". . Borrow his Neighbor's. . "

December 17 1880

The new editor Sam B Day noted that the Rural Republican had the largest circulation of any paper in the county. “Lawrenceville”, he said, “was located one mile north of the crossing of the Ohio and Mississippi and Danville and Southwestern railroads. It was a beautiful little village of about 1000 inhabitants surrounded by some of the finest farms and farming land in the state. It was a strong temperance town and was inhabited by a thrifty and enterprising people. The town had two churches, 2 newspapers, a splendid grade school, 2 flouring mills, and it was beautifully situated on high rolling ground on the banks of the Embarrass river.”  (Apparently, he was an original organizer of the Chamber of Commerce, just kidding.)

Captain Myers with his spankling (not sure what this means but it’s what the newspaper said) mule team drives right along with thick saw logs for the Barrett mill. This appeared to be a good time to hunt quail and rabbits as there was a good supply of them around the county. Those subscribers, who agreed to bring the newspaper wood (for heat) in return for a subscription, were asked bring it right along as this was the accepted time to use wood.  W H Meadows moved his stock of groceries and hardware into the rooms formerly occupied by the post office and ‘would sell as cheap as ever.’

Readers were reminded to attend the oyster supper at Beck’s Hall in Bridgeport December 24^th to eat oysters and be happy in helping along the cause of Christianity. Mr. Day said later on that it was about the time of year to commence drowning two or three wee oysters in a great big kettle of warm water and selling the water for $0.25 a dish. (There was no indication that he was referring to the church oyster supper.)

The proposition for a company to buy the old brick church and fix it up for a public hall meets with general favor. (No indication as to which brick church he was referring.)

Miss Rachel Young, formerly of this place but who has been in another part of the state for a few years, died yesterday morning of quick consumption at her aunt's house, Mrs. Clementine Watts of Lawrenceville. Mrs. Mary K Mayo, formerly the wife of William Nye, who lived here many years ago, died recently at her home in Newton

‘Uncle Watty’ Buchanan of St Francisville called on Mr. Day and spent half an hour in pleasant chat. Mr. Buchanan brought some very fine turnips along to gladden the hearts of the citizens of Lawrenceville.

Mr. Day asked his readers to bear with him through the holiday season as he was having a harvest of advertising but as soon as the holidays were over, he would have more reading manner and ask that live, wide-awake correspondents from all principal points in the county send in news articles that would not offend anyone. To each correspondent, he would make the Rural Republican free of charge.

The lumberyard, formerly owned by Dalton and Lamport, near the D& S W railroad depot, changed hands and the former owners left to settle in Kansas. Mr. Gabriel Smith would continue the business selling lumber, hardware, sash, doors, and implements, and do all he could to please their former customers.

James A Crews gave notice that he had assigned the accounts  for breeding his Percheron Norman horse, “Young Duke,” to KP Snyder, attorney, for collection.

Bridgeport:  There was to be a Festival in town on Christmas eve.  GW Guess died Thursday December 16^th, 1880, after a week's illness of pneumonia. John M Buchanan purchased the brick building on the corner occupied then by Warner Brothers. Four train car loads of hogs were shipped from Bridgeport to Vincennes by G Crane and Charles O'Donnell, Sr.

Mount Zion was warm and cloudy. B Monjar took possession of the farm he recently purchased. The reporter said he could then work under his own ‘grapevine and acorn tree as it were’.

Christmas goods sold at the Hall on the north side of the public square in Lawrenceville were fancy candies, mixed candies, fresh candies, butterscotch, toys of all descriptions, fireworks, fresh oysters, fresh salmon, sardines, baloney, cheese, dried beef, cakes, ciders, fine tobacco and cigars.

Anthony Shassere advertised that he wanted everyone in Lawrence County to know that he had on hand 100,000 good hard and soft bricks for sale. People desiring brick made and burned on their farms or made to order would receive prompt attention. His yard was in Bridgeport, and he kept a supply on hand at all times.

Meanwhile the Vincennes Weekly Sun published a “story” about the wife of Sam Brookhart living within 3 miles of Sumner. “She went to town with Mr. Berkshire, a neighbor of theirs. Mr. Brookhart went to the field to husk corn and gave her about $60 to buy such necessities as she saw fit. When she got to town, she went to May’s and bought a few articles, then she told Mr. Berkshire that she was ready to go home, and said she would walk on and he would overtake her.  Putting what she had bought in Berkshire’s wagon, she then started on the road for home, but instead of going home, she went to Claremont, then got on the evening train and went to Olney, stayed there all night, then yesterday took the noon train and started east.  But when she came to Sumner, they were looking for her and found her on the train, but could not get her off until they got to Bridgeport.  From there she and her husband walked back to Sumner and boarded a wagon for home. She seemed to be out of her mind, for she asked her husband to take her to the graveyard. She said her mother was there and she desired to go there too, but before this, she seemed all right. No cause for acting in this manner; she has a family of four children.  No family troubles could have brought about such actions, for they lived very peaceably together and had a nice and comfortable home.’

The Vincennes’ paper also published an article about a baby being left at the boarding house. This child, probably 18 months of age, was left at the boarding house of John Wall on 2nd St. in Vincennes by its cruel and heartless mother. The girl (and I'm quoting here) who was a pop- eyed, large- nosed critter said that she came from Sumner. She brought the child to Wall's house and from there went to Saint Rose's Academy to see if the Sisters of Providence would take care of her.   They refused to do so without consulting with a higher church authority, and the girl brought the child back to the boarding house. She walked in and set ‘it’ down onto the floor and then went over to the depot, boarded a train which was just pulling out for the West. In addition to the above description of the girl the informant says that she was ‘young- looking,and did not appear to be as sharp as girls of her age actually are’. The baby was to be adopted by a family named Baker living in the same block at Vincennes.

Mrs. Cecil of Lawrence County administered the estate of her late husband Thomas G Cecil. In his will he bequeathed everything he possessed to his wife with the exception of a good farm in Allison Township which he gave to his sister, Mrs. Ben H Wathen.  The estate consised of about 550 acres of land in Lawrence County and about 500 acres in Kentucky and was worth probably $30,000.   Mrs. Cecil offered the following personal property for sale on Wednesday January 19, 1881, at the homestead near Belgrade Landing, Russell Township: 30 tons of Timothy hay, eight sets of harness, 15 bushel of corn, one lot of household furniture, 300 bushels of oats, 1 hay rake, 1 Woods self-binder, 50 head of hogs, one Reaper, 2 wheat drills, 2 riding plows, 4 mules, 1 wagon, 6 fresh cows, 2 buggies, one lot of poultry, 2 cultivators, 3 stoves, 10 plows, 15 head of Shorthorn cattle. The famous pacing stallion, Jack Rapid (record 2: 25), would also be sold at the same time.

 1880 humor: Why is a newspaper like a toothbrush?

 Because everybody should have one of his own and not borrow his neighbors.