USA > Missouri > Ray County > History of Ray county, Mo. > Part 42
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The following are the names of the charter members: John F. Houston, David Snowden, J. H. Anderson, R. B. Kice, B. F. Gray, John T. Quirk, M. H. Allison, D. P. Proctor, William D. Albright, and D. D. Gant.
Names of first officers: John F. Houston, H. P .; David Snowden, E. K .; J. H. Anderson, E. S .; R. B. Kice, C. H .; B. F. Gray, P. S.
Names of present officers: Lewis Slaughter, H. P .; S. R. Crispin, E. K .; A. A. McCuistion, E. S .; R. B. Kice, C. H .; J. W. Smith, P. S .; J. C. Brown, secretary.
The number of present membership is fifty, and the chapter is in a flourishing condition.
The Hon. John F. Houston, who was a member of this chapter, was elected grand master of the grand lodge of Missouri, for the years 1864, '65 and '66. He died of paralysis in St. Louis, December 7, 1870. His remains are interred in the new cemetery at Richmond. Over his grave the Masons of Missouri have erected a costly and beautiful monument.
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Mr. Houston was a man of broad charity, great heart, and untarnished character, and dying, left a name to go down to posterity, pure and spot- less and bright, and revered by all who knew him living, or read his his- tory, now that he is dead.
HARDIN LODGE, NO. 322, A. F. AND A. M.,
was instituted by James E. Drake, W. M., of Wakanda Lodge, No. 52, D. G. L. Dispensation to establish this lodge was granted July 21, 1869, and its charter bears date October 12, of the same year. William R. Hunt, W. C. Riffe, S. R. Crispin, D. W. Trigg, L. C. Rhinehart, A. L. Bailey, James E. Johnston and Robert Livingston are the charter members.
The following persons were the first officers: Robert Livingston, W. M .; William R. Hunt, S. W .; W. C. Riffe, J. W .; S. R. Crispin, treas- urer; D. W. Trigg, secretary; L. C. Rhinehart, S. D .; A. L. Bailey, J. D .; James E. Johnston, tiler.
Names of present officers: G. P. Long, W. M .; R. V. Seward, S. W .; A. A. Thompson, J. W .; A. N. Barrett, treasurer; W. J. Roach, secretary; John Tobin, S. D .; P. C. Smallwood, J. D .; W. R. Meador and G. B. Hinman, stewards; J. B. Proctor, tiler.
This lodge is in a prosperous and healthy condition, morally and finan- cially, and has a membership of thirty-seven.
MYRTLE LODGE NO. 338, A. F. AND A. M.
This lodge is located at Millville, and was instituted by Elias Parrott, D. D. G. M. Date of dispensation, October 12, 1869; date of charter, October 13, 1870.
Following is a complete list of the charter members: Joseph F. Duvall, R. S. Thomson, William M. McCuistion, Caleb Witcher, Silas Keith, A. A. McCuistion, George W. McCuistion, George W. Lozier, J. M. Carter, John Harrison, S. L. McCuistion, Ambrose Young, John Schooler, S. S. Young, Kedar Wall, J. G. Williams, William Burnett, and A. R. Camp- bell.
The names of the first officers are as follows: Joseph F. Duvall, W. M .; R. S. Thomson, S. W .; William McCuistion, J. W .; Kedar Wall, treasurer; A. A. McCuistion, secretary; J. M. Carter, S. D .; S. S. Young, J. D .; S. L. McCuistion, tiler.
The lodge is officered at present (1881), as follows: J. M. Carter, W. M .; G. W. McCuistion, S. W .; J. F. Duvall, J. W .; Kedar Wall, treas- urer; S. S. Young, secretary ; R. C. Craven, S. D .; J. P. Grimes, J. D .; R. W. Fletcher, tiler; W. R. Pettus, chaplain; J. N. Graves and George W. Lozier, stewards.
The number of present membership is forty-eight.
