The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-09-14
HON. D. MCDONALD WRITES.
He Commends ]. M. Greer's Article
and Gives Other Incidents.
Maxinkuckee Lake,
Culver, Ind, Sept. 3, 1905.


Mr.. James NJ Greer, Sr.
Dear Sir:
| have been very much interested
in reading your sketches of the early
pioneers of the eastern portion of the
County, and 1 want to thank you for
the work you have done in preserving
much useful and interesting histori-
cal matter which otherwise would
have been lost to future generations.
Your sketches are worthy of preser-
vation and the next history of the
county whenever it shall be written,
will not be complete without them.
/ remember nearly all the pioneers
you name, but until I read your ar
ticle, many of them Lad been forgot
ten. | had little experience in the
region of country traversed by you
in your sketches that came back to
me vividly as / read the names of
many who were living there then and
still in the prime of early manhood.
1t was in August 1s49 that it happen
ed. My father was the democratic
candidate for Auditor, and the Coun-
ty at that time was quite evenly di-
vided between the wings and demo-
Gratis, and while the democrats had a
little the best of it, they did not have
a sure thing of it by any means.
County elections were held in August
at that time There was considerable
local interest as to the outcome and
messengers were sent to the several
| polling places in the county TO get
the vote and carry it to the county
seat. | was boy then and it fell to
my lot to go to Tippecanoe Town.
] was furnished with a horse TO ride
and sheep skin in place of saddle.
AS you may we'll remember the roads
| were little travelled and at best were
but an elaboration of the Indian trails
| of those days, the trees being "blaz-
| ed' along the route to guide the
weary traveller on his way I think
| passed through Lycurgus, but | do
not remember whether your father or
you lived there then, or not / think
| there was a blacksmith shop there,
but who "the village blacksmith" was
| | do not remember.
l reached Bourbon sometime in the
afternoon and I thought it was the
most dreary looking place ever saw.
There were but a few log houses
there then and they stood in the
midst of wilderness of tall and
stately forest trees. | remember one
of the houses was built of logs and
stood on the corner where is now the
Matchette Drug store 1t was kept,
believe, by Robert Cornwell as a
general store" of small proportions.
The only man l remember now of
seeing was James 0. Parks. He was
the big man of the town at that time
and for many years afterwards. / re-
member he directed me how to find
my way to Tip Town. got through
all right, but owing to the "redtape"
method of the election board l did
not get the returns until seven o.
clock. started on the return trip as
fast as 1 could, out darkness soon
came upon me, l lost the main road
and was going, | did not know where
| could hear the barking of many
wolves in the distance in almost
every direction and what to do 1 did
not know. l kept going and finally
came in sight of the smoke from the
chimney of cabin in the woods I
hurried on and VIII IN I reached it I
found it was the old Perrin home
stead. I told the family that I had
missed the road and wished to be
directed how I could find it. They
told me that it would be dangerous
to undertake to go any farther, and
it did not take a great deal of coax
ing to put UP my horse and stay all
night. I was out at break of day
next morning and after traversing the
woods and Indian trails, brought up
at the cabin of the Elder Elliott, "The
Pilgrim" he called himself, some
place in the region of Inwood He
made chairs believe, and called his
place Pilgrims Rest" He directed
me how could find Plymouth, and I
hurried on arriving at home about
noon, much to my own relief, and to
the relief of my parents and friends,
who imagined all sorts of calamities
had befallen me. Before / arrived
home it had been ascertained that my
father had been elected, and so this
was my first experience in practical
politics.
Hoping you will keep on writing
and not become weary in well doing
| am
ResDectfu1iv Yours