{ title: 'Rural times. (Otego, N.Y.) 18??-1937, August 19, 1891, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84035818/1891-08-19/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84035818/1891-08-19/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84035818/1891-08-19/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84035818/1891-08-19/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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V o L . X . N e w S e r i e s , N p . , 7 / f ; . l r-^ . .. -iP ljgpp^& o C fe,r^^.,^W EipE^DAY, AUGUSl!^|^:ii 891 . ^ t H, c ‘I—/.«l‘I JJP 1 « • ci J* .. W h o j j s .N )Q ..599. R u r a l:* Y in ^ e s . Ti Bi FULLER^ • • Editor uarrepnetor. IruB U s i^ni » T x ir ihrojni»i>XT|toiiKnc« ek th * ; * - TIJttS BLOCt/Bi'VMR’'»TBStr, ’ •* OTEQO, drSEOO 004 K. T. ‘ \ D*TOTK)TO LOCAL AND EAMttT WSAl?IKa BREST 9T irARlC. Tk« oaljr Afrlealtaral Tapo' tk« Soetad As* seaiklj llstrlei •ffOtssfft pOMtf. v:fB3g^:u:m? , o n , r ^ , ...... :SS: the D a m e which we;shear, I happilj/ embrace the preien^pm ent. Flret, for the of the more yonthf q 1 partMltbUe^ let^eaek: / “* \ WHAT IS W X h AME f ’Tie a trite 'th&t ros*L would smell ju’it -RelBweet If called by •ome other namel’Vr ’ ^ ' ADd I B u p p d P g ^ ^ y relationship would be jn^tt*<rf;Jaear, and pqssest just the same Intwfst, if known by = another The name ton’t^ a k e us. Indirir ce- 'duals may^'by 4e<^;a6tf and qualities 80 distinguish t h e ^ lv e s as to throw a lustre a round,J«i^^d an interWt: to their nam^w||ch...wotdd-^ba pi^ODd inberitance^saoceedinf. g en- cqgei^dcjfi. llcstion, bat a i a'fiuraat«a acaiait intpotltron. Tha failure bCthasotUlcatioa. of Ita.dlacaatlimance will)be conaidered a renowal of anbtcriptloa. THE BUNDY REUNION! U & i i l T i i i ® c^ess—lSO Intltteniance,. r , The^^arlie8t^auj^6htln.knqw)'«4g® poss^sViqn bf”ttie Otego ftiEid^aNS to tjifelr p;r6ieliitor8 locates .wehf 'at Qa- a f ^ m ^ n anoeet<^V. tq i o 'baqk far mer 'than to Peter^hndj/, who, with his wife'Peersheba;, emigi^atsd about 1777 from Salem, Xass.,^ tq what Is now Otego. , . On tb'e^lhfr'd-bi tlie$li'i^ieht month the project of havipg a ^eqnlqn 6f the decendants of this 'pioneer was. di^ the m atterl4m^‘jadr^uW^ ed oveptvwaei^eem^^^i^ all geographical hinlts^and^S^nw^ so far 4 their whereaboptrcoul^ Jje ascertained, aU .the widely scattered kinsmen of- l^ndy prlgin tp^gather here.'t In furtherense of t^is end an exceptive committed ooiiiiiting of ' Peter, James, Elder Bundy and Rev. Smith >G. Bun^y, was named and the latter chpjBCn chairman thereof.' The grove of Ay^^ji^Mattesonln this village was. fixed as ihf place, and the 18th inst. as the time,' for the rennion. The ten days intermediate the forma tion of the executive committee and the occurrence of the reunion filled, as they were, with the labor and cares Incident to preparation for such an even.l|fleeted rapidly away. The* morping of the 18th, despite the ominous weather of the day before, dawped bright and clear and with a bracing, air. trains of Tuesday and WednesclayTiad brought relatives from east and west, and Jbhey were soon mingling with the numerous ar rivals bV trains and wagons in the forenoon of Thursday, and by 1 o’clock in the afternoon the grove sheltered over a hundred of .the Bundy family, and that number was by dinner time increased by nearly fifty more. At about 2 o’clock the soug “Cousin Jed e d iah ” w a s rendered w ith m u ch spirit, after w h ich au excellent dinner wa9 served. D inner being over Mr. C, M. F r e n c h , of Oneonta, took tw o splendid group photographs of the com p a n y . The chairman. Rev. Smith 