The members of this lodge erected in 1869 a very handsome frame
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hall, at a cost of $1,800. This building, together with the furniture, jew- els, regalia, etc., belonging to the lodge, was destroyed by fire March 12, 1878. The insurance of $1,000 was realized, and the hall was rebuilt the same year, and dedicated May 3, 1879.
BEE HIVE LODGE, NO. 393, A. F. AND A. M.
This lodge, located in the town of Lawson, Polk township, was insti- tuted by Dr. R. B. Kice, of Richmond. Dispensation was granted December 8, 1870, and its charter is dated October 13, 1871.
The charter members were: Robert H. Finch, W. C. Halstead, A. C. Peterman, B. F. Elston, Francis Brock, W. H. Stockard, James Whit- sett, R. J. Clark, R. S. Morrow, Alexander Taggart, W. W. Smith, G. W. James, John Crowley, Jere Whitsett, W. C. James, Joel Eastin, D. B. Palmer, Milton Piercy, and others.
The first officers were: Robert H. Finch, W. M .; W. C. Halstead, S. W .; Allen C. Peterman, J. W .; John Crowley, treasurer; R. J. Clark, secretary; G. W. Montgomery, S. D .; James Morrow, J. D .; Francis Brock, tiler.
The present (1881) officers are: W. M. Allison, W. M .; James Mor- row, S. W .; J. T. Hurt, J. W .; J. C. Weakly, secretary; Joseph Rippey, treasurer; J. H. Whitsett, tiler.
Bee Hive Lodge has, at present, forty-seven members, and owns a commodious frame hall, built in 1870, at a cost of two thousand dollars.
ADA LODGE, NO. 444, A. F. AND A. M.
For the facts concerning this lodge, we are indebted to Captain R. H. Mc Whorter, its secretary-an obliging gentleman, who called at our office, in Richmond, to impart the information desired.
Ada Lodge building, a handsome frame, erected in 1872, at a cost of $1,000, is in the town of Orrick, Camden township.
The lodge was instituted by Honorable Samuel J. Owens, grand mas- ter of grand lodge of Missouri. Dispensation was granted February 24, 1872, and its charter is dated the 16th of the following October.
The following persons were the charter members: J. W. Bain, J. J. Seth, E. M. Endsley, J. F. Pigg, M. G. Taylor, Joel T. Petty, Z. D. Ralph, and W. H. Campbell.
The first officers were: J. W. Bain, W. M .; M. G. Taylor, S. W .; J. J. Seth, J. W .; E. M. Endsley, treasurer; W. H. Campbell, secretary; J. F. Pigg, S. D .; Z. D. Ralph, J. D .; J. H. Petty, tiler.
The present officers are: M. G. Taylor, W. M .; H. C. Purdue, S. W .; T. K. Kirkpatrick, J. W .; A. D. Brasher, treasurer; R. H. McWhorter, secretary; T. J. Leak, S. D .; Rial Creason, J. D .; N. B. Pigg and Absa- lom Cruse, stewards, and J. G. Herring, tiler.
Ada Lodge has forty members, and is in a flourishing condition, free from debt, with $300 in the treasury.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
RICHMOND LODGE, NO. 208, I. O. O. F.
This lodge was instituted by G. W. Mckeon, of Lexington, Missouri. A dispensation was granted in January, 1869, and its charter is dated May of the same year. The following are the names of the charter members: W. W. Orrick, J. T. Child, J. W. Harrison, C. S. W. Taylor, Joseph Robb, F. M. Ball, William Carlyle, John Q. Word and William Crouch.
The following persons constituted the first officers, viz: W. W. Orrick, N. G .; John Q. Word, V. G .; William Carlyle, treasurer; J. T. Child, secretary.
Names of present officers: J. W. Harrison, N. G .; H. P. Grow, V. G .; John C. Bales, treasurer; B. Wigginton, secretary.
The lodge at present, April, 1881, has thirty-six members. ยท It is in good working order, and all the members take a lively interest in its prosperity.
