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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Catamount Hill Reunion
Catamount Hill Reunion - The sun never shone upon a jollier band than was gathered on Catamount HiIl at the Reunion on Sept. 1. The day was all that could be expected, and everyone seemed to partake of its joyousness. The company from Adams, together with a delegation from the west, preluded the occasion by riding though the Hoosac Tunnel and viewing the wonderful work thereof.
Then on up the mountain they went, stopping ever and anon to hear an old time story, from Paul, Henry, or Chauncey, and maybe from the Dr., to say nothing of the Professor from the Hub. At the old school house they halted, and the story of whipping out the muster was triumphantly related.
When they reached the picnic ground, such a hurra of welcome as came from the Catamount Hill boys, one could hardly imagine, but it made the old hills ring, and the rocks their silence seemed to break, for "Uncle Bill’s" enthusiasm was fearfully contagious.
But to the programme first, reading of the 90th psalm from Mr. Benjamin Farley’s old family Bible; then prayer from one of the old time residents, after which "Coronation" was sung and the chronological history read by Dr. A.. Davenport (a copy of which appears in this paper).
Family histories were also read by Miss Emma Farley and Miss Nellie Ives beautifully worded and well worthy of print would space be allotted. "The Old Oaken Bucket" with appropriate remarks by Mr. David Cary were listened to with interest.
Then too, the picnic part of the programme must not escape mention, which was basket in every sense of the word - a group here, another here, and so all around the rocks and ledges were seated, the happy families partaking of the good things brought to sustain the inner man.
And last, but not least, the miscellaneous, of which there is not room to speak in detail; reminiscences of bygone years.
"And jokes that cracked a bit (etc.)
One did, perchance,call forth the tears
The other shouts and cheers (etc.)"
Then there were notes from C.J. Davenport and Levi Davenport; poems from "Q in the Corner"; and "Mrs. M.D."; speeches from many, etc. too numerous to mention. In short, many appropriate and spicy things were said; one was "Once I was young, but now I am old; never have I seen a Catamounter forsaken or his seed begging bread". [Kind of ironic considering the murder that would take place there a week later]. Estimated number present, 700.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
6 executions at once
6 executions at once - 6 murderers, all young in years but old in crime, were hung on one gallows at Fort Smith, Arkansas Fri. These are their names: James H. Moore, Daniel H. Evans, John Whittington, white; Edward Campbell, colored; Samuel W. Favey, one quarter Cherokee, and Smoker Moonkiller, full blood Cherokee. Eight were originally sentenced, but one was killed while trying to escape, and the sentence of another was commuted to imprisonment for life.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
Great fire at South Deerfield
Great fire at South Deerfield - over $40,000 worth of property destroyed. One of the most destructive conflagrations that has ever visited Franklin County raged at South Deerfield Sat. night, sweeping out of existence the two village hotels, the finest private dwelling house in the place, a manufacturing establishment, a livery stable with several buildings, sheds and other property.
About 15 minutes before 12 o’clock, fire was discovered in the trimming room, in the second story of the ell part of John Ockington’s carriage shop, which was located on Depot Street, a little west of the Main street of the village. Before the alarm became general the flames with almost lightning rapidity spread to the main building, a large 2 story wooden structure, used for the various branches of the carriage business, and a repository for finished work.
Mr. Ockington’s books were rescued, and a portion of his stock, but a carryall, buggy, express wagon, sleigh, and a no. of carriages in different stages of construction, tools and lumber and stock of various kind were destroyed. ..The wind, which was blowing strongly from the north and north west, carried the flying cinders in the direction of Main Street.
Ten and a half ft. from the shop was the livery stable owned by W. Houston and occupied by Frank Warren. Hardly 15 minutes from the breaking out of the fire the stable had caught, and in a very short time was reduced to ashes...The next building reached by the devouring fire fiend was the Hayden Hotel, a large 2 story wooden building in the south west corner of Main Street and Depot Street, 75 ft. distant from the stable. It was owned by L. Hayden and occupied by his son Charles Hayden.
...Nearly all the furniture was removed from the building, but still considerable valuable property was destroyed. Miss Benn Hayden occupied a fancy goods store in the block, and her stock was nearly all saved.
100 ft. to the south on Main Street was Loren Hayden’s fine dwelling house, built but a short time ago, the most extensive residence in South Deerfield, and well furnished. Only a part of the furniture was saved, and the building and most of its contents were soon in ashes. In the rear, 27 ft. distance, was a large new barn which with its contents of hay and grain were destroyed....
