We sometimes laugh at what we call 'old-fogyism' in these old men; but we dare not enter into a comparison with them in point of generosity, devotion to one another, their friendship for and kind treatment of strangers; particularly if he was a desirable man in the community. To divide, they were always willing, and to give all in extreme cases was not uncommon. To charge a stranger for a night's lodging was an act of gross impropriety. Twenty miles was considered a short ride to see a sick neighbor. It was never to cold or wet to assist a neighbor in need. If by reason of sickness or other misfortune he was unable to plant his corn or cut his wheat, they all turned in and did it for him. The tools of one man were almost common property; to refuse to lend was an act of hostility, which the whole neighborhood resented. Character was not to be assailed without just cause. Men's characters were made up from personal worth, in those early days. Now their characters are weighed by the money they possess.

We talk of depression in trade; we bemoan the scarcity of money; we talk of the stagnation of our markets; political stump orators proclaim the absolute necessity of the down-trodden and oppressed people arising in their might and hurling this or that political party or administration from power. There yet lives in this township men who have not only seen trade depressed, but absolutely no trade; have seen money so scarce that letters from friends in Tennessee and North Carolina had to remain in the post office for weeks for want of money to pay the twenty-five cents postage due, or until he could haul wheat to St. Louis or Springfield, in wagons drawn by oxen, over poor roads, and when they reached there, could get little more per bushel than would buy a half-yard of calico, or take a letter from the office. Men were compelled - they and their families - to live for weeks on hominy, or bread - if bread at all - made from meal grated on a hand grater. Their children were destitute of shoes the entire winter; their families had no clothes except those carded, spun, wove, and made into garments by their own hands. Yet, they bore these things, hoping for better days, without a murmur. Those were times that 'tried men's souls!' Young man, stop your grumbling; 'Go West,' as Greeley advised; go to work and 'grow up with the country'.

The greatest rain-fall that ever occurred in this country was in the spring and summer of 1835. While there was no record kept of inches of rain-fall by the methods of today, yet the water-marks show this

The first school ever taught in Marrowbone township was taught by Adison Smith in a log house on Section 27, near Roney's old place. There is quite a contrast between the schools of that early day and the advanced system of today. The schoolhouses were built of round logs, without windows - a log being left out of the side and end for light. A large fireplace in one end served to heat the room; the seats were made of split slabs, without backs. they had one advantage, however - you could sit facing either way. A split slab resting on long wooden pins served as writing desks. The school was called a subscription school - each one sending as many scholars as he desired. The teacher was generally a man of peculiar make-up; the scholars could read in his face an outline of what the day would be. If a frown rested on his face in the morning we knew that 'squalls' were ahead for that day, and woe to the 'kid' caught with his eyes of his book! First, in the morning we were called up in line and 'made our manners;' the rules were then read to us; they were of great length and severe enough to govern a state, and they were not to be violated without suffering the severe penalties attached. After rules were read we again 'made our manners'

We must not forget to speak of the pioneer preachers, as they had quite as much, if not more, to do in laying the foundation of our civil and religious government of today. It would be idle to speculate as to which of the various denominations has done the most to bring about our present condition of society so far as morals are concerned. If there is a 'Divinity which shapes our ends, rough hew them as we will,' we are brought to the conclusion that Providence has devised the church in all its branches for the accomplishment of His purposes. The whys and wherefores are matters of little concern to us. All, however, must agree that if all the long drawn-out discussions over greed and doctrinal differences had been directed against the common evils, more good would have been accomplished. There is no royal highway leading to the New Jerusalem of which any particular church or corporation has exclusive control. On the contrary, there may be many ways. That which we call the Methodist way may be a little more noisy - its trains run at times at what may seem a reckless speed. Then the Presbyterian way, whose trains seem to run with a more solemn stillness - more heavily ballasted. and then the Baptist way which some think, calls for more water than is necessary to float the craft. Yet they are all on time and making for the same port of safety. It is not our design in these brief sketches to enter into an analysis of their differences - what each may or may not have done, or give any special characteristics. As far back as we had settlers, we had Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. I think the first sermon ever preached in Marrowbone was delivered by Old Uncle Simeon Walker, a pioneer Methodist missionary. He informed me that he preached to the Indians before any white settlers came; and that he afterwards preached at Old Uncle David Strains' house, where he had a congregation of but eight persons. He told me this when he was at the advanced age of ninety-four years - and a grand old gentleman. Who can estimate the good results of such a life?

