The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1881-01-15
InterestIng Letter..-Read t.
Petersburg, Tenn, Dec. 81 1880.
R. T. FoRD, Editor and Proprietor Of

= ptSASANA - AS 1870 80 @Sg
R. F. FoRp, Editor and Proprietor o.
the Advertiser, Ripley, Miss:
My Much EsrH NED FRIEND:
Something
over tEirty.one years ago, I became
4 citizen ofgour town, which then
consisted 81 1850 inhabitants. ]
made my arst stop With Bird B.
Smith, who was tEen running the
Hotel, and ! doubt very much
whether any Of his successors has
kept table better supplied with
something to suit the appetite Of
a hungry man than he and his kind
lady did.
The Advertiser was then run by
John F. Ford, assisted by Henry
Bickerstaff. J. +. Rogers was may
or Of Ripley at that time. The
county officers Of Tippah were at
that time a MIR. Blair, sheriff; Il. W.
Stricklin, circuit court clerk; Dan
lei Hunt, probate clerk; James 10
gan, county judge; Sion Rogers,
Treasurer. 1sF gRaB c4FK9E
The legal Bar them 06nsistsd Of
N. s, Price, John W. Thompson, a.
NJ. Jackson and 0. Davis. w. @.
Falkner, O. A. B~rougher and 7. 9.
Hindman were then making their
first efforts at the Bar. The leading
medical men Of Ripley then con-
sisted Of w. d. Garter, j. B. Ellis
and Jones & Black. Jno. Y. hurry
and Frank Whitlow commenced
rolling pills at that time, and set up
business for themselves. DR.. Muir.
ry remained and made himself use
tul as a citizen in more ways than
one.
The dry goods merchants then
consisted Of W, R. Cole, Reese &
Moores, Z. F. Jordan, o, +. Phil.
IN L- Et I.
brick, q. T. Miller & Son, Brown &
Simpson, L, S. Holcombe, s. R.
Spight, A. G. Barnett, W. L. Ora
ham, and W. R. Lewis. The car
penters Of Ripley then consisted Of
Jesse A. Pate, Sam. Wilson, Tally
Bros, James Anderson, A. Green
and D. A. Burnett. Blacksmithing
by the Buchanan Bros, and Jerry
Oakes. Livery Stable by John W
Hopkins. Church Pastors, w. A,
Gray Of the Presbyterian, Rev. Q. G.
Glover of the Methodist, Rev. Mr.,
Morton ofthe Baptist and Coop.
er and A. q. Frazier Of the @. p.
Church. | remained a citizen OF
Ripley about 16 years ssand there
had many changes taken place in
and about Ripley while | remained;
and ! suppose by this time there
are but few of the 1850 inhabitants
remaining; and / expect a large
majority Of the citizens first knew
in Ripley have gone to the other
shore. When left Ripley in 1885
there vas but little left in Or about
the public square but crumbllng
walls and general destruction; not
a house left on the public square.
A few more hours and the year,
1880 will be numbered With the
past, and IS I have not seen . copy
Of the Advertiser in several years,
/ have concluded to renew not only
my subscription to the Advertiser,
but my acquaintance to the good
citizens ofRipley and it surround-
lings, through the columns Of youT
most excellent journal. I passed
my happieat daysin and about Rip.
LEY; and It ID 3 pleasant thought to
think back and that part 81
my life spent in Ripley. We are
jast passing thFoagb 9 very severe
spell 81 cold weather; the murcury
marked IS low AZ 2 above zero.
We have 4 narrow gauge b, a.
running To our town now. There
has been about 2kOO hogs shipped
from here this fall. Several car
loads Of beef cattle and mules, and