Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-19
HECAIR0 THAT WAS.
Dips into Old CNi2'O -L2Te'
TIE PLACE, THE PEOPLE, OC'
CURRENCES AND DPASTIMES.
BY NOSE HARRELL.
NUMBER Y.

| 1t is work of sad and melancholy interest
TO ransack the memory for the names and call
ing of those who, eighteen or twenty years
ago, form d the business and professional mer
of Cairo.
They were few then, not more than forty OF
fifty, but where arc they now? The few live
ten Of them, yet among us-but the many are
sleeping the great sleep, and some of them II
graves 1--WE know not of.
Of the larger list we recall the following
Qong since with their fathers). who, could
they be called from their slumbers, would see
in the thriving city and busy thousands now
| here, more than fulfllment of their sangnine
predictions as to the future of Cairo
Oliver S. Sayre, Stephen Il. Candee,
7. j. Smith, Henry Slmmons,
James Berry, A. }. Jehords,
DR.. J. J. Rutter. Jno W. Work,
Daniel Morgan, VIM Wilson.
Abram Wright, David McGilvery,
J. s. Freeman. Darius Holbrook,
| Lewis NJ Young, T. j. Wood.
In the winter of lS49 the Asiatic Cholers
visited Cairo, and carried off several of its cit
izens The writer was then domiciled on {
wharf-b boat at the landing, around which were
gathered number of family and business boats
Even now memory brings back the piercing
and agonizins groans from among the inmates
of these boats, as night after night they prayed
! for that relief which never came to them. AT
te- few weeks stay the dread epidemic dis
appeared, its disappearance causing a
measure of Joy and gratitude only equalled
by the terrible dread of its approach
One year afterwards the same scourge
reappeared, this time, however, crea-
ting more alarm than havoc. The next yeal
it was forestalled by the smallpox.
Up to the year 1947 Col. Walter Falls was
postmaster here. He was succeeded by B. Shan
messy. Those curious about historical trihes
might be gratifed by examining some Of the
quarterly returns Of these gentlemen, particu-
larly the Cairo post-office now, in point of la
Dor performed is the fourth or fifth in the
Union. The monthly compensation Of the Of
flee twenty years ago did not exceed four or
five dollars; and I recollect seeing balance.
| sheet, where the compensation for a Quarter:
| or, three months, was only So 81.
Add. H. Sanders brought a printing press
and materials to Cairo, and in the spring of the
year ls4s published the first number of good
sized, handsome and ably filed weekly paper
called the Cairo Delto The project Of start
ing paper in such place as Cairo then was,
seemed SO desperate, and the ability displayed
in its columns so marked, that the Delta
c+o
where. And the office of the paper was the
institution Of the city. The heart Of the editor
weighed about 15 lbs. and the editor, heart,
No. boots and all, only weighed % lbs-or
about tie same as anybody's little wife. In
everything but size he was what Ed. Trover
would denominate ''hugeous.' A fellow OF
infinite jest, no visitor land they were hundreds
weekly, ranging in character from ex-presi-
dents and English lords down to Mexican Grea-
sers and American gentlemen Of African efflu
via)Hleft his sanctum without a grin upon his
features or feeling refreshed generally. Eve
rybody knew him, and his latch string was Oh
to everybody.
His advocacy of the claims of Cairo upon
public attention, as an advantageous site for a
CONNER ciai city, and his espousal of what was
then known as State Policy, were earnest and
able, persistent I know, aud effective believe.
He left here in November lS49, after stay OF
eighteen months, anG went to Evansville, Ind.
being drawn there bya 'sbonus'' from the lead
ing citizens, which, to a young man like him,
with little experience in newspaper lie, w;is
really very tlattering testimonial. He as
sumed there the prcpretorship and editorial
control of the Evansville Daily Journal, and
soon rendered it one of the leading papers OF
Indiana.
There is Que copy of the old Cairo Delta yet
in existence. Would it not he a treasure for
the reading rooms of our Library Association?
Speaking of the character Of the visitors at the
Deltc office, brings to mind the fact that Cairo
then, more than now, was the stopping point
for distinguished persons Then they stopped;
but now owing TO our closely connected and
nicely adjusted facilities for travelling, they pass
through without stopping, and almost without
our knowledge of their distinguished pres
ence.
Old Sam Houston, of Texas, used to make it
IL point to stop at Cairo, sometimes for three
and four days, on his way to and from Wash
ington. He usually employed his time in fish
ing from the stern guards Of the wharf-boat.
On an occasion Of this kind he had ''set to-
with a Cairo youth which will bear telling
about.
The youth, like himself, was fishing, Houston
on the wharf boat and the boy on a wood-boat
moo:ed Just below. At the interesting june
ture of "a bite at the boys bait, Houston
threw out his line which became hopelessly
entangied with that Of the boy. There was a
pause. Neither seemed to have a word fitted
for tie occasion At last Houston broke the
silence.
Sonny, go elsewhere and fish, and then
we'll avoid, these entangling alliances
You be blasted, old short coat. y retorted
the bud of promise, ''go elsewhere yourself
and fish,
81 apprehend you are a very saucy boy, y
returned the Senator, 'ior whom there are.
by no means, enough rods in pickle"
Now look here old SkeeZcks,' - cried the
bov fully agitatcd, II don't want to quarrc
with you, nor nobody like you, fol know you
Your name is Sam Dawson, and you live il
! Texas, and like everybody else you stole hos
| and had to 90 there ; and now yon are putin
! on ~ h;6r china Won old thief and callin y0rr