"Avoid the Rush on the 24th"

The on- line copy of the Rural Republican, Lawrence County’s  newspaper, derived from old, microfilmed copies, is too degraded to read easily for Friday, December 10, 1880.   The news in this blog for this time period was reported by the Vincennes Weekly Western Sun. 

Bridgeport Brevities: John A Bard was officiating in the post office. HK Lanterman was crippled up with rheumatism. Several of the young folks met at the residence of Charles Vanausdel and partook of a most bountiful oyster supper. PF Lanterman had measles. Mr. WM Price of Bridgeport died at his home on Sunday November 28, age 77 years. He was buried at Shiloh cemetery.

Mt Zion Items: Corn shucking was progressing slowly. William Mathias was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery. His death was caused by measles.

Mr. Till A Curry of Lawrenceville will be deputy circuit clerk under Mr. Lafayette Barnes. Abraham Gudgle, a resident of Lawrence County for 20 years, died at his home in Richland County on November 20th. Joseph D Tolles and James F Jennings have been drawn to serve as U. S. jurors at Springfield at the next term of the U.S. Court of Illinois.

Allison:  Some time ago the Weekly Western Sun made mention of the fact that the citizens of Allison Township were making arrangements to drain their fertile prairie lands of all the wastewater which rendered so much of it unfit for cultivation. The proper steps had been taken, and assessments of benefits and damages had been made. Charles Pinkstaff and William Lagow, two prominent farmers in that township, kicked against their assessment for sanitary and agricultural purposes, and according to law, Enoch Organ, town clerk, summoned three members of the County Board of Supervisors, before whom he laid the assessment complaints. The Commission was composed of the following supervisors: ND Rawlings of Lawrence Township, RJ Ford of Bond Township, and JP Price of Russell Township.  They sustained the objection of the complainants, and the case will go to the county court on an appeal by the township.  Mr. James Ward, one of the most prominent farmers on the Prairie, will have to pay $2000 for drainage, but does so willingly knowing that it will benefit him threefold in the end.

Sumner: On Thanksgiving Day in Sumner Charles Abernathy of Bridgeport married Hattie Bell, a handsome young lady of Sumner. There was considerable sickness in Sumner and a number of deaths had occurred. Tobias Heath of Christy Township died, aged about 90 years. He was the oldest person in the county. The Sumner reporter noted that a number of farmers lost their apples and potatoes during the recent cold weather. There would be a Christmas tree at the New Light church on Christmas.

Russellville: The temperature was 2 degrees above zero.  A man named Ruschings from Russellville went to Vincennes the past Monday and put up his team at Green’s Livery Stable. Officer John Mallett, while patrolling his beat, met him at nighttime.  He was much under the influence of liquor and had no money to procure lodging. The policeman told him to go in the Grand Hotel and sit by the stove till morning, when he could obtain the assistance of the day police who would help him look for a shawl which he complained had been stolen from him during the day. The man started in the direction of the Grand Hotel, and the officer went his way. Tuesday morning, as Mallet passed the residence of Henry Antwine returning home, he was hailed by that gentleman and went into the house to find the same fellow he had sent to the Grand Hotel stretched on the kitchen floor. His boots were gone and his feet were frightful for he had lain out in the cold street all night and some person had stolen his boots. Mallet wrapped his feet in carpet and took him to the station house where he is now confined, his toes apparently ready to drop off from being exposed to the intense cold.

More Russellville news: F W Weyle built an icehouse and expected to harvest a large supply of ice during the current cold snap. A team belonging to John Broyles ran away Monday demolishing part of the schoolyard fence and badly damaging the wagon. Mr. GW Foreman, proprietor of the flour mill, received a very severe injury by a file dropping on his left arm, the sharp point penetrating 2 or 3 inches of the flesh.

Do you wait until the last minute to buy your Christmas presents? Apparently it's inherited. So did your great- great- grandparents, according this December 1880 ad in the Rural Republican.