The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-10-21
PLYMOUTH
AS IT WAS
in OLDEN TIME
Leroy Armstrong Writes Of
Other Occurrences in the Old
Town When in its Infancy
Many Years Ago.
FIGHTS ON MICHIGAN
STREET WERE COMMON
Salt Lake Editor Received Many
Comments on Recent Letter to
the Tribune-Recalls News of
Lincoln's Death.

hlIlCOlil 5 OCdeQ.
Editor Tribune, Plymouth, Ind.
Dear Sir: Either / wrote a
mighty good letter or a lot o
mighty good old people are still
taking your paper. For | nave
received a little sheaf of letters
from people who had read my let,
ter in your paper, and wrote .tc
correct or confirm or add to the
little remembrances | had so in
nOcently set down. | didn't mean
TO start a series of letters to the
paper just at the beginning ol
the campaign but a letter receiv.
ed yesterday from O. H. P. Bail
ey, now of Lathrop, California
sets me recollecting again.
Your middle-aged men will re-
member Captain Bailey-or Col
onel Bailey. as he is more prop
crly entitled. He is distant rel
ative of nine, a cousin of my
father; and the SON of that Old
General" Bailey, or Grandfath II
Bailey whose farm lay at the di-
vfding of the roads two miles
west of town. Grandfather Bailey
had served in the war of twelve
or at least that was the tradi-
ton we young people accepted.
Maybe. come to think. it was the
Mexican war.
One thing | remember wildly
about Colonel Bailey. He was
postmaster, and the postoffice
was in that little building on the
corner of Caro- and
Main streets. in 1865. The post
office part was on the Caro-
street side. with two steps up
from the sidewalk very indif-
ferent sidewalk. as | remember
it +: and in the Main street front
there was book and stationery
store. NV brother Lucius and /
had walked to town with a bas-
ket OF eggs on the afternoon OF
April Is, and went to the post
office for our mail-or to inquire
about it. We didn't get a great
deal of mail those days. We had
heard nothing startling until we
reached the place. and then we
saw a great crowd of men and
women all about the corner, and
pushed through as BOYS will, and
there was Colonel Bailey on the
counter in the front store. read
ing from the Chicago Tribune
the story of the assassination OF
President Lincoln. Many were
CRYING. Barley himself was chok-
I'd as he read. And there was a
definite sop throughout the entire
at the closing words OF
the editorial: God save the ma
toni" Any of you old men re-
that?
c.. Blaine and Company had a
drug store inst south across the
street and H. B. Pershing was
east from him across Main street
But Colonel Bailey goes away
back of me. and writes OF day
VIXEN a. l.. Wheeler and Gregory
had a log store on the ground
where Carter Brothers and G. s.
Cleveland first built on the river
bank. close to the bridge. OPP
posite on the Corbin corner was
a hotel long afterward kept by
Frank Daw.iS. On the corner
south OF w. w. Hills residence
was a small log store kept by
Chester Rose. who dealt mostly
with the Indians. Get back OF
that. some of YOU!
Speaking of that corner south
of the "Bill" Hill residence: /
remember it in the old davs-be-
fore nv good uncle Dan McDon-
aid reformed it with a printing
office. 1t was a saloon. and the
scene of an exceedingly lively
fght one night. when big George
Rim ea1art--not. Andrew Rinehart'S
son-climbed over the back fence
TO take the enemy in the rear.
when capable Ratchet buriad it.
self in the post at the side OF his
head-and quivered thare till
next morning.
Plymouth used to be great
place for fights. by the WY. /
suppose Saturday afternoon in
whi~l there was not big fight
in Main street was accounted
wasted opportunity. by the good
reople with more energy than or
der. Ny old neighbor Jim
Thompson was usually little
lore than the half of these fights
and | we'll remember one after
room when he and another man
fought half a block up and down
Main street. forward and back.
part of the time down. part of the
time on their feet-clothes torn.
faces bleeding. the men packed
around them but not touching
them. giving way at the rushes
md following the surge in the op-
Dosite direction.
One time Brazil Bradley hit