Mexico Missouri message., 1911-02-16
EARLY COUNTY HISTORY.
The First Literary Society Organ
ized-0ther Incidents.

employed to teach q four months
term of school at the Asher school
house, near where the Oak Grove
school house now stands. Ci'tin
was a fine historian and endeav-
ored to interest all his older pupils
in the doings of the world in the
years and centuries gone by. He
afterwards studied medicine and
some years later located in Ill
inoiS, where he prospered for
time and later took sick and died.
An older brother, George Girtin,
married n Miss Mattingly and set
tied on a farm near Worcester.
Here he, too, died. DR.. NJ. +.
Crawford, late of Mexico, now of
Camden, Mo, was one of the
physicians who waited on him.
VIM. Girtin organized a liter
AIRY society at the Asher school
house. George Elliott, deceased,
father of Cad Ellioott now resid-
ing at Vandalia, George (Bud)
Allison, also deceased, and John
Beal were appointed committee
to draft a constitution and bylaws
The latter then was in his 18th
year. The first paragraph of the
committee report was in these
words:
"We, the citizens of District
No. |, Audrain County, No, be-
lieving that religion, morality
and education tend to promote
good government and a joyous
and prosperous people do adopt
the following constitution and by
laws for This society"
There was "A full house at the
meetings from the start. Robert
Thomas, Joseph Hoffman, VIM
Girtin, John Beal, George Sprague
and jesse Asher were interested
as speakers in the first debate that
was held.
George Marsh, late from In
diana, was great inspiration in
the meetings. George, by the
way, is now a citizen of Washing
ton State. His sister, Sadie
Marsh, married l.. b. Smith and
they both also live in Washington
George Marsh one night lee.
tured the young men because they
did not take part in the exercises
and debates of the society. One
burst of his challenge was, "YOu
haven { got the sand in yOul
crawl" meaning that they did
not have the nerve, and the saying
became a by-word in the cOmmun
ity.
The boys used to misbehave ant
some meetings were almost 1
rough house. On one of these Oc
caSiOns the president resigned
G. w. Covey succeeded to thi
place and he appointed Bud Al
, lison and Jim Crockett as sergeant
alarms to help preserve order
Allison made a little speech, say
ing: Mr.. chairman, ladies an
J gentleman, | consider this az
pOintment a great honor and | in
tend to fill the office to the best O
my ability. Everybody from thi
!, on must behave or get out of tn
!, house" OF course Crockett
q came back, " too, and there wa
no more trouble that winter
. jim Crockett now lives near PER-
and is the biggest man in avOil
= dupOis in Rails county. He rC
members how he and Bud Allison
e previous to the above appoint
e ments, were as lively as any of tn
: boys in their cut-ups.
At one of the meetings job
Coons, Jr., was tried on the charg
! of bribery. Bud Allison was az
I pointed to serve as judge an
+ Field Akridge as sheriff. Their
was a crowded house. The sheri
called the court and both side
i answered ready for trial. G. "
y Covey plead for the plaintiff an
o DIR. Girtin had the side of the d,
- fendant. Those who can reca
Il the incidents of that hour knO'
that it was high old time an
fun galore COons was foun
! guilty" We disremember tn
i sentence imposed upon him.
n These meetings were held for
q. numhar nf UiutaYs follOUinn an