmoreland school with a faculty of 13 teachers. 125 pupils in the community are being sent to junior high schools in Huntington, but the Westmoreland board of education pays the car fare and tuition of these pupils in the Huntington junior high schools. The present school levy in Westmoreland is only 95 cents on each one hundred dollars valuation, which is 11 cents less than last year, due to increased valuations. To retire the $109,000.00 bonds for the new school will require an additional levy of 17 cents on each one hundred dollars valuation, but it is pointed out that the
rapid increase in property valuations in Westmoreland will gradually decrease this rate of levy.
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