Please Send Two More Bottles

We do not have digitized county newspapers for May 1879, so the researchers had to look for local news in the Vincennes and Mt Carmel papers.

Death count for the month of May 1879 was 16. Three were children under 5 years of age; one died with a “feeble constitution”. One lady lived to be 95 and surprisingly didn’t die of ‘old age’ but of paralysis. There were five fatal cases of pneumonia and two of tuberculosis.

May 1879

The role of whiskey in the county was still evident. The Lawrenceville Board of Trustees recently elected Clinton Abernathy, Silas Hall, C Cole, Till A Curry, John H Robert, and Robert W Musgrave on the anti-saloon license ticket.

An order regulating the selling of whisky in Sumner marked a new era in the manner of running a salon. The price of a license was $600 and the saloon was not allowed to have screens, blinds, painted window glass, or other devices for concealing their business and patrons from the eyes of the most righteous; gaming tables were not allowed. The newspaper said Sumner whisky drinkers would have to resort to private jugs.

The new hotel at Stivers Springs was now complete. Moses Stivers’ mineral springs, two miles southeast of Bridgeport, opened May 10,1879.  Speeches were delivered by prominent and cultivated gentlemen of Bridgeport and the opening was attended to by the brass band of Bridgeport. This summer resort was advertised as a good thing, and apparently the Lawrence County residents agreed. 

At the Board of Supervisors meeting there was considerable excitement raised over the question as to what orders the Treasurer should pay. He finally withheld payment on all orders issued for the building of the east Embarrass River Wooden bridge.

Mary E Hill of Lawrenceville brought suit for breach of promise of marriage against Hedgeman Dalrymple and asked for $5000 to heal her slighted affections.  Mary kept house for the sly deceiver for some time and wanted the position for life. 

The Crawford County Agricultural Board decided to offer premiums for the largest number of rats killed by any one family to be paid at the fair with the tails to be exhibited and counted.  (Not sure having a large number of rats at my house would be something to advertise but I guess a prize is a prize.)

John Richardson, a resident of Lawrence County four miles below Lawrenceville, got on a roll last night and fooling around a house of ill repute, received a whack on the forehead with some sharp missile which cut quite a deep gash.  Richardson was somewhat sobered by the injury and sought the aid of a policeman to find his hat which was lost in the melee. 

A young man named John Montgomery, living five miles southwest of Lawrenceville, accidentally shot himself with a revolver yesterday morning. The ball entered a short distance above the heart.  He was lying in a dangerous condition when the newspaper went to print.

St Francisville merchant, T Dardien, purchased a fine stock of drugs, groceries, and dry goods for his new store. Rapid Pond, a favorite fishing hole was near St Francisville.   Dr. WP Harvey was the resident physician in St Francisville.

Often the patent medicine ads published testimonials about how their medicine had healed the afflicted. The following testimonial of a certain medicine speaks for itself:  Dear Sir: Two months ago, my wife could scarcely speak, then she took two bottles of your “Life Renewal” and now she can’t speak at all.  Please send me two more bottles.”

And that was the local news in May 1879.