USA > Missouri > Macon County > General history of Macon County, Missouri > Part 10
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silver. Mr. Hudson could not support an issue which he considered wrong, and he disposed of his paper to a company. For some time it was operated by Joseph Heifner, Ben White, Ben Eli Guthrie and R. A. Guthrie, the editorship being vested more or less in each of the gentle- men named. Mr. Hudson removed to Columbia, Missouri, and pur- chased the telephone system there, which he greatly developed and still operates.
In Angust, 1901, there was another consolidation of the Macon newspapers. The Maeon Times and the Demoerat were acquired by a company and consolidated under the name of the Times-Democrat, with Joseph J. Heifner as editor-in-chief. At the same time the Macon Republican acquired the Macon Citizen, leaving only two papers in the town. In 1909 the paper was purchased by W. E. McCully, Fred H. Ted- ford and others, and is now being operated under the name of the Macon Publishing Company, with Mr. Tedford as editor and general manager.
The Maeon Republican was established on March 2, 1871, by Gen- eral F. A. Jones and Major S. G. Broek. General Jones died January 7, 1882, and the paper continued under the management of Major Broek until its sale to Mr. Philip Gansz on January 1, 1890.
Under the management of Mr. Gansz the Maeon Republican has been developed into a great newspaper and its printing department does work for large concerns in various parts of the state. While it is Republican in polities, yet its fair, conservative policy has won to its support numerons Democratic friends. The paper's aim has been to print all the local news in a non-partisan manner, and this has been one of the strong features in extending its circulation.
Both of the Macon papers are models of country journals. They are well-printed, contain a larger amount of reading matter than the usual country publication and are all-home print.
The Messenger of Peace, a primitive Baptist publication, was founded at Macon by Elder J. E. Goodson, Sr., on November 15, 1874, and soon became one of the leading publications of its denomination in the United States. For some years it was printed in a local printing office, and afterwards the contraet to publish it was given to the North Missouri Register. Not long after starting the paper Elder Goodson's son, J. E., Jr., became associated with him in the enterprise. Both men were ordained preachers and did a great deal of traveling among the Primitive Baptists, who subscribed freely for the paper. During its existence in Macon, the Messenger of Peace had a wider and larger circulation than any other paper in the town. It was made up mostly of the experiences of those who had been "ealled." Elder Goodson,
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Jr., died August 19, 1890, and Elder Walter Cash, a Primitive Baptist minister, became associated with Elder Goodson, Sr., in the publication. Two years after his son's death Elder Goodson answered the summons, leaving Elder Cash in sole control of the paper.
Elder Cash continued the Messenger of Peace at Macon for a short while, and then moved the publication office to Marceline. Later he removed it to St. Joseph, and still continues the publication with success.
The Messenger of Peace enjoyed the distinction of receiving at one time the largest amount of subscription money ever paid to a Missouri publication, having had $500 bequeathed to it by a wealthy Montana man. The entire sum was to be used in sending the paper to those who were too poor to pay for it.
I. Jeff Buster, who claims to have been the originator of the system of country correspondence, lived in Morrow township when Colonel Clark Green was running the Macon Times. One night a literary was held at the district school, and Mr. Buster read a humorous paper, reciting the doings of the neighborhood. It took well with the crowd and several persons urged him to send it to one of the papers over at the county seat. Mr. Buster sent it to the Times, which paper promptly turned it down. A few weeks later Mr. Buster was in Macon and he called upon Editor Green.
"We got your stuff, all right, Mr. Buster," said Colonel Green, "but it was too inconsequential. Yon had a whole lot of tommy-rot in it about George Jones painting his barn, and the Smith girls visiting down by Hammock's Mill, and a play party over at the Widow Fitzgerald's. This is kind o' childish, you know. What the people want is good edi- torial writing, and the news from Jefferson City and the National Capi- tal. They don't care about that little neighborhood gossip."
"How many subscriptions have you got over in Morrow township?" asked Mr. Buster.
"'Oh, I don't know-some ten or twelve, I guess," replied the editor.
"Well," returned Mr. Buster, "if you'll print this letter from me · every week containing this stuff yon call tommy-rot I guarantee that at least half of the township will take your paper, and perhaps before long I can make it unanimons."
"Shucks !"
