USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > History of Lafayette county, Mo. , carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, cities, towns, and villages > Part 23
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The diameter being given, to find the circumference.
RULE .- Multiply the diameter by 3 1-7.
How to find the diameter when the circumference is given.
RULE .- Divide the circumference by 3 1-7.
199
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
To find how many solid fect a round stick of timber of the same thich ness throughout will contain when squared.
RULE .- Square half the diameter in inches, multiply by 2, multiply by the length in feet, and divide the product by 144.
General rule for measuring timber, to find the solid contents in fect.
RULE .- Multiply the depth in inches by the breadth in inches, and then multiply by the length in feet, and divide by 144.
To find the number of feet of timber in trecs with the bark on.
RULE .- Multiply the square of one-fifth of the circumference in inches by twice the length in feet, and divide by 144. Deduct 1.10 to 1.15 according to the thickness of the bark.
Howard's new rule for computing interest.
RULE .- The reciprocal of the rate is the time for which the interest on any sum of money will be shown by simply removing the decimal point two places to the left; for ten times that time, remove the point one place to the left; for 1-10 of the same time, remove the point three places to the left.
Increase or diminish the results to suit the time given.
NOTE .- The reciprocal of the rate is found by inverting the rate; thus 3 per cent. per month, inverted, becomes 18 of a month, or ten days.
When the rate is expressed by one figure, always write it thus: 3-1, three ones.
Rule for converting English into American currency.
Multiply the pounds, with the shillings and pence stated in decimals, by 400 plus the premium in fourths, and divide the product by 90.
U. S. GOVERNMENT LAND MEASURE.
A township-36 sections each a mile square.
A section-640 acres.
A quarter section, half a mile square-160 acres.
An eight section, half a mile long, north and south, and a quarter of a mile wide-80 acres.
A sixteenth section, a quarter of a mile square-40 acres.
The sections are all numbered 1 to 36, commencing at the north-east corner.
The sections are divided into quarters, which are named by the cardinal points. The quarters are divided in the same way. The description of a forty-acre lot would read: The south half of the west half of the south-west quarter of section 1, in township 24, north of range 7 west, or as the case might be; and sometimes will fall short, and sometimes overrun the number of acres it is supposed to contain.
200
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
SURVEYORS' MEASURE.
7 92-100 inches . make 1 link.
25 links 1 rod. 4 rods. 1 chain.
1 mile. 80 chains
NOTE .- A chain is 100 links, equal to 4 rods or 66 feet.
Shoemakers formerly used a subdivision of the inch called a barleycorn; three of which made an inch.
Horses are measured directly over the fore feet, and the standard of measure is four inches-called a hand.
In biblical and other old measurements, the term span is sometimes used, which is a length of nine inches.
The sacred cubit of the Jews was 24.024 inches in length. .
The common cubit of the Jews was 21.704 inches in length.
A pace is equal to a yard or 36 inches.
A fathom is equal to 6 feet.
A league is three miles, but its length is variable, for it is strictly speaking i nautical term, and should be three geographical miles, equal to 3.45 stat- ite miles, but when used on land, three statute miles are said to be a league. In cloth measure an aune is equal to 1} yards, or 45 inches.
An Amsterdam ell is equal to 26.796 inches.
A Trieste ell is equal to 25.284 inches.
A Brabant ell is equal to 27.116 inches.
HOW TO KEEP ACCOUNTS.
Every farmer and mechanic, whether he does much or little business, should keep a record of his transactions in a clear and systematic manner. For the benefit of those who have not had the opportunity of acquiring a primary knowledge of the principles of book-keeping, we here present a simple form of keeping accounts which is easily comprehended, and well adapted to record the business transactions of farmers, mechanics and laborers.
1875.
A. H. JACKSON.
DR.
CR.
Jan.
10|To 7 bushels wheat ..
.at $1.25|$ 8.75|> ..
17 By shoeing span of horses
2.50
Feb. 4 To 14 bushels oats
.at $ .45
6.30
....
4 To 5 fb. butter ..
at .25
1.25
....
March 8 By new harrow ..
18.00
8 By sharpening 2 plows
.40
13|By new double-tree
2.25
27 To cow and calf.
48.00
....
April
9 To half ton of hay
6.25
.
9 By cash .
25.00
May
6 By repairing corn-planter
.. .
4.75
24 To one sow with pigs.
17.50
35.15
+ By cash, to balance account
$88.05 $88.05
. .
...
. .
ERECTED 1838.
STATE CAPITOL, JEFFERSON CITY.
