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From the Otsego Herald for Saturday, July 7, 1810 Compiled, with comments
BY HUGH C. MACDOUGALL
LAMENTABLE CATASTROPHE
On Wednesday last, as Joseph Faulkner, esq. of Middlefield, was returning home from Cherry-Valley, a gust of wind arose up suddenly, a large Elm was blown across the road, directly on Mr. Faulkner, who, together with his horse was instantly killed.
Mr. James M’Namee was so near behind Mr. Faulkner as to feel the wind and small brush of the tree, but escaped without injury.
Joseph Faulkner, Esq. has left us, suddenly -- His bereaved consort and numbers of children, will most poignantly suffer, being by this severe stroke bereft of their head counsellor, director, a kind husband and parent; and the public will feel the loss of an acting magistrate, a good neighbor and an honest man.
COMMENT: According to a Worcester, MA, newspaper: ``Near Cherry-Valley, July 4, as Joseph Faulkner, Esq., of Middlefield, was riding along the Turnpike road, a tree fell and killed both him and his horse.’’ But oddly enough, I haven’t been able to find any further information about him.
SHOCKING ACCIDENT
On the 6th (June) Mr. Henry B. Stanton, of Brookfield (Madison county)...started for Albany, in company with his brother-in-law, Abel Gates, loaded with pork. Towards the close of the second day, not far from Mr. Parkerson’s inn, east of Cherry-Valley, they passed a number of waggons; Mr. Stanton accidentally locked wheels with the hind wagon and broke the tongue of his almost off, by the hammer. He fastened it in such a manner that he concluded it would answer to drive to the next Inn, which was not far distant.
On going down a moderate descent, on a slow trot, the tongue broke quite off, which separated the horses from the waggon. He reined them to the right and spoke to them.
Mr. Gates was about two rods ahead, and on hearing him cry out to his horses turned his head about to see what was the matter.
At the same instant Mr. Stanton sprung from the waggon; whether his feet slipped or entangled in the lines Mr. Gates could not tell, but, shocking to relate, he fell backwards, which brought his head directly between the nigh wheels, at the same instant the hind wheel passed across the centre of his head, which put an end to his earthly existence instantaneously.
He was decently buried by the neighboring inhabitants the next day, without charge, except for the linen, and that but moderate, which is a great consolation to the mourning family.
He has left an aged father and mother destitute of a son, and an affectionate partner, with an infant at the breast, to mourn the irreparable loss.... COMMENT: Henry Bliss Stanton was born in Preston (now Griswold) CT. in 1765.
MERINO SHEEP
Boston. We learn that Messrs. Cornelius Coolidge and Co. have received advices of the shipment of several vessels bound to different ports in this state, of the residue of their stock of Merino Sheep. Nine have already arrived at Newburyport in the ship Mark and Abigail; and six remarkably fine ones arrived at this port on Friday last in the brig Hamlet; and on Saturday nine per the Three Brothers.
Thirteen are daily expected in the ship Herschell, bound to Portland; twelve in the brig Patriot, for this place &c. We are also informed that Mr. Coolidge and Co. are determined to sell these sheep upon very liberal terms, that the farmers of this and neighboring states may be benefited by an opportunity which may never again occur, with as little inconvenience to themselves as possible. -- Boston paper.
COMMENT: The great boom in Merino Sheep was beginning, and they were selling for fantastic prices. In 1810 the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture awarded a prize of $250 to Cornelius Coolidge for importing the first ten Merino ewes from Spain. He was doing very well! For a time he had a virtual monopoly on Merino imports in Massachusetts, and sold a number of Merino rams for over $1000 each, and ``rented’’ others for $400. But he also had vigorously to deny repeated accusations that the sheep he was importing were not pure-bred Merinos.
MORE MERINO SHEEP
Chambersburg, (Penn) June 12. Two hundred and three Merino sheep belonging to col. Humphrey’s of Connecticut, passed through this borough on Saturday last on their way to Kentucky. They were all males and none less than half blooded. We understand that Mr. John Renfrew, of Guilford township, and Mr. John Hetich, of this borough, each bought one of these valuable animals, which had become lame with travelling, the only one the agent of col. Humphrey’s was authorised to dispose of.
COMMENT: Col. David Humphreys (1752-1818) of Connecticut was Coolidge’s main competitor in the Merino sheep import business. From 1791-1801 he was American Minister to Portugal, and then to Spain, and in a position to bring the first Merino sheep to America in 1802.
AMERICAN ARRESTED
On the 9th (June) Allan Hart, an American seaman was committed to Glasgow jail by the magistrates, charged with attempting to seduce several recruits of the 95th regiment from his majesty’s service, into a merchant ship belonging to the United States.
The prisoner says that his real name is Thomas Walker, that he was born in Leith, and belongs to the Count Wellington, an American ship, but with Spanish papers, now at Greenock.
He is a lad a little above 20, middle sized, dark complexion, and his face marked with gunpowder.
Columns
Otsego Herald: Shocking accident, American arrested
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
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In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
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Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
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In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
Continued ... -
Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
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From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
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In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
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From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
