Lukin News

If Lukin had a Facebook page in 1891 the posts might have read something like this.  The following are excerpts from the Sumner Press written by a correspondent known only as “Johnie.”

June 11, 1891

S Dager lost a new mule last week. Anderson Boyles has his new barn about completed. George Couch’s team ran away last week while hauling hay and demolished his wagon and new cultivator.

August 13, 1891

Mart Brian has a new baby boy. Tom Sanders has just completed a new granary. Ellen Sanders is still very low with typhoid fever. Johnie Parker drives out in a new buggy. Charley Sanders has improved his house with a new porch. John Brian has come home from school in Valparaiso, Indiana.  Doctor McMurray’s little boy died with diphtheria last week. A young man of this vicinity was out driving Sunday evening and in driving around a white cow, ran over a red one turning over the vehicle and jolting things up in general. William Ivie has been trying an experiment in the fruit line.  Last spring, he grafted some old apple trees and they bore more fruit this year than ever before. On one twig eight inches long, there were seventeen apples all good size. 

August 27, 1891

Charley Sanders shipped a load of sheep. Tom Sanders has been digging himself a new cistern.  C Greenwood and William Schader have sent for some fine sheep.

September 3, 1891

George Foss has moved his household goods to his new home in Ruark. Mrs. Lou Milligan and Mrs. Bessie Boyles are very low with typhoid fever. The city of Orio in the north part of Wabash County was visited by a cyclone Thursday evening.  The storm started near Bethel church, destroying some of Rev A Schrader’s orchards and then unroofing Curt Schrader’s barn, also blowing a very large tree into the widow Bliss’ barn beside destroying some other buildings for her.  From there it struck the town where a great deal of damage was done.  Among other damage Allen Jackman’s dwelling was badly wrecked, the roof and gable ends being torn and blown away. The kitchen was torn from the main building and blown about fifteen or twenty rods. 

September 17, 1891

Mrs. Nisewonger preached an able sermon at Bethel Sunday night. Work has begun on the foundation of the new Bethel church.

September 24, 1891 

The Schrader cousins went to Mount Carmel one day last week and had their photos struck. Mr. Cook met with a serious accident while out driving when a limb caught in the (wagon) wheel scaring the horse which ran away.  Mr. Cook was thrown out and his collar bone broken.  George Gass is going to remodel his dwelling by building one story higher. Samuel Milligan is studying law under Squire Brausa. 

A large number attended W Halfacre’s sale. Newt Schrader and James Kelsey exhibited stock at the Mount Carmel fair.  James King of Lukin and Miss Lou Hanks went to Vincennes to make their marriage tour, but this did not baffle the serenaders. H R Hoffman’s colt demolished his cart the other day.  James F Wise, aged 22 yrs. 4 months and 26 days, died September 14, 1891.  Funeral conducted at Bethel the next day.

October 8, 1981

 Tom Sanders is building quite a lot of picket fences. Henry Bass and son attended the St Louis fair this week. Thomas Moore, Ruark’s buggy agent, is doing big business. G W Lackey, the county superintendent visited Frogeye school one day last week. James Keneipp is building a new house which will add greatly to his farm.  Some very large stones were hauled from Mount Carmel last week for Bethel church. Andie Keneipp is building another new barn, his other one burned last spring. Charley Ivie met with quite an accident Saturday. While moving an iron harrow from one field to another the team became frightened and ran away, throwing the harrow onto him, running a tooth in his head and one or two in his back.  Lucky for the boy the team broke loose, and Charley will be all right soon

October 15 1891 

Johnie Parker is giving his dwelling a new coat of paint.  Curt Schrader and John Bliss are repairing their barns that were damaged by the cyclone. The boys in the neighborhood thinking that Tom Turner was married long enough gave him a good chirvari one-night last week.Pat Roughan and wife attended the St Louis fair last week.   Emmerson Milligan was hauling cane to Dorney’s near Lancaster.  Charley Laughlin and W V Ivie both went down in Wabash with a load of apples.

Cage Milburn has made a cistern fifteen feet deep and eight feet across for Zeke Bass. Chris Stone is working on the railroad, his old trade in England. Newton Schrader and son are attending the fair at Vincennes with their fine trotter. Some bad conduct at Olive (a community in Lukin) Thursday night on account of too much grog.  Jesse Lancaster gave his little daughter a very severe whipping one day last week, which caused some talk and excitement.  Frank Ensor bought a horse at the Martin sale.  It being insured did not save it as it kicked the bucket. The trouble will likely end in a lawsuit.  

November 15, 1891

Spencer Talley is digging a well.  Several loads of lumber were hauled from Lawrenceville for the new church.  Sam Irwin has given his dwelling a new coat of paint. Lage Vandermark burned up about forty rods of his fence last week while burning off a field.  Rachel Matilda Wise was born April 26, 1871, departed this life October 18, 1891, aged 20 years, 5 months and 22 days.  Rachel was the second one of the family to depart this life in the last month.

November 26, 1891

Jim Denison and Sidney Stivers of Denison came over and caught a prairie chicken. Warren Hazelton is hauling material for the new schoolhouse at Liberty. William Starkman has placed a nice monument at his wife’s grave in Bethel cemetery. Miss Grace Schrader started for Valparaiso Indiana to attend school.  Mat McGrayel will fence up the commons by Warn’s schoolhouse.  Lawyer Rowland has had a new roof put on his barn.

Clark and Co have shut down their sorghum factory for the season. William Schrader and Laura Vaughan were united in marriage last week and are residing on the groom’s farm near Bethel.  The youngsters gave them a grand serenading.  Lafe Clark has his barn and smokehouse raised. G H Corrie is building an addition to his house. Adam Croman has moved into his new dwelling. Henry Bass has built a new granary.

December 24, 1891

Health is very poor, there being six cases of pneumonia in the vicinity. E. Corrie is building a new barn. Charley Milligan is building a new chicken house.  C Datton is making some a new picket fence. Will McGrayel has been giving his new house a coat of paint.