Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-02-23
NASBY AT REST.
DAVID ROSS LOCKE'S DEATH AT HIS HOME
IN TOLEDO-A Cory OF Ills FIRST
LETTER FROM TIE CORNERS
HIS PEN DURING THE

Telegram Feb. l5lPittSburgh Commercial Gazette.
David Ross Locke, editor of the Tole-
do Blade, widely known as petroleum
V. Nasby." died yesterday Of eonsump-
ton of the lungs. He was born in Yes
tai. \. Y, September 20, 1888. His
father, Nathaniel Reed Locke, yet living
near Toledo. at the advanced age of 81.
was a soldier in the war of 1912. David
learned the printers trade in the Office
of the Cortland Democrat. In 1852 he
was compoSitor on the Pittsburgh
Chronicle, and later helped to start the
Plymouth (O0 AdceytiSer. Four years
later he sold out and established the Bucy-
rus Journal and began on that paper to
win the reputation which, later on,
placed him among the leading literary
lights of the country.
NASBY'S APPEARANCE.
About the time the war broke out the
Nasty letters first appeared, and South
ern pretenSionS and Northern misman-
agement were pinned to the wall before
the Nation by the shafts of his keen
satire. Copied into the newspapers all
over the country, quoted in stump-speech-
es, circulated in pamphlets through the
length and breadth of the land, that was
no exaggeration of George ). Boutwell,,
Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln,
when he said in a speech at Cooper
Union, at the close of the war, that the
crushing of the rebellion could be cred
tied to three fOrces;-"The army, the
navy and the Nasty letters" These
satires were the source of the greatest
delight to President Lincoln, who always
kept them in his table drawer, and who,
when he was especially weary, would
rest mind and body by their perusal. 1t
is said that he read one of these aloud to
his Cabinet Just before discussing with
them his draft of the Emancipation
Proclamation. In 1865 "NaSby," as he
was now universally known, took edito-
rial charge of the Toledo Blade, of which
he subsequently became proprietor, and
which became a veritable power in the
land. He continued that connection
until his death. To the very last, or I'M
til his voice and strength were gone, he
talked brightly and humorously as of
old, drawing smiles that were often
mingled with unshed tears from his list
ening family and friends. Mr.. Locke
leaves a wife and three sons, the elder
two married, but with their wives still
forming part of one happy family un-
der the same TOOf-tree.
Nasby's first letter was satire upon
the accession of South Carolina, and as
a matter of curiosity it is reproduced.
Wingerts Corners, from which it was
written, was small hamlet
in Crawford county.
wINGERTs CORNERS sECEDEs.
wINGERTs CORNERS, March the elst, 1861,
South Caroliny and several other NV
the trOoly Dimocratic states hey seSesht
gone Of | may say onto a journey af-
terkhere rites. WingertS Corners, eZ
troOly Dimocratic ez any NV 'em, hez
follered SCOT. \ meetin wuz held last
mite, NV wich | wuz Chairman, to take
the matter NV our grievances in ? con
sideration. and wuz finally desolved that
nothin' short nv seceshn wood remedy
our woes. Therefore the follerin address, I
wich rit, wuz adopted and ordered to
be publisht:
ITO the Worfd:-In takin' step Wich |
may possibly involve the State Nv witch
we hey bin heretofore part into blood |
and convulshions, decent respeck fur |
the good opinion NV the world requires /
us to give our reasons for taking that /
step Wingerts Corners hez too long /
submitted to the imperiOus dictates NV !
a tvrankle Govt. Our whole hiStry heZ /
bin wun Nv aggreShn on the part Nv the /
meek and pashent endoOrence on ours.
1t refoOsed to locate the State Capitol at .
the corners, to the great detriment NV
our patriotic Ouners Nv real estate. 1t /
to graad the streets NV the /
Corners or even relay plank road. 1t /
to locate the penitentiary at the
corners, notwithstanding we do more to-
wards film it than any town in the /
State. 1t refooSed to locate the State I
fai at the corners, blastin the hopes NV
our patriotic grOseries. 1t located the
canal two miles from the corners. We
hev never he'd a Guvnur, notwithStand
in the President NV this meetin' hez
lived here for years awaitin' TO be urged
to accept it. 1t hez compelled us year
after year to pay our share nv the taxes.
It hez never appinted any citizen NV the
place to any offs wher theft WIZ posi-
Die, thus wilfully keepin' capital away
from us. 1t refooSed to either pay our
ralerode subScripshun or slackwater our
river. Therefore, not bein' in humor to
longer endoor sich outrages, we declare
ourselves free and independent Nv the
the State, and maintain our petition with
arms if need be-"
There wuZ a lively time next day. a
company of mint men wuz raised, and
wun of two-minit men. the seshesn
flag, muskrat rampant, weasel couchant
on field d'Eggshell, waves from both
groceries. Our merchant feels hopeful.
Cut orr from the State, direct trade with
the black swamp follers. Releast from
MS indebtedness to Cinsinati, he
will again lift his head. Our represen-
-ative hez agreed to resine when his term
expires. We are in earnest. Armed
with Justice and shotguns we bid the
-yrantS defiance.
p. S.-The feelin' is intense: the chill
lren hev imbibed it. \ lad Jest past
lisplayin the seceshn flag. 1t waved
from behind. Disdainin' eoncealment,
the lion-hearted boy Wore roundabout.
We are firm.
n. B.-We are still firm.
n. B.. second-We are firm, unyield-
in, calm and resoloOt.
PETROLEUM Y. Massey.
WHEN John Sherman became Secreta-
v of the Treasury he found that from
S2OO 600 to $1,000 a wear We're eXnended