Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1920-03-05

The following sketch of the life Of
Father Punteney was prepared by
Rev. C. L. Nye and read by him:
George Vesey Punteney was born in
Morgantown, w. Va, February ~.
1920, and reaches today his one hun
dredth birthday, q fact SO unusual that
we are gathered here as church, and
a community to celebrate it, and con
vey to Mr.. Punteney our ,congratula
tons and our prayers that he may
live to see yet other anniversaries Of
his natal day. Mr.. Punteney was q
son of John and Ann Punteney and
represents the good old stock that
settled this country and made it the
goodly land that it is today: When
Mr.. Punteney was born this was a
new country. The merchants Of Nor
gantown got all of their goods from
Philadelphia. or Pittsburg by large
wagons drawn by 6. 8 or 10 horses.
He tells us that the driver would ride
the near wheel saddle horse aud drive
the whole team. with one. line fastened
to the rein of the bride of the near
lead horse. They we're very large "a
CONS and had a lock chain for each
hind wheel made necessary by the
mountainous region Of Virginia. Mr..
Punteney remembers the first steam
boat that ran up the Monongahela riv
er to Morgantown in 1927 or '2S when
he was young boy. 10 or IL Of the
richer men and women of the town
got on the boat and went 10 miles up
the river and return.
Mr.. Punteney has recorded that he
was nine years Of age when he and
the family left Morgantown for the
west. It was the 9Th of March, 1929,
that the family consisting Of the ia
Their and mother started down the riv
er in boat for the iar west with their
seven children. !,
Remember that there were no rail
roads then to make travel swift and
easy. The only communication with
the west was by slow travelling river
and canal boats. They hoated down
the river to Pittsburg, then by boat to
Cincinnati, and from Cincinnati. by
canal boat to Dayton, Ohio. and thence
by horse team to Lewisville, Henry
county. Indiana. He tells us that the
day they left Morgantown as they went
ON borad the boat an old Mrs. Rucker
threw a slipper to Mrs. Punteney say
ing as it hit her Il wish you great
luck" He also tells us that there
were slaves in and around, Morgan
town in those days. A young man or
woman slave was worth from $500 to
$500, considerable sum for that day.
He also tells us that young man
slave was hung for CRIME there and
his owner received $500. for him from
the government, the law being then
that in case q slave was hung for crime
the owner received pay for him.
Prices we're quite different then than
now. Pork dressed was $3.50 per cwt.
Wages for good farm hands were 50
and SO per month. Girls got so cents
to Is, cents q week, though good girl
in hotel would get 500. When his
father arrived in Indiana he bought
two large red COWS for 81. A good
suit Of clothes could not, bei bought
ready made but cost $30-three
months wages. The only advantage
We hare, in these days Of H. G. L. II in
postage. letters costing then Is s-4 to
Is cents, according to distance.
The money in those days, 80 years
ago, was largely Spanish coinage 81,
so cts, Is cts, 12h cts, and sA cts.
The 6A pieces were called fpany bit,
or picayune. There were some French
S franc pieces and some English silver
pieces. OF course the U. 8. coinage
was coming rapidly into use also.
What change our brother has
seen in these days Of rapid change
and expansion. When % years Of
age Mr.. Punteney's father gave him,
as he did each Of his SONS. q horse. .
saddle and hrif11e and he went to