//r^ H"^? 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 X. 
 
 Conservation Resources 
 Lig-Free® Type I 
 Ph 8.5, Buffered 
 
F 549 
 .H56 
 H47 
 Copy 1 
 
 D TIMES 
 IN HERRIN 
 
 ^ ^ .t^ ^ 
 
 SELECTED ARTICLES THAT 
 APPEARED IN THE FIRST 
 ANNUAL NUMBER OF THE 
 WANDERERS EDITION OF 
 THE HERRIN NEWS OF HER- 
 RIN, ILLINOIS i^ J^ i^ J^ 
 
 1 9 2 
 
 COMPLIMENTS OF 
 
 HAL W. TROVILLION 
 
 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 /^LD TIMES IN HERRIN were vividly 
 recalled in the first annual number 
 of The Herrin News published in the 
 spring of 1922. The edition was hastily 
 exhausted and so many calls have since 
 come in for a copy of this number that we 
 have been led to reproduce here some of 
 the longer articles appearing in that in- 
 teresting edition. Crude as conditions 
 were at that time, the pioneers in the de- 
 veloping of what now has become the 
 greatest commercial city of Egypt these 
 contributions will be of value as well as 
 of interest. They may sometime contrib- 
 ute important information to the student 
 of history of this industrial community in 
 the years to come if the cheap and tem- 
 porary form to which they have been en- 
 trusted survives the years. 
 
 Hal W. Trovillion 
 ;une '22. herrjn, illinois 
 
 L 
 
 L 
 
 3 -^-Y<f 
 
i,{i 
 
 W^'^ 
 
 FARM PRODUCTS WERE 
 SOLD WIIHOdT ASKING 
 JMARKET PRICE 
 
 By FRANK YORK 
 
 In August, 18i)'J, while driving 
 from Grassy Precinct to Crab Orchard 
 (old Stealezy) 1 stopped at Buckb.oni 
 and for the first time met Lincle Epli 
 Herrin in a little frame building 
 where Zwick's Men's Furnishing Store 
 is now located. He haJ just platted 
 his first or second addition to Herrin 
 and I fell for his splendid, eary-to- 
 get-acquainted disposition and parted 
 company with $100.00 for two of his 
 lots, which are known now as the 
 John Marlow place. In Ji-ebruary, 
 1'jOO, I commenced to erect a small 
 dwelling on one of the lots and in 
 March I moved to Herrin and saw 
 something of its infancy. When I 
 built there was one house or. North 
 14th street that was farther out than 
 mine. Mine No. 7 was working about 
 60 men and Mine A began to sink its 
 shaft early in the spring. I \ ent to 
 work as a cari-cnt3r and in May 
 changed from that to v.-ork in a brick 
 yard for Sam Green. The Yard mane 
 enough bricks (or ffbbies) to erect 
 the HeiTin Supply Company store. 
 In June I went to work for the Hei- 
 rin Supply Company and stayed with 
 tiiem practically all the time to 1920. 
 
 Now, as a clerk in the town's big- 
 gest store I rememter the customer.** 
 more distinctly than anything else. R 
 was their habit to come to town on 
 Saturday aftemoon, bring their 
 chickens, eggs and butter to market. 
 They never asked what vou were al- 
 
 < 
 
lowing them for their product; Just 
 carried them and spilled them on the 
 floor. Then the men folks hiked for 
 Bart's or Ragland's or some other 
 thirst parlo^ while the women did 
 their shopping. After which they ate 
 roasted peanuts and visited one an- 
 other in the store. These were farm- 
 ers living north and east of town and 
 fine people too. 
 
 I remember in Herrin's first few- 
 years where there was a fire nearly 
 every night, about 2 a. m. (nearly al- 
 ways pulled off on time). Then B. 
 Bolinger would pull the whistle on the 
 Light Plant and every body would 
 "shoot her empty," then go to the fire. 
 Then the saloons would light lamps 
 and stay open the balance of the 
 night 
 
 I have a photo which was taken 
 during a demonstration which shows 
 Park avenue jammed with people and 
 not an auto in the picture but very 
 plainly in the secene is Dr. Curtis 
 Brown in a buggy. The demonstra- 
 tion was on Park avenue in front of 
 the Herrin Supply Company and num- 
 bers were drawn for the winner of a 
 stove and Mrs. Vadie Music got the 
 stove. 
 
 Then comes the greatest yet. Chas, 
 Saylor — in a gasoline buggy — rubber 
 tires up and do\vn the streets twice a 
 day. How we all did crave to ride 
 with him! And all this time Herrin 
 was getting bigger. I remember one 
 incident as to traffic, I went to St. 
 Louis on an excursion and we caught 
 the excursion train at Carbondale, 
 and when we got back to Carbondale 
 we had to get to Herrin on the "Night 
 Owl," -which was a one coach contriv- 
 ance that was supposed to be propell- 
 ed by oil (but wasn't) and wouldn't 
 
— 9— 
 
 so. We got to Crab Orchard and 
 stayed there from 11 o'clock until ."> 
 ill the morning, then were shoved In 
 hy an engine. 
 