"Are you game to wager a new hat that I can't do it?" said Buster, with some heat.
"See here, Jeff," returned the editor, "yon and I are good friends, and I don't want to hurt your feelings. I am willing to try that stuff awhile, but, remember, you must let me print your name to it. I don't
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want people to think that we are getting out such grnel np here. I'll take your bet."
Mr. Buster went baek home and told some of his friends of the eurious wager he had made with the editor over at Macon. They be- eame very much interested in the matter and lent a willing hand in getting up the news and also soliciting subseribers. Inside of a month the Macon Times had nearly every man in Morrow township on its subseription list ; and its editor was writing to people in other townships trying to induce them to do in their locality what Mr. Buster had done in his. From that time on the country correspondence has been reck- oned as a most valuable asset by every enterprising country news- paper in the land. It happened on one occasion that a sensational murder occurred right near Mr. Buster's home, and his description of that affair was as accurate and interesting as anything that ever ap- peared in a newspaper. Mr. Buster continued to act as correspond- ent for the Times as long as he lived in Macon county.
In the early 70s the Missouri Press Association met in annual ses- sion at the old Wabash hotel, in Macon. Eugene Field was a promi- nent member and he made lots of fun for the editors. Other promi- nent men attending the association were Joseph B. Mccullough, edi- tor of the St. Louis Globe-Demoerat; Colonel William F. Switzler, of Columbia; Judge John W. Henry, then on the Circuit Bench of this district, but later of the Supreme Bench of the state; Colonel John F. Williams; Major W. C. B. Gillespie and many others. All of the men mentioned are now dead.
It was during the meeting here that Field organized the Owl Club, which afterwards was established as a "musical" institution at Colum- bia, with branches in all the towns where Field visited or stayed long enough to organize one.
The Owl Club sang the old-fashioned songs. The only qualification for membership was an excellent set of lungs, and a thorough willing- ness to use them on any and all occasions. After Field had the young- sters pretty well drilled he started them out in town singing at the top of their voices. Then he slipped through an alley, hunted up a police- man and told him to arrest the crowd for disorderly conduct. In vain the young editors told the vigilant watchman that the mayor had given them the keys to the city, with full liberty to use them. The watch- man reported that the mayor had used the term figuratively: that he had seen no keys and that his oath of office required him to lock people up when they made too much noise. So he took them around to the cooler and put them in. There they discovered that Field was
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missing. They told the arresting officer that if he would hunt up Field he would explain who they were and make the matter all right. Finally the guardsman consented to look up Field, and, of course, he didn't have much difficulty in locating him, as the future great news- paper man was found standing on a corner shaking his sides with laughter. Field accompanied the officer to the prison, was let in and peered through the bars as if he were studying some curious specimen of wild animals. The prisons clamored loudly for Field to explain the situation and get them out. After a careful scrutiny, his face as ccn. posed as marble, Field turned to the officer.
"'What did you want with me ?" he asked.
"Why," returned the guard; "these guys say they are friends of your'n."
"Never saw them in my life before," said Field, emphatically.
This satisfied the officer and he paid no more attention to the im- portunities of the crowd to be let out.
As he passed out of the jail Field complimented the officer upon his faithful attention to duty and said he did not doubt but that if he would look up his list of crooks for whom rewards were offered he would likely find two or three in the crowd.
Before the night was over, however, Field relented. He returned to the hotel, notified the older editors there about the menagerie down in jail and led them down to take a look. Of course explanations were made and the prisoners released. The mayor was profuse in his apolo- gies, but Field kept out of sight the balance of the meeting.
While he was president of the Missouri Press Association, Mr. Philip Gansz, editor of the Macon Republican, spoke concerning the improvements in country journalism as follows :
"Those who have witnessed and taken part in the development of Missouri during the past quarter of a century should catalogue among the state's expanding enterprises, the country newspaper. The change for the better in country journalism is as marked as that of any other important enterprise.
"Within the easy memory of most of us the belligerent editor flour- ished. It seemed to be his idea that the fiercer he was the greater was his influence. He believed his readers rated his editorial ability according to the strength of the vitriol he poured on his disesteemed contemporary down street. Every issue was, to nse a phrase of the street, 'a red-hot number.' Sometimes the intensity of the language provoked a personal encounter, but more frequently it was passed by ar 'newspaper talk.'