LODGE NO. 205, I. O. G. T., MILLVILLE.
Instituted by John Y. Nesbit. Chartered March 20, 1879.
Names of charter members: J. M. Carter, Mrs. J. L. Head, J. L. Mef- fert, J. P. Grimes, Ida B. Carter, Jere Wilson, Lizzie Carter, Allen Thomson, Patty Bullock, C. C. Schooler, Dora Fowler, Susan Grimes, Edward Bullock, Edward Boliver, E. M. Carter, and others.
First officers: J. M. Carter, W. C. T .; Mrs. J. L. Head, W. V. T .; J. L. Meffert, chaplain; J. P. Grimes, secretary.
NEWSPAPERS OF RAY COUNTY, AND EXTRACTS.
Colonel James W. Black was the founder of the first newspaper pub- lished in Ray county. It was called the Richmond Herald, and the first issue thereof was presented to the public, Wednesday, March 17, 1852. It was an attractive twenty-eight column sheet, form seventeen by twenty- two inches, published weekly.
The following little poem, written by " Ada " (Miss Pauline J. De Mas- ters), is inserted, because appropriate-and for its own sake:
RICHMOND "HERALD."
HERALD! bright messenger, welcome art thou, Truth, purity, shine on thy beautiful brow; We bid thee God-speed in this fair land of ours; We list to thy voice in our loneliest hours. Bright hopes are awakened and sweet dreams inspired, The muse is invoked and our dull hearts are fired, As we hearken the sound of thy silvery tone- Where thou art a visitor, none are alone.
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HERALD! thou star of first magnitude bright, Thy beams will illumine the dark brow of night; We see thee arising in beauty and power, Amid thy competitors proudly to tower. On the wild western border is a banner unfurled, And bravely it floats o'er a wondering world: Truth, beauty and wisdom are strongly combined On that banner where virtue and love are entwined.
Then, HERALD, arise, let thy proud voice be heard, As the heart-thrilling tones of our." Liberty bird," Careering all brightly toward the blue skies, And bathing his pinions in sunlight's deep dyes. I see thee! I see thee! in beauty and power, Breathing peace o'er each wild-wood and beautiful bower;
"Onward and upward," and holy and free,
Ever bright and untarnished thy future shall be.
Col. Black continued at the head of the Herald, as editor and proprie- tor, till September, 1852, when he sold it to John B. Stoops and Frank Stutzman.
In the spring of 1853, Stoops & Stutzman sold the paper to Rober Mil- ler, Esq., of Clay county, Missouri. Thomas Smith became the publisher and the name of the paper was changed to the Richmond Mirror. In 1857 it was sold by Robert Miller to Messrs. John Gwinne and John W. Griffin. The latter gentleman became the sole proprietor in 1858, and continued the publication of the Mirror until 1859, when it was sold, and consolidated with the Richmond Bulletin, a newspaper published only a short time in the year 1859, in Richmond, by Edward L. King, Esq.
Taking the name of the Northwest Conservator, it was published by Richard M. Hubbell & Co., till 1861. In that year it was sold to Chris- topher T. Garner, who conducted the paper till 1864, when it was sold to Hawkins & O'Gorman. In 1865, O'Gorman sold his interest in the paper to Richard M. Hubbell, and the firm name of the proprietors became Hawkins & Hubbell.
In 1866, Hawkins & Hubbell sold the Northwest Conservator to Col. Jacob T. Child, who substituted " Richmond " for " Northwest," and the name of the paper became the Richmond Conservator, and under that name it is still-April, 1881-edited, owned and operated by Col. Child, who has greatly improved the paper by the addition to his office of a new power press, modern machinery for job work, and a large amount of type, fixtures, etc. His printing establishment is one of the best equipped and appointed of any of its class in the state. The paper is democratic in politics; is ably and impartially edited, and to the prosperity, amusement, and instruction of the people of Ray county, the Richmond Conservator is a sine qua non.
