Excerpts from the Mountain Echo Laurel County's first newspaper 1887

                                                Reprinted with permission of the Laurel County Historical Society

JANUARY 1887

January 7, 1887--Mr. John McCowan and family left last Tuesday night for Arkansas where they contemplate making their future home.

Died: At her residence in this county, last Tuesday morning, after a lingering illness of several months, Mrs. Magee, wife of Mr. Henry Magee, Dept. Collector of Internal Revenue of this county.

Mr. James C. Johnson reports two deaths in his family during the past two weeks, "Old Dick" one of his canaries, was first to step off the stage of action, then one of his cats whose name we have forgotten if we ever knew followed in quick succession.

Bernstadt: Harvey Haddrick and Martha L. E. Reynolds were married at the residence of the bride's mother Dec. 30th in the presence of a great many friends, by Rev. W. T. Bryant.

Rev. W. T. Bryant went over to Pittsburg last Friday evening and married William Gilbert to Miss Mattie Elliott in the presence of a large company.

January 14, --Miss Nannie Wiggington is lying very low with consumption at her father's three miles west of London. Mr. Wiggington has already lost two daughters in the last eighteen months with the same disease.

January 21, --Died: At her father's residence last Sunday evening of consumption after an illness of several months, Miss Nannie Wiggington. Miss Wiggington was a dear sweet girl and her death will be a sad loss to the bereaved family and a large circle of friends who knew her only to love her.

Married on Thursday evening of last week, at the residence of Mr. W. H. Martin of this place by Rev. V. Boreing, Mr. George Herron to Miss Angeline Orton.

February 4, -- Born to the wife of Mr. Charles Duber of this city last Friday night, a bouncing boy, Charles will now cut and make clothing cheaper than ever.

Death of Mr. Murry Boreing

At the residence of his son, in this place, at 5 o'clock last Saturday morning after a brief illness of Malaria. Mr. Boreing was born in Washington County, Tenn., February 14, 1813, removed to Laurel County in the year 1848, where he spent the greater portion of his life. He enlisted in the Federal Army in 1861 and served three years as orderly sergent,
Company "A" Ky. Vol. Infantry. His generous spirit and high regard for the feeling of others won for him the esteem of his comrads in War and neighbors in peace. He removed to the West in the year 1872, where he remained until about eighteen months ago, when he returned to Laurel, since which time he and his now much bereaved wife have made their home with their son, Judge Vincent Boreing of this city. He was a man of fair education, well bred and above average in point of information, and though he never sought prominence, yet he possessed his share of this world's honors. Though he was not a member of any Church yet he died with the testimony on his lips that he was ready to respond to the summons of his father. His remains were removed to the Methodist Church Sunday morning where the funeral sermon was pronounced by Rev. J. Halpenny to a crowded house, anxious to pay their last tribute to the honored dead, after which they quietly but solomnly placed to rest on the hill overlooking London from the east, in honor of the G A R of which organization he was a member.

February 4, 1887--Mr. D. B. House of McWhorter, has sold his stock of goods to Louis and Tilford Young.

Married on the 8th inst., at the residence of Mr. George Moberly, Mr. Green Moore, generally known as (Suggy) to Miss Nancy Parsley, by John Moren.

Bible Facts and Figures:

The Bible contains 3, 566,480 letters, 773,476 verses, 1,180 chapters and 66 books: the word (and) occurs 46,277 times, the word (Lord) occurs 1,855 times, the word (reverend) occurs but once, which is in the 9th verse of the 111 Psalm: the middle verse is the 8th verse of the 118th Psalm: the 21st verse of the seventh chapter of Ezra contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter (J): the 19th chapter of 2nd Kings and the 37th
chapter of Isaiah are alike: the longest verse is the 9th verse of the 8th chapter of Esther: the shortest verse is the 35th verse of the 11th chapter of St. John: there are no words or names of more than six syllables.

(Papers missing from February 4, 1887 to April 22, 1887)

April 22, --Married at the clerk's office: In London on the 14th inst., Mr. James Jones to Ollie C. Crest.

At the residence of the bride's father four miles northeast of London, on the 14th inst.,  by the Rev. Hiram Johnson,  Mr. David Asher, Jr. to Miss Jane Bales, daughter of Mr. Thomas Bales.

At the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Mahan in this place at 7 o'clock last Thursday evening. Mr. J. H. Parsley to Miss Susan Mahan by Rev. W.B. Ragan.

Married at the residence of the bride's father two miles west of London last Sunday evening by Rev. L. C. Brown, Mr. W.. H. Brown, Jr. and Miss Melissa Jones. At the marriage supper there were fifteen occupants of seats at the first table and each one of them was Brown.

William Steele aged 18 years, son of Pleasant Steele died last Monday of fever.

Mrs. Lath Lanham died at her residence, near Lily, last Monday morning.

Born to the wife of Mr. John Pearl, at this place last Tuesday a girl.

April 29, --In addition to our measles epidemic, which our county is just now experiencing, a terrible scourge of pneumonia is breaking out on the head waters of Raccoon. No less than a dozen cases have developed in the vicinity within the past two weeks.

Died: At the residence of James H. Faris, Sr., at Faris Station, Mrs. Louisa Faris, wife of the said James H. Faris, Mrs. Faris had been in feeble health for several months past and on the 22nd of April 1887, she departed peacefully from the cares and troubles of this life. She was a daughter of Andrew McHargue who died in Rockcastle County several years
ago, was born in Laurel County, March 26, 1843, was married to James H. Faris April 2, 1864, and on July 7, 1874, they both joined the M E Church. She leaves a bereaved husband and six children.

May 6, --Died At their residence in London of bronchitis early last Monday morning, Charley, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Williams after an illness of about one week. It's remains were laid away to rest Monday evening in the graveyard on the hill east of town. The bereaved family deserves the condolence of the entire community.

Died: At the residence of his mother, in London at 11 o'clock last Thursday night of inflammitory rheumatism and blood poisoning, after a serious illness of several  weeks. Willie Wren, aged 15 years, son of Mrs. Polly Wren. He was buried Friday evening in the graveyard on the hill overlooking the town from the south in which his father is also buried.

(Papers missing from May 6, 1887 to June 10, 1887)

June 10,--Sheriff Pearl and Town Marshall Scoville left Wednesday night for Frankfort, having in custody John Hurley, James Cook and William Parrish, whom they were conveying to the penitentiary.

Married Saturday night June 4, at the Presbyterion Church, by Rev. Ragan, J. W. Mullins to Miss Eliza Rutledge. May happiness ever be their lot.

Add, Ky. Laurel County: born to the wife of Wallace Hubbard a girl and it's a jolly whopper.

END OF MOUNTAIN ECHO FOR YEAR OF 1887 PAPERS ARE MISSING.