Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-08-27

RaoocSueoN huu AuullOfs JuuRo a. W 6teO0ln2,
an associate judge and a member Of the state con
-titutional convention Of 1851; George Stebbins
county treasurer David +. Welsted county COM
missioner and justice Of the peace; Amos Cole. one
ol the associate judges; Edward Lingel, inhrmary
director; Elijah Gum, one of the first settlers, and
wealthy man for those times, had splendid farm
i've miles above Napoleon, opposite Giry Island in
the maumee river; John Glass, for short time
county treasurer; James E. Sco6eld, surveyor ius-
uee OF the peace and prominent man In Flatrock
township; Julius Kelly, Christian gentleman; DR..
l.. l.. Patrick, wealthy bachelor and county audi
tor; John Patrick, Ia fern keeper in old pioneer
lines and after the canal opened kept station
for packet boat horses three miles below Napoleon
Daniel Yarnel, sheriff, commissioner and treasurer
David, John, Henry and William Brubaker all good
thrifty farmers; Vim. Halter, lumber trade; Gideon
Bray, one OF our best farmers; Guy C. Eastman, a
grocer and liquor dealer, and Adam Stont, msr-
The men who are still living are here to speak for
themselves or ought to be. Perhaps the change in
manners, erstoms and habits OF the people in these
few years Is as perceptible any other. As gen.
eral thing the old pioneers raised men and women
instead OF ladies and gentlemen. Their boys and
girls were made to work and thus prepared for
tut1re usefulness. Too frequently nowaday the girls
are raised to be ladies' just ladies' hardly that m re-
ornaments that are as helpless and useless kit
tens. And oh, oh, the unfortunate young man who
encumbers himself for lite with of these fash
iohaOle butterflies by making her his life, will find
he has made very great mistake, a foolish ali-
ance and II he does not find poverty, wretchedness
an9 want Tor his companions long before he dies it
WA hos oc Decduho Vi any ala ne gets IrCm MS vile.
Shame on the mother who will thus bring up
daughterl During the pioneer period all were com
pe1ed TO be economical, to work hard from morn
ing TILL night In order to make living for the use
OF farm machinery such as now have was un-
known TO the farmer. Our hay was moved by ha nd
with scythe, raked In winrows with mandrake
and pitched ON and off the load by main strength
with forks. Our wheat was cut by hand with sick.
le threshed with fail or tramped oHt with horses
winnowed or cleaned up by hand with fan and the
use OF hens wing, till after the Introduction of
tanning mills. Corn was planted and mostly cult
waited with hoes In fact all kinds of work required
main strength and physical endurance.
Even friction matches were unknown when was
boy, and II the 'fire went OUT used to say
we mad to go to the neighbors for more, unless we
had flint and piece of punk-a species of rotten
wood very dry-to igni'e by placing 1t under the
flint which we struck with the blade of jack-knife
some other metallic implement with sufficient
f9rce to make spark fly an@ fire the punk.
And how the children used to amuse themselves
building cob houses bef IRE the fire on the hearth
while their father was sheling corn by hand in the
house at night TO take to the grist mill the next
morning to be ground into meal for family use. We
had no corn shelters in those days. Cook stoves
had not entirely srpplanted ths old fashioned fire.
ky "forestick." Housewives and their girls spun
yarn ont Of wool fax and tow, wove 1t into cloth
and made garments for the family, using thread of
tneir own make. Mothers cut and made all the
clothes for their boys and the girls made their
dresses, aprons and snnbonnets, and any lucky
young man who got one of these girls for his wife,
was most always prosperous and happy or ought to
have been. The pioneer girls fooled away no time
on fancy work Or gewgaw fummeres but applied
themselves to more useful employment.
That there were some lamentabe exceptions to this
rule we cannot deny, ior indOlent stupidity and idle
ness are no innovations of the present age. Chill
dren then as we'll as now were not all endowed with
good health and strength nor with wisdom to spend
their strength in the accomplishment of much good
neither had they all the convictions Of right and the
courage of their convictions but can teach them
the high, correct and honorable notion Oftrue men
and true women, teach them 10 cultivate an intelu
gent frmness and decision of character, to have
ergy, perseverance, industry, prudence and econo-
my, above all to SO live 10 honor their great Crea
tor, honor themselves, their parents and the COM
munity In which they live. ~
When first came to Henry county The only news
paper published Ia the county was the NonTH WEST
as 1t was then called. It iu its infancy, lees
than one year old, democratic In llolities it has
ever since been and like an the rect of US, had
Its ups and downs' in those early days, but IL
worked it's way up in the unmistakable evidence that
1t had come to stay. few years ago its pres
ent editor and owner, the name was changed to the
even since 1t has been one of the most nfueu II and
able democratic papers in northwestern Ohio, and
eminently successful financially.
