Meigs County News For The Year 1881

These pages contain transcriptions of news items published in Meigs County newspapers. They were transcribed from microfilm copies of the originals or from the originals themselves.

Further contributions would be most welcome.





Meigs County Telegraph January 5, 1881
Mrs. Magdalena Rappold, mention of whose death was made in last week's Telegraph, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1800 and consequently was 80 years old lacking four days. She married Anthony Rappold, deceased, when but fifteen, to prevent his serving in the German army, he being a few years older than herself. They emigrated to this country thirty-eight years ago with their nine children, and have resided in this city evere since. Mrs. Rappold had always enjoyed good health up to the time of her late illness, which was of but a few days duration. She was much respected by all who knew her, and leaves seven children and some 140 grand children to mourn her loss. Her remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery on Thursday afternoon last. Transcribed by Cindy Montle


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio January 6, 1881
Meigs Mr. Daniel Enochs, an old and esteemed citizen of Middleport, died one evening last week, of neuralgia of the brain. Rev. T. L. Hughes, who has been called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church of Pomeroy, will be present to begin his labors next Sunday. Two through passenger trains commenced to run between Columbus and Pomeroy, on the first of the month, passing through McArthur, Gallipolis and Middleport. Captain David Williamson, of Middleport, one of the best and most successful tow boat pilots on the river, died rather suddenly at Ironton Sunday afternoon of last week. The Rutland correspondent of the Middleport Republican says: Again, the new oil well on School Lot flows over 800 barrels a day of the strongest salt bring found in the county; and the tube is too small to get the full capacity of the well. The citizens of Pomeroy and Middleport have evidently not yet got over the flush of jubilation consequent upon their realization of regular railroad facilities. The luxury of Cincinnati daily papers less than a day old is an enjoyment upon which special stress is laid. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio January 13, 1881
Meigs Robert Love, an old resident of Salem, died recently. The wife of Mr. B. Nast, of Pomeroy, died on Monday of last week. There were 319 marriage licenses issued in Meigs county during the year 1880. Mr. Daniel Enoch, an old citizen of Middleport, died, on Sunday of last week. Mr. Lucius Holter and Miss Ella Lee were married in Sutton township, on New Years. Miss Celissia Bradshaw, daughter of Mr. Horace Bradshaw, of Pomeroy Precinct, aged 18 years, died recently, of consumption. Mrs. Magdalena Rappold, aged 80, who had been a resident of Pomeroy during the past thirty-eight years, died in that city, recently. Herbert Stout, aged 20, recently died in Rutland, as the result of spinal injuries received by falling on a stump while working on a farm. Isaac W. Jones, an insane pensioner, whose home is at Syracuse, died at the Athens Asylum, on Monday night of last week. His insanity was the result of wounds received in the army and he was drawing a pension of fifty dollars. Miss Viola Deems, aged 16, employed for the past three months a domestic at the Remington House, Pomeroy, attempted suicide at the beginning of last week by taking a large p????? of arsenic. A timely emetic, however, saved her. Unrequited love. The following marriages licenses ????? lately been issued by the Probate Court of this county: David G. Morgan and Letitia Williams, Jesse L French and Dora Howell; Fred Thress and Hannah Harra; Wm. T. Carman and Mary Hutchinson; Lucius Holter and Ella Lee; Edward Johnson and Maria Rollins; Joseph Alexander and Lucinda Jackson. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio January 20, 1881
Meigs Mrs. A. Chambers, wife of Rev. J. Chambers, of Zanesville, formerly pastor of the Baptist church, of Pomeroy, died recently. J. M. DeCamp, of Scipio township, had thirty-five head of sheep injured by dogs on a recent night some of which have since died. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: The railroad station is now about completed, and the agent has opened an office there. The freight business is good. Edmund Weeks, aged 16, son of Penelope Weeks, of Pomeroy, was recently declared insane by the Probate Court and has been sent to the Athens Asylum. The recent birthday of J. T. Humphrey, of Rutland, was signalized by a surprise visitation at his home of a large number of his friends who brought with them many valuable presents. The Rutland correspondent of the Pomeroy Telegraph says: Mrs. Stevenson, on Wolf Pen, who broke her leg some two weeks ago, was buried last Saturday, having been a sufferer with asthma. She was probably about 80 years old. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio January 27, 1881
Meigs Dr. Slaughter, of Pomeroy, has, says the Telegraph, applied for a divorce from Mrs. S. The next term of the Court of Common Please of this county will begin on Monday the 31st. A Chester sow belonging to Josiah Merritt, of Columbia township, had 46 pigs inside of one year. Mrs. D. A. Russell, a prominent lady, of Pomeroy, has lately been seriously ill with inflammatory rheumatism. The disappearance of diphtheria from Rutland township threatens to be followed with the spelling school epidemic. Mrs. Bosworth, popularly known as "Aunt Emily," of Downington, was at latest advice lying hopelessly low with paralysis. The Ohio Sate Journal says the Ohio Central Railway is to be completed from its present terminus in Perry County to Pomeroy. Three well and favorable known citizens of Salem township, viz: James R. Graham, Wm. Tuttlen and Robert Love, have recently died. Mr. Joseph L. Baldwin and Miss Lillie R. White were married at the residence of the bride's parents in Middleport on Wednesday afternoon of last week. Miss Sallie Lyewellyn, aged 23, of Pomeroy, lately died in Cincinnati, where she was employed as a seamstress, after several weeks sickness, of pneumonia. The Pomeroy and Middleport papers announce the recent return of Mrs. Judge J. P. Bradbury and her sister, Miss Emma Woods, from a protracted visit to friends in Illinois. A son of Calvin Hughes, colored, of Pomeroy, while recently coasting in that place had his skull fractured by being kicked by a mule. Another proof that coasting is dangerous sport. Two little, daughters of Mrs. Mary Eiselstein, of Oak Hill, aged respectively 10 and 12, carried off the honors at a recent spelling match in the Curtis district, near Chester. James Arnold, who lived near the Enterprise Mills, died, one day last week, after a lingering sickness contracted while out West. He was a carpenter by trade, and about 45 years old. The Pomeroy Telegraph of the 19th inst. says: "The first car load of coal was shipped from this place over the railroad by S. F. Moore last Thursday. Bennett shipped the first car load of cattle yesterday." When Leroy Maguire and wife, of Rutland, returned home recently after brief absence, they found the carpet of their sitting room "all torn to tatters and piled up in the center of the room with sixteen hogs lying on it, quietly sleeping." Though it rained and snowed during the preceding night on some ashes that had been piled against the frame residence of Dr. Train, in Pomeroy, that fact did not, however, prevent the ashes setting fire to the building early the following morning which required considerable effort to extinguish. A young son of George Bauer, of the Second Ward, had, says the Pomeroy Telegraph, been to Sunday school last Sunday, and before or after traded a pair of skate straps to another boy for a pistol. It wasn't loaded of course, so in going home be amused himself by snapping it at his companions, and strangely enough it went off, as unloading guns and pistols so frequently do, shooting a boy named Gleasencamp, aged about ten, through the nose and lips. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Unknown newspaper, Meigs County, Ohio February, 1881
Kingsbury There is a good deal of sickness in this vicinity. Miss Katie Bissell has been quite low with lung disease but is convalescing slowly. Mr. Stephen Bosworth has been having a pretty severe attack of the typhoid fever but has almost recovered under the treatment of Dr. Schaefer. Mrs. Wm Baker is suffering from an attack of the rheumatism and now she seems to be no better. Mrs. Thomas Carleton who has been ill for some time is better now. Rev Mr. Bush is holding a protracted meeting at the White Oak Chapel. We hear he is meeting with success. Preaching at the Carleton Church next Sunday Feb 20 by Rev Perkins. The news that Mr. Hermans is going to open school in District 4 next Mon. is satisfactorily received by the patrons of the school. Mrs. Grace Carleton has a cow which on the 9th of the month gave birth to a double headed calf. A wedding was held at Bunker Hill Sunday Feb a6, Daniel Beal and Ettie Carmine were united in the holy bonds of matrimony. Miss Ettie Wilson has been visiting her sister, Mr. J. J. Baker for the past week. (Transcribed by Kay Williams)


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio February 3, 1881
Meigs Mrs. Halman, an old and respected lady of Racine recently died. Chas. Burket, in his 20th year, died lately at his home in Middleport. Middleport desires Government assistance in improving its ice harbor. The wife of Rev. S. H. Barrett, of Rutland, who has been seriously ill, is convalescing. Mrs. Clara Grant, of Rutland, has for a long time been suffering severely with inflammatory rheumatism. Mrs. J. M. Strider is reported lying hopelessly ill at her residence on Kerr's Run from a complication of diseases. Mrs. Bosworth, of Pagetown, whose illness was mentioned in last week's Messenger, died one day last week. Samuel Divinney, of Letart, recently died at his residence in that township of consumption and was buried by the Masons. Mrs. Case, of Harrisonville, formerly Sarah Styles, of the northern part of Rutland, died, recently, of consumption. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hysell, well known and esteemed residents near Middleport, lately celebrated their golden wedding. A man in Rutland slaughtered a pig the day it was a year old that weighted 450 pounds, which is a fraction over 1 1/4 pounds for every day of its age. W. H. Woodward has, says the Republican, purchased the Brumley property, one of the finest residences in Middleport, and will take possession in about thirty days. The M.E. Church, at Hanesville, is, says the Rutland correspondent of the Telegraph, having quite a revival. Every evening the house is filled to overflowing, and the interest is very good. The Rutland correspondent of the Telegraph says: The number of sheep being killed by worthless dogs is very large, and probably the dog tax income will not be sufficient this year to compensate the owners of sheep thus killed. A meeting was held at the office of Major J. B. Downing in Middleport, one night last week, to see what should be done toward securing Government aid in improving the ice harbor at Middleport. Members of Council and other leading citizens were in attendance, also General Dawes, our member of Congress elect. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio February 10, 1881
