The Mena weekly star., 1921-12-22
MOTHER OF THE LATE GEORGE
 LATCH GOES TO OkLAHOmA
Event Recalls Local History and oth- CT People We'll Known in
 Polk County.
sneclnl to The star.

Hatfield. Dec. 20.--Mrs. Charity Latch. mother of George Latch, who met tragic death in October, left here for Oklahoma Thursday. She IS to live with her daughter, Mrs. John McAlister. who came on visit to her mother and to take her back home. The incident recalls some interesting history.
 Knowing that she had lived in her loo cabin home just east of Hatfield for many years, the writer decider to go over and talk to Uncle Ed Whlte about this and other occurrences or the present and past.
 Uncle Ed was in the kitchen wash ing dishes when l got there. Ahe Aunt Martha, who is badly crippled, was sitting by warm fire just after having finished sweeping the floor by moving herself about while seated m a low chair. She was 70 years old last Sunday, and bright cheerful smiles played over her pleasing face as she showed me cards and letters from her son, John, and family, who live at Houston, Ark. John IS ali operator for a railway company ant full of wit and humor. He addresses his letters here to "Uncle Ed and the like. and Postmaster Robert Johnson always knows who they are for.
 Uncle Ed entered presently with a smile on a face that has looked into the happenings of 79 years or more, and was eager for a chat by the blaz- ing fire. I'm of the opinion that he l.. T. ,fr..s uyaa tho waistband of his trousers.
 Condition of the times was about the first subject that sprung itself.
 Are the times any worse now than they were when you moved to tnls country, Uncle Ed?" asked.
 "No," he replied instantly, but they aggravate a fellow whole lot worse.'
 We had a laugh at this answer, especially as Uncle Ed looked like he was trying to cover up the dishwater spot. Then he told me many interest ing things.
 George Latch's father, I learned, died something like 45 years ago, just after moving here from Georgia. And the home to which his widow bade goodbye Thursday was the one which Bob Williams settled. Bob Williams was the one who killed Ike l Jones at Old Cove in pre-railway days and ended his life by commit ting suicide in Hot Springs several months ago.
 i In these days an old negro, Nelse | Ray, made rum out east of Dallas. 1t was thick and ropy, Uncle Ed said, as he moistened his lips, and some 1 times sold for as low as 50 cents per gallon in trade, as there was no reve- nue license exaeted then.
 l All old settlers then traded in either Little Rock or Camden and went principally to get sugar, coffee, nails and other ironware. The aver age number of trips each year was one. The principal old settlers in this particular settlement then were Joe i Latch, Uncle Tom Harris, Abraham ! Beavers, Samuel Warner, John Hud- son, Rev D. J. Sossamon, Uncle Ed White, Uncle Bill Martin and Dad Runyan, the latter being the greatest { story teller that ever came to Polk i county.
 Then the principal Christmas pres ents consisted in killing a hog ana ! sending a neighbcr a piece of ribs or back bone and the men getting to- ] gether with jug of lawful pine top. Boys went in homespun suits to see girls who were dressed in homespun i and made soft, dreamy eyes at one another just as they do today. Look i ing at some of the photographs of our old settlers shows that they were handsome and pretty just like 1921 young folks, who sometimes think ! they are the first dandies that have been created.
 Six-Mile cemetery was started ir 1861 And the husband of Grandma Latch and Ike Jones were about the first to be buried there. Then there was a log school house near this spot and Will Barton of Cove used to teach school there. The upper part was used for a Masonic hall and Ma sons from all over the county came here.
 Note-The Star is promised an in- teresting article next week from Cove
 also of historical character.