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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
News of the week
A singular accident occurred at Amesbury on Wed. morning. A son of Mr. McHugues took up an ax, and while swinging it about his head in imitation of an Indian, the ax separated from the handle and buried itself in the shoulder of his sister, who stood a short distance from him. A fearful wound was inflicted, but fortunately no cords or arteries were severed. It was considered a very narrow escape from a fatal result.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Conway
Conway - A tramp attempted to enter the house of one of our citizens, through the window, 2 or 3 days since, while the parents of the girls left alone were absent attending a relative's funeral. Instead of the croquet mallet and ball our young ladies must learn the use of fire arms, for their own protection, in these perilous times where the law is found insufficient.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
The Odd Fellows [or Oddfellows] at Lake Pleasant
Seldom have fairer skies lured the picnicker to the Lake than shone last Thurs., upon the occasion of the fourth annual picnic of the Connecticut River Valley Association of Odd Fellows. http://www.ioof.org/ The river towns were well represented, many coming from Northampton, Holyoke and Springfield to the south; From Shelburne Falls and North Adams via the Tunnel, to the West; from Fitchburg and Leominster, with intermediate towns to the east, while from Keene, N.H. and Brattleboro, Ct., good delegations were sent. The no. of lodges present was 19, and encampments, 3; estimated to have been 1200 members of the Order, and with their ladies and friends, from 3000 to 4000 persons at the Lake during the day.
The general exercises were begun with the band concert in the Grove, the Hartford City Band leading, following which, the Brattleboro and Keene Brass bands kept the air resounding with melody. The first named band seemed to be the favorite, and executed some very fine pieces, among which an overture, "The Golden Crown" and "Potpourri" from Bellisario were the best, while "Concert Polka" by the Keene Band, with a solo by Will Allen, was decidedly applauded.
The exercises at the speaker’s stand were of the first order; the principal thing being the address by the orator of the day, Rev. A.H. Sweetser of Springfield, who was introduced to the audience by H.A. Bowen of Shelburne Falls, President of the Association. The speaker in opening, referred to the symbolism of Odd Fellowship as being in consonance with everything around us; as light symbolizes heaven, darkness hell; flowers of fragrance, and all nature as of God; so the "clasped hands", the "three links", etc. of the Order, spoke of great truths, and symbols were right if they had truth behind them.
The system of Odd Fellowship came, not as an interloper upon earth, but it was formed to fill a need, and it came to stay, as long as irreligion and want were abroad among men. by association, which as the name implied meant strength - they would apply their principles to the wants and needs of life. Friendship, love and truth were the threefold cords which they were to use, and for which they should labor with their united strength. If you obey the principles of our order, said the speaker, you have no need of liturgies or dogmas, but you have enough to carry you through life and into the gates of the Celestial City.
He next referred to the need of sympathy; on the need of extending it to every man; for no man lived but what had a heart and a spark of God within him. Our present social and educational fabric was characterized as wholly wrong. Social life was shoddy; the ill educated were put forward, and to "shine well" without "being well", was the curse of the world. Odd Fellowship was to correct this; it found alone the man, and whatever his cost; it discerned true worth and gave to it its true respect.
The speaker next passed to the feminine branch of the Order, if it may be thus called, and dwelt with words of praise on the "Sisterhood of Rebecca". He said they found no time to mount the rostrum and to proclaim their duties and rights by noisy words, but in the quiet paths of home and the sphere in which their branch of the order furnished them, they performed the noblest duties of life. In closing, he said that the great duty of the fraternity was to bring people together, to root out sectarian feeling in the churches, and to teach all the true spirit of humanity and brotherhood.
The address was well written and delivered in an excellent manner, occupying about 40 minutes, during which time the vast crowd remained quiet, listening with evident satisfaction. The various exercises at the stand were interspersed by several good songs by J.A. Maxam of Keene, and glees by a male quartette from the same place. Billy Fisher of Springfield amused the people considerably by rendering one or two comic pieces and the delivery of a stump speech.
