"Own Old Sow"

March 4th, 1881

Spring has yet to come. The editor wanted to know how he was expected to give his readers a weather forecast each week when he published that it was warm and pleasant but by the time the paper was published it was snowing and cold. It reminded him of the story of the boy counting the little pigs. He said he counted nine of them well enough but the other little fellow ran around so fast he couldn't count him. And the editor was about to come to the same conclusion regarding the weather and advised his readers to just look out their window. 

Lawrenceville: DL Gold and SF Barton were in Washington DC attending the inaugural ceremonies of President Garfield. Jim Sandiford, Jim Dixon, and Linc Gosnell were in the hotel de Ryan (the jail) sweating out their respective fines imposed on them at the last term of Circuit Court.

While David McCartey, who lived about two and a half miles north was in town, his house took fire and burned to the ground.  In addition to his house, nearly all his household goods were burned.  This was a severe loss to Dave as he was a poor hardworking man.  The insurance on the house had expired. 

James Ward began life with $5 and by 1881 owned 1,200 acres of improved land, well stocked.  A good example of industry, economy and good management according to the reporter.  Dark mixed straw bonnets would be worn during that season trimmed with leaves and berries. Fruits, it was thought by some fashion writers, would take the place of flowers or would be mixed with small blossoms and flowers.

Paul Sheridan from Chauncey, rented the large hotel building occupied by Gabriel Smith, near the D&SW train depot, and would complete arrangements for the accommodation of the travelling public in the way of a first-class hotel.

The son of butcher John Evans’ died Wednesday morning at 5:00 after an illness of only four or five days. Johnny was “a bright cheerful little fellow of 18 years of age and was generally liked by all who knew him.”   (What an odd obituary…..) Calvin M Bosley after a long and severe illness of dropsy, died at his residence Sunday morning in Lawrenceville February 27 at 6:00 a.m. aged 68 years 5 months and 8 days. He was married to Mrs. Elizabeth J Steele, of Montgomery township Crawford County August 1, 1880, and left a wife and four children to mourn in his death.

The following deaths were reported: Mary M Williams of Lawrence Township January 27 age 14 years and 10 months; Mary Traylor of Denison Township December 22, age 32 years and 10 months; Charles Merry of Bond Township January 29 aged 12 years and 9 months; BF Lanterman of Bridgeport Township January 8 aged 46 years; GW Guess of Bridgeport Township December 17 age 61 years; Amanda Zehner of Lawrence Township February 8 aged 6 months and 2 days; James H Childress of Bond Township February 14 age 56 years; and  Infant Wandell of Russell Township February 6 age 5 days.

E. E. Jones sold his right title and interest in the Sumner Press to A.O. Clippinger and intended to stand in between the handles of a plow for a season. The remnants of Buckskin Meadow’s stock, consisting mostly of tinware, were auctioned off to satisfy some of the executions that had been levied upon him. Buck was sharp enough however to get most of the stock away, with a view of starting again someplace in Indiana.  Charles Teschmacher reported business booming in the insurance line.

A general row occurred among the boys on the streets Saturday night in which pistols and knives were freshly flourished but without any serious result other than a lot of wasted cuss words from tangled brain whiskey. Dutch George Fuenfgfelt trying to load his wagon to leave town, pointed his pistol at some of the crowd. He was preemptively taken before Esquire Robinson, Monday morning and fined $33 plus cost. Dutch, previously the butcher in town but lately in trouble with the law both in Lawrenceville (and Vincennes’ houses of ill repute) put on his No. 11 boots and hied himself away to greener pastures.

Meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Lawrence County February 25, 1881: Members present Allison Township William Organ, Bond Township RJ Ford, Bridgeport Township G Abernathy, Christy Township George Petty, Denison Township Jacob Potts, Lawrence Township ND Rawlings, Lukin Township Elijah George, Petty Township David Smith, and Russell Township John P Price.

George Claycomb was hired to manage the Poor Farm for the year beginning March 1, 1881. His salary was $170.95 while his wife Mary was paid $12.30 for making and mending clothes for paupers. (sounds about fair) Doctor HV Lewis of Bridgeport was awarded the contract for medical attention of paupers for the year. $44.00 was paid for new chairs for the courthouse (I’m pretty sure the courtroom just replaced them); $5 paid for handcuffs. (can’t answer on that.)  Isaac Potts, County judge, received as a quarterly salary of $162.50; The County Superintendent of Schools, FW Cox received $75. Supplies for the Poor Farm included Clover seed, wooden planks, a stove and pipe. The county paid quite a few expenses for merchandise, medical attention, and wood for unnamed paupers. Digging graves for paupers cost $2.00 each; Coffins were allowed for $3. Finally, Railroad fare of $8.45, was paid to remove some of the paupers from the county.

Bridgeport:  H. Schmalhausen set up a tinware store in the storeroom where John Kennedy previously had his drug store. George Spencer and his sister, Mrs. Philo Bell of Sumner, visited town. Mrs. LR Schmalhausen and child had the measles. Charles O'Donnell, Jr. shipped a carload of hogs to Vincennes. A. Schmalhausen consolidated his hardware with groceries and took John Hutchinson in as a partner. Doctor HM Vaught had studied medicine with Doctor Frazer the previous summer. Will Thorn and family are moving to Minnesota. A man from near Flat Rock by the name of Haley was brought to town as a corpse and buried in the Catholic cemetery south of town.

Sand Barrens had more snow. Miss Harriet Potts would be teaching school in the winter term. William Waller joined the Good Templars at St Francisville. Items in the store thatweek were scarce because of bad roads and there weren't many people out stirring.

Russellville: Joseph Mickey  had been an Odd Fellow 45 years…..not sure I would want that said about me, perhaps his membership could be rephrased? …The rise in the river had cut off all communications. But having every necessary comfort, save news and literature, the residents satisfactorily enjoyed the week while meditating on early relief.  Great damage was done by the flood. Mr. Gains, living in the bottoms 1 1/2 miles north of Russellville, had the displeasure of cutting a channel through the ice, swimming his stock through, and skiffing his family and effects to the dry side.  Many others occupied watery habitations. The steamer Belgrade for the first time this year launched off the Russellville wharf. Pneumonia was prevalent. Joseph Balthus died at the residence of Mrs. A Daugherty, his sister; he had been in humble circumstances, and in ill health for two years.

St. Francisville: No sign of spring yet. Little Charlie, son of George Barnett, was lying dangerously ill with brain fever. Mrs. John Megher died March 3rd. Her death cast a gloom over the neighborhood. She was an ornament to the circles in which she moved,  a very bright intelligent lady and a good neighbor, a kind and affectionate wife, and a loving and tender mother. She left a husband, a sister and five children.

“Mud was 9 miles deep in Bird Eye” the reporter said, who had measured it. Charlottesville also had plenty of mud, and farmers feared that the peaches in that part of the county had all been killed by the weather. Mr. Theodore Miles rafted logs down the river.  Gabriel Smith made a fine lot of maple sugar and molasses.The wedding of Marion Mills to Alice Pickern occurred. 150 guests were there to partake of the delicacies: four turkeys, five chickens, hams unknown and cakes, candies, and other good things too tedious to mention.  Squire Howell met with bad luck. While going through a field he saw a shock of fodder moving about, and walking up to it, kicked it with all his might. Upon removing the fodder, he found that he had killed his own old sow.

Remember, good deeds pan out better than good intentions. We put up with folly more patiently than we do with injustice.