Meigs The mail route between Salem Center and Cheshire has been discontinued. There were eleven prisoners in the jail of this county at the close of the week. The Court of Common Pleas, with Judge Bradbury on the bench, began its regular session, at Pomeroy, last week. John Fisher, who owned a fine farm about two miles west of Harrisonville, has sold the same to Andrew Dye, for $5,000. Wholesale ravages of sheep-killing dogs continue to be reported from Rutland township and other points of his county. Mrs. Margaret Thompson, age 60, of Dexter, fell while passing from the barn to the house, recently, and dislocated her hip joint. The Enterprise Literary Society, organized recently, holds regular meetings every Friday night at the Enterprise school house. Mrs. Major D. A. Russell, who has, says the Pomeroy Telegraph, been very low with inflammatory rheumatism for the past four weeks, is now somewhat improved. A house occupied by Mansfield Johnson and owned by Richard Scott, near Zion Church, Salisbury township, was burned Sunday of last week, evidently by an incendiary fire. The Salem correspondent of the Telegraph says: Martin Chase has sold his farm to Richard Amos, and is going to try the West again after being driven off last fall by the drought. Trustam P. Stevens, aged 50 years, of Wolf Pen Run, Bedford, was brought, to Pomeroy on a recent day, violently insane and lodged in jail. He will be sent to the Athens Asylum. At Middleport, Friday night, Martha Robinson was arrested for alleged attempt to poison her husband, J. Robinson, formerly of West Virginia. Mrs. Robinson is of Indian and Dutch extractions, while Joseph is a full blood negro. She avers that she is innocent of the crime. Four hundred and thirty dollars and thirty-six cents is the amount Meigs county will pay out of the treasury for the support of the Gospel this year, this being the amount of the Ministerial Fund to be apportioned among the various townships for distribution among resident ministers. -- Pomeroy Telegraph. It is phenomenal that despite the late severe weather snakes, in many portions of the county, are reported to have thrown of their usual hibernal lethargy and revisited the glimpses of the moon. The Telegraph instances a recent case wherein a Mr. Phillips, who lives at Enterprise Mills, killed a large and lively snake while cutting wood at the beginning of last week. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio February 17, 1881
Meigs Synida Minor, daughter of John Minor, of Salem, died on the 4th inst., at the age of 23 years. The Telegraph says that the amount of wool raised in this county the past year sold for very near $100,000. Miss Mary Ann Burke, and estimable young lady of Syracuse, died, Tuesday evening of last week, of consumption. Alex. Hall, aged 13, colored, of Middleport, was recently sentenced by the probate Judge to the Reform Farm near Lancaster. Mr. John Ruble, who was a resident of Pomeroy for more than a quarter of a century, died Tuesday evening of last week at his home in Middleport. The trial has been deferred till the next session of the Common Pleas at Pomeroy, of John Hart, charged with killing Frank Green, colored, last summer. Mrs. Permelia Warner, widow of the late John Warner, of Long Bottom, died recently, in the 79th year of her age. The deceased was one of the pioneers of Meigs county. Two lawyers named F. C. Russell and J. A. Myres, of Middleport, got into a rough and tumble fight one day last week over a case in court. The assault made by Myers was wholly without just provocation. The Coal Valley correspondent of the Middleport Republican says: Something killed Elza White's chickens, and supposing that it was some kind of bird, he surrounded his dead rooster with five steel-traps. With in a day or two went to see what he had. Every trap had something: one trap had an uncommonly large chicken-owl, and each of the others had one leg of a very large cat. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio February 24, 1881
Meigs Fourteen prisoners in the jail of this county at the close of the week. Sixty years ago the population of Meigs county was 4,480 as shown by the census of 1820. Mrs. Soules an aged lady of Wilkesville, died on the 11th inst. She was somewhere between 80 and 90 years of age. Trustam P. Stevens, from Bedford Township, who was confined in the jail at Pomeroy previous to being sent to the Asylum at Athens, died recently. Jenny Evans, of Pomeroy, was lately taken to the Athens Asylum, and Theodosia Schneider was returned from the Asylum to the Infirmary of this county. Mr. Jacob Hurst, father-in-law of Mr. Henry Seebers, City Clerk, Pomeroy, died at the residence of the latter Monday of last week. The deceased was 68 years old. Mrs. Vaughn, living with her son-in-law, George Day, on Union Avenue, Pomeroy, retired in ordinary health, one night last week, apparently, and was found dead in her bed the next morning. Apoplexy. In the Common Pleas of this county on Wednesday of last week, Jonathan Doward was found guilty of horse stealing and Wat. Steele of perjury. The latter is said to be the first man ever convicted of perjury in this county. There is a couple in this township, says the Rutland correspondent of the Republican, that are the parents of seventeen children, and they now have pending in Court a petition and cross petition for divorce, and the father is a preacher of the gospel. John Schuler, and escaped inmate of the Athens Lunatic Asylum, was recently found in an almost fatally frozen condition in an out-of-the-way barn on the farm of Alvin Ogden, of Salem township. He was evidently trying to make his way to the home of his mother, who lives near Danville. Mrs. Grace Carleton, of Bedford township, has a cow, which on the 9th of this month, gave birth to a double headed calf. The two heads were perfect in every respect and about the same size. It has only two ears, but four eyes, all perfect and looking just alike. On Sunday morning of last week, Susie, youngest daughter of Wm. H. Carpenter, of Middleport, while standing before the grate had her clothing take fire, which was partially consumed before the flames were extinguished. A probably fatal result was doubtless averted by the timely exertions of the child's father, who had his hands frightfully burned in his successful efforts to extinguish the flames. Wm. Williamson, a farmer living near Pomeroy, has been suffering since last summer with what the physicians termed cancer. He has been confined to his bed since September last. A few days ago, says the Middleport Republican, he felt an irritation on his left side which proved upon investigation to be the end of a wheat beard, which he easily removed. he immediately began to get better and is in a fair way to recover. He thinks he swallowed it while drinking water. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio March 3, 1881
Meigs David Wolf, living on the north side of Rutland township, has sold his farm, 120 acres, to Frank Gilmore. Jimmy McKay, an old time resident, of Middleport died at the County infirmary, recently, aged 75 yrs. Mrs. Rhoda, wife of W. E. Thomas, of Rutland, lately fell in the yard of her residence and broke her arm. Rev. James Donaldson, of Pomeroy, died Monday evening of last week. He had been sick for several years past. Dr. Isaac Train, one of the oldest allopathic practitioners, of Pomeroy, was recently stricken with nervous prostration. The population of Meigs County according to the last census, is 32, 325 of which 19,285 are males and 16,039 females. During the past two years, Judge Brewster, Probate Judge of this county, has sent thirty-two lunatics to the Athens Asylum, and who were evenly numberically divided as to sex. A son of J. U. Myers, Esq., and a son of Adam Schneider, both small boys had a recent extremely narrow escape from drowning in the river at Pomeroy by the swamping of the skiff they were in by a passing steamboat. George Steinbauer, a boy 14 years of age, living with Frank Gloeker, jr. of Pomeroy, was several days since expected to die as the result of a blow on the head from a club in the hands of another boy two weeks previously. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio March 10, 1881
Meigs Jas. R. Cowie, of Pomeroy, and Miss Celia Hysell, of Middleport, were recently married. A Mrs. Watson, wife of a steamboat engineer, of Middleport, was found dead in her bed in that place one morning last week. Mrs. Lizzie Kittering, daughter of Mr. Henry Dilcher of this city, recently died at her home in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Mr. John S. Giles, sr., of Rutland township is the father of a family of twenty-two children, of whom seventeen are still living. Mr. H. B. Smith, of Pomeroy, had his pocket picked while attending the late Opera Festival at Cincinnati, to the amount of $50 in money. The Rutland correspondent of the Republican says: The first social dance over held in this county was at the house of Mr. Erastus Stow, sr., then living a fourth of a mile west of where the village here now stands. It was on the evening of 4th of July, after the first patriotic celebration of that day very held in the county. The Pomeroy Telegraph says that on the 16th of February a little girl went to the office of the Pomeroy Coal Company and drew the money coming to Adam Smithour, a miner in the employ of the company. It amounted to about $36.50. The money was drawn without authority and a number of little girls who have been making lavish expenditures for valentines have been suspected of using the money thus obtained. As no arrests have been made at the time of writing this we omit names. [The above was transcribed as it appeared in the newspaper without making changes to spelling or grammar.] Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio March 17, 1881
Meigs Wm. Johnson, Esq., and Miss Mary Chriselcie were married in Chester on Sunday of last week. Rev. Samuel Jones, an aged Methodist minister, who formerly officiated in Middleport, died at his home in Williamstown, West Va., lately. Mr. Sardine Gutrie, an old resident of Orange township, but who for a couple of years past had been lying at Bellvile. W. Va, died, recently. The wife of William Watson, of Middleport, died suddenly, recently, of asthma. She leaves four small children, the youngest about two months old. Loyal F. Williams and family, who sometime since removed from this county to Helena, Montana Territory, are on their return to resume their residence in "Old Meigs." Mrs. Abraham Fife, died very suddenly Tuesday of last week, at noon, of heart disease. She had just partaken of a hearty dinner, when she fell from her chair and expired. Nine tumors, weighing in the aggregate sixty pounds, were recently removed from the person of Mrs. George Wise, of Middleport, the lady, however, died on Tuesday of last week. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio March 23, 1881
Meigs There were five births in Rutland township during February, all girls. Mrs. Walter Curtis, of Chester township, recently died of inflammation of the bowels. The Commissioners of this county at their late meeting allowed $736.40 Damage for sheep killed by dogs. The increase in the value of real estate in Meigs county this year over the valuation of 1870 is $207,155. Miss Augusta Grant recently left Middleport, for St. Louis, where she will make her home in the future, with her father, Mr. Royal Grant. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: Pomeroy will not seem natural with Hosmer Branch and Dr. Train missing. They were to be seen on our streets almost any day during the past thirty or forty years. On Sunday evening of last week Arthur Gibson, of Scipio township, this county, went to an old stable to feed some stock, followed by his little son aged about four years. In ascending the loft his weight caused the rickety building to give way and falling, instantly killed the little boy. The appointment of S. Dana Horton to be Secretary of the American branch of the International Monetary Commission is a good one. He speaks nearly all of the European languages with fluency, and has mastered the money question in all its phases and details. Mr. Horton is the son of Hon. V. B. Horton, for many years member of Congress from the Meigs district. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio March 31, 1881
Meigs Mrs. Lucretia H. Smith, aged 73, wife of H. B. Smith, Esq., of Pomeroy, died, recently, of heart disease. The silver wedding of Mr. John Baus and wife took place at their residence in Pomeroy, on Sunday of last week. Mrs. Phillips, aged 84, living on Second Street, Pomeroy, recently fell while getting out of bed and dislocated her hip joint. Mrs. McKnight, wife of James McKnight, formerly of Middleport, recently died, at their home up Kanawha, aged 69 years. An epidemic very generally attended with fatal results is reported as being prevalent among the dogs of Rutland township. They are, very probably, being poisoned. On Tuesday of last week Mr. Allen DeWolf, of Syracuse, and Miss Josie Paugh, of Middleport and at Middleport on the 21st inst., Mr. Jacob A. Roller and Miss Lucy J. Campbell were likewise nuptially spliced. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio April 7, 1881