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"That class of writing nowadays would excite more than a sensa- tion. Even the crossroads' papers do not indulge in it. I think the change was largely brought about by the readers, who became tired of so much warlike talk, without any funerals. They demanded of the editors more sincerity and less fussing and scolding. The editors were keen to seent the change. In fact, the better class of them welcomed it gladly. Newspapers became more dignified and their statements were made with a greater degree of eare.
"What stands out most prominent in a comparison of the Mis- souri journals of today with those of twenty-five years back is the intelligent acceptance of responsibility, a broader and more tolerant spirit and higher ideal as to the mission of the press. The editor would no sooner tolerate vulgarisms in his columns than he would in his home. It is true that lie aspires to give advice on most every sub- jeet within the domain of reasoning, and he generally gets up some pretty good reading on any subject, whether he knows anything about it or not. Nothing is too big for him. Ile is supposed to have views on all subjects, and he has them. ITis very audacity along such lines is developing him. Like the discerning lawyer suddenly called into a big case, he feels his way, and takes advantage of the educational features along the route.
"A strong element entering into the efficiency of rural journalism of today is the editor's thorough acquaintance with the publie men and with the character and resources of his state. He generally knows intimately the United States senators, and always the various congress- men in his part of the state.
"He can give you from memory the majorities for congress in his distriet for ten years back, without referring to the record. Without consulting a report of any kind he can accurately describe the main features of production in over half the counties of the state.
"He acquires this sort of information naturally in the course of business, and retains it without effort. About once a month, or per- haps oftener, he makes a journey to one of the larger cities of the state to select new machinery or supplies of some kind. These trips are gen- erally gauged to occur simultaneously with the advent of some impor- tant convention or meeting. Or perhaps during the engagement of a great aetor. In consequence, when writing of the city life he is able to speak with greater authority than some metropolitan editors do about the eorn raising districts, which they rarely condescend to visit.
"With the almost complete obliteration of personalities among journals of importance comes a more fraternal spirit, and even rival edi-
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tors are found working together nowadays upon any enterprise prom- ising good to the town, county and state. This millenial condition is mainly due to the growth of culture and intelligence among the peo- ple of the country. They demand of their editors a higher grade of dignity and discernment than was thought sufficient in many of the embryonic towns a couple of decades back.
"The country press is loyally appreciating its responsibility in de- veloping the state. It watches closely each turn of the industrial wheel, which may add to the prestige of Missouri. This loyalty is shown today in the general support given to all enterprises, no matter in what part of the state they are instituted. Northern Missouri papers, far from the river, advocate appropriations for the benefit of navigation. The river papers speak in terms of praise of those sections more depend- ent upon the railroads. And so it goes ; the press is broadening out and talking more and more for a great nation, a great state and a great people. And it is best that this is so. No community which lives for itself alone ever becomes important. The press is one of the strongest means of keeping up fraternal relations with our neighbors, and its work is having a mighty influence in the uplift of the nation."
"Stories of a Country Doctor," a well-bound and highly interest- ing little volume, which has had a general circulation in Missouri, is the work of Dr. Willis P. King, a native of Macon county. Dr. King was born here December 21, 1839, and lived the life of an ordinary country lad until the age of fourteen, when he ran away from home to get an education. He died in Kansas City, in 1909. In his exciting little book, Dr. King presented a great many rural incidents, the material for which he gathered in this county.
"Love vs. Law," is a novel by Mrs. Mary Anderson Matthews, wife of Otho Matthews, an attorney of Macon. The book is an inter- esting love story, the main character being a young woman who is am- bitious to rise in the legal profession. Having entered upon her career, she becomes an earnest exponent of woman's rights, and makes a very capable presentation of her case to Congress. After winning all the laurels possible for her, the young woman yields her ambition for the sake of her love, and becomes a dutiful and affectionate wife. The book was printed by an eastern publishing company and has been run through two or three editions. The anthor is a legally enrolled attorney, hav- ing served as city attorney of Palmyra previous to her marriage.