 Then Manuel broke tiie record 1)\ 
 buying a real car — an old Cadillac. 
 Kveryhody held their horses and cuss- 
 ed. Then we elected Dave Wilkerson 
 for mayor and "Dutch" McMeil for 
 chief of police, dug a deep well and 
 spent lots of money that did not get 
 anything but Herrin kept on growin;r. 
 
 H. 0. FowTer gave^ up his job on 
 the section for a job in Herrin Supply 
 store and made good. G. J. Turner 
 left the farm, came to Herrin ami 
 has made good. And lots of others 
 that you could speak of have contri- 
 buted to make Herrin the Magic City 
 of Illinois. If I should ever come 
 north again I would come to Herrin, 
 111. I am always proud to hear of 
 the activities of the Herrin people. 
 Am glad to hear that they get to- 
 gether and do things; glad to know- 
 that the moneyed men are getting 
 behind such as the electric interurban 
 that will make Herrin come to the 
 front faster than the development of 
 coal did. 
 347 N. E. 36, Miami, Fla. 
 
 WORKED AS mm 
 
 ON SHE OF HERRIN 
 
 B> «.rORf;E BLAIR 
 
 HeiTin was originally a field and 
 I have helped to harvest and thra=;h 
 the grain on almost every acre. The 
 first building was the Illinois Central 
 Depot; then Jim Connor's store on 
 
—mo- 
 tile north side. D. R. Harrison had 
 a store on the south side. The First 
 National Bank was oi'ganized by Har- 
 rison on its present site. Henry Wil- 
 son had a saw mill with two shanties. 
 One is still standing. 
 
 When the mines opened the houses 
 were built rapidly. From that time 
 on Herrm became the trading center 
 for all the people in every direction 
 for miles around. It was then organ- 
 ized as a village with a village board 
 and <i newspaper called The Herrin 
 J^ews. Like the village the News Avas 
 i. very small affair to begin with; 
 everything done by hand press; but 
 after the present owner and manager 
 of the paper came and purchased the 
 outfit 1 made arrangements with a 
 iriichine shop at Fordville to sell 
 hem a gasoline engine for power. 
 The Herrin News, with an efficient 
 manager began to grow until it has 
 become the leading newspaper of 
 southern Illinois. 
 
 We are very proud of our city now 
 with its stores, lumber yards, garages 
 meat markets, show houses, hotels, 
 restaurants, confectioneries, soda- 
 water factory known as the Herrin 
 Bottling W^orks, city hall and fire de- 
 partment, side walks and the best of 
 pavings, but nothing is too good for 
 Herrin. We old-timers could go tell- 
 ing about Herrin and its remarkable 
 g-iowth and its good qualities as a city 
 and its people who are "real folks" 
 that are working together for a larg- 
 er and cleaner city, who are not afraid 
 to spend both time and money to 
 make it such. 
 
 My home is in Hen'in. While I 
 am not there at the present, I am; 
 interested in the betterment of our 
 
—11— 
 
 city and its pro^'ress. I am at the 
 present in the Civil Senice, engaged 
 as housefather at the Soldiers 
 Orphans' Home, Noi-mal, Illinois. 
 
 CBEEK USE TO HAVE 
 JOKE ON BEANBLOSSOM 
 
 Hy M. L. BEANBLOSSOM 
 
 (Fnrnior Principal of Herrin High 
 School) 
 i niatle my advent into the city of 
 Herj-in in August, 190G. This mark- 
 tMl the beginning of my first reign iix 
 the Herrin High School which at that 
 time was housed in a frame building 
 on the southisde and had an enroll- 
 ment of about 50 pupils. In this 
 connection I shall always remember 
 Mr. F. W. Applegath who was then 
 president of the| school board and 
 who in my opinion, largely because 
 of his kindly interest in the schools, 
 was one of the best board member.s 
 I have ever known. 
 
 Herrin at this pioneer day, had only 
 a few blocks of concrete sidewalks, 
 i'ut many miles of narrow board walks 
 This very situation, by the way, was 
 one of the things that helped to ruin 
 my reputation in those early days. 
 John Creek says that the reason I 
 never went with the same girl twice 
 was because I would step on the end 
 of one of those boards and trip the 
 fair ones. John ought to know for 
 he profited by my mistakes and mar- 
 ried a Herrin girl. 
 
