USA > Missouri > Ray County > History of Ray county, Mo. > Part 53
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It is a thriving little village and a shipping point for an extensive and productive agricultural country. It contains five business houses; three hotels, one railroad eating house, large depot buildings, a grain elevator, a school house and a church. Population about one hundred and fifty.
HULL'S POINT.
Hull's Point, about four miles northwest of Orrick, is a station on the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway.
LISBONVILLE.
Lisbonville is a post office in the extreme northern part of section three, township fifty-four, range twenty-nine. It is just within Ray county, being at the line between Ray and Caldwell counties.
FREDERICKSBURG-NEW GARDEN P. O.
Fredericksburg is a post office in Fishing River township, or, section eight, congressional township fifty-two, range twenty-nine.
RUSSELLVILLE-FOX P. O.
Fox post office is situated in section sixteen, township fifty-three, range twenty-six, Grape Grove.
WILMOT.
Wilmot is a post office one mile and a half north of Fox post office.
456
HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
GEORGEVILLE.
Georgeville is a post office in the north part of section fifteen, township fifty-four, range twenty-seven, Grape Grove.
TINNEY'S GROVE P. O-MT. PLEASANT.
Tinney's Grove is a small business place and postoffice, situated in sec- tion ten, township fifty-four, range twenty-six-Grape Grove. It is sur- rounded by a good farming country.
PLEASANT VIEW.
As a town, Pleasant View exists no longer. It was once a lovely little village
" Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed."
But a railroad was built, and Pleasant View ignored; other towns spring- ing up in the vicinity, on the line of the railroad, drew its patronage, and this gone, Pleasant View was forced to die.
The town was situated on a beautiful tract of high, rolling prairie land, and at one time before the war, had an extensive trade. It was laid out about the year 1857, by a German, named Isaac Berry, who opened the first store in the place, and sold a large amount of goods, dealing in country produce, general merchandise and farming implements.
One Joel J. Goddard kept a grocery store, and also sold liquors.
A man named Jacob Wybrow kept a furniture store and had an exten- sive trade.
Pleasant View was a flourishing village during the war, and for several years thereafter; but at last, like "Sweet Auburn," fell a victim to "unwieldy wealth," in other hands.
The Christian Church and a few "mouldering walls," are all that remain to mark the spot, in the west part of section twenty-seven, town- ship fifty-four, range twenty-nine, where once stood Pleasant View village.
THE SOLE SURVIVING WITNESS OF THE AUTHENTIC- ITY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.
The year 1838 is a memorable one in the history of northwest Missouri. In that year a large body of Mormons, under the leadership of Joseph Smith, their high priest and prophet, and founder of the Mormon church, established a settlement at Far West, in Caldwell county, which but two years before had been formed out of the northern part of Ray county.
The Mormons had previously settled in Jackson county, having moved thither from Kirtland, Ohio. From these settlements the people had learned something of the character of the Mormons, and their rapid immigration into the country caused great excitement and considera-
457
HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
ble alarm. The people regarded their religion as inimical to society, civilization, and christianity; their habits were the opposite of decency, and their depredations unbearable. Public meetings were held, speeches made, and resolutions passed, denouncing the Mormons, and resolving to expel them from the country. War ensued -an account of which is given elsewhere in this volume. But, as a considerable number of worthy citizens are yet living in Ray county, who, while condemning polygamy, and repudiating the degenerate branch of so-called "Latter Day Saints," established at Salt Lake, Utah, or elsewhere, honestly believe in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, without rejecting the Bible; and as the only surviving witness to the golden plates, from the characters engraven on which was translated the Book of Mormon, and who claims to have received the manifestation from God concerning the record-is now living, and has lived for many years in Richmond, this county, it is deemed proper to insert a brief account of the man, what he believes, what he saw, and what he testifies to:
DAVID WHITMER,
