When John E Gehrig Lost A Bet & Had To Carry 25lbs of flour from Milton To Northumberland

The Lewisburg Journal, November 1868

A Queer Bet—Dr. C. H. Dougal and John E Gehrig, entered into an agreement previous to the election to this effect: If Grant's majority in this State was 15,000 or over, Mr. Gehrig was to walk from here to Northumberland with a twenty- five pound sack of flour on his back, which was to he given to the poorest woman in that place, the . recipient to be designated by three of the prominent citizens of the borough. If Grant did not receive 15,000 majority in the State, Dr. Dougal was to carry the flour. The “provisions*’ of the bet are |to be “carried” out on Saturday, November 14, 1868| —and the winner of. the bet is to ride in a buggy behind the loser, to see that the latter carries out the contract.. We opine the road to Northumberland will be well traveled on that day! And we have no doubt Mr. Gichrig has discovered by this | time that he is to carry the flour. 

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MORE ABOUT THESE MEN

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Dr. Charles Hammond Dougal 1838-1902

From Bell's History of Northumberland County 1891: CHARLES H. DOUGAL, physician, was born in Milton. Pennsylvania, Sep­tember 20, 1838, son of Dr. James S. and Sarah Dougal. He received a good common school education, and subsequently entered Princeton College, New Jersey, where he graduated in the spring of 1859. He then commenced the study of medicine in his father's office, but in 1861 entered the United States service under General Stoneman, as a medical cadet. He was taken prisoner July 1, 1863, and was confined in Libby prison five weeks, when he was exchanged and assigned to duty at Eckington hospital, near Washington, D. C., where he remained until the following September. He then returned to Milton and resumed his medical studies, and in March, 1864, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He has since been one of the active practitioners of Milton, and has built up a large practice. Doctor Dougal was married January 4, 1866, to Annie M., daughter of Samuel Oakes, of Montour county, Pennsylvania. Two children were born to them, one of whom is living, J. Starrett. Mrs. Dougal died March 26, 1873, and he was again married, March 19 1891, to Miss Emma Clinger, of Williamsport. Politically the Doctor is a Republican; he has been chief burgess of Milton and has served in the borough council three terms. He has also served in the school board. He is an adherent of the Presbyterian church, and a mem­ber of the G. A. R. and the Masonic fraternity.

Charles was the grandson of Dr. Dr. C.H. Dougal was the son of Dr. J.S. Dougal, and the father of the second J.S. Dougal [James Starrett Dougal, named for his grandfather]. Four generations of "this celebrated and distinguished family of surgeons to practice in Milton

There is a historical marker for the Dougal House, made out of some of the stones, across from the bridge. I have not yet found a photo of the house, although one must exist somewhere??
"On this site stood the second stone house in Milton.

It was built in 1803 by Peter Swartz for Dr. James Dougal, Milton's first permanent physician and ancestor of a long line of physicians to practice in this community.

It Survived the Great Milton Fire of 1880 and was demolished in 1974, stones from the structure form the base of this plaque."

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-second-stone-house-in-milton.html

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John E. Gehrig was born in 1820. In 1850, he lived with his grandmother Angelica Gehrig, and worked as a miller - but by 1860 he was a grocer. He married Elizabeth Hougendoubler,and one of their children was Henry Hougendoubler Gehrig. Henry was a "beer bottler" in Milton, living at 172 S. Front Street - near the Miltonian Firehouse. His bottling business was on the other side at no. 182, next to Limestone Run. Henry would have been about 16 years old at the time his father carried out this wager.

photo of Byers Bottling Works
[Formerly owned by Henry Gehrig]
Albert H. Byers Bottling Works
182 S. Front Street, Milton Pa
Limestone Run is to the left, out of the picture. Albert Byers lived here with his wife Lillian and children Blanche, Adeline, Russell, Gladys and Helen in 1910. The census of 1900 shows Frank Gustave, a bottler, as the owner. The home of Henry H. Gehrig is to the right, and this bottling plant was previously owned by him.

Gehrig Bottle
Milton, Pa

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Find More Of Milton's History Here

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/milton-pa.html

And more stories and history from the area here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/milton-pa.html

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In the Historical Notes published in the early 1920's the Miltonian records that on November 13 1868. "John E. Gehrig lost an election bet to Dr C.D. Dougal and carried a sack of flour on his shoulder from Milton to Northumberland, where a multitude awaited him, and he distributed the flour among the poor.".  Articles in the Sunbury and Lewisburg papers, copied from the Miltonian, list the date as November 14th 1868, a Saturday.  

In the 1850 census, John E. Gehrig is listed with his mother Angelica Gehrig.  His occupation is given as "Miller".  By 1870 he was married, and listed as a grocer.  His son Henry would later be a bottler, and liquor dealer, in Milton Pa.

In the 1870 census Gehrig was listed as a grocery, and in 1872, his store was robbed.

John E. Gehrig, born about 1822, was listed in the 1850 census as a miller

He died in Milton May 28th, aged 52 years 3 months and 21 days.