This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: amyarmstrong Surnames: LONG, LEEDY Classification: biography Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.ohio.counties.knox/2932/mb.ashx Message Board Post: A MAN OF MANY PAINS David Long is a farmer, living about one and a half miles east of North Liberty, Knox County, Ohio. He lived on the farm he now owns, many years, and quietly pursued the avocation of farming. Mr. Long is a member of the family of twenty-two children fame. Seventeen of the twenty-one brothers and sisters of his grew up to manhood and womanhood. His father's name was John Long, and his mother was a sister of old Uncle John Leedy. The family moved to Knox County in 1816 or 1818, and Mr. Long entered land about one mile northeast of Ankneytown, which place is familiarly known as the "Johnny Long farm". Rev. S.A. Leedy now owns it. David, the subject of this sketch, grew up one of the jolly and kind-hearted boys of pioneer days, with a physical constitution that seemed to have no limit, and muscles as strong as iron bands. His familiar companion was Abe K. Leedy, who now resides near Pierceton, Ind., and was also a man of prodigious strength and great power of endurance. These two men usually entered the rolling field as a team, and both being powerful and full of boyish energy and youthful ambition, the logs would almost roll into heaps on their own accord, and the sweat would stream from the faces of the young gallants, as they would call on the others to "hurry up". But human endurance has a limit, and both of these men felt the effects of such efforts in later years. Mr. Leedy suffers greatly of rheumatism in his declining days. Mr. Long is now as helpless and dependent as a child. For six years he has been unable to do any work, even of the most ordinary kind. It is now past two years since he has been outside of his house, except on one or two occasions. During this time he has occupied a bed the greater part of the time, and an armed chair at the bedside the remainder. His companion feeds him the food he eats, and holds the cup for him to drink. He smokes occasionally, and she must fill the pipe, light it and place the stem in his mouth and when he is through smoking, she must also, remove it. When he sits in his armed-chair, his arms must be pillowed up as though they were made of the most delicate glass. His feet and hands are drawn into unsightly and inhuman shapes, and are puffed and discolored. Every time he moves a limb, the most excruciating pains pass through his limbs, and when he moves from his chair to the bed, a thousand pains seem to dart through his body, as a thousand flash! es of lightning over the face of heaven. So utterly helpless is his condition that he can not turn himself in bed. Whenever he desires to turn, his companion gets upon the bed standing, and taking hold of the sheet, she lifts one side up which rolls him over, as a person would a log. Notwithstanding the much suffering he must endure, he is cheerful in conversation, and bears his calamities with the patience and faith of a saint. No words could do justice in praising the devotion and kindness of his companion toward him. source: THE RICHLAND STAR (Bellville, Richland, Ohio): 29 January 1880, Vol. III, No. 18 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.