Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1935-06-20
LETTER FROM j. NJ. FINLEY
OF SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA

who were born and reared in Nor
gan county, but had strayed away
to other lands, to write up for pub
lication an account of his or her
wanderings. In compliance with
your kind request, and trusting
that it may be read and appreciated
by some of my youthful playmates,
who may be still living, l will en-
deavor to draw pen picture OF my
wanderings. First allow me to
identy myself. The old family
record will show that / was born on
Nov. 25, 1850, on a farm situated
in Deerfield township, about one
mile north Of the Deerfield Presby-
terian church. What limited edu-
cation / received was obtained in
the common country schools OF
Morgan county. At the age OF lS
years, I received certificate from
the board of education, authorizing
me to teach in the common schools
of the county. My first attempt
along the line Of pedagogics was IN
what was known as the N1cesWang-
er district, short distance south
of the village of Rosseau, my sal
ary being the munificent sum or
$3.50 per day. l boarded ana
roomed with a family by the name
of Brooks, paying the extravagant
price of 50 per week. My second
term, the following winter, was In
Ringgold, at an advanced salary Of
50 per day. The distance from
where we were then living being
only two and one-half miles,
walked back and forth, morning and
evening, except in stormy weather,
I made arrangements to stay with
Mr.. Royal Wade, who lived just a
short distance from the school
house. In the years following, l
taught in several districts of Nor
gan and Muskingum counties. On
the 9Th day Of April, 1875, took
passage on a steamboat bound for
Marietta, and there bought an ex-
cursion ticket for Omaha, Neb., and
entrained for that city. We arrived
at our destination in the midst OF
Nebraska blizzard; were taken to
hotel and fed on venison, the first
had ever tasted. After visiting
some old Morgan county friends IN
Lucas county, Iowa, / struck
southerly course, landing in Page
county, Iowa, where staid during
the summer. Leaving there in Oc-
tober, / still wandered south and
located in Oregon, the county seat
of Holt county, Missouri. Went be-
fore the county superintendent and
obtained certificate to teach
school. l taught in various por-
tions of the county; was married
April Is, 1878; moved to Colorado
in the spring of 1881, locating in
the mining town of Lake City; serv-
ed two years as deputy postmaster;
was elected and reelected county
superintendent of schools, and
taught three terms of nine months
each in the city schools
NV earliest recollection of Deer
field church is frame building,
which stood in che southwest cor
ner of the cemetery, and was de-
stroyed by fire in the late 1S5Os. A
new structure was erected just
across the road from the cemetery.
I also remember the ruins OF the
original log building over the bluff,
down near the state road where our
forefathers worshiped for many
wears. before the frame building
was erected on the hill. The ground
on which it stood was given to
Thomas B. Smith, in exchange for
the site of the present building.
Thomas B. Smith was the father OF
Mrs Lizzie Parkhill, whose death
was noted in recent number or
your paper. Mrs. Parkhill and /
were evidently about the same age,
as we were pupils of the same
school when we were children, in
little frame building situated not
far north of the Deerfield church.
Speaking of the old school build
ing where / received my initial ed
ucation, | am reminded of cir
cumstance which occurred during
an afternoon recess, while John Nc
Donald, Luther Martin, John Done
hoo and myself were recuperating
from the effects of our laborious
studies by reclining on our backs
and gazing at the thick foliage Of
friendly oak tree. We were sud-
denly startled by a frightful roar
ing sound above us and on looking
up we saw a ball of fire, followed by
a streak of light passing over our
heads from west to east. Wnlle we
were wondering and contemplating
on what to our juvenile minds was
an unheard phenomenon, the school
bell rang and we dismissed it from
our minds for the time being. Sew
eral days afterward, in perusing the
weekly paper, we were ADVISED OF
the fall of large meteOrlc rock on
a farm in Noble county, completely
burying itself in the earth. AS /
understand it, the larger portion or
the rock weighing several tons was
unearthed and removed to Marietta
college and placed in the museum
of that institution, where I suppose
it still remains. In reminiscing
my mind wanders back to several
historic events which occurred dur
ing my boyhood days. 'The large
comet that Illuminated the southern
sky in 1869-70; the total eclipse of
the sun in 1869; the news of the
surrender of Fort Sumter in April,
1861 the call of President Lin
coin for volunteer troops; the mar
tialing of the same; the eager scan
ming of the list of casualties after a
battle and the return to private life
of the victorious volunteers at the
close of the war;
All honor to the Boys in Blue,
who saved for themselves and for
posterity the union of states. / al
ways read, with interest, the con-
tributory letters in your columns. l
was especially interested in an ar
ticle in the February 28th issue
over the signature of Belle Fland-
ers Embree, where in the last
clause of her letter, she calls to ac-
count the pacifists and non-patriot-
ic howlers Of the country. I want
to compliment her by saying, God