USA > Missouri > Pettis County > Sedalia > The History of Pettis County, Missouri, History of Sedalia > Part 23
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WITNESSETH, That the said John Jones, in consideration of the agree- ment of the party of the second part, hereinafter contained, contracts and agrees to and with the said Thomas Whiteside, that he will deliver in good and marketable condition, at the village of Slater, Missouri, during the month of November, of this year, one hundred tons of prairie hay, in the fol- lowing lots, and at the following specified times, namely: Twenty-five tons by the seventh of November, twenty-five tons additional by the fourteenth of the month, twenty-five tons more by the twenty-first, and the entire one hundred tons to be all delivered by the thirtieth of November.
And the said Thomas Whitsides, in consideration of the prompt fulfill- ment of this contract, on the part of the party of the first part, contracts to and agrees with the said John Jones, to pay for said hay five dollars per ton, for each ton as soon as delivered.
In case of failure of agreement by either of the parties hereto, it is hereby stipulated and agreed that the party so failing shall pay to the other, one hundred dollars, as fixed and settled damages.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, the day and year first above written.
JOHN JONES. THOMAS WHITESIDE.
195
ABSTRACT OF MISSOURI STATE LAWS.
AGREEMENT WITH CLERK FOR SERVICES.
This agreement, made the first day of May, one thousand eight hun- dred and seventy-eight, between Reuben Stone, of Marshall, county of Saline, State of Missouri, party of the first part, and George Barclay, of Sedalia, county of Pettis, state of Missouri, party of the second part-
WITNESSETH, That said George Barclay agrees faithfully and diligently to work as clerk and salesman for the said Reuben Stone, for and during the space of one year from the date hereof, should both live such length of time, without absenting himself from his occupation; during which time he, the said Barclay, in the store of said Stone, of Marshall, will carefully and honestly attend, doing and performing all duties as clerk and salesman aforesaid, in accordance and in all respects as directed and desired by the said Stone.
In consideration of which services, so to be rendered by the said Bar- clay, the said Stone agrees to pay to said Barclay the annual sum of one thousand dollars, payable in twelve equal monthly payments, each upon the last day of each month; provided that all dues for days of absence from business by said Barclay, shall be deducted from the sum otherwise by the agreement due and payable by the said Stone to the said Barclay.
Witness our hands:
REUBEN STONE. GEORGE BARCLAY.
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
How to find the gain or loss per cent. when the cost and selling price are given.
RULE .- Find the difference between the cost and selling price, which will be the gain or loss.
Annex two ciphers to the gain or loss, and divide it by the cost price; the result will be the gain or loss per cent.
How to change gold into currency.
RULE .- Multiply the given sum of gold by the price of gold.
How to change currency into gold.
Divide the amount of currency by the price of gold.
How to find each partner's share of the gain or loss in a copartnership business.
RULE .- Divide the whole gain or loss by the entire stock, the quotient will be the gain or loss per cent.
Multiply each partner's stock by this per cent., the result will be each one's share of the gain or loss.
How to find gross and net weight and price of hogs.
A short and simple method for finding the net weight, or price of hogs, when the gross weight or price is given, and vice versa.
NOTE .- It is generally assumed that the gross weight of hogs diminished by 1-5 or 20 per cent. of itself gives the net weight, and the net weight increased by 14 or 25 per cent. of itself equals the gross weight.
To find the net weight or gross price.
Multiply the given number by .8 (tenths.)
To find the gross weight or net price.
Divide the given number by .8 (tenths.)
How to find the capacity of a granary, bin, or wagon-bed.
RULE .- Multiply (by short method) the number of cubic feet by 6308, and point off ONE decimal place-the result will be the correct answer in bushels and tenths of a bushel.
For only an approximate answer, multiply the cubic feet by 8, and point off one decimal place.
How to find the contents of a corn-crib.
RULE .- Multiply the number of cubic feet by 54, short method, or by 4} ordinary method, and point off ONE decimal place-the result will be the answer in bushels.
NOTE .- In estimating corn in the ear, quality and the time it has been cribbed must be taken into consideration, since corn will shrink considerably during the winter and spring. This rule generally holds good for corn measured at the time it is cribbed, provided it is sound and clean.
