I’ll Toss Ya Fer It . . .

Friday, January 14th, 1881

The weather was thawing, and the fine sleighing of the past month was almost over.

Wanted: A good lively undertaker to bury deadbeats. The editor appeared to being having a problem with ‘leeches’ reading the newspaper as long as they wanted and then leaving it at the post office to be returned with “refused” marked on it. 

Wanted: to trade or sell one- horse light open buggy. Will trade for a good milk cow. Harness goes with the buggy.

Notice: The lady who left a fur boa at the supper could find it at the clerk's office with Mr. Barnes.

Business:   ‘All work warranted at the Steam Mills --no good; no take um’.  Doctor WM Robinson and Ira Hoke were fitting up an office on Main Street one door West of Watt’s grocery. Sam Combs of Olney with his gang of bridge carpenters repaired the D&M railroad bridge in Lawrenceville. Watt's store advertised maple syrup for buckwheat cakes for sale, as well as the finest mincemeat in town, bars of large blue cakes of soap for $0.25, candies of all description, French china, and gun power tea.  They offered to pay the highest market price in cash for butter and eggs.

In 1880, there were 175 marriage licenses in Lawrence County. There were 23 paupers in the County Poor Farm. The social at SP Bartons last Friday was an enjoyable affair. The next meeting was to be at Felix Watt’s house on January 21st. (Did you look up what they were discussing per last week’s news on the blog?) The editor was pleased to announce that the well-written obituary in the Vincennes of Enoch A Organ of Alison Prairie was all a mistake.  ‘Our Nock is yet alive and able and the deceased Enoch, a cousin,  was from Wayne County here on a visit.’

The passenger train on the D&SW Monday was delayed a few hours by an accident on the O&M RR of the #4 passenger train near Beaman Station. No one was hurt. SP Barton and Till Curry, while in Chicago, the previous week looked at the whale on exhibit there. It was 65 feet long. “They would have brought him home, but our ponds were too small’, they said.

The following gentlemen were chosen to manage City Hall affairs:  AI Judy president, DL Gold secretary, F Schmalhausen, treasurer, GM Whittaker, Ed Tracy and TA Curry, managers. The hall would be handsomely furnished as soon as the weather permitted. The reference to City Hall did not mean what it does today.  This City Hall was more of an exhibition or event space. The paper noted that an acting troupe would play at City Hall on Friday and Saturday nights. Admission was $0.35 with reserved seats costing $0.50. Tickets could be secured at Ed Schmalhausen’s drug store. There would be a matinee for the benefit of the school children on Saturday afternoon; admission was $0.10 for children and $0.25 for grown people. The ladies of Lawrenceville would be giving a supper there in February with the proceeds to go for fixing up the Lawrenceville cemetery.

Ike Poindexter, who had been cooling himself in the county jail a while for whipping his wife, concluded he would go home and see the folks, and forthwith, wrote a note saying he would return when he got ready. He tied his blankets to one of the bars in the South window of the jail, and let himself down, going on about his way, rejoicing. ‘Our jail is very good one of the kind, but kind of a very bad one as well’, remarked the editor.

The Rural editor also commended Mr. Frank C Meserve in his role as editor of the Democratic Herald, save for its vagaries in politics. ‘That he will make the Herald a far more acceptable paper than ever and that his readers may patronize it, we most frankly desire. Its columns now team with manners aimed to promote the general interest of our county and we shall most cordially welcome them in the field.’

The following deaths occurred since the last issue of the newspaper: Ida M Davis of Lawrence Township, January 13th aged 1 year, 10 months 18 days; and Anna Beverly, also of Lawrence Township, aged 19 years 1 month. PF Lanterman died at his residence the previous Saturday morning after an illness of three months.  He was 46 years of age and left a wife and three children.

Bridgeport: Charles O'Donnell shipped a car of hogs and cattle this week from Bridgeport; he shipped a car of hogs last Saturday. Archie Dibble, the wood-sawyer, left Bridgeport for Elkhart, Indiana to live with a brother there. Quite a number of ladies and gentlemen from Bridgeport took a sleigh ride out to TP Applegate’s last Friday night and partook of a fine oyster supper and other refreshments. An observant little fellow of Bridgeport, six -years old, said to his father, “Papa, I wish you'd quarantine against Tom Jones coming here every night to see Jenny. It's getting to be an epidemic.”

Coroner Leach held his first inquest in Sumner over the body of Charles Brisbane,21, son of the Sumner butcher, who was found dead in his bed. Thursday morning, the jury returned a verdict that the cause of death was from an accident involving rail cars. Last fall Charley was engaged in braking on a train on the CI&L railroad at a station near Indianapolis, when he was caught between the cars and considerably crushed in the region of the stomach and liver. He was taken to Cincinnati and treated until they pronounced him well and he was sent home, about four weeks before his death. Brisbane complained of not feeling right and had not been able to do anything, but was able to be up most of the time before his death.

Charlottesville items: Everett Longnecker attended school at Westfield. Reverend Buckner preached at Mount Zion every two weeks. Health was good and Dr. Pickern was waiting for patients so business would be better. Captain Ford and Daniel Cochran brought in the last drove of hogs the week before. Jack Daily was a first-class boot and shoemaker. Daniel Abshire, the cattle merchant came near freezing while coming from Allison Prairie a short time ago. An accident occurred near Port Jackson a few days ago. The sleigh of Mr. Darnell turned over, breaking his arm and bruising him slightly.

Russellville:  A ten- year- old son of Phillip Mauck of Russell Township had one of his legs hurt a few days before by a log that rolled from a sled.

The Bond Township correspondent noted that health was generally good except for measles. Joe Mills and his wife had a baby boy.

And finally: A farmer discovered that his mare would travel much more briskly under the influence of a glass of whiskey.  

One day he sent his hired man, Pat, to town with the wagon, but was dismayed by the length of time it took for him to return. Pat replied that the mare wouldn't run at all that day.

Farmer: Did you give her the whiskey?

 Pat: Well, I'll tell no lie. It was an awful cold morning, and I wanted a drop as bad as she did, so we tossed for it, and I won the toss.

The reserachers found this recipe for Breakfast Pigs' Feet in this issue of the paper and wanted to share it with the readers. If you try it let us know. BUT don't bring any in for us to try, ....because volunteers are hard to find.