The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-10-17
Death of. an Eccentric Citizen.

In the little low-lit room of a two
story log cabin on the brow Of the hill
facing Water sire {; in an humble duskv
chamber where the warm sunlight of
day and of human love were seldom
known to penetrate, while the shadows
Of evening gathered about the little house
as il to cloal. the dcsolate scene with
all its pity and pain from the eyes of the
world, there died on Tuesday evening
last one known to everybody in Cecil
county for his eccentric ways and kindly
social rature-WaIter 5. rugh. "Boncy"
Pngh, as he was generally called, was
born in Little Elk in 1o21
All his life has been passed in this
town, from the days of his boy hood
through the years. OF his apprenticeship
as tailor in the SOS and as a baI-kceper
at Harrison Benefits restaurant in the
Hollow, to the last weary months Of Lis
life as a decrepid old man, he has been
familiar figure on the streets Of Elktor.
His father, James pugh, kept the Old
Stone Hotel at Little Elk, in which
building honey was born. 1t was
famous away back III 1897 as Il resort
for horsemcn and on every Tuesday and
Friday races were held from the hotel
out the old Blue Bah road to liolhngs-
worth's mill, a good threc-quartcr mile
stretch. The members of the Pugh
family were Miss Liza, an elderly lady.
still living in this town, Alfred, an older
brother killed i'll the army, aud Z lwin,
a younger brother now residing some
where in the West. There were a good.
warm heated, hOspitabie, family, in
whose veins could De easily traced the
refined and gentle blood Of old Eastern
Shore aristocracy. They are few, i'll
deed, in Elkton o. Cecil county wAo
were not familiar with Waiter puah.
With ii! his ccceni!icity and many pc
cuiar little ways, he had warm and
generous heart, and his friendship crce
Won was stauGch and steadfast lie was
but slightly blessed with this worlds
goods but bore the struggles of lis life
several weeks before his death he com.
planned of pains in the back and grad
ually succumbed 10 what his physician
terms kidney disease. About his death
bed in the dIsky little chamber of the
Water street cabin a few friends and a
relative were gathered when his life
went out and his spirit SCARED upward
on Tuesday last. lie never ycalned for
love, bat, like all of u, lonscd for the
warm sweet ways of friendship; life to
him was the tiresome daily round it is
to So many to fail who reach the highe t
ambition and hope and desire tn II unveils
| before them. but what his heart felt and
his soul realized i'll their quiet sensitive
communings with the invisible Sririts
! that haunt our lives no man ever Knew
/ or shall know, but humble as he, was,
strange and unlike others. a little ray Of
sunlight stole into his death chamIN.
and his heart when the last mcmcnt
came just as warm and Cheerful! and full
| of tie infinite love of Him above as the
| broad beams of faith and immortal hope
that light the soul of the martyr on
| its heavcnward way. What if he did
not come forth before the world with his
confessions and beliefs? Perhaps in the
sacred silence of the night his heart was
l&dea with ali the purity and grandeur
of nature beloved of men, hnuored
and wreathed with roses. He might
| have been rs grand and great is any
! but the touch of a tender hand and the
cheering words Of friendship only came
when the darkness of his little death
| chamber sank into the darkness; of his
| heart and ne wandered out OF the gloom
and shadow to the eternal light beyond
/ log-cabin, and hcarse aad grave His
remains were inferred in the old Meth.
dist buryng ground on Thu.slay after
noon last, the Rev. !. Z. Otis perform.
ing the funeral services at tic church
and grave