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during the time of his apprenticeship. He arrived after the supper had been served. This story I heard Mr. Henderson tell many times.

Mrs. Browning ordered her son Arthur, who was not very bright, to prepare a supper for John. The supper was served in a kitchen that stood in the yard some thirty feet from the residence. Among the "eatables and drinkables" that Arthur served, was a quantity of sweet milk that was contained in a yellow crock. Upon inspection, Henderson discovered that the milk was very rich and covered with thick cream. After drinking all of the milk that was in the crock, he said to Arthur, "You are all more liberal than you were when I lived here! Then you skimmed the milk with a feather, but now you give it full of cream!" Arthur, in a drawling sort of way, said, "That's true, but we would not have given you this milk with cream on it, if it hadn't been that a rat got drownded in it this afternoon." After this information the milk refused to stay down and Henderson was no better off than when he began the supper.

In 1860, the year preceding the war he was a candidate for Congress from the Pike County District. He was an ardent "Douglas Democrat" and was nominated by a convention that met in Mexico, Audrain County. On the day he was nominated, another convention of delegates representing the Bell-Everett or American party met in Mexico in a hall separate from that of the Democratic party, and there nominated as its candidate, Honorable James S. Rollins of Boone County. Thus it was that two of the greatest men in the State were pitted against each other for Congress. The canvass that ensued

was the most noted that had ever taken place in the State.

By mutual arrangement between the two, joint discussions were held in each county of the district. I was a candidate for Circuit Attorney at the same time, and had the pleasure of hearing the two in joint discussion at Middletown, Montgomery County, and at Cottleville in St. Charles County. I was a partisan of Mr. Henderson, supporting him as best I could, and cast my first vote for Congressman, for him. He was a strong man on the stump and gave blow after blow with precision and force. Rollins was the more polished orator of the two and by his eloquence swayed the populace as very few orators could do. He was a handsome man, with most gracious manners, and his words were spoken with an ease that charmed all listeners.

James S. Rollins was elected in November by a small majority, and took his seat in the next Congress. He was a candidate for re-election in 1862 against Honorable Arnold Krekel of St. Charles County. He was again successful. In 1864 he was succeeded in Congress by the Honorable George W. Anderson of Pike.

The opportunities offered in the neighborhood for an education were very limited. About one mile south of my home was a school-house built of logs. It was about twenty feet square, with a door in one side and a chimney place opposite. This chimney was built of stone gathered from the hill-side, and the fireplace was of sufficient size to take large pieces of wood. On the third side of the room, a log in its

entire length had been left out for the purpose of making a window. Beneath this window a writing desk was made of a long plank about eighteen inches wide. It was on this desk-this plank-that the children were taught to write. The seats were made of logs split in half and supported by legs driven into augered holes. The interstices or cracks between the logs in the house were filled by mortar made of earth, lime and straw. In winter, with a blazing fire going, and the door shut, the room was fairly comfortable. It was in this house, when I was about six years of age, I started to school. With me went my three sisters, Elizabeth, Louisa, and Matilda.

John M. Faulconer was the teacher. He was the father of a large family of children, all of whom were of school age. Among others that went to the school at the same time were the children of Messrs. Ross, Creech, Cahal, Blanton, Duncan Carter and others. Faulconer was an old resident of the neighborhood and while a most excellent man, had a very limited education. The books in use at the time were McGuffy's speller and readers, Pike's arithmetic, Smith's geography and grammar, and a copy plate that was followed in writing. The pens used were made by the teacher out of goose quills, as there was no such thing as a steel pen in those days. Usually the school year lasted for about four months, and the teacher was paid at the rate of $15.00 per month. He furnished his own board and lodging.

Those who attended this school were the children of poor people and knew what it was to live on short rations. They were healthy and indepen

dent, and grew up to be strong men and women. Now and then there would be one who gave little promise of usefulness or who "would not take learning."

A boy by the name of Dick Blanton started to this school. His father was a small farmer and conducted a diminutive distillery in connection therewith. Dick was twelve years old and did not know a letter in the book. He had, however, learned to swear, drink whiskey and chew tobacco. When he first came, he said to the teacher, "All I want is a good education and plenty of new white whiskey." After he had been coming for a week, I (much younger than he) ventured to ask him how he was getting along with his letters. He replied as follows: "I have learned them all except that d-d letter 'E', but I think I will harness that before long." Poor Dick! He drifted along in life until the Civil War and then very naturally joined the rebels (as we then called the Southerners) and was killed in battle.

There was another boy by the name of Jennings that went to that school, and seemingly promised well. He also drifted along until the War, and also joined the rebels. Early in the fighting he was taken prisoner by a Federal command in which I was serving. Recognizing him as an old friend and schoolmate, I asked him why he was in the brush. His reply was, "Well, they are going to free the niggers." I said, "Have you or your folks any niggers to free?" He answered, "No!" I then said, "Why are you so much interested?" His reply was, "If the 'niggers' are free, they will steal everything." This prompted me to ask him if he or his folks had anything to steal. He said, "No!" and then he said,

"Pat, you are asking me some hard questions, and all that I have got to say is that any man who'll read the St. Louis Christian Advocate (a Southern Methodist newspaper) and drink Middletown whiskey is bound to go into the rebel army." At a reunion of my regiment after the war at Wellsville, Missouri, Dr. McAmally, the former editor of that paper, was an invited guest. I repeated this story to the seeming edification of all present, especially Dr. McAmally.

In giving these reminiscences, I have allowed myself to leave the beaten track, that is, the schools of that time.

As I have said, Mr. Faulconer did not have much of an education. He could go so far but no further. For the several years that I went to him I got only so far as the end of the "single rule of three" in Pike's arithmetic. At the end of that rule I was told to review. The intricacies of the double rule of three seemed to be unknown to the teacher and, of course, were unknown to me. His knowledge of the other studies he sought to teach was on a par with his scholarship in arithmetic. He was a good man, however, and I revere his memory.

Later on I was taught by Ellis, Parker, Reynolds, and Sydnor at another country school about three miles from home. Sydnor was considered the best of the lot, for the reason that he had had a year at college in Jacksonville, Illinois. He had two sisters, Bettie and Abiah, that went to him at the same time I did. They grew up to beautiful womanhood and were happily married. They and their brother have long since passed to the great beyond.

In addition to these teachers, I was sent to a married sister who lived some fifteen miles away, and

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