August 1879

A review of the news around the county in August 1879

Rural Republican Friday August 1, 1879   Watermelons were ripe and selling for a nickel apiece.  Wheat was 92 cents. The colored Mason organization in Vincennes hosted a celebration. C P Lewis was readying his threshing machine. Five new boarders from Vincennes were staying at Stivers Springs for their health. Dr Jacob Hayes and family moved to Louisville Kentucky. Ed Thomas, a free man of color, was a barber in Bridgeport.

The County Board noted that they had paid for a coffin ($6.00) for Charles Painter; Joseph Mickey was allowed boarding costs for keeping Amanda M Myers; Dr Frazer was reimbursed for medicine for the Havena family; and $2.00 was paid for digging the grave of Asa Fish, a pauper. Other paupers mentioned were Henry Jones, Moore, Gray, Jones, Barnes, Mrs. Reeves, M Bathe, and Hartsook.

Louis Mills moved his blacksmith shop to the place formerly occupied by Wm Clark but then sold out to James Crews and left town. The streets were dry and dusty. Charles Teschmacher was the agent for Illinois Mutual Fire Insurance Company and consolidated agencies with Ryan to also provide life insurance.

Dr Stephens of Robinson practiced dentistry in Lawrenceville at the Watts Hotel by posting in the newspaper what days he would be there.  The firm of Childress and Cullom of Lawrenceville was the party supply place for “ice cream, candles, etc.’ in quantities at short notice especially for picnics.

Miss May Adams married C W Brierton, formerly foreman of the Rural Republican office. She wore a garnet-colored dress trimmed in satin bows with white flowers and lace.  Bids were taken for repairs to the schoolhouse (Dist 1 T3 R11). New sills were to be put in place under the building and a new privy built.

Now that the time for circuit court was drawing near, the newspaper editor called attention to the time-honored edifice in which the rights and wrongs of the people were adjusted.  The building was very old and the court room almost insufferable in hot weather from imperfect ventilation. The house had stood the storms of many years and had served its time according to Miss Buntin. “The roof and walls have lately sprung great crevices. The walls and ceiling appear attesting to its rapid decay much more eloquently than any words of ours can do. The offices are dark and damp and altogether unfit for their purposes. Those that come here will see the very wretched condition of the building. What shall we do about it, make many expensive repairs or build a new courthouse?”

Eighteen train carloads of wheat were shipped in July from Sumner. I M Stevens has moved his furniture store into a new building on the north side of the railroad in Sumner where he has a magnificent room fitted up to meet the wants of a large and increasing trade in this line of business.  H M Wagner was to open a marble shop in the place just vacated by Mr. Stevens. J P Jones was fitting up his apartments in his new brick building that would be occupied as offices by Drs French and Baird, and J P Dollahan, dentist.

The temperance folks in Sumner were not as many as had previously attended meetings. The organizers blamed the two licensed dram shops who, like Jonah’s gourd, had spring up almost in a day.

August 7   Dr T J Ray, an old veteran of Lawrenceville was in Vincennes. Many years have whitened the jovial doctor’s locks, but he was still as spry as a youth of twenty, and busy in the manufacture of his celebrated and excellent Electric Liniment.

August 14 The Honorable W C Jones one of the county’s newly elected judges opened his first term of court as Circuit Judge. His Honor’s youthful look with a countenance both childlike and bland is in marked contrast with former occupants of the wool sack, notably Judges Shaw, Canby and Allen but the editor did not advise anyone who has set the law at defiance to lean too heavily upon his looks alone.

August 15 1879

Because of the cool weather, symptoms of ague (flu) were felt by many. Of the ten deaths reported by physicians that month, the young and the old were the victims of dysentery, cholera, and scarlet fever. The occasional showers, though few and far between gave gardeners the succulent roasting ear and the nutritious navy bean. Richmond Hair Dye in black or brown was sold by local druggists. Jesse K Dubois advertised that he was a physician and surgeon with an office in the Masonic building in Lawrenceville.  The temperature soon jumped back up to 100 degrees in Lawrenceville the week of August 15.

An article in The Rural Republican about the proposed Panama Canal called attention to the fact “that the earth revolved at a terrific rate down there which probably accounted for the number of revolutions in Mexico. If that ditch was dug the water from the Atlantic would rush through it at a fearful speed and the Gulf stream would wash away the Isthmus of Darien and leave North America a desolate island. Nobody wants to have the Atlantic drained into the Pacific and all our Eastern cities left high and dry.”

The supply of grapes was fair and prices low. Mich Ruark had the finest of the season.  A I Judy, Ed Schmalhausen, D L Brewer, Ike Bowery, and Capt. Cochennor went to Rapid Pond for a few days fishing.  Dr McGiffin was their chief cook. The beer guzzlers in town had their supply cut off by indictments against Lewis Casting, who sold the foaming liquid at the train depot. Several computations were made of the number of watermelons consumed during court and it finally was agreed that there were 3101, not counting what the boys ate.  (Really?)

