Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-05-13
HISTORY OF GREENE.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS,
On the Fiffieth Anniversary since
the Settlement OF Greene. Trum-
bull County Ohio.
SICKNESS AND EPIDEMIcs.
By MAJOR CHURcHILL.

SICKNESS AND EPIDENICs.
For twenty years after the first set
Element, our people enjoyed general
health. There had been but little
sickness, and but very few deaths. In
the summer of 1910 the scarlet fever
prevailed, generally among children,
and during this year sixteen children
and youth died of this disease.
In the fall of fS45 the erysipelss
prevailed to some extent. Two of our
most respected aud aged citizens died
of this disease. They were Rev. Rob
ert Crane, aged II, and Timothy Newell,
ESQ, aged IS.
In December, lSS9, the smallpox
was brought here and pretty extensive
ly spread before our people knew what
the disease was. The first case of it
was that of Mr.. T. Temple. An infant
son of his died of this disorder Decem-
Der 7th. Mr.. Aaron II. Cooley. aged
60, died December 2Sth. There were
five others, children and youth, who
died of this disease soon after. We
had sixty-three cases of this disorder,
and ell about the same time. The
darkest time was in January. 1850.
Then business was suspended. People,
in travelling, avoided the infected dis
trict. Very few persons were willing
to venture so near as 10 draw load of
wood by night and throw it over the
gate of the destitute. Amid all this
gloom there were some examples
worthy of imitation. Destitute famI-
lies frequently found packages of pro-
visions, and other things which they
needed, at their gates. The sick and
dying must be taken care of, and it
was the duty of somebody to do it
For those who had never had the
disease, but depended upon vaccina-
ton years before, for protection, re-
quired courage Of no common kind.
These events are too recent to refer to
particular cases. The actors are living.
We know that such will not be forward
to take credit to themselves. Their
feelings will be, that they did but their
duty, and did for others only the things
which they would have others do for
them, under similar circumstances.
FIRES AND FATAL ACCIDENTS.
Our citizens have great cause. for
thankfulness that they have suffered
so little during the last fifty years from
loss of property by fire. Of valuable
buildings we now call to mind but
seven dwelling-houses and about the
same number of barns. The first house
burned was Mr.. David Aliens, in 1924
\ The others were Major ChurchilPs. in
1851; W. R. Bartlett. 1851; James De
Witt, 1861; S. S. Ball, 1862; II. P.
Higgins, 1866, and Isaac Sloan in 1867.
a distressing and fatal accident took
place December 81, 1868, at the new
Pitts6urg mandatory, recently built
in the west part of our township. A
Mr.. James K. Piper. being employed
IS a sawyer, slipped between some
timbers, was caught by the returning
carriage in such q manner as TO cause
his death within a few hours. He had
family at Allegheny City, Pennsylva-
mia, where his remains were taken for
interment.
On the 23d of January, 1865, Mr..
Waters Clark, aged 55, while assisting
in removing q building, a lever was
propelled in such a manner that it hit
him upon the head, fracturing the
skull. He lived out few days there
after.
On the l7th day of April, 1865, Ausel
Kee, a youth of seventeen, while en-
deavoring TO control a span of horses
which he was driving, was thrown
against tree with such violence as to
cause immediate death.
On the 5th of March, 1866, a distress
ing occurrence took place at the steam
mandatory in the west part of our
township. Mr.. Joel Holman, aged, q,
was caught in the band and thrown
around shaft with great velocity. He
lived but about two hours after the
accident.
CIVIL WAR OF lS6l-5.
We have now brought the history of
our township down TO the events of the
last decade. During these ten'Years we
have seen treason against the Govern
ment Of our Nation, and the attempted
secession of thirteen of the States of our
Union. These, combining, commenced d
war upon our government by an
attack upon Fort Sumpter, April 18th,
1861. This was emphatically the Stare
holders UGr. 1t was commenced and
carried on ostensibly for the preserva-
ton of slavery, SO that they might
secure that institution to themselves
and to their posterity forever. These
rebelling States then claimed that they
had the right to Seeede when they chose,
and to form a new government for
themselves, under the name of the
Confederate StEes Of America. They
further claimed that the government
of the United States had no right to
eoeTcs STATE, or to prevent their with
drawal. Think of these claims a
moment. A government, which has
no constitutional right to sustain itself,
is no government at all. We cannot
think so lightly of our fathers who
passed through the war of the Revolu-
ton, as to ascribe any such Constitution
to them,
At the commencement of the war,
conciliatory measures were for a time
urged, and efforts were made to pre-
vent the effusion of blood. But all
these efforts failed. During the first
two years, the war seemed to linger as
though it was not prosecuted with
Vigor. After that time there, was
change, and the war was brought to a
close, by a general surrender of the
rebel armies in April, 1865. But the
rebellion, in some places, so far as
hatred of Yankees and of opposition to