Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-07-31
Old Times.

Ed. Register-As our wheat, oats
and hay are all gathered in the stack
and barn, our corn laid by, aud in the
silk and tassel, | feel as though / would
like to live one night over again.
Way back, in the early days of the
west, about the time we laid by our
corn and began to feel that the heavy
summer work was over. then you
would begin to see the coming crop of
candidates for office, like locusts, COM
ing up in clouds and covering the land.
Ah, how smiling and how sweet they
looked! how they would grasp your
hand; how interested they were in your
welfare; how full of love and milk of
human Kindness. How they would
enquire of all your interests, and the
baby-"Ah, my darling, my sweet,
precious, how sweet you look! why
you are the picture of your ma-the
precious darling! Let me see those
pretty eyes, let me kiss those sweet
little lips. O. you dear sweet! Oh, l
had forgotten to say [ am a candidate
for office, and hope you will consider
me your friend, and will remember me
when you vote. feel | have special
call to fill the office. / feel my coun-
try needs me in this trying Lour. And
when election day comes, on the first
Monday in August, don't forget your
country's needs"
When We first came to the Valley
all of this side Of old Madison west Of
the St. Francois river voted in az old
barn out in the field on Marble creek.
/ RENE Der one year / was one of the
clerks of the election. The poll books
were different from the present, and
we voted differently. A man comes
up to vote.
well, Joe, who you going to vote
for?r
II dunno-whos runnin'?"
"Well, Clabe Jackson for Governor"
who's he? Never hearn tell of him.
He meyer come my way"
He's a democrat"
"Well, put her down."
"Who EeXt?"
"Well, there's lots of them. Well, I
vote for the whole caboddle of 'em.
So it would go all day. There
wern't one half Of the voters, at that
time. that could read or write. The
officers of the election would have to
tell over and over. again. and again,
the names of each candidate, as each
voter came up to cast his vote. I said
cast; / should have said, to tell whom
he preferred for office. l we'll remem-
Der was entrusted with the pool-books
to return them to the courthouse at
the county seat OF
Madison county. AS / rode to town,
[ thought, what large country and
how few people lived in ii; for passed
but four houses between Arcadia and
Frederick town, distance of twenty
miles-which seemed to me to be forty,
at the least. When reached the town,
| saw a great many folks-a great
many for that time-for man had
been taken out Of Jail and hung by a
mob. The Jail was an old log concern,
aud 1t did not take much time for the
mob to do the work. AS went in the
/ saw there was good deal
of excitement among the people. On
a 1ax ho
livid mark around his neck where the
rope had cut into the flesh. To me it
as most sickening sight.
That night,..a good many of the in
habifants of Madison. county. became
convinced that the climate of old Mad
ison was not healthy one for them,
and if the census of the county had
been taken the next day it would have
been fifty or hundred short.
On my way home. as I crossed the
ST. Francois river, [ saw a good many
fine fish swimming and floating on the
water. When I reached home asked
father if we boys could go,fishing down
to the St. Francis. He said, II don't
care; if you want to go. go ahead; but
I would not be afraid to cay / could
cat ali the fish you will catch, heads
scales and ALL"
My old pard was living with US. The
next morning we, after getting our
bait and hooks, and big pair of sad
dlebags well filled with bread and but
ter and cheese of my own mothers
make-ab, such cheese you don't see!
1t was cheese fit for the gods. After
everything was ready, we put the sad
dlebags on horse and started, all of
US on foot. Why did not we take
wagon? Because we had to take it
right through the woods where there
was no road. / took my "Old Betseyn
on my shoulder. l took no fish hook.
Old Pard and l went to gig fish. had
in my bullet pouch little three tined
gig that would screw on the end of my
ramrod, the same as my wipers. Old
Pard took a large gig. When we
we were pretty tired and hungry.
After lunch, took out my ran,rod
and fixed the gig to it; then cut good,
dry, cedar limb about an inch through
and about five feet long, for a bow,
with a good strong cord fastened to
each end, and was ready for fishing.
c.t l..