The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-04-21

quarter Of a century, 1t IS eating
its way back to its former course.
Mr.. Barton says his store stands
near the spot where the great steam-
beats ot former years landed to take
on and discharge freight. The last
big packet to land there during an
ordinary stage Of water was the An
Choir Line steamer City Of Vicksburg.
She struck on the newly formed bar
and had to stop the City Of Baton
Rouge to help her tighten up so she
could get off Horace BiXby was in
command Of the City of Baton Rouge
that day. After the formation Of
this bar boats had to drop down I'M
der its foot and come up to the land
ing. Then they were shut off all
together and now come only on high
water
The mouth of Hatchie river was at
Randolph in 1885 and for many years
afterwards. It is row six or eight
miles up the Mississippi The bar
that formed in front of the town
shut it out and forced it to find it's
way into the Mississir1i farther
toward the foot of Island "a.
Back Of the Barton store stands
partially tumbled down, rickety
frame house, In the earlier DAYS this
was hotel, operated BY j. HI Client
and he boosted that his hotel was at
the boat landing, where guests could
see steamers passing up and down
the river for many miles.
1t was partly burned and then re-
built by the late w. G. Davis, chief
Of the Memphis police department,
who made it his home for many
years, coming from Randolph to
Memphis.
During the early part of the Civil
war a dashing young man wearing
a Confederate officers uniform went
20 Randolph. He became acquaited
with one Of the young women of the
town, a daughter of very fine
family.
Suspicious about the young man
ran rife. One night he was caught
prowling about the town and was
arrested. Old people now in Ran
dolph say he was federal spy.
On bluff overlooking the river
stood big mulberry tree. The snv
was hung to it one night by soldiers
and citizens. The young woman,
who contended that he was innocent,
left Randolph and few months
her family moved away.
1t is said they went to Arkansas.
Jesse Benton is said to have been
about the first man to settle on the
Chickasaw bluffs, or the site Of Ran
dOlph. He established small trad
ing post and it soon became stop
over for emigrants travelling west,
Traders from the interior of West
Tennessee floated down Hatchie river
on RATS, bringing their furs and
hides to Benton His business graw
and he began expanding. Then the
town started growing and in few
months its fame spread among the
settlers and it's population increased
from Benton and Indians to dozen
or more white families. All did well.
About 1882 the business men of
Randolph got together and started a
to have a canal dug so
that water transportation from the
Tennessee river might be diverted to-
Randolph by a connection with
Hatchie river. This fell through
after a hard fight in the state legis-
lature. Politicians of those days were
unable to interest the government.
Following this, and several years
later, there was another movement
to make the town the county seat of
Upton county. This was opposed by
a committee appointed by the gov-
ernor. 1t was lost.
In 1884 Mrs. Chamberling claimed
legal ownership Of all the property
on which the town of Randolph was
located. 1t was thrown into the high
courts and in 1886 disposed Of by a.
compromise with her.
Mr. Barton said all present boun-
Diary lines Of property in the old town
were obliterated. No one knows
where his property starts or ends.
"We are sorter setting down on our
claims. That is, some are hoping
that no one will come along and wipe
out their ownership" he said.
When Randolph was at its best
there was society Of the finest. It
had college, good schools, none pub
lie, but all private. Young people
were sent there from near Memphis,
Bolivar, Brownsville and other points.
Young women of well-to-do-p parents
were sent to schools in Virginia and
Middle Tennessee from Randolph to
complete their educations. The young
men attended the local college and
then, if they wished more education,
went to college in the southern states.
John A. Murrell, famous many
wears ago as an outlaw, had his West
Tennessee headquarters a short ais
lance down the river from Randolph.
A deep rayine is said to have been
hiding place for his men. He operated
extensively around Randolph in 1880
and later.
Finally, however, his depredations
became so bad citizens of Randolph
for the protection Of their
Close watch was kept on |
5he clan under Murrell. 1t seemed
to get any real trace Of |
lis movements because he had spies
coated in Randolph. The committee |
# citizens attempted to ferret them
tut, but failed.