USA > Indiana > Clay County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 68
USA > Indiana > Owen County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 68
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The Engineer's estimate of the cost of this road complete is as follows:
First mile. $2,534 05
Second mile. 2,765 53
Third mile. 2,324 45
Fourth mile. 2,414 20
Fifth fractional mile (3,218 feet). 1,542 48
Total .$11,580 71
Mr. Isaac N. Peck, of Putnam County, received the contract for con - struction of the fourth mile and fifth fractional mile. He completed his. contract on the 29th of November, 1883. John Rebarger, of Spencer, received the contract for construction of the first three miles. He never fully completed his first mile, but transferred his contract to Philip Mil- ler, of Spencer, December 1, 1883.
There are some heavy cuts on the first three miles, and the contractor was troubled with a number of heavy slides from the embankments above his work, by reason of the great amount of rainfall during October and November. This seriously hindered him in his work, and greatly enhanced the cost of the construction to him. It has also made the road almost impassable at the narrows, where there is no chance to go around. The cost of this road when completed will be considerable of course ; but, cost what it may, after the people who travel it have paid for it, they would not go back to the old dirt road for twice the money. Our dirt roads are becoming worse and worse year by year. By the present methods our road labor is all or nearly all thrown away. The needs of the greatly increased and increasing use of roads are such that as fast as we are able to do so we must improve our roads by macadam, gravel or some hard material. The total cost to put our roads in condition for easy and comfortable travel the year round would be great, and the tax
605
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
we pay every year by pulling our horses through the mud hub deep about three or four months in each year is great also. Seeing all this, gradually as we are able, our people will construct macadam and gravel roads.
A DETECTIVE SOCIETY.
Only one society, outside the law, for the apprehension and punish- ment of criminals has been known publicly in this county. About the year 1864, quite a number of very annoying crimes were perpetrated, such as overturning fences, stealing and carrying away beehives, robbing spring houses of milk and butter, cutting the tails off cattle, firing hay and grain stacks, etc. This state of affairs became unbearable after awhile, and about 200 of the best citizens of the county organized them- selves into a detective association, under the name of the "Blue Hen's Chickens." The purpose of this organization was to assist the officers of the law in the detection and arrest of criminals. The President of the association was Hon. George W. Moore, which of itself gave assurance of the respectable character of the organization. In the course of about one year they succeeded in arresting and driving out of the country the guilty, after which the organization disbanded, having fully effected its object.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
The Patrons of Husbandry organized the first grange in this county at the Stogsdill Schoolhouse in Clay Township, December, 1873. Dur- ing that year there were organized about thirty granges in Owen County. Hill Grove Grange was organized January, 1874, and built a very hand- some and commodious grange hall, on the hill south of Spencer, and was a very strong grange. It survived the longest of any in the county. Gen. T. A. McNaught, Ben E. Allison and Capt. J. W. Archer were Masters in this grange. A great amount of good was effected amongst the farmers in Owen County by this grange movement, and but for an unfortunate business enterprise in a grange store, which collapsed by incompetent management, and by the action of some members of different granges attempting to prevent the objects of the organization and turn it into a political party, the grange interest would most likely have been prosperous yet, and we would have had a number of live working granges in this county now, as there are in many other counties in the State, where wiser counsels prevailed. In this age of combinations, this grange movement among the farmers was eminently proper. Why should not the farmers of the United States who create such large amounts of values and actual wealth combine as other industries ? The farmers outnumber all other laboring classes combined. Upon their labors, intelligently directed, depends the actual existence of all. Why should this great pro- ducing class remain at the mercy of small bodies of men, compactly or- ganized for the express purpose of controlling and regulating the entire products of the farmers, and manipulating it for their own benefit. There has grown up all over the United States combinations of men of great wealth, who absolutely fix the prices of everything the farmers of the entire country produce; they say what the farmer shall receive for what he produces, and they also say what he shall pay for what he buys with the price they give him for his products.
606
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
CRIME.
