The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-12

"reminiscences OF Barnesyiile,
Ohio-The Frequency OF Di.
vorces I'm That Vicinity OF Late

"Reminiscences Of BarnesVille,
OhIo-The Frequency OF nj.
vorces I'm That Vicinity Of Late
Years,
Communication in the Belmont Chronicle.
Ny father and family arrived at
Barnesyille on the 1eth day Of June, 1882.
She was then . small village Of about four
hundred and fity persons-men, women
and children. There were here then only
one church (the NJ. Ell and the Meth
odists and Friends had supreme control
over the community. The headb Of near
ly every family 10 the town were mem.
bers Of one or the other Of these churches.
She had one Sunday School, which held
both 4 forenoon and an afternoon session,
and each sesAion was Of about three hours
duration. Nathan Johns was It's Super
intendent, and he always prayed with
both eyes open, TO watch the mischieyous
and awe them into quiet. But many OF
US gave him his labor for his pains by
taking out Of bis prayers every bit Of the
devotion. The preachers then did not
attend the Sunday School, hardly ever,
and when they did we were perfect Puri.
tans. We kept as upright as a straight
edge and looked Al melancholy a 4 sick
kitten. But / am going far offfrom what
/ intended TO write.
OF the inhabitants that Barnesyille had
then there are now known TO be living,
one hundred and %thirty.one persons; Elk
ty.one Of them still live in the town, and
seventy reside in other paris Of Ohio and
the great West. Among that q hum
dred and t~hirty-one persons sixty-eight
OF them were then adults, and thirty OF
these adults still live In the town. Tbir.
ty.three OF them were then married, Of
which the following couples still remain:
Kelion Hager and wife, Stewart Morrow
and wife, VIM. Piper and wife, James
Round and wife and John Hunt and wife.
OF that one hundred and t~hirty.one
persons, sixty-ohe are females and seven.
" are males. OF that number there are
sill living intown thirty. one females and
thirty males-living elsewhere there are
thirty females and forty males. By this
analysis we find that Of the four hundred
and fifty Inhabitants Of GAINESVILLE in
1882 nearly one.third are still living, and
that the ability OF the females TO endure
the buffettings OF time Is nearly equal to
that Of the males. But can any other
community In Belmont county furnish a
parallel to old Barnesyille for the long
life Of ib inhabitants. 1t is truly re-
markable and so far rs tgoes yerifes the
truth Of Gov. Aliens assertion.
A few years ago E. E. Mansfield stated
In one Of his very able articles on social
statistics that out OF every eleven marri.
ages contracted in Ohio, there came one
divorce or permanent separation during
the life Of the parties. That statement
surprised me at the time and ! believed
him 10 be in error. Since that time l
have kept very strict observation upon
the marriages occurring, and II Warren
Township be q proper sample Of the rest
Of the State, and l think it is, there is n
divorce or n permanent separation in one
out of a little less than eight Of the mar
riages contracted. In Warren Township
for the last ten years there has been a
divorce or permanent separation OF the
parties OF one in every seven OF the
marriages celebrated. Butin examining
the career Of the inhabitants Of Barnes
vile III 1882 there appears but one di.
yorce OF any OF them, and only one per.
mapent separation during the life OF the
parties. Whatis the matter? Why this
degeneracy-these marital descriptions
and demoralizations? Is Joseph Cook
right when he lays the fault upon your
luIuriant and fascinating divorce
statutes? Or does itlay deeper and Is II
founded in the laxity Of p%aternal and
pastoral training and teaching? Or is it
grounded in u still deeper cause, the In
nate deviltry Of human nature that every
once in q while takes on a rush OF lille
and swathes society in ~wickedness?