August 16 1879    John Hooper Dollahan, son of late John W Dollahan, while on a visit for his health at Duluth, Minnesota killed himself Monday with a pistol.  Mr. S P Barton traveled there and returned with the remains.  The cause was said to be the long illness he had suffered.

Friday John had sent a telegram to Mrs. J W Dollahan of Flat Rock: “I am in Duluth. Send Will and some neighbors for me. I may die tonight.”  Sunday another telegram “I am still alive but cannot live.” After his death, a letter was found for his mother.  “I have been deceived by my disease. Tonight, I must die.  I cannot stand the pain any longer.  Ma, don’t grieve for me.” 

Editor’s note:  There is some reason to believe that he had Dyspepsia, also known as indigestion, a common condition that causes discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen, usually after eating or drinking. If this was the case, then it must have been intense or there was another serious cause.

John Armer living about 1 ½ miles south of Vincennes on the Embarrass River went over to Vincennes one day with Henry Hartley.  While Hartley was in the store buying a melon, Armer decamped with Hartley’s valise which contained 4 pairs of pants, 3 or 4 shirts and other articles of clothing. He left his wife in a destitute condition. (Was this because he left her or because he took some of her clothes?)

The 11th session of Lawrence County Sunday School convention would be held September 23 and 23 at Sumner. Juries decided that Walker did not steal John Thompson’s horse; that Cochran should pay $25 for assaulting Brown, and that Thea Gowen didn’t burn down the jail in Sumner and if he did, cold weather justified him in doing so. (Unique defense)

August 22 Quite a number of residents attended the state fair in Springfield.  Caskets and walnut coffins were sold at B F Bunn furniture store in Bridgeport. Burial Robes were in abundance.  The soil was perfect for plowing with late rain and “gees” and “haws” of plowmen heard in all directions.  John Smith moved his boot shop to the building below Watts store near the Watts House in Lawrenceville.

Dr J K Dubois, son of late Hon. J K Dubois of Springfield, located in Lawrenceville to practice medicine.  He graduated from Yale College.  800 or more people attended a temperance meeting in Hoke’s Grove near Russellville. The Lawrenceville band played.

August 29 No peaches in the market, cabbage crop was a total failure. John McCleave and Miss Martin were teachers at Bridgeport school.  Joseph Newton built a new house in Broad Hollow neighborhood.  Gray’s threshing machine threshed 816 bushels of wheat.  The county board proceedings:  Purchased new safe for the County Treasurer’s office for $137.50; expenses paid for Charles Shields at Deaf and Dumb Asylum; payment to Dr. J M Bosart for amputation of pauper’s leg.

 A storm beat down the corn badly. Squirrels were more plentiful than for a dozen years.  Dr. H C McCleave exchanged his town property for Peter Charley’s farm.

Emma Buntin’s dress caught fire while heating a kettle of water. The rainstorm came and it rained from early morn till dewy eve and still it came, and all the people said amen except those with leaky roofs.

August 29 Allison had old fashioned BBQ at Walnut Grove. Music by the band and a rope- walking exhibition was enjoyed by the crowd.  Several “beeves, hogs and sheep” were cooked. 

Mrs. Emma Ward was pronounced insane. Her brothers, the O’Donnells, made the complaint because she had forsaken the Catholic church.  Her property of about $3000, to be placed in control of her children, seemed to be the real object of the inquiry. The editoress of the Rural Republican, Miss Buntin took up Mrs. Ward’s cause and reported on September 19 that the hearing before Judge Potts of the application to appoint a conservator for Mrs. Ward, who had been pronounced insane a short time before by a jury, was the grandest farce or fraud of the period.  The evidence of several intimate neighbors was overwhelming, and it was remarked by everyone present that Mrs. Ward’s own statement of her daily conduct and movement for the past six weeks upon which the persecution by her own “kith and kin” mainly relied, was given more distinctly and connectedly than anyone in the large audience could of their own life. The verdict of not guilty of insanity as charged in the complaint was heartily received by everyone.  The mistake was in not trying the proper party, the one first published by our county clerk as the supposed crazy fellow, John O’Donnell. Now John has a big bill of legal costs to foot from which Mrs. Ward’s conservators would have paid him if he had been successful.  The evidence and the facts developed were that Mrs. Ward had accumulated quite a sum of money because of economy, which her family wanted, and she was blessed with two or three interesting children which the Catholic church wanted.  Their greed and bigotry conspired for possession and we are pleased to announce their well-laid plans were nipped in the bud.  As usual and as must be expected, the editoress said, her newspaper, the Rural Republican, came in for its regular quota of abuse for exposing “ways that are dark.

Stivers Springs

 Stivers Springs advertisement placed by Mrs. K E Lewis:  “Attention of the Tired, Broken-down, and Afflicted:  Now is the time and here is the place to come to recruit and restore your health.  The Stiver Springs are two miles southwest of Bridgeport.  Three good springs opened.  A bath house fitted up for cold and warm baths, also cold and warm shower baths.  A large hotel with pleasant airy rooms, ample accommodation for a large number of guests, good boarding and good attention.  Rates only $5.00 per week. There are number of guests here at present.”