Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-12-09
Winter 0f 1903

The winter of 1898 was cold
one with plenty of snow, and among
those who were coming into town
to go to high school that winter
was Elsie Martin, now Mrs. JAKE
Maier. George, Ritchey, the father
Stella, had livery stable in town,
and the night it was the very cold
est of all that winter, going to 28 be-
low zero, Miss Martin had asked q
bunch of the young people to. come
out to their farm and spend the ev"
ening. We secured Bill Ritchey to
take us out, and he had big slelgn
with four horses hitched to 1t to
take us. We went out the old road
the late hour Of about II p. M, we
started back to town. We decided
that we would come back by way OF
Poplar ridge. It was a beautiful
moon-lit night and when we got to
where the old cherry trees used 10
stand, we stopped that we might
look at the scene presented from
in day light, the river being frozen
over, and the magic of the moon
light made view seldom seen. We
stopped but a few minutes and only
few got out of the sleigh, as it
was so cold, though we did not then
know that it was SO cold, nor that
it would prove to be the coldest
night Of that winter, and one of the
coolest of which we have any rec
few minutes, the runners of the
sleigh froze to the snow, which was
hard packed, and when Bill started
UP he neglected to swing the team,
not knowing the runners had frozen
to the snow, and the result was that
a trace chain broke when the wheel
ers lunged against the collars. Sew
eral of the boys got out to help him
fix it up, and he was lucky in having
some extra chains in the sleigh, and
we were soon able to fix up the
traces and go on, but as we had to
take off our gloves to do the work,
all of us got little frost bitten.
But back in the sleigh we had large
pieces of soap stone and some pay
ing bricks, which had been kept in
the stove or the fireplace while ut
the Martin home, and getting our
hands on these we soon were warm
ed up again. No further incident
marred the pleasure Of that trip.
| hear the young folks, now, speak
of the good times they have, and 1t
may be sign of approaching age
for me to say it, but l doubt very
much if they have any better fun.
or indeed as good, as we did, on
these sleigh rides. l have a list of
and while many have moved away,
and few have passed on from US.
some yet remain in town, and on
reading this will, no doubt, recall
the incident.
CheadIe Manuscript.
The Cheadle manuscript was
written on the page of an old cash
book, no doubt some evening when
he was sitting around the fire ana
talking to others about the Incl
dents noted The writing is as clear
as ii written yesterday, and the pen
manship much better than the av~
erage we see today. | will give it
to you exactly as it appears in his
writing. The page is headed. "A re-
1855, the snow fell on Christmas
evening. to the depth, Q will follow
the spelling used by Mr.. Chea-
dle), of six inches and uncommon
cold weather sat in and two days
after, which was December the 9th,
the river was frozen over in Wash
ington county and in Morgan coun-
ty; and the people were crossing on
the ice. In the state of Ohio, from
the first day until about the middle
Of January, the mercury was down
times; and in McConnelsville it was
as low as "a degrees. About the
goth day of January their fell about
IL inches more of snow. The sleigh
ing was excellent for eight weeks,
and after that time it was not quite
as good, but it lasted until the 18th
day of March 1856). The Mus
kingun river remained frozen over
until the 2Gth day of March and the
steam boat commenced to run March
the 90 -. Il: This is said to be
the co}deSt wintc- oyei know in
IT, rt.to i Ohio. as .ne first snow
has lain on the ground two months
and 27 days. People could cross on
the ice for two months and 12 Gays.
The ice froze to the depth o1 IS
inches in the Muskingun rivcr: the
snow disappeared on the nCrtn side
of the Muskingum river hills on the
9Th day of April. 1856, and after