To reveal a bit of Barnhart Jr.'s character, on October, 18, 1864, he placed this notice in the Norwalk Reflector:
"Barney Kline of Bellevue offers to bet $3500 on Lincoln's reelection and adds the following, which we give for the benefit of the peace, ladies, if there are such in these parts. He says, 'I offer further to marry any Union woman who will bring me a person who will accept the above bet, or who will herself put up the sum on the same terms.' "
Note that his son, Barney III, was killed in the war in August, 1864.
Another election bet occurred in the Bellevue Local News on July 17, 1880: "Barney Kline is a queer genius, as everybody knows, well upon 75 years of age, yet his confidence in the future is unshaken. He offers to lay a wager of $1000 that Garfield will be our next President, and also $1000 for each of the next for succeeding presidents that they will be Republican in politics and also $1000 that he will live to win the bets and rake in a pile."
Whether the bets were won or not has not been determined.
Many land transfers took place among the children of Barnhart in 1886 in York Township as was directed by the will.
In 1993, the columnist, Bill Oddo, of the Bellevue Gazette, Bellevue, Ohio, wrote about Barney Jr. in such an interesting way. The first article, entitled "Bellevue Has Had 'Town Characters'" appeared on September 7, 1993, on page 4 of that newspaper:
"Every small town has its 'characters,' those people so well known, that you need only to mention their first name to identify them to others. Bellevue has had its share of 'town characters,' Barnhart 'Barney' Kline, who lived in York Township, certainly filled the bill. Barney was born in Lehigh County, Pa., June 28, 1805, the son of Barnhart and Margaret Kline. The elder Barnhart was a soldier during the Revolutionary War, serving as a lieutenant.
Barney moved to Bellevue in the spring of 1832, with his wife and two children. There is little information of those early years, only that he owned a brickyard in Bellevue and Return Burlington, one of the early settlers here, he was a partner in the business. Margaret NIcely provided an abundance of information on Barney's earlier years in Bellevue and York Township.
Deed records show that he purchased two parcels of land from Phiny and Elizabeth Snow in September 1839. One parcel was 62 acres and the other was 130 acres. The purchase price was $5,000. Snow had purchased the land for $1.25 an acres in 1824. The farmland was extremely valuable because of its location, fronting on the Maumee River, now Route 20. The larger of the two parcels eventually became the Highland Cherry Farm. The smaller parcel was laid out to lots with several streets and a public square which Barney called Mt. Pleasant. The plot included a mill lot (on Co. Rd. 308) just south of the Pike. Barney then planted maple trees a short interval from what is now the Moose Club to the present York School.
Barney became somewhat of a character for a number of reasons. Several incidents no doubt contributed to his image, such as: Barney was twice married - his first wife died in the 1830s, leaving him with two children. He married Rosetta Chaples in 1838. In April, 1858, Rosetta was awarded a divorce degree from Barney. This article was taken from the Fremont Journal of April 9, 1858:
'This was a petition for divorce and alimony, prosecuted by Mrs. Kline, charging that her husband had become a convert to spiritualism, in consequence of which he became cross and morose to his family; had driven petitioner (Rosetta) from her bedroom, and, finally, when sick on a cold and stormy day, and after she had lived with him for 20 years, had expelled her from his home, thinly clad and almost destitute and compelled her to seek refuge with her neighbors. About 24 witnesses were subpoenaed from Mrs. Kline and about 45 for the defendant (Barney). The charges contained in the petition were fully established by the evidence and the defendant attempted in different ways to mitigate the force of the charge, but without success. The character of the petitioner, Rosetta, was admitted to be above reproach and the defendant's counsel disclaimed their intention to assail it. Judge Taylor awarded Rosetta the divorce.'
The Fremont Journal scribe noted that 'the trial was the great, exciting trial one of the year and occupied two days."
"Preserving Barney's Image
Two of Barney's sons served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Barney Jr. was taken prisoner in 1863 and was exchanged in early 1864. He rejoined his regiment at Reseca. He was killed near Atlanta on August 6, 1864.
His youngest son, Peter, fought in five of the major engagements including the Battle of the Wilderness in which engagement he was wounded. During his recuperation, President Abraham Lincoln visited the tent hospital where Peter shook hands with him. At the time of Peter's death, he was the last Civil War veteran in Sandusky County. He was 95 years old.
On May 1, 1880, Dr. Baker reported that Barney had been struck by a freight train and nearly killed. He wrote, 'Anxious to know how much of a bunt the old gentleman could stand, we sent a reporter out there the next morning, only to find that Barney had gone to Clyde earlier.'
The facts of the accident were that he was in the act of crossing the track at the Carver crossing with a horse and top buggy, when the local freight going wet was approaching. The old gentleman is a little hard of hearing and the track hands were at work near there who gave him no signal, he drove square on the track. He saw his danger and struck the horse which cleared the track, but the engine struck the hind wheels of the buggy and threw it with great force off to one side. Barney fell upon the ground beside the track, striking upon his head and shoulders.
The section hands were on the opposite side of the train and were compelled to wait until it passed before offering any assistance. When they approached him, he was making efforts to arise, in a sort of dazed, semiconscious condition; they carried him home where he received all necessary care, complaining more of his shoulder than any other injury. Dr. Baker concluded his story with, 'From this, it is evident that unless cars get a fairer whack at him, Barney will not shuffle this mortal coil at the bunt of a railroad car.'
Dr. Baker, in his June 18, 1881 issue of the Local News, warned the farmers that a gang of swindle paint slingers were in the area. He illustrated to his readers that gang's mode of operation and how Barney dealt with them.
'A gentlemanly appearing fellow came along in a buggy and solicited the job of painting Barney's barn - a monstrous structure - offering to do it for $25. Barney denounced him as a swindler because he could not afford to do the job. The chap came down to $15. Barney berated him more soundly than ever. The fellow offered to sign a contract with him to do it for $10. Barney thought 'Well, she-she, if he's a-mind to do the work for less than it was worth to carry the material up for, he might.'
So the blank contract was produced for Barney to sign. He was unable to read, so he handed the paper to a school teacher present who said it was a contract to do the work for $10, all right. By some sleight of hand, the paint agent slipped another contract in place of the other one. Barney signed it, agreeing to pay 50 cents a square foot for the work, which would have cost him $500 for the job.
Later, the gang of painters with their wagons, paint and ladders, arrived ready for the job and found Barney ready for them. 'Now, she-she, I agreed to pay you $10 for painting that barn. Do it and the money is ready, and not another cent will you git.'
'Why,' they said, you signed a contract to pay 50 cents per square foot.'
'Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. You are nothing but a pack of swindlers anyway, and $10 is all you'll get from me when the work is done.'
They threatened to sue him.
'Now, see here, young fellow,' said Barney, 'you've struck just the right man. I haven't had a lawsuit for some time, and I'm spoiling for the amusement. You can't sue me too quick. You'll find a God in Israel yet.' Concluding that, they aught a Tartar and they left in a hurry.'"