'"The most beautiful site occupied by any State Capitol in the Union."-BAYARD TAYLOR.
BELONGS TO THE STATE
GOVERNOR'S MANSION, JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI .- 1881.
.
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
201 :
1875.
CASSA MASON.
DR. CR.
March 21|Bv 3 day's labor
.at $1.25
$ 3.75
March 21 To 2 shoats ..
.at
3.00| $ 6.00
....
March 23 To 18 bushels corn
.at
.45
8.10 .
.
May 1|By 1 months labor
25.00
May
1 To cash
10.00
June 19 By 8 days mowing
at $1.50
12.00
June
26 To 50 lbs. flour
2.75
July
10|To 27 lbs. meat
.. at $ .10
2.70
July
29 By 9 days harvesting
.at 2.00
. .
18.00
Aug.
12|By 6 days labor .
.at 1.50
9.00
Aug.
12 To cash.
20.00
....
Sept.
1 To cash to balance account .
18.20
... .
$ 67.75 $67.75
INTEREST TABLE.
A SIMPLE RULE FOR ACCURATELY COMPUTING INTEREST AT ANY GIVEN PER CENT FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.
Multiply the principal (amount of money at interest) by the time reduced to days; then divide this product by the quotient obtained by dividing 360 (the number of days in the interest year) by the per cent of interest, and the quotient thus obtained will be the required interest.
ILLUSTRATION.
Solution.
$462.50
.48
370000
185000
60
$222.0000
180
420
420
00
MISCELLANEOUS TABLE.
12 anits or things, 1 dozen. | 196 pounds, 1 barrel of flour. [ 24 sheets of paper, 1 quire.
12 dozen, 1 gros8.
200 pounds, 1 barrel of pork.
20 quires of paper, 1 ream.
20 things, 1 score. 56 pounds, 1 firkin of butter. | 4 .. wide, 4 ft. high, and 8 ft. long, 1 cord wood.
4
14
....
Require the interest of $462.50 for one month and eighteen days at 6 per cent. An interest month is 30 days ; one month and eighteen days equal 48 days. $462.50 multiplied_by .48 gives $222.0000; 360 divided by 6 (the per cent of interest) gives 60, and 222.0000 divided by 60 will give the exact interest, which is $3.70. If the rate of interest in the above example were 12 per cent, we would divide the $222 .- 6(360 ) 0000 by 30 (because 360 divided by 12 gives 30); if 4 per cent, we would divide by 90; if 8 per cent, by 45, and in like manner for any other per cent.
202
NAMES OF THE STATES AND THEIR SIGNIFICATION.
NAMES OF THE STATES OF THE UNION, AND THEIR SIGNIFICATIONS.
Virginia .- The oldest of the states, was so called in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen," in whose reign Sir Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to colonize that region.
Florida .- Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida on Easter Sunday, and called the country in commemoraticn of the day, which was the Pasqua Florida of the Spaniards, or "Feast of Flowers."
Louisiana was called after Louis the Fourteenth, who at one time owned that section of the country.
Alabama was so named by the Indians, and signifies " Here we Rest." Mississippi is likewise an Indian name, meaning "Long River."
Arkansas, from Kansas, the Indian word for "smoky water." Its pre- fix was really arc, the French word for "bow."
The Carolinas were originally one tract, and were called " Carolana," after Charles the Ninth of France.
"Georgia owes its name to George the Second of England, who first established a colony there in 1732.
Tennessee, is the Indian name for the "River of the Bend," i. e., the Mississippi which forms its western boundary.
Kentucky is the Indian name for "at the head of the river."
Ohio means " beautiful;" Iowa, "drowsy ones;" Minnesota, " cloudy water," and Wisconsin, " wild-rushing channel."
Illinois is derived from the Indian word Illini, men, and the French suffix ois, together signifying " tribe of men."
Michigan was called by the name given the lake, fish-weir, which was so styled from its fancied resemblance to a fish trap.
Missouri is from the Indian word "muddy," which more properly applies to the river that flows through it.
Oregon owes its Indian name also to its principal river.
Cortez named California.
Massachusetts is the Indian for " the country around the great hills."
Connecticut, from the Indian Quon-ch-ta-Cut, signifying " Long River."
Maryland, after Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles the First, of Eng- land.
New York was named by the Duke of York.
Pennsylvania means "Penn's woods," and was so called after William Penn, its original owner.
Delaware after Lord De la Ware.
New Jersey, so called in honor of Sir George Carteret, who was gov- ernor of the island of Jersey, in the British channel.
