Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-07-07

foundation. 1t was a success, as sc
long as the brush was covered with
water it would not decay.
| When the contractors came in to
begin the work they brought with
them many workmen, mostly Irish.
men, and as they did not expect ia
stay here very long they erected
small and cheap buildings, known
as "shanties,' to house them during
the time that they might have to be
here. These were erected near the
locks and soon quite small town
appeared, known as "OsceOla, q
though why this particular name
should have been applied to this
| community l have never been able
to find out; though l have been
told several stories as to why 1t was
so named, none of them would
stand up under investigation, nor
had any reason back of them for so
naming it.
All the work of making the exca-
vatiOns for the various works was
done by hand, with shovel and
wheel-barrOw, no labor-saving ma
chinery being known at that time
such as we have today in the pow
er shovels, dump wagons, etc.
This required quite a number of
men, and business in town was good
on account of the payroll Of the
men employed.
The work at McConnelsville was
not quite finished when Mr.. Stew
art left here.
The men were paid off every Sat
urday and each Saturday night was
time for jollification and indulg-
ing in 'Wee drap o. the Crather,"
as DR.. James Ball Naylor tells us.
The Ben Mott hotel and bar room
on Center street near the river, was
a favorite gathering place for the
men.
On some nights it was dangerous
for the citizens of the town to pass
that way, after imbibing some of
the liquor, fights would start and
brickbats were favorite missile to
toss at each other
The school teacher was William
Spencer, and reports have it he was
not one to spare the rod and spoil
the child; though he was recorded
as very satisfactory teacher. He
studied law with Judge Hanna and
finally left here, going to Somerset,
in Perry county, where he practiced
bis profession for many years, be-
fore dying there.
S. B. Newell came to town before
Spencer left and started a school in
the old court house, after he NOV
ed to a small frame building
just west Of the Presbyterian
church. He was man Of the best
character, active in church work, J
and was held in the highest esteem
in the community.
Mr.. Stewart makes mention of
seeing the steamboat "Erie" pass
up the river in front of their home.
The river was shoal there, in fact
considered the worst shoal all along
the river, and much time and power
was required to get over this shoal.
The first threshing machine ever
seen in the community was brought !
to town and demonstrated at the
Collision barn, and while this one |
was not much of success, it was
developed until it took the place of
the old flail for threshing purposes. !
A man by the name Of Johnson |
came here and built grist mill, up |
on Kennebec hill, to be run by a |
wind mill. But before it was really |
completed, during a wind storm. |
one night, the sails broke loose and |
it tore itself to pieces. AS the wind |
mill part had been made of cedar |
it made fine 'whittlin' wood" and !
the boys would go up there to get |
some. One day Tom Simpson, who
has been so generous to our town. I
told of going up to get some wood;
it was early in the spring and !