PWCo Item: Two New Tractors Ordered by County

Evening Star (Washington, DC)
25 December 1930

TWO NEW TRACTORS ORDERED BY COUNTY

Prince William Supervisors Authorize Purchase of Road Equipment

Special Dispatch to the Star.

   MANASSAS, Va., December 25. -- Two new tractors will be added to the equipment used in Prince William County road work, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorizing H. L. Tubbs, superintendent of roads, to buy two caterpillar tractors of the type No. 15.

The Board also heard the opposition to the closing of the road from the J. D. Crenshaw residence in an easterly direction to Yates Ford road, the abandonment of which had been recommended by a board of viewers, consisting of E. R. Conner, Charles B. Evans and J. S. Evans. The matter was again referred to the viewers for further report and consideration of a change of location as proposed by Martin D. Lynch, whose property borders on the road, and who represented citizens who claimed that to close the road would work a hardship and inconvenience to them. The protestants suggested that a relocation of the road be considered from Centerville road to Yates road. 

W. M. Johnson, John B. House, A. B. Carr, A. O. McLearen and W. H. Herndon were appointed a commission to view and make just compensation for land to be taken in relocating the road from Seymours Corner to Keys Corner in the Brentsville district, objection having been made to the report of the viewers.

The board disposed of many routine matters and approved numerous bills for payment by the county treasurer. Supervisors present at the meeting were J. Lindsay Dawson, chairman, Occoquan; Rolfe Robertson, Gainesville; J. W. Merchant, Dumfries; C. R. Earhart, Coles; D. E. Earhart, Brentsville, and C. C. Lynn, Manassas District.

[Unfortunately, H(erbert) L. Tubbs would later be killed when one of the county tractors "turned over on him" as he was working. ~cgl]

Newspaper Tidbit: Industrial Commission Decrees Prince William Liable

Richmond Times Dispatch (Va)
26 March 1932

INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION DECREES PRINCE WILLIAM LIABLE IN TUBBS' DEATH

A county cannot evade its responsibility under the workmen's compensation act by electing its employees instead of hiring them, the State Industrial Commission held yesterday in an opinion handed down by Commissioner C. G. Kizer.

The case was that of Mrs. Bessie R. Tubbs and other dependents of the late H. L. Tubbs of Prince William County.  Tubbs was killed while in the employ of the Prince William board of supervisors, when a tractor turned over on him.

His dependents sought to recover from the county, but the county claimed that Tubbs had been elected by the board, and hence did not come under the terms of the workmen's compensation law.

Commissioner Kizer held yesterday, however, that "to sustain the contention of the defendant would mean the annulment of the provisions of the workmen's compensation act in thousands of cases."

Such a contention, he added, could be made to apply to janitors, teamsters and all others who do work of a laborious character, and would be a clear evasion of a law which has been on the statute books for more than twelve years.

[Herbert L. Tubbs (1874-1932) was elected Superintendent of Roads, and is buried in Cannon Branch Cemetery beside his wife, Bessie (1882-1970). ~cgl]

Newspaper Tidbit: Pastor Writes from Kentucky (1920)

Manassas Journal

February 6, 1920

Page 8

PASTOR WRITES FROM KENTUCKY

Rev. Mr. Rixey, Now at Theological Seminary, Recalls Prince William Days

The Journal is in receipt of an interesting letter from Rev. R. P. Rixey, of Fredericksburg, a former Prince William pastor, who is now at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ky.:

“You may be surprised that news from your paper reaches to this city of 250,000 in far off Kentucky, 700 miles from Manassas.  Some mutual friend sent me a clipping from a late copy of The Journal with the letter you published from Rev. R. T. Hayes, of Pendleton, Va., telling of his work in Louisa county.

The reading of that letter brought back a flood of memories of about five years ago when I was the pastor of Woodbine and Bellehaven churches in Prince William county, and Brother Hayes was debating the question of giving up his position with the Standard Oil Company to enter the ministry.  I have never had cause to regret the fact that I then urged him to make the sacrifice needed and concecrate [sic] his life to so noble a calling.  I saw him take his departure shortly for Louisville, Ky., to make the preparation he needed.  I saw him two years later when he returned and began his good work in Louisa county.  I have helped him there two years in special meetings at one of the churches.

So much impressed was I with the intellectual and other help he had secured at the Seminary, that I made up my mind that I wanted the same.  It is seldom a man of my age, who enters the ministry as late in life as I did, ever goes to a Seminary.  However, I resigned my two churches and came last October for special work, and have greatly enjoyed the course of study.

I am by far the oldest man at the Seminary this year, but have no difficulty keeping up with the young men in my studies and have successfully passed all examinations.

I wish more of our older men would come here for preparation for this work.

My mind runs back over the past five years, and it seems but a short time since I enjoyed the hospitality of the homes I shall never forget; and the names Woodbine, Independent Hill and Bellhaven will never be forgotten.  The kindness and consideration of the people, in view of my imperfect work, will be to me always a source of gratitude and wonder.

Such names as Hayes, Hill, Cornwell, Smith, Russell, Luck, Merrill, Tubbs, Donohue, Wolfenden, Lynn, Storke, Lowe, Wine, Wright, Abel and many others, too numerous to mention, will live with me so long as memory lasts.  I wonder if Mrs. Sam Lowe remembers that little homemade rug she gave me!  It is on my floor in far off Kentucky, and I see it as I write this letter.  Considerably worn now, but still in use.  Mrs. Donohoe and her sisters loaded down my buggy many times with good things for my folks at home.  So did others, who were church members.  I refer to Mrs. Sam Lowe and Mrs. Donohoe and her sisters specially, because they were not members of my churches, which made their kindness the more remarkable.

I hope when I get back to my home in Fredericksburg next June to have the pleasure of a visit to these churches again and a chance to persecute each of them at least once, with a sermon.”