The Tupelo journal., 1906-05-04
TupELo, MISSISSIPPI. FRIDAY MAY A 1906
PEN-plCTURES OF THE OLDEN TIME
BY COL w L. CLAYTON.

from my old friend, Alex c..
Jones, who calls my attention to
an error in my first article on
Gen. Reuben Davis. and for
which thank him. | stated in
that article that the county seat
of Monroe county was at Quincy
when Davis began to practice
law, when it.should have been
Athens. I just got the names
mixed, and the moment l re-
ceived Mr.. Jones letter, | re-
membered very distinctly that
Athens was the place and not
Quincy.
Lock E. Houston was anoth-
er interesting character at old
Fulton in the olden time, and
few lawyers. then possessed a
more sauve and interesting per-
sonality. l have it impressed
upon my mind that he was Cir
cult Judge for a short time in
the very early days Of the coun-
try. AS a lawyer, Judge Houston
was possessed of learning and
ability equaled by few. He had
a sledge hammer way of driy-
ing at the law and facts of his
cases that very much admired.
He was not as quick to gather
the points of a case as some, but
he was very accurate and very
forceful. In his prime he was con-
sidered the equal Of any lawyer
| in North Mississippi as a civil
lawyer. His social qualities were
very fine. His personal appear
ance was most excellent. Be-
fore / was admitted to the bar,
Judge Houston ran for Congress
at one time, but am not able to
say in what year it was, but l
am inclined to think it was 1858
or 1854. / remember a little in
cident which occurred at the
Johnson box in ItaWamba while
Il he was a candidate. which his
| friends used to rig him about.
There was a man in that neigh
iborhood always recognized as a
white man by al who knew him,
but bordering so near on the col
Tor line side Of the negro, that a
man had to be acquainted with
him to believe he was not man
of color. AS | have heretofore
said in these pen Pictures," it
lit was a common thing in those
early days for almost all to take
a drink at a saloon, and it was
also the custom then for all can
didates to treat their friends and
others to the drink. So, follow
ling this custom, Houston had the
drinks set out at the Johnson
box when he was there at one
of his appointments, and this
"colored" white man, among
others, walked up and took up a
glass preparatory to taking a
drink, when Judge Houston, no.
ticing it, said, "Set that glass
down, you scoundrel." Being
informed by his friends Of his
error, he apologized, and the
gentleman took no offense, but
took his drink all the same.
When rugged about it all the re-
ply Judge Houston made was,
Gentlemen, bring him up and
make an exhibition of him and
I'll pay the forfeit if you do not
agree with me as to his being a
negro, if there is anything in
color Judge Houston was a
man of fine bearing, being about
five feet eight inches in height,
as l would Judge, head large and
well poised, broad, square shoul-
ders, large and expressive eyes,
clean shaven except close cut
side burns, and he shaved every
morning the first thing after
getting on his pants, and some
times before, and during the
shaving operation, he enjoyed the
conversation of any friends
who might be in his room, him
self putting in the occasional re-
mark. On the resignation of J.
IW. Buchanan as Judge of the
First Circuit District, and which
was about 1887, | think, Hon.
Lock E. Houston was appointed
/ to succeed him, and served four
wears in that capacity. On the
Ibench he was pleasant and agree
able, but lacking in executive
ability.
Nv acquaintance with Ben
/ kenyon, a lawyer from old ia
cinto, was rather limited, and
began and ended in 1860. He
was rather a small man, tall but
spare, having a small head, but
HE had the reputation among
those who knew him of being a
walking library of legal lore. He
came from the Northwest to
Tishomingo county, in this State,
and did not become so much at
tached to us as to remain in the
South during the war, and so re-
turned to his former home when
the war ended. While listening
to his legal arguments, | was re-
minded Of the fact that Lord