0. Ban dy, then called the assemblage to or der and the formal exercises of the day were begun by singing “ Auld Bang Syne.” Tilley Blakely, being called upon by the chairman, in a brief speech ex tended to the Tisiting kinemen a kind ly and hearty welcome. The song “While the days are going by” was then rendered, at the eonclu- aion of which Her. Smith G. Bandy delivered the following address: ADDRESS OF M B , B U » D Y , Happening to have the place of chairman, for this speeialoccasion, I take the first opportunity, and offer my unfeigned thanks for the honor which seems conferred upon me by mutual eoneession; and, as after an absence of 27 years, I might be ex pected to pay some public tribute to .In whleb we^aBiembleJiaDfi w i may ap- here to hohorJ.^^'r^®' conniry Srex. the sek from wB,4j^';our forsfathers came, a p erson'^om et^es reoe.lT,eB a ■kind ' of noTorlf Iting a'Darae oir Ciife Ibxwotthllyii ; ' Bui in tills gw s for w h a if tem a n igi^^y b i^e^^ it; For what the maq.^fiVwortK^^^ per (in himself),ago a yonp'g man landed’In Ohl^go, apd.approkoh- Ing’the prQptiet'o,r?p(>a krg^e ms:fo.an- tJJo estahlisliment;>for‘ •mpIoyTOsni; presented h krkbjhm indaliioM which; toldwho aiut, chant Ustenddi a''^r\mb:p2elitst then' suddenly turnifig.p^nithe' RpplIcan said—‘Toang ■manlfwe. .don’t gp'ni%h on daddyurri,^ huiw.hat ar6'you? traveling for th© A merlcsji Bible So* Ciety* ik EacIn0‘-C a ,- ^ K we ehane- in E dk J | ^ * wo ,- Trhb. toM ot a,Bev; Bnhdy.(j6hn, i tlilnk); who wai of a sweet, devoted, Christian, spirit- and oh# of John Wesley’s i^reaehers,* .His Iniinen'snwas sticH;that he control*' led a n unmanageable criminal then*In priBon, 10 oat a thanged! ..^ l ^ r i s c l a n man. ,^7© .were, strang ers, h u t the Englishman .took .qui^^ an* interest tin- y o to cousin, and.- :tri&ted’ him with ‘mkxked'r^sjpeQt,- b'etaug# he .edyhpnored;-and almost,sacred In his; countryye«rs’hVf6re.^-i-. - spinningwheels^looinsAUdbome m'l^s .Oar giwndihotheM jilted find time to sit in-thehpariorsahjdreoelTe after noon calls—eewIng.andj^nittiDg, mak ing,-patching and m e ting, ioF those iai^efamiU« kepi tSim too busy. And y^et we 4 e ^ r , R fometTmes said, strange though it m a y h e m to yon, that sifter the tkim e j^re Imrprored ancl stocked, th^; ihfeyi;often took mdre cbmfbrt then thaji;w do now. There was mnsfe in those old epiii- to ^b$l?|hg of eludes frose ^ .But let/ik come hearer home, \With* Th€ti^tr€iSiteWUn twenty’ in m the first dawn-l!ghtofklvil!katlDn .that; xu.* brbpjrhi;knew day this -country, oaihe a 'few. ©krnVst.'tpi^rs'fr#^^ the oiaB&yjtftti'bfP^iiouthKook ■WUreonr'i5‘^feite mors . . rieiy. Mass. -T t.SJ.w s seekers of Vusft And; :% ,'^enerattog f new country*^ -Let me look n t y o t t j ^ h e .speaker pa;u8ed.y'Thh Buridgiir ^^Bft;& y 0‘6st,';4*'®^^'sequent' histo^ ,ryhprayed.B sThcy.'cani©- no't.‘ In the iiiUnner and. wdtii'th© outfit 'of- car- riagei/,--wagons well loaded with all needed supplies, agricultural imple- .mt.Qts and herds of stoqk, .ready to tfim o rsrthe sod, stretch ithe-'-wire, PIftkt A crop and secure a good\ home tn the magic jspaoe ol one or'^iwo ygar|, as .they now, do-.out upon the heautiM-prvairles of .th©vWest,^-itBat __________________ the^'Oame jftS thdy only could in their J wishVe could h a v e fen alltogether .eftre^e p o p if here In one vast, eompemy I'ncladlng^^ jhls equntry inits piim tveiy one, in each oj^;;th# entire six of huge rooks,: heaYy forests'and steep generations. .A largiSe^ly yet. All fAen b r o t h e r s j ^ M g ^ & -are we ■wh.e;n,jwquld,RI ;*Who wqql.d now not? out their .