The Winslow mail., 1898-09-03
GREAT STATE FOR KIN.
An Odd Family Trait That Is Said tc
BE Peculiar to Some of the Good
DANES of Missouri,

''There are more old families in Mis-
souri, than in any other state west of
the Mississippi" said man from that
section to the friends who were enter
tanning him. "And that is why if you
spend the day i'll any old home out
there you will find before you leave
that you are of kin to the family, or
some one whose name happens to be
mentioned. During the civil war there
were more kinsmen of John c. Breck-
inridge in Missouri than that individual
could muster in Kentucky. There are
some counties i'll Missouri that were
settled by the next of kin of Henry
Clay, to hear them tell it, and they are
still living. The Tpdds and Lincolns
are as thick as hazelnuts in the fall.
That became quite noticeable after
Lincoln was president. There was
gambler in the town where lived who
ever amounted to much until after the
election of Lincoln, and then as his
name was Lincoln he claimed the dis
tant relationship which, In Missouri,
is as good as next of kin, provided the
family with whom kin is claimed is
respectable and has been successful.
"For many years after the war
wherever you found Price in Mis-
souri, you found a relative of Pap
Price who had such hold on the af-
fections of the southern people of the
state. There are good old women in
Missouri who do nothing but make up
family records, and whenever any
body In the world comes to the front
these motherly old souls find that the
favored ones are their kin. Just after
the Manila fight the newspapers of
Missouri had to crowd out war news
and advertisements to make room for
the letters from the Deweys in the
state, or from people related to the
Dewey family. People who had mid
die name beginning with 'D' said it
was for Dewey.
ga good many years ago was max
ing a campaign in my district. I got
lost one stormy night, and called out
in front of a farmhouse for lodging. I
was informed that there was no place
to sleep. While was wondering which
way I would go heard woman ask:
What is his name?'
'The patriarch in the door repeated
the question, and 1 said Craig
Any kin to Gineral Jeems Craig?'
asked the woman inside.
Nephew said.
'Alight and come in was the re-
sponse.
"Gen. James Craig was a former
congressman from that district, and
had visited these people and sent them
garden seed, and they felt themselves
honored by the attention. Any friend
of his was welcome there, and before
I left the house The good old woman
told me that her mother was Craig
and that she and the general had found
that they were of kin.
'About ten days ago was in Audrain
county. Mo-, buying live stock. Au-
drain is one of the old sections of the
state. 1t is next to the county which
to this day is called the Kingdom of
Galloway, and not far from Pike.
There has not been new family in
either of these counties for so years.
I mean a family from any other state.
The last night | was in Audrain coun-
ty stopped al farmhouse where we
talked about the present war. was
enthusiastic abou; Hobson. When I
had made a regular speech about him
the old farmer went to the door of an
adjoining room and said:
Ma, here is man who knows Hob
son.
Before I could correct my host his
good old wife was in the room, and she
began. So far as she has been able to
learn she was no kin to the hero, -on
her side, and none that she knew of on
her husbands side.
"'But you know Mrs. Emily Dill,
maybe?' she said. Lives near Mexico,
the county seat. Well, she is close kin
to Hobson, and she is one of my best
friends. And then there's Judge Pier
sons family. He was judge of our dis
trict when I was q girl. Lived in Mex
leo and left many descendants. Well,
his people were Hobsons, and Mrs. Dill
says they are all of the same family.
The Persons ami Dills came from Ala
bama, near the Hobsons.'
"And so, thought, here it is again.
Old Missouri is bound to be in it what
ever it is that is going on. reckon by
the time the war is over there won't
be a successful general or admiral or
commodore who won't be able to go to
Missouri and live around among his
kin for the rest of his life, for they are
powerful hospitable in Missouri, es-
pecially where you are of KIM. Y.
Sun.