ALEX.: How old are you, ninety?
MATHENY: Was ninety the 15th of April.
ALEX.: I guess you've been around this store a long time?
MATHENY: Yes, I started in this little joint here November 15, 1930. When I
started fooling with it. Didn't have that much then and don't yet. I had the
post office across the street. I was postmaster for 30 years. Person can stand
that on a fourth class office and a third class office, they can stand anything.
ALEX.: Guess you've seen a lot of business activity?
MATHENY: Yes, I've seen it turn around. I came from this mountain state from
the state of Virginia in 1905. About that time the lumber industry was pretty
strong, opening up here. About every hollow had a pile of timber in it and a saw
mill. Not all, but they had a lot of them.
ALEX.: What were some of those lumber companies then?
MATHENY: The ones that started up on Huckleborouogh Hill here on the hill,
they had two. Dunlevy Lumber Company was one and above it was George Craig and
Son.
ALEX.: When did they go in?
MATHENY: George Craig and Son went in, well, it must have been pretty close
to that time. They were really opened up just after when we come in. We lived
over there, my uncle did, across the river from the motel where that big house
is now. It used to be a farm place, well it used to be when it was the
Traveller's Repose Inn. Well, of course these fellows who came in, from Craig I'm
talking about, they brought a lot of stuff in here. They shipped their horses in
before they had their barn ready to take care of them. We had to take care of
them over there and of course I was in on it doing the work. But I just can't
remember the beginning up there. But it was about that time 1906 or '07 that
they started in operating a lumber business. Course they had a band mill. Maybe Dunlevy did, too.
ALEX.: When did Dunlevy come in?
MATHENY: Dunlevy came in about the same time.
ALEX.: They go out about the same time?
MATHENY: About the same time.
ALEX.: What year?
MATHENY: Well, I can't exactly tell you. I believe it was about 19 and 20
something. Maybe a little longer than that. That was the big operation, you
know. They had little clean up that lasted long than that, you know. This Dunlevy changed hands at least three times. There was this first man who settled
up there and had the first mill and Dunlevy town as we always called it. Then
they sold out a time or two. The company went into different hands about three
times.
ALEX.: Who was the last to have it?
MATHENY: I believe the last people to own it were a company by the name of
Flint, Irving and Stoner.
ALEX.: Those were two of the larger mills?
MATHENY: Those were two of the larger mills right here. Course they had them
on down in Cass.
ALEX.: How about down in Durbin?
MATHENY: They had nothing. They had a mill between here and there. Course
these people up here bought it out. It was known as the Hoover-Yeager Lumber
Company. It was just back of the tannery down there. They sold out to the Dunlevy Lumber Company, and they moved the mill and operated about halfway
between there and Dunlevy as we called it.
ALEX.: How about the tannery. How long's it been here?
MATHENY: Tannery's been here since about 1900.
ALEX.: It's employed a lot of people then?
MATHENY: Yes, they have.
ALEX.: How many people do they employ now? It's still in operation now,
isn't it?
MATHENY: Yes. Not half the roll they used to have because the new methods of
operation have taken it all up. New machines have taken it away.
ALEX.: Where do they get their hides?
MATHENY: From various places. They used to get a lot from South America but
I understand they don't get so many from there. And of course different places
over the United States. It seems the main operators there were Howe’s, a Boston,
Massachusetts firm, and then they had a Hoffman and Howes were the controlling
fellows, up there for a long time. Hoffmans were from this state from up around
Wheeling. There were two or three brothers of them. These Howes I never knew,
there might have been two of them. I never knew but one of them. He used to come
down to visit frequently. We had mills up the, what we called the Western
Maryland Railroad that has branches up to Durbin, up to Elkins. It used to come
through Elkins and ends up down here with the C & O at Durbin. And there were
big mills up there. Bemiss had a big band mill, Gileady had a big band mill,
Burner had a big band mill, May had a big band mill, and I think there were two
or three others. Brocker I think had one, but I'm not right sure. Anyway, there
was a half a dozen or more big band mills between Durbin and Elkins.
ALEX.: Most of them in Pocahontas County?
MATHENY: Most in Pocahontas. But Bemiss and Gileady were in Randolph
County. But then they come over to Willdale* and it was in Pocahontas County and
May was in Pocahontas County and Burner and Brocker, if they had a mill there
I'm not right sure about what they did have there but I think they did.
ALEX.: They had a bank down here in Durbin, didn't they?