Maine was called after the province of Maine, in France, in compliment of Queen Henrietta of England, who owned that province.
I
203
SUGGESTIONS TO THOSE PURCHASING BOOKS BY SUBSCRIPTION.
Vermont, from the French words vert mont, signifying green mountain. New Hampshire, from Hampshire county, in England. It was formerly called Laconia.
The little state of Rhode Island owes its name to the island of Rhodes, in the Mediterranean, which domain it is said to greatly resemble.
Texas is the American word for the Mexican name by which all that section of the country was called before it was ceded to the United States.
SUGGESTIONS TO THOSE PURCHASING BOOKS BY SUB- SCRIPTION.
The business of publishing books by subscription, having so often been brought into disrepute by agents making representations and declarations not authorized by the publisher, in order to prevent that as much as possi- ble, and that there may be more general knowledge of the relation such agents bear to their principal, and the law governing such cases, the fol- lowing statement is made:
A subscription is in the nature of a contract of mutual promises, by which the subscriber agrees to pay a certain sum for the work described; the consideration is concurrent that the publisher shall publish the book named, and deliver the same, for which the subscriber is to pay the price named. The nature and character of the work is described by the pros- pectus and sample shown. These should be carefully examined before sub- scribing, as they are the basis and consideration of the promise to pay, and not the too often exaggerated statements of the agent, who is merely employed to solicit subscriptions, for which he usually paid a commission for each subscriber, and has no authority to change or alter the conditions upon which the subscriptions are authorized to be made by the publisher. Should the agent assume to agree to make the subscription conditional, or modify or change the agreement of the publisher, as set out by the pros- pectus and sample, in order to bind the principle, the subscriber should see that such condition or changes are stated over or in connection with his signature, so that the publisher may have notice of the same.
All persons making contracts in reference to matters of this kind, or any other business, should remember that the law as written is, that they can not be altered, varied or rescinded verbally, but if done at all, must be done in writing. It is therefore important that all persons contemplating sub- scribing should distinctly understand that all talk before or after the sub- scription is made is not admissible as evidence, and is no part of the contract.
Persons employed to solicit subscriptions are known to the trade as can- vassers They are agents appointed to do a particular business in a pre- scribed mode, and have no authority to do it in any other way to the prejudice of their principal, nor can they bind their principal in any other matter. They cannot collect money, or agree that payment may be made in anything else but money. They cannot extend the time of payment beyond the time of delivery, nor bind their principal for the payment of expenses incurred in their business.
It would save a great deal of trouble, and often serious loss, if persons, before signing their names to any subscription book, or any written instru- men, would examine carefully what it is; if they cannot read themselves, call on some one disinterested who can.
UNITED STATES CUSTOM-HOUSE AND POST-OFFICE,; AT KANSAS CITY .- 1881.
History of Lafayette County.
PIONEER EVENTS.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE COUNTY.
The first election held in the territory of Missouri was in October, 1812, and it was then divided into five voting or representative precincts; but just how and when this sub-division originated, history does not relate. The district of St. Charles embraced all north of the Missouri river; the district of St. Louis embraced all south of the Missouri river, except the old settlements of St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and New Madrid, on the Mississippi river; and therefore the territory now constituting Lafay- ette county, was at that time a part of what was called St. Louis parish or district. However, in governor Howard's proclamation, dated October 1, 1812, calling this first election, the five civil districts are for the first time officially called counties.
January 23, 1816, all that part of the state lying north and west of the Osage river on the south side of the Missouri, and west of Cedar creek, (opposite Jefferson City), and west of the dividing ridge between the streams that flow eastward into the Mississippi and those which flow south- ward into the Missouri, on the north side of that river, was organized under the name of Howard county. It was so named in honor of Gen. Benj. Howard, of Kentucky, who was appointed governor of this Terri- tory in 1810. The county seat was first located at Cole's Fort, just below the present sitc of Boonville; but in 1816 it was removed to old Franklin, opposite Boonville.
In 1818, all that part of Howard county lying south of the Missouri river, and north and west of the Osage, was erected into a new county called Cooper, in honor of Capt. Sarshall Cooper, who, with ten others of the same name, his sons or relatives, were early settlers and Indian fight- ers in the " Boone's Lick country." (Capt. Cooper was killed in 1814.) The county seat was at Boonville. -
On November 16, 1820, the legislature again created a lot of new coun- ties; and all that portion of Cooper county lying west of the present east- ern boundary of Lafayette county, and between the Missouri river on the north and the Osage river on the south, was named Lillard county, after
a
206
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
James Lillard, who was the first member of the legislature from this locality, and introduced the bill to make the new counties. The county seat was fixed at Mount Vernon, a small settlement near the mouth of Tabo creek, about eight miles east of Lexington. Mr. Lillard subse- quently abandoned the new county which had received his name, and went back to his old home in Tennessee. The pioneer settlers were dis- pleased with this move, which seemed to cast some discredit on their chosen and favorite country.