The first number of the Missouri Freeman was published in Richmond,
1
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in the fall of 1865, by James A. Berry. Mr. Berry continued to publish the Freeman till the last of November, 1866, when he discontinued its pub- lication in consequence of the injury his press and material received from a detail of Union soldiers, sent from Lexington, Missouri, at that time, by Colonel Bacon Montgomery, to arrest the editor of the Freeman, James A. Berry.
Colonel J. T. Child, editor of the Conservator, was also arrested at the same time and taken to Lexington, but his printing press was not dam- aged by the soldiers. C'olonel Child was released the same day of his arrest, and permitted to return to Richmond.
Mr. Berry, on his release, published a few more numbers of the Free- man and then discontinued it, and removed with his printing press to Kansas.
The Richmond Republican was started by Thomas J. Sutton, Esq., at Richmond, in November, 1866. Mr. Sutton continued to publish the Republican till 1870, when he sold it to his brother, William A. Sutton, who, after publishing it a short time, sold it to Ed. Turner & Co., George McFadden being the publisher. Ed. Turner & Company sold the Republican in 1872, to Manias Buchanan, who in December of the same year, sold it to George W. Hendley. The name of the paper was then changed to Ray County Chronicle, the first number of which was pub- lished December 28, 1872.
George W. Hendley continued the publication of the Chronicle till Feb- ruary, 1875, when Julius C. Hughes became its owner by purchase. Feb- ruary 26, 1875, the paper appeared under the editorship of Mr. Hughes, and so continued until April 5, 1879, at which time he sold it to Colonel Thomas D. Bogie. May 22, 1879, Colonel Bogie changed the name of the paper to Richmond Democrat, and under that name continues its editor and proprietor. The paper is much improved since he became its owner. It is a reliable family newspaper, devoted to the interests of the town and county in which it is published. It is, like the Conservator, democratic in politics, and, as a county paper, ranks high among other similar publications in Missouri.
Friday April 8, 1881, the first number of the Lawson Gazette was issued. It is owned and conducted by the Lawson Publishing Company, and is a twenty-eight column weekly paper, neat in appearance and worthy of public patronage.
A few extracts from some of the first numbers of the Herald, the first Ray county paper, will, it is believed, be of general and permanent inter- est. We therefore subjoin the following:
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FIRST NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL.
From the Richmond Herald, Wednesday, March 17, 1852.]
TO OUR PATRONS.
As an address is always expected upon the establishing of a paper, we, in conformity with this custom, appear before the public.
As stated in our prospectus, we shall endeavor to maintain a strict neu- trality in politics, reserving to ourselves the right of commenting upon all affairs of state, in such a manner as may be considered consistent with the character of a neutral paper; we shall, nevertheless, keep our readers duly informed of all the political events that are transpiring, without entering the arena of political strife, and becoming a partisan.
It shall be our constant aim and endeavor to make the paper a valuable home journal, by devoting its columns principally to the promotion of the interests of our rapidly growing section of country, which is unsurpassed in fertility of soil, and possesses every facility for carrying on trade.
We shall give a place in our columns, with pleasure, to all articles written for the advancement of trade, agriculture, the mechanics, and other arts, education and morals.
We shall regularly publish such original and selected agricultural articles in our farmer's column, as we shall consider calculated to excite a lively interest in that greatest source of our wealth and prosperity.
It shall be our great aim to give variety to the columns-to have all its departments sustained-to relieve the dryness of commercial and political intelligence, with interesting tales, anecdotes, and other miscellaneous matter.
We shall spare no pains in securing local items, as well as the latest news, both foreign and domestic. In a word, we trust that our labors shall render the paper a source of pleasure to every family circle to which it may be a visitor.
With these few words of preface, we commit our enterprise to the future, trusting to the liberal patronage of an intelligent community to secure permanency and prosperity to the Richmond Herald.
PRESENTATION OF A MEDAL TO MR. CLAY.
