Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-10-11

DIR. Walton occupied them. John B.
Morris lived at the old tavern stand,
in the north of town, and many q
weary traveller has extended his ride
in order to reach its hospitable privi-
leges. No house in the State sur
passed it in the deliciousness of it's
culinary department. Near by was
the home of Alfred Cauthorn, the
preachers paradise. John Wiling
ham lived off the square a few rods on
Monroe street, and rude log huts
could be seen here and there among
the brush, making the little village of
New Mexico.
l see to-day before me the repre-
sentative men of that day-the lead
ers here as we'll as in Prairie and Will
son townships; men who, in their
day, we're the controlling forces in
those localities. Positive men gave
character to these townships and
we readily call to mind such men as
Bill Sims, as he was familiarly called,
Rube Pulls, Frank Canterbury, Sum-
ner, Hubbard and the Bottses, and
many others l could mention, who in
political times were always prominent.
But l realize that many have passed
beyond this life and are seen no more.
(Some one in the audience stated that
Abe Tinsley was still living.) Yes;
Tinsley was always ready to serve his
country, and was a man of his own
opinions. He and DIR. Hardin, /
recollect, ~canvassed the county for
representative. The canvass was a
warm one and each, of course, did
what he could for his election. They
happened to both stop at a house in
the country n night, and. as was
natural, they both desired to ingrati-
ate themselves into the good opinion
of the lady of the house. Early in
the morning, before it was yet light,
Abe slipped out into the yard to hold
the calf while the lady of the house
MIXED the COW. The Doctor think
ing Abe was asleep in the next room,
quietly stole from his bed with a view
of stealing a march on the sleeper,
and in the darkness hurried to the
chip-pile to gather kindling to make
a fire for the lady to get breakfast
with. In his haste and the darkness
he stumbled over Abe with the calf
between his knees, and thus the trick
of each was discovered. Those were
pleasant days for electioneering, al
though the canvass was often hot and
would occasionally run up to red
heat.
The first court house, a log build
ing, stood in the center of the block
fronting the square on the south,
where for some time Charley Weinand
disposed cake and candy to the little
ones. 1t had two rooms-one for the
clerks office and the other for the
court room. This in time, however,
} gave way for a two-story, old style
square building, with hip-roof, that
stood in the center of the square
where this beautiful structure now
stands. From this building was dis
pensed justice and religion, and in
its upper story were the lodge rooms
tof the orders then in existence in
the village. Mr.. Mcintyre, in his
speech, has given you the names OF
the officers that kept the machine in
working order, and has told you some
8 incidents to illustrate the manner bus.
mess was transacted in those early
days, especially by the sheriff, Uncle
Jack Willingham. But he has prob
t ably overlooked a circumstance which
t occurred in the same office, during
the administration of Jack Willing
ham as sheriff, and with which hi
t father, Uncle Charley Mcintyre, was
a prominent participant. Jack hat
| collected the State revenue, and wa
l taking it over to Jefferson City to pay
t it into the state treasury. Thu
amount, I think, was about one hun
/ dred and twenty dollars. On his wa,
to Jefferson City, Jack met Uncl
Charley Mcintyre going to a neigh
, bors to buy some nice cattle he hat
selected, and Uncle Charley, wishing
e to get them on the best terms posi-
BILE, desired to pay the cash. HI
s learned of Jack that he was takin:
the money to the capitol, and imme
s diately entered into a negotiation 70
;. a loan. Jack turned the money owe
e to Uncle Charley and then returne'
e home, and, in due course of time
e Uncle Charley returned the revenu
e to Jack, and thus Uncle Charley wa
accommodated the State lost moth
ing, and Audrain county came u
s nobly to her credit, and the sheri1
e never defauIted.
Up to this period, and for year
after, Mexico was but a small village
and everything in the way of mel
. chandise from st. Louis and else
it where was brought here by the wa
of Hannibal in wagons. We wei
fifty miles from any public highway
g in a country that produced but little
# In 1854, the North Missouri railroa
was projected, and the county sui
1t scribed to its stock fifty thousan
l. dollars. The taxable wealth of til
= county was only about $500, DOT
% Notwithstanding we had 1000
acres of land in the county. ]
-.