“Weakly” but Never Weak: Remembering the Laughs and Lessons from the West Virginia Hillbilly

I’ll be honest, I had never heard of the West Virginia Hillbilly until I pulled this 1968 book off a used-bookstore shelf in Virginia. But I was sold the moment I opened it to a page describing raccoon penis bones being used as toothpicks.

This book, edited and compiled by Otto Whitaker, gathers some of the most beloved pieces from this weekly newspaper- spelled “weakly” on the cover- written and published by Jim Comstock, who founded the paper in 1957.

Not every highlight is strictly outdoorsy, but the playful spirit throughout makes it a refreshing read for anyone with a modern itch for a hillbilly life. I know I would have subscribed to Comstock’s paper had I discovered it (or frankly, been alive) between 1957 and 1992 when it left his hands for the last time. The Hillbilly’s new owners ceased publication in 2001.

The raccoon toothpicks were evidently a new concept only to me- a quick internet search turned up a video of one of my favorite modern outdoor storytellers demonstrating how to craft one of these mountain man toothpicks. Check it out- I really doubt that you're gonna want to miss it.

This book also introduced me to Eli “Rimfire” Hamrick—a true West Virginian outdoorsman who ran for state senate in 1932 but was not elected. Rimfire gave a speech to the Clarksburg Wildlife League of West Virginia in 1923 that was later published by The Hillbilly. In it, Mr. Hamrick offered some conservation wisdom, recalling that when the Game and Fish Commission was first appointed, many West Virginians opposed the new laws, saying, “This is a free country and the game was put here for us, and we are going to kill it and get our share.” Yet only a few years later, many could see how plentiful the game had become thanks to the commission’s protections.

I resonated with Hamrick’s claim that when he served as a game warden in 1911, some people threatened to murder him if they found him or other wardens in the woods. His response was perfect: “Murder me; it is nobody else but me; I am no account anyhow.” A self-deprecating remark—but I can appreciate its casual, almost nonchalant confidence.

Other bits of advice and outdoorsman wisdom from this highlight reel of a book from Comstock’s West Virginia Hillbilly, include:

• Without an almanac, you’ll just have to take the weather as it comes.
• Boil poke greens until tender, then rinse in cold water and hand-squeeze dry. Salt and fry in bacon grease for a “pure Epicurean pleasure.”
• Perhaps a robin doesn’t take cherries home to the baby birds simply because it’s a reward for growing up—an adult bird’s treat.
• When fishing for rainbow trout with bait, let the hook rest on the bottom and move it occasionally. The best times to fish are 4–8 p.m. or 5–8 a.m.

This book will stay on the shelf within arm’s reach for those days when an old-fashioned pick-me-up is needed. I’ll end with some of the best advice found in its pages: “When I work, I work hard. When I sit, I sit loose. When I worry, I go to sleep.”

Resources:

Goodwin, Jacqueline G. “Rimfire Hamrick.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, 22 Jan. 2024,

Miller, Tom D. “West Virginia Hillbilly.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, 15 Feb. 2024. Web.