the only living witness to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and one of the three witnesses who testified to " all nations, kindreds, tongues and people," that they had seen the golden plates upon which were engraven the hieroglyphics, that were translated into the Book of Mor- mon, has been interviewed by a reporter of the Chicago Times, and the result is given in four columns of that paper on August 7th. We repro- duce the subjoined from the published interview: David Whitmer was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and when he was but four years old, his parents removed to New York, settling at a point midway between the northern extremities of lakes Cayuga and Seneca, two miles from Waterloo, two miles from Seneca River, four miles from Seneca Falls, seven miles from Geneva, and twenty-two miles from Palmyra. He is now seventy years of age, but as hale and hearty as most men at fifty. In person he is above the medium height, stoutly built though not corpu- lent, his shoulders inclining to stoop, as if from so long supporting his massive head, rather than from the weight of years, his frank, manly and benevolent face closely shaven, and his whole exterior betokening him to be one of nature's gentlemen. The rudiments of education he learned in school, and a life-time of thought and research have served to expand and store his mind with vast funds of information. The Times reporter found him at his pleasant two-story white frame residence, near the centre of the town of Richmond, Missouri, and in company with Hon. J. T. Child, editor of the Conservator, was admitted, introduced, and received a cordial greeting. When the object of the call was made known, Mr. Whitmer smilingly and meditatively remarked that it was true he had in his possession the original records, and was conversant with the history of the Church of Christ from the beginning, but was under obligations to hold both history and records sacred until such time as the interests of truth and true religion might demand their aid to combat error. Presently he became quite animated, rose to his feet, and, with great earnestness and good 29
458
HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
nature, spoke for half an hour on the harmony between the Bible and the original Book of Mormon, showing how the finding of the plates had been predicted, referring to the innumerable evidences, in the shape of ruins of great cities existing on this continent; of its former occupation by a highly civilized race, reverently declared his solemn conviction of the authenticity of the records in his possession, and closed by denouncing the Latter-Day Saints, of Utah, as an abomination in the sight of the Lord. While he believed implicitly in the original book, he protested against the Book of Covenants, which was simply a compilation of special revela- tions that Smith and his successors had pretended to have received. Joe Smith, he said, was generally opposed to these revelations, but was fre- qently importuned by individuals to reveal their duty, and oftimes he was virtually compelled to yield, and in this way the original purity of the faith was tarnished by human invention, and the accepted records of to-day lumbered with a mass of worse than useless rubbish. Should Brigham Young, or any of his infatuated satelites, ever dare to declare any of their interpolations to be from the original tablets, or proclaim that their per- nicious doctrines or practices were authorized by the true version, then he, David Whitmer, would bring forth the records and confound them. Until that time, he, alone, would be the custodian of the sacred docu- ments. When the question of polygamy was broached, and it was asked if the original Book of Mormon justified the practice, Mr. Whitmer most emphatically replied: "No! It is even much more antagonistic to both polygamy and concubinage than is the Bible. Joe Smith never,to my knowl- edge, advocated it, though I have heard that he virtually sanctioned it at Nau- voo. However, as I cut loose from him in 1837, I can't speak intelligently of what transpired thereafter." David Whitmer believes in the Bible as implic- itly as any devotee alive; and he believes in the Book of Mormon as much as he does in the Bible. The one is but a supplement to the other, according to his idea, and neither would be complete were the other lack- ing. And no man can look at David Whitmer's face for a half-hour, while he charily and modestly speaks of what he has seen, and then boldly and earnestly confesses the faith that is in him, and say that he is a bigot or an enthusiast. While he shrinks from unnecessary public promulgation of creed, and keenly feels that the Brighamites and Danites, and numer- ous other ites have disgraced it, yet he would not hesitate, in emer- gency, to stake his honor, and even his life, upon its reliability. His is the stern faith of the Puritans, modified by half a century of benevolent thought and quiet observation. He might have been a martyr, had he lacked sense and shrewdness to escape the death sentence that was pro- nounced against him by the high priests of the church he had helped to build. As it is, he is, perhaps, the only living witness of the wondrous revelation made to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism.