Meigs In ineffectual attempt was lately made to consolidate the salt furnaces in the neighborhood of Pomeroy. J. Grimes, of Rutland township, has received the appointment of ward attendant at the Athens Asylum. Wm. Dykes, of Salem, has a sugar-tree that has run 100 gallons of water this season, producing 20 pounds of sugar. M. Adelbert Hays, of Pomeroy, son of the late Martin Hays, Esq., is now associated editor of the Marietta Register. An infant child of John and Margaret Hoffman, of Pomeroy, was badly scaled on Sunday of last week by accidentally overturning a cup of hot coffee on its lower limbs. David Werling, an old German citizen, who has been a resident of Chester township about forty years, died recently. He was nearly eight-two years old, and never took a dose of medicine in his life. Jacob Baum, Jacob Young and Peter Biddle, of Pomeroy, were committed to the county jail for violation of the ordinance in regard to the obstruction of sidewalks. They were subsequently released by habeas corpus. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio April 14, 1881
Meigs Mrs. Lewis Schreiner, of Middleport, recently fell, and dislocated her shoulder. Dr. J. H. Jones, of Pomeroy, was married on the 1st inst. to Mrs. Rachel Johnson, of Logan. The proposition to establish a Children's Home for this county was favorably voted upon at the election last week. George Leifeit has got himself into legal embarrassments for voting twice at the same polls during the municipal election last week in Pomeroy. Evan Williams, of Pomeroy, died, Wednesday of last week, from the effects of an accident in a coal mine, in which his spine was hurt, about two years since. Preparations have for some time been in progress in Middleport for the public presentation of the cantata of "Daniel," for the benefit of a fund to buy an organ for the M.E. Church. Mrs. Elizabeth Bellows, the oldest female resident of Rutland township, attained her 93d year on the 25th of last month. There are four generations of her descendants living. The roof of a large portion of the Crescent Iron Works at Pomeroy, fell in Monday of last week, resulting in a damage estimated at from $5,000 to $8,000. It was caused by the heavy snow. The Middleport Republican says: "Miss Claire Scott is immense -- the best stage actor that ever appeared in Middleport," Which reflects the popular esteem in which that talented and fascinating actress is also held in Athens. Wille Wallace, aged 14, Pomeroy, was last week sent to the Reform Farm. His offense was that having been employed in some capacity by the Berger Company during a late performance at the Opera House there he made use of an opportunity to steal an envelope containing a large sum of money from one of the members. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio April 21, 1881
Meigs The Silver wedding of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. McDade, of Letart, occurred on the 9 inst. Judge Arthur Merrill, of Rutland, is reported lying in a very critical condition with little hope of his recovery. Anthony Russell, of Pomeroy, has been placed upon the pension roll and arrearages allowed, amounting to over $1,100. The vote at the late election in this county on the Children's home proposition stood 2,960 votes for, and 627 against; majority in favor of 2,333. The present term of Middleport schools will close on Friday, April 29th. The graduating exercises will occur on the evening of that day at School Hall. William G. Penney, of Pomeroy, has been appointed to a clerkship in the Pension Department at Washington, with a salary attached of $1,200 per year. Chas, Watkins, a Middleport colored boy about 18 years of age, is in the jail of this county on conviction of having recently stolen a dozen pocket handkerchiefs from the store of W. Talbot & Bro. A young man named Schaeffer, living at Addison, can, says the Republican, take the horns. During one year his wife has present him with a pair of twin boys and at another birth a pair of twin girls. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: A case of small-pox exists on Thomas Creek, outside the city corporation. It is of a young man named Lovel Mayes, who has been engaged on a Pittsburgh tow boat down the river. The young man who carries the mail between Middleport and Wilkesville was, says the Republican, caught shoplifting at Hartinger's drugstore on Saturday last and was followed and forced to restore the articles he had stolen. The Middleport Herald days: Mr. Wm. Saunders, of Sherman, Texas, is here on a visit, and, if reports are true, he will go back as a married man, with Miss Frank Ritchey as the happy bride. The couple were married Friday evening. W.W. Hubbel, of Rutland, has successfully preserved through the past long and severe winter 400 bushels of apples in a fruit house which is constructed as follows: The walls are 17 inches thick, being divided into two sections, one being filled with saw dust, and the other with dry coal dust. The doors and shutters are constructed on the same principle, and close hermetically. The whole lower floor is double and the sides have several draft flues and the top is surmounted with a ventilating shaft and the tower with a trap door. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio April 28, 1881
Meigs Wm. Craig, aged nearly 78, recently died at his home in Chester, of paralysis. Rev. W. L. Moore, pastor of the Pomeroy Baptist Church, has resigned his charge, to take effect May 15th, the end of this year. Mrs. Lydia Taylor, mother of Mrs. Warren Jones and Mrs. John Carr, died, recently, at the residence of Mrs. Carr. She was 80 years of age. Judge Arthur Merrill, for many years a resident of Rutland village, died, Monday morning of last week, aged 70. He was universally esteemed. The Trustees, of Rutland township, appointed viewers to locate a cross road between the Grass Run road and the Columbia and Rutland roads. The well-known Hopkins homestead farm, on the Letart Bottoms, was recently sold at Sheriff's sale to Captain Wm. Hopkins, of Chicago, for $9,000. Mr. Horace H. Russell, son of the proprietor of the Middleport Herald, was married to Miss Viola Green, of Bedford, Wednesday evening of last week. A frame residence of Kerr's Runn, belonging to Mr. Chris. Beahrs, caught fire at about 10 o'clock, Sunday night of last week, and burned down, together with the greater portion of its contents. A two-story frame building belonging to David R. Williams, which was occupied by the Post-office and a small confectionery store, at Minersville, was burned last Saturday night, causing a loss of about $1,500. Insured for $1,000. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: A remarkable number of our old people have passed away the latter part of the winter and this spring. Scarce a week passes but we have to record the death of several of the venerable fathers and mothers of the county. Sam'l D. Evans, a Pomeroy man of family, has been bound over to the court in the sum of $300 each in two suits for bastardy brought by Miss Jennie Thomas, of the same ward. In one action she charges him with being the father of her child born May 16th, 1877, and in the other of being responsible for her child born July 9, 1880. James Check (suggestive name) was fined seven dollars and the trimmings in the Mayor's court at Middleport one day last week for swearing. Now if his Honor will but continue to visit similar offenders with like penalties the municipal exchequer of Middleport can be made to speedily overflow with an abundance of superfluous wealth. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio May 5, 1881
Meigs Samuel Wellington and family, of Salem township, have moved to Athens county. A Mrs. Phillips, a venerable resident of the third Ward, Pomeroy, died, one day last week, age 84. Peter Eifler, of Pomeroy, recently died as the result of injuries sustained in the mines sometime previously. Born, on Easter Sunday, in Troy, Alabama, twin sons to Rev. W. M. Jones and wife, formerly of Middleport. Mr. George Wise, late of the Meigs County Herald, (Dem.) has taken an editorial position on the Canton (Ill.) Register, a Republican weekly. Lizzie Martin, daughter of Captain Joseph Martin, of Middleport, died of consumption, Monday morning of last week. She was twenty years of age. Under stress of the enforced Sunday law, the Pomeroy beer guzzlers find Clifton, on the opposite W. Va side of the river, a convenient and thirst allaying resort. Common Pleas Court, of this county will convene May 9th. The trial docket exhibits 175 cases: appearance docket 30; and the criminal calendar shows up 26 cases. Rhine Lodge, No. 309, I.O.O.F. of Pomeroy will celebrate its twenty-fifty anniversary the fore part of June. The Lodge is making extensive arrangements in honor of the event. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: The young man, Lovel Mayes, whose case of small-pox has heretofore been noticed, died at the residence of his father, over on Thomas Fork, last Thursday. Loyal F. Williams, for several years past book-keeper for the Northwestern Fur Company, at Helena, Montana, is now on his Rutland farm, where says the local correspondent of the Telegraph, he will make his future residence. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio May 12, 1881
Meigs Levi Wright, of Rutland, is placed on the pension rolls at $12 per month. Miss C. Callie Grant, of Middleport, is home from a prolonged visit to Kansas. A large brick house below Cheshire, owned and occupied by Jesse Walker, was recently destroyed by fire. Stephen Pickerell, of Lebanon township, recently declared insane, has been taken home by his family, as his health is such as to indicate that he is near his end. The Telegraph of last week says; The coal miners' strike still continues. The Pomeroy Coal Company are offering the old price, 2 1/4 cents, but the men have not yet thought best to accept it. Maj. J. B. Downing, of Middleport, lost a fine sixty dollar bird dog at the hands of an unknown poisoner one day last week. The Rutland correspondent of the Republican says: F.A. Forrest raised hogs that would suck the cow from the time they were pigs. Robert Stevens, aged 20 years and 7 months, an exceptionally intelligent young man who lived near Lotta, died, recently of quick consumption. Rutland township contains 42 square miles, and about 2,700 inhabitants; and there have been but two deaths in the last four months. The Scipio correspondent of the Telegraph says: Mr. Truslow, aged 80, and Mr. Connell, aged 95, whose lives have been almost despaired of for three months, are convalescing. The Middleport Republican says that the miners have dug all the coal out from under the town of Mineral Ridge, and are so near the surface that the noise of the picks can be heard from above ground. Pomeroy, says the Marietta Register, with not one of her forty or fifty saloons open on the Sabbath must present quite a contrast to the Pomeroy of two or three years ago when Sunday was their busiest day. We can hardly imagine the condition of things with back doors and all closed. Volney F. Harper, son of Stephen Harper, of Salisbury township, was declared insane by the Probate Court, recently, and a warrant has been issued for his conveyance to the Asylum at Athens. George and Frank Clark, while playing on the river bank at Graham Station, recently, discovered two copper coins each bearing the date 1701, and one fourth of an old Spanish silver coin. The Middleport Republican says: A son of G. Perry Simpson has been appointed to a Cadetship at West Point. He is an Ohio boy, as was his father before him. His friends in Meigs county will be glad to hear of his good luck. Morris Colbert, of the second ward, Pomeroy, who has a wife and seven children, mysteriously disappeared during a spree sometime last month and had not been heard from when the Telegraph last week to press. Our village was yesterday, says the Rutland correspondent of the Republican, suddenly thrown into profound grief by the arrival of a messenger from Ravenswood, West Va., with the sad intelligence of the demise of Mrs. Rhoda Athey, nee Chase. Some bold miscreants have, says the Middleport Republican, for several days past been robbing the gardens of our citizens. Mrs. S. Weldon's garden was visited a few days ago by these thieves, and some rare tropical hyacinths destroyed. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio May 19, 1881
