Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-11-16

know the date when they began
keeping record of births, but we do
know that the early records are
very inefficient, in many cases, for
the needs of the present day.
The first record that we remem-
ber of noting was dated 1868. In
this case the report of the birth of
this child gave the name of the
father and mother, but failed to
give the childs name, and was
signed IS. A. Hardesty, midwife. "
One thing that makes us remember
this was the name of the midwife,
Sarah A. Hardesty, whom we knew
as "erandmother,' because she was
an old lady. We noticed in the book
in which the foregoing record was
found a volume made up of pages
which were both long and wide, out
of some so births inscribed thereon,
we believe less than one-fourth gave
the name Of the child. A 1rlend
suggested the reason OF the absence
of these names was that the par
ents in those days, waited to see II
the child was going to amount 70
ANYTHING before they named it.
IF YOU think you will ever have
to prove that you We're born, you
had better take day off and search
the records, as you may have TO
spend more days hunting witnesses,
who will of their own free will and
accord. and without malice afore-
thought, swear that you are the
said son or daughter born to some
body on the date first above-men-
toned. The birthright, which was
swapped for a mess of greens. was
always thought to be very cheap.
But many birthrights of the present
are not worth two radishes and one
carrot. Perhaps you better look
yours up-if your heart is sound.
Somewhere in our story, we told
of Rowland, but dwelt mostly on
the merchants, who piled their
trade-and sold their ware, but we
did not tell of a man who made and
sold his ware. John Coalman, some
times, or somewhere, or perhaps al
ways, now the family spell it Cole
man. Mr. Coleman was a harness
maker who lived and piled his trade
at Rowland. While We have men
toned him in previous writings no
doubt, II. H. Little called our at
tention to the fact that he has a
riding bride which his father, the
late J. @. Little bought from Mr.
Coleman As years ago, which is in
good state of preservation. This
recalls to our mind the fact, we be
lieve, or at least it is probable, the
animal from which the leather was
made grew on a Bristol township
farm. and the hide was tanned in a
tannerv in Bristol towship We
remember of Jimmie McGregor
showing us harness made by this
man No doubt there are many
pieces of harness, brides. and sad
dies made by him still in existence.
The Tombstone Business
In the early years of the town
ship history some men specialized in
making tombstones Specimens Of
their ability is still found in our
cemeteries. These stones were split
out of sandstone ledges found
about The names and dates Of
births and death, with age Of the
deceased in years, months and days
1Hl lut1COiis anu III IilOE'l Ndoto q
verse Of poetry which relatives Of
the deceased thought fitting. II
many casse these lines are quite
amusing TO those who read them
now. Some of these stones through
the ravaees of the sun and rain
and Wintry blast, have cracked and
peeled until the inscription is I'M
intelligible. yet in many cases these
stones are as solid and the lettering
as plain as when set. At the bot
tom Of these stones many Of these
sculptors cut their names.
Allow us to digress at this time
to tell you that we find that we are
not alone in our interest in tomb
stone reading, but many Of our
friends tell US Of visits they have
made to silent cities, and Of the
things that they have seen.
When we started this writing 10
years ago. we told of the fact that
our village of ATeigs had only one
native born citizen. That state
ment still holds good, and Guy Rad
cliff holds the honor. There have
been other children born to folks
who We're, and are, residents of the
village, but they were born while
their parents We're away from home.