197
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
How to find the contents of a cistern or tank.
RULE .-- Multiply the square of the mean diameter by the depth (all in feet) and this product by 5681 (short method), and point off ONE decimal place-the result will be the contents in barrels of 312 gallons.
How to find the contents of a barrel or cask.
RULE .- Under the square of the mean diameter, write the length (all in inches) in REVERSED order, so that its UNITS will fall under the. TENS; multiply by short method, and this product again by 430; point off one decimal place, and the result will be the answer in wine gallons.
How to measure boards.
RULE .- Multiply the length (in feet) by the width (in inches) and divide the product by 12-the result will be the contents in square feet.
How to measure scantlings, joists, planks, sills, etc.
RULE .- Multiply the width, the thickness, and the length together, (the width and thickness in inches, and the length in feet), and divide the product by 12-the result will be square feet.
How to find the number of acres in a body of land.
RULE .- Multiply the length by the width (in rods) and divide the pro- duct by 160 (carrying the division to 2 decimal places if there is a remain- der); the result will be the answer in acres and hundredths.
When the opposite sides of a piece of land are of unequal length, add them together and take one-half for the mean length or width.
How to find the number of square yards in a floor or wall.
RULE .- Multiply the length by the width or height (in feet), and divide the product by 9, the result will be square yards.
How to find the number of bricks required in a building.
RULE .- Multiply the number of cubic feet by 222.
The number of cubic feet is found by multiplying the length, height and thickness (in feet) together.
Bricks are usually made 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and two inches thick; hence, it requires 27 bricks to make a cubic foot without mortar, but it is generally assumed that the mortar fills 1-6 of the space.
How to find the number of shingles required in a roof.
RULE .- Multiply the number of square feet in the roof by 8, if the shingles are exposed 42 inches, or by 7 1-5 if exposed 5 inches.
To find the number of square feet, multiply the length of the roof by twice the length of the rafters.
To find the length of the rafters, at ONE-FOURTH pitch, multiply the width of the building by .56 (hundredths); at ONE-THIRD pitch by .6 (tenths); at TWO-FIFTHS pitch, by .64 (hundredths); at ONE-HALF pitch, by .71 (hundredths). This gives the length of the rafters from the apex to the end of the wall, and whatever they are to project must be taken into consideration.
.
198
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
NOTE .- By 14 or 13 pitch is meant that the apex or comb of the roof is to be 14 or X the width of the building higher than the walls or base of the rafters.
How to reckon the cost of hay.
RULE .- Multiply the number of pounds by half the price per ton, and remove the decimal point three places to the left.
How to measure grain.
RULE .- Level the grain; ascertain the space it occupies in cubic feet; multiply the number of cubic feet by 8, and point off one place to the left.
NOTE .- Exactness requires the addition, to every three hundred bushels, of one extra bushel.
The foregoing rule may be used for finding the number of gallons, by multiplying the number of bushels by 8.
If the corn in the box is in the ear, divide the answer by 2 to find the number of bushels of shelled corn, because it requires 2 bushels of ear corn to make 1 of shelled corn.
Rapid rules for measuring land without instruments.
In measuring land, the first thing to ascertain is the contents of any given plot in square yards; then, given the number of yards, find out the number of rods and acres.
The most ancient and simplest measure of distance is a step. Now, an ordinary-sized man can train himself to cover one yard at a stride, on the average, with sufficient accuracy for ordinary purposes.
To make use of this means of measuring distances, it is essential to walk in a straight line; to do this, fix the eye on two objects in a line stright ahead, one comparatively near, the other remote; and, in walking, keep these objects constantly in line.
Farmers and others by adopting the following simple and ingenious con- trivance, may always carry with them the scale to construct a correct yard measure.
Take a foot rule, and commencing at the base of the little finger of the left hand, mark the quarters of the foot on the outer borders of the left arm, pricking in the marks with indelible ink.
To find how many rods in length will make an acre, the width being given.
RULE .- Divide 160 by the width, and the quotient will be the answer.
