Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-29
From Annapolis.

Christmas!
The Baptists had series of meeting:
here last week. Rev. Cumber an6
another gentleman officiating.
Misses Hattie, Minnie and Clara
May are spending the holidays at home.
They arrived last Thursday.
| Lucean and Irving Hackworth are al
home visiting their mother.
There was a shooting match for turk
eys here Friday. From the best we
can learn, the turkeys brought a good
price.
Thos. jackson is the proud father OF
a new boy.
Ben FOWL is at home on visit.
John McManus is up from Williams
vile. This burgh seems to hold an
attraction for John.
A card party and supper was given
by Mr.. and Mrs. j. S. Benson. in honor
of Miss Mathina Benson and Misses
Fannie and Daisy Sawyer. They had
an excellent time and a good crowd,
and all voted it a grand success.
d. A. johnson gave Christmas
dinner to 2 few friends to-day.
Miss Martha Warren is at home on a
visit.
VIM. Francis was in town to-day.
We met VIM. Bone on the streets
here, after seeing the REGISTERS ac-
count of his death. We have heard
since that he oied after that, but as
this makes the third time that he has
been reported dead, We will take the
last account with d little salt.
Fifteen years ago to-day, Murphy"
was at Caladonie, Ills, and thereby
hangs tail. OF course, you know
that Caladonie, is fourteen miles north
of Cairo on the c. & V. railroad, and
also on the Ohio river. Murphy" had
charge of a section on that railroad,
which position he had held for four
long days when Christmas came, cold
and rainy and muddy. Before nine
o'clock the colored population had
complete control of the town, and all
the way from fifty to three hundred
young bucks were on duty with knives
and pistols, and remained on duty all
day drinking, swearing, shooting and
yelling. Murphy did not see a white
lady on the street all day. and what
few white men stirred out during the
day. looked as about as man might
be expected to look, who was CARRYING
Il load OF dynamite and expecting it to
go off at any moment. Murphy" was
boarding with Esq. Walker, who kept
a hotel boarding house and bar room
combined, and dealt out justice to the
populace about three-fourths of whom
were negroes. During the day the
constable, who was a young white man,
and about the only one who was not
afraid of the negroes, arrested a negro
and brought him up to the Esq., office
for trial. About fifty coons followed
him. yelling at the top of their voice
all apparently trying to talk the loud
est. The justice came from behind
the bar where he had been selling mean
whiskey. and dismissed the crowd, re-
marking that he s'could not try drunk
niger with a crowd of drunk niggers
for witnesses" The old Esq. was quite
a character in his way. He joked with
the negroes and cursed them when
their backs were turned. l noticed a
little hump backed fellow who he called
Berry. Berry" said the old Esq,
..when you go to heaven, the Lord will
make great change in YOU" .'How is
that, Mars. Walker?" said Berry. "Why
Berry," said the old man, s.He will
turn your head around, and make a
full breasted niger of you ..Igives
it up to you." said Berry. The cOlored
preacher owed him thirty cents and he
told the negroes, as they came into the
bar room from time to time during
Christmas day, that he had sent word
to the preacher to come down to his
bar room on Christmas morning, get
down on his knees on the floor and
pray for him fifteen minutes, and that
he would then call the debt square.
Said he, Il told him that / would allow
him two cents minute for his prayer"
There was to be Christmas tree at the
church that night. During the after
noon the Esq. told me confidentially
that he would like to have me go to the
church and care for his children, which
as l was stranger in a strange place,
readily consented to do, as the Esq. !
had two very interesting little chaps |
about six or seven years old. He also
had three grown daughters, who |
SuppOScu Hdl SOIu pduS, anu oiu ho1
want to be bothered with the little |
ones. But when the time, horror! of
horrors! Imagine the feelings of a
bashful young man. when | learned |
that only two. of the young ladies had |
male escorts, and an old lady went |
along to take charge of the little ones, |
and the other young lady was left for
me, and to my confusion and disgrace. |
The young lady plainly resented what
she, no doubt, thought my impudence. |
Here was an awful dilemma. / would |
rather have fired cannon than go to |
that Christmas tree, but 1 dared not |
turn back. | thought l would explain |
the whole matter to her, and set my
self right in her estimation. Accord |
ingly, | began as follows: Your father |
told me he would like for me to look |
after his children, and" That was |
as far as l ever got. Il think sir"
she said. s.we are able 10 care for our
selves" Those words cut like two
edged sword. My feelings were in
describable; l was stunned; l walked |
to the church with her and sat in the |
same pew; sat through the whole per-
formance; heard the babble of merry |
voices as the presents were distributed;
/ saw nobody; l remembered no face; |
/ don't remember when we left the |
church, nor when we arrived at home. |
The whole thing is like a dream to me