MATHENY: They had a bank in Durbin.
ALEX.: About when was that?
MATHENY: That was about, let me see, it was along in about 1906, I think.
They've got the thing posted down there on the building.
ALEX.: The building's still there? Where is it located, on Main Street?
MATHENY: Yes. Going in this way it's about halfway into town. It's a brick
building. That operated for a good many years but due to bad management and one
thing and another, they had to give it up. Give it up to the Bank of Marlinton.
ALEX.: When did they give it up?
MATHENY: It must have been in about the 20's.
ALEX.: I guess a good many trains were operating?
MATHENY: Yes, we had two trains, passengers, operating on the
C & O. A noon passenger and a night passenger. The night train ran to Winterburn
where that Craig's had their operation. That was what we called it. That train
ran up there, course they had the switch up there, and stayed overnight. They
left here about eight o'clock, maybe before that. Then the next morning they
left up there about seven o'clock and made a run to Ronceverte. The noon train
just made the one trip. It got here at about ten o'clock, went up to the other
town and laid over for an hour or two. Then we had two daily passenger trains
over the Western Maryland.
ALEX.: Good many passengers?
MATHENY: Yes, there were. Automobiles were an unknown thing. There were a
good many employees of these lumber companies and the tannery and other fellows
who had to ride the train and their families. You know how family affairs go.
The women would want to go one place and another and there were no buses or
streetcars so they had to use the trains.
(Break)
MATHENY: Keep it straight, void it and so on.
ALEX.: You've been at this location 45 years? Guess you've seen a lot of
customers.
MATHENY: Yes, when I started I didn't have very much. Didn't need very much,
didn't have many customers. Course I would see them go into the store across the
street. I worked over there at one time and at the building that burned down.
ALEX.: You've been in the grocery business a long time then.
MATHENY: I've been fooling with it all my life. Before we came here, my
uncle had a store in Hineytown*, that's in ____ County. He had a little old
store there. It was just along the road there. It was on a big farm and we'd go
out and work. When a customer came he'd ring a dinner bell or blow a horn. I'd
be away up on top of a hill a'hoeing corn and I'd have to go down and wash, sometimes I'd forget to
wash, just go in and wait on them.
ALEX.: My father kept a store. It's interesting.
MATHENY: Kind of interesting but a lot of headaches.
ALEX.: Have you given credit over the years?
MATHENY: Yes, we've given credit. That's a great ____. But a lot of
headaches. People move away or just don't pay and there is no way you can make
them pay.
ALEX.: You say you've had a few bad debts?
MATHENY: That's right. This your boy?
ALEX.: Yes, this is my boy, 12 years old.
MATHENY: My daughter lived in Huntington on Hughes Street. They're in
Columbus now.
ALEX.: They're not doing much timbering around here now are they? Just cut a
log or two.
MATHENY: Yes, they are. We have a few local mills that do very well. We have
one located right that does very well. In fact, we have two. One that makes
nothing but posts and rails located right back there. Then the one farther down
makes lumber all the time now.
ALEX.: Who owns this Bartow* Rail?
MATHENY: Judy Fencecraft. Judy is the owner. Fencecraft is the style of the
firm.
ALEX.: Seems like I met that fellow some time ago.
MATHENY: He's a young fellow.
ALEX.: No, this was an older fellow.
MATHENY: George Small*, I imagine.
ALEX.: Not too tall.
MATHENY: No, George is pretty tall. May have been Jim Laudens(Louthans)*.
ALEX.: Was about ten years ago, about 1964. He had an airplane. He flew out
of here.
MATHENY: Well, that was George. He's dead now.
ALEX.: We went over to Washington and flew over to Pensacola, Florida, as a
guest of the Secretary of the Navy.
MATHENY: He and Dick Benson used to fly around together.
ALEX.: Is there a Benson over in Elkins?
MATHENY: Just this side of it. He's one of the Senate men down in Charleston.
ALEX.: He's a big lumber man.
MATHENY: Yes, yes.
ALEX.: Has a house right there in runway. Owns some timber in Canada.
MATHENY: He gets his name in the paper a lot.
ALEX.: Guess the prices change a lot over the years. Have you ever seen a
time when the prices change more than they
do now?
MATHENY: It used to be that you could mark up merchandise month after month
and prices would be about the same. Very little variance. I have never seen them
like they are today. Seasonal stuff would sometimes be a bit out.
ALEX.: I understand Richardson Hardware used to have a store here in Durbin?
