Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1921-05-26
AS THINGS USED TO BE

p. p Shuler of this city handed us
copy OF the Page (Va-) News and
Courier in which appears a letter
written. by his father, W. D. Shuler,
of Hutchinson, Kansas. The first part
of the letter refers to the military
operations as he knew them in the
vicinity of his boyhood home in Vir-
ginia and has but local interest The
balance of the letter is of more gener-
al interest and we publish a part of
it herewith Mr. W. D. Shuler has
visited here several times and is
known to be a decidedly active old
gentleman.
remember when the first temper
ance speech was made in the county
at Grove Hill by Mr.. Frank Grayson
on the temperance side and Rev. Mr..
Robertson on the wet side, it being
i Joint debate. A stand had been
erected and benches fixed up in the
grove, and being pretty well an
| ounced, a big crowd was present, as
| was new thing. There were five
big apple distilleries not more than
| five miles from the place and every
store had plenty of the wet goods to
| sell. Nobody thought of temperance.
Big crowds would gather at the
| homes of relatives after preaching
and big dinners would be served. On
a little table was a bottle of old ap-
pie jack, water, sugar and nutmegs
and nutmeg crater. All you had to
do was to help yourself I also re-
member when our money was pounds,
shi1lings and pence, the merchants
pricing their goods in that sort of
money The names of the pieces of
money was the big copper cent and
Az pence GA cents '3fpensapy" and
the next piece was nine pence 121
cents and the next piece was one
shilling and pence or 25 cents, al
| stamped with the English stamp
This was later all called in and came
out as u s. money We did have
some three cent pieces and few {
cent pieces in silver.
Also when I was boy and young
man I remember the old farmers
= boys and girls what elaborate prepar
ations were made for their maria ges
The women would be doing for weel
or longer for the grand affair. Owe
a hundred people would be present OF
| the occasion. There were also o.
many occasions of this kind one hun
= dred horses to be fed. Nearly one
half present at the wedding rename
until the next day to go to the Gin
fair In those days there were n
buggies. When we attended schoe
we did not have the nice school bull
e ings that we used today. The schoe
houses in those days were built c
logs and chinked between the log
with pieces of wood and dobbed wit
mud and lime. The stove was in til
middle of the house and we had sla
benches all around the stove like
fig mill, and on two sides was a writ
ing desk composed of long board
with a slant. In the corner was
teachers desk, and near him in til
logs was two large nails driven an
s on them could be found two or thre
good tough hickory switches.
will now be 80 years of age @
the 23rd of June. still q
the garden work and some othe
work. / still believe the best way
be happy and have good health is
get right and stay right Troub
and the great cares of this life hay
shortened the lives of thousands ar
Is is causing many others to comm
= suicide. W. D. SHULER
We test your eyes free of charg
Come in and have your eyes tested
The Reliable Jewelry Store Adv 3