Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Flashback: What Happened on February 21, ....
• 1835 The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the survey of the Elk River from its junction with the Great Kanawha in Charleston to the Union mills in Nicholas County.
• 1871 The governor approved an act providing free schools for the District of Elizabeth, Wirt County and an act establishing an independent school district in the town of Mason, Mason County.
• 1895 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act permitting a married woman to own real and personal property obtained through inheritance separately from her husband. However, she was prohibited from selling real estate without her spouse’s signature on the deed. It was approved by the governor on the same day.
• 1895 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act requiring those selling alcohol, cigarettes, or cigarette paper to acquire a state license. The same act required those involved in the following businesses for profit to acquire a state license: circus, theater, museum, stock broking, banking, and pawn broking. It became law without the approval of the governor on February 28.
• 1895 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act establishing the Bluefield Colored Institute, which later became Bluefield State College, Mercer County. It became law without the approval of the governor on February 28. The school’s Board of Regents consisted of the following members: State Board of Education Superintendent Virgil A. Lewis; J. C. Bradey of Wheeling; G. M. Bowers of Martinsburg, Berkeley County; W. M. Mahood of Princeton, Mercer County; and J. S. Marcum of Huntington. The Executive Committee consisted of the following members: Judge D. E. Johnson of Bluefield and Dr. J. C. Hughes and W. H. Straley of Princeton, all from Mercer County.
• 1899 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act authorizing the town council of Spencer, Roane County, to move the dead from the McKown Burying Ground to the Spencer Cemetery. It was approved by the governor on February 22.
• 1901 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act establishing the West Virginia State Service Commission to determine whether various citizens had served in home guards or militia during the Civil War. It was approved by the governor on the same day.
• 1913 The governor approved Workmen’s Compensation Law.
• 1913 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act prohibiting the sale of cigarette paper to anyone under the age of 21 and the sale of cigars, pipes, or other tobacco to anyone under the age of 16. The act also prohibited anyone under the age of 21 from smoking cigarettes. It was approved by the governor on February 24.
• 1913 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act establishing the State Road Bureau to instruct in road building, prepare road materials, assist county road authorities, and use prison labor for work on public roads. It was approved by the governor on February 26.
• 1913 The West Virginia Legislature passed an act creating the Public Service Commission to regulate the following industries: common carriers; railroads; street railroads; express companies; sleeping car companies; freight lines; car companies; toll bridges and ferries; telegraph and telephone companies; pipe line companies for the transportation of oil, gas, or water; gas companies; electric lighting companies and municipalities furnishing gas or electricity for lighting, heating, or power purposes; hydro-electric companies for the generation and transmission of light, heat, or power; and water companies. It was approved by the governor on February 22.
The message should be much more important than the messenger but still people just don’t read or take the responsibility of independent thinking. It seems more important to know who said it, to be on the “right” side. I don’t like bullies. I don’t care for people telling others what they should and should not say or how to say it. That’s my right, my opinion. Don’t have any problem signing my name to this but for now I’ll just use…
To Not Me,