The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-11-07

4
the house appeared, and looking at me
very inquiringly wanted to know who
I was, where | was from, what was my
business, and where | was going. |
was a sorry looking subject, having
/ walked through the mud for ten miles,
1 and | presume I looked as felt-very
tired. gave her my real name, told
her I had no business, that / did not
know where | was going, and that
came from Keokuk that day She told
me her house was full and she did not
believe she could accommodate me
with a nights lodging | then asked
her very politely for permission to re-
main upon the porch until l was suf-
ficiently rested so that could go
further down town and obtain lodg-
ing. l asked her about the town, its
! population, and about the high waters.
She turned out to be Mrs. Obid San
nard, the mother of Ed Stannard af-
forwards lieutenant governor of Mis-
souri, and very successful business
man of st. Louis She was a good
talker and after conversing with her
about twenty minutes l got up to take
my leave, thanking her very cordially.
She relented and told me she thought
If would stay that she could find &C.
commodations for me, but l told her
10, that | could not put lady to any
inconvenience when 1t was unne ces-
sary, and must go: so left and
went down to the front street OF the
town to the Keosauqua House kept by
Father Shepherd as We always call
ed him, with whom l boarded until
after was married in 1858"
After he had boarded with Father
Shepherd for few weeks Mr.. Nourse
sent for his books that he had left in
Burlington He explained his financial
situation to that gentleman after pay
ing his board bill. Shepherd became
his fast friend and helped him make
many valuable acquaintance. BY
August of the following year he had
become sufficiently known to be elect
ed on an Independent ticket to the Of
fee of county attorney which then
paid salary of about $500 year.
Early in the spring of 1853 he got to-
getehr 500 in money and made trip
around the river to Louisville, KY,
thence by stage to Lexington, where
he was married April 15. Before going
to Kentucky to claim his bride ne pur-
chased from the Rev Daniel Lane
house and two lots in Keosauqua, at
the price of $3.50, borrowing $50 to
make the first payment. He had also
attended several auction sales and
bought some chairs and tables, cook
stove and few dishes. His wife's
mother had packed feather bed, some
pillows and bed clothes and quilts of
the old style in store box, and the
young copule returned to Iowa the lat
ter part of April the same year. Tie
expense of his trip and marriage left
young Nourse only two dollars out
OF the one hundred he had when he
started for his bride. On arriving at
eosauqua their house was found to
be in need of repair. They white
washed the walls and his wife washed
the windows. The next day they made
bill of about forty dollars at the
store for additional housekeeping IA
cilities and that evening took tea at
home-the first real home Mr.. Nourse
had known since he left MARYLAND
when a young boy.
In the fall of 1853, as was the Gus
tom in those days, Mr.. Nourse made
trip west through the southern tier of
counties, attending the courts in Davis.
Appanoose, Wayne and Decatur coun-
ties. He made the trip on horseback
with pair of saddle-bags that con.
tanned his necessary baggage. Judge H.
n Trimble, then of Bloomfield. now
OF keokuk, was one of the party.
Judge Nourse writes as follow OF
some Of their experiences:
From Bloomfield / was accom-.
panied by H. H. Trimble and Mr.
rainier, members of the bar. and at
Genterville Mr.. Tannehill and Amos
f1afrls joined our party The coun-
1ry west OF Centerville was very
sparsely settled and the road con
SISTED merely of two paths worn by
the horses and wagon wheels on the
prairie grass. In Wayne county we
applied at settlers house for accom-.
modations for the night, but the hose
vile informed us that her husband had
gone to mill, ana that she had moth
ing In the house to eat save little
bacon. She said if we would remain
she would entertain us with such ac.
eonmodations as the place afforded
me corn wa hardly yet ripe enough
to feed our horses, but if we would
select the ripest and use some salt
IN feeding we were welcome tn d
SO. We also, at her request plucked
some OF the softer ears Of the corn
and these she grated upon a large
TIN crater, and frying some of the
bacon in her skillet she made cakes
OF the grated corn and fried them in
the fat. She also gave us a Gun of
good coffee and with the appetites We
mad acquired in our travel we made
very nasty and palatable meal.
When bedtime came she made us
beds upon the floor The next morn
ing we had breakfast of the same
corn, bacon and coffee. The lady made
very reasonable charge for our en-
tertainment, and she had no reason
10 doubt the sincerity of our compli-
ments upon the fare The next morn.
ing we rode into Corydon, the county
seat of WAYNE county Tho orI,, bo+nl