Farmers of Lawrence County, Ohio Series

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The Ironton Register, September 6, 1888

John White and C. L. Steed are doing a lively business in the coal trade at Forest Dale. O. E. Kinkaid has a fair crop of fruit, on the Haskell farm. Wm. Corn has a fine piece of buckwheat; probably sown for his bees, as he has several stands. This is economy anyway. Albert Steed is gardening his mother's ground this year, and is doing it in good style. The Steeds in this neighborhood all have good crops of fruit. Capt. Sam Steed says his fruit is fair; hay only one-third crop; corn good. Wm. Martin has his wheat ground plowed, ready for sowing. Jacob Meistead is butchering and runs a meat wagon. J. M. Deering's farm produced 230 bushels of wheat, which he considers one-third of a crop; corn not as good as last year, and the late storms have thrown it down so badly it will be difficult to save fodder; fruit crop is good, both late and early. Wm. Deering, Esq., has fair crops; is preparing for wheat; is gathering forest leaves and plowing them under; thinks them an excellent fertilizer; says the Squire's business is not very lively. J. H. Wood is having all he can do in the wagon and blacksmith business. John puts up good work.

Stant Moore says crops with him are not extra; like most other farmers, he feels the failure of the wheat the most. Dry weather and chinch bugs closed in on the crop and got away with most of it. His sons, Boyd and Floyd, are in Oregon, the former preaching and the latter farming; so they can take care of both soul and body. His son Charles F. is in the South railroading. Mr. M. will soon begin to bring dressed beef into market. I. V. Kelly has a farm adapted to almost anything a person wants a farm for. He has fine fruit and wheat land, and raises vegetables with any of them; has fine Rome Beauty and Red Bobinson apples; good crop of peaches; splendid corn; four acres of sorghum cane; one acre of sweet potatoes; wheat and oats better than an average generally this year; has 12 stands of Italian bees that are doing well. F. M. Kelly is at his father's at present. He is just recovering from a severe spell of typhoid fever. His wife has had it since they came over here, but is now out of danger.

There is quite a different report to make this year about Wm. Brammer's orchard. It is well laden with nice looking apples; some very nice russetts and many other varieties. Abe Pemberton has a splendid piece of corn, a fine colt, and is enjoying himself as best he can. Elliot Corbin is now 76 years old; has not enjoyed the sense of seeing for several years; has lived 48 years in the same place he now lives. He is not enjoying as good health as last year; says he would like to have attended the pioneer meeting at Ironton; has a razor hone 150 years old; says he is coming to Ironton this Summer to see some of his old friends. Mrs. C. is 67 years old; has had very poor health this Summer; showed me a gourd used by her great grandmother over 100 years ago; it was used to keep spices in; would hold about a quart. John Powell's saw mill has been busy and has some very nice poplar logs in the yard yet. The crops of corn and cane along this branch of Leatherwood look much better than last year.

Taylor Langdon is building a fine barn with basement for stable; size 30x48 feet. Lewis Hart is putting it up, and Henry Gerlach is doing the stone work; both good workmen. Mr. L. has a good farm and this is a move in the right direction. The Langdons are all good farmers and all report fair crops. Lewis Hart says his crop is fair. Henry Gerlach reports about the same. J. M. Templeton reports his crop of sorghum, melons and corn good; potatoes only middling. G. P. Watters is preparing for hauling in his Winter's coal. He is hauling lumber to Ironton to be dressed to do some repairing. John Wepplar and A. Crawford do the blacksmithing at Russell's Place; both good workmen and clever gentlemen. The store business is divided up. The merchants are Snyder & Betts, J. Hamilton and A. B. Boothe - all clever fellows, and deserve the patronage of that region.

J. Q. Hamilton has received a patent on a car-coupler, and has been making them at Lambert's machine shop and testing them on the Iron R'y the past few days. Mr. H. is well pleased with its work, and thinks it a success. A. B. Boothe will teach the school at the mouth of Drift creek, and Mr. Waldick will attend the store. Dr. Burns has built a barn 30x50 feet, with basement for stable. The Doctor understands farming as well as medicine; has a fine Grey Eagle colt, as potted as a piece of calico, and is large and well built; reports corn good on his farm, and wheat an average; says health of the surrounding country not good; typhoid fever and flux principal sickness. Richard Milstead says crops are light around in his neighborhood. Sardine Paul bought a piece of land of Elisha Langdon last week. Mr. Langdon is in very poor health, and is arranging his business and expecting to be called at any time.

Betts & Snyder have fitted up their mill with the improved Telescope Davis patent bolt, and are doing first-class work. This I hear not only from the proprietors, but from those who have tried the new process. This is not the roller process, but ground with old-fashioned millstones, or buhrs, as they are sometimes called, the upper stone turning. The mill is operated by water power, and one man can do all the work and grind 75 bushels a day. They are making an extra quality of corn meal also. George W. Sprinkles, the old veteran miller, is attending it, and is as proud of it as a boy with a pair of red-topped boots. If this continues a success, Cal is deserving of patronage for venturing into this enterprise.