The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-16
MISSOURI MEMORIES.
An Ante-Bellum "Reminiscences
Which Embraces a
Tragedy.
How an Old Time Bully Got Even
for Being Thrashed.
W.itten for the Bazoo.

W:itten for the Bazoo
In the early days of the Missouri
Pacific railroad st. Louis county wa
Tar different place TO what it now is
and indeed. up to the beginning O
the late war, it was but few hours
ride by wagon out into woods as wild
and primeval as can now be found in
the far west, which abounded with
deers, turkeys, foxes, and an occasion,
al wolf or catamount, while ducks and
wild pigeons fairly filed the air dur
ing their migratory seasons. Eigh-
teen miles from the city of St. Louis
was
A LITTLE WAY STATION
On the Merrimac river bearing the
name of Merrimac station. 1t was at
the confluence of Fish Pot creek with
the river and was great resort for
sportsmen and the amateur bon ton
gunners of the great city. The station
was located in the center of the large
farm of Capt. George Taylor, at that
time one of the wealtbiest and best
known steamboat captains in the New
Orleans packet line. On the north
bank of the river lived a gruff but
good hearted specimen OF the western
pioneer named Charles Blackwell. He
kept the ferry and spent the greater
portion of his time hunt
ing leaving the care of his farm to
hired help and son who was
BIG ENOUGH TO PLow.
The invasion of the railroad naturally
brought more people and more bust
ness to that section, and Blackwell
was forced to see the vast timber area
disappearing before the axe and saw,
and game gradually being driven off,
This he looked upon as an interference
with his rights and regarded with a
hostility akin to that of an Indian.
He often made threats, but did not
carry them out, owing to his better
promptings. but by degrees he grew
morose and sullen and finally made
an effort to recover himself by plung-
ing into the vortex of speculation.
This, however, led him int
NEW TEMPTATIONS,
and it gradually begun to be whis-
pered about that Blackwell was be-
coming a drunkard. As a natural
sequence troubles came up between
himself and wife, who was a petite
and pretty little brunette full of life
and temper and one of the best farm
er wives and housekeepers in the land.
The gossip grew stronger and stronger
and at last it was openly declared
that Blackwell beat his wife unmer-
cifully. Then came whispers of even
worse scandal. In BlackwelPs employ
as ferryman was a young man named
Nelson Neal. He was quiet, steady
going soul, not over handsome, his
ugliness being enhanced by vacancy
where one of his eyes ought to have
been, caused by an accident while a
bow. On more than one occasion he
stood between the burly Blackwell
and
HIS DIMINUTIyE SPOUSE
to save her drubbing, and it was
not long before the tongue of scandal
said things were not as they should
he between the hired man and the
spouse of our hero. This led to new
difficulties, and Neal at last left the
country, going to Arkansas, it was
aaid.
Left without any protection the
DOOR wife's trials became so great al
to be unbearable, and at last she lef
between two days, taking with bel
some S400 Of the recreant husbands
savings. =,
Where she went was unknown TO
months. One day, however, Black
well suddenly left, without even tell
ing his children, son and daughter
ofhis intentions. But as he had no
added greatly, oflate to their comfort
but
LITTLE FUSS WAS MADE
over his disappearance, and the son
now Is years of age, became proprie
tor and provider. Six months late
Blackwell returned as mysteriously a
he left. but even more sullen and mo
rose than before. Somehow it be
came whispered about that ne ha'
gone to Hot springs, where he foun'
his wife and Neal living together, an
it was even asserted that, being vi
able to get her to return home, ne ha
killed Neal and escaped. But as II
official hunt was instituted the stoE
remained only as an unfounde
rumor.
Inafew weeks after his return
was noticed that Blackwell mad