The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-23
How Missouri Settlers Used
to Live and Spend Their
Time.
An Uncongenial Couples Ro.
mantle Experience in
Early Days.
Trading Wife and Family for u
Calf and Sack OF Salt.
Written for The Bazco.

the Gays OF the early SetIle1 EMS Il
Missouri" said an old residenter yes
terday. 81 remember when l frs
came to Missouri, it was away bacI
yOnder in 1915 when / was chit of
boy. We landed in St. Louis from
Vicksburg steamer that had mad
the trip in the then remarkable shor
space of nine days. But the rive
was low and we had twice rul
aground. A boat that started witt
US at Vicksburg did not get in unit
week afterwards.
ST. LOUIS WASN'T THEN WHAT 1T II
Main street was the business cente,
of the city and the Old State tobacco
warehouse on Sixth and Green street
was nearly in the suburbs, while
across the street where the Lindel ho
Tel stands was big lumber yard. But
it is not of st. Louis l want 10 tell,
80 we will skip that. My folks were
farmers, they came from Virginia and
we had along with us about twenty
colored folks belonging to my parents
A man named Lynch had slave
market in ST. Louis at that time and
he tried very hard 10
BUY A COUPLE OF THE BOYS
but my parents would not sell them
as they had all the money they wanted
and colored person had not been
sold from our family in forty years.
We moved out onto the Merimac
river some twenty miles from ST..
Louis where my father had entered
some government land. 1t was a
wild country and heavily timbered
with only here and there few squat
tiers who were always expecting to be
ATTACKED BY INDIANS,
the French traders In st. Louis start
ing reports of the kind every once in
awhile to make the settlers buy plenty
of ammunition and send in their furs
and produce in exchange. The woods
We're full of paroquets and wild pig
cons. The streams abounded with
fish, ducks and geese, while turkeys,
squirrels, deers and coons played havoc
with the corr. The wolves also made
trouble among hogs and other email
stock. Foxes were also very thick
but did little harm as there was
PLENTY OF WILD LowLs
for them to forage on without coming
in contact with the numerous packs
of hounds kept by the settlers. AS
usual, in early settlements there was
scarcity of women and the few girls
in the country could have their pick
and choice at a word, while married
men were looked up to by their fellows
as something to be epvied. But it did
not necessarily follow that they
were always the happiest by
any means. For the women who
were inclined to be snappish, fe,t the
Importance of their position in society
and
DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE COURTS
to get divorce. A threat of deser-
tion from one of them was generally
sufficient to cause the erring benedict
to give in TO almost anything. Among
my fathers ueighbors was family
named Burns, they were from Ohio
and pater familias, thou. b a good
hearted and whole-souled fellow was
inclined to be indolent and mulish at
times and somewhat addicted to an
over indulgence in corn juice and
apple jack of which he was the sole
possessing as he did
the only distillery in that section.
it was but primitive affair,
it gave him a wide Importance and |
made his place
A GENERAL RESORT
Of the settlers for miles around. When
Burns was in his cups he used to be
rather demonstrative and his wife
possessing a good supply of temper
and ample muscle to back it, the scenes
hat some times occurred, made plenty
IF material for gossip. Some four
niles from Burns was another settler
who came in from Ohio, named Smith.
BE was bachelor, well off, had
rood place, was splendid marksman,
luntsman and Indian fighter. He
vas much younger man than Burns,
all, slender, good looking and active
Is Cat, but like Burns he was fond
If bis grog. Naturally they became
friends and boon companions, and
much of Smiths time was spent at
Burns where the liquor was handy.
Somehow Smith grew to be a great
avorite with Mrs. Burns and it was
frequently took sides with
L