While the conflagration was waging its war of destruction upon this corner of the street, another had broken out with equal fury on the opposite corner. The Bloody Brook House, belonging to C.P. Aldrich, was in a few moments a mass of flames. This long building, extending over 100 ft. on Main Street, with a new ell on Depot Street, its barns and numerous outbuildings melted before the flames like frost beneath the rays of the sun.
Efforts were made to clear out the contents but they were mostly unavailing, and the furniture, a piano, billiard table, provisions, bedding, etc. were lapped up by the greedy element. In the large grocery store of L.T. Harris, in the ell part of the building, but little was taken out. Scudder, a jeweler, saved most of his stock, but shot himself through the hand while handling one of his revolvers. J.T. Burnett occupied a room as a barber shop, but met no serious loss.
S.F. Fisher, who had a harness shop in the building, packed his goods and tools in trunks, and saved nearly all. P. Corkins, the shoemaker, another occupant, was alike fortunate. Several boarders in the hotel lost their clothing, but fortunately no one perished or was seriously injured.
Providentially there was a change in the wind, and the fire made no further progress in a northerly direction; though a horse belonging to Edward Jones of Greenfield, which is adjacent, was scorched and vigilant watching was required to prevent it from igniting. O.S. Arms’ house, on the east side of Main Street opposite Hayden’s, was several times on fire. All of the furniture was taken out, and by cutting through the roof and applying water as best they could when flames were discovered, he and his neighbors managed to save the building.
On the corner of Main Street opposite the Hayden hotel, is a large wooden building belonging to C.A. Pierce. This too was scorched. and the roof was frequently on fire, but it was saved without serious damage. Its occupants, M. Roch, druggist, Boyd & Houghton, dry goods, Mrs. B. Parsons Mansfield, milliner, O.S. Arms, post office and shoe store removed a portion or all of their goods, and had them more or less damaged. William B. Houston, who occupied a tenement on the 2nd floor, had his furniture taken out.
Deacon L.H. Fellow’s house, some 20 ft. from the post office, was also on fire and its contents taken out, but the fire was kept at bay by the use of small hand pumps, such as are used in gardens and in washing carriages. C. Mosher’s livery stable was saved in the same way. Numerous other houses and buildings were at different times on fire, but the assembled people were able to put them out.
South Deerfield is without a fire engine, reservoir, or any organized means for extinguishing fire. The people who assembled in obedience to the alarm could do little but assist in moving furniture and goods, and the fire in the destruction of the buildings mentioned had it all its own way. Within two hours from the breaking out of the flames in Ockington’s shop they had done their work, and nothing was left but tottering chimneys and smouldering embers.
About a quarter past 12 a dispatch was sent to Springfield for help and an hour or two after, two steamers and a hose cart arrived, making the run from Springfield in 40 minutes; but it was too late to be of service, and if the engines had come earlier there would have been little water that could have been made use of. The train soon returned.
The Deerfield Guards, under Captain B.F. Bridges, who had returned from msuter the afternoon previous, were early called to guard the property scattered about the streets. Some disturbance was created by boys who had confiscated liquors, but it was quelled without serious trouble. The fire was seen for miles, and burning brands were carried as far as Sunderland.
Mr. L. Hayden was so prostrated from the excitement incident to the fire that there were rumors yesterday that he was not likely to survive; but these rumors were probably exaggerated. John Ockington, one of the principle sufferers, is away at the seaside.
[Article goes on to discuss policies and amount of insurance, but this is all nicely listed in the NYTimes article].
Though there is some doubt about the origin of the fire, the prevailing belief is inclined to incendiarism. There had been no fire about the carriage shop after 3 o’clock the previous afternoon. The place in the building where it broke out was quite a distance from the forging shop. The calamity is a serious blow to the community.
[See the article "Losses by fire" in the Sept. 6, 1875 issue of the New York Times Online Archive].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The amusement committee of the Agricultural Society have about decided to have the balloon ascension on the last day of the Fair, provided that Greenfield merchants, and others who will be benefited by the influx of people attracted by the sight, will "chip in" to help pay the expense.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
Conway
If anyone wishes to see a view, both grand and beautiful, they will find every facility at Theodore Field's [probaly Theodore Tobey Field] observatory. We enjoyed this pleasure through the kind courtesy of Mr. Field last week. He says: "In a clear day, at sunset, gives the best prospect". Part of New Hampshire is visible, a line of Connecticut, 8 towns or more, you count at least 18 churches, etc., etc.
