Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Vital Records, Chenango County, NY, October 1874

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, October 1, 1874

Marriages

BENEDICT - ALDRICH:  At the M.E. Parsonage in Plymouth [Chenango Co. NY], Sept. 24th, by Rev. J.W. Mevis, Mr. Elmer L. Benedict to Miss Mattie E. Aldrich, all of Plymouth.

BROWN - HERRINGTON:  At the residence of the bride's father in McDonough [Chenango Co. NY], Sept. 15th, by Rev. W. Johnson, Mr Charles Brown, of Pharsalia [Chenango Co. NY] to Miss Clara Herrington.

DYKES - ACKERMAN:  At the residence of the bride's parents in Edmeston [Otsego Co. NY], Sept. 23d, by Rev. H. Pattengill, Mr. James L. Dykes of New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY] to Miss Emma Ackerman.

McGUIRE - McDONALD:  By the same on the same day, at the residence of Linn B. Kilbourn, Esq., Mr. John McGuire of New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY] to Miss Fannie Mcdonald.

JEWELL - WILDER:  In DeRuyter [Madison Co. NY] Sept. 17th, by Eld. P. Fisher, Rev. George C. Jewell, of Parina Centre, N.Y. to Susan E. Wilder, of DeRuyter.

Deaths

THOMPSON:  In Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], Sept 28th, Mr. Hiram C. Thompson, aged 41 years.

McMAHAN:  In Preston [Chenango Co. NY], Sept. 23d? at nearly the same hour, Frank M. [McMahan] aged 8 years and Fanny D. [McMahan] aged 2 years and 7 months; Sept. 25th, Elizabeth Ann [McMahan] aged 5 years and 9 months; children of John and Bridget McMahan.

WHITE:  I Preston [Chenango Co. NY], Sept. 23d, an infant child of C.H. White, aged 9 months.

ATWATER:  In Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], Sept. 22d, Polly [Atwater] wife of Orin Atwater, aged 44 years.

SALEY:  In Earlville [Madison Co. NY], Sept. 23d, Arthur Leon [Saley] only child of M.L. and Emma J. Saley, aged 10 months and 23 days.

BURNSIDE:  In Earlville [Madison Co. NY], Sept. 20th, Blanche [Burnside] youngest child of Rev. G.R. Burnside, aged 3 years and 6 months.

JACOBS:  In Lansing, Mower County Minnesota, September 10th, 1874, after a long and painful illness, Polly Ann [Jacobs] wife of Hiram D. Jacobs, aged 53 years.

The subject of this sketch will be remembered by many people of this county, especially in New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY] where she had resided for many years.  She was a native of Canada West, where she spent the early part of her life, and she always maintained a feeling of pride for the land of her birth. The deceased was a woman of more than ordinary ability having received in early life advantages which fitted her for the position she always so faithfully filled. A devoted and zealous member of Christ's flock, always ready to labor for the cause of her Master and for the good of those with whom she was associated.  How sweet the remembrances of many words and deeds of kindness best wed upon the writer of these few lines.  They will always be cherished in his memory as those of love such as none but a Christian woman can bestow.  Her bereaved husband has the sympathy of many friends in this sad hour of affliction.

Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, October 1, 1874

Marriage

Elopement:  Domestic circles on New State Street were agitated on Tuesday of last week, to learn that the wife of Ralph Widger had "lit out" with about $75 of her husband's hard earnings and had gone to join her fortunes with a young man named Henry Myers, who departed for the West on Monday.  Young Myers had been hanging around Widger's for some time, and we believe, had been driven away from there by Mr. Widger, who suspected that everything was not right. the injured husband deeply feels the situation in which he is placed by his unfaithful wife.  Ox. Times

Death

William Root, of Delhi [Delaware Co. NY], the only remaining son of Gen Erastus Root, died suddenly in that village, on the 21st, from a stroke of paralysis.

Oxford Times, Oxford, NY, September 30, 1874

Deaths

David J. Mitchell a leading lawyer and honored citizen of Syracuse [Onondaga Co. NY], died at Clifton Springs [Ontario Co. NY] on the 22d inst.  Mr. Mitchell will be remembered by many of our readers as the gentleman who delivered the 4th of July oration in this village at the celebration in 1873.  He was formerly a resident of Hamilton, Madison County [NY].

STONE:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], of consumption, Aug. 12th, Jessie Fremont [Stone] daughter of Joshua B. Stone (deceased) and Ann Stone (now Mrs. Anderson) aged 17 years.

We have often thought that the pure and lovely things of earth were the first to pass away. The pearly dewdrop glistens in the morning sunshine but an hour. The bow that circles the heavens, after a summer shower, vanishes while we are admiring its wondrous beauty. The fairest flowers bloom but a day.  So, Jessie's brief life passed before us in spotless loveliness, and we saw her depart as we would watch the setting of a bright star, or the going out of a clear light, leaving us to mourn in sadness on her transient stay.  She was educated, refined, noble hearted, and a meek follower of Jesus, possessing all the Christian graces, so her life was indeed beautiful.  She gave her heart to God in early childhood and became a member of the Free Baptist Church in this place, at the age of nine years. Her early religious impressions she attributed wholly to the holy influence of her consecrated Christian mother, who she said brought her up so that she did not know as there was any other way only the right way.  May all the dear mothers who read these lines, not only ponder well, but imitate the example here set, so that in after years their children may rise up and call them blessed.  Or if called to part with them early, they may feel as Jessie's mother is now feeling, that it is a sacred boon to know their darling once are angels, safely housed in God's eternal mansion in Heaven.  Jessie's sick room was a sweet spot, friends vied with each other for the choicest flowers to please the eye, and the earliest fruits to tempt the taste, and all that love could invent, or money purchase, was obtained to render her last hours pleasant.  As her strength fled, the love of Jesus, she said, grew more and more precious. The day before she died, she told her pastor it was all she had left.  Her faith was strong and beautiful, spanning so entirely the dark valley of the shadow of death, that she saw only Jesus and her heavenly home in the bright beyond.  It may be truly said of her that death was swallowed up in victory. She had been useful and pure in life, so she was useful and lovely in death.  Loving once brought pale sweet flowers, fit emblems of the dear departed, and willing hands placed them tenderly around the pale angel sleeper.  We said in our hearts, beautiful even in death. The family circle lingered long around the casket that contained their dear one, as though they would forever fix in their hearts the image of her who to them was a very dear.  But they are all Christians and dutiful to their trust will greet her again in glory for we shall know each other there.  May the dear youth -?- she lived, and may her mantle fall on some one of them, is our prayer.  Mrs. C.L.V.

