Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-01-04
Page Five

ciphers-and thus help your figure.
Samuel e. Bone of McConnelsviile
at night and on Sunday, but in
Bristol and Bloom township the rest
of the time looking after his farms
and livestock, tells that saw mill
was in operation on his fathers
old home farm, now owned by Clyde
Bone. when he purchased it in 1895.
and that he remembers seeing them
saw and remembers riding on the
carriage. We remember the old
mill at Unionville, and we are sure
Sammy wasn't in as much of hur-
ry to go places as he has been since.
or he couldn't have waited for the
saw to cut through. 1t is said TIE
SAWYER would start the saw through
= log. then go to the house for
lunch. Mr.. Bone also told that the
late Isaac Harris worked on the
mill at 40c day, often working la1e
at night. When someone asked why
he didn't Quit he said, Il was
afraid somebody would take my
lob II Mr. Harris could see ana
realize the wages paid noW-mahy
men getting much more Tor an
hour Of much less arduous LABOR
than he got for IL or Is. We leave
it to you as to what he would say.
We have told about all kind Oh
folks-except one-the kind that
looked under the bed before they
retired. So far as we have been
able to hear none of them ever
found a man under their bed, which
perhaps can be accounted for thus
the Lord took care of the good ones.
and even the devil was afraid of the
rest.
Last Civil War Veteran
We have told you OF the great
number of men who went out IN de-
fense of their country during the
Civil war. We don't remember Oh
ever hearing how they determined
how many should go from each
township, but we remember OF sew
eral who substituted for men of 9TH
er townships and counties, and as
we read the records in the ceme-
teries we are most sure they are
all Ohio volunteer infantry-or IN
the case Bristol soldiers volunteers
of some other state, as in the
case of Ralph Mcconnell, Missouri:
Caleb Wells, Illinois. We have told
Won Of the Bristol township sol"
diers' association, and the large
m EN- mbership which was made up
mostly of veterans who were then
residents of the township. Now we
want to tell you of the last vet
eran of the township.
Justus B. Merwin
He was born in Bristol township
in 1912. and his entire life, with
the exception of the time he spent
in the service was spent there, MS
death occurring in the fall of 1928
While we could get all the dates
relative to his life, we do not want
to use any more-but simply 10
write of the mana man who was
born in the house where the first
township election was held-who
grew up with the boys of the town
ship and went with them to the war
not only to, but through the war,
and back with those who were SPAR
ed. to return to spend more than a
half century as an honest, honor
able citizen. He was blessed with a
retentive memory which remained
alert all through his long life. new
or Dragging or boasting of what he
did, but to tell of escapades of COM
rades. He had seen the funny side
and there had to be funny side
of soldier life, else many of the
boys would have lost their minds.
II was ALWAYS a treat for us to lis
ten as he related the tales of those
dort dave II there was anything
we liked better than to hear one Of
the old veterans tell of their eX-
perience. it was two or more Of
them exchanging remembrances. AS
we sat by the bedside of this man
and watched as the grim reaper
made his thrusts for the life of this
aged veteran, our friend. and noted
he would receive a thrust-and go
against the ropes. as it Were-then
he was up, and the battle continued
for hours before the conqueror of
all men won We thought as we
the battle, it was no Won
der the Union army was invincibIe.
He sleeps in the city of the dead at
Meigs, where he perhaps had at
tended the burials of a majority of
the other 10 veterans who occupy
the sacred grounds with him-for
we feel there is no place more sa-
cred to us than where these men
sleep who breasted the foe of our
ldHU-6AcepL mere ldIu6F anu
mother sleep.
While it may not be history. we
want to say-or tell it, and want
YOU folks who have much earthly
possessions to think on it. Travel
with me over Bristol township and
yisit the cemeteries and note the
and you can tell who
he rich of that neighborhood have
)een-and perhaps we could go far
her and say you could come down
ize by size of monuments and guess
bout the estate of the deceased.
What we want to tell you: We note
many of these high monuments
which have sunk and are leaning,
md the cemetery in deplorabIe
condition and no funds to straight
n up the monuments-or keep the
rounds in decent condition. No.
We are not knocking the monument
lealers. We are sure they will
gree with us. No monument looks
roper in weed or briar patch.
4eave some of your estate to care
or the cemetery.
ITO be continued)