Meigs Lewis Paine, of Rutland has 260 young lambs. Decoration Day, May, 30th, will be appropriately observed in Pomeroy this year. The Pomeroy Telegraph joins the general echo in reporting a gratifying wheat prospect in Meigs county. Hon. V. B. Horton and wife, of Pomeroy, are visiting their daughter, Mrs. General Pope at Fort Levenworth, Kansas. A terrific wind storm occurred in Chester township, this county, Saturday, demolishing trees and barns and doing other damage. The bridge, says the Telegraph, across Big Raccoon at Star Mills, in Columbia township, fell down last Friday evening, stopping travel in that direction. Cyrus Giles, aged about eighty-five years, died very suddenly at his residence in Rutland, Saturday night. He retired in the evening in his usual good h ealth. Mrs. Clara E. Maddy, age 25, eldest daughter of Mr. John C. Porbst, of Pomeroy, and who was held in the highest esteem, died at her late home in the place above named one day last week in child bed. The coal miners, strike came to an end yesterday, says the Pomeroy Telegraph of last week, by an agreement to work at 2 1/2 cents, a comprise price offered them by the Pomeroy Coal Company. A contract has been entered into at this price to run to the 1st of October. Milt. DeCamp, of Scipio township, who had presented a bill for $237 to the Commissioner's for sheep injured by dogs about the 1st of January, and who had brought suit because the full bill wasn't allowed, last week withdrew the same and accepted the $134 which the Commissioners had accorded him. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio May 26, 1881
Meigs The School Examiners of this county have decided to grant no more six months certificates. C. F. Besserer, of Middleport and Miss Mary F. Mauck, of Cheshire were married one day last week. Miss Lizzie Singers, of Middleport, was reported lying very low with consumption at the close of the week. A class of five members, four girls and one boy, will graduate at the Pomeroy High School tomorrow evening. The Marietta Leader says that Meigs county would cover herself all over with honor, by sending Mr. Carpenter back to the next General Assembly. Star Grange, of Salem township, lately entertained in picnic style a multitude of children and who throughout the day realized immense enjoyment. A report current that Smallpox exists at Pomeroy is pronounced wholly groundless, there not being a case, it is said, within twenty miles of that city. The case of John C. Levicy, charged with shooting with intent to kill, was dismissed from Squire McKnight's court in Salem township one day last week. The locality of Chester was recently visited with a very destructive hail storm which proved immensely damaging to the young fruit and growing wheat. The Rutland correspondent of the Republican says: On a field on the farm of T. E. Stevens, near a sugar orchard, where last year corn was raised, there are now thousands of young trees to the acre. Lightning recently knocked a setting hen off her nest in a shed on the premises of John Longstretch at Dexter. Her henship, however, returned to consciousness in brief space and resumed her position on her eggs as though nothing extraordinary had happened. On Sunday of last week at Burlingham while Frank Williams was handling a loaded pistol it was accidentally discharged, the ball striking Elmer, son of S. R. Clark, on the breast bone and glancing upward. The ball still remains in the wound, but nothing serious is apprehended. [The above was transcribed as it appeared in the newspaper without making changes to spelling or grammar.] Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio June 2, 1881
Meigs The Meigs County Teachers' Institute will open in Middleport, July 25th. John McClue, Esq., Recorder, of this county, was recently married to Miss Maggie Jones. The four physicians in Chester are represented as having nothing to do by reason of the general good health that prevails in that section. Rev. D. L. Chapin has received a call from Valley Falls, Kansas, to take charge of a church in that place. He is not yet decided whether he will accept. The Pomeroy teachers one day last week presented T. C. Lanegin, Superintendent of the Public Schools of that city with a solid silver water pitcher and goblet. In the case of Aaron Black, colored, against the city of Pomeroy for $5,000 ?????ion?? by the plaintiff's falling over a wall in that city one night several years since, the jury disagreed. Jas. B. Ledlie, of Middleport, returning one day last week from a brief trip to Indiana and Illinois in which States he ?????? ????? pounds of wool at figures ranging from 17 to 20 cents a pound. The Rev. B. E. Thomas, pastor of the M.E. Church at Middleport, has dismissed his choir because they rendered the cantata of "Daniel" for the purpose of raising money to buy an organ for the church. One day last week, Miss Mary E. White entered suit in the Common Pleas of this county against Captain Thornton Mallory, of Racine, claiming $20,000 damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage. Mr. Hugh Reeves, the mail contractor on the route between Athens, Pomeroy and Middleport, and his wife, Martha Reeves, have separated and "mutually agree to live hereafter separate and apart from each other." R. D. Price, of Rutland, last week had a $125 horse ruined by the animal which was being used to plowing getting its foot between the colter and the plow share, and severing the muscles of the foot in its endeavors to extricate itself. On Tuesday morning of last week, at the Meigs County Infirmary, Ed. Harris, colored, aged about 24, one of the inmates, shot and instantly killed Washington Hill, colored, aged about 50, another of the inmates. Hill, who was killed, had been at the Infirmary for several years, and was regarded as quite inoffensive. Harris, who did the shooting, was of unsound mind and vicious. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Pomeroy Telegraph June 8, 1881
BIRTHS AND DEATH IN MEIGS COUNTY FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1881. BEDFORD TOWNSHIP BIRTHS Male, 13, Female, 24, Total, 37 Name of parents Name of Child Geo. F. and Ida Dean..........................Joseph Clide Stephen and Loretta Bosworth..................Milton Urain? Isaac and Fidelia Carleton........................Eva Lida G. W. and Mary A. Cornell....................Marion Asbury N__e and Ella Castle..........................Emmet Cooley Henry and Mary Fredrick.........................Minnie May Jeremiah and Mary Jane Grimm........................Bertha John and Josephine Gilkey...................Andrew Jackson ? and Sarah Gilkey............................Ira Carleton John and Sophia Hoffman...............................Mary Jo? T. and ? Hinds............................Effie ?desta Geo. and Tabitha Hawk.........................Price Parker Daniel and Mariam Hart..........................Louisa May John and Sarah M. Hayes........................Martha Dell Same........................................Mary Bell Thos and Mary E. Jones.............................Harriet ?. G. and Elisabeth ?. Lewis..................Lucy Glenora Daniel and Mercy McCollum........................Silva Ann John and Ethel Michael..........................Ive? Ethel John C. and Elvira Maier..................George Llewellyn Samuel and Clarissa Mercer.....................David Allen William and Hannah E. ?ten......................Frances M. W. C. and Icelinda Orr...........................Nora Bell Same.......................................Cora Dell Chas. E. and Amanda Pullins...................Nelle Aimeda ?. ?. and Ann Peoples.........................Walter Emmet ?. W. and Elizabeth Pennybacker....................Estella ?. ?. and Margaret L. Rawlings......................Warner John and Lois Radford................................Grace Wm. and Nancy A. Smith.....................Harriet Estella ?as and Lucy Story...............................Desta May ? and Hannah E. St. Clair...................William George ?. J. and Sarah E. Winget.............................Ziba ?. ?. and Jane Welker...........................Clara Edna ? and Sophia Young....................................Hugh James H. and Susan Young........................Wilbert J. DEATHS Males, 2 Females, 4 Total, 6 Elizabeth Mary Heaton, widow, 58? years, consumption John Arlando Kemich, 9 years, Croup Martha Elva McA?en, 4 years, Consumption Mary Louisa Story, 17 years, Hemorrhage of the lungs David Story, 56 years, Consumption Lucy Sanborn, 48? years, ? tumor CHESTER TOWNSHIP Males, 21 Females, 18 Total, 39 [First 11 are unreadable but I think I can make out 2 Adams, 1 Biggs, and one Bailey.] Parents Child Sam'l and Mary E. Geyer......................Clarence Garfield Wm. and Lovina H?................................Charles Elmer Benj. and Sarah Howell............................John Wilbert A. C. and Emma J. Heaton.............................Alice May J. D. and Amanda Kautz.........................Ernest Frederic Phillip and Henrietta Kreimeimier......................William Eli and Laura McNamee.............................Orpah Lucena Henry and Julia Pooler..................................Joseph Eli and Augusta Parlow...............................Anna Jane James and Margaret Partlow.........................Clara Susan Milton and Mary Price.................................Verda L. G. S. and Florence Pullins.........................Nellie Bell T. P. and Sarah C. Ridenour...................Florence Adaline I. C. and Violet Sibert............................George Ross John T. and Lillie Spencer....................?amu?l Sylvester Hiram and Elizabeth Spencer......................Susan Adortha E. H. and Martha G. Tucker.....................Dudley Browning Arias and Nancy Taylor............................George James T. A. and Amanda Taylor.............................Edna Uella Fredrick and Susan Weber..........................Laura Bertha David and Electa Will...........................Jessie Blanche Alex and Sarah A. Westfall........................V?lsie Glenn Joseph Windon and Rebecca Rickwell..............Joseph William Wm. and Clarinda Windon.........................Charles Elbert Granville and Ellen Will.....................James A. Garfield John and Mary Warner....................................George John and Catherine Shuler...............................Carrie DEATHS Males, 7 Females, 6 Total, 13 Mary Elizabeth Baker, 30 years, Heart Disease Sarah B. Curtis, 68 years, consumption Wm. Craig, 77 years, Paralysis John Geyer, 76 years, Cancer in face Harriet Hull, 28 or 26 years, Consumption Charles F. Howell, 8 years, Diphtheria Alice May Heaton, 3 months 5 days, Brain Fever Margaret Pullins, 65 years, Cancer of the tongue Eli Robinson, 75 or 76 years, Old age Emmet D. Stout, 1 year, Pneumonia Sarah Helen Torrance, 4 years 10 months, Diphtheria David Werling, 80 years, Lung fever Infant child of John and Mary Jane Folan [Transcribed by Kaye Fick]


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio June 16, 1881
Meigs Thirty cents is the ruling price for wool in this county. The wheat crop in Salem township is said to give but poor promise. There are 12 persons in the field for the Sheriffalty [sic] of this county. Sells Bros. Circus and Menagerie will exhibit at Pomeroy July 18th. Twin boys were recently born to Mr. and Mrs. L. Johnson, of Letart. A three story brick addition is about to be built to the Gibson House at Pomeroy. There were seven prisoners in the jail of this county at the close of the week. The total value of personal property in Pomeroy as listed by the assessor, amounts to $485,975. A late festival at the Middleport Presbyterian Church, was a success, both socially and financially. The Normal Institute at Syracuse opened, on Monday of last week, with an attendance over fifty. Dr. W. A. Watkins, a successful and popular physician of Cheshire is about to professionally locate in Pomeroy. Prof. Sandford E. Shutt, formerly of Middleport, has been elected, Superintendent of the Marion Union Schools. Will G. Sibley, formerly of Pomeroy, carried off six of the prizes at the recent Field Day exercises at Marietta College. Stephen Pickering, of Lebanon township has been adjudged insane and is in jail at Pomeroy pending this transfer to the Athens Asylum. The tin wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Price, or Rutland, was lately celebrated by a grand dinner at which about seventy persons were seated. Mr. Doul White, of Middleport, has traded his building, corner of Second and Mill street to William Kerr of Ironton, for 80 acres of coal land, near the month of Silver Run, two or three miles below town. The Pomeroy correspondent of the Middleport Republican says: Mr. W. B. Tubbs, a well-known farmer living a few miles from the city, took his first steamboat ride Decoration Day, on the steamer Luelia, extending his trip to Letart. He was never farther away from home than one day's horseback ride, and that only once. He is 58 years old and the father of a respectable sized family. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio June 23, 1881
