Randolph County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for SEPT 1899 September 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net June 7, 2005, 4:55 pm The Randolph Leader September 1899 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE RANDOLPH LEADER", Roanoke, Randolph County, Alabama for SEPTEMBER 1899 NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, September 6, 1899 LOCAL News Winfield Thompson is visiting his brother. __ J.W. Collins, the new blacksmith has moved into the Truett residence. __ Lee E. Smith, formerly a lawyer in this place, committed suicide in Birmingham on Monday. __ Mr. T.C. Goodwin, one of the cleverest gentlemen and best of salesman will go on the road for a North Carolina tobacco house. __ Ernest Finney of LaFayette has been employed by Schuessler and Co. and will begin work on the 15th. He will move here and occupy the Morris residence on College Street. __ Dr. Chas. Thompson has gone back to Chandler's Springs. Perchance a wound made by some bright eyed maiden's glance caused the young man to turn so soon again to the healing waters. __ Mr. W.B. French of Americus completed his arrangements for moving to Roanoke. He has rented one of the new Carlisle stores and will conduct a general mercantile business. He has a wife and six children and they will occupy the Holley residence. __ The colored Baptist church of this place has recently chosen a pastor in the person of Rev. C.J. Davis of Selma. __ The Randolph County singing convention will be held at Union Church, 8 miles north of Wedowee on the second Sunday in September and Saturday before. __ F.A. Neal and wife arrived last week from Alexander City and are occupying the Hodges house on Louina Street. Mr. Neal has opened a tin shop between Taylor's and Chewning's stores. __ The meeting at the Baptist church closed Sunday night. The pulpit was occupied by Rev. A.J. Preston of Montgomery who is a state evangelist. He was partly reared in Randolph county and his visit to Roanoke was much enjoyed. During the meeting there were four accessions to the church: C.C. Nichols and wife Mrs. Henry Duke by letter Mr. Joe Brown by profession The baptism of the latter will be performed at Waller's mill at 5 o'clock next Sunday afternoon. __ Roanoke is glad to welcome among her new citizens Mr Luke Tolbert and family of Dudleyville who have just moved into the Gladney residence on College street. __ Mr. Harmon Gibbs of Wedowee is still dangerously ill with fever. __ NEWSPAPER issue of Wednesday, September 13, 1899 WEHADKEE News A very sad accident happened near this place last Saturday morning. Oliver Bowen was working in a well for James Brown. He was found to be suffering from gasses in the well. Mr. Brown went down to rescue the man and both died in the well. Both were young men, the latter has a wife. The funeral services were conducted the Rev. F.E. Andrews Sunday evening at the home of the deceased and their bodies were laid to rest in the family cemetery. __ WELSH News Miss Mattie Mae Ayres of Glee, Ga., is visiting her grandmother Mrs. Brady at this place, to the delight of her many friends. __ Miss Jessie Sloan of LaGrange is still very ill here at the home of her sister, Mrs. Ward. __ ROCK MILLS News Miss Ruth Edwards of Union Springs visited her uncle Mr. M. Duke and family last week. __ Mrs. Florence Bonner has just returned from a pleasant visit to relatives and friends at Dudleyville. __ Mr. J.A. Phillips visited relatives at LaGrange last week. __ Mr.J.S. McDaniel of LaGrange is the guest of relatives here. __ LOCAL News Moses Wright is visiting his brother Carter Wright at this place. __ Jap Jeffers has gone to visit his mother in Georgia. __ Hiram Striplin went to Talladega Monday to enter the college for the deaf. __ Land commissioner W.W. Thompson of Tuskegee ws the guest of his brother J.O. Thompson some days ago. __ Mrs. Carrie Blake went to Atlanta on Monday accompanied by her daughter Ione who will enter Cox College at Manchester. __ Miss Ida Shipp, daughter of James Shipp of this county, died in the asylum at Tuscaloosa last week. Her remains arrived in Roanoke Sunday afternoon. __ Mr. J.H. Walker, the clever printer of the LaFayette Sun, is to be married on the 14th to Miss Sallie Kate James in LaFayette. __ Henry M. Stevenson will leave Friday for Nashville to resume his studies at Vanderbilt University. __ Miss Lena Hardy left Monday to take charge of the school at Lanett. __ L.E. Harris visited his brother at Bessemer on Saturday and Sunday. __ His many friends will be delighted to know that Mr. A.H. Gibbs is now somewhat improved after being so ill with fever. __ The residence of A.A. Trammell, colored, was destroyed by fire on the outskirts of town today. __ Mrs. A.J. Stewart went over to Camp Hill Saturday returning Monday with her sister Mrs. Wright who is in feeble health. They are now at their father's home near High Shoals. __ A TRAGEDY, TRUE HEROISM In another column our Wehadkee correspondent gives us an account of the deplorable tragedy that occurred near his place last Saturday, but because of the remarkable deeds of heroism which the event called forth, we cannot be content to let the matter pass without making editorial comment upon it. Jim Brown and his wife's brother Oliver Bowen had been engaged in digging a well on the former's place and up till Friday evening had reached a depth of thirty-five feet, when they struck rock and attempted unsuccesfully to blast it. Early Saturday morning young Bowen went down into the well alone and shortly afterwards his sister, attracted by a noise, went to the well and called to her brother but the young man was not able to answer, as an unseen enemy, gas, had overcome him. Mr. Brown was summoned and hastily entered the well, calling back to his wife that he might not be able to come out himself but he was going in anyway. He soon reached the bottom but was unable even to