Oneida Dispatch, Oneida, NY, April 13, 1867
Marriages
ROWLEY - DOWD: In Lenox [Madison Co. NY], April 11th, by the Rev. Leander Hall, Mr. E. Rowley to Miss Lovina S Dowd, all of Lenox.
GRIFFEN - GAGE: In West Eaton [Madison Co. NY], March 30, by Rev. J.W. Mitchell, Mr. J. Vermilye Griffin to Miss Lucia A. Gage, both of Pierceville [Madison Co. NY].
ROUNDS - SEAVER: In West Eaton [Madison Co. NY], April 2, by Rev. O. Taynter, Mr. Orlando W Rounds to Miss Sarah M. Seaver, both of Erieville [Madison Co. NY].
SMITH - NEAR: In Canastota [Chenango Co. NY], March 15, by Rev. J.T. Crippen, Mr. Anthony Smith to Miss Julia A Near, both of Canastota.
SHELDON - HOLLENBECK: In Canastota [Madison Co. NY] March 28 by the same, Mr. George W Sheldon to Mrs. Cordelia Hollenbeck both of Canastota.
TALBOT - CRANDALL: In Brookfield [Madison Co. NY] by Rev. Mr. Clark, Mr. Gilda Talbot of Edmeston [Otsego Co. NY] to Miss C.C. Crandall of Brookfield.
DEAN - OTTER: In Auburn [Cayuga Co. NY], March 26, by Rev. W.C. Steel, Mr. Thomas R. Dean, formerly of Cazenovia [Madison Co. NY], to Miss Eva Utter of Auburn.
JENNINGS - EMMONS: In Morrisville [Madison Co. NY] April 3, by Rev. S.S. Utter, Mr. Dwight F.Jennings to Miss Lucy J. Emmons, both of Morrisville.
Deaths
DENLEY: In Alderbrook [Franklin Co. NY], April 3, Lena [Denley] infant daughter of Mr. George Denley, aged 1 year.
BURCHARD: In Madison [Madison Co. NY] March 19, Frank S. Burchard aged 10 months.
BECKER: In Canastota [Madison Co. NY], April 2, James H. Becker, aged 49 years.
SEARS: In Homer [Cortland Co. NY] March 27, Delia [Sears] wife of Francis Sears, formerly of DeRuyter [Madison Co. NY], aged 42 years.
RUSSELL: In Poolville [Madison Co. NY] March 26(?), Eveline [Russell] wife of William Russell, aged 34(?) years.
COMPTON: In Lenox [Madison Co. NY] March 27, Mr. Ashman Compton, formerly of Hamilton [Madison Co. NY], aged 74 years.
News Items
Our Legislators
The following sketches of our Senator and representatives are taken from "Life Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature" by S. Harlow and H.H. Boone.
James Barnett
Mr. Barnett was born in Orange County, Vermont, May 18th, 1810. His ancestors were among the one hundred families, mostly Presbyterian, that emigrated from the north of Ireland in 1719 and settled the town of Londonderry, New Hampshire, an industrious and thrifty people. His father, after his marriage in 1799, removed to the mountain State of Vermont and from thence in 1817 migrated to Madison County, New York. Having a large family to support, his struggles, like those of all pioneers of that time, in a new country which was almost a wilderness, were severe and trying, and though he was enabled to rear his children to be the possessors of rugged constitutions and to instill into their minds high notions of uprightness of character, he could afford them but few opportunities for an education. His son, James Barnett, attended the common schools of that day, during the winter months, laboring on the farm with his father in the summer, until eighteen years of age, when he engaged in teaching school in the winter, continuing his labors upon the farm during the summer. In 1832, he accepted a clerkship in the mercantile business, and in 1836, engaged in that business upon his own account in Fayetteville, Onondaga County [NY]. He removed to Peterboro [Madison Co.. NY] in 1838 and has continued the same business until the present time.
From his early political education and training, he was led to espouse the principles of the Democratic party, giving his first vote, in 1831 for Enos T. Throop for Governor; his first vote for President being for Andrew Jackson in 1832. On the formation of the Liberty party, he became a convert to its principles and was an active and leading member until the organization of the Republican party, at which time adjoined its fortunes and has ever since been an earnest advocate of its principles and measures.
He was several times chosen Supervisor of his town by the liberal party, which, by the influence of Hon. Gerrit Smith (a resident of the same town), Hon. Mr. Barnett and a few other zealous advocates had acquired quite an ascendancy in that immediate section.
Mr. Barnett was elected to the Legislature in 1859, from the Second District of Madison county [NY] by the Republican organization, and in 1860 was chosen justice of the Peace by the electors of his town.
In 1865, he was elected by the Republican Union party to the Senate of the State of New York from the Twenty-third Senatorial District, comprising the counties of Madison, Chenango and Cortland. The first session of his present term as Senator, he served as Chairman of the Committees on Indian Affairs and Charitable and Religious Societies, also as a member of the Committee on Retrenchment. During the late war for the suppression of the rebellion, he gave largely of his time and means actively and effectively encouraging enlistments, and with a heart warmly enlisted in the cause, did much to sustain the Government. Under his encouraging influence, his two sons became volunteers in the Union army. The eldest, bravely representing the stock from which he sprag, going forth at the first call to meet a hero's death at Antietam.
Mr. Barnett is a man of strong convictions in religious sentiments and, and from his earliest years have been, of the Puritan orthodox type of his New England ancestors, adopting the radical Congregational views of church policy. He is a devoted friend of Sabbath Schools, and has labored in the cause as Sabbath School Superintendent, for more than thirty years.
He is a valuable public servant. Utterly incapable of duplicity, carefully scrutinizing all measures which come before him for decision, bringing to his aid, in solving their merits, a clear head, sound judgment and rigid uprightness, he discharges his duties with a fidelity and wisdom which cause him to be highly respected.
[James Barnett died 18 July 1874 at the age of 64 years. He was buried in Peterboro Cemetery, Madison Co. NY]
[To be continued with sketches of Benjamin F. Bruce and Bushrod E. Hoppin]
