Friday, December 05, 2014

What was he doing in Kansas?

Old newspapers are fun to research in because of the tidbits of information you will find.  I always enjoy the local sections, where the comings and goings of people both near and far are told - sort of like the Facebook of the 19th century.

This particular piece in the Portland, Indiana Daily Commercial regarding a cousin, John Preston Metzner (1872-1900) was particularly intriguing.  Why was he in Abilene, Kansas?  No known relatives were living there.
Portland Daily Commercial, Portland, Indiana
July 3, 1899, page 3
Press Metzner, who has been spending several weeks at Abaline, [sic] Kansas, has returned home.
 John Preston Metzner was the son of Louis Napoleon and Henrietta (Weaver) Metzner.  He didn't live a very long life, dying at 28 years old on April 7, 1900 in Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Perhaps he was in Kansas for his health.  I haven't yet researched the cause of death, maybe his visit was to a sanitarium.  Or, he could have been working out there or just visiting.  As yet, this is just a tidbit in the life of a man cut short.

A link to his memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.
 

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