Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-09-23
]. A. PEARSON OF SEDRO-
.WO0LLEY, WASH. WRITES
Wrote Stories for the Evening Ledger
When he Was Only Thirteen
Years Old.
is A NEPHEW OF J. W. DANIEL
Pearson Says That Washington is the
One State in the Union for
Real Horne.


Real Home.
Mr.. j. w. Daniel,
Mexico, Missouri.
My Dear Uncle;
Sedro-W oolley, Wash, Sept, 10,
Observation-Disclosures receipt Of your
interesting letter of July 8, | hope you
will pardon my long delay in answer
ing, as | have been very busy this sea
son, most Of my spare time being EN-
ployed writing for the local press.
| supply material regularly for the
Sedro.Woolley Courier now, as the
editor is confined in a Seattle hospital
at present and requested me to assist
during his absence. The Courier
Printing Co, offered me the position Of
editor, but ! declined because l am
trying to retire from active business
and wish to avoid the care and res
possibility Of such strenuous occu-
pations.
Your request that | write a long
reminiscent letter that you might
hand to the Mexico Ledge for publ
cation, | am afraid would be vetoed
by the editor, as | understand during
my absence it has becom . a daily pa
per and its space, no doubt, is too val
liable to be filled with memories If IN
Audrain county la,l who has been alb
sent so long his very existence is for
gotten by the community.
When | left Mexico SO years ago,
The Ledger was a weekly paper,run by
R. NJ. White, popularity knowr. IS
"Bob" White. From 1871 to 1873 =
number Of my articles were published
in The Ledger under the Nom de
plume Of 0. 7. Rivers, and in the sum
mer of 1878 the paper de- 5oted three
columns Of space TO a letter Of mir G
from the Chicago & Alton railroad
front in Saline County. Billy Gaener,
op. Pagan, Will Gregg, Stanley Pear
son, Ed Wade and other Mexico boys
were working on the railroad ten.
sion were mentioned in that letter.
In those days Bob White was fresh
from college and had just taken
charge of The Ledger. but was a dive
wire," full Of business and push, and
the paper reflected his hustling spirit
well remember his tall, thin, active
figure; alert sparkling eyes and kind.
ly expression, but no doubt he has
forgotten me.
wrote for the paper for some time
before he discovered my identity, and
that o. 7, Rivers, was just a timid,
country kid Of 49, but he did not turn
me down after this knowledge, but en-
Outraged me kindly and published al
the articles ! sent in afterward.
Col. J. E. Hutton, was editing tht
Mexico Intelligencer then and was {
strong contrast to Bob. He was yer,
digniied and no one dared approach
him with familiarity. / remember
taking a poem to him for publication
about 43 years ago, and after LOOKING
at me in amazement a moment, h,
handed it back without reading it
with the information that he @didn'
even attempt to write poetry himself.
Il was my first experience with al
editor and / was SO dazed memor,
fails me at that point and | can't re
call how ! got down his narrow stair
way to the street in front, but m,
movement didn't require any pedal ac
celebration.
Since leaving Mexico in the summe
! Of 1879, with a wagon and team, on Al
! overland trip to what was then III
great mining camp Of Leadville, higI
: up in the Rocky Mountains, I have le
} a busy, energetic, eyentful life, fol
lowed several kinds Of business, ira,
: eled extensively, seen much IL In
world, mingled with all classes an
t nationalities, gathered lot Of useft
: information and to cover a long, actiy
career briefly, you may inform III
friends who remember me as q du
! country boy, that I have made d sut
5 cess in life and am now spending m
t declining days in one Of the MOI
charming suburban homes to be fouu