We now have the Henry County Signal, republi-
can paper conducted with more than ordinary abli-
ty; the Dutch Demokrat, the henry County News,
both Democratic In politics and ably conducted and
show signs of prosperity: the Liberty Press s anoth
er bright paper published at Liberty Center; the
Deshler Flag and Holgate Times, both independent
papers, bright, newsy and bring sunshine to the
home circle and are published in the towns whose
names they bear.
Forty years ago Judge F. E. Sadder. of sandueky
city, was the Judge of our common pleas COURT but
upon the adoption OF the present constitution OF the
state he was succeeded by one John NJ. Palmer, who
had been running steam saw-mill in the big woods
of Putnam county, at place called Medary. He
occupied the judicial bench one term of five years,
when Judge Latty took his place and continued
therein for 20 consecutive years His successor
Jn00p n nFE INN nl,ra
o., who presided for few years, when he was sue
ceeded BY Judge Moore of Putnam county. who
served till elected to the circuit court BENCH when he
resigned, and Coy. Hoadly appointed Judge Handy,
of Fulton county, who was afterwards elected and
still is the present incumbent. These gentlemen
all living except Judge Saddler and Judge Palmer.
During this period several hcmicides we're COM
mited in the county, indictments found and trials
had, but as the court records were destroyed some
years ago cannot give the number, but do know
that only two were convicted of murder in the first
degree and were hung at Napoleon, both of whom
were non residents of our county One was John
Cowell, who had broken Jail at Adrian, Mich, and
made his escape with one Treadwel, also fugitive
from justice, and whom Cowell murdered i'll the
woods five miles north of Napoleon, in Freedom
township. The other one man by the Lame of
johnson, from Fulton county, who killed young
man and his wife, named Williams, leaving young
baby asleep in bed that was found alive two DAYS
afterwards beside it's dead mother, was taken care
of and is still living. There five others tried,
three of whom were found guilty of manslaughter.
one acquitted ana one round guilty OF an assault and
battery al diotiC verdict and diametrcaly opposed
to the charge OF the court and contrary to the law
and the testimony.
Napoleon in an early day had very hard name,
because of one or two unplincipled immoral, wicked
fellows who were disgrace to civilization living
there, all of whom are either dead or out of the
Country. few years ago there eccentric
''wag whose rough and ready wit was proverbial,
with local notoriety for his criminal experience,
dropped down upon us. He had been familiar
figure in the police courts of Toledo, and wherever
he went he became attached to the police and town
and he was well posted on the law and the penalties
in such cases.
tso happened some years ago that he got into a
quarrel with Chum of his who was too much for
mand our hero appeared one day in austice court
as the prosecuting witness in IA case. He had no
attorney to assist him. and as usual pretty well
LOADED" or more properly speaking, in accordance
with the saloon parlance of the prese day. he was
"full. - He had q dark, cloudy appearance about
the eyes and nose which was by no means natural,
indicating that he had recently met enemy worthy
OF his STEEL and had got the worst of it. In opening
his case to the court preliminary he took occasion
to say he probably had had the largest criminal
practice ofany lawyer In the state of Ohio and that
this was the first time he had ever appeared before
court in criminal prosecution when he was not the
defendant and so far as know he stilllives Keeps
his character" and is eminently well qualified for
the position he still occupies.
In 1862 the town of Napoleon was Incorporated,
The officers first elected and who put the machinery
of this municipal corporation in motion were jus
tin Ii. Tyler, mayor; Elijah Reynolds recorder as
then called, and George ". Waterman, Henry
Yarnell and John Sidlinger, conncilmen; Reynolds,
Yarnell and Honeck have since died. When first
came to Henry county with my family the only
manufacturing establishment In Napoleon was saw
there was no church edifce nor church organiza-
tion in the place. Occasionally an itinerant Method.