In the matter of murders, the historian of this county has not many to record. The first murder occurred in Owen County in the year 1838, when one William Leak, a grocery keeper, killed one James Carter at Leak's grocery by a blow on the head with a heavy hoe. Leak, by some adroit management of a writ of habeas corpus, was allowed to procure bail, ran away, and was not punished. In 1866, James Johns, railroad agent at Gosport, was killed one dark night by Willis McMinimy. This was a cold-blooded, premeditated murder for the purpose of robbery. McMinimy was a drayman, and was trusted implicitly by the agent, Johns, who had no suspicion of him, and was thus easily killed by being beaten to death with a short bar of iron in the hands of McMinimy while they were alone at the office of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad at Gosport, late one very dark night. McMinimy was arrested, tried, and convicted on purely circumstantial evidence, of a very strong character, however, and sentenced to the State Prison for life. The jury was unanimous on first ballot. On the question of guilt, every vote read "guilty." On the question of punishment, six were for hanging, six for imprisonment for life. All night the question was argued. One by one they changed until at daylight the jury stood eleven for death, and only one, Eli Schoppell, still stood firm for imprisonment. He was a German, a man of sound sense, honest and conscientious. He is yet living in Jackson Township. In his broken American he argued as best he could, beset on all sides by the other eleven. He listened to first one and then another; argument after argument poured in upon , him, until at last he grew desperate. He stood erect upon his feet; his coun- tenance expressed the most intense feeling possible to the human face; great drops of sweat broke out and stood on his face and forehead. " Shentlemens," he broke out, " Shentlemens, I can not talk, but I can feel. We all believes this man guilty; in mine heart I feels he is guilty, If we but nopody sees him kill the man; may be somepody else do it. sends dis man to State Prison for life and some time it is found out that somepody else kill the man, den dis man come out, he be not dead. But if we hangs this man and it some time be found out he did not kill the man, den this man be dead, and," putting his hand solemnly upon his own head, " den de blood of this man be on our hets. I-I can not do it." The effect of that speech was electrical. The intense earnestness of the German, with his imperfect speech, his strong convictions of right, and the terrible consequences of a possible mistake in their verdict was such that at once a verdict of guilty was written and the punishment fixed at imprisonment for life in the State Prison.
Many crimes of petit and grand larceny, burglary, a few cases of arson and others of like character, have been committed, but from great crimes Owen County has been singularly free. Owen is not a wealthy county, nor is it a poor county, either, financially. Our people, as a rule, own the farms they cultivate, are honest, economical and industrious, and we have had very few criminals, comparatively, amongst our pop- ulation.
A very serious riot occurred at an election in October, 1866, which was created by a few hot-headed, foolhardy young men who had more partisan zeal than sense, and whose action on that occasion was most bitterly de- nounced by the better element of their own party. The clubbing and knocking down of gray-headed men at the polls on account of political
607
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
differences find very few advocates in either of the political parties in this county. At the October election in 1878, a serious political diffi- culty occurred in the County Treasurer's office between two political opponents, in which one shot the other; it was thought fatally, at first, but the injured person recovered. The political excitement was intense at the time the difficulty occurred, and when the cry was raised that a murder had been committed in the Treasurer's office, and the wounded man was borne out through the excited crowd, a cry of "hang him " was started and echoed by many voices. The situation was very critical for a few moments, hundreds of hands were ready for the fray, when Capt. J. W. Archer mounted the frame around a shade tree, and in a short and effective speech allayed the excitement of the fierce crowd, and averted what must have been a desperately bloody riot, which would have brought sorrow to many a household.
On the western border of the county the notorious John Long and his associates, desperadoes of the early days, had his home" and their headquarters, but even at that early day that class of men had very few friends in this county, and they had to skulk and hide themselves and their dark deeds in the woods. This county, from its earliest settlement to the present, has been noted always for the honesty and sobriety of its inhabitants. The records of our courts will reveal the fact that very few counties, in Indiana or any other State, can show as clean a criminal record as this.
ATTORNEY S.
