Mexico weekly ledger., 1914-07-16
CBy Mabel Threlheldl

Thus We see that early social con
ditions both among tho me and The
women. we're pleasant and whole
some. They we're busy people, YET
they always found time to be friend
ly and to enjoy the intercourse o
their friends. They were generous
sympathetic. and hospitatle, enjoy
ing the pleasures and ainusements
afforded by the village. These pleas
ures we're for the most part OF the
ordinary type. but occasionally some
thing new and startling came &c
town. and added spice to their social
life. Tho 1rst circus might well b
given as an illustration Of such Q
feature and It would be easy 10 i'm
agine the excitement created by It's
advent. II came in the summer Of
1858 and was located on the south
east corner Of what Is now Jefferson
and Liberty streets. In the records
Of this event one mar writes, II re-
member the rail fencing, which sur
Rounded the forty acres of ground
was thrown down in the west and on
the north sides. near the corner, TO
admit people to the circus grounds
He also adds Il remember the woman
who walked the rope and It was a
wonderful sight to me at that time"
The dress Of the period was an
other interesting feature Of social
life. As | have said most Of the
clothing worn was Of strictly home
made material, plain and coarse but
comfortable and substantial. and not
until a few years before the war did
people begin to buy their clothing
from st. Louis. Until 1872 there were
no millinery stores in town and the
more progressive of the women were
forced TO order their hats from Col
umbia, but those who could not az
ford them wore plain sun bonnets in
stead and were, seeminglNjust as hap.
Ply. The imported" hats we're usu-
ally Of the large. fiat variety and had
bright ribbon for trimmings and
strings. Styles, too were an unheard.
of thing, and when one Of the women
of a certain n%eighborhood could at.
ford to buy a pattern, she. very un-
selfshly, loaned II to every other wo.
man in the neighborhood who chanc.
ed to want a new dress at that time
We can but wonder il the women
have progressed along this line.
The bride and her trousseau was
Just as interesting then as now and
there are some amusing stories told
of early brides and customs connect.
ed with IT, The majority OF the wed.
dings were solemnized in the home
and the bride had only two nice
dresses, n her wedding gown and
a second for the Unfair" dinner. OF
the dinner at his" home on the DAY
following the ceremony. It was also
the custom for the bride TO wear her
full wedding costume to church the
hrst Sunday after she was married
and one bride, Of which we happen Ia
know, even went so far as egolne
away on the train dressed In her
white dress and veil.
The morals OF this early period
were generally speaking. Of a high
standard. Men were up right and
moral as well as progressive and
public-spirited and they. at an early
date-took definite action to make
this community what they desired #
70 be. 1t seems that the temperance
agitation has been a prominent factor
In Mexico's history from the very be-
ginning for we find that as early as
SAT there existed an a~nti-saloon or
ganization. This was known as "The
Sons Of Temperance"aId held month
iy meetings in the Court House. They
elected a president. vice-president
ETC., and aften held open sessions
getting their principles before tho
people and doing much in prohibiting
the sale OF liquor within the town
rms was also a charitable i~,,stitn-
ton and looked after the rnfortu-
nate, both among their members and
those who were not affiliated with the
society. Later. in the early "sixtlespI
ahother temperance society called
the Good Templars." was organized
put It differed from the first in that
this admitted both men and women
as members and these members were
mostly from the young people Of
the town.
me Masons Lodge, No. %. was al
organized in 1855 and was a PROOF
" the oesiFe among the men to fur
'her the best interests of the conmu-
nifty. ~
~ iact, anything which stood for
a higher moral life among its chi.
1ens, was encouraged and the re.
suits were most gratifying. Mexico
= became a thriving. prosperous
iittle town with honest, publlc-spirlt-
% citizens and with an atmosnbero
culture and refinement. 1t d.
,eioped rapidly along many lines and
n 1851 when the great Civil War
'roke out, Mexico was tho CONNER !
ial center of Audrain County ana /
ae nucleus Of our present city. !
'OClAL-FROM THE :
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