Friday, January 25, 2019

Obituaries (January 25)

Timothy Jenkins
Chenango Telegraph, January 4, 1860
Timothy Jenkins, of Oneida County [NY], died at Martinsburgh, Lewis County, on Saturday, 24th ultimo, whether he had gone on professional business, on the previous Tuesday.  It was thought that riding in the cold had brought on the attack of bilious fever from which he died.  He was sixty years old, and one of the most eminent lawyers and public men of the State.

Emily Merrifield
Chenango Union, November 8, 1894
At 5:30 A.M., on Friday, November 2, 1894, Mrs. Emily Merrifield entered into rest.  She was born in Bristol, England, July 4, 1834, and was married to William Merrifield, December 24, 1854. they came to Franklin, Delaware county, N.Y., in 1855, in company with an aged uncle and aunt, who had a daughter in that place.  After a short residence in Gilbertsville, Mr. and Mrs. Merrifield, moved to Norwich in 1856, which has since, been their home.  About thirty-three years ago Mrs. Merrifield contracted rheumatism, from which she has been an almost constant sufferer, and from which death resulted.  During all these many years she has been unable to walk, even about the house, and her wants have been most devotedly administered to by her husband, who is the only immediate surviving relative. The funeral, which was private, was held from the residence on Piano street, Monday afternoon, at three o'clock, Rev. Henry D. Stebbins officiating. Burial in Mt. Hope [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY].

Charles D. Brigham
Chenango Union, November 8, 1894
Charles D. Brigham, a well known newspaper man, died of pneumonia, in Washington, D.C., October 21.  Mr. Bingham was a native of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] and in his early youth learned the printers art in the Times office in that village.  He came to Norwich about 1840, and for a number of years was with the Telegraph, then edited and published by Elias P. Pellett.  From Norwich he went to Lockport, N.Y., and was editor of the Courier for some years.  While editor of this paper he married Cordelia Rundell, eldest daughter of the late Gen. O.G. Rundell, of Norwich.  From Lockport he went to Oswego, and edited the Palladium; from Oswego to Troy, editing the Northern Whig or Budget; from Troy he went to Albany in 1854, editing the Register for a time, from there to New York, and was employed on the papers there.  When the war broke out he was in Charleston as the correspondent of the New York Tribune; was arrested as a spy, and after a hearing, discharged with an admonition to leave the State.  Subsequently he was sent to the front as a correspondent, in which capacity he remained until 1863.  He was in New York when the owners of the Pittsburg Commercial were looking for an editor.  He was recommended ot them by Greeley and Dana, and was engaged.  His success with the paper was remarkable.  Within a decade he had accrued a controlling interest in it.  In 1878 he sold out and went to Florida, where he lost all his money in plantation experiments, and was forced to return to newspaper work, which he took up in Washington.  In 1885 he went to Pittsburg to take charge of the Times, and remained in charge until 1890, when he projected a newspaper to be called the Sun, and to be modeled after the New York Sun, but the capital on which he had counted failed him after the building for the new enterprise had been prepared, and the type and press had been received.  Seeing the project a failure finally, he again went to Washington and reentered his old service as a correspondent, having also the position of emigrant inspector at Baltimore during the administration of President Harrison.

The Pittsburg Times of October 22 gives the following item of Mr. Brigham's experience as a correspondent:  
"The winter before Sumter was fired on, the New York Tribune decided to send a staff man South to sound the sentiment of that section.  Greeley and Dana put their heads together and selected Brigham for the task.  Brigham was willing.  It was admittedly a desperate undertaking, and there was doubt whether he would ever get back alive. Greeley held forth as an inducement a double salary--one salary to be sent every week to Mr. Brigham's wife and the other to Brigham.  'All right,' said Brigham, 'If you agree to continue that arrangement until I return, I'll go.'  Greeley jumped at the proposition, entirely losing sight of the fact that Birgham in his own mind thought he would never come back, and had clinched the salary scheme as a life income for the young wife he left behind.

"Mr. Brigham was the sort of man who would get into hot water in times of peace, and it wasn't long before he was in trouble in the South.  He had a faculty for securing the confidences of people on short acquaintance, and the result was that he soon began sending the Tribune just the sort of matter the Southern people didn't want to have printed.  He was arrested, given the semblance of a trial and condemned to death.  But he was not the sort of man to give up.  He lost no time to bring to bear certain influences which saved his life.  One night he was taken aboard a train, with officers all around him, and shipped to Washington, whence he returned to New York.  More than thirty years afterward, in talking of this experience, he refused to say either what he was tried for or by what means he secured his release.  His escape is readily understood by those who knew him, for it was characteristic of him not to use all his resources, but to hold something in reserve for emergency."

Mr. Brigham had been a sufferer from asthma for over a month previous to his death, the disease causing great weakness.  The week before his death his disease became complicated with pneumonia, and he was removed to Providence Hospital, where he was visited daily by his wife.  His daughter, Mrs. Charles H. Bradley, of Pittsburg, accompanied by her husband, arrived in time to be at her father's bedside when he died. The remains were placed in a vault, and it is expected they will be removed to Pittsburg.  Mrs. Brigham, accompanied by her daughter and son-in-law, left for Pittsburg on the 22d ult.

Alonzo M. Reynolds
Norwich Sun, May 15, 1923
Guilford [Chenango Co., NY]:  Alonzo M. Reynolds, a well known citizen who has been in poor health for some time passed to the world unknown on May 7th, 1923.  The subject of this brief sketch was born in the town of Guilford, April 26, 1861 and was the son of the late Nelson and Maria Bush Reynolds. The deceased was united early in life to Miss Mary E. Bush who survives him together with four sons, Earl Reynolds of Froust, Will Reynolds of Middletown, Charles and Frank Reynolds of this place and also four grandchildren.  He was a stone mason and farmer by trade, and had always lived in Guilford. The funeral services were held at the late home Thursday afternoon, the Rev. W.S. York, pastor of the Methodist church officiating.  Undertakers Carr and Hare had charge of the body.  He was laid in the family plot beside kindred in Sunset hill cemetery, Guilford.  Sympathy is extended to the family.

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