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Local Matters, January 28, 1882

The Royal Hand Bell Ringers will be here Friday, March 3.

C.F. Pontious, the handsomest man in the oil district, was in from Petroleum, on Wednesday.

Under the late order of the County Court, our citizens generally have been vaccinated. [This was probably a small-pox vaccine as there were outbreaks in the county.]

The Cantata of Esther is under rehearsal by our amateurs and will be rendered before the public in a short time.

William Freeman, a blacksmith living out the Sand Road was gored by a bull on last Saturday and severely hurt.

Dr. Adams, the B.&O. Relief Association physician, was in town on Monday and vaccinated all the members in this city.

The physicians of this city are entirely out of vaccine matter since the early part of the week, and as yet have been unable to get a fresh supply.

Uncle Sam has placed a letter box on the Swann House corner for the accommodation of the people of the lower end of the city and river men.

I. H. Snell came down from Burning Springs and vicinity this week with 20 rafts of lumber which he will take on down the river to Cincinnati.

Messrs. Tom, Will, Dan and Mike Nolan all left for Weston on Monday, being called home by the death of their father, which occurred suddenly on Sunday night at 8 o’clock.

The fighting editor of the SENTINEL is absent. If you have a club for this paper make it a good one. We make reductions on clubs of five or more. Oak or hickory clubs we have no use for.

A regular blizzard struck us on Saturday night and the weather suddenly turned very cold. Early Tuesday morning the thermometer stood at 6 degrees above zero, and an audible grin overspread the faces of our ice men.

The Steamer Devol backed into the tow-boat Hornbrook and damaged her somewhat last Tuesday. The Hornbrook broke loose from her moorings and floated very near the Island before being stopped.

The great Egyptian Queen and fortune teller who is relieving some Parkersburg softies of a dollar apiece for telling their fortune, is in town. Her patrons are not very numerous, however, and from one of them we learn that the great Queen’s fortune telling is decidedly ganzy.

Died.- On last Saturday, the 21st inst., at the home of her father in Lauckport, of consumption, Miss Hattie Swearingen, an estimable young lady whose death cast a gloom over a large circle of her dear friends. Her remains were taken to Fairmont for burial.

Hyde & Behman’s Star Specialty Company gave one of the best entertainments of the season at the Opera House last Friday night, although the house was not crowded. The Martello’s in the acrobatic and bicycle feats were indeed wonderful. And the funny Dutchman had the house in a constant roar of laughter.

From the Marietta Leader – The roller skaters from this city who visited Parkersburg on Tuesday evening, report a pleasant time with lots of fun.

We are authorized by Mr. Roseto say that he has taken proper steps to remove the injunction put upon him for using his opera house for roller skating and has also contracted with carpenters to remove the elevated portion of the floor, which will greatly enlarge the hall. He has also contracted for a new oak floor, put in on mortar, which will deaden all sound, and then the rink will be open all winter, which will certainly be the finest place of amusement for roller skating that can be found anywhere. Mr. Rogers will be in charge.

The Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Jan. 28, 1882

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.