Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-01-28
LETTER FROM REV. |. II. DAVIS.

Win roma TccOllecllOilS 10 lllt SCellcS
Of his youth. Many whom we
knew, and whose memory we cher
ish, have answered to the final roll
call 80 have crossed over the Mystic
River Of Death and are beyond,
peradvcnturc, resting beneath the
shade OF the trees.
On January 9th, 1865, the writer
passed through the town of Mon
terey with Rosser's cavalry, when
thew were on q raid to Western
VIRGINIA. About two years later
he enrolled as student in the
school conducted by that christian
gentleman, Rev. W. 7. Price, and
assisted by his most estimabie
wife.
The prostration incident to the
civil war was still manifest, yet the
student body of the Monterey Acad-
emv that assembled in the old con
crete building that stood on the
hill overlooking the town and val
lev. and the surrounding hills,
would have reflected credit on the
students Of a much more preten-
tious school. The closing exercises
which were held at the Court House
were we'll attended. William Ftem-
ing, though yong in wears, presto
ed in his manley manner. While
jared Jones. J. W. Stephenson, A.
F. Kerr, ". Warner and the writer
were the orators Of the occasion.
1t was while a student that met
Miss Mary d. Stephenson, who i've
years later became my wife, and
whose body, by the side Of our dar-
ling Mamie Stephens n, reposes 10
the cemetery at Kinmundy Hi
nois.
It was also in the Court House
where l received the mysteries OF
Masonry, during the month OF May
1874 an honor indeed of which
one may we'll be proud. Our lodge
here bears the same number OF the
Highland Lodge, No. 110--owns
fine property. beautiful cemetery
and during tie past two years near
fifty members have been received
by initiation. .
Besides our fine public school
system which employs fifteen white
teachers .ai three colored. the Ro-
man Catholics have parochial
school and the ST. Louis conference
of the NJ. e. Church South, which
held it's annual conference here in
September, owns school property
worth about SIS, 900, besides their
fine church building. This school
employs twelve teachers and up to
the present term of the session has
enrolled about 225 students.
To the North CT Us twenty miles,
is Pennington, the location of Asy-
lum number four for the insane,
and then the St. Francious caunty
mining town where millions of dol
lars have been expended in provid-
ing machinery and facilities for
working the same.
Four miles to the North of Fred
ericktown isNiine LaMatte, where
lead, COPPER and other minerals
were mined when this was French |
province. The land CT the North |
American Lead Company extends
to the city limits on the East. The |
machinery and mills where several
hundred men are employed are sit
uated about one mile from the
Court House. These mines fur
nish nickel, cobalt, lead and other
minerals. /
We have had local option in
Madison county for six years. The
more The people have seen of the
beneficial effects, the better salts
fed they have become. 1t is a
rare thing to hear of a disturbance
on the streets or to see a drunken
man. Litigation has decreased and
the expenses of courts of justice
diminished, and there seems to be
but little business before the ses-
sions of our court except to quiet
land titles, or to adjust damage
suits with parties suing corpora
tons. Our town having reached
the necessary population $4,000 -
to vote seperate from the county,
held an election September llth,
1909. While more than 600 votes
were cast, more than 400 were for
local option.
A promin ent lawyer, Hon. B. B.
Cahoon, who had stumped the
county against local option in the
previous election, now did most eff
fective work during the present
election on the temperance side of
the question. While merchants
who had previously been opposed
to local option, having seen the
advantage from a business stand \
ooint, were almost unanimous
against the open saloon.
After filling circuits and stations
or 81 years was granted a super
station, and with the
aithfuI wife and younger children,
We moved into our own comforta- ,
BE home amid good social
oundings and kind friends, oSur-