David Whitmer was married in Seneca county, New York, in 1830, and was for a number of years an elder in the Church of Christ. To-day he is the proprietor of a livery stable in Richmond, Missouri, owns some real estate, has a handsome balance in the bank, is universally respected by all who know him, and surrounded by children and grand-children, is pleasantly gliding toward the gates of sunset, confident that the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, was also the God of Nephi, whose faith- ful disciple he has been, and is. He does not believe that all believing in
459
HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
the Book of Mormon, or all adherents to any other faith, will be found among the elect, but that the truly good of every faith will be gathered in fulfillment of prophecy. Neither does he believe that the Book of Mormon is the only record of the lost tribes hidden in the earth, but on the contrary, that the caves hold other records that will not come forth till all is peace, and "the lion and the lamb shall lie down together." Three times has he been at the hill Comorah, and seen the casket that contained the tablets and seer-stone. Eventually the casket had been washed down to the foot of the hill, but it was to be seen when he last visited the historic place. He declares that he has never been a Mor- mon, as the term is commonly interpreted, but is,a firm believer in the Book, in the faith of Christ, and the fulfillment of the prophecies in due time. Some of them have already been fulfilled; for instance, that which declares that the saints shall be driven from city to city, and also the prediction that the twelve apostles shall lead them to the devil.
In 1837, David and his brother John, then living in Far West, Missouri, were warned that they must make a confession of their apostacy or be killed, as the leaders of the church were conspiring against them. They determined to accept neither horn of the dilemma, and arranged for flight. At an appointed time John emerged from the back door of his house, gave the preconcerted signal by raising his hat, and hastily mounting horses in waiting, they rode away. John, as clerk of the church, had its records, and Oliver Cowdery bore off the original translation, and event- ually transferred it to the keeping of David. Since that memorable day both John and David Whitmer have kept aloof from the so-called Latter- day Saints, although firm as ever in the faith as taught by the Book of Mormon. John is a man of fine education, and abundantly able to defend his faith from assaults from any quarter.
The testimony of the three witnesses, as translated into different lan- guages and published to the world, is in the following words:
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore, we know of a surety that the work is true.
And we also testify, that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things.
And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our gar- ments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY
And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.
A citizen of Caldwell county having made public a statement reflecting upon the character of David Whitmer, the latter secured a testimonial, signed by many of the leading citizens of Richmond, where Mr. Whit- mer has resided since the year A. D. 1838, certifying, that from a long and intimate acquaintance with him, they knew him to be a man of the highest integrity, and of undoubted truthfulness.
In reply to the statement referred to above, and in order to set him- self right before the world, Mr. Whitmer published the following:
Unto all nations, kindred tongues and people, unto whom these pres- ents shall come: It having been represented by one John Murphy, of Polo, Caldwell county, Missouri, that I, in a conversation with him last sum- mer, denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon.
To the end, therefore, that he may understand me now, if he did not then, and that the world may know the truth, I wish now, standing as it were in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God once for all, to make this public statement:
That I have never at any time, denied the testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that book, as one of the three witnesses. Those who know me best well know that I have always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views, in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all of my statements, as then made and published.
· He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear; ' It was no delusion! What is written is written-and he that readeth let him understand.
And that no one may be deceived or misled by this statement, I wish here to state, that I do not indorse polygamy or spiritual wifeism. It is a great evil, shocking to the moral sense, and the more so because prac- ticed in the name of religion. It is of man and not of God, and is especially forbidden in the Book of Mormon itself.
I do not indorse the change of the name of the church, for as the wife takes the name of her husband, so should the church of the Lamb of God take the name of its head, even Christ himself. It is the Church of Christ.
As to the high priesthood, Jesus Christ himself is the last Great High Priest, this too after the order of Melchisedec, as I understand the holy scriptures.
Finally-I do not indorse any of the teachings of the so-called Mor- mons, or Latter-day Saints, which are in conflict with the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as taught in the Bible and Book of Mor- mon; for the same gospel is plainly taught in both of these books as I understand the word of God.
And if any man doubt, should he not carefully and honestly read and understand the same before presuming to sit in judgment and condemning
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
the light, which shineth in darkness and showeth the way of eternal life, as pointed out by the unerring hand of God.