*oome.from*th©/ fertile plains -of • thk* 'sufhame^«SSl^fe->Vb' whom they -------- -- --------------- - -------- .................................................................................................... .. ' ■' the world at larlei^B irer Bontri^ ' B k : ^ scbi ^ ^ ’ b s » r a s „ / « honest he is so r ’jecQgijfekd^il 'Slices-a posltipnT^gher than any earthly potentate th^y is not—and the smIleS of heaven A**® upon him. ■All good and great meh have mainly become so by the force of their own personal efforts. True our ancestry was closely allied with^men noted In onr country’s ' early history, whose noble deeds and Inflnenoe doubtless told in moulding character, the force of which perhaps wo feel to-day. Some here even now can look back to the days of Wm. H. Seward, and see him, as in 1845 he proudly stood upon the steps of yonder old tavern stand on the hill—where some of us were born —others have died. We see that New York statesman as with bared-hoad and sweeping hand he swayed the masses, while discussing the Import ant issues of the day. That influence told upon our parents as theirs in turn tells upon us now; yet whatever fAey may all have been, that in It It self does not so mnoh make our char acter to-day, as does the practical carrying out ot their precepts and ex amples In our individual every day lives. I believe In a family pride, the lines of which sever us from other people’s; but it yet remains for us and our children to perpetuate it in honor as individuals. Let ns do it and teach our children to do\ the same. A few years hack, while living in the state of Texas, our attention was drawn to a succession of letters pub lished in the Dallas Herald —a first class daily paper of that country— and signed H. H. Bundy. Had it been in any dishonorable connection we would have avoided the name. But there it stood honorable, command ing attention and we very naturally became interested in it. A letter was addressed to Mr. H. H. B., asking who he was. He replied that he wasform- erly from Ohio. Said he supposed we were “kin” if we wanted to be “kin.” Also said he never knew a mean one of the name. We were proud of that. He pleased u© much, especially our dear children who had never known a relative. Our attention has since been called to the Ohio branch, which has on its list many of whom H. H. might justly feel proud. Men of different profes sions, including ministers of the gos pel and one Senator among the rest, men who were and are an honor to the name. I find th© name ip honor able mention across the ocean many years ago. Soon after the'wiir, while - ------------ - — - ---------------------Denver, a little above this village, on what has been known as the Knapp farm, now owned by Henry Baker. After wards they took land on the Otsdawa creek, where Peter Bundy erected a sawmill near the junction of the two branches. He also erected a dwelling and lived there with his family until he removed to the farm bought of Ransom Hunt, which is the old Bundy homestead, that yet stands there on the hill, a memento of the past, in a good state of preservation. Col. Elisha settled on the farm sub sequently owned by John Blakely. He finally removed to the west and died in Ohio, where most of his de scendants are, but some of them, we are happy to know, are with us to day. Capt. Peter Bundy, thfe grandfather and great-grandfather of most of us, moved from Mass, in the winter of 1777 (114 years ago) with his large family of young children and wife, taking the children—such as were un able to travel on foot—and his wife in a woodshod sled, drawn by a small yoke of oxen—carrying also their small amount of personal effects