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The Jukes in 1915

Creator: Arthur H. Estabrook (author)
Date: 1916
Publisher: Carnegie Institution of Washington
Source: Available at selected libraries

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The oldest, Al, V 21, born in 1826, was a boatman on the canal. He never attended school, could neither read nor write, was very intemperate, and married a cousin, Naomi, V 213, a descendant of Bell Juke, and a basketmaker of good repute but ignorant. Although Al was a good worker he made but small wages, and the family received help from the town for many years. At 38 Al went to war and, during this period the family received town help. After he returned this help continued. He never acquired any property and died at the age of 84. Naomi is still living and is mentally slow and inactive.

90  

Al and Naomi had 12 children, only 4 of whom survived infancy. The oldest, VI 49, is an ignorant, semi-industrious woman of fair repute, who has married twice and is now living. She had no children. The second child of Naomi to grow up, VI 53, was uncouth, illiterate, industrious but untrained, and consequently inefficient. She was married and had 3 children, 2 of whom died in infancy; the other, VII 60, who became a machinist, was mentally slow and had little ambition. VI 53 died recently from the effects of a fall. The third child of Al who grew up was VI 55. It is known only that he died at the age of 28. The fourth child of Al is VI 57, an ignorant but industrious fellow of a quiet nature, who has saved his money and acquired a little property. He married a woman who before her marriage was, and since has been, a harlot. They have no children. At 51 this man committed rape on a child 13 years of age and was arrested on the charge, but the case was dropped in court.

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Abel, V 23, the second child of Alice and Stillman, was a "laborer; at 38, outdoor relief, 1 year; 39, abandoned his wife; 40, disorderly, county jail, 10 days; somewhat industrious; intemperate, can not read or write; no property." Abel married Honora, V 22, and later deserted her, after having had two stillborn children by her.

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Alva, V 24, the third child of Alice, was a "carpenter; 1857, outdoor relief, 1 year; good citizen; industrious; read and write; acquired house; lost it." In his later years he was very poor and died at the age of 87 of apoplexy. Alva's wife was Dorothea, IV 152, a cousin, of Delia blood. She was a woman of good repute, industrious and temperate, but very ignorant. She never attended school. After marriage she received poor relief at various times. They had 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys.

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The oldest of these, VI 65, was born in 1845. She was of good repute always, industrious, and spoken of as "fairly intelligent." She married VI 66, a carpenter, a man of little education, but industrious and a fair citizen; who has recently become invalided by a stroke of paralysis. They had three children.

94  

The first, VII 64, a woman of fair intelligence, some schooling, industrious and neat, married an industrious but intemperate man, VII 63, who is cross and abusive when intoxicated. They have moved to a large city away from the Juke region. He makes good wages and they have a comfortable home. They have five children; four boys, of whom one died of diphtheria at the age of 13, one is a stenographer in an office and doing well, and two are industrious but intemperate and have little ambition in life; and one girl who died of diphtheria at the age of 5.

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The other two children of this couple, VI 65 and VI 66, were boys, capable in school, of good behavior, and industrious. Both are dead; one died of diphtheria at the age of 15, the other was drowned in the Johnstown flood.

96  

The second child of Alva and Dorothea, VI 67, married when young an intemperate and ignorant but industrious man, who is a laborer. She had 5 children by him, 3 dying in infancy. She died at the age of 33 of typhoid fever. Her oldest child, VII 68, now 34, is an industrious girl of fair repute, who keeps herself neat and her home comfortable. She is mildly intemperate. Her husband, a laborer, is intemperate, but otherwise is a good citizen. She has no children. Her brother, VII 69, is a laborer with a fair education, but intemperate at times. This branch of the family lived in a large city some distance from the Juke region.

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The third child of Alva and Dorothea, VI 69, had little education and married a laboring man when young. The family has always been poor and nomadic, never remaining long in one place.

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The oldest child of this pair is VII 74, who has tried hard to bring up well her many children. She married an ignorant and mentally defective man. By him she had eleven children to whose support he has not contributed. At one time he was in a hospital for tuberculosis, where he remained for a season. He is continually intoxicated and abuses his wife and children. The family has received poor relief from the town and also private aid for the past seven years.

99  

The oldest of these children, a girl, VIII 36, was retarded in school and mentally slow. She is neat and industrious, recently married, and tries hard to get along in her new home. Her husband is a laborer and receives small wages and the two have received private aid in the past year. The second of these children, VIII 38, was very poor in her school work and is mentally defective. After leaving school she entered a cigar factory. At 21 she became pregnant and forced the man to marry her; the child was born later, and soon after this the man was arrested for burglary and sent to jail for 4 months, a longer sentence not being given, as the wife was again pregnant. These two have received a great deal of help publicly and privately. The husband is a foreigner, incapable, and untrained. The third child is VIII 40, an epileptic girl of 20. Fainting spells began at the age of 14 and soon developed into true epileptic seizures. She is now much deteriorated mentally. She married young and has one child, IX 1, now aged 2 years. This child is anemic and is paralyzed from the hips down. In 1913 the father was sick and unable to work and was given aid by the city. The mother and child were in the hospital and were supported there by the public. The fourth child, VIII 41, was retarded two years in school. She worked in a cigar factory after leaving school and did much to support her family. She has recently married. The fifth child, VIII 42, died in infancy. The sixth, VIII 43, now 15, attends school and is now three years retarded in her work. She is slow mentally and is thin and underfed in appearance. The seventh child, VIII 44, is now, at the age of 10, in grade 2 in school, attends school irregularly, and gives the appearance of being underfed. The eighth child died, and the last three children of this fraternity are still young.

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