In the spirit of Christ, who hath said, 'Follow thou me, for I am the life, the light and the way,' I submit this statement to the world. God in whom I trust being my judge, as to the sincerity of my motives and the faith and hope that is in me of eternal life.
My sincere desire is that the world may be benefitted by this plain and simple statement of the truth.
And all the honor be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen!
Richmond, Missouri, March 19, 1881. DAVID WHITMER, SR.
Relative to this testimonial, the Richmond Conservator, of March 25, 1881, contained the following editorial:
Elsewhere we publish a letter from David Whitmer, Sr., an old and well known citizen of Ray, as well as an endorsement of his standing as a man, signed by a number of the leading citizens of this community, in reply to some unwarranted aspertions made upon him.
There is no doubt that Mr. Whitmer, who was one of the three wit- nesses of the authenticity of the gold plates, from which he asserts that Joe Smith translated the Book of Mormon, ( fac simile of the characters he now has in his possession, with the original records) is firmly con- vinced of its divine origin; and while he makes no effort to obtrude his views or beliefs, he simply wants the world to know that, so far as he is concerned, there is no "variableness or shadow of turning."
Having resided here for nearly half a century, it is with no little pride that he points to his past record, with the consciousness that he has done nothing derogatory to his character as a citizen and a believer in the Son of Mary, to warrant such an attack on him, come from what source it may; and now, with the lilies of seventy-five winters crowning him like an aureole, and his pilgrimage on earth well nigh ended, he reiterates his former statements, and will leave futurity to solve the problem that he was but a passing witness of its fulfillment.
It is not the part of these pages to comment upon the Book of Mormon, the "golden plates," or the witnesses, as such; we have simply given place to the foregoing as a matter of interest in connection with the history of Ray county.
GEOLOGY.
RAY COUNTY COAL .*
The Lexington coal-bed is occasionally opened at points along the Mis- souri bluffs, from the east county line to Camden. Above Camden the formations dip strongly west, and the Lexington coal is no longer seen, but it is replaced by higher rocks. Around Richmond, on the waters of Crooked river, the coal is worked at many places. The mines near the east county line are worked by horizontal driftings. * * *
*Iron ores and coal fields: Geological survey of Missouri, Raphael Pumpelly, director.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
The section at Oberholtz, from the hill top down, was as follows: SECTION 173.
No. 1-68 feet slope.
2-2 feet, equivalent to No. 15 (4 feet limestome: irregularly bedded: gray and drab: sometimes quite nodular: generally coarse grained. Abounds in Chatetes milleporaceous, contains cylindrica and Athyris sub- tilita), of Lexington section; color, light drab.
3-31 feet slope.
4-4 feet brown limestone, abounds in Chætetes milleporaceous.
5-9 feet, 2 inches alternations of thin beds of limestone and buff shales, abounding in fossils, including Chonetes mesoloba, Chonetes, Pr. Pratten- ianus, Hemipronites Crassus and spr. cameratus.
6-2 feet, 4 inches hard, blue limestone in irregular layers: Contains. Athyris subtilita.
7-6 inches shale.
8-1₺ feet coal (Lexington seam) said to increase to 20 inches.
9-2 feet clay.
10-15 feet gentle slope to Missouri bottoms.
An analysis of Oberholtz coal by Mr. Chauvenet, gives :-
Water
11.02
Volatile .
32.48
Fixed carbon
46.30
Ash ..
10.20
Color of ash
gray.
Sp. gravity
1.277
Sulphur 4.609
WILLIAMS'* BANK is seventy-five yards farther west.
At Howell's, three-quarters of a mile farther west, the coal is sixteen to twenty-two inches thick.
An analysis of Howell's coal by Mr Chauvenet, gives :-
Water. 8.05
Volatile . 41.85
Fixed carbon 45.80
Ash
4.30
Color of ask
white.
Sp. gravity
1.257
Sulphur .
2.702
A half mile farther west the above rocks are found lower in the bluffs, with the upper beds exposed, thus :-
SECTION 174.
No. 1-Slope.