The first sermon ever preached in Marrowbone township after its settlement by the whites was by Rev. David Foster, at Andrew Bones'. Foster organized the first church (the Bethany church) in the county. The organization took place at the residence of Jas. Fruit on the 14th day of May, 1831 - over 58 years ago - with eight members; one of them, Mrs. Nancy E. Ashmore

The Circuit Rider followed the pioneer preacher. As the early school-master was a revolving genius, so was the circuit rider - except the latter's territory was larger and he revolved on horse-back, a bible, hymnbook and a pair of saddle-bags - which were a clean shirt or two - constituted his entire outfit. He faced the cold winds like a hero; he swam the swollen streams to meet his appointments; he studied and practiced his sermons and 'pitched his tunes' while he crossed the trackless prairie. The good old mothers often stuffed his pockets with new socks carded, spun and knit with their own hands, and now and then 'chipped in' and gave him a new pair of jeans trousers. They did not always fit, being made by guess, but that was of small consequence to the circuit rider; he was not a proud man. Sometimes he would lie in bed while some good mother mended his pants. At campmeetings, in those old days, people would come with their families in wagons twenty or fifty miles and camp out till the close of the meeting. Very often, as of old, when the good would thus meet together, the Devil marshalled his forces and attempted to break up the meeting. The writer remembers the first campmeeting he ever attended - where the cemetery at Bethany now is. A large, noisy crowd of roughs were there; some were in favor of arresting

I will now pass over several years and resume history at the year 1843, the date of the organization of Moultrie county, mention of which was made in a former article. The first County Court consisted of R. B. Ewing, Abram Keller and George Mitchell. They divided the county into four precincts, or voting places; which were Lovington, East Nelson, Julian and Thomason (now Marrowbone). the first election held in Marrowbone township was held at the residence of Old Uncle Billy Thomason on the first Monday in April, 1843. The judges were, David Strain, David Mitchell and Joseph Roney. The first grand-jurors were, Elias Kennedy, David Mitchell, David Strain, John Roney and James Freeland. The first petit jurors: Larkin Beck, George Thomason, Joshua Roney, James Fruit and James Hudson. These were for the May term, 1843. Court was held at the house of Jas. Camfield. Samuel H. Treat was judge, and Abraham Lincoln was one of the attorneys.

The first court-house was built in 1847. R. B. Wheeler (now living in Bethany) had the contract for furnishing the seats, for which he only received $69. The entire cost of the court-house was $2,800. It was destroyed by fire in 1864, and with it many valuable records of the county.

In 1866 the county adopted the township system of government and the county was redistricted and the name 'Marrowbone district' was give, from the name of the creek which heads in the northwest corner of the county and, running southeast, empties into the West Okaw in Section 35. The name 'Marrowbone' originated from the following peculiar incident: A

John A. Freeland, Jr., was the first supervisor from Marrowbone; he was elected in the spring of 1867 and served one year. W. P. McGuire was elected in the spring of 1868 and served five years in succession - until 1873. He was succeeded by A. R. Scott in the spring of 1873, who served two years. Thos. H. Crowder was elected in 1875 and served two years, when A. R. Scott was again elected and served two years more - until 1880, when W. P. McGuire was elected and served one year more. John A. Strain was elected in 1881 and served one year. James A. Mitchell was elected in 1882 and served until the spring of 1889. A. W. Scot is the present supervisor.

Marrowbone township contains forty sections of land - government survey - or nearly 26,000 acres, a large proportion of which is in a high state of cultivation, and it is mostly well tiled, farmers having of late years realized the value of under-ground draining. By reason of tiling, land that had heretofore been considered valueless for agricultural purposes, proves to be the most productive. The township generally is cultivated by a peaceable, industrious, prosperous class of people, who will compare favorably with those of any part of the state. Their patriotism is fully shown by furnishing more men for the late civil war than they had voters in the township, a more extended account of which will be given in a later chapter.