MATHENY: Yes. They run a hardware down there now. Went by the name of Heiner.
There was branch of the Richardson in Marlinton then a man by the name of
Heiner bought them out. He ran it for them and finally bought them out. Course
it was known as the Durbin Hardware.
ALEX.: What are some of the businesses that were more active in the 30's and
40's which are no longer around? Could you name a few?
MATHENY: Dyer Gum* operated the store across the street. He was the first
operator of a store here in Durbin. He went in with a partner but that didn't
last long. He became the sole proprietor. Then he sold out to a man by the name
of Whitelove(Whiteglove)*, John C. Whitelove*. He was a Highland man. He had a
man working for him, Gum* did, and he went over to work for Whitelove*. They
were all Highland fellows. He came in and worked for Whitelove* then they split
up and he bought Whitelove* out. Hull, Ernest Hull. He was the main man there
for a while, 15 years or more, maybe more. Another fellow came in there by the
name of Admiral ____ but he didn't last too long. Anyway that was the main thing
of the mercantile business here in Bartow. Then in Durbin, there was the Durbin
Mercantile Company started by a family named J.A. Wilson. He came there with the
tannery and moved in there and took it over. Course there were some in the
tannery who were interested in it and had some stock in it. Randolph and Kerr
founded a store right beside of the Durbin Mercantile Company, that was a
general store. There was a hardware store known as the Richardson Store and
then, I think I told you, it went into Heiners. There were a few others. C.J.
Fish, he was an old merchandiser in Durbin, he was in the same building as this
Randolph and Kerr. He died off, old man Kerr did, and he sold off to this fellow
Fish. Oh, there was two or three others in the store business right in that
town. Course up there above here they had one the Craig store up there the
Winterburn Store, we called it. The Dunlevy Store. E.P. Dunlevy and Company.
There were several others stores in that town. Let me see if I can recall. One I
know was a Kent Arbovale*. Then he had a nice store over at Arbovale*.
ALEX.: Were there any hotels in the old days?
MATHENY: Yes, there was a big hotel right over there known as the Bartow
Hotel.
ALEX.: How many guest rooms?
MATHENY: Oh, I don't know how many, 10 to 12, 15. But they did a good business.
ALEX.: For the most part who stayed there? Peddlers?
MATHENY: They did some. Most of the salesmen then had to travel by train.
They'd hire a hack from the livery stable there to take them around. They'd get
horses and of course they always furnished their own drivers. Salesmen would
stop and stay there. Course they had two hotels in Durbin at that time that was
operating. They had one in Dunlevy that was operating, too. Fellow by the name
of Milligan had it. Milligan Hotel.
ALEX.: What years were these?
MATHENY: There were in at the time Dunlevy went in there. At about the time
Dunlevy opened up. They were watching for new places, you know.
ALEX.: 1910 or '20, along in there?
MATHENY: It was booming days here in the lumber industry. There was a store
here named, I believe it was H.J. Wimble(Wimple)* & Sons, was the lumber
company, and I think the firm was styled the same.
ALEX.: More recently, I've noticed they built motels.
MATHENY: There is a good one out here and another up on top of the mountain.
ALEX.: Have a lot of tourists?
MATHENY: Yes, a lot of tourists. These motels have done pretty good. This
fellow out here has done exceptionally well since he started. It was a pretty
big business place here at one time, 1918 along about then, a lot of business, a
lot of travel.
ALEX.: Was this part of the old turnpike up here?
MATHENY: Stanton to Parkersburg Turnpike.
ALEX.: Where did it go across here?
MATHENY: Went across to Highland across the mountains to Stanton and ended
up in Richmond, I think, to Parkersburg.
ALEX.: You mentioned a livery stable. I guess you've seen a lot of buggies
go up and down this road.
MATHENY: Oh my, plenty of them. Plenty of them. We used to have a little one
operated here and then one at Durbin, 20 or 25 maybe.
ALEX.: Some of these larger stores, did they have delivery with a horse and
wagon?
MATHENY: Yes, they did. The train came in about 1900 and then they used rail
shipping. These stores that were operating before then had to do it by horse and
wagon, these older stores. There was a fellow, D.D. Bishop, in the mercantile
business in the Highland and after the rail came in he did all of his shipping
from Stanton or Warm Springs around in there. After this came in he changed and
he had a special wagon built and four big horses. After this railroad came in he
had all his merchandise shipped here and he came over here once
every week and sometimes twice to get their merchandise
that would be shipped here to Bartow station. They'd
take in on across by wagon.
