The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1880-12-17
What We Records Tell Of Ye Olden
Time. When Men Were Honest
Not Entirely for Policy.
Some Interesting Facts and Zig
urcs Given in n Most En-
tertaining Way.
f71$ f1QeNOVS
ny ~ Dry wit.

lar-tu ~ ifnti Af'Nf ai' i'''f WV '"'
divided 20 NJ to form nine counties instead
three four Of them being made out Of
Fayette, two out OF jefferson and three out
Of Lincoln. The counties carved out OF
Lincoln were Mercer and Madison. These
nine counties composed the State Of Ken
lucky when she was admiiic into the
Union by an Act Of Congress, pa sed June
ist, i792.
So old l.incolns one hundrcith birth
day has occurred, or is to occur sometime
in the present year, she, as we'll a. the
writer, having evidently forgotten the pre-
else time, or else remembering H. like most
females, kept il secret. IL looks sillv-
too, Cor her to be trying to hide her age
when all the world know. she u the moth
er Of old Mrs. Mercer, Mrs. Madison, Mr..
Casey and at least thirty other nov yencr-
able daughters.
COURTS
While yet under the Dominion Of Nir-
GINA, from l7Sl to i7g2, the Judiciary
powers eAcrti-tu W TUE hehth'Nf N'H"'F
seem to have been con6ded to Supreme
Court, a Court Of Quarter Sessions and a
County Court. The Supreme Court cor
responded to our present Court Of Appeals
in it, functions, and held H. sessions al
Danville. The Court { Quarter Sessions
was similar to our Circuit Court in it,
powers and Jurisdiction, and for Lincoln
county was held at Stanford. II was com.
posed Of limited number Of Justices Of the
Peace, any two Of whom could hold the
Court. The County Court was coa,posed
Of the Justices Of the county and had the
same jurisdiction which j. exercised by the
Quarterly Court, the Court Of Claims ard
the County Court ell combined Of the
present day, with the addition Of authority
to try certain ohenso- and misdemeanurs
not Of capital nature. For Lincoln COIN
ty this Court was also held at Stanford.
Its first term, however, was held at liar
rodsburg on January 10th, ISL, and soon
afterwards it, place Of meeting was changed
to St. Asaph's near Buffalo Spring, and
from that place it was moved to Stanford
in l7S7.
After the organization Of the State Gov
eminent under the Constitution adopted at
Danville in 1892, changes were made from
time to tims respecting judicial tribunals,
which need not be here enumerated until
the present system Of Courts, or a system
not materially differing from il. was esiab-
lished.
JUDICIAL AND MINISTERIAL OFFICERS.
The Justices holding the frst County
Court for Lincoln were: BENJAMIN Logan,
John Logan, Hugh Mctiary, Stephen Trgg
and William Mcbride. The frst Sheriff
Of the county was John Bowman and the
Inst Surveyor, James Thompson; the form
er being commissioned by the Governor of
Virginia, and the latter, according to the
record, "by the President and Masters Of
the College Of William and Mary There
was no such officer IT, JaileT then, the
Sheriff being the legal custodian Of prisons
and prisoners by virtue. Of his office. Nor
was there, a now, County Assessor, but
the tax lists were taken by Commissioners
appointed by the County Court for the sew
eral militia distiicts Of the county. Eacl,
Court appointed its own Clerk, the tenure
Of whose office was during good behavior
The first County Clerk was William May,
who served from 1881 TO 1888, when he re-
signed, and upon his resignation Willis
Green was appointed, who held the posi-
ton till April nth, 1903, aperiod oftwenty
years, and then resigned. lie was succeed
ed by Thomas Montgomery, who resigned
June 18th, ISL, having served little over
eight years, and then Thomas Helm was
appointed, Who continued in office until
June ?, 1851, the date Of the installation Of
Champe Carter, the first Clerk elected uu-
der the present Constitution. Green,
Montgomery and Helm were also Clerks o.
the Circuit and Quarter Session Courts at
the same time they we're County Clerks.
These gentlemen seem to have been much
given to good behavior" Judging from the
length Of time they we're in service.
Whether this was owing to their natural,
goodness, or whether il was
induced by the hope Of reward on
the one hand in the form Of fees, and /
the dread Of punishment on the other by |
the loss Of office and fees, are questions I
which cheerfully leave for the consider I
alton and speculation OF any who may
have fancy for such mental exercise I Z
can say, however, that whatever may have
been the governing motive with these officers
they have left upon the record unmistaka-
BILE, and to me, satisfactory proof Of their
fidelity and efficiency Mr.. Montgomery,
upon resignine as Clerk, was admitted to
he bar as an attorney, and at The same
lime wa. appointed by the Court Attorney
Ior the Commonwealth. lIoS long he
Sorked in that capacity did not take the
rouble TO learn. lie afterwards enlisted
md served some time as private soldier
N the war Of 1872, and was subsequently
elected to Congress for two or three terins,
n which position he acquitted himself
Siih honor lie was the father Of our
Dr. Thomas u. Montgomery,
Il Stanford, aud lived where Judge Bailey
row resides, adjoining the town Of SIAN
ord. His portrait may be seen in the Cir
nit Court room Of the oun.llou,e. OF
Willis Green's career after he ceased 10 he
Jerk ! can give no account, not having
lad time and opportunity 10 investigate il.
lii official acls, a. exhibited by the records
# lhe two Clerks Offices, show plsinly that
ne vas = man not merely Of clerical skill
md official failhfulnes, but also hat he
vas gifted with no ordinary intellect. The
'rders entered by him many Of which
sere necessarily in HE own diclion- are
sorded with great el,arn,ss and ele-
,anee, and evince a perfect understanding
4 the subjects Ia hand a. we'll as his su-