The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-05
THREE OLD FRIENDS.
PATHETIC END OF THEIR INTIMACY
living Together for Forty-Five Years
How Death Broke the Companion
shlp-The Singular Conduct
OF the Survivor.
Truman's Corners pa specIal.l


Before railroads destroyed the useful
ness of stage-coaches in Pennsylvania this
village was an important coaching-station
on the old State road and several converg-
ing local turnpikes. In 1S40 Cyrus Miller,
Lewis Dorr and John A. Merritt settled
here. Miller bought the tavern then here,
and, tearing 1t down, erected larger one.
Lewis Dorr being a carpenter, did the
work. Miller also put up saw-mill near
by, and employed Merritt as his sawyer.
Miller kept the tavern until two years ago,
when he decided his property to his son,
but continued to live In the tavern. He
had never permitted any change to be
made in its appearance, and it is to-day
one Of tho few typical taverns Of the
old stage-coach days, although its
business has for years been only such
as the small local trade can give.
Miller made fortune from 1t, how
ever, in its early days. His mill, although
of late years having very little to do, he
kept running every day from the time he
turned on the water, forty-four years ago,
and 1t was probably the only old-fash-
ioned upright saw-mill left in this part of
the State. John A. Merritt was the only
sawyer that ever manipulated its ma
chinery, and he had grown gray listening
to its clatter.
Lewis Dorr, who built the old tavern and
the mill, boarded until Friday last at Mill
er's tavern, having occupied the same
room for over forty years. On Monday of
last week Miller's son sold the old tavern
stand and the mill property, against the
wishes of his father, who was seventy-fve
years old, and whose one great wish 1t was
to die in the house he had founded. The
new proprietor was to have possession on
March /. Old Mr.. Miller's health has been
feeble for some time, and he took the mat
ter Of the sale Of the property so much to
heart that he was obliged to take TO his
bel, where he sank rapidly and died on
the following Thursday night On Friday
forenoon his lifelong friend and compan-
ion, Lewis Dorr, was found lying on the
edge Of Truman's Brook, under the turn
pike bridge, dead, with his face buried in
the water. Workmeu had been laying a
new floor on the bridge, and narrow foot
way Of plank at one side was the only
means by which pedestrians could cross.
1t is supposed that old Mr.. Dorr was cross
ing the bridge on these plank, and, losing
his balance, had fallen into the creek be-
low. He was nearly eighty years old, but
very strong physically and mentally. He
had never missed days work In his forty.
four years. residence at the Corners.
At about ten o'clock on Saturday night
the cry OF fire was raised in the village, for
the flrss time in its existence. A bright
light in the direction of Mill Hollow drew
the entire population thither. Toe old saw
mill was in flames, and, as there was no
means at hand with which to fight the fire,
1t was soon destroyed with its contents.
Early on Sunday morning Sawyer Merritt
called on George Hendershot, the man who
had purchased the mill property few
days before. He told Hendershot that the
mill had cost Mr.. Miller for ten years from
one hundred dollars TO two hundred dol.
lars a year more TO run IL than he received
for its work, and that there was no pos
sible chance for It to do any better. There
were one hundred and twenty-five dollars
worth Of logs and two hundred dollars
worth OF other material burned up with
the mill. The %nill and machinery were
worth three hundred dollars.
"Now," said Mr.. Merritt, "you paid
Billy Miller seven hundred dollars for the
mill, and 1t wasn't insured. have come
TO give you that much money"
Hendershot expressed his surprise at
this offer, and asked for an explanation. .
az helped build that old mill" said Mer.
ritt, "and haven't missed a days saving
In 1t from the first time l turned the wa
ter on the wheels, nearly forty.ave years
ago, and no other man ever sawed log
In 1t. Billy Miller sold the property, and
his fathers dead from it, and Uncle Lew
Dorr, believe, drowned himself because
his old friend died. All three of us came
TO this spot together, and | knew that IL I
had to step out Of that mill and see anoth-
er man running 1t, wouldn't live week.
So l set it on fire and burned 1t up, and
now want to pay you for It,"
The old sawyer counted out the money,
and walked out. The two old friends, Mil.
ler and Dorr, were buried side by side on
Sunday afternoon. On Monday William
Miller sent seven hundred dollars to John
Merritt, saying that he had himself re-
funded the purchase money for the mill
property TO Hendershot. Merritt has left
the Corners and taken up his residence
with his married daughter In Buffalo. He
had never been away from the village since
he came here.