 When I returne<I to Herrin in 1917 
 for the second administration, the 
 town was nat as woolly as formerly 
 but still somewhat wild. About this 
 
—12— 
 
 time the saloon and all its attendant 
 evils was enjoying an era of prosper- 
 ity. Hierrin now had an "off and 
 on" system of lighting with water 
 mains and a sewer system. By June 
 1, 1921, the high school had grown 
 under the township organization to an 
 enrollment of nearly 400, with a large 
 and well equipped plant and a faculty 
 of 16 teachers. It had been recog- 
 nized by the State University, was 
 a member of the North Central As- 
 sociation and was considered by school 
 critics as one of the best of the small- 
 er high schools of the state. In 
 atheltics, the high school developed a 
 championship basketball team and 
 was the first high schol south of Mt. 
 Vernon to entertain a basketball 
 tournament. 
 
 Reference to my present where- 
 abouts, I am now superintendent of 
 the Township High School in the Oil 
 City on the banks of the Ambraw and 
 find everything running very smooth- 
 ly. 
 Lawrenceville, 111. 
 
 WHAT TALES SOK 
 OLD HERRIN OlS 
 
 By GEORGE McARTOR 
 
 The writer had resided in Heriin 
 23 years on June 14th, last, and look- 
 ing back over that stretch of time, 
 he notes the many changes that have 
 been made in the general looks of the 
 
—13— 
 
 .1.^, also in the general makeup of 
 its citizenship. However to enumer- 
 ate them all would take up too mucli 
 of his time and your space. Conse- 
 Muently I will try to describe only 
 a few of the landmarks as they recur 
 to me and very briefly. 
 
 Twenty-three years ago we had no 
 distinction in society here; one knew 
 every body else, and all joined in en- 
 joying what limited pleasure the city 
 afforded. Movies were unthought of 
 then, so far as we in Herrin were 
 concerned. However, a few years 
 later your humble serwint was made 
 awai-e that many pictures had been 
 made; also he saw his first flying 
 woman, as both were presented at 
 a tent show that exhibited for a week 
 on what is now Cherry street, just 
 east of 14th street, and we of Herrin 
 then thought we were along in front 
 as far as "knowing things" were con- 
 cerned. 
 
 I suppose almost every one in Her- 
 rin has noticed the large and beauti- 
 ful oak trees upon the property of 
 E. M. Carnaghi, just north of the 
 city hall on Park avenue. Well those 
 same trees were there when we first 
 came to Henin« but they were then 
 out in the country, and of course, 
 this was before Mr. Volstead had 
 made Herrin a desert. The writer 
 along with many other good citizens 
 of Herrin would chip in 25 cents per, 
 and get our beer at $1.75 per 8-gallon 
 keg and retire to the above mention- 
 ed trees and pass away our idle time 
 in pai-taking of the above mentioned 
 joy fhiid and many times singing, 
 fighting and other enjoyments, calcu- 
 lated to go with such gatherings 
 would continue almost all night. 
 When discovering that the last keg 
 
—14— 
 
 was empty, we would bid each other 
 a fond good night and separate, each 
 going home, with a knowledge in his 
 own mind that he had contributed 
 greatly to the enjoyment of others — 
 and we really enjoyed it, and I for 
 one earnestly wish that Mr, Volstead 
 had never seen Washington. 
 
 Twenty-three years ago Herrin was 
 small as compared with its present 
 size. The limit of buildings north on 
 Park avenue was one half block south 
 of the city hall. No homes were then 
 east of 14th street and from a little 
 south of Maple sti-eet all was in the 
 country while the village extended 
 west to 17th street. At that time 
 there was a board walk around the 
 business section, (about a block) 
 boards loose at one or both ends, and 
 one needed to be duly sober to negoti- 
 ate them. No brick buildings at all. 
 A tumble down blacksmith shop was 
 on the present site of the European 
 Hotel. Where now stands the Jeffer- 
 son Hotel, Walker-McNeill building, 
 and the block from the State Savings 
 Bank west, were vacant, and were at 
 one time offered as a present to the 
 city by Uncle Eph Herrin. However 
 the village dads ordered Mr. Herrin 
 to cut the weeds off the property and 
 the deal or transfer fell through. 
 
 -There are two wells on this prop- 
 erty, one at the northeast corner of 
 the Jefferson Hotel and one at the 
 northeast corner of the. State Sav- 
 ings Bank building, the later being 
 18 feet in diameter. There were horse 
 troughs at these wells, and there, af- 
 ter our work at niight, we would con- 
 gregate and there was more coal dug 
 there than in all the rest of William- 
 son county. At that time (23 years 
 
—15— 
 
 ag'o) there was but one mine here, 
 N'o. 7, which was hoistinj^ at the time 
 less than 500 tons per day. 
 