Mr. Field has proved himself a man of active mind and enterprise. By his own industry and skill, he has created from the rough hills and rude beginning a pleasant home. His improvements are to be seen on every hand - something better than gold; yet a competence he has won, also giving his children an education, which is better, thus preparing them for the battle of life. "All honor to whom honor is due".
[See Google Books "History of Conway, Massachusetts"].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Quite a crowd of young people went out to the Lake Pleasant moonlight dance Thurs. eve. A special train was also run from Athol, and the Pavilion was packed full of dancers. 200 couples or more sweltered through the measures of the merry dance, and notwithstanding the wilting state of paper collars, laces, etc., flattered themselves that they were happy and having a "boss" time.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
We have had still another week of rain and sticky dampness. Somebody who has had patience enough to keep the run of the thing says there has been but 5 days of sunshine for more than 3 weeks. The air indoors and out has been filled with the heavy moisture, and everything is limp and wet. Careful housewives have lost their good tempers, time and again, in trying to shut doors and to pull out drawers that have become swollen beyond all reasonable dimensions.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
A balloon in a thunder storm
A balloon in a thunder storm - Prof. Samuel A. King, the Cleveland aeronaut, who succeeded Donaldson as the balloonist of Barnum's hippodrome, made an ascension alone in the Cloud Nymph at Burlington, Ia. the other day, and had quite an exciting time up in the clouds....[Long article follows].
[See Google Books' "The balloon: noteworthy aerial voyages, with a narrative by Samuel A. King" for a description of this voyage.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 16, 1875
Hawley
At the examination of the school in the sixth district, a paper was read, the articles of which were furnished by the scholars. The following is a specimen: Southampton Sewing Society -
Several spinsters sat sewing, sighing silently. Solomon Snooks strolled slowly, surveying Susanna Simpson's sewing, simpering slyly, sighing "Sweet Susanna". soon Solomon spoke, saying "Susanna, sun shines". Smilingly Susanna said "serenely sweet". Solomon sighed softly. Somehow speech seemed scarce"...
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
Buckland
It is quite sickly now, more especially among the children. Keep the little ones from exposing themselves to the night air and bathe them daily if you would have them free of complaints.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
News of the week
A bottle has been found on the shore of Lake Michigan containing a card purporting to have been written by Donaldson. The card states that the gas is rapidly escaping and the balloon will not stay up over an hour.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
A horrible disaster in Missouri
Thomas Donahue, proprietor of a boarding house in the lower part of Carondelet, Mo., near the Vulcan Iron Works, was drowned in a privy vault on his premises Fri. aft., and Charles Prunty, James Henry and Joseph Schlichtig, who successively descended into the vault to recover Donahue’s body, were overcome by the foul air and vapors of the place, and died before they could be rescued.
[A slightly different version appears in the New York Times Online Index of July 31, 1875 under the title "Four deaths in an outhouse vault". Some of these articles defy belief].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The committee to provide amusements for our coming fair have before them a proposition from James Allen, an aeronaut of Providence, R.I., to make a balloon ascension, using a balloon containing 35,000 cubic feet of gas, and capable of taking up 3 persons. His price is $200; that of the Kings last year, was $300. there is no doubt but it would be a good investment for the society, as there is nothing else that will draw out so many people, and the proposition is likely to be favorably entertained.
[Read about James Allen in Wikipedia's "Union Army Balloon Corps"].
On Fri. July 9, a person traveling up Hawley road, in the vicinity of Mr. Mansfield, might have seen parties of 2, 3, and 5, stealing along behind bushes and fences in a very suspicious manner, each one bearing baskets or pails carefully covered. When all these groups of wayfarers had gathered under the trees above the brook they started for the house to take Mrs. Mansfield by storm. Mrs. Mansfield was born in Middleborough, Mass. July 9, 1788, so this was her 87th birthday, and her friends and neighbors had gathered to celebrate the event.
