Looking Back: The Good Old Days

(From the Ringgold Record, February 27, 1890.)

Latest News~The sixteen women on trial for destroying a saloon at Spickardsville, MO., were found guilty on 22nd and fined $5.00 each.

Miss Regina Rothschild, of Port Townsend, WA, will start on March 17 to race around the world against George Francic Train, in an endeavor to make the circle in 60 days.

C. Latham Sholes, the inventor of the typewriter, died at his home in Milwaukee on the 17th, at the age of 71 years.

At a meeting in Washington on the 17th the three National Women’s Sufferage Association consolidated , and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was elected president and Susan B. Anthony as vice president.

President Harrison, accompanied by Congressman Dalzell, Andrew Carnegie and J.R. Scott, of Johnstown, PA., on the 19th to attend the opening of the Carnegie free library.

Local Items~Eat, drink, smoke and be merry at the lunch room of Thomas Lewis on the north side.

Family and transient washing done by Mrs. A. L. Lesan, second house north from the south cemetery.

Landlord Isaac Williams of the Stiles House, enlisted in the 21st Iowa Volunteers at 16 years of age and went from Delaware county. He was mixed up in several battles and took a good taste of war life at Vicksburg and Champion Hills. He served three years.

Monroe township~The horse trainer Riggs of Tingley, gave a lecture at Lone Star School house on Tuesday night and Wednesday he gave the class a drill at Blackmore. All were well pleased.

Mr. A. Mathany made quite a flying trip down the road south from the store one day last week. His team got frightened and run off with him in the wagon, which made it very unpleasant ride for a man of his age. Luckily no damage was done.

(From the Ringgold Record, May 1, 1890.)

The Ringgold County Horse Thief Association will meet at the courthouse next Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. sharp. All members are requested to be present, as special business will be transacted.

Badly Scorched~Mount Ayr is having more than its share of fire recently, the latest being on Thursday night of last week. Fire broke out in a meat market near the northeast corner of the square and destroyed a number of buildings before it could be stopped. The loss amounts to nearly $25,000, but largely covered with insurance. The Record office building was damaged, but not seriously, as we learn from the Extra sent out the next day, giving a report of the disaster. We congratulate Bro. Tedford on his escape from a too familiar acquaintance with the fire friend.

John Lineburg has a new express wagon and now all express packages are promptly delivered. This looks more business like and is an accommodation which the city has needed for years.

Harve Seevers was in Redding last week contracting brick for their new building.

It is understood that Wm. Timby will soon erect a fine brick building on the Wall corner.

Kellerton news~Some persons, unknown, fired a revolver through the Kellerton horse parlor window Saturday night. There is to much of this going on. Some of our young boys get a revolver and handle it about like a cow would handle and ax. A few fines judiciously scattered amongst them, for carrying concealed weapons, would remedy this evil.

Two Italians and a bear pulled through our streets last week, and the coolness with which our citizens of Kellerton treated them, would have caused the bear, had he been a polar bear, to think he was nearing the Artic region again.

(From the Ringgold Record, May 8, 1890.)

On last Saturday night the peace and quietude of our city was disturbed by a set of inebriates who were making hideous by their yelling and howling. We understand that this is not the first time that such conduct has been carried on and some of our citizens are beginning to complain. If such conduct is repeated, the city marshal should see that the offenders are arrested and not released until they have increased the finance of the city by the payment of a fine.

On last Friday evening as C. F. Kater was coming to town about 5 p.m. and when he saw a bright meteor to the northeast. It seemed as large as a common pail and seemed to fall in the vicinity of Mrs. Beall’s field. Of course it was far away. Dave Humphrey in Poe township saw it also and it seemed to him to fall in Saltzman’s wood. Other parties saw it and corroborate these statements. It is rater a singular phenomena and such things are not every day occurrence.

Marriage: May 1, 1890, James Kennedy and Anna Brotherton…April 30, 1890, Albert Shull and Mattie Scott.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 3, 1925.)

“The Modest Styles of Long Ago~Sleds, Hoops, Bustles & Booze”

By W.B. Buck

We enjoyed Mrs. B.M. Lesan’s write up of the early events of the pioneers of the county; also L.O. Imus’s report of the effects of wet goods on a man when taken both internally and externally. Mr. Imus’ story reminds me of a little incident that happened in Ringgold County in the early days.

In those days days it was a common occurrence for many people to take a “we drop.”

One of our neighbors went to Mount Ayr one day in the winter driving a team hitched to a sled made of hickory poles. A neighbor girl about sixteen years of age went along. Along in the evening they started for home. The neighbor had imbibed a little too freely and got quite hilarious and happy. Sally, the girl, had to not only manage the team, but to brace up her companion; also in the hilarity he got off the seat and in some way fell through the boards which were used for a floor, and became wedged between the cross pieces of the sled.

Sally halted the team and tried to pull him out but could not. Another neighbor soon came along and they together finally got their helpless companion extricated. They assisted him onto the sled and again started for home. Then the unfortunate man began to talk. He said, “If it hadn’t been for Sally’s bustle I would have fell out.” How styles have changed! In those days the flapper tried to wear miniature silo hoops around them below the waist with a wire bird cage in the rear.