USA > Illinois > Clay County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 1
USA > Illinois > Wayne County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 1
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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
977.379 9 H62 w
ILLINOIS HISTORY SURVEY LIBRARY
HISTORY
OF
WAYNECLAY COUNTIES
ILLINOIS.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO : GLOBE PUBLISHING CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS, 183 LAKE STREET. 1884.
9)1375 HEM
JOHN MORRIS, SUCCESSOR TO
12 ulver Frage Hoynel PRINTERS 18 &120 MONROE ST.
CHICAGO
PREFACE.
W E herewith present to the people of Wayne and Clay Counties a history of this por- tion of Illinois, from its earliest known existence to the present time. In some things the reader may think, especially if he should be a stranger to the pioneers or their descendants, that at times we deal in details that are tedions, but in a generation from now these details will be the more highly prized the more full and complete they are.
Then, in telling the story of the general county histories, we believe they will be found clothed in a literary garb, and brightened with reflections, suggestions and philosophical deductions, that will make it a storehouse for young and old, where they may acquire new and enlarged ideas, and thus receive profit as well as pleasure, that will repay them a thou- sand-fold for the small outlay of the original cost of the book.
This work has cost us much labor, and a large expenditure of money, and although our territory for patrons is sparsely settled, and, therefore, our patronage but limited, yet we have given in this book more than we promised, and we feel assured that all thoughtful people in the county now, and especially in the future. will recognize and appreciate the work and its permanent value.
We are indebted to the kind assistance of most of the prominent people in the county for interesting facts and assistance in our compilations, and also to F. M. Woolard and G W. Smith for their valuable contributions of interesting chapters.
MARCH, 1884.
THE PUBLISHERS.
214264
4
CONTENTS.
PART I. HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
PAGE.
CHAPTER I .- A few Words on Geology in the Schools- Many Interesting Suggestinns-The Outlines of Geology -Prairies, and about Their Formation-The Geology of Wayne County-Probabilities of Finding Coal Here, etc., etc., etc ... 11
CHAPTER II .- The Daring Discoveries and Operations of the French in the Mississippi Valley-Some Corrections in History-The Catholic Missionaries-Discovery of the Mississippi River-Pontiac's Conspiracy-The Down- fall of Quebec-The Territory Ceded by the Indians- Illinois Separated from Indiana, etc., etc ..
21
CHAPTER III .- The Old Settlers, Where They Were From, Together With Many Interesting Facts Concerning Them-Isaac Harris, Mrs. Goodwin, Col. Samuel Leech, George Merritt, "Jacky " Jones, George Mccown, and Many Others-Rangers-Joe Boltinghouse's Avengers -Wayne County Organized March 26, 1819, etc ............. 35
CHAPTER IV .- Habits and Pastimes-The Borah Family- Cannons-Owens-Halls-First and Second Settlements in the County-First Schools and Churches-Gatherings of Old Settlers and Their Names-Nathan Atteherry- W. W. George-David Wright-Ellidges-Andrew Crews Alexander Campbell-And Many Others-Incidents and Anecdotes-The Disappearance of the Indian-Wild Game, etc., etc., etc.
48
CHAPTER V .- Some More Reflections Worth Reading- The Evils and the Good of the Country-An Account of the Officials and Who They Were-Some Big Men and Some not so Big-Gen. Leech, Rigdon B. Slocumb, W. B. Davis, or Black Bill-Senators, Representatives and County Officials-David W. Barkley, Warmoth, Turney, Burns, Barnhill, Nathan Crews, Clark, Hogue, Hanna, and Many Others-First Deed-Township Organization -Whisky Banished from the County, etc ... 60
CHAPTER VI .- The Wars for Our Liberties-George Wash- ington and His Wayne County Heroes-Sequel to the Boltinghouse Massacre and its Wayne County Avengers -The Rangers Here and who They were-Winnebago and Black Hawk War-First Campaign a Bloudless One -Mexican War and the Part Therein of Wayne County -Col. Leech-Our Civil War, When Its Real Ifistory will be Written-The Companies That went from Wayne County, and Some Account of Them-Who were Killed and Wounded in Battle-The Eleven Companiea Fur- inshed by Wayne County-Capture of Jeff Davis, etc., etc 68
l'AGE.
