The Tupelo journal., 1905-09-15
PEN-pICTUREs OF THE OLDEN time
BY COL w I. CLAYTON

],
/ | feel that while / am speak
ing Of men and things of the
olden time, cannot have a sub.
Iject more interesting than Col.
R. C. Clark, who lived tor many
years at Verona, and died there
some ten years ago. My acquain.
lance with Col. Clark does not
|extend as far back as it does with
some of those whom ! have writ
ten about and shall probably
still write about in the future. ]
knew but very little Of Col. Clark
before the war, he only having
moved to Verona about 1860. But
he was a very interesting char
acter, and from whose life we
may draw some valuable lessons.
Unless there are some things
to be said Of a mans life which
may be helpful to others, or un-
less there are interesting Incl
dents connected with the life, or
unless some warning can be CIV
en- from his failings, time is was
ted in publishing even a short syn
opsis of anyone's life; but if we
can hold up the history Of any,
one as worthy of following, or
where pleasurable incidents can
be rehearsed, which are not hurt
full, or where we can hold up the
subject as one erring and there
by indicate how we may avoid
the same, or like errors, the writ
ing may be we'll published.
Col. Clark was born near Pc
tersburg, Va, early in the nine
teenth century. His father died
when he was about eleven years
old, and he then went to Mobile,
Ala, and lived with an uncle un-
til he was about seventeen years
old, when he returned to live
with and assist his mother. His
father was a thriftless kind Of
man, and not only did he not az
emulate anything for the fam
lily, but he left them as a heritage
a debt of about five or six thou
sand dollars fixed on the home.
In the course of a few years his
widow, the mother Of Col. Clark,
paid off the debt by strict econ
omy and good management, and
then with That discernment char
acteristic Of a good financier, she
decided that the course Of en-
pire in the United States was
westward; and so she determined
to invest in Alabama and remove
there herself. In this determi-
nation young Richard agreed,
showing thus early those far-see-
ing qualities in business and fl
nance which enabled him to af-
terward accomplish so much in
the financial world. While stay
ing with his uncle in Mobile, he
was faithfully and well trained
in business and business princi-
pies, and was often entrusted by
his uncle with important matters,
which were always performed
with fidelity and ability for one
so young. He was often compell-
ed in the discharge of his duties
| in business for his uncle to go
from Mobile to Columbus, Miss.
The trips were made on horse
back, carrying an extra horse as
a pack horse, and being attended
by an Indian. There was no such
good luck as putting up with
some settler on the way, but they
had to camp outin the wild woods
among the wild beasts of the for
est. On one Of these trips Col.
Clark killed a deer, and cutting
off the ham, placed it on his pack
horse for use on the way out.
That night he and his Indian
camped out as usual, and soon
after dark, the wolves in great
numbers came trooping in, at
tracted by the flavor Of the ven
lison, bowling as they came, and
nearer and still nearer they came
lin increasing numbers, and with
louder and fiercer bowls, until
both the colonel and his Indiar
thought prudence the better part
lof valor, and so each climbed w
a tree, carrying, however, their