Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-02-24
Early Recollections of
Oxford.
By A About ti-year-old Oxford Boy

~ n tADout ti-ycar-Jld oxford RcN
When Bob Cooks livery sta.
bic WAS burned. the lot was
bought by Silas Owens ST., and
used "a grocery. They had a
large terrier which, while it was
a terror to rats and cats was a
universal favorite with the peo-
pie. One day it had several fits,
and to all human appearances
died. The most convenient way
to dispose OF the supposed car
cass was to throw It in an old
well full 80 feet deep in the back
yard OF RUbInson's Hotel, which
was done. About two DAYS af-
terward a yelping was heard
down IN the well. and negro
man sent down to bring him 90
The Oxford Mercury had a great.
deal to say Of it IN the next issue.
Just east Of the livery stable
was a large lot where Cook lei
his horses run out for a little ex
ereise, and in it he kept large
pet bear. Woe to the dog or hog
that came in reach Of him. which
made the whole town afraid of
aina. One day JET Ragland, a
powerful built man. living across
fccona. came in town, got pretty
tight aud sp!ed the bear. He
rushed right no to him before
any one could stop him, slapped
him, smacked him, spanked him.
alternating with Hey there. dc
you know your Mass Jeffe? Gi,l
around sir. y H. the meantime
the bear was scared nearly to /
death, tried hard To avoid the
ticks, while the crowd yelled to I
the top OF their voices.
The prohibition law, perhaps
local option is better word. weatI
into effect shortly after the found /
ing Of the University in 1874
but was comparatively Intellectual
Tor many year. and this. with a
somewhat lax enforcement OF the
law, lave the rowdies a good deal
OF liberty. But when il had zone
far enough it was stopped with a
strong hand. have known sew
eral cases, however. when for a
while the night WAS perfectly
hldeous with their wells. Then
Mayor Robinson. Sheriff Mckee
and the constable, John Grace.
would sally forth and away the
boys would scatter. can hear
them now putting and blowing
after a hard race, aad see them
in at the back door of
The stores. CThe clerks all slept
IN the stores those days.)
The court house yard was per-
Iectiy circular, enclosed by a
-ence made OF finch white oak
scantling let in or mortised into
immense posts. When the fence
vas completed. the Board of
Police, Supervisors now, invited
A number of the citizens to plant
shade trees and name them after
themselves. The Jim Cox To-
Gust and the Bill Smithers elm
are still fresh in my memory.
In those days they had a Judge
)t Probate, Alabama has one
NOW. Judge Peterson waa in Of
Ice: Probate clerk, - Moore
vi.cuit clerk, Jim Hickman, a
capital fellow, Sheriff, W. S.
Mckee; true as steel, bat as quiet
as a ground rattiesnake. He
could beat the beater, slipping
up on law breaker and grading |
nlm before he knew he was in |
niles of him. \ faithful old man |
oy name OF Uncle Johnnie Stocks.
was Assessor of Taxes.
Three stage lines served the
town, one from Holly Springs, |
and from Grenada, and one from !
Pontotoc. They were not held
so strictly to schedule time as
now, and so they would frequent
ly be far into the night getting
in. They would generally un-
load their passengers, if at all
convenient, and then drive 10 the
post office. OF course dear old
Captain Delay had gone home,
but the driver would unsling his
bugle and of all the strange,
weird. doleful Sounds at the dead
hours of night and sometimes
just before day, thai have ever
heard it was the worst. have
several times heard of it causing
people to dream of the judgment
day.
In 1855 there were two dornli.
tories at the University, the west
and south one, also the lyceum,
the chapel, and three buildings
4 the use of the professors. In
1855 The east dormitory was built
a I'd soon after the Buildings near
the railroad. About 1858 the OBJ
servatory and the buildings near