List of prominent attorneys who have practiced at the bar, in Owen County Courts: Isaac Blackford, Terre Haute, Ind .; Elisha M. Huntington, Terre Haute; Joseph A. Wright, Bloomington; John Cowgill, Spencer; George E. Tingle, Spencer; John H. Ross, Vincennes; Samuel P. Judah, Vincennes; Randall Crawford, New Albany; James M. Hanna, Sullivan; Cyrus M. Allen, Vincennes; John A. Matson, Greencastle; Mason Hu- lett, Greencastle; John S. Watts, Bloomington; William T. Otto, New Albany; Tighlman A. Howard, Rockville; Daniel McClure, Martins- ville; William D. Farley, Spencer; Thomas F. G. Adams, Spencer; Willis A. Gorman, Bloomington; Isaac N. Pierce, Terre Haute; David McDonald, Bloomington; Joseph E. McDonald, Indianapolis; Delana E. Williamson, Greencastle; Delana R. Eckels, Spencer; Craven P. Hester, Bloomington; George G. Dunn, Bedford; James Hughes, Bloomington; James S. Hester, Bloomington; Samuel H. Buskirk, Bloomington; George A. Buskirk, Bloomington; Edward C. Buskirk, Bloomington; John P. Usher, Terre Haute; Hugh L. Livingston, Bloomfield; Hugh O'Neal, Indianapolis; Henry Secrest, Spencer; Basil Champer, Spencer; Richard W. Thompson, Terre Haute; Paris C. Dun- ning, Bloomington; Allen T. Rose, Spencer; Solomon Claypool, Green- castle; Daniel W. Voorhees, Terre Haute; Moses F. Dunn, Bedford; Aden G. Cavins, Bloomfield; Elijah C. Cavins, Bloomfield; Thomas R. Cobb, Vincennes; Newton F. Malott, Vincennes; Cyrus F. McNutt, Martinsville; George W. Grubbs, Martinsville; Courtland C. Matson, Greencastle; William R. Harrison, Martinsville; James H. Jordan, Mar- tinsville; Milton H. Parks, Martinsville; William S. Shirley, Martins- ville; William Wirt Carter, Brazil; Silas E. Coffey, Brazil; Samuel W. Curtis, Brazil; George A. Knight, Brazil; Willis G. Neff, Sullivan; James B. Smiley, Greencastle; William Mack, Bloomfield; Albert G. Porter, Indianapolis; Alfred Ennis, Martinsville; George W. Teter,
608
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
Bowling Green; William E. Taylor, Spencer; John H. Martin, Spencer; Alfred Dyar, Spencer; Robert W. Miers, Bloomington; John W. Bus- kirk, Bloomington; Eli K. Millen, Bloomington; George Munson, Bed- ford; George W. Friedley, Bedford; Harmon Friedley, Bloomington; James B. Mulky, Bloomington; Morton C. Hunter, Bloomington; James H. Swaar, Gosport; Jesse I. Alexander, Gosport.
List of present attorneys of Owen County:
Gosport-James R. Fritts, William A. Montgomery, David L. Weir.
Spencer-William M. Franklin, Harlan Richards, John C. Robinson, Inman H. Fowler, Wiley E. Dittemore, David E. Beam, Samuel O. Pick- ens, Willis Hickam, James S. Meek, James W. Archer, Albert W. Ful- lerton, William J. Richards, William Pickens, Samuel H. Dunn, Wesley Coffey, Thomas E. Spangler, Richard R. Overstreet.
FRESHETS.
The month of December, 1846, was remarkable for the great amount of rain fall for a winter month. The rain fell almost incessantly for many days, which swelled the volumes of water in the creeks to an unprecedented height, which resulted in the greatest and most destructive overflow ever known on White River. On the 4th day of January, 1847, the water reached the highest stage, after which it receded slowly until it reached the ordinary stage. An immense amount of property, stock, grain, fences, etc., were swept away in this great flood, which reached and destroyed a vast amount of property stored where the former freshets had never reached, and where it was thought no freshet ever could reach. John Dunn, who was then living, said an aged Indian showed him a mark on a large sycamore tree in the river bottom east of Spencer, which the old Indian said was the mark of the highest.
1
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
1882.
1882.
Acres of wheat.
18,481
Bushels of wheat .. 309,410
Acres of corn ..
17,738
Bushels of corn. .502,279
Acres of oats
7,552
Bushels of oats. .178,608
Acres of meadow
19,183
Tons of hay. 26,634
Acres of Irish potatoes
350
Bushels of Irish potatoes 24,125
Acres of sweet potatoes
34
Bushels of sweet potatoes. 1,895
Acres of clover.
2,931
Clover hay, tons. . 577
Acres of melons.
36
Bushels of peaches 45,134
Bushels of apples. 343,881
Sorghum molasses, gallons, 1879
19,212
Maple molasses, gallons, 1881.
