Middletown transcript., 1909-01-23
aEooLLEoEIONs q M1ppIErown

4 Levels TO MiddletoRn again.
Al Midd1etown Is worthy OF note for more
4 reasons than one. not least Of which are
/ citizens their impressive personality.
! their success in business, climbing from
i street urchins, educated in Their own
public schools to places of prominence.
usefulness ald success, turning out doc
tors, lawyers. some Of whom have already
made their mark and others are on the
} road to prominence, to cay nothing Of tile
two governors having served full time,
, with an unknown quantity OF available
timber left yet to draw from. Who knows
but the boy who may make a future presi-
dent, may be running the streets Of Mid
dletoWn to-day? Great aud unexpected
things have happened inthe past and why
not in the fut0re.
i Middletown has been the home fer
many men who have lived far beyond
the time allotted to man on earth. Amopg
them was Henry Davis, who was nearing
the century mark, besides many others
who etill live to enjoy life, some OF whom
| will take the liberty TO mention. Gyms
afiatmau, ~, vino stiftt likes to go fishing
with the boys, and dares them to go TO
the point of action on foot; Sewell C.
Biggs, who used to make political speeches
away back in the early. fifties, for l
heard some OF them myself. They were
not Democratic speeches, either, but no
objection or reflection for that, for men
do change and he had as much a right to
Uhzuge as anybody. fbey DO say tflat
fools never change. l know when / first
began to vote in 1858 I was dead set
against anything that sounded like aboli-
ton, but the night that somebody egged
Nathaniel B. Smitbers in Middletown
and some Of our Bell and Everett people
(which was my party whooped and yell
ed to disturb Mr.. Smithers while speak
ing in 1860, was climbing upon the
fence, and stayed up on that fence till
February, 1861, when those fellows down
in South Carolina fred on the Star of
the West Then got down off the fence,
forthwith. on the other side, but if the
Republican party continues to give all
the Offices to a certain fews there will be
another change in my way of voting.
L am getting away from my subject.
Thomas E. Hurn is walking about town
like somebody Of many years younger.
and | don'texpect he would tell you his
age any sooner than a woman would
MsnloYe Davis belongs to the long life
family and is active yet. Some people are
old in their ways when they are young,
and young in their WAYS when they are
old, and Manloye was one OF the Oldest
fashioned fellows when he was young, 1
ever saw, but loved fun with venge-
ance. He lived on the big Hayes farm at
Vandyke school house, and Joined
singing school at Blackbird school house.
] am sure he did not care anything more
about learning to sing than horse, but
be was there to make the thing go, and
have his share OF fun if there was
any fun going. Consequently he bought
a book and wac promptly in his place in
the,class. A man named Bryan Ia butcher
from smyrna) was the teacher, and one
night during the course of the drilling
Mr. Brysn's attention was attracted to that
part OF the class where Mr.. Davis was,
and be came down on them in scolding
sort Of way, saying: Yo1 fellows there
are not working up right" But Mr.. Davis
was equal TO the emergency and respond
ed: "Why Mr.. Teacher these notes are
all set hit and miss along here"
It brought the house down andthe sing
ing went on, bat the teacher didn't bother
him any more.
On another occasion, wben the .fel
lows made up an evening party, certain
young men were to go after certain young
ladies', and bring them 10 the party.
There we're four girls in one family, and
and the two Oldest were bouncing big
fat girls. Some of the fellows, know
ing Mr.. Davis was true blue, and they
could depend on him, made an engage
ment with him to go fEith otters) af-
Ter the four girls. Then il was a
question who should have the tive
youngest girls. Three fellows went
(alI in York wagons and the two
other fellows got there first, taking
one each. leaving the two big girls
Tor Manlove to bring in his two-seated
carriage. So when he got there he
Jaw they had fooled him, but be never
Hunked and landed them safe Oh the
while the other two fellows,
Who we're already there were on the
ookout to receive him after be had IN
oaded. They met him with a 4sHnllo,
Manlove, how did you make out, aud
where did you sit in that carriage"
why my feet stuck out clear over
he dashboard" They bad fooled him
but they did not plague him worth
,ent. There are still others who are en-
titled to notice. George w Ingram,
While he MAS not raised in MiddIeiowfi.
IAN Justly claim TO be a self.made man,
ior it is not every country boy who could
10 of to school Without the, consent Of
1is pap, and get a college education,
while bis schoolmates bad to content
themselves with what they could get at
me uietTlct scno0t, DHt ne did the trick.
Thus We might 90 on, relating incideats
II interest for which MiddlBtown is
noted.
Il was 10 Middletown, where q man
rom nearby city stayed over Sunday
With friend, and walked leisuFely int6
.hurch and took a seat in front pew
ust In time to hear the benediction pro.
loinced, to she great amusement 81 all
Rho looked on before be discovered that
be had better put on bis glasses before
ie looked at bis watch. They had lie
augh on him and we're n0k inclined to
pare him, either, for as soon ns they
'ould get to him they commenced To ply
aim With qnestions. What time do
hey 60 to church v here You came fron2'
Whats the matter with youS watch,
I'D mani You just got here ii time
q 60 home, aad the ike all Of which