2-15 feet drab, sandy shales.
*If local names of coal banks, mentioned in this chapter, have been changed, the intel- ligent reader will, no doubt, remember their locality from the names here used; and will understand, at all events, that only Ray county coal is referred to.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
3-5 feet mostly smooth, red shales, a part sometimes green.
4-6 inches nodular limestone; fossils.
5-3 feet green shales.
6-Limestone equivalent to No. 15, of Lexington section.
7-25 feet to Missouri bottoms.
One mile west of this, the limestone equivalent to section 173, No. 4, (21 of Lexington section), was observed ten feet above the bottoms, indi- cating the position of the Lexington coal just two feet below the line of their surface.
At Smith's mill, three miles northeast of Richmond, the Lexington coal is reached in a shaft forty feet in depth. Its place is near the level of water in Crooked river, at Searcy's and Harberson's.
ANLYSIS OF SMITH'S COAL.
Water 10.05
Volatile .
38.45
Fixed carbon
45.40
Ash.
6.00
Color of ash
white
Sp. gravity.
1.249
Sulphur .
2.41
Limestone No. 25, which forms the roof of the coal, is seen at many places on Crooked river, northeast of Richmond, and along the stream to two miles northwest of Richmond. The following (section 176), illustra- ting the rocks above the coal, was observed two miles north of Rich- mond, on Crooked river.
No. 1 .- 3 feet limestone, containing Fusulina, Producti, Crinoid stems, and chatetes milleporaceous.
2 .- 7 feet of limestone and shales, divided thus: .
a .- 4 inches shales. In upper part hemipronites and chonetes abound. b .- 4 inches limestone.
c .- 2 inches shales.
d .- 4 inches limestone.
c. - 9 inches shales and nodules of limestone.
f .- 1} feet shales.
g .- 8 inches shales and lenticular forms of limestone.
h .- 3 feet blue shales; in upper part are found Spr. comeratus, P. punctatus and Athyris.
3 .- 4 feet blue limestone; upper 9 inches shaly.
4 .- 6 inches black shales.
5 .- Coal.
J. S. Hughes' coal mines are located one mile south of Richmond, on south-west quarter of section thirty-one, township fifty-two, range twenty- seven, on line of St. Joseph branch of Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific rail- way. Their shaft is ninety-five feet deep from the surface. From the bot-
464
HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
tom, entries extend east and west for over five hundred feet, the coal varying from twenty-two to twenty-eight inches in thickness, including the top five or six inches of good coal, then one to two and a half inches dark clay resting on good coal. The overlying bituminous shale is gen- erally two to four inches thick; only at one place on the river was it observed one foot thick. It contains calcareous matter, with some fossil remains. The underlying clay is one foot to eighteen inches thick, thus giving a clear space between the cap-rock and bed-rock of four feet three inches to four feet six inches, or enough room for small mules to work.
The following is a section of his shaft, which is located on the south- west quarter of section thirty-one, township fifty-two, range twenty- seven west:
No. 1. Soil. 2 feet.
2. Clay 12
3. Soft sandstone 4
4. Blue soapstone 9
5. Red shale . 16
66
6. Flint (?) and limestone.
5
7. Soapstone and slate 2
6 in.
8. White sandstone 6
5
10. Soapstone
S
12. Fire clay
2
66
13. Flint rock (is limestone)
5
6 in.
14. Shale
3
15. Slate.
4
16. Limestone, dark gray
5
17. Slate.
3 in.
18. Coal (generally two feet) 2 3 "
19. Fire clay (six to eight inches) 1 foot, 6 "
Total depth.
95 feet.
An analysis of this coal by Mr. Chauvenet, gives :-
Water 8.15
Volatile 37.60
Fixed carbon 46.35
Ash
7.90
Color of ash .
light brown
Specific gravity
1.328
Sulphur
4.17
*
* At the Lawson *
* mines, on the railroad, two and a
half miles south of Richmond, * * the coal is taken out from drifts run in horizontally for several hundred feet. The coal is two feet thick, with a two inch clay seam five inches from the top. The over-
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