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Quigley Family

 

New Extension Table

1858

08 19          To the citizens of Watertown and all others who may have an opportunity to comply with the same, a general invitation is extended by the undersigned, to call at his Furniture Ware Rooms, west side of the river, where he will be happy to exhibit his new Extension Table – patented last April.   Come one, come all, and see something new under the sun.   Yours Respectfully, Michael Quigley.   WD

09 16       Advertisement, Furniture Ware Rooms.  Ready-made Coffins.  Hearse to attend funerals in town and country.   WD

10 21          Watertown was very creditably represented at the State Fair which was recently held at Madison.  Mr. Michael Quigley’s newly invented and patented Badger State Table excited a good deal of interest and curiosity, and as a piece of ingenious and simple mechanism, was admired by all for its convenience and usefulness.   WD

 

 

1876

05 31          Hughie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Quigley, aged 12 years, was drowned in the river just below the dam last Sunday afternoon about 5 o'clock.

 

With two other boys, Hughie was swimming around on a plank and fell off into the deep and treacherous hole in the river and drowned before assistance could be rendered him.

 

The place where young Quigley met his death has proved the watery grave of some sixteen persons. It is midway in the river, about 200 feet below the dam. All around it the water is so shallow that boys can wade with ease, but the descent into water twenty or thirty feet deep is so sudden and unexpected, that unless the adventurer is on his guard and is a good swimmer, he drowns.

 

It seemed long since that sufficient warning bad been given persons to keep away from this treacherous and deadly spot, but it appears that the fate of many victims has taught no lesson, and each season this hole must reap its harvester death. Let us hope, however, that we have chronicled the last sad case of drowning in these treacherous waters, and that the melancholy fate of young Hughie will be a warning to other boys for many a long year.

 

In this terrible bereavement Mr. and Mrs. Quigley have the sympathy of our entire community.  This blow falls upon them with additional severity, as Hughie is the third child taken from them by accident. Their oldest son fell a victim to the fiery fiend in the great Chicago fire. A few years later a bright and promising little fellow fell from a window and was instantly killed, and now their boy Hughie meets a watery grave. Surely these are bereavements enough to crush any parents, and the few words of comfort we offer them can do but little good towards sustaining them under such trials.

 

A painful feature of this very sad affair is, that notwithstanding every effort has been made, the body of young Quigley has not been found up to the hour of going to press. The supposition is that the body has floated down stream.   Watertown Republican, 05 31 1876