The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-04

County was carved. then known as Gas
conade County. and during those seventy
six years has remained In the county. never
having made his home elsewhere. He was
married in 1851. but has no children. His
parents remained in this county until their
death, at which time he was 30 years Old.
He was a member OF one Of two families for
whose education a teacher was specially
employed. and the instructor was paid SO n
month. He the building Of the
first church IN the county-by the Baptists
in 1885. prior to which time church serv-
ices were held at the several homes. Hs
wore homespun clothing. made from cot
ton. wool OF flax. The spinning and card
ing were all done by hand. His wedding
suit was homcspun. ard the bride counted
herself richly attired when she received a
calico dress in which to be welded. II cost
On cents a yard.
Mr.. Gillespie cast his first vote in islS. an
nouncing to the udRes FOR whom he desired
to vote instead Of depositing a ballot. The
principal farm product was corn: wheat was
practically unknown. IL was a common cc-
currence TO kill a deer before breakfast,
the hunt lending zest to the meal. Money.
he said. was plentiful until the land onices
opened. These. through the purchase of
lands. took the money from circulation.
Such land as he owned he bought from his
father. who was a large slaveowncr. Quilt
ings. c~orn-huskings and town ball were the
popular amusements. Girls were scarce.
and for that reason men were generally al
an advance age when they married. In
dams were numerous. and on one occasion
y hand OF and another CT Osa ses.
each out on a hunt. met in conflict. The
Shawnees took refuge in a cave. The
Osages began 20 block up the entrance and
said they would starve the Shawnees out.
They had their labor for nothing. as the
Shawnees escaped by another entrance. He
had helped several times to drive herds of
cattle to ST. Louis. consuming twenty days
in the journey. On such occasions he
brought hack supplies. His first trip 20 st.
Louis was in 1871. He bought a lot of salt.
then packed In sacks only. at ESQ per sack.
selling it to storckeepers at waynesviIle at
@S a sack. His father started probably
the frss orchard in the county. in 1874. con-
sisting wholly of apple ;rees Some Of these
stiiI stand and bear fruit. thoush IL is small
and Of inferior quality Travellers were rare.
hut where accommodated could not more
grievously insult their host than to offer to
pay for their entertainment.
Mrs. Harriet Gillespie was born In Indi-
ana In 1895. In 1888 she came to Pulaski
County and has continuously resided her.
since. During her g.rihood she assisted in
making clothing for the family. she being
one Of nine children Not only was the
clothing homemade. but the men were
their own shoemakers. For Illuminating
purposes. vessels containing grease. with a
string or rag for a wick. were used, a
candle then being as great a luxury as
electricity is now. The cooking was all
done In the freplaces. there being no stoves.
In the late ffties the railroad was COM
pleted to Rolla. some sixty miles away.
and this was regarded as the dawn Of civili-
zation. Mrs. Gillespie still owns and uses
a bureau and safe bought more than forty
five years ago at Rolla. Her husband was
"a years old when he took his first trip on a
railroad Here Mr.. Gillespie remarked that
he bent nearly double to dodge when the
train entered a tunnel. He thought the roof
was coming In.