on the sled. A part of a barrel of pork fumlsbed them with food, the brine of which was afterwards boiled down for salt for the daily use of the family. On the way hither they camped out In the woods many nights, building large fires to protect them selves from' the cold. T h e y traveled slowly, the oxen being fed on browse a large por tion of the way. Others came and settled near them. For many years following these grand fathers carried their grain to Coop>- erstown, to be ground for the use of their families, by canoe up the Susque hanna, and afterwards by woodshod sleds to a mill erected on a branch of thefCharlotte. Oftentimes neighbors united and one in turn carried for several families. It usually took three or four days to go to mill and hack, inolnding the usual camping out, or stop in rude log cabins, where fires were kindled with flint and punk and the aid of a jack-knife, by which they prepared their frugal meal. It was the sons of these men who felled the giant oaks, obestnnts and pines which then stood thick and tall over these now fair and fertile fields. Those were the days of logging-bees, houseraisih^, oomsbuokings and the like. Later on came the days of parsed.) Th© B a rifi^ to lly of to day,! Many ar#wgonM$!6w of the oldstook left*—and,s^Stltereilifni be feweritilL ^I hope t ^ e wiil b© an other reiinlon wltj^in^'-i^©' next five year somewhere, but,.'&oy©r-ibat w© once were^ur'^AcatJfi silvering o’e^*~w»Iin.ky not;he l^fe to.meet with them, \ ^'®>ompanj^f|'e!r^ to-day is mostly composed of n|!fe / generations, of which I tmderstand^lhere are ©lx, Of th« the loved finea goft©b©lbr»ti^ To extend the, hand fn greeting. To thrManv long divfiJdv. And t© speak of ^iwUho rtrtoses; Of our dear departed! kiaemei^ Worthy Of our lisitatioiL” FroiBi his home in distaat Satgiv In the* good old Masiaehneei^,. Came our grandstre to this region; Bringlag all his earthly treaenr!©©— His good wife and pteeipna ehildren-r- H e re to share his j.oy» azkl sorrows. Close beside th© Eto-squebaniaav Mid the dangers of tb© foreft. Placed them in the tiny eabm H e bad built of l«>M.hk eaemer. Where for year* they toiled'and suf fered Want and eold and many tkardships, Here they reared theirno4)te children. Bight brave sons and five fair daugh ters— Eunice, eldest of the daughters, And the fitly named Rebeoeo^ Mother of another Isaac; Rarah, sweet and gentle Sarah-, Pot of all her loving brothers. Julia, too, I well rexnetnber, Tdught her children all to honor Her dear father’s many virtues. by our honor This reanion is a Wery pleaiint fair. It stirs all the vnotions of joy and sorrow. We laugh and ve ery. Here we stand, our hearts itinning over with joy, yet in the shalow of that grandsire, whose body wiis laid yonder beneath the locust 69 years ago. Like the main brandies and roots of that tree are not the names of James,Leri, Petet,Ephraim, David, Moses, Stephen, Gilbert, Eunice, Re becca, Julia, Sarah and Marilla, ? The old original stock may be mostly gone but does not the new reach oa in its tender loving embraces, taking In other branches and rootlets of this name and of that until the identity would be lost but for th« name? Where are the original thirteen f All gone but aunt Marilla. Conld we re ceive her from Milwaukee to-day, would we not make one holiday queen ? I pause. Right now let me ask all here to raise the hand, and by so doing, say they thus offer a tribute of respect to the sole survivor of the original family. [All hands went up in profound confusion.] Our name is yet honorable among others. Where can a better family of thirteen be found, taken as a whole ? Who can