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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - There is some complaint of the dry rot affecting some fields of potatoes - good crops on the average. Corn is being rapidly cut. New cider has appeared.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - Joseph Bennett and his brother-in-law, John Madison, we understand, have been purchasing of late some 30 acres of additional meadow land of a Mr. Hayes. Their fine, extra tobacco, of about 5 acres in all, is safely on the poles.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - It is said that Arthur Tucker and R.M. Cook have been taking a short trip to the sea shore. There are some new goods in Mr. Tucker's store since his return.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - Mrs. Swan, wife of the cashier of the Conway Bank, with her little daughter, are away with friends in Connecticut. We wish them a pleasant time.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - We saw an item 2 or 3 weeks since in the "Courier" speaking of a sudden death while swearing, reported by another paper as occurring at Burkeville, etc., contradicted by a correspondent, the item belonging to Burkville, Kentucky, not Conway, Mass. Perhaps there are but few living in our town who know that such an incident really did occur in our midst many years ago, living witnesses attesting the truth at the present time, called to remembrance by the item mentioned.
The facts were these, as nearly as I could gather them: a colored man by the name of James Hall, living or standing near the house now occupied by Russell Bond, was swearing fearfully, blaspheming the name of God because there had been a religious interest in the place and his wife was converted.
Wishing to join the church, she applied for baptism - we think for the Baptist Church here - and was accepted. Her husband’s anger was roused, and while terrible oaths were on his lips, swearing that the rite should not be administered to her, he fell forward dead!
"God fearing" may be our community, as a class both then and now, but is it not rather the mercy of Heaven that spares the swearer from alike state? It is not OUR goodness which keeps men alive, not even in Christian Conway!
[There actually is a Burkesville, Kentucky - see Wikipedia].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - With the cooler weather comes rumors of the re-occurrence of diphtheria in some sections. Lottie Brown, oldest daughter of Addison Brown, Broomshire district, died on Sept. 13. The child’s mother is also seriously ill, and one or two other members of the family are also sick. Many hearts will ache at this sad intelligence.
[See p. 35 of Google Books "Sightseeking: Clues to the Landscape History of New England" to discover how Broomshire got its name].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - A birth "mark" on a child's face of this town was successfully removed without a physician's aid, by simply pricking it repeatedly, letting out the blood that had gathered and centered in that part. It was nearly as large as a silver dollar. Sufficient time has not elapsed to prove the cure sure and permanent.
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, September 13, 1875
Conway
Conway - An Irish wake held the past week at the funeral of one of their number here, was frought with some unpleasant occurrences from imbibing too freely. Rows, broken carriages, run away horses, etc., are disgraceful to say the least, from such causes at such times. Is this the Hibernian way of showing grief? Not with all of them we are sure, but all nations have their peculiarities.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Probate Court Record
Probate court Record - Greenfield - Administration granted on estates of George W. Bardwell of Deerfield, Jane F. Bardwell and Cyrus A. Stowell, Adm'rs.; Jeremiah Dow of Erving, Edmund M. Dow of Erving, Adm'r.; Joseph M. Townsend of Coleraine, Sarah Townsend of Coleraine, Adm'r.
Wills proved - Samuel Alexander of Northfield, George P. Alexander of Northfield, Ex'r.; Sarah Cook of Greenfield, John J. Graves and R.W. Cook of Greenfield, Ex'rs.; Ansel C. Delano of Sunderland, Jesse L. Delano and Edward A. Delano of Sunderland, Ex'rs.; Moses Hubbard of Sunderland, Cyrus M. Hubbard of Sunderland, Adm'r. with the will annexed.
Accounts rendered - on estates of William W. Alcott of Bernardston, Clark Ellis of New Salem, Clarissa Battle of Orange, Mary J. Gore of Monroe, Harriet M. Brown of Greenfield, A.M. Kingman of Deerfield, George S. Boyd of Deerfield.
License granted to sell real estate - Of John Arms of Gill, Andrew Welch of Montague, Walter D. Thompson of Troy, Ohio.
