Life in Pleasant
Valley - During the Month
of December 1890-1910 |
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Visiting friends and relatives and dealing with sickness
are regular themes in the newspaper reports for Pleasant Valley in December
in the 1890s and early 1900s. The complaints range from sore throats
and colds to the grip and more threatening illnesses. In 1896 Charles
L. Hunt developed a “cold in his face” after having a tooth
extracted and was noted as “suffering severely.” Schooling
could be disrupted in December because not only were school children
often sick but even the teacher was not immune. In 1901, teacher Adaline
McNair contracted pneumonia and was home sick for some time. School
continued, however, since she arranged with her sister, who was also
a teacher, to be her substitute. Another teacher, Mai Fleming, chose
December to have surgery on her eyes. Rachel Williamson reported that
the operation was to correct her cross eyed condition. Mrs. Williamson
went on to note that, “she now wears glasses, which improve her
looks.”
Illness wasn’t the only thing teachers had to contend with in December. In 1894, the year Hopewell Township took over running the rural schools, young teacher Reba Ely had her school visited by a contingent from the board of education to inspect things. Fortunately, the board found everything in order. The paper reported that a board member commented, “This place and school is truthfully named; a more pleasant school is hard to find and a more pleasant situation likewise hard to find. The teacher, Miss Reba Ely, can be classed in the pleasant class also; the scholars’ orderly and attentive, marching in at the tap of the bell with the precision and drill of soldiers, and in justice to teacher and scholars it was agreed by all that there seemed to be a place for everything and everything in its place. The visit to this school was much enjoyed and “pleasant” recollections of it will linger with the Board in years to come.” A favorite activity for children as the weather became cold in winter was ice skating. Ice gathering for storage in ice houses couldn’t take place until the ice on ponds was thick enough and sometimes this occurred in December. In early December 1903 the paper reported that a considerable amount of six inch thick ice had already been harvested, but did note that this was very unusual so early in the winter. The ponds where ice was gathered were very important and in 1898 an ordinance was passed in New Jersey prohibiting skating on ponds where ice would be harvested. The primary farming activities appear to have been completing the corn harvest and butchering hogs and cattle. Farmers were engaged in taking in the stalks and husking and shelling corn. In 1894 and 1898 there are references to Lewis Danbury, a local farmer and butcher, being in demand in December. Some farmers did their own killing while others hired Mr. Danbury. Christmas, of course, was a major event in December and
deserves its own story.
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