During the afternoon, the lovers of the "light fantastic" crowded the Pavilion, tripping to the notes of Southland’s Orchestra of Springfield, while a majority of the balance pressed the borders sof the Lake to catch a glimpse of the boat and tub races. For some reason, the contestants for the prizes of the athletic sports rather held back, and for a time it seemed as this part of the programme would have to be omitted; but champions at last were found, and the races had, with the following results:
Boat race for men, 3/4 of a mile with turn, 3 entries, prize, a gold-lined silver goblet, won by Henry Howell of Springfield; boat race for ladies, half mile and turn, 2 entries, first prize a silver butter dish, won by Miss Mary Mehony; second prize, a gold lined silver cup, won by Miss Nellie Malone, both of Springfield. the tub race, 100 yards with turn, 3 entries, prize a gold lined silver spoon holder, won by John McHanna of Springfield. The sack race, 200 yards with turn, two entries, prize a silver napkin ring with stand, was also won by John McHanna.
The general exercises, except the dancing, closed with a dress parade in regalia, by the Agawam Oasis and Monadnock encampments. While the crowd were enjoying the public programme, the knots of hundreds were equally interested by the semi-public amusements of boating on the lake, swinging in the grove, eating and drinking and marveling at the talking wonders of Punch and Judy. quiet and good order reigned, and all interested voted it the most successful picnic of the Association.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Freddie Smith, a 9 year old son of Mrs. A.C. Smith, who lives on Pleasant Street, met with a serious if not fatal accident on Thurs. eve. He went to see his friend Urbane Butler, son of Peter Butler, on Wells Street, and while there, a toy hatchet slipped from the hand of the latter, who was in the act of striking some object, and turning over, the end of the handle struck Freddie Smith in the forehead, near the temple, and crushed through the skull. He was taken home and Fri. morning Dr. Deane, assisted by Drs. Walker and Osgood, performed the operation of trepanning with very good success, and hopes are entertained of the lad's recovery. [I wonder just what kind of a "toy" that hatchet really was].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 12, 1875
The Odd Fellows’ picnic
The annual excursion of the Connecticut River Valley Association of Odd Fellows to Lake Pleasant next Thurs., promises to be the largest pleasure gathering ever held there, and the executive committee have made arrangements for an unusually brilliant affair. The Hartford City, Fitchburg and Keene, N.H. cornet bands will be in attendance, and will give a grand band concert during the day.
J.A. Maxam of Keene, who has won considerable reputation as a vocalist at Odd Fellow gatherings, will furnish some of the best things in his repertoire, while the Keene Glee Club and Billy Fisher will add to the musical attractions. For amusements there will be two boat races on the lake one of which will be open to ladies only, a tub race and a sack race ; and ample facilities for boating, swinging, "tetering" [i.e. teetering] and dancing, with music by Southland’s orchestra, and Tommy Holland to prompt.
Not the least of the attractions will be a grand encampment parade, in full regaalia, participated in by Agawam encampment of Springfield, King David of Fitchburg, Oasis of Brattleboro, Vt., Monadnock of Keene and others. No less than 9 lodges and 6 encampments will be on the grounds, besides the large no. of friends who always attend the association’s gatherings. Richardson, the caterer, will be in attendance to supply the wants of all who do not carry their own provisions.
Arthur Holland, a lad of 13 years, swallowed on Thurs. a tin whistle, which was about an inch in diameter. It was removed from his throat by Dr. Burton, and the boy returned to school with the conclusion that tin whistles were intended for boys with larger throats and more effective digestive apparatus than he possessed.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, June 21, 1875
The Detroit Free Press asks
The Detroit Free Press asks, if Mr. Bergh can send a man to jail for 3 months for killing a mad cat, we'd like to know what he can do to a boy who feeds marbles to a parrot? [Probably talking about Henry Bergh, founder of the S.P.C.A. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), who succeeded in sending David Heath to prison for 10 days in 1867 for beating a cat to death.