CHAPTER .VII .- Miscellaneous Items of Interest-Births, Deaths and Marriages-Census of 1845-Literary Socie- ties-Old Store Accounts, etc., etc ..
CHAPTER VIII .- A Complete Ilistory of all the Churches
. -The Methodist-Different Baptists-Christian-Pres- hyterian-Catholic-Who Organized Them-Sketches of the Prominent Churchmen, etc. 95
CHAPTER IX .- Bench and Bar of Wayne County-The People of "Precedents"-The Coming Lawyer-The Laws and Other Legislation-First Court, Grand Jury and Lawyer in the County-llubhard, Wilson-Edwin and C. A. Beecher-Campbell, Hanna, Boggs and Many Others, Including the Present Active Practitioners, etc. 129
CHAPTER X .- The Press of Wayne County-Many Salutato- ries and as Many Farewells-Wilmans, Joe Prior, Baugh, Tilden, Sibley, Schell, Smith, Walden, Stickney, Litzen- berger, Barkley, McClung, Tracy, Holmes-some Ac- count of the Many Papers that Started and Perished, etc., etc., etc ... 148
CHAPTER XI .- Schools-An Account From the First One to the Present Day-A Comparison of the Improvements- Sunday Schools and the First Free Schools-Difficulties Attending Education at an Early Day-The Changes of Fifty Years-Discussions of the Schonl System-Statis- tics, etc. 157
CHAPTER XII .- Railroads-Internal Improvement Fol- lies-Some Thoughts on Municipal Aid-Voters and Their Demagogues-Monopolies and Paupers-The Un- wisdom of Law-makers-Ignorance in Bulk Considered -The Five Horse Court-Swamp Lands-Sharp Figur- ing-O. & M. Road-Air Line-D. & (), Line-Narrow Gauge, etc., etc., etc. 161
CHAPTER XIII .- Recapitulation-Some General and Spe- cial Accounts of the People-Early Wills and Adminis- trations - l'resent County Wealth -Wayne Formed from Edwards, and then the South Line Changed- Then a Portion Set off to ('lay County-Full List of Ot- ficers-Some of the Literature of the Early and Present Day-An Immortal Speech-Israel Dewey, etc., etc., etc .. 172
CHLAPTER XIV .- City of Fairfield-The Original Plat, With Numerous Additions-Growth and Development -Some of the First Houses and Old Landmarks-Mer- chants and Merchandising-Taverns, Mills and Facto- ries-The Court House-Churches, Schools and News- papers-Freemasonry and Other Benevolent Orders- Incorporation of Fairfield-Town Boards, etc., etc .........
178
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
CHAPTER XV .- Barnhill and Big Mound Townships - Their Geographical and Physical Features-Settlement -An Incident of Davis-Who the Pioneers Were, What They Did, and Where They Came From-Early Im- provements and Industries-The First Efforts at Mer- chandising-Wright's Store, Mill aud Tanyard-A Busi- ness Place-Schools and Churches in Barnhill-The Same in Big Mouud-Odds and Euds-Fairfield's Birth, etc., etc .. 193
CHAPTER XVI .- Jasper Township-Topography, Drain- age, Soil and Beauties-Its Streams, Lakes, Timbers and Wild Fruits-Bees, Honey, Flora and Fauna-Joshua Graham, the First Settler-Then Came James Dickin- son, the Caunons, William Husk, George Frazer, John Pitchett, Joseph Martin, the Borahs, Thomas Bradshaw, the Owens, Jonathan Douglas and Many Others-How They Lived and Struggled-First Birth and Death-The First House, Mill, Blacksmith Shop, Lime-kiln and Land Entry and Marriage-A Panther Attacks a Wo- man-First Schools and Singing Schools, and Who Taught Themu-First Sermons and Preachers-When Leading Families Came. 202
CHAPTER XVII .- Massillon Township-Early Facts and Reminiscences as Gathered from Jacob Ilall, W. N. Borah, J. B. Borah, Jadge Wilson and Others-Lovelette, the Traditional First Comer-Enuch Beach, the First Settler, with a Sketeh-Name and Sketches of Our Set- tlers and Their Families-Camps and Cabins of the Ear- ly Day-Trundle Beds and Their Trash-First School and Who Taught It-First Marriage, Birth and Death- The Old Rangers-Judge Wilson and the Deer That Tore His Clothes off-John Met'ollum and His Coon- Wild Cats-First Mills, Churches, Preachers, etc., etc., etc., etc. 217
