Obituary for Dog 1889

February 1889 News Gleaned from the Sumner Press

Sumner Press January 10, 1889

A Chapter of the O. E. S. (Eastern Star) instituted with fourteen members. Mrs. Rose (Geo. W.) Carter, 27, died Feb 2, of consumption. Her husband died of same disease two years before. Petty’s restaurant burglarized by Guy Smith. Samuel Seed’s story-and-a-half frame residence 3 miles west Lawrenceville burned; valued at $1,500. Orville Buchanan and Nettie Seed, daughter of Wm. Seed, of Denison, married. Al Wheeler, former typographer of the Press, married at Mt. Vernon. An infant child of Ed Davis of Chauncey died. Dr. Mack employed as pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Brae Guess, bailiff for Sheriff Gowen. Mumps and scarlet rash raging in community.

Sumner passed ordinance about dead animals left within the city. Owners must remove them or face a fine of $10. Boys using slingshots on the Sumner streets will be arrested by Marshal Jones. Hogs can only run at large in Sumner during months of February, March, and April. (Ed note: And the rest of the months they may roam the streets?)

Sumner HS class of ’89 elected Frank Westall president and Kate Clark secretary. Ice men including Billy Westall are putting up ice; ice is 3” thick. Marion May put up two hundred tons to pack dressed poultry. Isaac Haines erected patent wire fence on his farm. Mr. Ernest of Pasturefield while moving from east Chauncey to Widow Lewis’ place got three wagons stuck in Muddy Bottoms, and was obliged to let one wagon load rest till the roads freeze. Sam and Will Legg are engaged in the manufacture of maple syrup in the bottoms.

Steffy vs Childress for slander had five lawyers on each side; judgement for Childress. Sheriff Gowen boarded the train at Second St in Vincennes and offered to pay the same faire to Lawrenceville as a ticket from the depot would have cost. It was refused, the collector asking 10 cents additional. Refusing to pay, the train was stopped and the sheriff put off. He has sued the company for $1000 damages.

Because of warm weather, hens have been so industrious as to glut the egg market, with prices 1/2 of last year’s price. Samuel Gowin of Sumner selling Chicken eggs $2 for 13 and Geese (or is goose..) eggs $1.50 for 8. Marion May shipped 107 barrels of eggs to New York; each barrel contained 70 eggs. Child of John Heath died and was buried in Sumner cemetery. Bill granting pension to Henry Bass of Lukin passed by both houses of Congress but was vetoed by President Cleveland. The O & M RR moved the Bridgeport depot (?) to the south side of the track and left a box car for a freight house.

Caleb Hoopes, Omar Jones, and (?) Stevens of Sumner and W. T. Buchanan of Denison attended inauguration of President Harrison in Washington, DC. The bill to create four new states- North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Montana -was signed by President.

Wm. Moore saw a ghost near Mrs. Gould’s. He met what appeared to be a man and spoke to it but received no answer; he came nearer and spoke again when the object seemed to vanish or sink into the ground. (Ed Note: I am not even going there….)

Students attending school at Pasturefield were startled by the plaster falling from the ceiling and the discovery that the schoolhouse was on fire in the loft. It had been burning for some time before being discovered. In a few minutes the flue would have fallen through bringing with it about one third of the ceiling. By prompt action on the part of the teacher and pupils the flames were extinguished.

Obituary for a Dog: Departed February 27, 1889, Nosey Guess in his 15th year, by the hand of a paid assassin. Nosey was a well- known character, petted and honored by his master and the entire community-- hated and snarled at by all other canines. He was a great sufferer in his declining years with rheumatism and neuralgia. Sherman Vanscyoc was the executioner and Jasper Skaggs conducted the funeral, he being the gravedigger, pall bearer, undertaker, etc. No flowers. The bereaved Master and Mistress have the sympathy of the entire community.