R.O. Ferrier, the inventor of the new lawn and parlor game "America" has made arrangements with Sumner Smith of West Whately, to manufacture and supply those who want this game. All orders sent to him will be promptly filled.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, May 3, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
A lad about 15 years old, belonging to an English family named Pittsimmons [possibly Pitt Simmons], living on Ann Street, got an ugly pistol shot on Fri. He had been sent to the neighboring blacksmith shop on an errand, and when returning met a boy with a pistol. The two examined or played with it, and finally it was discharged, Pittsimmons says in the hands of the other boy, the ball going through the hand of the former and lodging in his groin. He was taken to Dr. Walker, who failed to extract the ball, but the lad is getting along quite well, though he had a narrow escape with his life. Who the boy with the pistol was is unknown.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 22, 1875
Where they come from
Where they come from - by Olive Thorne [the pen name of http://www.harpers.org/NightMonkey.html Harriet Mann Miller ]. You’ll be shocked, I fear, when I tell you that your doll came out of a rag bag; her curls from the back of a goat, and her elegant china tea set out of a small hole. But what will you say when I tell you that your http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3180.htm jelly is made out of old boots, and your delightful perfumery from horrid smelling coal tars. You don’t own all the made over things in the family, either.
Johnny’s new http://www.bharattextile.com/dictionary/66 beaver cloth overcoat was worn out on the back of a beggar, and perhaps even played the part of a scarecrow in some farmyard, before it went into the rag bag and began to come up in the world again; and the http://www.adrynight...20Physiology129.html "Table Gelatin" which everyone in the family likes to eat, once did duty as skin on the back of a rat. The pearl of your paper knife lined the shell house of a modest little creature at the bottom of the sea, while mamma’s shell comb was the comfortable roof over a Sea Tortoise.
Your guitar strings were indispensable to the internal comfort of some poor pussy or unfortunate sheep, and your piano would be but a dumb wooden box, without some of the same internal arrangements of a horse. Your nice hair brush first saw the light on the skin of a hog, and its pretty back of papier mache came out of the ragman’s bag. The crinoline that stiffens the bottoms of ladies’ dresses was used originally to switch the flies from the back of a horse, and the mattress on which you sleep so comfortably served the same use before it fell into the manufacturer’s hands.
Your dainty toilet soap - dear me, how can I tell you! - was made of dead cats and dogs, found in the streets, and the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond "bitter almonds" which so delightfully flavors your candy came from the horrible smelling coal tar, while the choicest are as deliciously flavored with -- putrid cheese. The scent hairs of that offensive creature, the skunk, furnish some desirable additions to the toilet table, used for removing freckles and tan, and the dreadful stuff left in drains is changed into a fashionable toilet article, and adorns the face of ladies. To be sure these disagreeable materials have some pretty rough handling before they come out in their new colors. The old boots, for instance. They do not step from the gutter into the jelly kettle by any means. They go through a long process of washing and soaking in lye and smoking with sulphur, and steaming and boiling, before they come out white and delicate, and fit for the table. T
he coal tar to grow into perfumery goes through the hands of chemists, who treat it with I don’t know what dreadful chemical processes, and the dead dogs and cats are boiled to extract the grease, purified, whitened and perfumed before we use them as a soap. The doll whose ancestors inhabited a rag man’s den endured unheard of operations of washing, soaking, bleaching, chopping, molding, and so forth, before she took her place in the nursery to amuse the little folks, and the clay from the mud hole was washed and patted and whitened and kneaded, and baked and glazed before it ventured to call itself china, and take its place on the tea table.
The horse tails that stiffen the dresses and stuff our mattresses are washed, and soaked, and boiled and baked before we use them, and the intestines which make the voice of guitar and piano went through long processes of scraping, soaking in lye, and washing, before they were drawn out into the fine, tough strings you are familiar with. The rat skin which we eat under the name of gelatin first flourished as the thumb of a kid glove, and after being worn out in that capacity went through ever so many purifying processes, somewhat as the old boots did, before it ended on our table.