CHAPTER XVIII .- Lamard Township-Description-To- pography, etc .- Early Settlements-Pioneer Improve- ments and Judustries-Caudle's Distillery and the Early Use of Whisky-Churches and Church Buildings- Schools-Dr. Jones, the First Teacher-How he went Snipe Ilunting-Jeffersonville Laid Out as a Village- Its Growth, Development and Incorporation-Basiness Statistics, etc. 227
CHAPTER XIX .- Bedford Township-Geographical De- scription, Topography, etc .- Coming of the Pioneers- Their Early Struggles and Ifardships-Wild Game- Pioneer Mills and Who Built Them -Schools and Churches-Villages-Cisne Laid Out as a Town-Its Growth and Development - Rinard - Laid Out, Im- proved, etc., etc., ete ... 233
CHAPTER XX .- Indian Prairie Township-Description- Topography, etc .- Early Settlements-Pioneer Improve- ments and Industries-Early Preachers and Churches- First School Teachers-First Death in the Township- ('harches, Preachers and Othicers-Johnsonville-When and by Whom Laid Out-Its Growth and Improvements and Its Future Outlook-Railroad Prospects-Blne Point-When Laid Out and by Whom-A List of Town- ship Officers, etc., etc., etc. 241
CHAPTER XXI .- Four Mile Township-Introduction --- Boundaries- Surface- Water-courses - Productions-
Beans-Frog Island-Early Settlers and Sketches- The Wild Man-Population-Wayne City-Middleton- Keens-Schools, Churches -Politics-Officers, etc ........... 246
CHAPTER XXII .- Elm River Township-Boundaries and Settlement -Pioneer Incidents - l'opulation - Surface and Water-courses-Enterprise-Education and School Statistics-Churches and Preachers, etc. ....
251
CHAPTER XXIII .- Zif Towaship-Boundaries aud Sur- face-Origin of Name-First Settlers-Zif-Religious and Educational Notes-Agriculture-Main Productions -The Great Prairie Fire, etc. 254
CHAPTER XXIV .- Mount Erie Township-Introduction -Boundaries-Early Settlers and Incidents-Alexau- der Ramsey-Topography-Chief Productions-Mills- The Village of Mount Erie-Wben and by Whom Laid Out-Its Present Basiness Representations-Lodges- Churches-Schools, etc. 256
CHAPTER XXV .- Arrington Township-Boundaries- First Settlers and Incidents-Uncle Jimmy Simms- Topography-Chief Productions-Mills-Sims-Cincin- nati and Covington-Early Schools and Teachers- Churches-Officers, etc ... .. 262
CHIAPTER XXVI .- Brush Creek Township-Description and Topograghy, etc .- Early Settlements-Pioneer Im- provemeuts-Early Preachers-Berry Elledge, the First School;Teacher-His Stroke of Paralysis Compelling Him to lay Three Days in the Woods Surrounded by Wild Animals-Murder of a Mr. Brazell by William Fathree -First Marriage, First Death-Churches-Schools, etc. 265
CHAPTER XXVII .- Leeeh Township-Boundaries aud To- pography-Water-courses-General Productions-Ori- gin of Name and First Settlements-Some Indian Stories-Internal Improvements-Towns-Church His- tory and School Statistics, etc. 269
CHAPTER XXVIII .- Hickory HillTownship-Topography and Boundaries-First Settlers-Who They Were-First Birth-First Farming-First Roads, etc ... 274
PART II.
HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .- An Interesting Chapter ns well as muuch In- formation-Practical Questions Considered-Some Ideas on Education-How Farmers may Become the First People in the World-Wonderful Things from the Soil -Rocks, Soil and the Natural Products of the Coanty- Coal and Mineral Springs, etc
CHAPTER 11 .- 1778-George Rogers ('lark-Capt. Helm and Private Henry-Clay County Revolutionary Grounds-Its Soil Made Sacred by the Tread of the Rev- olutionary Army-The Hannibal of the Northwest-An Army of an Officer and Private-Our Land Titles- Names of Some of the Army that Passed Through Clay County, etc ...
