Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-06

tdtAl Vi ASV acres ID SHOWN, 7JOnu It's
bilcock and his family cleared these
acres Of their timber, aided to make
less the wilderness by placing other
improvements thereon, and when the
old Des Moines Valley railroad (now
the Rock Island) blazed its way from
Keokuk, there was witnessed more evil
dences of the passing of the wild and
the coming Of the cultivated.
Visit Eastern Homo.
Eight years residence in Iowa wt1et
ted the appetite Of this couple for a
taste of the old surroundings of their
trip overland to Keokuk was made.
Here they boarded boat to ST. Louis,
and changed there to a schooner Of the
Ohio river. They arrived at Ports
mouth, Ohio, on a Saturday evening,
just fifteen minutes too late to connect
with train to their former home in
Athens county. This necessitated a
stay in Portsmouth until the following
Monday morning. And it was fortunate
for the Trebilcocks that they left the
boat at Portsmouth, for fifteen miles
further north the schooner took fire
and burned to the waters edge with
several. fatalities.
Shortly after their return to Iowa
the mother of Mrs. Textbook came
west and made her home with John
and his bride The roughness of the
west proved an elixir of life to Mrs
Trebilcock's mother, who died in 1891
at the advanced age of 81 years and /
month.
A Native of England,
John Textbook was born in Corn
wall, England November IS. 1924 and
came with his parents to this country
when but nine years old. The family
settled in Morgan county Ohio, where
six years We're spent by John, who in
1899 moved to Athens county. Lavtsia
Wyman and John Trebilcock became
acquainted and in due time, the porch
Of the old cabin reproduced above
served az the most logical place for
John to tell LAVISH of the love he held
for her. The feeling was mutual and
when the year 1886 was but four days
old. Lavisia and John were united in
marriage
Three years later. in 1S49. when the
entire country, John Textbook, his
father and brother William Trebii-
cock decided to go west. They started
together by the water route by way of
Panama, but were shipwrecked on st.
Thomas bay, and John became separ-
ated from his father and brother.
They shipped on steamer bound for
Frisco, and John secured mule and
proceeded overland to San Diego.
where he boarded ship for San Fran
cisco. After a few weeks in San Fran
cisco, which he spent working on the
post office building. John Trebilcocll
went to Stockton and thence to the
gold mines, where he was reunited
with his father and brother. Their
meeting came about in an unusual
way. En- route to the mines from
Stockton, he spent the night at a camp.
sharing his brothers bed. This he did
not realize until the next morning,
when William made this curt remark:
Why John, had / known that was you,
Id have given your more covers" "A
year was spent in the mines and an
other year Mr.. Trebilcock spent team
ing with three yoke of oxen. He re-
turned to the east in 1851 and three
years later invaded this state.
Parents Were New Workers.
Mrs. Trebilcock is the eldest daugh
ter of Marcus and Permelia Wyman,
natives of New York state. Her father
died when she was but six years old
of cholera, and her mother lived until
1891. Mrs. Trebilcock's only immediate
relatives now living are a sister Han
nah Erwin of Knox county, Missouri
who is IS years old. and d. NJ. Wyman
of Nermilion county, Illinois, who is Is
years old.
Are Delightful Couple.
There is not one room Of the COM
modious fve-room cottage of the Ire
bilcocks wherein an atmosphere of
love does not permeate. John and La.
vista today are the same lovers of that
day sixty-four years ago. Both retire
before o'clock each evening, and are
UP again in the mornings before 6
O'Clock. The first performance of John
Textbook is to get his milk pail and
proceed to the side of the rear fence
where the faithful brindle COW stands
waiting. The milking Is his first and
only duty, except to assist his wife
S mewhat in the setting of the table
and other minor household duties. The
two have a companion who shoulders
much of the work. although neither
John nor Lavisia will allow idleness to
enter into their existence
Each possesses a keen sense of hui
NOR and enjoy the narration of a good
story, be it a joke on John or on his
beloved better-half Mrs. Textbook is
a sympathetic, kindly person, whose
sweet face never wears frown, and
whose lips are ever passed by express
sions of good cheer. She is woman
near 200 pounds in weight and is as
active as the ordinary person fifty
year her junior. John Textbook, too
fails to show his advanced age as
prominently as one would expect
While he rests a good deal each day
when the occasion demands he can be
| as agile as many men much younger.
g Hsp,nor,%
Politically, Mr.. Trebilcock is a Dem
ocrat, having cast his first presidential
vote for Polk. He was the kind of :
Democrat who carried Polk torcl
during the campaign and today he i;
the kind of Democrat who believe:
that two defeats are sufficient. Fo,
that reason Mr.. Trebilcock did not vote
for William Jennings Bryan at the
last election. Twice he supported
the Nehraskan but the third time h
drowned upon the Peerless Leader an,
| confined his vote to his own county of.
| fcers.
| Mr.. Trebiicock has served as roa,
| supervisor of his township for four
| teen years, but never sought nor ac
cepted any Of the other offices of tn
! county.
Re was member of the Unite'
1