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IT IS FOR LADIESAnna Stephens Tells of issillon of Long Ago.Went to School in Barn Where Public Library Now Stands— Thrilling Climax to a Shakespearean Entertainment — When the Reservoir Dam Broke in ’48.There are few if any persons in the city who know more about the development of Massillon, from personal observation, than Mrs. Anna Stephens, of 18S West Main street. She is now 78 years of age and has lived in Massillon since she was six years old. Far from being seriously affected by the advance of age, she is still as hearty and her memory is still as clear as the average woman of fifty.pHer powers of reminiscence show that she has been a keen observer of the changes that have occurred within the town in the past seven decades, and a half hour's chat with her is better than a trip into the dim, long-forgotten past. When seen at her home in West Main street by an Independent reporter Wednesday afternoon, she was busily engaged in her house work with as much vim as a womanof half her age. Pulling her favorite rocker up before the fire she said:“Yes, I can remember when Massillon was not a city of 15,000 people. Many of the incidents of the past seventy-five years are clear in my mind as they were the day they happened. When I draw up my easy chair, the happenings of the past flock into my mind so fast that I hardly know what to tell you first. Of course, when I first came to Massillon, I was but a mite of a girl, only six years old.“With my parents I arrived in Massillon from Cleveland by the canal boat route, which, with stage coaches, was the only means of transportation. I was born near Dublin, Ireland, but did not live there long. After living a short time in Canada, I came to Massillon in 1836. I had never seen snow in my life until I came to this country. In Ireland snow is an unknown quantity. Once, so my mother told me, they had a heavy frost there and the people thought it a cause for celebration. Bonfires sprung up all over the country and the people rejoiced at the strange spectacle.“There wuis not a school house or a church in Massillon when I reached here. I first went to school in a barn which was on the lot now occupied by the McClymonds public library. I distinctly remember playing on the idle of lumber from which Dr. Watson’s house was built. Later Dr. Watson’s house was replaced by the residence of J. W. McClymonds. The Episcopal church was the first churchin Massillon. If I remember correctly, my brother, Charles Higginbotham was the first baby who was baptized in the first church. Later I attended school in the basement of this church.“I shall never forget the first entertainment that I attended. Our only theater was in a barn at the rear of the site which is at present occupied by the Boston store in East Main street. The appointments were rude and our only lights were candles. William Burke, a tailor from here, often led companies which gave plays from Shakespeare. One night while the flickering candles gave but a half-light, Burke commenced to recite with a; propriate gestures, “My Name is Norval. On the Grampian hills my father feeds his flock—’’ Just then Mrs. Burke, not exactly understanding the condition of affairs in the dimlight, entered and shouted, “William Burke, you’re out of your head. Your name ain’t Norval and your father never saw the Grampian hills. Come down here and go home with me.”That has been Indelibly impressedupon my memory.“Seventy years ago parties of young folks went to Mver’s lake on pleasure outings, but conditions were somewhat different than now. Instead of taking the electric car, we went in two-horse wagons. We rode in one and in the other we transported the boat and fishing outfit. Where now are hotels and pleasure booths, were then occupied by the stately trees of the forest. Among the few recollections that remain to me of that day is the fact that we had no dinner. We had spread the cloth near the shoreInsurance Meeting.The annual meeting of the Sonnen-p berg Fire and Life Insurance associa- 1e tion will be held at the Goudy hall, Dalton, O., on Tuesday, January 14, . 1908, at 12 m, standard time, for the purpose of electing officers and the p transaction of other important btisi- b ness which may come before the meet- j, ing. All members are requested to be present.J. H. TSCHANTZ, President. \EJ. L. AMSTUTZ, Secretary, itPublic Library Notice. °The annual meeting of the McCly-r1 monds Public Library associat ion will pt be held in the library rooms on Monday evening, January 13, at 7 o’clock. 0( Three trustees will be voted for to ,,serve three years.J. W. McCLYMONDS, president. 01C. A. GATES, Secretary. glt;FirOv«rStily Ynntn Mrh WiNsr.ow’8 Roctktno svritvnH* DP60 a?UHt rl for ohllr rea’i teething. H hog t lies thfshlld. Hoften* the gums, n!lfiy« all o»tn Mcures wind colic, and In ti t b**t remedy *c Diarrhoea. Twenty-five cer;t« a bottle.Ouarantce ! under the Food a d Orcgi Act Jnne 80vh. 1W)« Hanoi nnmber lotH,I tf (Heavy, impure blood makes a muddy, ]jr pimply complexion, headache, nausea, • indigestion. Thin bloed makes you weak, pale, sickly. Burdock Blood Bit r‘n ters makes the blood rich, r.d, pure— re restores perfect heaPh.A quarter Invested in The Inde- th pendent’s “Want Columns” always sebrings results. „
Newspaper Details
Massillon Evening Independent
Massillon, Ohio, US
Thu, Jan 09, 1908
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Ruth H.
WI, USA 29 Aug 2021
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