The dear old lady was taken completely by surprise. After the usual congratulations had been made and the people were comfortably seated in the parlor, Mrs. Mansfield began to relate some of her youthful experiences. She told of daring feats of horsemanship and hairbreadth escapes in dealing with fiery steeds. Mrs. Mansfield's guests then presented their birthday gifts. There were aprons, ties and bows, a dress and collar, oranges, lemons and figs, a bottle of blackberry wine, a bountiful supply of snuff, a book mark, and most noticeable of all, a large pincushion with a set of pins in the center and stars in the corners. I know not whether the maker intended the stars to have any particular significance or not, but they reminded me of the promise: "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever".
Mrs. Mansfield has been a communicant of the church for half a century, and has led a most lovely and consistent Christian life. Towards the end of the afternoon tables were set under the trees, but a shower coming up they were removed to the spacious dining room. The tables were loaded with an abundance of choice viands that kind friends had provided. The aged couple sat at the center of the long table, under a floral arch made by their grand-daughter, Miss Essie Sears.
Just before tea was announced, Dr. Trow of Buckland and a friend of his drove up, and by their presence added to the pleasure of the occasion. Over 40 persons partook in the feast. Dr. Trow made an eloquent speech, which, I regret to say, I am unable to repeat. He called to mind the many changes that the venerable couple had witnessed in the long life that God had allotted to them, and speaking of all the friends and companions of their youth having passed away, compared their present state to that of the few solitary trees scattered over the mountain side beyond the Charlemont fair grounds, where formerly a forest had stood [and stands again]. http://www.charlemon...SCHFairgrounds.shtml W.E. Mansfield then gracefully thanked the company in his parent's behalf. One of the no. present read the following: "Lines to a dear friend on her 87th birthday"...Quizzie.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
Amherst City
Perhaps there is not a village of Franklin County where the people are more enterprising, intelligent and united than the people of Amherst city, a village at the northern part of Amherst. Here are the great leather mills of the Cushmans, the paper mills of the Roberts, that give employment to most of the people of the place. "Uncle John" Cushman is the Nestor of the place. He has a beautiful and costly residence, one of the finest in the town of Amherst; and "Uncle John" is one of the best men the town can boast of.
He has a family of boys that are engaged with him in the leather mills, and they all work together in harmony, and with profit. Young John was a soldier in the war, and lost an arm in one of the first battles. Avery Cushman, the oldest son, is at the head of the concern, and the principal manager - an enterprising business man - Moses is a kind, noble-hearted, genial man that is a friend to everybody. Then there is Charley Dadmon, one of the employees, an intelligent, amiable man, who is always on hand for anything that will make people happy.
Well, last week the whole village met together for a "clam bake", and your correspondent had an invitation to be present. Up a little way east of Uncle John’s beautiful home, there is a shady, retired and pretty grove. Thither we all went for the bake. A fire was burning over a heap of stones, and we all heaped on brush to get them hot. By and by, they were all right.
We swept out the hot coals and ashes and piled on the oysters (not clams) and covered them over with green grass. A party came on from the village, with 2 or 3 pots of clam chowder. Soon our oysters were done, and the company seated around promiscuously in little squads, ate their clam chowder and baked oysters, with boiled eggs and small beer as a relish. Your correspondent was called on for a speech, and he made a short one, just as the sun went down, and bade the party "Good night".
[See Google Books "The Handbook of Amherst" by Frederick H. Hitchcock, 1891].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Donaldson the aeronaut, who came down in our village a few weeks since, after a successful journey from Springfield, ascended in his balloon from Chicago on Thurs., accompanied by a journalist, and it is feared has been lost in Lake Michigan.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
A party of young people chartered Joslyn & Kimball's big wagon Tues. eve., and riding over to Lake Pleasant, enjoyed a lunch on the shore and a moonlight row upon the placid waters. The evening was a beautiful one, and the happy party had one of the nicest times imaginable.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
News of the week
A current of terribly hot air passed over Centralia, Ill. recently, which drove workmen from the fields, and people rushed from their houses, supposing they were on fire. [ I don't know - coal mining since its incorporation as a town, a great disaster in the mines in 1947 when 111 miners died - and of course its counterpart in weirdness, Centralia, PA. Check it out at Wikipedia].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
Dragged in a balloon through a night on Lake Ontario
This article has it that Prof. Donaldson had a harrowing experience with his balloon and was rescued. The truth, though, is that Washington If. Donaldson, the famous aeronaut, drowned in Lake Michigan on July 15, 1875. See the whole story at http://www.famousame...shingtonifdonaldson/
- Sun, Feb 22, 2009