 Many people say that in those days 
 Herrin was wild and rough. Howev- 
 er, the writer must say thruthfuily 
 that he never noticed such being- the 
 case. In those days where two men 
 had a falling out it was some times 
 fought out with fists, some times with 
 pistols. There was never much dan- 
 ger to either of the pai-ticipants with 
 pistols as their aim was usually bad, 
 the pistols worse and it was a 10 to 
 1 bet that some bystander would get 
 shot, thus settling the dispute. At 
 other times differences were settled 
 with knives, at which times the by- 
 standers suffered less, and the parti- 
 ripants of course worse. 
 
 Herrin has certainly changed in 
 twenty-three years and in every res- 
 pect. Prices have advanced in pro- 
 portion to its growth in size, and it 
 would, in my opinion, be yet just 
 about as good a place as it was then 
 had the women never been allowed a 
 vote and Congi-ess looked after things 
 
—16— 
 
 BARBEilING AS DONE 
 IN mARLY DAYS 
 
 By GEORGE D. JOHNSTON 
 
 I was asked to write an article 
 about the barber business as I have 
 seen it for tiie past seventeen years. 
 I am the oldest barber, in point of 
 sei"vice, in Herrin except John A. 
 Miller, who is with the Jones & Hud- 
 speth shop. 
 
 When I came here in 1905 Dave 
 Wilkerson owned a three chair shop, 
 where the south half of Zwick's store 
 is today. John Miller and William 
 Snyder owTied a three chair shop in 
 the Paul Herrin building, now the 
 Jefferson Hotel. R. F. Hill owned a 
 two chair shop in the European 
 Hotel, where the cafe is now. Mr. 
 Yeagel had a one chair shop on the 
 south side of town. 
 
 I bought the shop from Mr. Wilk- 
 erson after he was defeated for re- 
 election for mayor of Hen-in by John 
 Herrin. After selling out here Wilk- 
 erson went to DuQuoin, and from 
 there to Perfy, Okla., where he still 
 resides. The Calhoun Barber shop is 
 the oldest established shop in Herrin. 
 
 Back in those days the barber busi- 
 ness was good in one way: Lots of 
 work but not much money. We open- 
 ed up at seven o'clock and closed at 
 eight p. m., on week days, and closed 
 at twelve o'clock Saturday nights. 
 Shaves were ten cents and hair cuts 
 twenty-five cents. Today we open at 
 eight o'clock a. m. and close 
 six o'clock p. m.; Saturdays open at 
 eight and close at eight p. m. Shaves 
 are now twenty-five cents; hair cuts 
 
—17- 
 
 are fifty cents. During the days of 
 cheap prices the customer did not get 
 much for his money. We did not 
 have Uie State Barber Law then re- 
 quiring hot water and everytlxing sani 
 tary and so the customer got clieap 
 work for his clieap price. Today we 
 have all modern conveniences. In the 
 early days of HeiTin we did not have 
 city waterworks so we had to make 
 our own waterworks. Wo did that by 
 putting a barrel up in one corner of 
 the room and piping it to our wasli- 
 stands, as we did not have porters 
 then. The boss was poi-ter and every 
 morning you could see him, with liis 
 buckets carrying water filling his bai-- 
 rel so as to have his water for the 
 day's work. 
 
 During those old days of long hours 
 and cheap prices the barber worked 
 hard all day on Saturdays. Just ask 
 that barber what he made. He will 
 hang his head and will say, "I am 
 aohamed to tell you." But today he 
 is justly proud of his business and 
 is recognized as a good business man 
 of HeiTin. 
 
 Back in the old days of Henin a 
 man's business was judged by the 
 number of mugs he had in his mug 
 case. If a barber quit a job or was 
 fired and he went to work in another 
 shop he would boast of how many 
 mugs he could take from you. The 
 barbels of Herrin, as well as they 
 (hd every where else, began to do 
 away with the customers' mugs. We 
 <lid that by only using them when 
 H-sked to. Joe M. Bond, as far as I 
 can find out, was the last one 4j) de- 
 mand that v.e should use his mug, 
 ;ind will say that this is the first 
 time that I have had a chance to tell 
 
—18— 
 
 him about it M'heve it would have the 
 desired effect. 
 
 Today we have about fourteen 
 shops, working in all about 36 bar- 
 bers. The bai'bers of Herrin are all 
 good friends and we have no trouble 
 enforcing our rules. 
 
 I think the old settlers' edition of 
 The Herrin News will be very interest 
 ing to everybody who lives in Herrin 
 but especially to the people that have 
 left here as I presume all of them 
 take The Herrin News. 
 
