Column:
January 13, 2005
 
OUT OF THE PAST: Governor-to-be Homer Hold Won All His Cases Before U.S. Supreme Court; Shirley Temple's 'Dimples' at the Movies; Kissing Ban Proposed in Buffalo; Husky Baby Born by Kerosene Lamp
 
by Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Columnist
 
Huntington (HNN) -- Back in January 18, 1937, the Mountain State prepared to inaugurate a new governor, Greenbrier County native Homer A. Holt.
 
"Rocky" graduated from Greenbrier Military School and achieved "high scholastic standing" at Washington & Lee University where he graduated with honors from the school of law. Although the young lawyer "brought honor to the place of his birth," he was not well known outside the county.
 
Holt ran for attorney general in 1932. With the backing of his party and confident friends, he won both the primary and general election. Nor did Holt rest on laurels. According to an ad placed in the January 17, 1937 Charleston Gazette, "victory remained his custom."
 
The governor-elect had an astonishing record practicing law. As attorney general he won all of his cases in all court of West Virginia and in the United States Supreme Court.
 
The ad sponsored by such supporters as the General Lewis Hotel (Lewisburg), Greenbrier Military School, the Mayor and Council of Lewisburg, First National Bank (Ronceverte), Burke's 5¢-10¢-$1.00 store, and Pioneer Drug Store, championed their native son predicting that "great honors have come to 'Rocky.' Greater honors may be in the future's store. Greenbrier County cannot stifle its pride in the fact that it gave him to the state. It cannot hide its pleasure in the fact that here is his parental home."
 
AT THE MOVIES
 
On that day in 1937, Charlestonians could see "radio's famous one man show" Jimmy Scribner in person and "Career Woman" on the screen for 40 cents. Children got in for a quarter. The Rialto played a double feature of "Dimples" with Shirley Temple and "Trail Dust" with William (Hopalong Cassidy) Boyd. The Virginia featured Deanna Durbin in "3 Smart Girls" and a Vitaphone four star featurette, "Give Me Liberty." Dorothy Lamour's "Jungle Princess" was advertised as coming to the Kearse. The Greenbrier and Capitol were also open in Charleston, as well as the Gauley (Gauley Bridge), Main (St. Albans), Brown (Cabin Creek), Star (Clendenin), Plaza (White Sulphur Springs), Beckley (Beckley) and Eskdale (Eskdale).
 
KISSING BAN PROPOSED
 
FINALLY.. The Health Commissioner of Buffalo, NY urged a ban on "osculation." Dr. Francis Fronczak said, "Kissing is one of the easiest ways to transmit pneumonia, influenza, and grippe." The commissioner recommended that rail and bus companies place placards "warning the public to refrain from kissing departing and arriving guests."
 
He also suggested that handshaking be avoided and people be ordered to cover their face when coughing or sneezing. "A good cough or sneeze can throw infection a good nine feet," he said. However, the good doctor seemed resigned to defeat on his proposal. "I'm afraid mine is a voice lost in the desert."
 
HUSKY BABY BORN IN THE DIM LIGHTS OF KEROSENE LAMPS
 
Fort Wayne celebrated the "birth of a boy topping the scales at an even 18 pounds was born in the dim lights of kerosene lamps." The American Medical Association in Chicago said he is "one of the largest ever born and may be actually "the largest to live any length of time." Named Franklin John, the doctor described the infant as "not especially fat but all boy." The November 1936 issue of the American Medical Association told of a "25 pound still born girl in Georgia and a 24 5-10 pound boy born in Italy."
 
(Compiled from stories appearing in the Jan. 18-20, 1937 of The Charleston Gazette)
 
Tony Rutherford can be reached at trutherford@huntingtonnews.net