Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-09-17
From Miss s. f. Russell.

Ed. Register-Some of us think
we are experts with the needle and
various kinds of fancy work, but
this morning "Grandma" Bowman
quite took the conceit out of me.
She is seventy-three years old,
born and raised in Bollinger Co.,
deprived of school privileges; she
yet has accomplished much in the
world. Many an acre of corn has
she plowed in her younger days.
She told me something of her ex-
periences during the civil war; how
her husband and father we're killed
by guerrillas; how the crops were
stolen by the Union Army and the
struggle to bring up her girls. l
have admired her sterling worth
and thought of her as an unpolish-
ed diamond. But now l have seen
other work Of her hands. Quilts
of intricate pattern, and fine
stitches, counterpanes, blue and
white, in geometrical patterns, in
which she spun the wool, dyed and
wove it, eight of them, all different,
each work of art that would make
collector of ancient handiwork
green with envy. White counter
panes, too, half score of them,
that look like genuine machine
woven spreads, with knit lace from
a quarter to half yard wide, while
some have netted lace just like
that illustrated in the magazines
as so popular now. Mrs. Bowman
raised the cotton and spun it for
the weaving. When we consider
the amount of work she had to do
indoors and out without modern
conveniences, it makes us wonder
where she found time to do all of
this beautiful work, and respect
the talent, patience and skill that
produced the works of art that are
to be inherited by her grandson,
for the only other grandchild has
received his inheritance: an equal
number of quilts, counterpanes and
white spreads.
September 1st.-A few days spent
in Fredericktown were very much
enjoyed. We drove over to the
new high school building situated
on a rise in the western part of
town. The view from that point
is very fine; the building itself is
a landmark. 1t was erected this
last year and used two month be-
fore the close of school. Notice
was given the first of this week that
all pupils who would enter the high
school should meet at the building
Saturday morning and receive
classification and assignment of
lessons so they can begin work in
earnest on Monday morning. We
attended church Sunday morning
and we're impressed with the vigor
and enthusiasm of the Sunday
School. In the evening the church
was FULL. and we were told that
this was an every week occurrence.
The pastor, Mr.. Smoot, preached
very plain truths that went home
to his hearers. What denomina-
ton? No matter. There was not
one word said to show, had I not
already known. The simple gos-
pei is the same wherever preached.
Most of the REGISTER readers
know more of Pennington than |
can tell them. l was interested in
the number of people who got off
the trolley car at the Hospital for
the insane. Some one said it was
visitors day. The electric car is a
great improvement in making it
possible to get around. We boast
of our beautiful scenery and to my
mind there is no place like Arcadia
Valley, but our neighbor cities are
far ahead of us in modern improve
ments and elegant homes.
1t is well worth a little time and
trouble to 60 visiting just to see
how other people live and realize
that we are an insignificant part OF
the great workaday world.
S. F. R.