A Former Publication Of Alderson High School “Alderson’s Longest Running News Media”

Some Things Never Change. I Think That's Good. Barry Worrell - 12-06-2020

80   years   ago   my   mother   and   I   moved   from   another   small town   to   this   building   in   Alderson   WV.   We   had   all   of   the upstairs    except    one    small    room    which    was    used    as storage   for   the   drugstore   below   on   the   right   side.   Mother had   her   beauty   shop   in   the   upper   right   side   over   the drugstore.   My   bedroom   was   across   the   hall,   where   you see   the   light.   The   store   below   was   empty   most   of   the time   we   were   there   and   I   parked   my   bicycle   in   that   door way.   Eventually   someone   stole   it.   While   we   were   there, the   porch   wasn't,   although   there   was   a   porch   when   the building   was   built,   int   the   late   1890s.   They   built   the   porch back   during   a   restoration   phase   of   "Historic   Alderson".   I would    have    loved    to    have    had    that    porch    during    our occupation,   but   it   didn't   stop   me   from   shooting   beans   via bean   shooters   and   water   balloons   from   above.   I   would simply   go   out   the   back   window   and   cross   over   to   the building   on   the   left   and   launch   them   from   there.   That didn't last long, someone always tells on you.

It's   a   little   difficult   to   see,   but   there's   a   doorway   behind   the   street   light.   That’s   the   door   to   the   stairs   up   to our   apartment.   Those   stairs   were   very   steep,   and   were   also   memorable.   Not   only   did   I   fall   down   them   a couple   of   times   (my   mother   would   always   hear   it   and   come   running   and   say,   "Are   you   alright",   and   I   would reply,   "   Yep,   I'm   OK".),   they   were   the   cause   of   much   concern   when   the   piano   mother   got   me   had   to   come upstairs.   What   an   exciting   time.   I   was   getting   a   piano   and   I   got   to   watch   several   men   struggle,   with   block and   tackle,   to   pull   this   monster   up   the   stairs.   Fortunately   it   was   an   upright   piano.   Going   down   the   stairs was   also   an   adventure.   Seeing   the   banister   as   rail,   I   thought   if   I   turn   backwards   on   the   top   step,   wrap   my left   arm   over   the   banister,   lift   my   feet   up   off   the   step,   I   could   get   to   the   bottom   a   lot   faster.   Worked   most   of the   time.   The   other   times   I   would   misjudge   how   close   I   was   to   the   bottom,   then   I   would   slide   off   the   end   of the banister and hit the door. "It's OK Mother, I'm alright". I got too big for that. Oh   yes,   Christmas.   My   most   memorable   Christmases   growing   up   was   in   that   apartment.   Our   living   room was   quite   small   and   the   beauty   shop   was   the   largest   room   we   had,   so   we   put   our   Christmas   tree   there.   It always   looked   beautiful   there   at   night   because   the   shop   lights   were   not   on.   We   used   cotton   for   the   snow around   the   base,   and   I   guess   most   folks   did.   One   year   after   Christmas   was   over   we   left   the   tree   in   the   hall so   we   could   haul   it   away   later.   You   can   imagine   how   dry   a   cedar   tree   is   after   Christmas.   My   good   friend, David   Honaker   and   I   were   playing   in   the   hall.   Someone   got   the   idea   to   burn   the   cotton   that   was   laying there   with   the   tree.   Quicker   than   you   could   get   up   off   the   floor   and   get   out   of   the   way,   that   tree   went   up   in   a flash.   There   was   no   paint   damage,   just   a   little   black   smoke.   Richard   Ford   came   up   and   took   it   down   to   the street and threw it in the gutter. This   old   building   holds   a   thousand   memories.   I   feel   fortunate   that   it's   still   around.   It's   still   an   apartment upstairs, and the drugstore downstairs. Some things never change. I think that's good.

(Photo courtesy Sam Weikle - Click for larger view)