 OOING POST CEiilE 
 WORK AT OLD MIM 
 
 By DR. C. M. EVANS 
 
 (Formerly physician at Cliffoi'd) 
 Your invitation to join the Herrin 
 Reunion finds me together with my 
 family living in Boston, Mass. the 
 Hub City, 1400 miles away from Her- 
 rin. I am most thoroughly enjoying 
 my post gi'aduate work at Harvard 
 University Medical Department. 
 Harvard certaiftly lives up to its repu- 
 tation. I have heard it said that Har- 
 vard is a place for rich men to send 
 their boys. If that is the case, it is 
 sure pretty severe punishment for 
 them, the way they work them. 
 
 My youngsters are settled in the 
 public schools of Boston, and it is 
 with pleasure that we watch ^the boys 
 and girl enjoy the winter sports on 
 Boston Commons, very much the same 
 as did the youngsters of several gen- 
 erations ago, during" the days of Com- 
 wallis, when the British soldiers 
 
—ID- 
 knocked down the snow men built by 
 the young Americans. It affords us 
 much pleasure to sojourn in this city, 
 so replete with historic happeninj^s of 
 Revolutionary Days. Bunker Hill 
 Monument looms in the distance 
 across the Charles River. And theie 
 is Old North Church from whose bel- 
 fry tower the signal was flashed to 
 Paul Revere that "the British march 
 by sea tonight." Then, there is old 
 Fanueil Hall, the Cradle of Liberty; 
 Lexington and Concord not far away, 
 and many other places of note and 
 interest to us who are heirs of the 
 Declaration of Independence. 
 
 We find there are no residences, no 
 cottages, no flats in Boston proper. 
 It is a city of hotels and apartments 
 of which there are many. We avo 
 loca^ted in an apartment, f'nd our 
 latch string hangs out to Jill our 
 friends of Herrin and vicinity. 
 
 As in memory I go 1:)ack to the first 
 time I saw Herrin, ten years ago. 
 I recall that there were just three 
 automobiles in all Herrin. Coming 
 from northern Illinois I brought my 
 automobile with me, which proved 
 to be the only one at the mining camp 
 of Clifford. A very brief acquaint- 
 ance with Egyptian mud holes soon 
 made it clear to me that a car was 
 a poor mode of locomotion in that 
 country at that time. From what T 
 read in the Herrin papers, I have 
 reason to believe that the next time 
 T see Herrin, it will be with many 
 improvements within itself and vicin- 
 ity in the way of roads and otherwise, 
 owing to the enterprise of the business; 
 men of Herrin. 
 29 Queensberry St., Boston, Mass. 
 
—20— 
 
 IS OFTEN 
 jyHED 10 Bt 
 
 By PERCY B. SMITH 
 
 Away back when I first landed in 
 Hevrin, more than twenty years ago, 
 as a stranger, I bought stamps on 
 credit, as the postmaster, Alex Stot- 
 lar, did not have change for a five 
 dollar bill. Herrin, or Euckhorn, as 
 commonly called, had then, as now a 
 worse reputation abroad than it de 
 served. The two or three mines were 
 running every day and money was 
 plentiful as the miners were industri- 
 ous. Cheap frame houses, many of 
 them with Robert White landscapes 
 on the gables were arising as if by 
 magic. 
 
 From the very first it was a com- 
 munity of home lovers. As soon as 
 a house could be provided a man 
 would bring his family whether from 
 Carterville or Cuggonio. Next to the 
 inadequate ti'ansportation furnished 
 by the railroads, the greatest spi*ag 
 in the wheels of Herrin's material and 
 moral development was (and is) the 
 bad reports current throughout the 
 country about the new town. Self- 
 righteous citizens of the older towns 
 could see only the bad in this melting 
 pot and did not want to believe that 
 any good thing could come out of a 
 town in "Bloody Williamson," whose 
 single industry was coal mining. 
 
 Paved streets, public libraries and 
 
—21 — 
 
 a public school system, rated the best 
 ill Illinois outside of Chicairo were not 
 even hoped for back in the time when 
 Uncle Eph Herrin betjged me to buy a 
 lot near Park avenue and Monroe 
 street for thirty-five dollars. 
 
 Bank in those days it was said that 
 the president of one of the local un- 
 ions always used a .44 for a travel in 
 presidinpT at meeting:s. 
 
 Tnie there were a few f^un-toters 
 but forty miles away it was reported 
 that we all carried guns. Many pood 
 families were kept aw^ay by the exap- 
 Kerated reports of crime. Neighbor- 
 ing towns liked to keep their good 
 coal miners and liked to believe that 
 Herrin was not a good place to live 
 and raise a family. 
 
 In those days men chewed tobacco 
 in churches, not provided with cuspi- 
 dors. But there were churches and 
 many other organizations for the ele- 
 vation of character. As many a 
 colickly child has grown into a 
 healthy man so has Herrin grown. 
 
