Friday, August 26, 2011

1880 J.C. Ellsworth

J.C. Ellsworth was a well-known and appeared to be well-liked banker in the village. He was also a member of the Fowlerville Cornet Band. The following blurb was found in The Fowlerville Review regarding his new claronet:

John C. Ellsworth, leader of the Fowlerville Cornet Band, has just purchased a beautiful new white ivory, silver-keyed claronet. It was manufactured in New York and contains all the latest improvements, there being but four like it in the world. It was made at a cost of $85.

He was also in the news for other items that same year. The house spoken of still stands, a large two-story house just north of the community park and a little bit south of the Family Impact building. The article follows:

J.C. Ellsworth has the walls up for anice dwelling-house on his "farm," just north of the village. S.S. Abbott has the job, which is a guarantee that it will be a good one.

Even his health issues were reported on:

J.C. Ellsworth has been suffering for the past few days with a "Job's comforter" on his upper lip. And, J.C. Ellsworth resumed business at the bank counter again on Monday, after a week's illness.

I went looking for the definition of "Job's comforter" but it didn't have anything to do with someone's upper lip. The only thing I could come up with was "a person who, in trying to offer help or advice, says something that simply adds to the distress." If anyone is familiar with another definition, would love to have you leave a comment.

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