8,710
Cider, gallons, 1880.
42,019
Wine, gallons, 1881.
665
Acres of blue grass, 1881.
71,765
Bushels of dried apples, 1880.
2,263
Bushels of dried peaches, 1880.
1,239
Pounds of butter, 1880.
322,742
Gallons of milk, 1881.
1,234,181
Pounds of wool, 1881.
116,557
56,253
Peach trees, bearing age.
29,812
Peach trees, under bearing age.
21,916
Grape vines, bearing age, 1882.
7,300
Grape vines, under bearing age, 1882.
1,959
Turkeys, dozens, 1882.
331
Chickens, dozens, 1882.
5,465
Eggs, dozens, 1880.
171,192
Bearing apple trees, 1882.
Under bearing age, 1882.
23,043
609
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
Number of horses, 1882.
4,230
Number of mules, 1882.
354
Number of cattle, 1882.
13,019
Number of hogs, fall, 1881.
15,179
Number of sheep, 1882.
28,632
Number of lambs, 1882.
9,328
Number of sheep killed by dogs for the year ending April 1,1882 ..
421
Number of cattle died, 1882.
395
Number of horses died, 1883.
186
Number of mules died, 1882.
5
Number of sheep died, 1882
1,710
Number of hogs died, 1882.
2,250
Acres of newly cleared land, 1882.
1,127
EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS.
Number of teachers employed, white males, 1882.
92
Number of teachers employed, white females, 1882. 28
Number of teachers employed, colored male, 1882.
1
Average wages of teachers in townships, male.
$1 77
Average wages of teachers in townships, female.
$1
Average wages of teachers in towns, male.
3 43
Average wages of teachers in towns, female. $1 90
Schoolhouses, 106; value .. $66,400 00
School apparatus, maps, globes, etc. $1,820 00
Schoolhouses built during year 1882, 3; value. $1,494 00
Number of volumes books in township libraries
3,089
Number of private schools .. 8
Amount of common school and Congressional township funds held by the county. $50,600 56
Enumeration of school children, six to twenty-one years of age, white male. 2,926
white female. 2,687
colored male. 24
18
Total.
5,655
CRIMINAL STATISTICS.
Convictions for misdemeanors by Justices of the Peace. 69
Amount accruing to school fund from fines. $174 90
MANUFACTURING STATISTICS-1882.
Number blacksmith shops.
27
Number cooper shops .. 1
Number flouring mills.
8
Capital invested in same.
$90,000
Wages paid by same. $6,300
Furniture manufacturers. 7
Capital invested in same. $42,500
Total wages paid by same. $27,000
Saddle and harness shops. 6
Capital invested.
$2,500
Marble works, 2; capital invested. $4,000
Miscellaneous manufacturers 4
Capital invested. . $1,000
Planing and saw mills. 4
$18,000
Total wages paid by same.
$27,750
Shoe manufacturers. 10
$6,000
Total wages paid.
$7,500 1
Stave and heading manufacturers.
Capital invested. $20,000 .
Total wages paid per year. $15,000 7
Coal mines.
Capital invested.
Capital invested.
colored female
610
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
Total wages paid. $18,600
Stone quarries. 5
Total manufacturing establishments in county. 83
Total capital invested. $149,000
Total wages paid. $99,250
VITAL STATISTICS.
Total population, 1880 15,901
Births in the county, male. 97
Births in the county, female. 65
Marriages .. . 63
Deaths-male, 39; female, 30; total.
69
ECONOMIC STATISTICS.
Expenditures on account of county officers, except County Superintendent. . $ 4,044 00
Expenditures on account of grand and petit jurors and bailiffs, 1881.
2,617 00
Expenditures on account of Coroners' inquests. 108 00
Expenditures on account of enumerating, assessing and appraising. 1,680 00
Expenditures on account of roads, viewing, surveying, etc.,
126 00
Expenditures on account of County Superintendents and institutes. .
982 00
Expenditures on account of prisoners and criminals 252 00
Expenditures on account of county poor. 1,183 00
555 00
Expenditures on books and stationery. 1,096 00
Expenditures on new bridges.
2,591 00
Total expenditures for above purposes. $12,708 67
TAXATION.
County tax.
