The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-27
OF THOMAS MCCLURE.

OF community forever, the
event and the man deserves
more than n passing notice. Not the imme-
date neighborhood in which he lived alone,
but this whole county, was greatly and per-
mnncntly benefited because Mr.. Mcclure
lived in it, and how and to what extent he
did this can not be u matter of total indif-
ference to those who survive him here and
who share iIthese benefits.
Mr. Mcclure came to this county quite
young man. He came one day in about
the year lS42 to the house Of the father OF
Sheriff Hodges at Unity, and said he was
in search Of, his uncle, Mathew Mcclure who
lived at Clear Creek. He had travelled
many miles on foot, and was penniless,
hungry, tired and meagerly clad. The
principal portion of his suit consisted OF
pair Of bedtlck pants, and his wardrobe
was tied up in u red bandana and hung
from the end Of stick across his shoulder.
Mr.. Hodges kindly took him in, gave him
what he needed in the way of food and
rest, and then directed him to his destna.
ton. His uncle had small farm ana a
tract of umbered land. Young Thomas
found his uncle, applied fora job and got
it. After u few days rest Thomas WAS
told to 60 out IN the woods to make rails
at about thirty cents per hundred. He
went, worked a week cutting down some
Of the finest looking trees on
the place and expected to do
big job Of splitting the next week
He spent Saturday preparing wedges,
etc Next Monday he labored all day, from
early morn till after sundown trying to
make single rail, and without success.
He had spent week cutting cypress
trees and, of course, he couldn't
split a single one of them. He
went home and told the 'old man be
thought he would quit making rails, and he
did.
He got married shortly after and thereby
came into possession of not only An excel
cnt wife, but of forty acres of land near his
uncles place. This was the beginning of
his remarkably and uniformly successful
career. He went to work with IN energy
and tact which was in direct contrast to
that of the small farmers all around him.
His farm was always the cleancst, his crops
were the best cultivated his harvests were
the richest. But his first wife died few
years afterwards and in about 1852 he
moved to Thebes where he went into a
> small business aud soon after married a
Miss OVERLY, his second wife, now living.
But he soon returned to Clear Creek con
tnued to give all his attention to his little
farm, increased it in size every year, always
using rare good judgement in selecting his
acres and in making them yield all there
! was in them. He was the life of the neigh
borhood in which he lived. His activity
was contagious Those who lived
around him, who had lived indolently,
whose lands had theretofor been carelessly
) cultivated, and whose crops had been mis-
cradle, became Jealous. A rivalry was
created Thomas McClure's good counsel
was saught and freely given; the farmers
for miles around, were awakened as from
= a Rip Van Wrinkle slumber the little farms
assumed more cheerful appearance 4;
crops were better, prosperity greater and
more general; a comparative wilderness
was transformed as if by magic into green
cmblazoned or golden fields, and to-day
there is not piece of finer farming coun-
E try in this state than can be seen in Clear
Creek precinct and vicinity, and Thomas
Mcclure is, in a greater measure than any
other single man. responsible for it,
Thomas McCures property, at the time
of his DEATH comprised l,612 acres all un-
der cultivation, furnished with all neces-
sary buildings Of substantial character
and with all the improved farm
ing machinery of the day. All
t this land is in the vicinity of
Clear Creek, where he owned his first forty
acres, and the view from his neat, com
Portable home is fine one, especially in
harvest time when, standing upon the front
step OF the house, one can see over level
fields covered with finely growing products
> Of various kinds, stretching full mile to
either side and three quarters of n mile in
width. This single field comprises over
eight hundred acres A good grist mill
and two saw mills are also among
the industries established and kept in
operation by Mr., Mcclure. Some years ago
Mr.. Mcclure sold over ten thousand bush
els of wheat from his farms, and last year
he sold FOURTEEN THOUSAND, FOUR