 I left Herrin in 1905 but returned 
 later and spent some years. Having 
 been a close observer of the town since 
 its infancy and asked to contribute to 
 this Reunion Edition it pleases me 
 to say that what success 1 am attain- 
 ing in this life is largely due to ex- 
 perience gained in the days of Her 
 rin's adolescence. 
 
 To my many friends in' Herrin T 
 extend my best wishes. 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
Lom IN SI 
 
 By T. N. JACOB 
 
 Civil Engineer, 1900 Railway Ex- 
 change Building, St. Louis, Mo. 
 I have recently been told that you 
 are preparing a 'Home-Coming' Edi- 
 tion of your splendid, useful paper, 
 The Herrin News. I am very glad to 
 know this, but it is just like you and 
 the policy of your paper — always ex- 
 tending the 'glad hand' to newcomers 
 and always having a hearty welcome 
 for any of the old timers who return. 
 I assure you I would like very much 
 to return to Herrin and renew some 
 of my old acquaintances — old friends, 
 for I had many good frieds there. 
 Some, of course, have passed away 
 but many remain. . 
 
 I have very fond recollections of " 
 my stay in Herrin. When I first 
 went there in 1903 Herrin was noth- 
 ing much more than a mining camp, 
 but developed rapidly into one of the 
 important cities of southern Illinois. 
 I have not seen many of tlie late im- 
 provements. I am told by visitors of 
 many handsome buildings, hotels, 
 opera houses, banking and office build- 
 ings, besides new business houses and 
 many fine residences and know that 
 Herrin must be a nice place to live 
 in now with all the conveniences that 
 they have. 
 
 I you have space in your paper I 
 would be very glad if you would say 
 to my friends that I have not for- 
 gotten their many kindnesses and I 
 
—23— 
 
 will come back the first opportunity 
 to receive their jyenerous welcome. I 
 have always had a warm place in my 
 heart for The Herrin News. It ha."* 
 always been a leadine: paper in city 
 and state affairs and has been vi»ry 
 useful to Herrin and the state. I 
 have a distinct recollection, many 
 years apfo, when the only extra that 
 I remember The Herrin News ever 
 put out: that was one Sunday after- 
 noon and was issued in defense of 
 a printer, who had been mali- 
 ciously abused and this 'Extra' was 
 put out in his defense. 
 
—24— 
 
 POPULAR PLACE !N 
 EARLY DAYS OF HERRIN 
 
 One of those who early saw the ad- 
 vantages of Herrin was Charles 
 O'Dell, now in business at Eoyalton 
 and prospering. Kandy kitchens 
 seem to be his hobby. Among other 
 business he is conducting a place 
 where the best of sweets may be 
 bought. He is running for trustee of 
 the prosperous city of Royalton. 
 
 Mr. O'Dell on his arrival in Herrin 
 to set up in business pitched a tent 
 where the City National Bank now 
 stands and there he conducted his first 
 kandy kitchen in this city. In a let- 
 ter to The Herrin News he says: 
 
 "I was selling candy under a tent 
 when the Glad Hand caught fire. All 
 the girls came over to my tent. They 
 were half dressed. The Early Bird 
 was on fire and bottles of the good 
 old redeye were brought into the tent 
 in big baskets. We all had booze for 
 a month. Joe Bond had his share. 
 That was before he was city clerk 
 and Steckenrider was on the board. , 
 Albeit J. Will was just putting up 
 the soda factory. There were no mov- 
 ing pictures at Herrin then." 
 
 Later on Mr. O'Dell had conducted 
 his karjdy kitchen on the present site 
 of the city hall and the place is shown 
 in the accompanying illustration. "I 
 don't know the date the picture was 
 taken," Mr. O'Dell says. "It was be- 
 fore Wallace's studio was opened. One 
 morning there came to the candy kit- 
 chen a young man wearing a big 
 Kentucky hat. He asked if he might 
 put a little lent alongside my kitchen 
 
—25— 
 
 to take 1 ictures. I told him to go 
 ahead as I was an ohl road man my- 
 ♦•If and would not charge him a cent. 
 He went into the kitchen, got a can 
 ami went out and bought ten cents 
 worth of beer from the Old Club. You 
 ought to have seen us drink. Think 
 of "t! A dime bought enough for four 
 .'f us! Then we had a lunch on brick 
 rhcese, summer sausage, pickles and 
 Italian oread, all for about 50 cents. 
 Now you get pinched if you ask for 
 beer. In about foui weeks Mr. Wal- 
 lace and I had another feast and all 
 of us vho attended were happy." 
 
 Some of those in the pictux-e print- 
 ed with this article were: Connam 
 Luckey, (with the head of cabbage) 
 Mr. O'Dell, (with a bottle of some- 
 thing in his hand) Scotty Button, with 
 hi>: little dog, and Walter Childres?. 
 
