The Cairo bulletin., 1904-04-17

! ing;on avenue, while | entered the
sacred editlce to offer my feryent
prayers, thanking God that matters
were no worse with us. During this
calamity the people. after the first
shock of disaster, did not Sit down
and mourn No, indeed. The young
lads and lasses go: up boating parties
by moonlight alone, and while older
folks had no theater or other place
Of amusement they improvised many
amusing affairs to drive melancholy
from their midst,
Jack Winter, the present mayors
father was one of the leaders He
then kep5 cafe aud saloon on Ohio
leyee. between Eighth and Ninth
streets, If remember correctly. |
was then in his employ. Ny duty
every evening was to set ten or
twelve large rat traps baited. for the
water had made the Cairo rats DIES.
perate They were sailing about the
streets on boxes ana barrels, loose
timbers or anything dry. Mr.. Winter
had room in the second story of his
cafe which he denuded of every par.
dele Of furniture. aud lined the sides
and floor with tin at che base. SO thar
no rat could escape. He called ii the
rat room. Every morning at 10
O'Clock it was announced on large
black board in front of the cafe when
the rat room would be open for bust
ness, the entrance fee being 10 cents
No man vas allowed with stick or
any weapon to defend himself from
the rats, and only one or two dogs
at the most were allowed in. The
rats. sometimes 80 or 30 were all let
loose at one moment We can imagine
the kicking and scramblmg To keep
them off and from biting Every man
had to pat his pants legs inside his
boots boots were then worn by every
onel to keep the rodents from crawl
ing no inside II was great sport and
the room was always crowded by the
joliest set of fellows that could be
imagined, but alas, they are nearly all
gone. George Weldon, Jim Summer.
well. Doc Rearden, Doc Cumming, Ike
Walder. Dan Hartman. and many
others enjoyed the sport But enough
of this.
A, that early day Cairo had many
notable citizens within her walls .
Among them the representatives OF .
the daily papers. Where could you
find such a galaxy of newspaper brill /
liancy and talent to compare with the .
Ed Willet, che doughty Len
Faxon, and that smooth and able
writer, Nose B. Harrell and the
genial Goodall, and in later years
only few. the Bishop John II. ODER
Is. as also the Burnetts. There were
others. but those mentioned tas also
my old friend, whom | was near for
getting, Henry Potter, of the Argus
Journal1 were men who would. by
heir extraordinary talent and abili
ties, shed lustre on any community,
Turning 10 the bar, in what town of
the size of Cairo could you find men
of such legal acumen as Judge J. II. i
sIulkysand bis partner SIM .Waee.e.>
Judge VIM H. Green. Judge David ]
Barker. John NJ, Lansden, the Gil. +
berts, Dave Linigar and Judge Olney? +
And in the courts. where could you
find more genial, loving hearted /
O. Hartman and Ham lr
vim?
Cairo, too. had its solid business
houses in that early era. need only
mention the solid business houses of (
r. II. Cunninsham, Scott White, John
Hamilton, Patrick Reilly, and White .
4 Greer in the dry goods line G. .
D. Williamson Il Co, Stratton 4 Bird /
Daniel Hurd & Co. Troyer & Miller I
and others represented the wholesale .
and retail grocery AMI boat stores line /
The hardware line was looked after .
by G. r. Woodward. af.erward the .
Woodward Hardware Co, Jack Win. /
ter. and later G. w. Henderson /
Stoves. tinware and hardware by .
Jack Winter and c. O'Callahan The +
drug trade represented by J. b Hum 4
phreys & Co, and Paul G. Schulz, was 4
not wanting in anything necessary /
for large and growing city. Some /
Of the business houses ! have pur -.
posely omitted at this time fearing 4
the article would become tiresome to .
your aaders. and also encroaehing too .
much on your yaluble space. If you .
deem II worthy Of your columns. /
often regret | did not keep a continu
Gus file of papers from 1857 until now, /
for could then have something tang
ible from which to write, not to be de. .
as am now, on my memory
Of the happy days / spent in Cairo
And though fac has ordained that |
cannot visit the scenes of my young
and greenhorn days, Cairo
shall always while life pulsates
through my veins, have a warm and
tender spot in my memory. Trusting
have not bored you. and perhaps
you may hear from me again, am.
very respectfully,