CHAPTER III .- The Earliest Settlers-Who They Were and How They Came -Appearance of the Country-John McCawley-How Our Titles to the Land Came-The
283
300
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
vodians-A List of Early Settlers-Thomas McCrackio, and Many Others - Truodle Bed -School Teacher - Siaging Master-First Dudes-Writing Master-Bottle Race-Weddings-Many Other Interesting Facts and Fadeies, ete ... 307
CHAPTER IV .- Organization of the County- Its Name- Henry Clay-The First County Scat-First Officers- Grand Juries-Ineidents, etc-Clay County-Its Name -Date Organized-Commissioners-First County Court and Officers, and List Complete to 1850-1Iubbardsville, Maysville and Louisville the Three ('ounty Capitals- The County Buildings-Full Account of Early Roads, Bridges and Juries-A Chapter in which Every Para- graph is Full of Interest, etc .. 319
('IIAPTER V .- Additional Accounts of the People-Neigh- borhood Feuds-Regulators and Some of Their Victims -Marriages, Commebeing with Number One-The Courts-Juries aod Lawyers aud Court and County Offi- cers to date-First Indictments-First County Officers- The Presiding Judges, etc .. 328
CHAPTER VI .- Agriculture aod Horticulture-Stock-rais- ing-Dairying-Matters of Interest and Value to Every Que-Apples and Sorghum-How to Make Your Land Worth $500 per Acre, cte. 340
CHAPTER VII .- Schools-A Reference to the Originals -- Some Thoughts on the Subject Generally-The First Schools and Teachers-The Early Schools and Those of To-day Compared and Estimated-Thoughts on the Sub- ject of General Interest, etc ... 345
CIIAPTER VIII. - War - Revolutionary Soldiers - Black Hawk War-The Late Civil War-The Heroic Conduct and Bearing of the People of Clay County-Geo. L. B. Parsons, Capt. J. W. Westcott and Many Others, etc ....... 351
CHAPTER IX .- IIarter Towaship and Flora-Who Came, and About Them-Thomas Elliott, Matthias Miseo- heimer, Seth F. Hinkley, Russell T. Logan, Robert Bry- ant, James Jacobs, William Nichols and Others-Laod Eutries, First Schools, Teachers and Churches-Flora and Its Ilistory-Anecdotes-Railroads-Business, etc ... 358
CHAPTER X. - Louisville Township -Configuration- Boundaries, etc .- Drainage-Early Pioneers-Water Mills-Early Industries-Life on the Little Wabash- Boating-First Buildings and Business Houses-" Blind Tiger " and " Horned Rooster "-The Old Agricultural Society-Churches and Schools-Towoship Records, etc. 374
CHAPTER XI .- Clay City Township-Description-Topog- raphy-Flora and Fauna-Pioneer Settlers-John Mc- Cawley Driven Off by Indians-His Returo-Capt. Rob- ert Toler-Faris-Sheriff Riley-How He Held a Pris- oner-The "IIoss" Ordered to the Stable-Bill Colwell -First School and First Teacher-Schools and Offieers- First Child-Township Officers-Old Maysville-Its History, Settlement and Growth-County Seat-IIotels -Towo Officers-List of Prominent People-Churches and Church People-List of Officials-Anecdotes, etc ..... 390
CHAPTER XII .- Stanford Township-Its Local History- Topography-Its Name-Stanford Family-Judge N. H.
PAGE.
Duff-J. K. Bothwell-First Settlers and the Order of Their Coming-Schools aud Churches-Aneedotes- Lynch Court-Early Preaching and Hunting-\ Wolf Story-Township Record aod Officers, ete ....... 409
CHAPTER XIII .- Oskaloosa Township-Its Topography- Early Settlement-Development-Village of Oskaloosa- Schools-Religion-Politics-Officials, Iacideats, etc ....... 122
CHAPTER XIV .- Xenia Township - Description - First Settlers-Early Schools and Churches-Villages-Secret Societies, etc ... 425
CHAPTER XV .- Souger Towoship - Description - Agri- culture - Vegetation-Early Settlement and Settlers- Schools-Churches, etc .... 437
CHAPTER XVI .- Blair Towoship-Full Account of all the Pioneers and People Down to Date-Incidents- Characters-Churches-Schools-Towa Officers, etc ........ 440
CHAPTER XVII .- Hoosier Towuship-Its Topography and Physical Features-First Entries and Early Settlers- Churches, Sehools, etc ... 448
CHAPTER XVIII .- Larkinsburg Township-Topography aud Physical Features-Soil aod Timber-Pioneer Set- tlement-Early Mills-Its Growth and Development- Secret Societies-Schools and ('hurches-Present Busi- Dess-Township Records, etc ..... 452
CHAPTER XIX -Bible Grove Township-Location-To- pography-Soil and Timher-How Its Name Came- First Settler, With Long List of the People and the Order in Which They Came-Ineideuts-Robbery of _ MeKoight-Violent Deaths, etc .. 460
CHAPTER XX .- Pixley Township-Geographical Position -Settlement by the Whites-Improvements-Mills and Roads-Schools, Schoolhouses, Churches, etc .- Village of Ingraham 468
PART III.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
WAYNE COUNTY-City of Fairfield 3
Baruhill Township 43
Mount Erie Towoship. 61
Bedford Towoship.