—26— 
 
 WHEN THE SKY WAS 
 THE LID IN HE 
 
 • What times thei'e must have been 
 in the old days! These men did not 
 fear enforcement officers. They bold- 
 ly drank from bottles in broad day- 
 light and in plain view of all passers- 
 by. It is a safe guess that the bottles 
 contained something with more than 
 one half of one per cent. Judging 
 from the shirt-sleeved men in the pic- 
 ture it was iiTthe "good old summer 
 time." They may have been working 
 very hard and were exceedingly thirs- 
 ty. The boldest of the bold, that guy 
 at the front, in light suit, who was 
 not satisfied- with one bottle at a 
 time, but must have two, is said to 
 be our well-known townsman, Charles 
 Stocks. Charlie was right there 
 when it came to getting his'n. It 
 evidently required two bottles of Bud- 
 weiser, of Pabst or Schlitz to keep 
 down- his temperature while he was 
 standing in the hot sun, in front of 
 the old Turf saloon, to have his mug 
 photographed. You may possibly be 
 able to identify some others in the 
 group. 
 
SOME EARLY ifiCIOENIl 
 RECALLED BY DUNCAN 
 
 M. L. Duncan, a former sheriff of 
 Williamson county, now residing In 
 Carbondale, in a letter to The Herrln 
 News recalls the following incidents 
 during the early days when tliis city 
 was a small town. 
 
 When the town was a new one and 
 somewhat v.ild and woolly, a big re- 
 vival meeting was going on. A man 
 went to the mourners' bench one night 
 and cried out with a loud voice: 
 "Lord Cornwallis!" At the close of 
 the same meeting the preacher bap- 
 tized the wrong man but I have for- 
 gotten just how the mistake was made 
 
 It was also at Herrin that Prof. 
 Hunter was plowing some vacant lots 
 for a neighbor's garden. He lost the 
 point on his plow about 8:30 a. m., 
 but kept on plowing until noon be- 
 fore he realized that the point was 
 gone. 
 
 In those days live stock all had the 
 run about fTie town, not being con- 
 fined. One man found nine cowbells 
 in one week and then told a justice 
 of the peace who had him arrested 
 that he was not a thief. The J. F. 
 turned him loose. 
 
 The facts about the celebrated biok 
 en leg incident as I now recall them, 
 are as follows: A man imbibed a 
 little too much of the 100 proof in 
 the shade and ran his leg through the 
 hind wheel of a fast moving wagon. 
 His friends all thought his leg was 
 broken and called in the to\\'n's best 
 
—28— 
 
 doctor and also a specialist from Car- 
 terville. Both doctors said the leg 
 was broken and set it with splints 
 and bandages. Friends of the man 
 were told to hire a trained nurse and 
 keep the patient in bed six weekr,. 
 Jim woke up along toward morning. 
 He had sobered and thinking his 
 friends had put up a job on him, he 
 tore the splints and bandages off, got 
 up ami without the aid of a crutch 
 walked home. He worked at No. 7 
 mine next day. He was a little lame 
 for a few days. Jim afterwards told 
 me the doctors never presented him 
 with a bill. 
 
 My old friend, I. W. Sanders got 
 a pension of $1400 on account of his 
 father serving in the Civil War. Ike 
 said that was too much money to 
 try and spend in the country so he 
 went to Herrin where they w^ere 
 plenty of sports and also several 
 charter members of what afterwards 
 became the bootleggers' association. 
 Ike thought he could play seven up, 
 pitch, poker and several other gamee. 
 I saw him about six weeks after he 
 went to Herrin and asked liim how 
 much of his pension' money he had 
 left. He said the balance was $15.40. 
 He added that his bad luck was noth- 
 ing strange as he had played all 
 games without a trump card. 
 
— '2!>— 
 
 EARHY EFFORTS TO 
 PROVIOE EDUCATIO AL 
 FACILITIES IN HEflflIN 
 
 By P. N. LEWIS 
 
 Iain indeed glad to contribute a 
 line to your jubilee edition and to 
 know that you are still happy that 
 you cast your lot in Herrm. I have 
 always felt that I was in Konie meas- 
 ure responsible for your coming: to 
 Herrin and would be very sorry had 
 you not prospered as much as you had 
 hoped. 
 
 In 1903 I organized the Herrin State 
 Savings Bank and set to work to erect 
 a bank building which was completed 
 and ready for occupancy July 5, 1904. 
 Instead of buying all my initial sup- 
 plies from the bank supply concems, 
 I gave a very neat little order to the 
 local printer— the editor of The News 
 at that time — in the expectation that 
 he would herald with loud acclaim 
 the opening of a new financial insti- 
 tution. I expected him to "tell the 
 world"' all about it with red ink and 
 wooden type three inches high. 
 