ALEX.: I guess you've seen some interesting customers in your time.
MATHENY: Yes.
ALEX.: Any famous ones?
MATHENY: No. Oh, I don't know. I've seen some that were pretty well known. I
don't just remember. You don't just keep step of it.
ALEX.: People come and go.
MATHENY: Lots of the distributors, a lot of the merchandise come out of
Baltimore. I took to the dry goods line. Groceries were from all different
places. Some I bought from wholesale grocers in Stanton. Some from different
places in this state, grocery houses, one or two. Of course we had salesmen,
plenty of them. Elkins had two or three wholesale houses and their salesmen came
here
on that Western Maryland train. That was the only way
to get here unless they drove all the way over the mountains. They would get
their horses at the livery stable here and their vehicles, that is the grocery
people. The dry goods and notions people located in Baltimore, they had their
own outfit but it was done by horse and hack*. Until they got, one time they had
a
dry goods company, Treek*, Ellis, Hertel & Company, in Baltimore had an old
chain model drive truck. First one we ever had. It just excited people to death
to see
that fellow coming in that. His baggages, his samples
they just covered it with something to keep it dry.
We'd laugh when we saw him come into town. Sometimes he couldn't get it started
and he'd lay over a day or two. Nobody understood them very well around here.
Finally
it would start and he would take off. Just like an old traption* engine going up
the road.
ALEX.: Being on main road like this is good for business.
MATHENY: Yes, especially in the summer. In the winter, too, we don't do too
badly. In a place like this we couldn't hardly expect to do too much, but we do
right well, good enough to keep going at it.
ALEX.: Well enough to keep the wolf away from the door.
MATHENY: I wonder if we'll have to lock it on him sometime.
ALEX.: You've seen a lot of business in this area.
MATHENY: Yes, the lumber industry made it wonderful because at one time this
country was full of timber. Every ridge and hollow was full of timber.
ALEX.: They tell me they've got a stand up on top of the mountain that they
never did cut, 200 acres.
MATHENY: Up near that Gardineer* Tower, that they won't allow you near or to
cut. They are holding to it some way or another.
ALEX.: Did you say there was another lumber company still in business here?
MATHENY: We called it the Interstate Lumber Company.
ALEX.: Do you have a favorite story?
MATHENY: Uh, no. I was just an old farm laborer and postmaster.
ALEX.: You were postmaster a long time, close to thirty years. You must have
known everyone coming and going.
MATHENY: Yes, I took it over December 16, 1925, and retired
April 30, 1955. I lacked a few months of 30 years, but I make it 30. It seemed
like I was there 50, all I had to do.
ALEX.: Did you deliver the mail, or just operate the office?
MATHENY: No delivery, just the office.
ALEX.: Did they deliver the mail? How did they do it?
MATHENY: It came in on the train and people came into the office to get it.
Course now it's done by trucks. They do the same and come to the office to get
the mail. We have no home delivery of mail.
ALEX.: When did the trains stop delivering the mail?
MATHENY: It's been 15 or 20 years since a train up here to delivery the
mail.
ALEX.: They're talking about eliminating the train, aren't they?
MATHENY: Yes, they're going to have hearings in Charleston in June.
ALEX.: They still ship freight here by train, don't they?
MATHENY: A little, not much.
ALEX.: Do they ship the (wooden fence) rails out by train?
MATHENY: Occasionally, most of it goes out by truck.
ALEX.: What about the tannery?
MATHENY: The tannery's mostly by truck. They have a little bit of incoming
freight, but even the hides are now mostly by truck.
ALEX.: Who would be someone at the tannery to talk to? Some of the old
timers?
MATHENY: They could tell you at the office. If you go on to Durbin there is
a Wilson who is the son of Old Man Wilson who used to be there, so he could give
you a lot of information.
ALEX.: What's the name of his store?
MATHENY: Durbin Mercantile.
ALEX.: When were you born?
MATHENY: April 15, 1885.
(Break)
ALEX.: That McCaskey* System, how long have you had that?
MATHENY & Ted(Son)*: Not too long, but we got it from the store across the
street and they used it 30 years ago when I worked there.
ALEX.: Do you still use it?
Ted: Oh yes, to keep our credit accounts.
ALEX.: I have tape recorded our conversation, do you have any objections to
that or to my using it? I will be happy to play it back for you if you wish.
MATHENY: Yes, that is all right.