Meigs Jas. R. Ledlie and family have removed from Middleport to Springfield, Ill. The citizens of Middleport are making arrangements for a grand celebration on the Fourth of July. The Masonic fraternity will hold a picnic at Ashworth's Grove, in Chester Township, to-morrow, the 24th day of June. Johnny Williams, a Middleport boy was lately seriously injured by accidentally shooting himself in the hand with a revolver. Robert Jones, aged 77 years, died in the Fourth Ward, Pomeroy, on a recent day of congestion of the heart after a few hour's illness. Mrs. Chas. Buck and her mother, of Bedford, were quite seriously injured lately by the horse they were driving running away and throwing them out of their buggy. A cow belonging to James Love, of the Second Ward, Pomeroy fell over the cliff above the back of the M.E. Church Saturday evening, of last week and was instantly killed. The Schreiner opera building in Middleport was lately sold at Sheriff's sale to the Meigs's Building and Saving Association for $5,334; appraised at $8,000. Judge Samuel Bradbury was the purchaser. The bodies of a woman and little girl were found in the river near Letart, Monday of last week. They were supposed to have been drowned in the flood near Wheeling a few days previously. David Dudley and old resident of Pagetown has been bound over to answer a charge of assault with intent to kill John Lochary, a member of the bar of this county, whom he knocked down with a hoe, on Monday of last week. A child about 18 months old of Geo. Minch, jr., on Mulberry street, Pomeroy climbed over and fell from a second story balcony, last Saturday afternoon, but fortunately struck on ground that had been spaded up and made soft and was not seriously injured. Frank Andrews, assistant marshal, of Middleport, was seriously hurt, recently by receiving a blow on the head by a man who he was trying to arrest. He was knocked senseless and lay in an unconscious state for several hours, and his condition is critical. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio June 30, 1881
Meigs The Republican Judiciary Convention is to be held in Pomeroy July 14th. Miss Irene Lee, of Pomeroy, has been appointed ward attendant at the Athens Asylum. Aaron Torrence, of Lebanon township, will celebrate this 89th birth-day on the 5th of July. There is said to be numberous fields of wheat in Rutland Tp. that will not yield over 40 per cent. on last year's crop. Lucius Higley, 86 years old, of Rutland township, is confined to his bed with heart trouble. Little hopes are entertained of his recovery. Oliver Jones, aged about 13, second son of Dr. J. H. Jones, of Pomeroy, was found dead in his bed, Monday morning of last week, having died during the night. An intelligent correspondent at Pomeroy writes to say that Governor Foster and the whole Republican ticket can depend on 1,600 majority at the October election, in this county. G. W. Chase, of Rutland, and F. H. McKnight, of Salem, have secured some very promising oil leases in Salem, that they are about forming a company to put down one or more wells. Isaac J. Miller, of Cincinnati, alleged Democratic candidate for Governor, is a native of Bedford township, Meigs county, and is by inheritance, a Democrat of the "sheet anchor" order. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio July 7, 1881
Meigs Emanuel Walters, colored, was killed, Wednesday morning of last week, by a tree falling on him about a half mile from the Infirmary of this county. A removal of a time honored landmark in Pomeroy is noted by the Telegraph, the razing last week of Porbst's old furniture factory in the 2nd ward of that place. The expression would seem to be universal that the recent nomination of Henry C. Hayman as the Republican candidate for Sheriff of this county is probably the best that could have been. At a recent public competition at a locality in Bedford township classically known as "Bear-Wallow, Miss Sallie Hawk received the premium album as the best looking lady and Allen Secoy was no less fortunate in drawing a prize, he being voted a harp as the ugliest man. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Meigs County Telegraph July 13, 1881
Hinton Spires, Sr., whose serious sickness was mentioned two weeks ago, died Thursday morning, the 7th, aged 74 years. He came to this place probably fifty years ago from Morgan, Gallia County. Funeral discourse by L. M. Harvey. Wm. Church, who had been an invalid for many years and had repeatedly got out of what everyone supposed was a deathbed, died about sundown on the 5th inst., in the 76th year of his age. He was born in the State of Maine, but had lived in this place on and off most of his life. Funeral discourse by L. M. Harvey. An infant of Mr. James Allen, of the Second Ward, aged about two weeks, died Monday of summer complaint, and was buried yesterday. MR. JACOB EBERSPACH, father of Martin Eberspach, the coal dealer, died last night of epileptic fits at his residence on Monkey Run.


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio July 14, 1881
Meigs Roberts Combs, near Harrisonville, lost property to the amount of $500 by a recent storm. Conrad Huffman, an old well-to-do farmer near Danville, died, recently of heart disease. Mr. Robert Williams, late of Middleport, an inmate of the Athens Asylum, died at that institution, on Tuesday of last week. The wife, aged 79, of Wm. McKee, of Rutland, died, recently. She was one of twenty-two children which her parents had. The assessor of Orange township found that the births for the year ending March 31, 1881, numbered 20 males and only 4 females. Wm. Church, of Rutland, who has been an invalid for years, is reported to be lying very low, not expected to survive much longer. Capt. John Smith's house and barn at Syracuse were destroyed by fire last Friday morning. Loss on house $3,500 and $450 in the barn. Insurance $2,000. Ann E. Stanley, widow of John Stanley, of Scipio township, was declared insane on the 2d of July, and application has been made for her admission into the Asylum. A daughter of George Jones, near Minersville, while recently watching her brother, who was mowing, run in front of the sythe, and had her leg badly cut above the ankle. Chas. Burtel, of Minersville, was arrested on Wednesday of last week, and held in ???? bonds to answer in court the charge of shooting with intent to ????? ?????? Hughes. The store of Hudson Bros' at Middleport caught fire from a lamp during the evening of last week. Timely discovery prevented ????? damages. A shooting affray took place in Saul's Saloon, of Middleport, on the evening of the ??. One man by the name of Hampton from Gallipolis and one by the name of ???? were shot but neither fatally injured. At Middleport one day last week, Willis Stratton, while carelessly handling a revolver, shot Johny Smith, a deaf and dumb boy, through the check and side of the nose. The boy Stratton was arrested and waving an examination was bound over to the Court of Common Pleas in the sum of $400, and failing to give bonds was sent to the county jail. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio July 21, 1881
Meigs Mr. George Rheinhart, of the Second Ward, Pomeroy aged 66 years, died, last week. Mr. Jacob Eberspach, died one night last week, of epileptic fits at his residence on Monkey Run. Mr. Wm. Church, in his 76th year. whose serious illness was recently mentioned in the Messenger, died on the 5th inst. Miss Lizzie Singers, of the 4th ward, Pomeroy, after suffering from consumption, died at noon, on Monday of last week, aged about 20 years. On the 5th inst., Mrs. J. H. Martin's friends to the number of about seventy-five, met at her residence in Rutland Township to celebrate her 77th birthday. Mrs. McGraw, living near Tanner's Run, died very suddenly. She was a very fleshy woman, weighing over 200 pounds and died from the effects of the heat. William G?l??or?? [this could be Gilsdorff or Gilsdarf] aged nine years, son of Peter Gil?lorff, of Monkey Run, was recently drowned in the river a short distance below the ???p factory at Pomeroy. The Rutland correspondent of the Pomeroy Telegraph says: Recently, Harvey McKee, living near the S???? was out in the woods and saw a large animal which he killed and took home, when he discovered it was a wild cat. The Salem correspondent of the Telegraph says: Wash Arbough, while at leisure recently, noticed a gray looking bunch in a martin-box, and thought it was a wasp's nest, but on close examination it proved to be a spotted viper five feet long inside the box. They coached it out with a pine knot and it was killed. At Pomeroy a fire broke out last Thursday forenoon in a small stable belonging to H. Dilchner, and quickly extended to his residence on one side, and a residence on the other belonging to Mrs. B. Joachim, and both were destroyed. Dilcher's loss is about $3,000; insured for $1,600 in the Union of Philadelphia. Mrs. Joachim's loss is $800 insured for $500 in the Germania, of Cincinnati. The Middleport Republican prints the following sensational ghost story; There is said to be a haunted locality on the telegraph road, between the infirmary and the Horner hill. One night last week a young man and his gal were driving in a buggy along this noted spot; they assert that something resembling a Newfoundling dog, as large as a yearling calf, sprang from the side of the road at them in the buggy, and when the young man put his horse under the whip to its best gait, the apparition kept both feet on the side of the buggy, and without effort kept up with them until they passed the dangerous locality. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio July 28, 1881
Meigs Mr. Jas. B. Kay, of Racine recently died. John Grimes, of Rutland, had his pocket picked on show day. He lost about one hundred dollars. The Meigs County Fair will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, September 14th, 15th and 16th. The annual meeting of the Meigs County Pioneer Society will be held on the third Saturday in August. Mr. Peter Stammer, of Cleveland, and Miss Amelia Hilber were last week elected teachers in the Pomeroy German schools. Mr. Charles Finley Anderson has brought suit against Mr. Walter Amos, of Rutland township, for slander, laying his damages at $3,500. H. M. Horton, Esq., of Pomeroy, particularly recognized the efficiency displayed by the local fire company at the recent fire in that city by contributing $25 to it exchequer. Mr. Joseph Martin, who has been for a number of years in the leader and organizer of the Democrats of the Pomeroy Precinct, announces his intention of voting for Governor Foster this year. Willard Reed, aged 18, son of Dennard Reed, of Olive township, fell from the fantaill of the steamer A. L. Norton, near Racine, as she was going up Monday evening of last week, and was drowned. Monday afternoon of last week, as Mr. Uriah Nelson and wife, of Bedford, were returning from the show at Middleport their horse got frightened by a locomotive in Coalport and became unmanageable. It backed and Mrs. Nelson was thrown against the locomotive, breaking her shoulder, arm and elbow. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio August 4, 1881
Meigs The next annual meeting of the Meigs County Pioneer Society begins on Thursday, August 18. Patrick Curtis suffered a fractured skull by his engine jumping the track at Pomeroy, on Thursday. Mrs. Fanny Nobles, of Rutland, recently, celebrated her 85th birth day anniversary by inviting her relatives to a dinner and picnic. Dr. W. C. H. Needham, of Gallipolis, is the Republican candidate for State Senator of the district of which Meigs county is a component part. Mrs. Jane Musser has purchased 80 acres off from S. B. Humphrey's farm, near the northern border of Ruttland [sic] township, consisting of 100 acres, for $4,000. The barn of R. R. Gilliland, of Bedford township, was recently struck by lightning and burned with all his hay, wheat, wagon, harness and mowing machine, and everything usually in a barn. The Salem correspondent of the Telegraph says: John F. Wiseman has a turkey gobbler which has been setting on one dozen hen eggs for two weeks, and is expected to come to time with his brood of chickens. The old and disused Crescent Iron works, at Pomeroy, have been sold to W. G. Merriman, an Englishman, and will be put into operation at that place contingent upon the citizens there raising a fund of $5,000 towards putting the buildings in repair. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio August 11, 1881