.$ 30,891 00
Township tax 4,048 00
Special school tax.
8,971 00
Road tax.
11,693 00
Dog tax.
1,732 00
All other taxes
27,569 00
Total taxes for all purposes
84,904 00
Total number real estate transfers. .628
Total amount consideration. $416,877
MINERAL STATISTICS, 1882.
Cubic feet stone quarried. 32,000
Coal mined, tons, 1881 47,912
SOCIAL STATISTICS,-NUMBER OF CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
Adventists
2
Christian (Campbellite).
12
Baptist.
12
Methodist. 5
3
Presbyterian Total.
34
Number of church edifices. 29
Membership, male, 1,515; female, 2,190; total. 3,705
Number admitted to membership during the year. 108
Value of church buildings and property.
Amount of salary paid ministers. $47,300
$10,330
Other church expenses during the year
$1,705
Missionary and other charitable contributions.
$1,741
Number of Sunday school teachers.
274
Number of pupils. . 2,246
Average attendance on public services 208
Expenditures on new public buildings.
611
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
VOTES CAST FOR STATE OFFICERS IN 1882.
Secretary of State, Republican. 1,402
Secretary of State, Democrat. 1,836
Secretary of State, National. 99
VOTES FOR CONGRESSMEN, FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, 1882.
Republican, Wallingford. 1,408
Democrat, C. C. Matson. 1,932
National, Robinson. 117
TOTAL VOTE OF FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, 1882.
Wallingford
13,298
Matson. 16,851
Robinson
1,279
Scattering
16
VOTES FOR STATE SENATORS EIGHTEENTH DISTRICT, CLAY AND OWEN, 1880.
Owen County, Compton, Democrat 1,941
Owen County, Stunkard, Republican 1,159
Owen County, Robertson, National 2
Clay County, Compton, Democrat. 3,050
Clay County, Stunkard, Republican 2,212
Total, Compton, Democrat 4,991
Total, Stunkard, Republican. 3,371
Compton's, Democrat, majority
1,620
VOTE FOR REPRESENTATIVE, OWEN COUNTY, THIRTY-THIRD DISTRICT.
Montgomery, Democrat.
1,854
Trent, Republican 1,332
Gaston, Independent. 129
Montgomery's, Democrat, plurality over both.
393
MISCELLANEOUS.
Number of pianos in Owen County in 1882. 30
Number of organs in Owen County in 1882 106
Number of sewing machines in Owen County in 1882 931
In 1882, there were clear days 135
In 1882, there were cloudy days 230
Of the above there were 94 days of rain, 8 of snow, and 54 of white frosts; ground covered with snow nine days.
The statistics above enumerated are taken from the Fourth Annual Report of the Indiana Bureau of Statistics for the year 1882.
Date of opening the Indiana & Vincennes Railroad for travel and traffic, Novem- ber, 1869. Miles of the Indiana & Vincennes Railroad in Owen County 18
Average rate of freight per mile, per ton .. 02
Total cost of Indiana & Vincennes Railroad, 117 miles
in length, from Indianapolis to Vincennes. 4,665,449 00
Total revenue for the year. 319,392 00
HURRICANES AND CYCLONES.
About the year 1818, a very destructive hurricane visited this county, passing through the county from west-southwest to east-northeast. The path of the cyclone as it really was, was south of Spencer about three miles. The country was at that time an almost unbroken wilderness. The storm was about one-fourth of a mile in width, and uprooted almost every tree in its track through the county. In after years when the young growth of saplings, bushes and briers had grown up, the " Harra .
612
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
kin " was a favorite resort for hunters, from the fact that large numbers of bears, deer, turkeys and other game sought the protection of its dense thickets. Thomas C. Franklin, one of the oldest inhabitants, says, two Pottawatomie Indians were hunting in the path of this great storm; see- ing it coming on so rapidly they could not escape, they looked for a place of refuge from its fury. They found a large oak tree which had been blown over by some former wind; under the body of this large tree, near its root, was room enough for them to crawl. They did so, and when the storm had passed by, they could scarcely extricate themselves, so thick was the fallen timber over and around them.
About the year 1822, another "Harrakin " passed through the coun- ty from southwest to northeast, about nine miles northwest of Spencer. Part of the farm at present owned by George Garrard, Esq., is in the path of this cyclone.