Elder J. W. Cook of Elmer has recently published a little book of peculiar interest, entitled "Forty-five Years a Minister." This work was reviewed by a writer for the New York Sun and the Post-Dispatch
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HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY
because of the curious incidents related. The author does not pretend to be a man of great learning, but in his forty-five years of clerical la- bor he has seen much of life, and he tells it just as he saw it. While en- gaged in his chosen profession Elder Cook earned his livelihood by plowing, chopping wood and hauling. Sometimes he would hire out to a neighbor as a common laborer for fifty cents a day. During his long services as a circuit rider, or country pastor, Elder Cook says that his yearly income for all his pastoral duties combined didn't average $20 a year. Sometimes he would travel long distances through snow and ice and his only compensation would be his meals. At other times he would be given a pair of gloves or some socks. Had anybody presented him with a $5 bill he would have been wonderfully surprised. The elder kept a record of his work, which he presented in his book as follows:
Sermons preached, 5,784; miles traveled, 35,840; weddings per- formed, 780 ; miles traveled to officiate at weddings, 15,600-all on horse- back or on foot. Funerals preached, 936; miles traveled for funerals, 18,720.
Perhaps the most interesting literary relic in Macon county is a Welsh bible owned by Squire W. D. Roberts of New Cambria. This work was printed in 1588, and is the oldest book of any sort in this state. It was the first printed translation of the bible into Welsh, but a transla- tion of the New Testament had been printed a few years previous. On the flyleaf are these words written in Welsh :
"John Foulk is the true owner of this book, 1867, July 21. Blessed is the man that walks not in the way of the wicked."
The old volume looks its age on the outside, but the printing is clear and the paper well preserved. There are elaborate seroll marks at the beginning and ending of the book. One of the backs is gone, but the other pine board, covered with leather and held in place by stout raw- hide, yet remains. Squire Roberts is unable to name the original owner of the ancient volume. It fell into his great grand-father's hands in the eighteenth century, and passed down to Squire Roberts through the succeeding generations.
The history of the Macon Republican and the Macon Times-Demo- erat appears above. The other Macon county publications are as follows :
The Macon Crusader, by Bunce and Davidson; Temperance ; estab- lished 1909.
The La Plata Home Press, by the Home Press Publishing Com- pany; J. L. Baity, editor; Democratic; established in 1876.
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HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY
The La Plata Republican, by J. F. Weaver; Republican; estab- lished July 1, 1892.
The Bevier Appeal, by F. D. Jones; Independent; September 20, 1889.
The Callao Journal, by W. D. Franklin; Independent; established April 1, 1908.
The Ethel Courier, by W. E. Windle; Democratic; established July, 1894.
The Elmer Journal, by L. B. Osborne; Republican ; established in 1906.
The Atlanta Express, by A. C. Howlett, and the Gifford Gazette, by the Gazette Printing Company are among the newcomers to Macon county journalism and both are lusty and enterprising newspapers.
The Church Herald; edited by J. F: Watkins and J. A. King; "Or- gan of the People designated as the Church of God," commonly called the Holiness people; was established at Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1890 and was moved to College Mound, Macon county, in 1904.
Believing an association for the cultivation of literary tastes, the acquisition of knowledge and the general improvement of its members to be in the highest degree beneficial, fifteen ladies of Macon met at the home of Mrs. J. F. Williams, in the month of November, 1885, and organized the Anti-Rust Club.
At this first meeting the following officers were unanimously elected: Mrs. Williams, president; Mrs. L. A. Smith, first vice-presi- dent; Mrs. John Scovern, second vice-president, and Mrs. A. C. Long- den, secretary.
Two committees were appointed; one to formulate a constitution and bylaws, the other to select the course of study. In December these committees made their reports to the fifteen charter members, who were Mrs. J. F. Williams, Mrs. Louisa A. Smith, Mrs. John Scovern, Mrs. A. C. Longden, Mrs. Julia H. Clements, Mrs. E. Talbot, Mrs. E. B. Clements, Mrs. Joe Patton, Mrs. M. H. Hubbs, Mrs. F. Baird, Mrs. F. Williams, Miss M. F. Thomas, Miss S. A. Moulton, Miss Evelyn Smith · (Mrs. J. P. Kem), Miss Emma Smith (Mrs. Emma Kennan).
The limit of membership was placed at twenty. The rather unusual name the club selected originated in the motto adopted, "Better to wear ont than to rust out."
