The Game of 15 vs 20

Don't forget the prgram tonight 7:00 Secret Service

The snow was two inches deep in Lawrence County in the last week of March in 1880.

Cole School 1904

The colored school in the Derr district closed for the term today. Frank P Shields was to teach spring term starting March 26 at Broad Hollow school. 

Mr. Thomas Payne of Denison made the best maple syrup of the season. The right Hon. Captain Toodle, colored, of Indiana fame had located on Judge Crews farm and expected to crop with him in the summer. Messrs. Jo. Hollingsworth and F M Adams bought a young pure-bred Shorthorn bull calf for $200 from Dr S T Langdon. The “Prince of Palmyra” took all the red ribbons for special and regular premiums in the county ring and the first premium at the Knox County fair in 1879.

Mr. Tromley in Lawrenceville repaired clocks, watches and broken jewelry as well as fans and parasols, baby wagons and women’s breast pins. Will Guthrie and James Robinson were busy selling sewing machine treadles, an indispensable attachment that gave rest to the limb and increased the speed of the machine. 

Joseph Reimers, the toll keeper on the bridge at Vincennes had been employed for 18 months and had proven himself to be a faithful and competent man for that position.

About 75,000 acres of land were “homesteaded” in Eastern Oregon in the year 1879 but there was a promise of four times as much immigration in 1880. Did your ancestors go off to Oregon?

Checker boards were found in several of the merchants’ stores in Bridgeport. J R Milburn sold 37 sewing machines. John Kennedy Jr purchased the Garin property one door south of the Centennial Hotel in Bridgeport and filled it with an assortment of drugs, chemicals, paints and stationery. 

 The contest between candidates for township offices was waxing warm as the time approached, and many were the cigars burned, and glasses drained to encourage the prospects of the many aspirants. The Murphy movement (the anti-drinking movement) was on the boom; arrangements were being made for speakers at the next meeting.  The boys said they had sworn off until election day. 

Lafayette Barnes was the candidate for Circuit Clerk and B L Cunningham was up for re-election for the same office. Russell township nominations for election were Supervisor T G Cecil, Assessor Dave Price, Collector F W Weyl, Town Clerk Dr T J Ford, and Commissioner of Highways James M Truitt.

The roads which were almost impassable during the winter would hopefully improve with wind and sunshine.  Some said that the roads were worse that winter and spring than they had ever experienced. A writer for the Vincennes newspaper argued that gravel roads were good improvements despite the increase in taxes. “The old ways were now unsuited to the present condition and circumstances. When the country was first settled the people were all poor, the population was sparse, and there was no surplus produce to haul to market even if there had been a market.  The plan of having the neighbors all meet on a given day to repair the bad places in the roads was well enough under such circumstances and perhaps the best that could be done. The present situation demanded that roads should be wide, level and smooth and that everybody be allowed to travel and haul on them free of toll.”

B H Propes of Lawrenceville and Justin Struble & Co, both undertakers, advertised weekly selling caskets and coffins in the Rural Republican.   The lawyers, dentists, the blacksmith, and the veterinarian also advertised each week. Usually, a half page was devoted to ads for patent medicine. Warner Bros of Bridgeport advertised prices for specific grocery items competing with W M Longnecker & Co who also sold groceries “cheaper than the cheapest.” W H Meadows on the north side of the Lawrenceville public square sold stove, tinware and general hardware and their ad could be found every week in the Rural Republican as well.   

St Francisville:  Wesley Potts improved the appearance of his residence with a new addition.  Professor L G Pittman closed the village school for the term.  J R Richardville purchased the storehouse occupied by G Weinstein & Co and bought the storehouse occupied by I E Dardene & Co.  John, so rumor saith, would open a first-class store.  There were three men running for the office of Supervisor, Jacob Potts, H H Jones and Wm Buchanan.  All three were shaking hands with every voter that they met and hollering at those they could not conveniently reach.

 Burk Jordan made a wonderful improvement on the St Francisville ferry.  He purchased a three-quarter inch wire rope and stretched it across the Wabash River from one bank to the other.  The cost of the improvement was $135 but the cost was not regretted because the boat now crossed the river with ease, rapidity and perfect safety.  In case the Belgrad or some other Wabash steamer should pass the town, the signal of approach would be given in ample time to enable the ferryman to lower the rope which could be done almost instantly when he reached the windlass.

St. Francisville traded their telegraphic operator off for Allendale’s best. He has been with the town three days, and everyone liked his appearance splendidly.  He received a farewell present from Dr Day of Allendale very neatly done up in a package of sawdust, a very small, speckled bird’s egg accompanied with an enormous goose egg; a clay pipe and a small vial of angelic wine.  St Francisville vowed to present to friend Garrison on his departure for Allendale, with Lawrence Dusterburg’s mule, and old Mrs. Wilison’s lame goose.

There were quite a few references to the 15 Puzzle. Lew Harmon said that if he was allowed one jump he could work the fifteen puzzle every time.

The Game of 15 vs 20

“What is this puzzle of fifteen they are all talking about,” asked Mrs. Smith as her husband dropped into his easy chair that evening.

“Well, I’ll explain the principle of it,” he replied.  “Suppose now you asked me for $15 to buy a bonnet?”

“Yes, that would buy a common bonnet.”

“I give you the money.”

“Oh yes! Very much you do! I’d like to see myself get $15 out of you for any such thing. You’d have about a thousand excuses, keep me a waiting about a month and then give me about $7 to buy a bonnet and a ton of coal together.”

“As I was saying, I give you the $15,” he went on. 

“Yes, in your mind.”

“Now the game is to make that $15 get fifteen different articles instead of one.  You could buy me three white shirts, five collars, a pair of socks, a silk handkerchief and a new pipe, making eleven articles.  Your bonnet would make twelve and the other three articles could be shoes for the children.  Thousands of loving wives are playing the same game.”

“They are? Well, let ‘em play! When I get my hands on $15 of your money, I’ll march downtown and play the game of twenty.”

“What’s that dear?”

“Why I’ll pay out all I have got and run you in debt for $5 more!”

Even Gimbels in Vincennes used it in their advertising.