The citizens of New York, desirious of presenting some testimonial of respect to the Hon. Henry Clay, lately caused a medal to be prepared at an expense worthy of the man, and highly honorable to the party paying him this mark of respect, which was conveyed to this city by a delega- tion of business men of that spirited, commercial metropolis, and pre- sented to him, yesterday, at his lodgings at the National hotel.
The medal is of a circular form, three and a half inches in diameter; the case of chased silver. The front of the case presents a view of Ash- land, the residence of Mr. Clay-above which is engraved the monument erected to Mr. Clay, on the great National (Cumberland) road. On the other side is a picture of the capitol, the prominent theatre of his public life. The front of the medal presents the head and bust of Mr. Clay, in strong bas-relief, encircled by a prominent wreath, representing a union of the states, in which the leading agricultural staples of the north and south form the principal ornaments. On the reverse side are the fol- lowing inscriptions, indicative of the illustrious periods in the life of Mr. Clay: "Senate, 1806; speaker, 1811; war, 1812; Ghent, 1814; Spanish
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America, 1812; Missouri Compromise, 1821; American system, 1824; Secretary of State, 1825; Panama instructions, 1826; Tariff compromise, 1833; Public domain, 1832 and 1834; Peace with France preserved, 1835; Compromise, 1850.
The delegation appointed to deliver this token of respect and venera- tion to the illustrious statesman, waited upon Mr. Clay at his private chamber.
On presenting the medal, he was also addressed by the chairman of the committee. To this address Mr. Clay responded:
GENTLEMEN: This is among the most interesting and gratifying days of my life, although I have been confined to these rooms for a long time by a tedious and doubtful illness. You have come here the representa- tives of a large and enlightened body of ardent and devoted friends of mine in the city of New York, to present me a beautiful and costly gold medal, intended to commemorate my public life. On one face are engraved the great public measures, adopted in the national councils in which I was supposed to have had any conspicuous agency; and on the other a remarkable and accurate likeness of me. The time and place of presentation, and the friends who have contributed this splendid testi- monial, give to it an inestimable value.
The time is when I am about to retire forever from public life, and when I cannot expect much longer to linger here below; the place is the city of Washington, the principal theatre of these public services, which have commended themselves to your approbation. Throughout my public life I have been blessed everywhere in the United States with more or fewer true friends to whom I am bound by the strongest sentiments of gratitude, but nowhere have they surpassed those in the city of New York in zeal, constancy, and fidelity, and in distinguished and various demonstra- tions of their affection and attachment.
Whilst one is in the pursuit of public life, and is held up for his highest honors, it is not practicable always to discriminate, among his supporters, between those who bestow their suffrages from pure, patriotic and disinterested motives, and those who are actuated by selfish ends; but on this occasion no such difficulty exists. You have come, at much personal inconvenience, to the bed of a sick and afflicted friend, to present to him, in your names, and in the name of a numerous body of his personal and political friends whom you represent, a most precious token of your esteem and effectionate regard. That friend has not now, and never will have any public patronage to dispense. The high and honorable and dis- interested character of your motives can not, therefore, be questioned.
Gentlemen, I request you to accept yourselves, and to communicate to my absent friends whom you represent, my cordial and heartfelt thanks, and my grateful and profound acknowledgements for this honor you entertain towards me; I should have been most happy to have expressed my great obligations to all of them personally, if it had been in my power.
I shall soon pass from the jurisdiction of any contemporaries, and of the present generation, to that of history and posterity, if the one shall deem me worthy of any record on its pages, or tradition shall transmit any recollection of me to the other.
It is not within my legitimate province to express any opinion on my
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own public career or public deeds. That office belongs to them, and I shall consider my future fame fortunate, if it shall be regarded by them with a small portion of the favor with which the partiality of yourselves and your associates now contemplate it.
