Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-05-19
SIDE LIGHTS
LOCAL HISTORY
By
Stanbery Alderman
AN EARLY ISSUE OF THE
CRONICLE

i
In looking through some of the
old local newspapers that l have in
my collection of items pertaining to
| the history of Morgan county, find
| the issue of The Cronicle, dated
Thursday, Oct. 20, 1853, this being
| number AZ of volume six. The ed
| Porter, and the official name Of the
paper was The Morgan County Cron-
| icle.
| 1t was a four page paper, six col
umes to page, and the size of the
| pages were 20 inches long and IA
| inches wide.
There was practically no local
news at all in this issue, one col
/ umn would easily carry all that ap-
/ a little more than one column OF
editorial matter, the first page was
| given all to state and national news
| and poetry, including the verses for
| the song "Massa's in the Cold, Cold,
| Ground"
The most important local news
was the result Of the election,
| though it does not state on what
date the election was held. Medill,
votes for governor. On the local
ticket the following were elected: :
courts, Mortley; sheriff, Roland !;
| treasurer, Taggart; commissioner,
Hall; infirmary director, Balding,
and coroner, Campbell. All those
| elected were Democrats with the
was a Whig. The majorities varied
from $50 for Mortley to Al for Ro-
| land The total vote cast in Nor"
| gan county was 1888.
| In an editorial about the election
| results they say: THE result OF
| the late election will be truly graft
| flying to all friends of sound politi-
| cal principles.... Never was CAM
| paign conducted with more calm
| ed itself upon the principle of re-
| pelling all the isms sought to be
| interpolated... 1t would not stoop
| to conquer. It's aim was holy and
| prompted by sense of duty. ''"
The people have sustained our po-
sition... 1t is due a large number
of Wings to say....they threw on
| the ties of party...when their lead
| ers sold out.....with degree of hon
| hope they may enjoy.....the proud
| satisfaction of knowing they voted
right"
One death only is reported, that
! OF Mrs. Mary HALEY, aged 49, from
| typhoid fever
But when it comes to advertising
| this paper certainly comes to the
front More than 81 percent of all
| the paper is advertising. Not only
does it carry the advertisements Of
the local merchants, but GAINESVILLE,
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are all
we'll represented.
S. e. Fouts, the treasurer, has
notice that he will be in various
townships for the purpose of col
lecting taxes on different dates, and
gives the rates as follows: Total
state levy, for debt, general rev
enue, common school and other pur-
poses was fixed at 81 cents on each
800 valuation, for the year 1888.
The county levy was 35 cents for
general purposes; five cents for IN
firmary; two cents for bridge; and
eight cents for road, total of SOC.
For school purposes the levy varied
in different townships, being loc IN
Bloom, Bristol and Manchester;
lac in Deerfield, Homer and YORK;
six cents in Center; eight cents in
Morgan, and four in Meigsville:
nine in Malta; 20 in Marion and
Some of the advertisements Of
the merchants are interesting for
what they offer as we'll as the com
position of the matter We find
that Messrs. Mott and Pickeral have
opened an eating saloon IN keL,
have on hand all the good things
the public may desire. The saloon
will be open at all hours.
You will find in nay article men
tioning the work on the building
of the dam and locks, that Motifs
saloon was the headquarters Tor the
workmen.
The prices quoted on the local
market are of interest, both as 10
the price and the articles OF 1r trace ae
even today. Apples were rs per
bushel. Butter 1Oc per pound.
Cheese was from seven cents to 1Oc.
Corn was 4Oc per bushel. Glover
seed, $3.50. Eggs sold at five cents
per dozen. Flax seed was 8Oc
Feathers were soc per pound. Hay
was SIS to Sc per ton: Oats 25c per
Rpshe ahe Wheat aar Tas Sasrs 81 per
were 35c per bushel. Dried peaches
two cents per pound. Coffee, 1Oc TO
12c per pound Tea, soc to 81;
Loaf sugar was 12c per pound, and
brown sugar six to seven cents. MO
lasses was 3Oc per gallon. Mack
erel sold at six to 1Oc per pound.
Rice was six cents. Lard. seven TO
nine cents. Tallow was nine cents,
and salt sold at Csc per bushel.
The subscription price for the
Cronicle was $1.50 per year II paid
in advance. So il paid within the
year, and $2.5O at the end OF the
year. They must have had some
slow paying subscribers, for they
make this statement: 1--WE in
tend to publish the names OF each
individual paying us money on sub
scriptions, including the amount
paid, and the place where sent.....
Then follows the three names !
give: Philip Strahl, to Malta, paid
So. Jacob Lewis, Calvary, paid
$3.50. John r. Talley, Arlington,
paid IS. I am OF the opinion that |
this move did not prove satisfac-
tory, as no other list appears In
later issues, or perhaps they never
received any more money.