For your reading enjoyment, we continue to publish Rambling Vines by the late Marylea Vines as she recalls events and names of Corning folks from many years ago. We are currently in the year 1990

The following is copied from an 1880’s edition of The Courier and is entitled “Appreciated Then.”

It reads: It is funny how people discover the importance of a newspaper when they get into a scrape or do something they are ashamed of. They live for years without subscribing and when they are asked to advertise, they say, “It don’t do any good.” But the minute they get into a scape they rush to the editor and request him to say nothing about it, in case it is trouble in which their name will happen to be mentioned. Then they realize the paper has a circulation and don’t want their names “spread all over.” Appreciation of a newspaper should begin before you get into trouble. It might be well for some people to put this indelibly upon their memory tablets or paste it into their hats.

Upon reading one of the state daily newspapers, Tuesday, Richard Pierce learned that a certain well-know politician had made “big news” in announcing that he would not seek election to the governor’s post. Richard sent me word that he would also not be seeking the governorship this year… and probably not next election, either!

Years ago, my sister bought a large willow basket from a bunch of gypsies who were camped out by the river. She brought it home and declared it was to be used as a sock basket in our bedroom. I grew up with that old basket and through the years it has been painted every color under the sun, but always used for socks.

The other evening I went home from work and instead of roughhousing with Putter, I was busy getting ready to go to Piggott on business. He finally got enough of me ignoring him and went galloping through the house (he sounds about like a young mule), ran over to the sock basket, grabbed a pair of socks and shook them right good, then looked at me as if to say, “See there!” I couldn’t help but pick him up and love him a little and then didn’t have the heart to leave him alone, so arrangements were made for him to visit at a friend’s house for a few hours.

The fourth week of April is designated “Volunteer Month” … that sure brings back a lot of memories. Nowadays they are talking about a different kind of volunteerism, but it reminds me of some of my mom’s famous last words when my brother and I would be leaving home to attend some tent show, circus or carnival that was in town for a one-night stand right up here on Second street on the vacant lots between Wards house and the old Ward Theatre Building. We couldn’t escape without her saying, “Now don’t either of you be volunteering to get up on the stage or anything… you stay put in your seats and come straight home when it is over.”

Volunteerism is a very good thing when it is steered through helping older people, helping out at schools, churches, and hospitals, teaching an adult to read… all the things that we should be doing anyway!

Two of my best friends have gotten new cars, both of then solid white, which is not at all unusual in this day and time… white is a very popular choice, easy to keep looking nice. However, I remember what was, I guess, the first solid white car to ever come to Corning. The Ward family (Skeet and Mattie and their sons) ran a taxi service in the 1940’s and 50’s and they went off to St. Louis or somewhere one weekend and brought back a solid white car to use in their business… you could see that thing from one end of town to the other. Until the new wore off it got about as much attention as the first autos in this part of the county.

My mom’s family was living out in the country from Rector when cars first began to appear and one day they got a call on the telephone party line telling them “A car is coming, a car is coming!” She said that the telephone was hung up and all the family ran, hard and fast as they could, to the edge of the country road for their first glimpse of a real automobile.

My dad, and his family were living out by the White School House when their neighbors, the Cantwells, got a car. The road was in such a bad shape that the Cantwells could go quicker from their home to the school on foot than they could by auto… but it was a lo more exciting to travel by car.

Had some interesting visitors to The Courier recently from Michigan, Mr. and Mrs. Warren K. Wells. This was their second trip to Corning, and Clay County, in search of information concerning his late grandfather, Professor Wells, trying to determine why he moved his family from Michigan to Arkansas many years ago (in the late 1880’s).

All through my life, I have heard stories about the late Professor and everyone who knew him quickly calls him a genius! Professor Wells and his wife were once Principal and Vice-Principal of Corning Schools. Mrs. Wells died in a Little Rock hospital on June 16, 1923, and Professor Wells died on December 1, 1927. They are both buried in Corning Cemetery.

There are bound to be people around who have stories about Professor Wells. If so, why not give me a call and I will put them all together and send them to his grandson who seems like a mighty nice person.