The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1914-02-05

upon the hill and near him Tom Ber!
had a blacksmith shop. A Mr.. Maddu,
lived on the sidehill and that is al
there was Of Branson except big adam
ioned building that looked as though
it might have been a mill, down at the
river to the left as one went to the
ford to 60 Up Turkey creek. Now in
all that bend Of White river il you want
land you must buy town lots.
Very few hogs and turkeys were
hauled to market in wagons in those
days. Before THANKSGIVING and Christ
mas hocks OF from 200 to 800 turkeys
would be driven slowly; from eight t.
ten miles a day, along the big road 10
ward the Springfield market. Some Of
them would b. from around Harrison,
Arkansas, the drive would consume
from nine or ten days. The birds,
soon becoming broken to travel, gave
less trouble than a bunch Of cattle,
went to roost where night overlook
them, and arrived al their destination
in good shape. Now the markets are
nearer home, and there are no more
turkey drives in these hills. One will
never again meet outfits with from 500
TO 1000 fat hogs, with two or three
wagons carrying cooking and camp
supplies, working slowly toward Spring
ieid in the fall OF the year. The hogs
that gave out and could not travel
further, were butchered and dressed
by the roadside where water could be
had, and the carcasses loaded into the
wagons A full complement Of men
were employed TO attend to all the de-
tails Of the work, and where the boss
was Of liberal disposition, supplies Of
mountain dew" we're not lacking, and
the campfres at nihgt illumi-
mated a scene Of boisterious hilarity.
It ought to be recorded that Hens
ley's Jerry, six miles north Of Kirby
vile, on White river, used to be a
much talked Of point on the Spring
field and Harrison road. The receipts
lor leuiago there in the good old
times" often amounted to $500 q
day, as l have been credibly informed
II the foadbed was good and hard
when the lreighters left the ferry going
north, they would turn down White
river mile to the mouth OF Bull creek
pull up that stream six miles to the
mouth of Bear creek at Walnut Shade,
und up Bear creek ten miles 10 Reno,
whence they gradually climbed out Of
the bottom onto the ridges again. The
gravel bars on this long stretch Of bot
tom road were often hard TO negotiate
with heavy loads Of eggs and dry hides
but the ireighlers drove good stock and
knew how to handle it. When the
roads were soft and muddy, making the
shorter creek route difficult or i'm
psssible from food, the stream Of
travel would 20 up the river three
quarters Of a mile to the Boston road
that ran on ridge after ridge 10 the
old Wilderness road that bore the
traffic from the Green Forest and
B uyville country to Springfield. The
Boston road is so called because man
named Boston was a prime mover in
building it.
One marked change Of season in the
period we are considering is plainly
indicated in the time for sowing oats
in this region. Until along in the
early or middle nineties it was the
usual practice to SOW cats in February
and plant corn in March. But it is
diff rent now, and the farmer is lucky
if he can get well ahead with his break
ing in March with little or nothing
planted or soWn till April.
ChaDges2 Well, there have been
marked changes, not SO much for bet
ter or worse, but just to make things
different. There are marked improve
ments in houses, barns, fences and
methods Of cultivating the soil; in
speech and manners and dress; in dis
position and desire favorable to good
roads, in decided transformation ot
style and efficiency in school house
architecture and equipment; in more
money circulating and more banks
five banks in Taney county, one fol
each 1000 population; in larger need!
Of living, and increased supplies tc
meet the needs which are more and
mere becoming comfort and Injuries
We have the railway across the south
west corner Of Taney, the school o