Way Back When, The Punxsutawney Spirit, November 2012 - 7
John Coxson was a man of sterling qualities. He was true to his convictions and consciencious in all his dealing with his fellow men. His nature was frank and absolutely without guile. He never did anything for the sake of policy. It is right, and is it true was all he desired to know before reaching a conclusion. He was honest, not only in his relations with others, but with himself. He was conscious of the rectitude of his intentions, and was willing to open his bosom for the inspection of the world. Straightforward and simple in his own integrity, he had the heartiest contempt for hypocracy and duplicity in others. He was essentially religious in his nature, but his ideal of what a disciple of Christ should be was so high that he hesitated to enlist under His banner in a conspicuous way for fear he could not approach his own standard of what a Christian should be. ••• (April 29, 1896) Coming to Punxsutawney Mention has been made in these columns of the effort being made to induce Prof. W. Irving Colby, the noted teacher and author, to give a five weeks’ course in German here. The number of names required to insure his coming have been secured, and the following letter from Prof. Colby explains itself: Editor Spirit — Through the efforts of some of your citizens I have been induced to give a course in German in Punxsutawney and shall open with free lectures in the Methodist church on Friday, May 15, at 4:30 and 8 p.m. I do not claim to teach the whole German language in five weeks, but a sufficient amount of it to enable one to speak and read it well enough for all practical purposes. I am fully prepared to substantiate the statement to the entire satisfaction of all attending. I merely ask that all skeptics will attend one of my opening lectures and investigate before passing judgment. Very truly, W. Irving Colby ••• Tailor Robison’s Spring Poetry You need a spring suit in which there is no ghial. And we are here to make it in the very latest sthial. We will guarantee you fits, and also very low-cut prices, Which we have reduced
to suit the present financial crisis. We can suit you in material and workmanship. Give us a thrial. The spelling in this may be phial, we admit, and cause you to samhial whial you read it — but the suits — are all right. Tailor Robison ••• A Bad Start A Newely married couple made an exhibition of themselves in our streets one day last week. After they had secured their license and had the words that made them man and wife pronounced by a justice, the groom proceeded to a barroom and got a fairly good-sized jag on. He then proceeded to view the town. They stopped at one of our hotels and both got out, went into the barroom and quenched their thirst with a beer or two. To the credit of the lady she hesitated to go into the hotel and only consented after much urging on the part of her husband. The young couple are making a bad start, and the sooner they reform the better for their further happiness. — Indiana Messenger ••• (April 29, 1896) A BLIND MAN SUICIDES J.B. McCullough, of Beechwoods, Hangs Himself The body of James B. McCullough, of Beechwoods, was found suspended from a tree near Coal Glen, on Saturday morning last by A. H. Smith, of the latter place. Mr. McCullough was 44 years of age, he had been blind for the last 23 years, and a cousin of Hugh and Boyd McCullough of this place, with whom he spent a summer here a few years since. He resided with another cousin, James S. , of the Beechwoods area. He went out of the house about 8 o’clock Friday evening but was not missed until breakfast time the following morning. He had secured a short strap from a limb and with that he ended his life. Mr. McCullough’s mind has not been in its proper condition for some years and it is thought this last act is due to that fact. A letter was found in one of his pockets which stated that he entertained the plan of taking his life, prior to leaving his home. The funeral will be held at the late residence at 1 p.m. today and interment will be made in the Beechwoods cemetery. – DuBois Courier. •••
(May 6, 1896) More German Hares Ira Carrier and Mike O’Connor, both of whom are interested in the stocking of our forests and streams with game and fish, put out about fifty more German hares last week. They are raising them in kennels, and have since last fall, placed in the cirumjacent woods over a hundred of these big rodents some of which attain a weight of sixteen pounds. They are quite tame when first put down in the woods, and show a disposition to stay with their old friends, rather than to face the unknown terrors of the forests. These hares multiply rapidly, and if they thrive here it ••• Sharp Drummond, of this town, a cunning worker in iron, has invented a chainless bicycle, which, it is thought by experts, will be an improvement on anything heretofore constructed. Instead of a chain, friction balls, inside of a tube, are used. He has the device patented, and has gone to Buffalo this week, accompanied by his wife, to have a wheel made after this plan. ••• The Punxsutawney Rod and Gun Club is stocking all the streams hereabouts, and will shortly place a large