Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.
I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others. If you participate, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments.
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This week, I share transcriptions from The Manchester Journal (Manchester, OK). Judson Van Every, the brother of my great grandfather, Melvin Van Every, appeared often in the pages. These transcriptions were originally written down by Wayne York, a grandson of Judson Van Every. I found the transcriptions attached to an entry on an Ancestry Public Member Tree belonging to plnjmw. They are shared with her permission.
A glimpse of the life and times of some Kansas and Oklahoma pioneers, as reported in the Manchester Journal for the years 1893—1917. (Taken verbatim from the back-files of Wayne York, son of Claude York and Mamie Van Every.)
Aug 22, 1902
Jud Van Every, who lives on the Misak farm northwest of town, called Wednesday on business and left his name with us for the JOURNAL.
Sept 30, 1904
Jud Van Every, a well-to-do farmer living northwest of town, showed us a sample of what is called the Zimmerman soft wheat which he had just received from the Experiment Station at Manhattan, Kansas. He got two bushels of this seed and will sow it on suitable ground with the view to raising seed enough next year to sow quite a field the fall of 1905.
Dec 16, 1904
About three years ago J.F. Berger of Anthony loaned Jud Van Every a bird dog and never called for him until a short time ago, when he took the dog to Anthony and from there shipped him to his brother living in Enid. After being gone for about a week the dog returned to Mr. Van Every’s place three miles northwest of town, where from all indications he would like to be left unmolested.
Feb 24, 1905
I have about 200 bushels of Texas red oats, rust proof, for sale at 40c per bushel. Call at my farm 21/2 miles northwest of Manchester. Jud Van Every.
Mar. 3, 1905
Jud Van Every placed a local in last week’s JOURNAL saying he had some Texas red seed oats to sell, and when he came to town on Saturday almost every other farmer he met struck him for some of the seed. He sold out in a very short time, and turned buyers to his neighbor, Mr. Dombaugh, to clean up about all he had to spare. A little advertisement in the JOURNAL is worth more than a whole page ad in some papers that we know of.
Feb 2, 1906
Jud Van Every informs us that he took second prize at the Anthony poultry show on his Brown Leghorns.
Feb 9, 1906
Several farmers northwest of town were here Monday holding a little meeting looking to the building of a rural telephone line northwest from Manchester, to reach the farmhouses of C.T. Brown, Jud Van Every, Uriah Dombaugh, J.C. Burchfiel, and others. The line is pretty sure to be built, and that soon.
September 20, 1907
Jud Van Every had time for a little lay-off last week and took advantage of it. He visited a brother living near Chandler, Oklahoma, and from there to a trip to Henry County, Missouri. He says he did not see much corn as good as we have here on the whole trip, and that much of it is poor compared to the crop here.
Nov. 15, 1907
Jud Van Every was in town Wednesday and tells us he is thinking of putting a bunch of mixed cattle in the feed lot and fattening them for the market next spring.
Dec 18, 1908
Miss Lella Van Every, daughter of Jud Van Every, was bitten by a mad dog at their home 2 miles northwest of Manchester Tuesday noon of this week. They took her to Blackwell Wednesday, where a madstone was applied.
Mar. 26, 1909
Jud Van Every, two miles northwest of town in Harper County, Kansas, told us Monday morning that he had about 15 acres of wheat that was “done up” by a dark colored worm very much resembling the old army worm. He said the work of destruction was about complete, and that he would put the ground to corn.
Sept 10, 1909
Jud Van Every, who left for the San Luis Valley, Colorado, about a week ago, returned home Thursday noon. He reports a fine time on his trip. He visited Ben McMullin while there, and tells us that Ben has raised ten thousand bushels of potatoes off 455 acres of land, and that he liked the country fine there. Mr. Van Every left one of the fine potatoes at this office.
Mar. 4, 1910
Jud Van Every is at work this week on the Frank Simmons residence, which is going up on the lots south of the Christian Church. The house is to be neatly arranged, with four rooms and a porch.
Mar. 11, 1910
Jud Van Every sold his 320 acre farm northwest of town the other day to Sol Frazier for 9,000, the whole purchase price being paid in cash. Except that the land is somewhat broken, it is good soil and is certainly a bargain for Mr. Frazier, who will handle it with the help of his sons, and we suppose the family will make their home there.
Mr. Van Every has gone to Twin Falls, Idaho, in search of a location, and intends to be back in about two weeks. As soon as he finds a place to suit him he will then have a public sale of all his personal property, notice of which will appear in these columns.
THE JOURNAL regrets to see Mr. Van Every and family leave. They are good citizens and good people, and we hope someday to see them come back. The land he sold is the old Misak place, which was bought about ten years ago almost for a song, and Mr. Van Every has been successful in farming and stock raising during this time also, so that all the way around he has made considerable money.
April 1, 1910
Jud Van Every’s public sale on Wednesday was largely attended, and everything sold at a good price. Gilts with five or six pigs by their side sold at $40 and above. Buyers and bidders were nicely treated, and the sale was a success in every way. We have not learned just when Mr. Van Every will leave with his family for Idaho, but no doubt they will start in a very few days. Their many friends will join the JOURNAL in expressing regrets at their leaving this part of the country.
April 22, 1910
Jud Van Every and family left on Thursday evening of last week for their new home at Rupert, Idaho, where he bought land some time ago. All regretted to see this family leave, and will join the JOURNAL in wishing them happiness and prosperity in their new home. Mr. Van Every is a typical frontiersman, and before coming to this locality had spent a number of years on the frontier. Farming, stock raising, and the increase in the value of the land which he bought here several years ago enabled him to leave Manchester with plenty of money to secure land, make improvements, and stock up with cattle in good shape out in the far west, and we are pretty sure that he will be pleased out there and stay with it.
Notes:
1) According to Merriam-Webster: A 'madstone' is a stony concretion (as a hair ball taken from the stomach of a deer) supposed formerly in folklore and by some physicians to counteract the poisonous effects of the bite of an animal (as one affected with rabies). It's sometimes referred to as a bezoar.
2) I believe Jud was visiting his brother, George, in Chandler, Oklahoma in 1907. At least George was in that area in the 1900 census. My great grandfather and his family had been briefly in Chandler as well, in the 1890s. My grandmother's sister, Evelyn, was born there. However, they had returned to Texas by 1900.
3) I'm unsure the reason Jud visited Henry County, Missouri. His brother George would move to Douglas County, Missouri, by 1910. Douglas and Henry are a good 150 miles apart.
4) Jud didn't disappear from the Manchester Journal pages. I will share a few entries between 1913 and 1917 next week.
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