Meigs Mrs. John Sylvester, of Rutland, formerly Mrs. Clemency Masser, died, suddenly, Tuesday of last week. Mrs. Kate Reuter of Pomeroy, wife of John Reuter and eldest daughter of John Thress, died on Monday of last week. Mary J. Morton, wife o Thomas Morton, of Rutland township, was, one day last week, declared insane by the Probate Court of this county. Mrs. Lucy Mauck, age 68, who was universally esteemed, died on Sunday of last week at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wm. Boices, near Cheshire. Jacob Bradford, has been committed to the jail of this county in default of $300 bail, to answer the charge of shooting with intent to kill Wm. Rice, of Middleport. John Oliver, an old resident of Pomeroy, died of lockjaw, on Wednesday of last week, as the result of straining the cords of his neck in heavy lifting sometime since. He leaves a widow and seven children. John Shuler, aged 29, who is insane, left the residence of his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Shutter in Salem township on Monday, July 11th, and his friends have not been able to learn anything definite concerning his whereabouts since. According to the reports of the various township and ward assessors to the Probate Court, the number of deaths in Meigs county for the year ending March 31, 1881, was 290. Of theses 144 were males and 146 were females. Of the whole number 53 died of consumption. On Saturday the citizens of Middleport, irrespective of party, presented Mr. Walter Branch, manager of the Western Union Telegraph Company, at Middleport, with a beautiful gold-headed cane, as a tribute for his labors to the public in securing, from time to time the latest news of the President's condition. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio August 18, 1881
Meigs J. M. Cook, of Rutland, has a Norman colt, two years old last May, that weights 1,120 lbs. Mrs. Clemency Sylvester, age 61, of Rutland township, lately died quite suddenly of heart disease. L. D. White, of Harrisonville, had three fat cattle killed by lightning, recently, and another injured so that it is worthless. Mr. Lucius Higley, the oldest pioneer of Rutland township, the last member of the first family that settled in the township, recently died. He was born in 1796. Mrs. M. L. Jolly, who removed from Middleport to Cumminsville, near Cincinnati, about six months ago, died in that place, August 4th of malarial fever, aged 49 years. One day last week, three men, Samuel Deweese, Wm. Warner and Elijah Deweese, were arrested at Letart, for counterfeiting, by officers of Middleport, and are now in jail to await trial. Several counterfeit half-dollars and quarters were found in their possession. One of the most brilliant weddings that has occurred in Middleport was, says the Herald, that of Miss Jessie daughter of Capt., McElroy of that place, to Mr. Q. N. Bridgeman of Syracuse, which took place on the evening of the 9th inst., Rev. Jas. Nourse officiating. Jonathan Downard, sent from Meigs county, in January last, for one year for horse stealing, was pardoned under the section of the statutes which authorizes the Governor to pardon in case of dangerous illness on the recommendation of the Prison officials without the usual formalities. Downard is almost dead with Bright's disease of the kidneys. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio August 25, 1881
Meigs Mrs. Eliza Edmundson, of Salem, wife of Amos Edmundson, recently died very suddenly. There were eleven prisoners in the jail of this county at the close of the week. Insured for $880. A subscription was taken up by the citizens for the Bottom of the Boice family, amounting to about $108. The one year's scholarship in the Ohio University, from this county has been awarded to Geo. W. Pake, of Pageville. The Pomeroy and Ohio River Railroad Company has been incorporated, with a stock of $500,000. This is an extension of the Ohio and West Virginia road, to a point opposite the Chesapeake and Ohio road. Mrs. Anna Young, widow of the Rev. Jacob Young, a former noted Methodist Minister of Ohio, died last Friday, Aug 12th. Since the death of her husband, which occurred in 1859, she has resided mostly in this county and was buried at Letart. A dwelling house on the farm of W. B. Warner, of Long Bottom, and occupied by a family named Boice, took fire from the kitchen flue, was with its contents largely wholly destroyed by fire. Mr. Jackson Adams, of Chester township, recently sold to a Mr. Beebee, of Nebraska, the trotting horse Duff Green, and the running horse Wild Bill (by Bonnie Scotland), the two for $1,100. George Titus who announced himself as an independent Republican candidate for Sheriff of this county has thought better of it and has withdrawn from the hopeless race. During a recent thunder-storm, lightning struck and killed a horse belonging to Peter Grate, Jr., of Salem township. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio September 1, 1881
Meigs Mr. John R. Ackley and Miss Birdie Mackling, of Pomeroy, were lately married. The Teachers' Association, of Meigs County, will meet on the third Saturday of September, at Tupper's Plains. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Howell will celebrate their golden wedding, at their residence on Oak Hill, Chester township, on Sunday, September 4th. Mrs. Ellen, wife of Mr. William Park, died at her home in Middleport, on Monday of last week, after a long and painful illness, aged early 46. The members of the Pomeroy Fire Company lately went in a body to Gallipolis to take lessons in practice from the similar organization in the latter city. Mr. Will Jones and Miss Libbie Blake, both of Middleport, were married, Tuesday morning of last week at the residence of Mr. S. F. Moore, that city. During a rumpus at a recent picnic by the Knights of Labor on Kerr's Run, one Hiram Welker, of Bedford, had his skull fractured and his brother had some of his teeth knocked out and was otherwise seriously injured. Mrs. Urias Nelson, of Hemlock Grove, who was sometime since while driving home from Pomeroy, hurt by being thrown against a locomotive, is reported to be in a very precarious condition, with but slight hopes of her recovery. Will Halbert, a Chicago boy, while flying a kite on Lincoln Hill, fell, says the Pomeroy Telegraph, over the cliff in front of the H. C. Smith's residence, at the height of about 25 feet. He struck on the back of his neck, but fortunately sustained only slight injury. Naaman [sic] Aylor and George Patterson, both colored, living near the Infirmary, of this county, went out to kill the same ground hog on a recent morning, about day break, unknown to each other and by mistake the former shot the latter in the neck and chin, though not fatally. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio September 8, 1881
Meigs Addie, daughter of James Hall, recently died at Harrisonville. Efforts are being made to organize an oil well company at Salem. The Middleport M. E. Church took into membership fourteen persons recently. W. B. Warner assumed the duties of the Treasure's office of this county on Monday. Daniel Williams and Laura A. Roush of Minersville, this county, were recently married. Dr. Conner of Tupper's Plains was recently severely injured by being kicked by a horse. The dwelling house of Isaac Barrett, at Salem, this county, was recently destroyed by fire. The first Republican meeting of the campaign in this county was held at Valley Ford, on Saturday. A special examination for teachers' certificates will be held at Tuppers' Plains, this county on Saturday, Sept. 16th. Warran Darst, of Salem, this county has removed to Lodoga, Indiana, to engage in teaching, Salary $1,500 per annum. The Crescent Iron Works at Pomeroy, propose to dispense with the nail machines and engage in the manufacture of sheet iron. A.O. Stevenson, of Enterprise, this county, has sold his entire interest in his patent Rotary Harrow to an Eastern company, realizing, $40,000 to $50,000 from the sale. W.C. Williamson, of Pomeroy, has sold to G. C. Musser, of Rutland, the farm formerly owned by William Lee, situated on Thomas Creek receiving for the same $4,000. James Cow??an employe of the Pomeroy Salt Works, was severely hurt Wednesday, by being struck on the head by a windlass while helping to take down an old stack. The buildings in rear of the residence of George Womeldorff, of Middleport, were discovered to be on fire on Wednesday of last week. The fire was put out before much damage resulted. Loss about $1,000. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio September 15, 1881
Meigs The Meigs County Fair has been postponed to Oct. 12th, 13th, and 14th. The Pomeroy Telegraph says the many people saved ferriage last week by fording the Ohio River at Eight Mile Island. An examination of teachers will be held at Tupper's Plains on Saturday, the 24th inst., instead of on the 16th as was stated last week. The Pomeroy Telegraph of last week says of the Ohio River that it looks as though it would soon be nothing more than a gravel bed from its head to its mouth. Mr. Wm. Armstrong, who a short time since was in the mercantile business at Pomeroy, has recently opened out a new store at Downington, his for former home. Mr. C. C. Hall, a prominent citizen of Orange township, was married on the 1st inst., at the residence of the bride's parents in that township, to Mrs. Zelda Hoyt. The Crescent Iron Works, of Pomeroy, are now running double turn with fifteen machines. The nail machines are to be abandoned, and sheet iron is to absorb entire attention. Mrs. Elizabeth Bellows, in her 94th year, died, Tuesday evening of last week, at the residence of her son-in-law, N. Stansbury, Superintendent of the Infirmary of this county. The Pomeroy Telegraph of last week says that the Misses Urania and Caroline Stivers, who have been teaching almost constantly in the Pomeroy schools during the past twenty-five or thirty years, will start on Saturday next for Iowa, which State they expect to make their future home. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio September 22, 1881
Meigs Wm. Mills, on Ground Hog Creek, had his house destroyed by fire recently with most of the contents. It was insured for $700. Mr. C. H. Heaton, son of Mrs. James Heaton, of Bedford Township, is the Republican candidate for Treasurer of Lincoln County, Kansas. Rev. F. Rahn rector of the German Presbyterian Church of Pomeroy was married to Miss Mary Dorst, daughter of Mr. John Dorst of that city. George A. Watkins, aged 28, of Chester township, was lately declared insane by the Probate Court of this county, and was conveyed to the Asylum at Athens. The Middleport Herald of last Saturday says: A young colored man of this place named Albert Louis, aged about 20, was instantly killed in a coal bank at Cheshire, on Wednesday of this week. Myrtle Snyder, aged 18, whose parents live three miles beyond Rutland village, was lately fatally burned by overturning of a lamp in a house of ill repute at Wheeling, in which she was an inmate. The Pomeroy Telegraph says: A well on Isaac Russell's place, Devil-Hole Run, was cleaned out the other day and a bowl of butter dropped into it seventeen years ago by Mrs. Albert Sapp was found. The butter was hard and looked as fresh as ever. Recently on behalf of the Pomeroy Presbyterian Sunday School, Miss Urania and Miss Camie Stivers were presented with a handsome silver syrup can and fruit stand, as a token of the esteem the school possesses for their efficient services as teachers. A fire, early last Sunday morning at Middleport, burned the co-operative store and goods, and also a building belonging to Mr. Chas. Root, causing a loss of from $10,00 to $12,000. Several other buildings were considerably damaged. All were insured. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it is believed to be the work of an incendiary. Information concerning the whereabouts of James Higgins, of Pomeroy, is wanted. He was last seen by his friends on the 5th of last March riding from Bedford township toward Athens in company with a man named George Carsey. Any information concerning him will be thankfully received by his wife, Mary Higgins, at Parkersburg, W. Va. A Cheshire correspondent of the Middleport Herald says: Charles Jenkins, living a short distance from Cheshire and who was a member of Company B. 91st Ohio Infantry, and wounded in the head in the battle of Winchester, W. Va., Sept 19, 1864. He has not partaken of any food since the 14th of Aug. taking nothing but water and refusing to speak, nor allowing physicians to examine him until a short time ago. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio September 29, 1881