72
Big Mound Township. 85
Jasper Towaship. 94
Indian Prairie Township. 102
Leech Township. 108
Massillou Towaship I13
Arrington Tow aship
117
Lamard Township 121
Brush ('reek Towashlp. 126
Four Mile Towaship. 128
Elm River Township I37
Zif Township. 139
Hickory Hill Towaship. 140
Bedford Township, Extra. 142
CONTENTS.
PART IV.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
PAGE.
CLAY COUNTY .- Louisville Township. 145
Xenia Township. 159
Clay City Township. 171
Hoosier Township. 184
City of Flora ..
191
Ilarter Township. 210
Bible Grove Township. 216
Songer Township .. 224
Pixley Township. 229
Stanford Township
234
Larkiosburg Township. ... 238
Blair Township.
240
PORTRAITS.
Barkley, J. G. 79
Cisne, W. H. 257
George, Francis 115
Hall, Jacob. 151
Johnson, William M 187
McCartney, James. 43
Smith, G. W. 329
Walters, J. P. 223
Westcott, J. W
293
PAGE.
PART I. .
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
PART I. HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY
CHAPTER I.
A FEW WORDS ON GEOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS-MANY INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS-THE OUTLINES OF GEOLOGY-PRAIRIES, AND ABOUT THEIR FORMATION-THE GEOLOGY OF WAYNE
COUNTY-PROBABILITIES OF FINDING COAL HIERE, ETC., ETC., ETC.
A FEW words of the agricultural history of the county is not an inappropriate introduction to the story of the people who were here when the white man discovered the country, and their passing away, mark- ing, as they did, every step of their sullen, backward movement before the faces of the white man, with bloody and cruel carnage. as well as the interesting account of the brave pioneers and their tierce conflicts with the savages, the wild beasts and deadly dis- eases that afflicted the early settlers of the Mississippi Valley.
The soil is the Alma Mater-the nourish - ing mother, indeed, of all animata life in this world. The hopes, the ambitions, the wealth and joys, the beauties of both art and nature, the sweet maiden's blush, the love-lit eye, the floating Armada, the thundering train, the flaming forge and the flying spin- dle. the rippling langhter, and all there has been or will be in this bright and beautiful world is directly or remotely from the dull Foil upon which we tread. Here is the fountain head, the nursing mother of all and every conceivable thing of, utility or beauty, mentally or physically, that a wise
God has given to man. This page, reader, you are now perusing, the sweet girl's melo- dy that you may or have so passionately worshiped, the angel mother's voice, that will linger in your heart till the close of life's great final tragedy, are, with everything else, from the one same source-the soil. The Sun worshipers were not base in their adored ideal, the warmth and sunlight were a near approach to the fountains of life, and yet it was only as the husbandman, who aids the soil with his labors, and a world grows vocal with joys. It was the soil at last and not the husbandman who created. fructified and produced, not only our possessions, but life itself. Yet in the gray dawn of the traditions we find no account of the Soil worshipers, and the fact is now unquestion- ably plain that the soil has not been appre- ciated, its all commending value in this world not at all understood; and in the progress of civilization it was eventually rel- egated to the world's "drudges." the fit com- panion and associate only of serfs and slaves, and finally in a country whose air was too pure for a slave to breathe, inaugurated the long reign of the Feudal system, where the
12
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
laborer and the soil he cultivated came to be considered one and the same, and the title to the so-called free man passed with the deed to the land on which he lived. While the soil has found no worshipers, it has been carefully ignored, and it has gone on increas- ing its bounties, showering its benefits upon ns until it has lifted us from dull and dirty savages to this age of steam and electricity, until space itself has ceased to be in the transactions and social life of the world.