Nearly all the things that we throw away in [?] or even in our drains - the most disgusting things you can think of - are valuable, and after going through the hands of skilled workmen, come out in new shapes and have new fields of usefulness. The feats of old fashioned fairies, who turned pumpkins into carriages, and shabby old gowns into elegant robes, do not compare with these wonders performed in our work shops by rough looking men in shirt sleeves and white aprons.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 22, 1875
(Turners Falls) Willie Schuler met with a very painful accident on Sat. He was coasting with other boys, and the cutter in which his brother sat ran into him, breaking his leg above the ankle. Dr. Co
(Turners Falls) Willie Schuler met with a very painful accident on Sat. He was coasting with other boys, and the cutter in which his brother sat ran into him, breaking his leg above the ankle. Dr. Coy set the shattered bone, and the patient is getting along finely.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 22, 1875
(Greenfield) The boys have enjoyed the moonlight evenings of the past week; with their double rippers cold is of no account. Beginning at the top of the depot hill, with a load of a dozen or more, th
(Greenfield) The boys have enjoyed the moonlight evenings of the past week; with their double rippers cold is of no account. Beginning at the top of the depot hill, with a load of a dozen or more, they go a long distance below the depot before they stop.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 22, 1875
As a party of 6 were coasting at Worcester Thurs. eve., one of the steering ropes broke, and the sled ran against a fence. Edward J. Conovan, who was steering, had his skull fractured and died soon a
As a party of 6 were coasting at Worcester Thurs. eve., one of the steering ropes broke, and the sled ran against a fence. Edward J. Conovan, who was steering, had his skull fractured and died soon after. Anna Quinn had a leg broken, and the others were all severely hurt. The parties injured are each 16 years of age.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 15, 1875
A sad coasting accident, resulting in the death of an 8 year old boy named Landergan [also seen as Landrigan] occurred by the grounds of the Centre Street School at Northampton on the 6th. The lad wa
A sad coasting accident, resulting in the death of an 8 year old boy named Landergan [also seen as Landrigan] occurred by the grounds of the Centre Street School at Northampton on the 6th. The lad was sliding downhill into the school yard, when his sled collided with a gate which another boy thoughtlessly closed, throwing him headlong with sufficient force to fracture his skull, causing his death about 24 hours later. Young Landergan’s father is employed in Munn’s foundry.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, February 8, 1875
In the bottom drawer
In the bottom drawer - I saw wife pull out the bottom drawer of the old family bureau this evening, and went softly out, and wandered up and down, until I knew that she had shut it up and gone to her sewing. We have some things laid away in that drawer which the gold of kings could not buy, and yet they are relics which grieve us until both our hearts are sore. I haven’t dared look at them for a year, but I remember each article. There are two worn shoes, a little chip hat with part of the brim gone, some stockings, pants, a coat, 2 or 3 spools, bits of broken crockery, a whip and several toys. Wife - poor thing - goes to that drawer every day of her life and prays over it, and lets tears fall upon the precious articles, but I dare not go. Sometimes we speak of little Jack, but not often. It has been a long time, but somehow we can’t get over grieving. He was such a burst of sunshine into our lives that his going away has been like covering our very existence with a pall. Sometimes, when we sit all alone of an evening, I writing and she sewing, a child on the street will call out as our boy used to, and we will both start up with beating hearts and a wild hope, only to find the darkness more of a burden than ever. It is so still and quiet now. I look up at the window where his blue eyes used to sparkle at my coming, but he is not there. I listen for his pattering feet, his merry shout and ringing laugh, but there is no sound. There is no one to climb over my knees, no one to search my pockets and tease for presents, and I never find the chair turned over, the broom down, or ropes tied to the door knobs. I want some one to tease me for my knife, to ride on my shoulders, to lose my axe, to follow me to the gate when I go, and be there to meet me when I come to call good night, from the little bed now empty. And wife she misses him still more; there are now no little feet to wash, no prayers to say, no voice teasing for lumps of sugar or sobbing with the pain of a hurt toe, and she would give her own life, almost, to awake at midnight and look across to the crib and see our boy there as he used to be. So we preserve our relics, and when we are dead we hope that strangers will handle them tenderly, even if they shed no tears over them.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, January 18, 1875
The burning to death of the little 3 year old son of John Farrell at New Haven Sat. was an unusually shocking affair. The child had been coasting with his other brothers and sisters, and having wet h
The burning to death of the little 3 year old son of John Farrell at New Haven Sat. was an unusually shocking affair. The child had been coasting with his other brothers and sisters, and having wet his clothes by falling from his sled into the snow, went into the house to dry them. A few minutes after he had been in the house the children noticed smoke coming from the door, and ran to the house, just as their mother, who had been absent, reached the door. The clothes of the unfortunate child were found to be on fire, and he in the agonies of death, both body and legs being burned to a crisp. The little sufferer died at the expiration of half an hour in great agony.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, January 11, 1875
"A Chapter for Women, By a Woman" (poem by M.M.W.)