say aught against uncle James T Who more devout than I^evi, who died singing “Bright angles are from glory come; theyr’e round my bed, Theyr’e In my room, They w a it to waft my spirit hom e. All is well, etc.?” Stephen arose in his dying hour and said “Now we will say farewell,” and with a smile peace ful and serene, fell asleep. Sarah, like an angel of love, went about among us administering to the wants of the sick and afflicted. How pati ent was Moses, as his last days wore out»wlth lingering disease. Where did we spend happier hours than at the homes of aunts Rebecca and Julia-and the homes of all the Ufa- cleg and aunts for that matter 7 How we loved to listen to the anoedotes of Peter, Ephraim, David and Gilbert, and hear their hearty laughs. Pleas ant to remember,Ao«r they loved each other. Did the Ohio cousins come, with ■what warm embraces did they meet ? We trust the fire of family devotion has not burned low^ O, spirits of our departed loved ones, come to our open hearts to-day]Worthy*’W lS^pfalP^ like ministering angels^ and fan them\ into a warmth that shalLiglow with an eternal flaaie;* ChlTdteif ^andohlldM of t^©,jd©a^ .words ar© loadeqtMri© to ©xpripa & yhu the joys o f ih is oeeastofa. Ot©|fO heartty g r tets JhidoVdF, ©speclitlTjr'ifs 8 ^ 1© SO nearly • deteei^aiU, Bundy 2d« Otheta h a v e eome 'loiig dlstan©©, showlnjr that days have boengofag not fornoiten na- TeU. CW5^; .wrajiiet In lore not lorgetJM 'of t^a- pafl)' wlril© happy & fho pPHHmt, Tell theoa w©> too, Bavn * rpQ, or, and ms tl are tb«M of professfom Seme Imve places of poMio trusi, kjiri moir Others y e t seaMkin pash4kig:<m t& tbe front, , 'Honor^ky father a n a th y ^ Peter and EMbsheha, B lU » a o d f 'Igail. Let at* do ft front th©' keert- — ffusllyandrilalM' h i r i ^ earnest f rasp,. Set onr eM d ken mg^it friends an example that wlU IMcig hack blessings i ^ n otir own he«dtt m d God graxit w© may all Ebaa h& r^ ^mpsmbered in fbe rtiinl(m x .;t|af s i i ^ ‘ foiVoWi Cbxsim^ w e n o w ofSnryom,^ band whleh yMsmay take nmmbvs*^|i> time, hut, if w lan you »©rt again, we eanv^oii respond ho lii« 4lti; my word for when the geneial: «a|i ism^de for u» f o gathep tq>yaxi tio- more, then, “By the graee HU meet yon.” A ith e e o n o l i ^ n of thoaddr^tH o ^ speaker sang *‘‘B^©me agaia’^ aa«9c4cL. supported by ai ehortit*. . Mrs. Rosephft Arnold,, o f TiMmt&Bu Masai, then renii thefoIlowfngrjKmtii^ written l^y h f r tspeeiaily for. this easion t TSK ©AXHixmo c» TEB n o x ! carrmopk Should I-ehanc© to- U M i a stean^F W ho should ask me ‘^Wby'lhist.iimet^^ in g Of.the kinsmen, ih e d e e t e n d i u ^ ^ Of t h f if o r tht Peter Bandy ' And hi# peerI^•B wlfoBersheeba t ” ------ survivor Ltnd© to us her kifadly greeting. But another generation. Gathers where we meet and greet yOu One is her© whose locks are wjhitened By the snows of many winters; Ho alope of ajll the k lndre^ gears, the pame w© ^ n d lv cherish. Name of saint and name of grAndsire^ Held by us in veneration. And another of oq r kinsm e n , .intly-fatbe er James is irtth us, the e r -----------undy. - R epresents t H s, another . . ______ , Bearing too th name of B One is here, a/everehd eonsixk Worthy son of worthy Hoses, * And his fondly oherlsned sister. Prom her home in far Iowa, Comet once mor# to giy© m .greaiing In thi# sacred place of meeting^ Now we see One, not a strangi^ Though ’tis long sinos he depatled To tbs distant western miseloM, l^ r beyond the MisMssippi, There to toil amongthe<^pien And to tsaeh them of the Savior. Once again this reVerend GMulh iProm^hls home in old 0|eg& And hit dear and ofalwiS^ri > l^ r b « m w ^