Meigs Wheat was worth $1.35 at Pomeroy last week. Mr. Walter Curtis, an old and respected citizen of Chester township died Monday of last week. Elza Graham, of Columbia township, this county, recently captured an eagle, which he now has at his residence, near Valley Ford. The wife of Geo. Giles, of Rutland -- his third one -- died, Monday afternoon of last week, after a year's confinement to the house by consumption. Theodosie Schneider, an insane woman, committed suicide in her cell in the jail at Pomeroy, Friday, by cutting an artery with a piece of sheet iron. The Rutland correspondent of the Telegraph says that much of the short crop of corn in that township is being destroyed by squirrels, coons and woodchucks. The salt furnaces have received an order from headquarters to stop production for sixty days, in order to give the market time to tone up a little. The first number of a new Republican paper called the Bee was issued at Middleport, on Saturday, by Messrs. Farrel & Butler. It is well printed and its initial number gives promise of proving an able accession to the field of Republican journalism. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio October 6, 1881
Meigs The Ohio Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Church commenced, at Middleport, last Thursday. Numerous small fires have occurred in Middleport lately, supposed to be the work of incendiaries. Mark E., in the eleventh year of his age, son of John M. and Celina Reed, of Silver Run Precinct, died on the 14th ult. Mrs. Ed Williamson, of Pomeroy, who was afflicted with consumption died, recently, while visiting friends in Gallipolis. Rev. T. G. Dickinson, pastor of the M.E. Church of Pomeroy for the past two years, has been sent back for another year by his conference. Adam McLain, Jun., of Middleport, aged 21, while under alcoholic influence, one day last week, shot himself in the head and died, as a result, the same night. He previously, it is said attempted to shoot his sister. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio October 12, 1881
Meigs Mr. T. D. Sutcliffe and Miss Flora Carr, were recently married at Middleport. Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Page, of Rutland, are about removing to Phillips county, Nebraska. Rev. I. J. Nourse will remain pastor of the Syracuse charge, M. E. Conference for another year. It is noted that there isn't a shoemaker within five miles of Cheshire and they want one bad. Dr. Chas. Probst, of Middleport, and Miss Eva L. McKnight, of West Columbia, were lately married. Five cent contributions at Pomeroy to the Cleveland Garfield monumental Fund last week amounted to nearly thirty dollars. The Meigs county Fair, the opening of which had been postponed, began yesterday, 12th inst., and will continue till to-morrow, inclusive. Edith, the daughter of Lewis Hagg, of Middleport, aged 10 years, died last Thursday night of billious fever after an illness of fourteen days. Maj. D. A. Russell, of Middleport, last week, returned from the Arkansas Hot Springs, at which health seeking center Mrs. R. will remain sometime longer. Mr. D.A. Smith and wife, at their residence adjoining Beech Grove, recently, entertained a select party of their old friends on the occasion of Mrs. Smith's fifty-fifth brith-day. The affair passed off happily to those who were so fortunate as to be present. The oldest person in Meigs county, Mr. Roddy McConnell was last week visiting in Middleport. He was born Oct. 10th, 1778 and was, consequently 93 years old last Monday. He carries with him a beautiful silver-headed cane, presented to him by the "People of Meigs county" centennial year. The store of Warner & Stewart, at Long Bottom, was entered by burglars and the safe blown open, on a recent night. The robbers were frightened away before they had succeeded in getting any money, but had helped themselves to some clothing, boots and ???? handkerchiefs with which they got away. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio October 20, 1881
Meigs The Fall term of the Common Please of this county began its sessio, last Tuesday. Edith, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hoag, of Middleport, died, recently, of typhoid fever. To-day, 20th inst., the Gallipolis Fire Department will be the guests of the Pomeroy Fire Department. Three prisoners who lately escaped from the jail at Pomeroy during the absence from home of the Sheriff have been recaptured. The dwelling occupied by David Davis and family near the Pomeroy salt works was lately damaged by fire to the extent of $500. A Rutland hen lately laid two eggs at a single effort which were connected by a cord "of a substance like the inside lining of the shell." Barbara, age 9 years, oldest daughter of Henry Eberspach, of Pomeroy, died Wednesday morning of last week, of diphtheria and scarlet fever. Lebanon township this year gave the largest Republican majority it has ever yet given -- Foster 102 over Bookwalter. The Prohibition electors of the township, very sensibly, voting for Foster. Joseph A. McVay, recently of Bedford tp., Meigs county, died on the 4th inst., after a short illness of typhoid fever at the home of his mother in Jackson county, W. Va., aged about 27 years. The Pomeroy Telegraph is to be credited with the following remarkable narration: "Ben. McGraw, of Antiquity, had a cow died last Thursday, and a post mortem to discover the cause was held, and 51 embryo calves were found in her." In Salem township, on Monday of last week, Joseph Hanes, a worthy young man, aged 25, was fatally shot in the stomach by the accidental discharge of a revolver which he was handling. He died several hours after the accident. The twenty-eighth annual fair of Meigs county closed, last Friday. It was not a financial success on account of threatening weather preventing good attendance. The different agricultural departments had, it is said, excellent displays. Royal Cole, aged 21, youngest son of Charles Cole, of Orange, committed suicide, Tuesday night of last week, by hanging himself to a sappling. He was in good circumstance, and highly respected by all who knew him. The cause of his suicide will probably remain a mystery. The Rutland correspondent of the Pomeroy Telegraph details the particulars of a highly disgraceful riot that lately occurred in that township near Braley's Salt Works during which a dwelling occupied by the family of one Alex Braley was torn down. The participants in the riot have been bound over to answer. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Meigs County Telegraph October 12, 1881
BARBARA, aged 9 years, oldest daughter of Henry Eberspach, died this morning of diptheria and scarlet fever. Burial to-morrow from the German M.E. Church.


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio October 27, 1881
Meigs Uncle John Boice, of Rutland, 85 years old, and his sister, 82, keep house all alone. Chas. Story, age 17 years, lately died at the residence of his brother-in-law in Harrisonville. The new hotel, the Walnut Street House, in Middleport, was lately inaugurated with a grand banquet. Mrs. Cyrinthia H. Middleswart died at her home in Portland, Meigs county, October 11, aged twenty-eight years and three months. S. R. Cavender, of Rutland, reports one ear of corn that measures 9 inches in circumference and 12 inches long, that counted 1100 grains. Superintendent Sandford E. Shutt, of the Marion public school, is dangerously sick with typhoid pneumonia. Mr. Shutt was formerly of Middleport. Since dead. Recently a log house on Perry Titus place in Rutland township was destroyed by fire. It is claimed that it was set on fire by some neighbors, because a woman of questionable character was soon to come into possession of it. The frame residence of James H. Johnson, at Lotta, three miles from Pomeroy, caught fire Wednesday evening of last week at 7 o'clock from a kitchen flue and burned to the ground. Included in the personal property consumed with the house was Mr. Johnsons crop of wheat. The house had been insured about a week before the fire for $500. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio November 3, 1881
Meigs The Meigs County Agricultural Society, after paying expenses and premiums, will come out about $400 behind on their Fair this year. At one o'clock Friday morning, the house of Amos Carman, on Fifth St., Middleport, was burned to the ground. Loss $700, insurance $500. The Rutland correspondent of the Middleport Republican reports having last week found "a new-made swallow's nest, with new laid eggs in it." Miss Effie McMorrow, formerly of Pomeroy, but for about a year past matron of a cottage at the Soldier's and Sailor's Orphan's Home at Xenia, will be married to-day, Nov. 3d, to Mr. Chas. Kelley, of Xenia. The Middleport Grange store which was recently burned out has been paid its insurance, $6,000, and is going into business again. The managers claim to have lost $10,000 worth of stock, and that they were burned out by enemies. On a recent day, at Middleport, Samuel McCarty, while drunk, shot a young man named John Riley, the ball striking the latter in the side and lodging in the region of the bowels. McCarty claims the wounding of Riley to have been an accident and that he was shooting at a mark. He has been bound over to court. After eight days of ago, the Grand Jury at Pomeroy, last Thursday, found ten true bills, one for rioting, five for assault and batter, one against John T. Hamptom, of Gallipolis, for carrying concealed weapons; against Wm. T. Saul for shooting Hampton, and one against Andrew Habrecht for stabbing with intent to kill. Mrs. Robert Patterson, of Salem tp., has recently secured a pension, and arrears amounting to over sixteen hundred dollars, on the grounds that she had lost a son in the army who was her sole support, which allegation, however, the Pomeroy Telegraph denies, saying that she has an able bodied husband who is able to support her. Tuesday evening of last week, Ruddy Poindexter knocked Adam Park down, at Middleport, and robbed him of $10.40. He was arrested and put in jail. Thursday morning about six o'clock Marshal Peters opened the door of the cell and entered with a bucket of water for the prisoner, when Poindexter rushed by him and closed the door, fastening Peters in the cell and making his escape. The Marshal was released a short time after by some parties who were passing by, but the prisoner could not be found. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio November 10, 1881
Meigs The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Ellis, of Racine, was celebrated on the 17th ult. Henry Kautz and Miss Mary Stahl were lately married at the bride's home in Chester township. The number of pupils enrolled in the public schools of Meigs County during the year ending Aug. 31st was 8,826. Thos. Phillips, aged 30, of Pomeroy, was, one day last week, adjudged insane and ordered to be sent to the Athens Asylum. Emmett, youngest son of Widow Balch, of Harrisonville, lately had a thigh broken by being run over by a heavily loaded wagon. George Fisher, the young man who was lately so seriously stabbed, near Pomeroy, an account of which was given in the Messenger, was recently still living, and was pronounced considerably better. Stanley Cowie, who is working at the railroad yards at Pomeroy, had a narrow escape from death, one night last week. While uncoupling cars he fell on the track, and the locomotive backed over him. He saved himself by catching hold of a couple of rods under the boiler and holding on until the engine was stopped. The indictment against the Lyles and others for riot in Rutland township some weeks ago, mention of which was made at the time in the Messenger, was nollied by the Prosecuting Attorney, owing to some defect, and they are put under bonds to appear at the next term of the Court, when it is expected they will be indicted again. [the previous article was in the October 20, 1881 - Athens Messenger where Alex Braley's house was torn down by rioters] Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Meigs County Republican November 16th, 1881
The first person buried in the Merrill graveyard was Jane, daughter of John Miller, of Salem, who died July 5, 1850. The next was Newton, son of Daniel Rutherford, who died July 5, 1852. There are two brave soldiers of the late war whose mortal remains rest in this beautiful cemetery: Thomas King, of the 2d Va. Calvary and a Mr. Rumfield. Eli Kennedy has four children, two sons and two daughters, lying side by side in this burying ground. He recently disinterred three of them to place their remains on a more beautiful spot. There is nothing more touching than this token of lasting affection for dead relatives.