The first meeting for active work took place in January, 1886, tlie course of work being of an historical nature. This club being composed of busy home-makers, the first meetings were literally held in fear and trembling, but the timid ones gradually grew accustomed to the sound
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of their own voices, and much enthusiasm for the work prevailed.
During 1892-1894 Mrs. L. A. Smith served the organization as pres- ident. The club was adjourned for a period of four years, and resumed its meetings in 1898, since which time it has met continuously. From the period when the work was resumed until 1904 the club had the good fortune to have Mrs. Williams as president. Upon her departure for St. Louis to live, she was made honorary life president, and a worthy successor was chosen, Mrs. Kem, who still serves as the club's president.
During the twenty-five years this elub has been organized the edu- cational results of its systematie and regular study have been incal- culable. Whatever subjects have been chosen the club has considered it worth their best efforts.
Their punctuality, faithfulness, and willingness to undertake what- ever duty was assigned, have been good examples for the community. Year-book programs have been prepared by much painstaking study. The members have always been chosen with the view of their being loyal, not afraid to work, and not willing to waste their time on trivial subjects. The study of the classics has been the club's ideal. The meetings have been characterized by a spirit of enthusiasm and looked forward to with pleasant anticipations.
Not only has the club been a real benefit for the sake of its influ- ence. but also for the lectures and lecture-courses brought here through its efforts.
The literary club and woman's club movement have been called the "People's University." It is not a meaningless phrase nor an over- classification. They aspire to an intellectual paradise along the lines of serious and earnest thinking, and results will surely follow. "It is not what stays in our memories, but what has passed into our character that is the possession of our lives!"
CHAPTER VIII.
MINES AND MINING THE PILGRIMAGE TO CALIFORNIA-PHIL ARMOUR AND NED CROARKIN-A MINER'S DREAM-DISCOVERY OF COAL IN MACON COUNTY-ALEXANDER RECTOR-THOMAS WARDELL-STRIKES, PANICS AND THEN PROSPERITY-"SHOOTING OFF THE SOLID"-RIOTS OF 1899 -A MINE DISASTER-A JOURNEY THROUGH GLOOMY AVENUES-A MINING TOWN THAT DIED-MINERS ARE LONG-LIVED-STATISTICS FROM STATE MINING REPORT-EARLY GOLD EXCITEMENT IN CHARITON VAL- LEY-DEVELOPMENT OF VALUABLE ORE AT NEW CAMBRIA.
Macon county was a lusty child of eleven when the workmen at Colonel Sutter's sawmill at Coloma, California, in January, 1848, struck some curious stuff in the channel which turned out to be gold. Sutter and his men kept quiet about the discovery until their mill was com- pleted, when a lot of the ore was sent to Sacramento to be tested. The amazing result of the test soon reached San Francisco, and from there the news was spread over the world, adding richer color as it traveled. It was the main topic of conversation in this nation. Men supposed the hills and valleys of California were literally underlaid with gold, awaiting the scratching of the ground. The further east they were the stronger was this belief. There was warrant for it in all the slow- traveling letters from the far west, each one freighted with intelligence of new discoveries. The nation held its breath until the spring of '49, when the mightiest pilgrimage ever seen on this continent began. From morn till night the highways were dotted with great white wagons, moving slowly behind one, two and three yoke of oxen-"California or bust," many said, laughing with hope.
Macon county sent many of her best sons on the long trek across the deserts and the mountains. They turned from her broad aeres, pleading for her husbandman's touch, to the alluring call of the sunset, a sunset brilliant with promise. They smiled at the stories of fierce Indian warriors, of burning sands, of dangerous mountain passes. It was a sort of epidemic-this vast pilgrimage to the coast. It invaded the blood like the summons to war. Strong young men felt they just had to go; it was the right thing to do; they would return, their lumber- ing craft of the plains loaded with gold-some day. Then they planned
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great things for their villages on their home-coming. They would first pay off the mortgage and give the old folks a bank account that would keep them in ease the balance of their days. Next they would build a new church and increase the pastor's salary. Then would come a town library, a city hall, new public school building and a few other small things. These attended to, they would travel and see the old world -England, France, Germany, the Holy Land-go everywhere.
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