In April, 1825, Gen. Lafayette and his son George Washington Lafay- ette, visited St. Louis, the General being then sixty-eight years old, and were received with a magnificent ovation. The legislature of 1824-5 was still in session, and it signalized the great event by changing the name of Lillard county to that of Lafayette, in honor of the distinguished French- man who had so nobly aided our country in the revolutionary war. His name and great services to our national cause were fresh in the minds of the people; and the naming of this county after him was designed as a perpetual memorial of their reverence and gratitude. In February, 1823, the county seat of Lillard county had been moved from Mount Vernon to Lexington, so that when the name Lillard was dropped, and Lafayette substituted, Lexington was already the county seat, and has remained so ever since.
In 1826, December 15, Jackson county was organized, and its eastern boundary was the present west line of Lafayette county. And on Decem- ber 13, 1834, Johnson county was laid off by act of legislature, its northern . line being the same as the south line of Lafayette county. This com- pleted the different steps and stages successively by which Lafayette county went through the process of political incubation and was hatched out into her present goodly plumage and fair proportions.
At the present time the county is divided into eight civil townships, to- wit: Clay, Davis, Dover, Freedom, Lexington, Middleton, Sniabar and Washington. But during its various stages of development it has had Blackwater, Blue, Caw, Clearfork, Fort Osage, Springfield, and Tabo townships, which do not now exist within her borders.
FIRST CIRCUIT COURT IN LILLARD COUNTY.
The first court held in Lillard county was at Mount Vernon, February 12, 1821. The county of Lillard was established by an act of the Legis- lature passed November 16, 1820, and was included in the first judicial district. Gov. McNair appointed David Todd to be judge of this cir- cuit, and hence it was Judge Todd who held the first court at Mount Vernon, as above mentioned. The act creating Lillard county had desig- nated Mount Vernon to be the county seat until the people of the county should be able to suit themselves better. The governor had likewise
207
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
commissioned Hamilton R. Gamble to be prosecuting attorney of this court; Young Ewing, clerk, (commission dated Jan. 18, 1821); and Wm. R. Cole, sheriff, (commission dated Jan. 1, 1821). Hamilton R. Gamble, Peyton R. Hayden and John T. Mckinney were admitted to practice as attorneys at the bar of this court, the first day of its existence.
A grand jury, the first one in the county, was empaneled the same day, as follows: Wm. Lillard, foreman; John J. Heard, John Lillard, Wm. F. Simmons, Thomas Linville, Jesse Cox, James Bounds, Jr., David Jennings, Isaac Clark, Wm. Wallace, Christopher Mulky, Jacob Catron, John Bowman, George Parkerson, Thomas Hopper, James Linville, John Robison, Thomas Fristoe, Wm. Fox and Samuel Watson. Their first presentment was made in a short time, against John Salady, for tres- pass and assault and battery, "a true bill," etc.
The next day, February 13, the court was opened at 10:15 o'clock, and the first case presented was an application for divorce, as follows:
"Sarah Lillard, by David Jennings, her next friend, complainant, Against Jerry Lillard, defendant, In a petition for a divorce.
This day came the complainant, by her counsel, and filed her petition, praying for a divorce from bed and board, and setting forth cruel and barbarous treatment so as to endanger her life, and indignities offered so as to render her situation intolerable, and compelling her to leave her hus- band," etc.
But at the next term of the court, June 12, the case was on motion of the complainant discontinued. However, this same day another divorce case was entered, to-wit: Jane Cooper, complainant, against Braxton Cooper, defendant. This case was heard October 10th, and Jane was granted a divorce.
That first term of circuit court, in February, 1821, had one case in. chancery,-Thomas Cox and Richard Scott vs. Wm. E. Aikman. And on the second day the grand jury brought in quite a list of presentments, as follows: The state of Missouri vs. John Young, for assault and battery; also against John Ingram and Solomon Catron, for the same offense, and against John Young, Jonathan Hicklin, Jacob Catron and James Lil- lard for an affray. The business of litigation continued to increase from term to term so that the court always had enough cases on the docket to keep it busy while in session. In fact, the records show that "those early times" were not any better in that respect than these later times. Indee , there was a great deal more litigation in proportion to the number of peo- ple than there is now.
