Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-08-28

of these things. You suppose I die
as Oscar Wilde dld,-walk into th
dining room, smell. bow politely to th
walters, thank them, say that I ha
sumptuously dined, and retire! but
didn't. I actually staid. / stajd son,
time!
After dinner fell into the hands G
limb of the law, genuine antique
riaa, who took me in his stately car
riage, wheeled me everywhere in an,
over the haunts Of the forefathers, an,
finally upon high hill and showed al
the kingdoms of the Ipswich world
but strange to say, although he wa
the d, mean the decentest law
yer in town, he never offered to Civ,
me one of them!
Two houses, wood houses, yet stand
which were built just 25O years ago
One other. prettily situated on tn,
bank of the river just above the upper
ship landing, was built by my own re
mote grandfather, about 1885, Th.
date of its erection is not precisely
known, but it was before 1888, for II
that year, the records show, he decided
it to one of his sons, together with an
other farm called in the deed, "labor
in-vain," 105 acres. Later the house
was owned by Rev. DIR. John Emerson
one of the earliest graduates of Har.
ward College.
AT what period of time it finally
passed cut from the Emerson family
do not know, probably nearly hun
dred years later.
I wandered through the ancient
(248 years old) from cellar to
attic, with mingled emotions, and as
stood by an upper window and looked
out through its by glass, down to
the old stone wharf which the old Ip-
switch annals show the town gave the
first Emerson permission to erect, and
saw the old oak ribs of an ancient
sunken schooner projecting up above
the tumbling stones, reflected upon
he tale the old house could tell if only
t could talk history!
1t stood there long before the old
French and English wars, long before
he British captured New York-(New
4 Amsterdam) from the Dutch. It was
N old house-125 years old when the
french surrendered Quebec. It was
learly $50 years old when the declara-
ion of Independence was signed.
Its friendly root has sheltered men
vho took part in every war on this
1t saw Empires rise and
Empires fall, and stir it stands and
helters two families in its spacious
roon1sy crrrnUutU--cu -cu--vsss4 I
onesty of those who hewed and franz |
d it's timbers.
made pencil sketch of the old rel |
}, bought and brought with me, a
orse-shoe which hung at the kitchen
oor, gave the children who showed
le through few dimes, brushed off
he dust and cobwebs which had man.
ested preference to abandon the old
ouse and cling to lne,-perhaps as the
ghtful heir,-and came over to the
,endid library, where I now sit.
An admirable feature of these New
ngland towns is, they are all gather
g up libraries, and erecting beautiful
-eproof buildings to hold them. In
lem, local history is made much of,
I'd great masses Of unpublished mall
script can be found, all that. is old
I'd curious, and which will, some day,
of inestimable value to the future
storian. To me. those old records
e feast and a treasure.
Ang4st Sth.-Those old musty his
ric records are not all dry reading. I
wv and then run across some good .
kes on some of the old ancestry
hich excite smile.
In 1856 it seems that Maj Gen. Den
son, who was the most celebrated In
an fighter in these parts, twas mind
to move into We more remote coun-
ve to possess greater grant of your
.est countrye," when Thomas and
hn Emerson and others subscribed
additional salary to induce the old
r0 to remain and defend the settle
ent, for say they,-"Yep prayers ofye
ople sufficeth not to restrain ye un-
dye Indians so we'll as ye fire-locke
d ye sworde."
In 1716 it seems a dispute arose be-
zen the Rev. John Emerson, 3
andson of the first Thomas, about
e amount which had been paid him !.
salary, and committee reported -
Ill that we can finde that Mr.. Emer-
n has had that we can make out at
esent is e175. %. 3D." Whereupon =
e Rev. DR.. indorses on the report
allow of ye one hundred and seven
five pounds two shillings, as SO much 9
ide for my salary We firste three years
er came in towne.
J. EMERSON
The Emerson Coat of Arms was en- T
aved on the early headstones, row
,ss covered and much decayed. The u
st one that remains fully legible has {
s quaint sentence. below the Coat
lyes inferred ye body
Emerson who died De- O
nber We % 1712 aged SO. d
Psalm ye 90, yrs. We 6. In ye morn Y
, It fiourisheth and groeth up, in We 1
ening 1t is cut down and withereth.n F