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Shocking Railroad Accident!

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, October 1, 1874

Another of those terrible railroad accidents which so frequently shock whole communities and cast a gloom over society, occurred on Tuesday forenoon on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, some two miles north of Oxford [Chenango Co. NY].  The Utica and Binghamton Express, with two loaded coaches, a smoking and freight, and a postal and express car, left this station for the south nearly on time, the merry passengers, many of them going aboard for the Oxford Fair, little dreaming of the terrible catastrophe before them  Upon reaching what is known as Rhodes' Cut, on the premises of Isaac Sherwood, in the town of Oxford, the Express ran into a gravel or wildcat train the engine of which was facing the north, causing the death of two persons and the wounding and burning of several others. The gravel train was standing in the cut, which is entered by a sharp curve, the workmen all unconscious of harm till the thundering locomotive hove into view, nearly upon them.  The engines came together with a fearful crash and locked themselves with a death grasp, while the passengers were thrown and jostled about in the utmost confusion.  Nehemiah Smith, of Brisbin, familiarly known as "Cap Smith," was in charge of the gravel train, both as engineer and conductor. Conductor C.M. Ferrell was in charge of the Express going south.

The gravel train had been partially loaded in a cut some rods further north and was backed down to complete the loading.  The cause of the accident came from the stoppage of the timepiece of Captain Smith, his watch indicating 10 o'clock and two minutes, when the true time was 11:30 as shown by Conductor Ferrel's watch immediately after the collision.  Thus deceived, the Captain and his men leisurely continued their work, supposing they had ample time to complete their load and back down to Oxford before the express came along.  The colliding engines were completely wrecked, and the postal and express freight, the baggage and smoking cars were set on fire.

The mail agent, Mr. Edward Childs, of Utica [Oneida Co. NY] formerly of this village, was crushed in the crash, and as no earthly power could rescue the body, it was burned to a crisp in the debris.  A boy named Charles Hickey whose parents reside in this village [Norwich, Chenanog Co. NY], who got into the postal car at this station, shared the fate of Mr. Childs, by being burned to ashes.

Charles Lewis, the Engineer with difficulty made his escape with a collar bone broken.  He was taken to the St. James hotel, at Oxford, and medical and all other needed assistance promptly rendered. The fireman barely had time to save himself by jumping from the train.

Orange Emmons, of this village, who has been somewhat extensively engaged in railroading, took passage upon the engine for Oxford, and was very badly burned about the hips and loins, and lower extremities, by being crowded against the door of the furnace.  He received, it is feared, internal injuries, and his condition is considered precarious indeed.  It was some time before he could be extricated and while in his perilous condition, he exhibited much courage and fortitude of mind.  He was taken to the residence of Mr. Rhodes, and every possible assistance rendered.

Captain Palmer, also of this village, who was in the drawing room car, was bruised in the face, but not severely, and an aged lady, Mrs. Wm. Faulkner, from Fish Creek, in the same car, was quite severely injured.  Mrs. Faulkner, in company with her daughter, was brought to the Chenango House, and medical assistance called. She will doubtless recover.  Several other persons were injured, some quite seriously, but none dangerously.  John McGowen, of this village was considerably bruised about the face and shoulders, and a young man named Frank Eggleston also of this town, received a severe cut in the forehead.  A  man named Rice, of Hamilton, was injured in the knee, but not seriously.

A fire engine at length came from Oxford, and extinguished the flames, not however till nearly all the combustible material had been well-nigh consumed. The mail bags were all burned, and most of the express freight, comprising a quantity of butter, destroyed.  The expressman's safe was pulled from the burning car, but the money and valuables therein contained were more or less scorched and damaged.

Upon reaching the scene, there was presented a sight which beggars description. The banks were lined with hundreds of people from Norwich, Oxford and vicinity, all anxious to render every assistance, but they were powerless to save, for the work of destruction and death had been accomplished.

The Oxford physicians were promptly at the scene, and one or two from this village, and all were active in rendering every possible medical and surgical aid.

Mr. Childs was well and favorably known in this County, for many years his home, and in this portion of the State where he had a host of friends.  He was at one time Sheriff of this County and served the people faithfully.  His shocking death creates a profound sensation in this community, and all unite in extending their deep sympathy to the sorely bereaved widow and the family of his only son, who resides in Norwich.  The Hickey family have the sympathy of the community, as have all in any way injured by the sad calamity.  An inquest is being held when all the fact of the case will be elicited, and the blame, if any, we trust placed where it properly belongs.

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