A
Chapter of Sorrows
There lives near the quiet
village of Bookton a family by the name of Clifford, who in the last
few months have had more than their share of trouble, and today many
are the expressions of sympathy heard everywhere in connection with
the sane and unfortunate circumstances that have befallen them.
The father of the family,
Mr. Isaac M. Clifford, was buried in the cemetery there on Wednesday
last, 23 Jan 1918, after lingering between life and death since
November, the result of a paralytic stroke, to which he finally
succumbed on Saturday, 19 Jan 1918.
While the grief-sticken
family was eating breakfast on Monday, just five [sic]
days after the father had been carried to the grave, their house
caught fire from a defective chimney and was burned to the ground.
It was zero weather and a
very high wind prevailed at the time, fanning the flames.
The home being a frame
structure there was nothing to do for the many friend and neighbors
who gathered to assist in fighting the fire, but watch the flames
eat their way from the garret to the cellar of the once comfortable
home, and regret that they were only able to save a few pieces of
furniture.
Although they own the farm
on which they live and were in fairly good circumstances, they are
today practically destitute of clothing and provisions.
The family at home consists
of two sons and the bereaved mother. What adds more sorrow to the
already over-burdened family is the fact that their daughter was the
wife of the unfortunate Albert Watkins, who was suffocated by gas,
while descending a well last summer on the same farm and was buried
from their home.
It will be remembered that
Mr. Watkins left four small children, who with their mother made
their home at Clifford's. They were among the unfortunate inmates
that were compelled to seek shelter from their burning home while
the weather was below zero.