I shall soon appear before a higher and more holy tribunal than any earthly one, which can unerringly judge of the motives as well as of the acts of man. To that tribunal I look forward with composure and confi- dence, that I shall be acquitted of ever having been prompted, in the dis- charge of my public duties, by any mean or selfish ends, or been animated by any other purpose than to promote the honor, the prosperity and glory of our common country.
Medals are generally struck by the authority, and paid for out of the public treasury of the government, and most frequently are intended to reward and signalize the triumphs achieved in war. But that which you now so kindly tender to my acceptance, is the spontaneous offering of private citizens, from their private purses, for public services exclusively in the civil department. I shall fondly and gratefully cherish and preserve it whilst life endures, and transmit it to my descendants under the hope that they receive and carefully guard it, with emotions of lively gratitude to my New York friends, as the proudest and richest legacy that I could leave them.
DEMOCRATIC MEETING IN RAY.
In accordance with the notice previously given by printed hand-bills, set up in different parts of the county, a meeting of the democrats of Ray was held in the court house, at Richmond, on the 1st day of January, A. D. 1852.
On motion of Dr. Thomas A. King, Captain James H. Gant was elected chairman, and James B. Turner secretary of the meeting.
On motion of Captain William M. Jacobs, Dr. Thomas A. King was called upon to explain the objects of the meeting, which he did, stating that they had met for the purpose of organizing for the ensuing polit- ical canvass, by making a declaration of the principles by which the democracy of Ray will be governed, and by appointing delegates to the democratic state convention, and to the congressional district convention. His remarks were brief and appropriate, and conceived in a spirit of harmony.
On the motion of Capt. William M. Jacobs, a committee of nine was appointed to draw resolutions for the consideration of the meeting. That committee consisted of the following gentlemen, to-wit: Captain Wil- liam M. Jacobs, Colonel Benjamin J. Brown, Dr. John B. McGaugh, Col- onel B. F. Smith, E: Sanderson, John E. Wells, Henry Boggess, Major Henry Lile, and James B. Turner.
The committee, after a short retirement, reported through their chair- man, Captain William M. Jacobs, the following resolutions, which were read, and unanimously adopted by the meeting:
Resolved, That we still adhere to the principles contained in the resolu- tions adopted by the democratic national convention at Baltimore, and we pledge ourselves to support and defend the great political doctrines embraced in that platform of the national democracy.
Resolved, That, inscribing the Baltimore resolutions on our banner, and observing an unfaltering devotion to the union of the states, we will hold
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no political fellowship with the abolitionists of the north or the nullifiers of the south, and we discard, as unworthy of our confidence, all enemies of the union of the states, and all enemies of the union of the democracy.
Resolved, That we approve the compromise measures of the last ses- sion of congress, and we will rely, upon them as a final settlement of the vexed questions which grew out of the slavery controversy, and we are opposed to the repeal or modification of the fugitive slave law, and demand its faithful execution.
Resolved, That we still cling to the republican doctrines contained in the celebrated Virginia and Kentucky resolutions drawn by Madison and Jeffer- son, which contained the platform upon which the republicans of that period rallied and swept the alien and sedition laws from the statute books, and checked the encroachments of federalism.
Resolved, That we subscribe to the well known Atherton resolutions, passed by the votes of the democratic members of congress, and by which the democracy manifested an open and determined opposition to the fell spirit of abolitionism.
Resolved, That we regard the right of instruction as a vital principle of republicanism. And representatives and senators are bound to obey in their legislative action the instructions of their constituents respectively, or resign; and the people have a right to instruct their senators in congress through the legislature, and to hold their members in the legislature accountable for any misrepresentation of their will, in giving instructions to senators, as well as in electing senators.
Resolved, That we hereby express our unqualified disapprobation of all acts of omission and commission, on the part of our public servants, calculated to involve our noble state in schemes of disunion, regarding it to be the first and highest duty of every patriot, and especially of those who have been placed as sentinels upon the watchtower of liberty, to denounce in its inception, without regard to personal consequences, every attempt to alienate one portion of the Confederacy from another, or to weaken the bonds which hold us together as one people.
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