Cure for Wayward Husbands

June 25th, 1880

 Lots of folks around Lawrenceville had mumps.  Henry A Clubb was acting as postmaster during the illness of Nellie Seed.  Dr R H Freeze of Sumner died after a long illness. Lawrence County jail had only one boarder. The deserted appearance of the Lawrenceville streets the past week was attributable to the busy season with the farmers.  Milligan’s Mill at Sumner has ground the first new wheat of the season.  The water mill was stopped by back water from the Wabash which was on a big high.  S F Barton shipped two carloads of new wheat, the crop of S L Cunningham, and the first shipment from the county.

 During the severe storm, lightning struck the barn on Andrew Lackey of Russell township damaging it considerably and killing two horses.  George Clark, the colored tonsorial artist and best whole ox roaster on the Wabash received the contract for the Sumner roast July 3.  The job includes several dozen roast pigs, sheep, mutton, veal, an ox or two, beside poultry and bar meat enough for all. The law offices of Gallahan and Huffman occupied the office formerly occupied by Jehu Fields, over Tracy’s store.

The first steam thresher to blow up that season was Wm Gray’s working at B l Cunningham’s farm. Cause--defective gauge, no water, crown sheet burst, scatterment- nobody hurt. The wheat harvest would close this week; the farmers were generally well pleased with their abundant shocks.

An attempt was made to burglarize Mrs. Sabilla Seed’s residence. The folk were aroused in the night by someone trying to affect an entrance through a window and a general odor of chloroform pervaded the room.  The awakening of the family frightened them away.  A good charge of buckshot would have had a tendency to put a stop to such business.  Also, the residence of David Abernathy about six miles southeast of Sumner was burglarized and articles of clothing, money and food taken.  It was supposed to have been the work of tramps. 

John R Gold filed a copy of the census report from Allison Township.  It showed an increase of about 25 percent population over 1870. The population being 1068 now against 855 for 1870.  18 deaths occurred during the census year among families residing in said township up to the 1st day of June 1880.  The oldest person in the township was Uncle Billy Thompson, 76 at his last birthday. 

Bridgeport Brevities: Sage and Son had two brick masons at work on their new furnace at the mill. Most of the mills were compelled to shut down an account of the unusual demand for harvest hands.    Housewives were busy canning cherries and baking blackberry pies. Ed H Frazer was admitted to the bar 18 months previously and had been reading law in Tipton Indiana.  Dr Ed Applegate gave up the study of medicine. There were rumors that a balloon would take its aerial flight toward the heavens rising beyond the gaze of man till it sat in majesty in midair and looked down upon an envious world at 2 pm, on the 3rd. John Buchanan was the first man to commence harvest. Whit Neff was the first to finish.  Mrs. Leighty presented each of her boys with a new bible.

The people of Lawrence County would celebrate the 104th anniversary of independence on July 3rd at Lanterman’s Grove just south of the railroad. Sumner would celebrate with an old-fashioned barbeque on the third.

Mrs. Cochran, aged 87, a resident of Bird Station, was thrown out of a wagon.  One of her hands was badly cut and she was probably fatally injured internally as her life is thought to be in danger.

 A woman cured her husband of staying out late at night by locking the door and when he knocked, she went to the door and whispered through the keyhole “Is that you Willie?” Her husband’s name was John and he now stays at home with one eye open and a revolver under his pillow. 

Republican Candidates for President 1880