The first reaping machine ever brought into the township was a 'Rugg Centre- Draft,' the horses being hitched behind the machine and pushing it before them. It was brought here by Alfred Vowell; but it was never allowed to cut any grain. The men and boys of the neighborhood would go to the field where cutting was to be done next day, and in the night would cut, bind and shock the grain by hand; and in the morning Vowell would discover his grain all cut and his machine gone. After an all-day search he would find his machine hanging in the top of some tall tree, down in timber, and would have to ask in help to get it down - generally of the very ones who put it up there. Sometimes his team would be missing; then his machine. He put up with this for about two weeks, when he gave up in disgust, hitched to his machine and went back to Mt. Zion. I could name several persons still living who were engaged in this nefarious business, but out of respect for their

The first dwelling-house built on the site of Bethany was erected by Robert Law in 1832, on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 22 on which he had filed a claim. In 1834 he sold out his claim to Alfred N. Ashmore, who entered the land. This Ashmore house stood near the place where T. M. Bone's residence now stands. The north part of Bethany now occupies this first entry. Robert Law then entered the east half of the southeast one-fourth of section 22, and built another log house near the spot where Scott & Bone's elevator now stands. He also built a large horse mill on what is known as the C. P. parsonage ground. The posts of this mill could still be seen standing as he placed them, up to a few years ago. All of the south part of Bethany is built on this entry. He sold this land in March, 1839, to David Mitchell.

Alfred N. Ashmore sold the land above named to Rev. A. M. Wilson, who built a large two story house on the ground about where now stands the residence of W. H. Logan. This was a very noted structure - the largest and most palatial dwelling in the county. He in turn sold one to Joseph Scott (father of A. R. Scott). This was the third dwelling built of what now constitutes the village of Bethany.

These were all the buildings erected until 1854. In the fall and winter of that year Dr. J. D. Livesey and Thomas Sowell built a frame store building on the site of the ground where now stands the residence of Mrs. Martha Hampton, and brought on a stock of general merchandise and placed the same under the management of a man named Crawford. This enterprise, after a few years, proved a failure, the owners suffering a heavy loss through mismanagement, and was bought afterward by J. D. Livesey and W. P. McGuire, who continued in partnership until 1863, when Dr. Livesey died, and W. P. McGuire continued the business in his own name for many years. In the Spring of 1857, W. P. McGuire built a dwelling house about where the old dwelling of Mrs. Hampton now stands. He afterwards sold it to Dr. Livesey, who moved it to where it now stands - west of the site of the store building - and used it for a residence; the same building is now used as a photograph gallery by Martin Bros. The old store house was afterward moved south one lot, and is now occupied by Mr. Harned as a residence. These houses are two of the old land-marks of Bethany still to be seen. They were the first frame buildings ever built in Bethany.

In 1864 W. P. McGuire built the large frame dwelling where Charles Frazier now lives. He also built the two story brick store now owned by Thomas Noble. In 1865 Alfred N. Ashmore built the property owned by Aunt Emeline Ashmore and now occupied by Joseph Bankson. This was part frame and part brick. All the above building was done before the town was platted, and was on what is called the old town site.

Protestant-Methodists had a camp-ground about where Uncle Ed. Stables' residence now stands. The stand and log tents stood there for a number of years. The land at that time was owned by David Mitchell, who sold it to Dr. J. D. Livesey. The plat was twelve rods wide by thirty rods long; or, from Church street on the east to Lincoln street on the west, and south of main street.

The village of Bethany proper was surveyed and platted in 1873, by Thomas Noble, on the south half of town, and the north part by D. F. Kennedy. The building occupied by George T. Hill was built by J. G. Smutz. Peter Forsythe, Alex Ransford, A. K. Bone, Samuel Mitchell, James Moore, Caroline Robertson and others built dwellings soon after the plat was entered. S. M. McReynolds moved a house from north of town to the place now owned by Widow Robertson, and a Miss Snyder taught in that house the first school ever taught in the village. Christopher Beck taught the next school, in the upper story of the store of J. G. Smutz. Dr. Wallace, of Decatur, taught a select school in the second story of the Noble brick store-room. There had been other schools taught prior to these in the log church where the cemetery now is, but not in the platted town.