May 28, 1883, was the date of the next cyclone. This cyclone formed in the edge of Clay County near Coal City. It struck the bridge across Eel River, destroying part of the bridge, then destroyed utterly the resi- dence of John Croft, killing George Croft, his son; Christiana, wife of W. R. Williams, and her babe; and Frederick Pfister. It destroyed Neill's bridge across Eel River, four miles away from Clay City, to the southwest, two persons who had taken refuge under the bridge being killed. Of their teams, one was drowned and the other swam ashore. Several persons on the bridge were but slightly hurt. Passing from there to Lancaster in Marion Township, it destroyed houses, barns, fences, prostrating timber on its way. At Lancaster, many houses were unroofed, others moved from their foundations, some utterly demolished. The Christian Church at Lancaster was literally torn in pieces. From there the direction was due east, passing north of Spencer about one mile, and out of the county near the old Secrest farm. From Lancaster to the county line east, houses, barns, hay and grain stacks were torn to pieces, and an immense amount of damage was done, but no lives lost except the Croft family.
COUNTY LIBRARY.
At one time, our county library contained some 2,000 volumes, and was very valuable. As private libraries increased, less and less interest attached to the county library, and one by one the books disappeared from their places and were not returned. The library now presents a ragged and forlorn appearance, and most of the books of value are gone.
CONCLUSION.
In the settlement of a county, it is natural that leaders of men come to the front in business and politics. In the old Dunn settlement, John Dunn bore a prominent part in early affairs. Of Scotch-Irish descent. he had the honesty and perseverance of that people, and never betrayed a trust confided to him. He filled many places of trust in this communi- ty, and died here honored and loved by all. The McNaught family were all valuable and trusted members of the community. Never seeking office, they were always faithful to every trust reposed in them. John R. Free- land, Thomas C. Johnson, the Allisons-Noah, James, M. H., Fletcher and Dr. Ben A .- were all very prominent in the early affairs of the coun- ty, and Noah became the most prominent merchant of the county in his day. By close dealing, careful and economical management, and seldom
Western Cnq ! !
615
HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.
allowing a debtor to escape payment, he amassed a very handsome fort- une, which descended to his children. Perhaps the most striking in- stance in the county of success, financially, is the case of our venerable friend, Levi Beem. He has been a farmer all his life, has been a modest, unassuming man, attending strictly to his own business, and has suc- ceeded in building up a fine fortune - is worth more money than any other man in the county. Basil Champer, Delana R. Eckels, William Farley, George W. Moore, George Parks, George Dittemore, George Mayfield, Fountain Miller, Major Scott and many others bore well their share of the public burdens in offices of various kinds, and their names are found of frequent occurrence in the history of the transactions of their time. In the Freedom neighborhood, Capt. John Johnson, Alex. McBride, Dr. Minich, 'Squire Landrum, John Hicks, Lewis Johnson, Bluford Absell, John L. Stutz, were among the leading men who largely shaped public opinion and bore well their part in their neighborhood. In the Farmers Station neighborhood, William F. Williams and his sons, the McIndoos, John Nelson and others were leading men. Over about Arney Post Office, the Arneys. Speases and Fiscuses were numerous and influential in shaping township affairs and bearing their share of the public burdens. At Lancaster, the Williams family, father and sons, John Schmaltz, John Magill, Stephen Magerlein, Joshua R. Mer- rill, Frank Harrold, William Royer, the Moffetts and others are repre- sentative men, leading in business and political affairs. Without de- tracting from others who have filled offices of trust and profit in the county your historian feels that he cannot pass by without notice the services as County Commissioners of John Schmaltz, of Lancaster; John L. Stultz and John H. Ritter, of Franklin; George W. Moore, of Wash- ington; James L. Smith, of Wayne, and Hugh Devore, of Taylor. To these men we owe our present high standing, largely, our permanent public improvements and freedom from debt. We are proud of such men-proud of their honesty, integrity and sound judgment. This coun- ty stands second to none in this State for careful, prudent, honest man- agement of county affairs. Further back, John D. Mayfield, of Clay, was a County Commissioner, and brought in the exercise of his duties as such a high sense of honor, good judgment and incorruptible honesty. Our County Commissioners have been good men all, but our space is too limited to enumerate further.
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