Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-08-24
GOLDEN WEDDING.
The Semi-Centennial Nuptials Of Mr.,
j. p. Hartman and Wife.

Stout, on Tuesday evening, Of the fifth
eth anniversary of the marriage of hel
parents, Mr.. and Mrs Jesse P. Harri
man. The event was not intended to
be one of ostentatious or formal charac-
ter, and hence was participated in by
but few neigilbors and friends of the
family, though the universal respect en-
tertained for the aged couple, and some
interesting features of the occasion
make it proper subject for prominent
mention. Preliminary, however, to a
description of what was said and done
on this interesting occasion, we give a
few brief items of the family history.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hartman, who are yet
in the enjoyment Of good health and the
serenity resulting from life of correct
habits and approving conscience, were
born in the Old Bay State in the early
part of the century the former at
Georgetown, Essex county, January Is,
1903, and his spouse little over two
years earlier Mr. Hartman removed
to Danversport, Mass, in 1925, and here,
on the 9th day of August, 1927, was
married to Ellen johnson, who, through
fifty years of welded life, has been his
ever-faithful friend and helpmeet, with
steadfast affection sharing his lot,
whether of JOY or sorrow For thirty
years Mr. Hartman lived in Danvers-
port pursuing his trade, that of tanner,
and devoting his leisure time, in compa-
ny with a small band of congenial spir-
its, in earnest, aggressive advocacy of
the anti-slavery and temperance re-
forms, then in their infancy. Here six
children were born unto him, four boys
and two girls, and here two of his chill
dren died in infancy. With the surviv-
ing members of his family he came west
to Dubuque in 1855. Three years after
he removed to Nora, 10 Daviess county,
III. In 1862 his eldest daughter died.
and at the outbreak of the rebellion one
of his remaining sons, Henry j., enlist
ed in the 96th ILL., Regiment, and, fight
ing manfully for his country, was killed
at the battle of Tunnel Hill, in Georgia,
in 1864. The family returned to Massa
chusetts the same year, but almost i'm
mediately came back to the west, this
time choosing Independence as their
home, arriving in August, 1864 Here
he has located his family deities perma
nently, and our people have learned to
love and respect him for his sturdy hon
esty of thought and speech, and his in
dependence, that knows no compromise
with wrong.
We have alluded to Mr. Harriman's
Identification with the anti-slavery
movement in his younger days. He
was one of the pioneers of that reform
in Massachusetts,, working in company
with Garrison, Phillips and Whittier.
This companionship with those famous
men in that glorious work will explain
the letter from the Quaker poet, which
will appear further on. Mr. Hartman
was solicitous that no mention of his an
ti-slavery record shall 60 out unaccom-
panied by the names of the devoted lit
tie handsome now gone to their re-
ward, and others like him yet living to
see the fruit of their endeavors in
whose immediate companionship he
waged determined battle against the
"sum of human villainies' at a time
whemth the public conscience was slum-
bering over it. He accordingly furnish
ed our reporter with the list as follows:
Joseph Merrill, VIM Endicott, H. Por-
ter, Richard Hood, John Hood.
We may now proceed to describe the
incidents attendant on the Golden We'd
ding 1t was concerted to make the af
fair something in the nature of a sur
prise to the aged couple and in pursu
ance Of that plan the guests first assem-
bled at the residence of Jed Lake, Esq,
and thence proceeded in body to Mrs.
Stout's residence Filing into the par
lor, the visitors discovered Mr.. Harri-
man and his spouse seated side by side
under an exquisitely fashioned mar
riage bell of fragrant natural flowers
suspended from the ceiling and sur
rounded by their immediate relatives.
These included their only son, Mr. w.
E. Hartman and his wife, of Dubuque,
their widowed daughter, Mrs. Stout and
numerous brood of grandchildren.
The venerable pair were evidently sur
prised at the invasion of their domi-
Gle by score of joyous guests, as they
only anticipated at most, family reun-
ion. A few minutes were spent in
hand shakings and congratulations over
the suspicious occasion, in the midst of
which Col. Lake called the company to
order and introduced Gen. Dickinson,
an old and valued friend Of the bride
and groom, himself Massachusetts
man, and one of the old guard of aboli-
tionists) who contributed his share to
the interest of the hour by the delivery
of the following congratulatory address:
Who is there who has not seen on bright
| spring morning the t1eecy clouds in the eastern
| sky, as the rising sun tinges them i'm effulgent
| glory; deepening with Respondent hues, and
! lessening in shadow, as the orb of day rises
| above the horizon? What more beautiful en-
| blem is there of YOUTH as it merges from the
| dawn of childhood into that of maturing man.
| hood and womanhood. Then hope, that minis
! tering angel that weaves "wreaths for each
toll "a charm for every woe" sheds rOseate hue
| over the coming years, too often, perhaps dis
PEELED, as the tide of life bears us onward.
your Golden Wedding, can, in perspective see
| you as you were in your youthful years. Jesse.
| tall and stalwart us was David, the son of the
Hebrew Jesse; and, like him, ready with his
stone and sling to engage in combat with those
giant evils, Slavery and Intemperancc, that
| then caused our Nation to tremble before their
power: relying, like the STRIPPING shepherd, on
| the god of battles for success Ellen, with less
| of romantic daring, but with all that makes
woman lovely and the helpmeet of man,
amongst the daughters that were doing virtu-
OuSly, but in the eyes, at least, of the youthful
Jesse, excelling them all. The poet has said:
! 81 saw two clouds at morning,
Hinged with the rising sun,
And in the dawn they fiOated on
And mingled into one
So in this same perspective view see the twain,