Widows' allowance - Made in estates of Rufus S. Phillips of Greenfield, $500; Edward Thayer of Greenfield, $9018.
Affidavits filed - in estate of Charles S. Brown of Greenfield, Baxter Harding of Conway, P. May Buddington of Greenfield, Rufus S. Phillips of Greenfield, Moses Field of Leverett.
Estate of Ephraim Murdock, late of Orange, represented insolvent, H. Woodward and G.A. Whipple, Commissioners.
Commissioners' report filed in estate of John Haskins, late of Shutesbury. Distribution ordered in estate of George S. Boyd, late of Deerfield.
John Quinton of Greenfield adopted infant child of William H. Seley; name changed to John George L. Quinton. Name of Flora M. Reynolds of Shutesbury changed to Flora M. Freeman. Next Probate Court at Northfield next Tues. (tomorrow).
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
Conway
Conway - One of our family men experienced both a father’s and a mother’s solicitude the other day, losing his 3 children for the time being. He went away recently, and left his motherless ones alone. Coming home at night he found the house deserted. Search was made at all the neighbors without success. Returning about midnight, wearied and anxious and not a trace. Going to the barn, the boys were all found upon the hay mow fast asleep. Feeling lonely and it being warm, they had taken a blanket, spread it upon the soft new hay, and found sweet repose. Their father will know where to look next time.
Born in Keokuk, Iowa Aug. 14, a son to Sedgwick Harding, formerly of Conway.
[Sedgwick is mentioned in the will of Esther Harding Dickinson, which can be found at the Deerfield Memorial Hall Museum Online "American Centuries" site].
(Shelburne Falls) Calling on Samuel Flagg of Conway some days since, we found him, at the age of 70 years, able to dance a double shuffle. We also received from him a dirk and sword over 100 years old. They were carried through the Revolutionary War by Lieutenant Goddard. Mr. Flagg had carried out scripture as far as possible, and beaten his sword into a first class butcher knife.
[See Google Books "Descendants of Eleazer Flagg" by Charles Allcott Flagg for more information].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
Conway
A fire was discovered about 12 o'clock Wed. night at Julius Pierce's, one of our meat men, situated near the Congregational Church. The flames had met such headway, it was impossible to save his barn and the blacksmith shop adjoining, used by him for his business; formerly the Gunn place. Between 5 and 6 tons of hay was destroyed, 2 valuable horses perished also in the flames; a meat wagon or cart, harnesses, etc. and other articles. Loss estimated about $2000; insurance, only $55.
Without a doubt this was the work of an incendiary as his meat market was also found to be on fire. In one of the rooms shavings were piled and ignited, thus firing the building. It burned quite a large place, but Mr. Loomis, Mr. Pierce's assistant, seeing the light, and suspecting something wrong, hastened to the place, thus in season to put it out before serious damage was done. This is very sad for Mr. Peirce. He some months since suffered pecuniary loss by fire and has now met with this new misfortune. He has the sympathy of his numerous friends and customers. Mr. Pierce's meat market was burned Sat. morning between 3 and 4 o'clock.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
Conway
Freddie Adams, a little son of Rawson Adams, one day the past week, cut a severe gash in his head, running across the road while a carriage was passing, his head striking the wheel.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
Burkville
The usually reliable Hampshire Gazette publishes the following item, under the head of Franklin County":
"A man named Louis Burke, who lived at Burkesville, a few days ago indulged in very blasphemous language because his crops had been ruined by high water. He cursed God for having his crops destroyed last year by heat and drought, and for destroying them this year by the flood, and concluded his blasphemy of the Creator with the expression "God damn him!" His tongue clove to the roof of his mouth and he died the next night, never uttering another word".
Now this was not a Franklin County man at all, but a resident of Burkesville, Ky.; and what is more, the wicked blasphemer is said to be still alive. The God fearing people of our own Burkville, Conway, have good reason to resent any such imputation.