Iowa
Old Press
The Chariton Patriot
Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa
Wednesday, February 10, 1875
LOCAL NEWS:
Lent begins today, and Easter Sunday comes on the 28th of March.
This is a very early Easter, and another indication of an early
spring, according to an old saying.
We hear of a rather remarkable old woman who stayed over night at
the house of one of our farmers near town a few nights since. She
lives near Red Rock in Marion County. Is 62 years old and lives
on a 40 acre farm that she has improved during the last two
years, doing all the work herself, including the cutting and
splitting of rails to make the fences. She says that her average
days work is 50 rails.
We give an article on "Little Editions of Humanity," on
our first page this week, but the cases there mentioned do not
"get away" very badly with one in Chariton, that has
just come to our knowledge. Mr. E.L. HART, son-in-law of MR. T.A.
MATSON, is the father of a 8-4 boy which has arrived just in time
to count one in our census about to be taken. The little one is
all right, and promises to be as big as other folks after a
while.
Pshaw? What's the use of trying to enumerate them, for now comes
T.F. CRANE, the good-looking and good natured lawyer, MR. S.L.
HOWARD, our efficient R.R ticket agent, and R.E. EDMONDSON the
skillful carpenter, and each reports an increase in the family;
and goodness only knows how many more to hear from. We suggest
that the election, and taking of the census be postponed a few
weeks, when we will have sufficient population to organize as a
city of the first class. There will be no trouble at the present
rate of increase.
SCALDED
One of WM. DICKEY's little girls, about 4 years old, in Newbern,
fell into a boiler of hot water, on Saturday last, and was badly
scalded. She was getting better at last account, and will
probably recover.
CHILD KILLED
A child in a family of the name of HULL, living in the east part
of the county, died last week from the effects of bruises and
burns caused by a stove falling on it. The family live on the
Eddyville Road, and came in from Kansas last fall; the woman
giving birth to two children on the next day after their arrival
in the county. The child killed is some two years old.
[transcribed by N.M.S., February 2007]
-----
The Chariton Patriot
Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa
February 24, 1875
THAT TOWN CASE
The sensation of Chariton for the last ten
days has been the case in this circuit court of SARAH A. PULLEN
against the town. As has been mentioned it was a case in which
the plaintiff claimed $10,000 dollars damages for injuries
received by falling from a defective side-walk last May. The
trial began the first of last week, and lasted until court
adjourned Saturday evening, and throughout the entire week was
the absorbing topic among our town people. The unusual interest
that was taken in the case, grew out of the huge amount claimed
and the quite general feeling, as it was expressed by almost
everyone that we heard say anything in regard to it, that it was
a "put up job" by some interested party, and not a
bonafide case The Court House was crowded with spectators during
the continuance of the trial, and on the whole, PULLEN vs the
Town of Chariton, stirred our little city up about as completely
as the great scandal case does the greater town of Brooklyn,
although the trial did not last so long, and the issue was
concerning the value of a few broken ribs, and in this respect
different from the Brooklyn case. The Judge left the matter with
the Jury Saturday evening, and at ten o'clock it returned to the
Clerk a verdict, giving the plaintiff $500.00 and costs. It is
not yet known whether the corporation will appeal the case or
not. [Transcriber Note: see March 3, 1875 issue of this paper for
further story]
Local Splinters, Miscellaneous Excerpts, and
things in General and Particular:
-MRS. C.T. BRANT is very sick.
-Seed barley at H.H. DAY & Co's.
-A.M. POST, a young lawyer of Leon has been appointed Consul at
Santiago, Cape Verdi Islands.
-We hear of quite a number of our citizens who saw the big meteor
a week ago last Friday night.
-Our old friend, W.S. CAMPBELL, has the California fever badly,
and is boundto go west this year, if he can sell his property.
-MISS MOONEY is becoming quite famous as a singer. A large number
of our exchange have mentioned her favorably.
-The snow has given place to mud within the last few days, and
wheeled vehicles have been substituted for sleighs.
-The Baptist, Methodist, and Christians are carrying on a union
revival meeting at the Union School House, five miles south of
town.
-An exchange haughtily says that "It is noticeable that
since the sleighriding season set in, the young ladies' hats are
all cocked up on the high side."
-MR. EDWARDS informs us that he recently had word from MR.
SANBORN, his late law partner. He is in Denver, and reports times
very hard in Colorado. He is not settled in business yet, and
does not know what he will engage in.
[transcribed by N.M.S., February & March 2007]