Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-08-17

er doctors who started life's journey
here were w. D. Mercer and Chas
Cunningham. The former was To-
Gated in McConnelsville for several
years and doctored Bristol folk
later locating in Columbus. Dr.
Cunningham never practiced here.
Both are deceased.
Stone MasOns
In our boyhood stone mason
was much in demand At that time
foundations for buildings, bridge
abutments, dams, walls and even
houses were of dressed sandstone.
In many old homes we see marks Of
their handiwork. The old jamb Of
ten bore marks, as of vine, and so
on. The names of Reuben and Jas.
Parmiter, and D. w. Lawrence stand
out the most vivid in our memory.
In the old 1875 atlas of Morgan
county, we note the advertisement,
Reuben Parmiter, stone mason.
In all our writings we have tried
to emphasize the fact that the man
or woman who takes care of the
church is as important as the
preacher; that ne or she who gives
a cup of cold water, has done some
times more than the rich man who
gives thousands. OF course the brass
bands do not play for the former as
they do for tho latter, which makes
it hard for us to give true history
of each class May we say here that
we believe that many times folks
who are least appreciated in life, are
remembered and spoken of most
after they have gone on. So far as
we are able to learn none of the cit
liens of our township helped write
the Declaration of Independence,
but several of them fought and died
to make it effective; then the scores
who have given their lives, others
their health to perpetuate the prin-
winds of the world We might do
we'll to stop here and call your at
tention to the fact of the wonderful
change not only in the geography,
but in the history of the world in a |
little over century and half Of
the independence of the U. S. A.
Reading up to that time, Rome, |
Madrid, London, and other cities
on that side of the globe were the
spots to which not
only the citizens of those empires
faced when they had occasion to
think of the power of the world, but
now the nations of the world look |
and listen toward, and to Washing-t
ton, all of which was brought about
by the soldiers who left blood
stained tracks on the fields of Tren-
ton and thereabouts, as they march
ed forward to throw off the yoke OF
the mother country. Not only these.
we say, but also the men and women
who have labored, fought and sacri-
feed in the years since. But wei
can't get away from the fact the tall
,ak is more noticeable than the paw
paw or the beech No doubt we have
had men who were as intelligent
who could have written the Declara-
lion or the Constitution, had they
been called to the task, but they
we're busy building homes, schools
md church houses. Perhaps some
If our readers have the idea that all
he folks in Bristol have been sue
,essful.
While it is true that one does not
nave to go as high here as some
places to be successful, and on the
,ther hand successful folks are not
ooked on as gods Many a babe
las been born of parents of whom
10 one outside their immediatel
leighborhood knew anything, but
he child arose to heights Of renown,
and even the cabin where they were
born became a shrine. My MIND
vanders back but few years when
n the little frame school houses
scattered over our township, little
'rizzle headed boys, ran their fin
.ers along the lines of we'll worn
.eaders. or wrote numbers on states,
hen spit on them and rubbed them
,ut and wrote again, or with shak-
ne knees stood before the school on
Friday afternoon and said "pieces.
t is true, some of these boys went
Lown at the first attempt-never to
.ppear on the public platform again
tut some kept on and were over
omers. Some of them went on to
ay pieces in church pulpits, court
ooms, colleges, etc. While you may
lot know it, their greatest triumph
las not been in the church-orI
ourt-room, but in the old school
Iouse. At this time, 'pension" is
yord much used. Whether lawyers,
PREACHERS and professors are to bel
etred at go, we know not. Very
ew of the preachers here nave