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio November 17, 1881
Meigs The Pomeroy Coal Company is now allowing its miners 2 3/4 cents per bushel for mining. The Ohio & W.Va. railroad is taking from the region of Pomeroy from 5 to 8 car-loads of salt per day to various points. The Morning Star school-house, in the Banner separate district, Sutton Township, caught fire, Monday evening of last week, at about 5 o'clock and burned to the ground. About the 1st of the month, at the home of the bride's mother, in Scipio township, by Rev. J. W. Martin, Mr. Robert Dixon and Miss Lucretia Haning were married. William J. Wallace, son of Samuel Wallace, of Pomeroy, who was sent to the Reform Farm at Lancaster some time ago, died there, one night last week of typhoid fever. A countryman named Duffer, while passing through the Second Ward of Pomeroy, Friday afternoon, where blasting was in progress, had his leg broken by a flying rock. William Hiland, one of the pioneers of Salisbruy township, died at his late residence, on Thomas Creek, Saturday morning of last week, of general debility, at the age of 84 years. Cynthia A. Ward, died in Rutland village, recently, of typhoid fever, She was the wife of Erwin, who was murdered in Gallia county by his father a year ago. The father is now in the Ohio penitentiary serving out a 99 year's term for the crime. At a meeting at Columbia Chapel a short time ago, says the West Salem correspondent of the Middleport Republican, the preachers, some half dozen of them, got into a regular quarrel concerning a split in their conference, and came near coming to blows. Dr. Stone, wife and child, of Racine returned from Cincinnati, one day last week, whither they went to have a safety pin that was swallowed by the child and lodged in the throat removed. The pin was dislodged and passed through its natural course. It was a miraculous escape for the child, as the pin was open. There was an attempt, Monday night of last week, to burn the house of Mrs. Campbell, who lives on the ridge at the head of Grass Run, near Pomeroy. Shaving and kindling, saturated with carbon oil, were piled against the house and set afire, but the situation was discovered in time to prevent serious results. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio December 1, 1881
Meigs Rev. Richard Oldacre, a former resident of Salem, recently died in Columbia. Mrs. Joseph Fahule, aged 43, late of Middleport, recently died of consumption. Mr. I. G. Balcom and family moved from Tupper's Plains to Hockingport. Mrs. Moore, wife of Miles Moore, residing on Leading Creek, was lately found dead in her bed. Mrs. Martha Green, wife of Alanson Green, of Bedford township, died, on Tuesday of last week. The Standard Salt Company, of Pomeroy, is reported to have shipped 50,000 barrels of salt last week. Eugine White, oldest son of Mayor, J. J. White, of Middleport, is lying hopelessly ill with consumption. S. Dana Horton, of Pomeroy, has gone to Europe and will bring Mrs. Horton with him when he returns. The Middleport Republican says river business never was more lively, and river men are happy accordingly. Patrick Gaskill was drowned, last Friday, by falling from one of the barges of the steamer Iron Duke at Coalport. A. P. Ashworth's barn at Rock Spring, was, recently, destroyed by fire. Supposed to have been accidentally set on fire by chicken thieves. Mrs. Christania Gill, aged 84, who with her husband, the late Jas. Gill, was one of the first settlers of Bedford township, was lying quite low at the close of the week. Mrs. Sarah Meanor has sold her farm in Salem township, to Rev. Perry Orr, and she and her daughter, Miss Mattie B., will remove to Columbiana county, where her son resides. Mr. George Wise, formerly editor of the Meigs County Herald, has become the editor and owner of the Saturday Evening Times, a new literary and society journal at Omaha, Neb. Chas. Wells a young man whose parents reside near Tupper's Plans, had his leg broken and ankle crushed, on Monday of last week, by a tree falling on him which he was assisting in felling. The Middleport Herald makes mention of a very enjoyable social entertainment which occurred, on a recent evening, at the residence of Mr. John Schreiner, proprietor of the Athens Woolen Mills. A cooking stove in a certain house at Reedville recently blew up, in mentioning which the Pomeroy Telegraph explains that some wool at a neighboring coopershop had been doctored with some gun powder for the benefit of whom it might concern. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio December 8, 1881
Meigs Mrs. Thomas Morton, of Rutland, who was pronounced insane last summer and sent to Athens, has been returned home as cured. Mr. Hiram Edmondson died at his residence in Salem township on the 27th ult., of consumption, aged 61 years. He was the youngest of six brothers who settled in Salem over forty years ago. The dwelling at the corner of Second and Lincoln streets, Pomeroy, occupied by Dr. Hodge's family and owned by James Park, was destroyed by fire Sunday of last week. House valued at $800, insured for $500. On a recent day a five year old daughter of Henry Joachim, of the Second Ward, Pomeroy, was left alone in the kitchen while the mother went out to the coal house. In some manner the child's clothes caught fire from the stove and she was fatally burned before effective assistance could be rendered her. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Meigs Co. Republican December 14, 1881
Mr. John Robinson, of near Terre Haute, Ind., brother of Silas Robinson, of this township, was visiting his brother here a week ago. Although the old gentleman was over 80 years of age, he courted, won the affection of, and married Mrs. Louisa Robinson, widow of the late Rev. Joseph Robinson, who was also a brother of Silas and John. Mrs. Anges Short, widow of the late Joseph Short, died at her home in the fourth ward of Pomeroy, at half past 12 o'clock on Sunday morning last, at the ripe age of nearly 82 years. She was indeed a good old lady; came to this country from England many years ago; was of Scotch parentage; was the mother of three children, two of whom survive her. She was buried in Middleport Cemetery, on Monday, her remains being accompanied by many relatives and friends. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio December 15, 1881
Meigs Dr. Dorsey, of Orange township, is down with the small-pox. Racine has three saloons in full blast, producing a daily row, with an occasional homicide thrown in for variety. Mr. John G. Cornwell, for the past six years one of the most successful teachers in the Pomeroy Public Schools, resigned, recently, his position to take effect the last of this month. Katrina Veith; age 31, wife of John Veith, of Middleport, was pronounced insane by the Probate Court, one day last week, and application has been made for her admission into the Asylum. On the last of the month D. A. Hopkins, of Racine, visited Pomeroy, where he indulged in liquor to such an extent that on his return to Racine, he became very quarrelsome with nearly everyone he met. He was finally struck and knocked down by a young man, Arthur Smart, from the effects of which he subsequently died. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Meigs County Republican December 12, 1881
Mrs. Sophronia Lybrook, formerly Bolton, of this township [Rutland], died of heart disease, on the 7th inst., at her home in Springville, Kentucky.


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio December 22, 1881
Meigs Miss Phebe Oakley, of Tuppers Plains, lately died of consumption Mrs. Jane Harris formerly of Columbia township was buried, Sunday of last week. The schools of Orange township have suspended because of the prevalence of small-pox in that locality. R. G. Wells, of Pagetown, who has been dangerously will with rheumatism and heart disease is reported to be convalescing. The Home News is the title of a new paper at Tuppers Plains, and which is edited by two boys, aged respectively thirteen and fourteen. Mr. Ed. Grant, of Middleport recently got the end of his thumb cut off by being caught in a cog wheel at the Novelty Works at that place. On a recent night Robt. Andrews and T. Surtees got into a quarrel at Middleport and Andrews fired two shots at Surtees one of which struck him on the ear. The eldest daughter of Robert Carpenter of Columbia township recently got a pin lodged in her throat which up to latest advices the physicians had not succeeded in removing. Rev. D. L. Chapin resigned as Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, at Middleport, Sunday morning of last week. His resignation was quite a surprise to all, even to the members. Mr. Chapin has been the minister of that church about six years. The roads in this county were perhaps never in a more horrible condition than they now are. The editor of the Meigs County Herald thus refers to them: We found the roads horrible. In many places they were almost if not quite impassible. In fact in some places, seemingly no road existed, but instead, deep miry places and chuck holes that were not only very troublesome but absolutely dangerous. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker


Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio December 29, 1881
Meigs W. B. Alexander, of Letart, recently lost three valuable calves that got poisoned on Paris Green. Rev. Chapin, late of the Middleport Presbyterian Church, preached his farewell sermon there last Sunday. There has lately been a small-pox scare at Harrisonville, but which, it would seem, was without just basis. Mrs. Sophronia Lybrook, nee Bolton, of Rutland township, recently died of heart disease, at her home in Springville, KY. Jesse W. Stevens, of Wilton, Iowa, aged 81, formerly of Rutland, in which township he had been a resident from 1816-1849, died on the 9th inst. The Pomeroy City School Board, at their meeting last week, decided to abolish the Lincoln Hill Grammar School at the close of the present term. Last Saturday, says the Pomeroy Telegraph, Mr. A. K. Quickell, of this township, brought us in a number of ripe tomatoes, something unusual so late in the season. Samuel Musser, of Rutland, on a recent day, killed two hundred and fifty turkeys. He had also collected several hundred rabbits and birds, for which latter he pays $1 per dozen. Dr. W. L. Wood, formerly of Pomeroy, but for some years proprietor of a drug store, at Ashland, Ky., died at his home in that city on Monday morning of last week of paralysis. Mr. B. Hysell, of Middleport, is in recent receipt of a letter from Hermosa, La Plata county, Colorado, informing him that Hiram Hysell, when lately about starting on his return home to Meigs county, was murdered and robbed near the above named place. The Standard Salt Company which has been controlling the manufacture and sale of the salt interests of the Pomeroy section for about a year past, last week annulled the existing combination, and each furnace, in that region, is now running, as before, on its own responsibility. During a recent domestic brawl between Robert Day of Middleport and his 17 year old son, the latter threw a hatchet at his father the edge striking on the fleshy part of the right arm, cutting into the bone and severing a number of arteries from the effect of which the injured man came near bleeding to death before relief was secured. Transcribed by: Connie Cotterill Schumaker

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