The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-01-07
HAuNT PEGGY WRIGH I
HER NlNETiETH BIRTHDAY.
4 MEMORABLE FAMILY REUNION.
FIVE GENERATIONS IN A GROUP.


guests present, including quite a mum
ber Of aged people, and youths enc
children were not lacking
Mrs. Wright bad been informed
that some Of her neighbors and de
scendants would call upon her that
day, but she was kept IN ignorance o,
the magnitude Of the affair, until il
gradually developed to her vision
Children, grandchildren and neigh.
bors began to gather early, and, q
little after nine O'Clock, carriages sud
buggies began to roll in from dis
tsnce. Descendants and other rela-
tives from Clayton, Madison, Read
ing and Hopewell townships came
across by the Rehobotb road and
the numerous guests from N.w Lex
ington came pouring out the Deaver-
town road.
The barnyard and public road were
crammed with horses and vehicles,
and the large house was full up stairs
and down with the assembled guests.
Half dozen good coal fires were
booming, and the stairway leading
from the first to the second floor was
frequently blocked by persons eager
to 20 up or down. The New Lex
ington Cornet Band appeared on the
scene about eleven O'Clock, aud re-
gated the assembly with several OF
their choicest airs.
Dinner vas announced little after
twelve, aud c3DiiaGed until after
three. Tables were spread in the
dining room aud on the two back
porebes They were literally crowd
ed with everything good to eat, ana
the display of large fac cakes could
not easily be ,xcelled. Even the good
old cruliers and "tanglebreeehes'
were not absent 0ne Of Aunt Pcg-
gy's greGt-grandcbiIdren (sboHt thirty
years of age, however after eating q
bunch Of the 'tangles' nearly as large
as bis head, remarked that they tast.
ed very good, but were "thin diet for
a laboring man" II was q little cool
On the porch, Of course, bot the jokes
sad hot cOlfse few thick aud fasr. aud
the dining was well done. Every
oace 10 a while. all the afternoon. Ia
dies were running around trying to
fad somebody who had not eaten ana
the Democrat representative was
strongly tempted to forget that be
had had his dinner; but be did resist
it and We cheerfnlly put i, down TO
his credit The day was given to
handshaking and general converse.
tion, and the time was well occupied.
Several attempts were made to count
the number of persons present, but
they failed of complete success
Those who tried it could count until
they reached about two hundred and
seventy-fve; but the remainder jump
ed around and run up and down stairs
SO they could not be numbered. II is
safe to say there were three hundred
present.
Aunt Peggy was, apparently, about
the least surprised of any body. She
was highly pleased, but was as calm
and collected as though none bat the
members of her own immediate family
were in the house. She was 10 the
best Of health, and got up and dressed
herself before seven O'Clock. When
told by some Of the friends that they
feared such large crowd might make
her nervous. she promptly replied,
Don't be the least alarmed; | am
not one of the nervous kind )" and it
cannot be denied that she understood
herself perfectly. She received many
of her friends standing, and seemed
not at all fatigued 10 doing so. She
knew almost every BODY that she had
ever seen, and readily recognized
some persons that she bad not met for
nearly thirty years. She resides with
her son Jackson, at tle old family
in large two story frame
house, erected about thirty FIVE years
since.
DR.. Vanatta and family, and his
daughter Clara and family, of UnioL-
town, Muskingum county, were pres
eut-Mrs. Fanstta, the Oldest daugh-
ter of the late William Williams, of
Madison township, Perry county
loo king almost as young and well ss
when she came to New Lexington
bride twenty five years ago-played
the exceedingly interesting part OF
grsndcbid aud grandmother, in the
same act.
The Democrat representative knew
enough about the world 10 realize
that he was looking upon very rare
scene, as Mrs Vanatta sat by ber aged
and called her own two
little grandchildren to her side 1t is
seldom, Indeed, that FIVE generations
are gathered, at the same time, una
der one root, as on this memorable
day.