"A Chapter for Women, By a Woman" (poem by M.M.W.) - "Good gracious, Zeke, what ails our world? / What are our women saying? / Dressed so like dolls, and why those men / So like wild asses braying? / Tut, tut, dear Miss, if you were me / With pretty babes to nourish / Of words, about your "equal rights" / Is simply made of fancy / I'm sure the world no better is / To Jonathan, than Nancy / Indeed, she takes the roughest part / Lets no rude hail storms pelt her / But when life's storms beat cold and hard / Provides for her a shelter / The trouble is, Madam or Miss / Your pride usurps your senses / In good old times, when I was young / We heard none of this whining / Saw not fair forms for "liberty" / Or freedom sadly pining / They found their sphere without the aid / Of Women's sly "Conventions" / And to be faithful in that sphere / Was ever their intentions. / Was it a daughter? She could make / And wash her clothes. A mother? / She could always tend her child / And welcome yet another! / But now adays, alas! alas! / Girls sit all prim and painted / Miss Blank was asked to wash her clothes / And for the insult, fainted! / Her sphere is "higher", yet her ma / Works hard with no assistant / While daughter dear, for wider sphere / Lectures and begs persistent. / As for the married of today / They do not "help", but hinder / A laboring man, as well might burn / His money to a cinder / As to expect his wife to save / Or add to it, a dollar / She'd spend the wages of a week / For one ride, for a collar / And as for children, is he "mad" / To bring such bothers to her? / "No sir, I'll never be tied down / To young ones, sir". Nor do her / Unnatural feelings rest at this / She kills her fine affections / And boasts that she has power to rend / All such unliked connections / And if, by watching faithfully / (Aided by her physician) / She sees a child approaching her / she pleads a better "mission" / Which simply is but visiting / Dressing, http://webtext.libra...2html/music/ci-d.htm piano drumming / So, when the babies start for her / She kills them, while they're coming!!! / "Lo! children are a heritage / From God", the Word declareth / But such a heritage as now / The world most gladly spareth / The precious gifts are counted "plagues" / Few arms with joy enfold them / They Heaven's gifts! Then glad would we / Let Heaven forever hold them" / And yet, such plagues some women need / To bring them to their senses / To keep them in their proper sphere / And kill their vain pretenses / O woman, first learn faithfulness / In labors God ordained you / And never yet a burden gave / Where grace would not sustain you / Then we more readily would yield / for you to build our nation / As yet, we think you've work to do / In your becoming station". Erving, Mass.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, January 11, 1875
(South Deerfield) Four large boulders fell one night last week from under the table rock on Sugar Loaf Mountain, and one of them rolled down the mountain to the guide post in front of Noah Wright's
(South Deerfield) Four large boulders fell one night last week from under the table rock on Sugar Loaf Mountain, and one of them rolled down the mountain to the guide post in front of Noah Wright’s house. It measured 12 by 3 by 2 1/2 feet, and is estimated to weigh 5 tons - not a very pleasant plaything to meet in a ramble about the mountain.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, January 11, 1875
(Leverett) The C.H.P. Lyman place has again changed hands to parties in Worcester. It is a moving chess
(Leverett) The C.H.P. Lyman place has again changed hands to parties in Worcester. It is a moving chess-man in the hands of speculators; advertised this time, as containing a fish pond, which means, as is supposed, there is but little dirt on it.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, January 11, 1875
(Erving) The children in our Primary school were greatly amused the other day by the exercises of the primary class. A little 6 year old boy came to the word "donkey". "D
(Erving) The children in our Primary school were greatly amused the other day by the exercises of the primary class. A little 6 year old boy came to the word "donkey". "D-o-n-k-e-y, donkey" said he, asking innocently, "What is that?" Said his teacher, "It’s an animal which looks some like a horse". "Well", said George, "My papa has got something up home which looks like a horse, but it ain’t". "What is it, a toy?" said the teacher. "No, it looks just like a horse, but papa says it’s a mare".
- Mon, Jan 18, 2010