How to find the number of acres in any plot of land, the number of rods being given.
RULE .- Divide the number of rods by 8, multiply the quotient by 5, and remove the decimal point two places to the left.
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 feet a round stick of timber of the same thicke 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 feet.
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 trees 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.
0
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
SURVEYORS' MEASURE.
7 92-100 inches make 1 link.
25 links " 1 rod. 4 rods. 1 chain.
80 chains
1 mile.
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 a nautical term, and should be three geographical miles, equal to 3.45 stat- ute 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|> .....
66
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
66
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
. ...
66
9 By cash .
25.00
May
6 By repairing corn-planter
.
4.75
66
24 To one sow with pigs.
17.50
4 By cash, to balance account.
35.15
$88.05 $88.05
.
...
PRACTICAL RULES FOR EVERY DAY USE.
1875.
CASSA MASON.
DR.
CR.
March 21|By 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
May
1 To cash
10.00
12.00
June
26 To 50 lbs. flour
2.75
.....
July
10 To 27 lbs. meat
$ .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
MISCELLANEOUS TABLE.
12 units or things, 1 dozen. 12 dozen, 1 gross.
-
196 pounds, 1 barrel of flour. { 24 sheets of paper, 1 quire. 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 8ft. long, 1 cord wood.
25.00
June
19 By 8 days mowing
at $1.50
.at
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.
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- mem, would examine carefully what it is; if they cannot read themselves, call on some one disinterested who can.
AT KANSAS CITY .- 1881.
ICHES-COST. L.
UNITED STATES CUSTOM-HOUSE AND POST-OFFICE,
5000000
10000
-
History of Pettis County.
CHAPTER I .- INTRODUCTION AND NAME.
Signification of History-Kinds of History-Value as Instruction-Object of this Work- Task of the Historian and His Fitness-How and by Whom Collected and Compiled- Mistakes-Criticisms-Signification of a Name-How Pettis County got its Name- Sketch of Hon. Spencer Pettis.
History, in its most general signification, is a narrative of events. It includes a record not only of national events and affairs in the world at large, but also an account of small districts, families, and of the lives and acts of individuals. History is of two kinds-narrative and philosophical. The former mere statement of facts as they occur, one after another; while the latter also comprehends deductions from those facts, and the relation of cause and effect. At first, history took the form of tradition, which is oral opinions or memorials handed down from father to son, or from ancestor to posterity, assuming the form of religious belief, much of which was obscure and mythical.
Among the oldest examples of written history are sculptured inscrip- tions and records of acts of rulers, especially their victories, and are found on temples and pyramids of Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and Phœnicia. Herod- otus, the father of history, was born about the close of the fifth century, B. C., and his writings, so far as known, are the earliest that can be traced of his- tory, aside from the collections of Moses. Thucydides was the second great historian, but his writings approached more nearly the philosophical style than the writings of Herodotus. The ancient historians of Greece and Rome usually confined themselves to plain narrative, as Xenophon in his Anabasis, Cæsar in his Commentaries, and Livy in his History of Rome. Tacitus showed his in portraying tyranny in its blackest colors. Eusebius was the first great ecclesiastical historian.
Modern history has the tendency of critical rather than merely narra- tive. Many of the histories written within the last half century are won- derful monuments of critical research. In these days the historian is no longer a mere reporter, he must be prepared to analyze character, and to weigh events. He must seek his materials at the fountain head, must compare the private with the public actions of the characters he portrays, and present to his readers a picture of men and women which shall be
1
208
HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY.
During the short history of America, its great men have been honored in the name of numberless counties, townships, cities, towns, municipalities and post-offices. The great name of Washington is met everywhere, from the capital of the Nation, down to the smallest hamlet of a rural district. Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant and many other names applied to places are found in every section, and in every State of our Union. It may be asked why, if there be so much in a name, we do not give the most impor- tant name to the most important object. The reason of this is that some names are so much above any terrestrial object that they are never used n that connection. The appellations of Diety are too sacred to be given to mercenary individuals and perishable objects of the world. God holds no man guiltless who takes his name in vain. So exalted is the name of Christ that it is written, "at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth."
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