The July term, 1825, of the circuit court is entered as "a circuit court begun and held in the town of Lexington, and county of Lillard," etc. Its record occupies pages 11 to 15 of book No. 2. Then on page 16 of the same book occurs this entry: "A circuit court begun and held in the
208
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
court house in the town of Lexington, Lafayette county, on the 24th day of November," etc., (1825). There is no record, note or memoranda to show how, when or why the name of the county ceased to be Lillard and commenced to be Lafayette. It is common report that one of the first acts of our state legislature after Gen. Lafayette's visit to St. Louis in 1825, was to change the name of Lillard county to Lafayette county; but this historian failed to find a copy of the act, or any document or other record giving the exact date or particulars of the change. It would cer- tainly seem as though the court record should have had some memoranda to account for and explain the change, so as to authenticate the proper dating and entitling of official papers, but nevertheless no such explana- tion appears, neither in the circuit court, county court or marriage records. In each case there is simply an abrupt, unexplained change of name from Lillard to Lafayette county.
FIRST COURT IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
The first circuit court of Lafayette county was held at Lexington, November 24, 25, 1825. David Todd, judge; Markham Fristoe, sheriff; Young Ewing, clerk.
The first grand jury of Lafayette county consisted of: Wm. Bowers, foreman; David James, Henry Rowland, Geo. Nevil, A. P. Patterson, Spencer Estes, Thos. Marr, Isaac Clark, Pink Hudson, Wm. Clark, Calvin Howe, Samuel Cox, Wm. Robertson, Jesse Demasters, Hiram Helm, David Norris, Jesse Nave, Frederick Sebril, Jesse Cox, and Henry Campbell. They received their charge, and retired for consultation; but, unlike their predecessors, the first grand jury of Lillard county, there was. no business before them; and they were at once dismissed.
David Todd continued to be judge of the circuit court, up to the Novem- ber term, 1830. But at the February term, 1831, John F. Ryland took his seat as judge of the court, under a commission signed by John Miller, governor, January 18, 1831. This Judge Ryland was the father of Judge John E. Ryland and Xenophon Ryland, Esq., prominent and well-known attorneys of Lexington at the present time. Judge Ryland occupied this bench continuously for eighteen years, then occupied a seat on the supreme bench of the state for eight years. He died September 10, 1873.
FIRST COUNTY COURT.
The first thing that appears of record is the opening of the county court at the house of Samuel Weston* in the town of Mount Vernon, January 2, 1821. John Stapp, John Whitsett and James Lillard, Sr., had been commissioned by Governor McNair, under date of St. Louis, December 8, 1820, as justices of the county court of Lillard county. Henry Renick,
*Samuel Weston had been commissioned by the governor, November 22, 1820, as jus- tice of the peace for Tabbo township, then in Cooper county, but at this time in Lillard county.
209
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY.
Sr., was then justice of the peace for the county, and he administered the oath of office to the new justices. (He had been commissioned by the governor November 22, 1820, as justice of the peace for Sniabar town- ship, then in Cooper county, but now Lillard county.) Young Ewing was the first clerk of court; his bond was given for $1,200, with Wm. Y. C. Ewing and Joel Campbell, as securities. This was at the April term. The January term had done no business except to record the justices' com- missions aud swear them into office.
The first case in this court was a motion of Abram McClelland, April 23, 1821, for letters testamentary on the last will of Amasa Crain, deceased. Mr. McClelland, David Ward and Abel Owens entered into bond in the case. The will was proven by the oaths of John Tharp, and John Walker, and the record says: "Ordered, that Lilburn W. Boggs, [afterwards governor of the state, 1836 to 1840,] Richard Edmundson and Wm. E. Aikman, who being first sworn, do appraise all the slaves and all the personal estate to them produced of Amasa Crain, deceased, and make due return thereof according to law ."
The same day Wm. Y. C. Ewing, Thomas Fristoe, Joseph Irwin, Abel Owens and Samuel Evans, were appointed commissioners of the school lands of the county; and it was "ordered, that all persons who have improved school lands shall be allowed to occupy the same so long as to reap the benefits of three crops, including those that have been made or received by said improver."
April 24, 1821, John Dustin was appointed surveyor of Lillard county, he "having been examined in presence of the court, as to his qualifica- tions," etc.
July 24, John Stapp was appointed to be president of the court. After this, the court proceeded to make up the first bill of county expenses, thus:
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