respond to his wife's frantic calls. Helpless and distracted, Mrs. Brown ran for her neighbors and a crowd soon gathered. Just at this juncture, Frank E. Andrews, pastor of the christian church at Lebanon, was passing on his way to his appointment, but he no soon learned of the blood chilling accident than he volunteered to go down into the well and try to save the unfortunate men. With his own hands he began tying the ropes around himself while John E. Seegar, an elderly citizen, inaugurated the precautions of pouring water into the well and letting down the torches. The first went out before half way down but the third one reached the bottom. Mr. Andrews succeeded in fastening a rope to one of the men and came out. As soon as the first one was drawn up the brave young minister again descended and secured the remaining one. Mr. Andrews was himself covered with mud and was considerably affected by the gas. For hours the neighbors worked with the victims to revive them but no signs of returning vilality rewarded their efforts. So on the peaceful Sabbath day that followed the husband and brother were laid to rest in the same grave, while the young wife and sister is prostrated with grief. Appropriately and impressively the funeral services were conducted by the preacher who had risked his life for the dead. The Leader is not given to fulsome praise but in all sincerity it desires to characterize as a hero of the truest mold this man who yielded up his life so readily and daringly, in a vain endeavor to save his comrade. And no less heroic was the act of whom who deliberately went down into the open mouth of death to bring back men who were but strangers to him, yet brothers by the ties of humanity and the teachings of our unselfish christianity. While proud of her Wheeler and her Hobson, Alabama should rejoice that there are among her less illustrious sons, those whose dauntless devotion to duty merits the higher encomiums and demonstrates the kinship of humanity with the divine. ___ NEWSPAPER Issue of Wednesday, September 20, 1899 LOCAL News A coffin was sold here yesterday for a child of Rufus Jones, a merchant at Texas, Georgia. __ The residence of Sid Brumbeloe with all it's contents was destroyed by fire Sunday morning. The smoke house was also destroyed. No insurance. The house was in sight of White's Chapel church and the burning occurred just in time to break up the services. __ Miss Kate Brittain of Houston, Ga., is the guest of Mrs. Fleeth. __ NEWSPAPER Issue of Wednesday, September 27, 1899 WEHADKEE News Mrs. Ella Brown who was prostrated over the sudden deaths of her husband and brother, we are glad to note is better. __ JOHNSON'S CROSS ROADS News Lee Osborn and Annie Brown were united in marriage last Sunday. __ James Gross will move his saw mill to a site a few miles north of Roanoke next week. His gin is receiving a liberal patronage. __ Mrs. Sallie Brown who has been an invalid for more than a year, is able to sit up a part of the time but still confined to her room. The remarkable degree of patience that she has exhibited durint her long illness and excited the wonder of her many friends. __ LOCAL News Mr. and Mrs. West, Miss Lena Smith and Mr. Swann attended the funeral of Mr. Gibbs in Wedowee on Sunday. __ Allen Carlisle has withdrawn from the livery business and will devote his time to buying cattle. __ We regret to note the illness of J.W. Bradley. __ Byron Trammell is preparing to move his saloon into the corner just vacated by Roanoke Drug. Co. __ Dr. D.C. Smith who lives near Brockville had the great misfortune to lose a grown son last Friday night and on Sunday another grown son, while his grown daughter is very ill, all from the disease typhoid fever. __ At the home of the bride's parents last Sunday, Prof. Elam J. Smith was married to Miss Annie May Wood, daughter of J. Wm. Wood near Paran Church, Rev. J.P. Hunter officiating. __ George L. Faucett left Roanoke yesterday for Baltimore where he will enter the College of Physicians and Surgeons. __ Ex-sheriff Isaac Stephens of Heard County, Georgia and his daughter-in-law Mrs. Dan Stephens visited the family of M.P. Pittman several days recently. __ W.W. Langley left Roanoke on Saturday to accept a position as bookkeeper and salesman with a firm in Maplesville, Chilton County. __ Elmo Davis was in town yesterday with his mother who had been spending a few days in Wedowee. __ We regret to note that Miss Alma Awbrey has the fever. __ AN UNTIMELY DEATH We chronicle with sincere regret the death of Mr. A. Harmon Gibbs, which occurred at Wedowee last Friday night. For many weeks Mr. Gibbs had been very low with typhoid fever and though every effort was made for him by physicians and friends, and occasional rallies gave rise to hope, the dread conqueror finally claimed him. The sickness and death of few young men could have aroused such general interest and sympathy throughout the county. Mr. Gibbs was universally admired for his many noble characteristics. Beginning life a poor boy in Wedowee, he forged his way to the front ranks among business men of that little city. Honest and sobriety marked his every step on the upward way of life. In the midst of life's hopes and successes, to be called away to the mysterious beyond seems sad, indeed. And sadder still after making such a brave and long defense against the enemy, attended with so much suffering. But now the sleeper rests, rests under the roses of love and the forget-me-nots of undying friendship. May he slumber in peace and awaken amid the flowers of the Eternal Eden. The funeral services were conducted Sunday the by Masonic order, of which the deceased was an honored member and the interment was in the cemetery on the hill overlooking the scenes of the conflicts and triumphs of his early years. ___ File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/newspape563gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 12.4 Kb