Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-12-31
A HANDY JUSTICE"
The First Official Act of Tommy
Casse1.

When Steele's Landing consisted of
natural rivcr-bank wharf and Steele's
old red store, and when the entire coun-
ty did not contain 200 settlers, old
Tommy Cassel selected the place as his
home. Every body for miles around
knew old Tommy because he came at
the same time Bildad Bennett and his
little red mill located there and because
at the time of the New Years Day in
cident about to be recorded both Tom
my Bildad had grown white headed and
comfortable. Steele's Landing had
also grown. Steele's red store had
given place to larger building of brick,
and Bildad's little mill had received adj
ditions until now it was long, ram
bling combination of grist-mill, saw
mill, woolen-mill, and plaining-mill.
The old once-a-day sidewheel steamboat
pulled and padded fussily up and down
the river about the same, but instead of
carrying all the passengers and mer-
chandise which came into that part of
the country, as of old, it had degener-
ated into weathcr-worn, rickety, old
contraption for the carrying of cord
wood, baled hay, shingles and the like.
Now the chief means of intercourse be-
tween Steele's Landing and the outside
world was the stage and teaming route
controlled and operated between the
nearest railway station-Adamsburg-
and the Landing, distance of four
miles, by n stalwart, handsome young
man named Lutte Briggs. The gossips
at the Landing, while they liked Lutte,
did not hesitate to whisper that he had
once been an eight-horse team driver in
somebody's circus, and some even went
so far as to say that his span of white
mares, Fly and Kate" were ex-circus
horses.
Every body AT the Landing confessed
that it was shame that the railroad had
been permitted to skip the town-that
is, every body but old Tommy Cassel.
Bildad Bennett and Lutte Briggs.
Tommy thought it was good thing the
railroad wentto Adamsburg, "'cause it
preserved the in-tract the keounty and
didn't spile farms and SIGH Bildad
liked the slight because "them railroad
surveyors allus expect us rich men to
give 'em right O. way fer nuthin' and
then want us to take four or five hun
dred dollars wuth of stock, wich we
can't sell or do nuthin' with nowhow.h
Lute's applause of the railway route
which left the Landing four miles "to
one sde'' was based chiefly on his own
ership and manipulation of the stage
route, which included contract to
carry the mails.
The chief reason why Tommy, Bildad
and Lutte were important factors in the
religious, social and political throbs
about the Landing was because they
delegated that privilege to themselves,
but the other reasons were their posi-
tions n commercial sense. Bildad
owned the combination mill and the
finest residence in the village, he had
been twice n member of the gr I'd jury,
and he was also father of tl.o hand
soonest girl-Jerusha Bennett-in he
country. Tommy was not only shoe
maker, but he could do good turn at
harness making, and he always beat
the bass drum-both ends-at all sun
day-school picnics and Fourth of July
celebrations. Lutte, by virtue of hS
mail carrying, was Government ofli-
cial. He had an opportunity to see rail-
way cars and their loads of passengers
daily, and finally his experience with
the circus had made of him man
well up in worldly matters. Bildad
was graspng, penurious and unso-
cial on the surface, but once in while,
and more frequently than any one knew,
he would send n load of wood, sack of
flour, side of pork, or something of
fba lind N nnaHu and tunrth hNr
resident of the place, and for week
guilty look, as though afraid somebody
had found it out. He was jealous
always, but that quality was only
shown in relation to the doings and
welfare of his daughter "Rushy."
Tommy Cassel was the best authority
on law points in the vlllage-in fact, at
the time of which am writing he had
n certificate of his election to the posi-
ton of justice of the peace slowed away
among the old lasts, discarded boots
and shoes, and other odds and ends at
the rear of his shop. Tommy could
also sing capital tenor in the choir at
the meeting house whenever the black
smith from the opposite end of the town
failed to put in an appearance. While
Tommy was very proud of his ability as
vocalist, he seldom gave thought to
his newly acquired official dignity and
power, and once when Lutte Briggs
called to ask little advice relating to
quit-claim deed or something of the
kind, Tommy said to him: "You jes
drop in on Squire Rice over to the
burgh and he'll give it to you from the
Lnalra n nf,,ft t,I I,atI,n,. ~
Jerusha Bennett was rosy-faced,
bright, active, healthy and sensible,
and as a housekeeper she ranked with
the best. She had a fair education, and
for three months previous to the event
which shook Steele's Landing to the
very center of its half-mile diameter,
she had been going over to the burgh
once week to take music lessons. She
was already the recognized organist al
the Westinghouse, and her present pur-
suit OF musical knowledge was in order
that she might better manipulate the
new piano Bildad had placed in hii
parlor on her last birthday. Being
handsome and, for the place and hel
surroundings, quite accomplished
"Rushy," as her father called her, hat
many admirers. The most important
one in the eyes of the villagers was thu
Rev. G. Banks Rice, young man si'
months away from Andover, who
preached at the burgh every SUNDAY
morning and at the Landing every Sun
day evening For these admirers, includ
ing the preacher, Bildad had no favor
and he had been heard to remark tha
There amt no one this side of Yorl
State good enough for 'Rushy," AS 70
the Roy. Rice, he was good enough as
preacher, thought Bildad, 'but then.
don't want Rushy to marry maj
what don't know nothin' but books.