quantity of bass, from seven to ten inches long in Mahoning Creek. A lot of small ones were placed their last year. Now it is important that these bass be left undisturbed until they have a chance to increase and replenish the waters, and anyone know to catch a bass and not return it immedately to the waters, will be dealt with according to law. ••• A Queer Freak of Nature William Long, of this place, is eighty years of age. Two years ago, he was one of the baldest of the bald, having a mere suggestion of white hair around the lower part of his head about on a level with his ears. Since that time a growth of fine, black hair has been vegetating on his head, which is now covered with it. It is as fine as the hair of an infant, and just as free from the appearance of age. So far as hair is concerned Mr. Long has certainly renewed his youth. • • • Our First Trolly Accident The trolly cars made their advent in this town three years ago, and the first accident occured yesterday evening. A little son of Charles de Ferrari, aged about five years,
was returning from school at Clayville, and when the car slowed up at the railroad crossing attempted to get on, when its foot was caught under a wheel and crushed from the instep diagonally across the great toe. Dr. Grube, who dressed the wound, says he fears that amputation may be necessary. ••• (May 6, 1896) JOSEPH CAREY CAPTURED (A follow-up to “Died of His Injuries” from last week.) Policeman Palmer arrested Joseph Carey, accused of complicity in the brutal assault upon Victor Corretti, at DuBois, which resulted in his death. Carey was on a coal train with a companion named Thomas Garthaway when Palmer heard of it. He had the train stopped, and arrested both of them and took them to the lock-up for safekeeping. Carey is only eighteen years old, and seemed much surprised to hear that Corretti was dead. He said he had taken no part in the affair excepting to defend himself. ••• A Funny Joke Last Friday evening Henry North, constable of McCalmont township, took a prisoner into ‘Squire Morrison’s office at Cortes. Presently, in a nonchalant way, Mr. North took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket, and was toying with them, when Harry Braughler, a youth who was present, asked to see how they worked. In order to illustrate the manner of their manipulation he placed them on the young man’s wrists. They locked with a spring, and his hands were securely fastened together. Suddenly Henry exclaimed: “By George! I haven’t the the key with me.” The others thought he was joking in order to frighten the boy. But the constable was serious. And the worst of it was he didn’t know where the key was. The situation was laughable for the onlookers, but very trying for the young man. It was doubtful if the key could be obtained that night. It was either at Eleanora or Punxsutawney, and at best it would be three to four hours before any one could go and get it. The young man wore the cuffs about an hour and a half ... And then, with the aid of a hammer and coal chisel, the cuffs were cut off, much to the young man’s relief, who
is now sufficiently informed as to the workings of hand cuffs. ••• (May 13, 1896) AN EXCITING RUNAWAY A frightful looking runaway occurred here last Saturday night. It was between 8 and 9 o’clock, when the streets and alleys were crowded, that a horse belonging to Thomas Johns, of Walston, attached to a buggy, dashed up the street without a driver. It ran much of the way on the sidewalk, threatening every minute to crash through a show window. Women screamed and men stood aghast. After making a dive as though to enter the First National Bank, the horse ran across the street, collided with a buggy in which Adam Stenger and his wife were seated, overturned it and spilled the occupants out. It then rushed onto the pavement in front of the Hotel Pantall, causing a crowd of ladies to fly into the barroom for refuge, knocked Ben Record down and continued its mad flight to the upper end of town, where it was caught. Nobody was much hurt, and little real damage was done, but it caused more excitement than has been seen here since Calico Jack’s bull dog went through town with a tin can tied to his tail. ••• A Barbarous Amusement Considerable complaint reaches us from the good citizens of Adrian to the effect that there are a number of young men in that vicinity whose ordinary Sunday amusement is cock-fighting. The fowls are in some instances even fitted up with steel spurs, and the battles are cruel and bloody. Cock-fighting is an amusement that belongs to the Dark Ages, and should be classed in the same category with bear-bating and other barbarous amusements. By artificial selection a fighting fowl has been bred known as the game-cock, which may be said to be the direct result of man’s depravity. The game fowl is full of the spirit of pugnacity, and when two of them are placed together they will fight until one of them is removed for the scenes of active life. What pleasure any man can find in watching two feathered animals lacerating each other until they become a blind and bleeding piece of feathered fury, is difficult to figure out. There are certainly more edifying amusements.