The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-04-13
Home Correspondence.
A Remarkable Family Re-
union.
LEEsDURe, April s, 1876.

q casionally, like CLEAN of sunshine
d took place to-day at the residence O.
d Mr. II. Fl. Huff, one-fourth mile
Y south of this place.
:. 1t was the 18th birthday, and
/ 5Sth wedding. day, anniversary o.
his mother, Mrs. Sidney Huff. The
/. children, grand children, and neigh
n bors, had had the matter in hand
/. for some time, arranging for sur.
prise visit and dinner, new style oi
observing such occasions, that is be-
coming very popular in this part Of
! the country, especially among the
= Quakers, with whom I believe the
custom originated.
1t is almost impossible to arrange
and carry out the preliminaries for
such an extensixe affair, and keep it
from becoming known to the party
in whose honor it is gotten up. In
this case, a suspicion had been had
by the old lady, of what was intend
ed, but the arrangements were so
far beyond her expectations, that
the surprise after all was very CON-
plete, and as the carriages and bug
gies came rolling up to the door, at
about 10 o'clock A. NJ. their occu-
pants greeting her with congratula-
tions and wishes for continued
health and added years, her feelings
can be more easily imagined than
described.
Although the number of children,
grand children, and invited guests
present, gave the assemblage some
what more of yo,sng appearance
than one would expect to see on
such occasions, there were quite
number of old people; two aged 81, |
and nine over 70, while of those six
ty and upward, there was quite
number.
At one o'clock, the company was
summoned to the dining room, and
after being seated, Mr.. Allen Terrell
read in a clear and distinct manner,
the marriage certificate of James and
Sidney Huff, and a letter from James
Hadley and wife, of Dublin, Indiana,
who could not be present, but sent
their congratulations, &c. Tins lets
ter was the most interesting docu-
ment of the kind, I have ever read,
and 1 regret that its length will not
permit of its publication.
The blessing was invoked by Mr..
NJ. Redkey, after which the attention
of those seated was called to the
dainty viands, SO bountifully provid
ed. About go persons partook, and
an abundance was left untouched.
I should like to give description
of the dinner, but, like the man
whose ashes were spilled out of his
cart, 1 can't do justice to the subject.
1 have something like a kaleidoscope
recollection of chicken, turkey, ham,
corned beef, mince pie, pickles, float,
cheese, eurrant pie, coffee, custards,
jam, tomatoes, jelly cake, milk, pound
cake, fruit cake, and every other kind
of cake that has ever been invented,
the whole refecting the greatest
credit on the ladies, and forever es-
tablishing their regulations in that
line The aged parents were seated
in the centre, fanked on either side
by those whose ages or relationship
so entitled them At the left of the
old lady was seated her only living
brother, and at the right of the ven
cradle father his only surviving sister.
I will remark, just here, that the
most perfect system and order was
observed during the day, from the
reception of the guests until their
departure for home, and the family ,,
and relations seemed to vie with each !
other i'll making it pleasant for each /
and every one present. g
The time-stained marriage certif- {
cate was the object of much curios- !;
ity. 1t states that "James Huff and !
Sidney Wright were married in Fair
field Meeting, on the eighth day of
the fourth month, in the year of our '
Lord one thousand and eighteen, I
according to the form prescribed by {
the Discipline of the Society of |
&c. The names of fifty 7
one persons are attached as wit t
nesses, of whom, so far as is known,
but three are now living.
Mrs. Sidney Huff, whose maiden .
name was Wright, was born in JEFF S
ferson county, Tennessee, on the Sth 8
day of April, 179S, and came to Ohio '
in 1901. The family stopped few )
months at the Falls of Paint, where
ner father and one sister died. They s
then moved to near where the village i
of South Salem now stands. After
a year or two they bought land on ]
Hardin's Greek, and removed there, {
where the mother, Hannah Wright, {
died, at the age of sc.
James Huff was born in Surrey
county, North Carolina, October 10, ,
1893, and is, therefore, in his SD
year. OF eleven children, four only I
are living, and they, together with ,
their children, were present. Of |
Ii. 4