Prior to the year 1856 the nearest post office to Marrowbone was Sullivan. In the fall of that year Dr. Livesey succeeded in getting an office established here, by having the mail carried at private expense. After a time the department had mail carried once a week. Dr. Livesey was the first postmaster and served until his death. W. P. McGuire succeeded him, followed by O. P. Walker, A. R. Scott, J. G. Smutz, Geo. W. Walker and Wm. Pitts in the order named - J. H. McGuire being the present postmaster. For several years after the office was first established it was the custom to open the mail, then the postmaster got upon the counter or a goods box and called out the address of each letter; and anyone wishing the letter would so signify, and thus the mail was distributed. This mode would seem very odd now, with two or three mails a day.

Bethany was incorporated in the spring of 1877, with J. F. Knight, president, B. F. McMennamy, D. F. Kennedy, Andrew Bankson, S. H. Stanner, trustees, and Geo. T. Hill, clerk. Unlike most of the surrounding towns, Bethany has never allowed intoxicating liquors to be sold within her borders for revenue; there has never been a licensed saloon in Bethany. In 1863 a man started a saloon in the east part of town and run one day. As a last resort the writer bought him out, and was actually the proprietor of a saloon - for about the space of half an hour, or until two men with axes completely demolished the entire outfit. While other towns around us, with whiskey, have had their drunken rows, murders and

In 1875, Jackey Hyland built a steam flouring and saw mill in the east part of town, on the property now owned by Mr. Luby. This mill was a frame building 18x24 feet, two stories high, and run one set of wheat burrs and one of corn, with saw-mill attached. They made some good flour, and was quite an improvement in its day. T. C. Clark now runs the saw-mill part, having moved it to another place. In 1880 A. R. Scott erected the Bethany flour mill and elevator, which is a frame structure, with all the modern improvements. The main building is 26x34 feet, three stories high, with engine room 16x34 feet, and a belt crib 14x48 feet, with elevator attached. The structure originally cost about $12,000. A few years ago he completely overhauled the whole structure, putting in the roller improvement throughout, at a heavy expense. J. G. Holderman, one of the best millers in the west, has control. They manufacture a grade of flour unsurpassed in the United States. Their brand of 'Silver Spray' flour is rapidly taking the lead wherever known. This mill and elevator is the most substantial improvement in the county. Besides the mill, A. R. Scott also does a general banking business, through the exchange bank, with capital sufficient to meet the needs of the community. He also buys all kinds of grain, generally paying as high price for it as any surrounding market, and frequently a higher price. In fact, as a grain market Bethany stands in the front rank with a f lattering future before it.

Another improvement of great value is the Tile Works of Wilkinson Bros. They supply a large territory with tile of best grade, and furnish employment for what would otherwise be idle labor, with profit to themselves and benefit to the town and community. They also manage a large lumber yard and keep on hands all grades of coal. The Wilkinson Bros., though young, have an eye to business.

There are four dry goods establishments in Bethany, all carrying a large stock of general merchandise, and all are men of push, pluck, and energy. Quick sales and small profits is theirs.

While Bethany has never been cursed with a slaughtering opposition they all realize that low prices and honest dealing wins the day. Our people appreciate these facts, and almost invariably give their patronage to home institutions, and by so doing they build up home enterprises, without which no town ever did or ever will prosper.

The dry goods dealers are: Scott & McCoy, Luby & Colson, George T. Hill, and James H. Vadakin. There are four grocery dealers, Wm. Stables, Joseph Pierce, Starr & Low, and J. T. Welman; all young men of the best business qualities. Armstrong & Boyd who deal in hardware and furniture, do an extensive business. They have a tin-shop in connection with their business. We have two drug stores

It is a fact that should be known far and near that we have in Bethany, the most successful treatment for cancer in the world. Mr. McCartney, the druggist has never failed in a case/ His patients do his advertising.

Bethany has three practicing physicians. They are Dr. E. A. Pyatt, who has been here for twenty years; and Drs. McMennamy and Davis who have been here for years and each have the confidence of his customers.

Bethany has three hotels; the traveling public say they are always glad to strike Bethany, as they are sure of a good square meal, and a nice warm bed 'and Nary Bed Bug.' Bethany has tow harness shops; Thomas Stables dates back from the early days of Bethany; every man buying harness of Thomas knows he is buying good, durable, honest work and at lowest prices. Harned & Kendall are located on North Lincoln street; a young firm but having an increasing patronage.

