The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-19
John B. Cook of Iowa and Rudolph
Cook of California Parted
in 1913.
CELEBRATING REUNION HERE.
Pioneer Days Hardships Recalled
by Old Men Whose Sons Ac-
companied Them to
st. Louis.

After an affecting reunion a few days
ago in Iowa, John B. Cook of Lyons. Ia,
and his brother. Rudolph d. Cook of Santa
Maria Cal. who had not seen each other
for fftyfour years. are registered at the
New St. James Hotel
Besides the two brothers there are in the
party F. L. Cook. the son of r. D. Cook.
and W. ]. Cook. son of John Cook. The
visit here is to celebrate the reunion.
The two brothers left Ohio about three
years apart. John. who is IS. came West
in 1888. and his brother, who is 70, followed
him in 1851.
The elder brother settled in Iowa. which
State has since been his home. but Ru.
dolph. the younger brother. was not salts
fed, and made the overland trip To Califort
mia in 80. giving in exchange for his trans
portation his services as teamster-
Five months and fifteen days were con-
sumed in making the journey. and with the
exception of a similar trip in 80 he had
not made the trip until this one.
This is the first pleasure jaunt 1 ever
took in my life" Rudolph Cook said last
night, and his tone was one of a man who
was good for many more rranscontinental
journeys.
ON this trip over he continued. we
did not have to post pickets at night to
watch for Indians. but do not know but
that I had just good a time when
piloted an OK team across the prairies-
RECALLS OLD DAYS.
Yes" he continued. II have seen some
changes in my time. When l stopped at
Quincy. ILL.,, bought eggs. all that 1 could
get hold of. for 2iz cents a dozen. shipped
them to ST. Louis. and got 80 cents. and l
thought was getting rich.
when 1 got to California 1 paid $50 a,
dozen and still thought that they were
cheap. Flour. pork and potatoes were each !
dollar a pound.
When 1 landed there 1 had six bits and
the next day L went to work for so a day
as a carpenter. and IN the middle Of the
next week ] got my boss to stake me for
so. which bet with man who said that l
couldn't make door as quick as he could
l beat him by two hours and won the
fifty and was made foreman by the con-
tractor ! was working for.
John Cook. the older brother. who settled
in Iowa, said that he noticed that there
vas still a great interest in horse racing in
ST. Louis.
y raced a horse here once myself,- he
said, back In 40. l was here over Sum
day and drove my buggy horse out to a
race track about mile from town and
after several contests with the residents
Il could have exchanged some mighty
valuable property for that pony he added.
os have retired n o n
active business, well fixed with this worlds
goods. Their sons succeeded them.
Rudolph Cook set up the first windmill
ever in operation in California and ran the
first thrashing machine in the wheat fields
of his adopted State.
The Cook brothers are making inquiries
for a branch of the Cook family which lie IT
Ohio in 1895 and settled in East St. Louis.
and they are very anxious to find them u
possible.
Both the brothers are highly pleased with
ST. Louis and said they hope to return next
year for the Worlds Fair.