Why should we teach our children to un- derstand the dull, stupid, uninteresting soil? Build schoolhouses and teach your children metaphysical mathematics seems to be the idea that has held sway in the world for all the ages. It's but dirt that flies as dust and soils your clothes, or as sticky mud seizes upon you and clings wherever it touches, and thus it comes to be considered but an evil of life. And from infancy to old age it is the same old story of
" The yellow primrose on the river's bank, A yellow primrose is."
The soil comes from the rocks, and hence to the intelligent eye that examines the un- derlying rocks of a country it is at once plain enough of what the elements of the soil are composed, and what, if any, vegetation it will best sustain. Our people are agricult- nral, their relation and interest in the soil is primary, and in the natural order of things one would suppose that this would be the first subject they would set about master- ing, or at least understanding the practical and hourly subjects of vital interests to which it is the eternal basis and foundation. Amazing as it may seem, the very reverse of this is true, 'and the evils it has inflicted are but too plainly visible in this wide tendency of the young men reared on farms to rush to the villages, towns and cities, and become clerks, tradesmen, or "learn a trade," and
thus advance themselves beyond the station to which they were born. They see and feel the real and imagined refinement, elegance and ease and culture of the wealthy of the cities, and they look with contempt upon all forms of country life. They are not much to blame. The whole world has been falsely educated on this point. The farmer has been told to educate his family-send them to col- lege and have them taught to read Latin and Greek, and thus they can live without work, etc. The three or four years at school has taught him to know nothing about farming certain, and if there he has acquired a single idea that he can utilize in the practical affairs of life, he has surely been the fortu- nate one in a thousand. Teach them ab- struse mathematics, through all the arith- metics, algebras, geometries, trigonometries, the calculus, etc., and then he may become a starving professor, and drool out his useless life in a clean white shirt and an empty stomach, and imagine such a half-mendicant existence is eminently respectable. He left home a bright farmer boy, he returns a cheaply veneered gentleman-but little else, in fact, than an incipient tramp, prepared to soon spend what little fortune may be left him, and then enter upon that nightmare life of an educated young man looking for a " situation." Many years ago, Horace Gree- ley, in a well considered article in the Trib- une, estimated there were then in the city of New York 5,000 college-bred young men hunting for " situations " and half-starving. Here were the gathered fruits of this most vicious and cardinal idea that is inculcated in all the schools of getting an education and living without manual labor. To a sane mind, what a monstrous idea it is to call an institution a school where the child is taught that manual labor, farming especially, is both low aud degrading. But all the schools will
13
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
claim that this charge does not apply to them; that they are the latest patent im- provement, and they teach the pupil to think for himself. And they will in all earnest- ness tell you of the hundreds of devices they have invented. all tending to this divine perfection. After duly listening to all they claim, we deliberately repeat what wo have said above. The young mind is not taught to think. We are not convinced that this is among the human possibilities yet. It may be done some day. it has not yet been done most certainly. In our judgment, there has not been a school ever yet taught where there was any approach toward this wonder- ful invention of teaching the mind to think. The incontestible evidence of this is given in the fewness, the rarity of philosophical thinkers there are now or have been in the world. Read the books, the newspapers, the sermons, the discussions, of which the world is full, and about all of it, to the trained philosophical thinker, is but words, words, words, signifying nothing. For instance, if you go and listen to a joint discussion be- tween two men, the most eminent men in the country say, upon any subject, political, po- lemical or otherwise, and they divide the time. and by the day, week or month carry on the discussion, and you listen to it all from the first word to the last, and you final- ly come to the end and go home and in your quiet add up what new knowledge you have gained. And what is it? If you are frank with yourself, you will acknowledge that after it all you really know less about it than you did before. There is a reason for this. The speakers or writers were empirics and so were their andiences. An empiric is a man who forms a judgment upon a subject from a one-sided view. His judgment may be cor- rect, but it is so by accident. A philosopher bases his judgment upon the fullest possible
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