There is another industry in Bethany which deserves more than a passing notice; this is the poultry house of J. F. Dearborn & Co., under the management of D. Canfield; they paid out last season about $20,000 for poultry and eggs alone in cash and their business is rapidly increasing. It will most probably reach the enormous sum of $30,000 this year. Rail-road boys say Bethany is far ahead of any town in the west in the poultry line.

The first school house in Bethany was built in 1874; it was a one story frame building with two rooms built on the site of the present one. In a few years not having room sufficient they built an addition to the side, this soon proved inadequate and was sold. This house is now used as a granary by A. R. Scott. they then built the present substantial structure. It is a large two story frame building surmounted with a spire and is a credit to the town as well as to the builders. Our own carpenters did the work and the building stands a witness to their skill and workmanship. Bethany school under the principalship of Prof. Lowe takes a high rank with any institution of higher learning in the state. He is ably assisted by a corpse of efficient assistants. The Misses Burks and Buckalew three as good teachers as are in Moultrie county. Bethany has two livery stables. S. M. McReynolds on north side of Main street and Wm. Sparks on south side both do a good business. We have two butchershops Dedman & Son and Cristman Bros. They both run a wagon in the country and supply a large trade of adjacent country with meat. Bethany also supports

Bethany can also boast of one of the liveliest most newsy papers in central Illinois The Bethany Echo; every family in the town and in the township should subscribe for their own town paper, if they have not already don so and give encouragement to Mr. Trainer its publisher. The business men of Bethany should patronize this enterprise. The work is equally as cheap and far better than you can get done even in the large cities. Every merchant, doctor, and business man in the town should patronize the Echo office and thereby help build up home enterprise.

Bethany has three wagon shops, three blacksmith shops and one machine shop; nearly all kinds of needed work and repairs can be done here at home; Bethany has the best of carpenters and builders in the west; compare our public school building, the Methodist church, the residences of Dr. McMennamy and John Bushart the work of our carpenters, with the Presbyterian church built by foreign workmen and the truth of this assertion will be apparent. It is believed that coal in abundance underlies the site of the town, some efforts have already been made to prospect; if found and a shaft is sunk and operated it will add a great impetus to the advancement of the interest of Bethany; let me here urge the business men of the town and surrounding country to take immediate steps to test the matter of prospecting experiments. West of us on Flat Branch coal crops out at the surface; coal has bee found under 100 feet at points within one or two miles of Bethany; if a vein of sufficient thickness can be found at a depth of 400, or even 500 feet from the surface and a shaft is sunk and mine operated a vast amount of money now taken out of the town and surrounding country for coal will be kept at home and increase the wealth of the town and surrounding community. No town can afford to neglect home and build up neighboring towns; then

As stated in a former article, the first church organized in the West part of Moultrie county was Bethany congregation of the Cumberland congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, with eight members. The first church building was a hewed log church which stood just west of Bethany cemetery fence. This was built in 1836. Prior to this time meetings were held at private houses and at a log school house, near where Joshua Roney lived. During the fall of 1832, they had a great revival at that time and many joined the church.

Two other meetings afterward the membership reached 52. They built a camp ground just where the cemetery now is. The writer will never forget the first time he attended a camp meeting at Bethany. He came in from the north. It was about sunset when he arrived and the timber from where Wm. E. Crowder now lives, to the church seemed to be filled; groups of men old and young engaged in singing, praying and shouting; south of the church the women were engaged in the same manner as far as he could hear; directly they began to come in with a general shout along the line, I think this was the greatest meeting I ever attended. A vast number made profession and joined the church.

This old log church was replaced in 1855 by a large frame building which cost about $2,200; Old Uncle Robt. Crowder had the contract for building. This house was only removed last season; the congregation having built a large commodious brick with basement for Sunday school and prayer meeting exercise. It is a substantial structure and cost about $8,000. While the church roll will probably show a list of over 2000, the present membership is 400; hundreds have removed to the west and nearly every state and territory west of the Mississippi river Bethany members now live; a goodly number of her young men have gone out preaching the same gospel they first heard in old Bethany. When an ocean of good has flowed out from this church, widening in its influence as it goes until eternity alone can add up the column.

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