Strongstown PA News
The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
March 23 1876
Strongstown, March 18, 1876
Mr. Editor
We have thought it appropriate to send you a few of the many items which through our village, and its surrounding neighborhood. For the last few weeks the weather bieng opn and the roads impassable, our Methodist friends have been carrying on their good work of converting souls, and well they have succeeded - in all they have fifty-six converts.
The divines in attendance were the Reverends Weaver and Johnson.
The Lutherans have been acting for the benefit of sinners, under the jurisdiction of the Rev. McCullough, and have been holding quiet and orderly meetings.
In speaking of the mild winter, I must say that it has been hard on our old friends, the sickle of death has been at work in our midst, sweeping away the young and old alike. Some of our old friends who have died in the past year were aged as follow: John Leonard, 107 years, Jacob Sawyer and Nicholas Arker, 96 and 98. The last tow named fought under Napoleon Bonaparte, and were present at the burning of Moscow. The two old gentlemen often met in our village, and would talk over by-gone days, their youth and vigor returning. I remember on one occasion of seeing the old gentlemen meeting, when they each got a plastering lath and commended their old style drill. They would slash and cut at each other as though they were in (?)ed earned.
On Friday last, in our little village there was quite a commotion caused by the death of Zack Stophel, son of Silas and Harriet Stophel, in the nineteenth year of his age, so sudden was it that it has cast a gloom over our little town. On Friday morning he arose, ate as hearty a breakfast as he ever did, and went out to cut some woof for a neighbor only a block distant, he laid down his axe, and walked home a strong, hearty man, and he very shortly afterward took a sharp pain above his eye, and in two hours and a half was dead. Dr. Davidson was called in but all his assistance was in vain. He was beloved by his friends and playmates.
T.H.C.