Chenango American, Greene, NY, April 15, 1880
Marriages
In Mason City, Iowa, March 25th, by Rev. E.C. Moulton, Mr. Lucius A. Barnard and Miss Mary E. Doud all of that city.
In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY] April 7th, by Rev. William R. Baldwin, Mr. Francis A. Brazee of Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] and Miss Clara E. Potter of Oxford.
In Smithville [Chenango Co. NY] April 11th, by Rev. H.N. Van Deusen, Mr. David W. Pike of McDonough [Chenango Co. NY] and Miss Alice M. Card of Smithville.
Deaths
In Coventry [Chenango Co. NY] suddenly, April 2d, Mrs. Rose [Wedge] wife of George Wedge, aged 32 years.
In Binghamton [Broome Co. NY] March 26th, of scarlet fever, Willis S. [Fling] son of Walter and Eliza Fling, aged 2 years, 2 months and 26 days.
In Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] April 4th, Mrs. Susan B. Fifield of Waterloo [Seneca Co. NY], aged 92 years.
In Mt. Upton [Chenango Co. NY] April 4th, Mrs. Laura Shepard widow of Jerry Shepard, aged 76 years.
In Coventry [Chenango Co. NY] March 27th, Mr. Abel Doolittle, aged 54 years.
In Barker [Chenango Co. NY] April 7th, Mrs. Sarah A. Stevens widow of the late Obediah Stevens in the 88th year of her age.
In Coventry [Chenango Co. NY] April 1st, Miss Minnie Marvin aged 21 years.
In this town [Greene, Chenango Co. NY] April 4th, Leroy [English] son of Merritt and Caroline English, aged 6 months.
At the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Samuel G. Courtney, High Bridge, N.Y. [Bronx, NYC], April 8th, Lydia Knapp Dickinson widow of Daniel S. Dickinson, aged 77 years.
Near Guilford Centre [Chenango Co. NY], April 8th of diptheria, Flora [Burlison] wife of Ervin Burlison.
In Brisbin [Chenango Co. NY] April 7th, Mary A. [Wells] only child of Albert and Margaret Wells, aged 13 years.
Mrs. J.B. Kirkhuff of Afton [Chenango Co. NY] committed suicide on Sunday last by throwing herself into a well. Her husband was a lawyer of that place.
News Items
Reminiscences of Fifty Years Ago
On the 7th of February in the year of Grace 1814, I first saw the light. The place of my nativity was in the good old town of Greene [Chenango Co. NY] about 2-1/2 miles southwest of the village on the Genegantslet and near the old "Norton farm." During my infancy my father bought 100 acres of land on the river, one-half mile below the village and there was where my earliest recollections commence. The farm was entirely new and heavily timbered, except perhaps an acre or two, and a man of less energy than my father would have hesitated long before undertaking the Herculean task of clearing up, single handed, a farm thickly covered (as was that portion of it lying on the river) with gigantic hemlocks. The boys, two of whom were older than myself, were still too young to be of any service. But being young and hopeful, and possessing in my now sainted mother, "Heaven's best gift to man," he, nothing daunted, commenced operations. The result was that before I left home at the age of 16, he had under cultivation, perhaps 60 acres of as good land as could be found in the Chenango Valley. He had also built a substantial house 18x18 with an L attached and a good barn 30x40 feet, both of which I believe are still standing. Besides this, he had an excellent young apple orchard, just coming into bearing. At the time of my leaving home to serve the balance of my minority as an apprentice, my two older brothers had already gone from under the dear old rooftree, thus leaving my father still without help, except from a young brother of 14.
But, never discouraged, he labored on, till failing health and a broken-down constitution compelled him to dispose of his farm and pursue one requiring less labor. He lived but two or three years after leaving this lovely farm. Consumption had long contended for the mastery with his naturally robust constitution, and at last, in May 1832, he was called to his reward. Before succumbing, however, to the fell destroyer, he had the satisfaction of knowing that by the labor of his own hands, he had created, as it were, one of the most delightful homesteads in that delightful valley.
Here, Messrs. Editors, was where I spent my happy childhood. Here was where occurred a thousand and one little incidents in my own experience and that of my family and associates which, though trifling in themselves, yet go to make up a series of events, which I love to recall.
It is my purpose (with your approval Messrs. Editors) in perhaps two or three future letters, to recall some of these incidents of half a century ago, hoping that a few, at least of your readers may find something that will remind them of the "Long, long ago."
If I succeed in giving my old friends a tithe of the pleasure I have enjoyed in merely seeing their names in the American I shall feel amply repaid. Or, if they or others, should peruse these random sketches with half the pleasure with which I write them, I shall not have striven in vain.
There are still living in Greene some of my old schoolmates, by whom I am perhaps long since forgotten, but who are still dear to my memory. Others, and by far the larger number, perhaps, have crossed the flood. yet a little while and we too shall have passed away. Let us therefore try while here to contribute a trifle to the enjoyment of those whom we shall so soon leave behind us.
Lewis Hoyt, Hammonton, N.J., April 8, 1880
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In his large family of boarders of all classes, he has one who was one hundred years old on Thursday last. His name is William Lavee, who was born in New London County, Conn., April 1, 1780, and settled in this county in 1814 where he has since resided a period of sixty-six years. By trade he was a shoemaker, but he at one time owned and cultivated a farm in the town of Preston [Chenango Co. NY]. In his old age, reverses came upon him, and he was reduced to want, at last becoming an inmate of the asylum for the poor. He early embraced the cause of Christ and all these years he has lived an exemplary Christian. His mental faculties he retains to a remarkable degree.
Mr. Leach has now about one hundred and thirty boarders [Chenango County Poor House, Preston, NY] and the aggregate of the ages of the thirty between 70 and 100 is 2,288 years; of the next twenty-eight, between 60 and 70, they aggregate is 1,797 years. During these five years, fifty-six have died, of these the ages of twenty-nine aggregated 2,337 years and of the remaining twenty-seven, 1,344 years. Union
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