Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY, June 5, 1879
Marriage
At Middlefield Center [Otsego Co. NY], May 29th, by Rev. W. Fry, Emmet J. Chase to Miss Alice D. Misson of Middlefield.
Deaths
At Utica, N.Y. [Oneida Co. NY] June 1st, '79, Mrs. Mary Skinner, aged 88 years, formerly of this village [Cooperstown, Otsego Co. NY].
In Schenevus [Otsego Co. NY] May 23d, at the residence of her son, R.C. Wilson, Margaret [Wilson] relict of Graudius Wilson, aged 85 years and 7 months.
In Maryland [Otsego Co. NY] May 23d, 1879, at the residence of her son-in-law, B.J. marble, Cornelia Tucker [Smallin] wife of Martin Smallin, aged 69 years and 8 months.
In Milford [Otsego Co. NY] May 26th, suddenly, of malignant erysipelas, Mrs. Gilbert Kniskern.
In Pittsfield [Otsego Co. NY] May 21st, Ruth Herrington aged 53 years.
Oneonta, Otsego Co. NY: Dr. A.D. Reynolds died at his residence in this village yesterday morning, aged 57 years. Deceased has been for many years a practicing physician in Oneonta and though never wealthy, was up to the time of his prostration, some two years ago, one of our most useful, benevolent, and universally esteemed citizens.
Bainbridge Republican, Bainbridge, NY, April 10, 1879
Marriage
CULVER - THOMPSON: April 4th, at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Thompson, Sr. in Masonville [Delaware Co. NY], by Rev. A.F. Harding, Mr. Charles Culvert and Florence E. Thompson both of Masonville, N.Y.
Deaths
Rockwell Mills, Chenango Co. NY: Mrs. George Bowen [Clarissa Chamberlin Bowen] whose sickness we have stated before, died last Thursday. She has been a long sufferer, but death has at last released her. She leaves many mourning friends who have the sympathy of the community. Her funeral was held in the M.E. Church on Sunday last.
Sidney Plains, Delaware Co. NY: We have just received the sad intelligence of the death of Samuel C. Clizbe son of C.S. Clizbe, former editor of this place. He died at Athens, Bradford Co. Pa. March 13th, from a cancer and paralysis. He was a young man of much promise and highly respected. He was aged 23 years.
News Item
Our Business Men, Sidney Plains, Delaware Co. NY
Roswell C. Norton
Those who have but a limited acquaintance with this place, can scarcely realize the difference between the Sidney Plains of today and the Sidney Plains of some 40 years ago. Then there was but one hotel of very ordinary accommodation, and one small store, a blacksmith shop, and a wagon shop, while the district school was taught in the basement of the Methodist chapel, which then stood on the present site [1879] of the Mitchell House. There were no railroads, no telegraphs, and no daily paper taken here. Our mails were carried in the old lumbering coaches and were usually a week in arriving from New York. The stage driver was really the most consequential man in the country. He was supposed to know all the news quite in advance of the press and whenever he entered town he was surrounded by an eager crowd, anxious to hear of what was transpiring in the outer world.
The store was kept by Rogers & Cotton and was a general resort for town people rainy days and evenings who, seating themselves upon the counters, would smoke and tell some exciting story about hunting or fishing, &c, to the great amusement of one another. And here were gathered the Avery's, the Edgerton's, the newsman's and many others, who have long since gone to their "final rest." The store was an emporium in miniature, and contained not only dry goods, groceries, crockery, glassware, drugs, medicines, paint and oil, but also grain and provisions &c. and they received in exchange for their merchandise, all such commodities as the people could well spare from their farms.
The wagon shop, which was carried on by the late Mr. Samuel Kellogg, was also a coffin shop, where they were made when required, and usually from pine or chestnut lumber, stained and varnished, and without handles. There was no hearse, but a "bler" was employed for conveying the dead to the place of interment.
And the undertaking business of those times contrasts strangely with that business as now conducted by Mr. Roswell C. Norton, whom we propose briefly to mention this week. He was the son of Milton and Lovicy Norton, who emigrated from Connecticut some seventy years ago, and settled in the town of Guilford [Chenango Co. NY] when it was nearly a wilderness. His father was a member of the society of "Friends," or Quakers, and several of the same creed came to Guilford and settled about the same time. His parents raised a family of eight children, but he and one sister (Mrs. S.G. Ives) of Guilford, who is now in the 64 year of her age, are the only ones living.
Mr. Norton was born Jan. 12th, 1821, and well remembers when those "Friends" used to meet on the "Sabbath" at the house of David Harris on the hill where the George Knapp farm lies, and many a time he says, "when a child, he had gone there with his father in the old lumber wagon, to that primitive church (before public opinion rendered it unpopular) and often looked up to the old clock ticking in the corner, which was the only speaking thing in the room, waiting for the silent hour to pass, when he should be liberated from his confinement, and enjoy a welcome ride through fields and lanes to his home."
His father was an excellent carpenter and millwright for those days, and also owned a good farm, cleared and under cultivation at the time of his death which occurred in 1832 at the age of 46 years. His mother was a member of the Methodist Church, and was married the second time to Paris Winsor, who committed suicide four years afterwards. His mother then lived with her relatives till her death which took place at her daughter's in Guilford in 1878 in the 93d year of her age.
Mr. Norton after his father's death, labored as a farm hand for two years in summer and attended district school winters; when he commenced work for a house builder, during summer and teaching school winters for three seasons when he commenced work for a builder employing help through the summer, till 1863 when he purchased and fitted up a machine shop in Guilford, running it till 1874 when, his health failing, sold out and came to Sidney Plains and purchased a fine residence and in loaning money to Abner Whitney, was compelled to take the present furniture store to save his debt.
Mr. Norton was married in 1832 to Miss Haynes, daughter of Archibald Haynes of Guilford, who died two years afterwards. He was again married in 1847 to Miss Youmans [Lamira], daughter of Wm. Youmans of Otego [Otsego Co. NY] by whom he had six children: two sons and one daughter now living. Mr. Norton, from a boy, has repaired clocks and watches at every leisure moment and having taken instructions, has become an excellent workman, and has recently constructed a Medie clock, having in part a wooden and Metalica pendulum to obviate the usual variations in the measurement of time, caused by the expansion and contraction of metals. The clock is finely cased up in mahogany and shows the skill of superior workmanship.
Mr. Norton in person, is tall and of a slender form, with "silver grey" hair and whiskers. He is warm and social in relation with his fellow men and fond of society. In his religious views he is what may be termed a "Liberal," believing that every man should be his own church and teacher, devoid of popular "Phariseeism," and that his life should be regulated and governed by that high standard of moral ethics which admits of no fellowship or compromise with those crimes and immoralities which now prevail in communities. Mr. Norton is also strictly temperate in his habits and one who is respected as an honorable and worthy citizen.
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