 On the morning we opened for bu.sl- 
 ness the printer came in with a mar- 
 ket basket full of blank notes and 
 other printed forms, stationery and 
 etc., and collected his bill. On the fol- 
 lowing Thursday when The New.«? 
 came out about half a dozen lines in 
 a single column told in the most per- 
 functory manner that the bank was 
 opened for business. 
 
 I thought that the editor ought to 
 have got all "het up" over the 
 "splash" of a new bank in town, and 
 
—so- 
 complained of the lack of journalistic 
 pep of the editor. I told Aud Davis, 
 who was assisting me for a few weeks 
 in opening the bank and getting it 
 started, that I wished some live wire 
 would come to Herrin and start a 
 paper that would wake the little old 
 town up. Mr. Davis said he knew a 
 cub reporter by the name of Trovi^- 
 lion who was out of a job and that 
 he would get in touch with him and 
 send him around. Some time there- 
 after Ml'. Trovillion stepped into the 
 bank one morning, handed me his card 
 and stated that Mr. Davis had refer- 
 red him to me. I told him that he 
 couldn't go wrong in undertaking a 
 newspaper in Hennn, whereupon he 
 dived in and has been in the swim 
 ever since. So I repeat that I am 
 glad you have prospered so well, if 
 my early disappointment in The News 
 and my complaint to Mr. Davis was 
 realliy in any way responsible for 
 your coming to Herrin . 
 
 The Township High School 
 Perhaps the fact that I had just 
 emerged from the school room where 
 I had spent a dozen or so the best 
 years of my life, together with my 
 earlier struggle to get something 
 more than a district school education, 
 led me to begin to study the school 
 situation as soon as my young wife 
 and I were settled to housekeeping 
 in Herrin. All the school rooms were 
 over crowded. Children were requir- 
 ed to attend half day session and im- 
 provised school rooms were fitted up 
 in the Masonic Hall building, in an 
 old hotel just back of the new Elks 
 club building and in dwellings down 
 North Park avenue. The toilet facil- 
 ities were not fit for a hog to use. 
 The teachers were overworked and 
 
—31— 
 
 discipline and organization were well 
 night impossible. 
 
 The people of Hen-in can never ade- 
 quately thank the school directors who 
 grappled with and finally solved all 
 the problems that rose in connection 
 with those grade schools which out- 
 grew the facilities faster than funds 
 could be levied to provide more. 
 
 Seeing the boys and girls leaving 
 school and engaging in gainful oc- 
 rupations at so early an age, it oc- 
 curred to me that some effort should 
 1)6 made to keep them in school long- 
 er. It was plain that very few min- 
 ers would ever be able to send their 
 children t)ff to college after they had 
 completed the grade schools. But 
 many of us felt that a coal miner's 
 child was entitled to a somewhat bet- 
 ter education th?n the grades afford- 
 ed and that these advantages should 
 be fui-nished right at home. So we 
 conceived the idea of a high school 
 for Herrin and vicinity, with an at- 
 pitch, poker and seevral other games, 
 tractive building and grounds, large 
 well-equipped class rooms, and a com- 
 prehensive course of .study, that would 
 attract and hold the .students for four 
 years beyond the 8th grade. 
 
 Well, we voted a high school and I 
 was elected president of the Board of 
 Director."?, but before we got a build- 
 ing erected the legality of the High 
 School law was attacked by some who 
 were opposed to the school, and the 
 whole thing was knocked out. 
 
 Undismayed, we went to fhe legis- 
 lature and got the law amended and 
 voted another High School. Again T 
 was elected president of the board, 
 bonds were voted, a site selected and 
 a contract let for a building. When 
 the building was about half completed 
 
- 3f.— 
 
 the whole thing was again tied up by 
 a supreme court decision declaring 
 the school law unconstitutional. 
 
 About fifteen good men joined nte 
 in signing a note for ten thousand 
 dollars with which -we kept work go- 
 ing on the building tilF the supreme 
 coui't reconvened and reversed the de- 
 cision — and our school was assured. 
 
 Thus Herrin has a High School sec- 
 ond to none in the state, In which the 
 children of the coal miners of Herrin 
 may get a college education while at 
 home with their parents. Of all the 
 activities in which I had any part 
 while in Herrin I am more proud of 
 the part I had in the securing of the 
 Township High School than any other. 
 The school speaks for itself. And 
 when its friends and foes have alike 
 gone to their reward the Herrin Town 
 ship High School will endure to brigh- 
 ten the lives of thousands of miners' 
 children who are as dear to their 
 creator as the children of those who 
 know not what it is to toil. 
 
 In connection with any mention of 
 the Herrin Township High mention 
 should always be made of the faith- 
 ful work done hf the members of that 
 first board o.f directors which as I 
 recall included Judge A. D. Morgan, 
 M. Collard, L. C. Koen and last but 
 not least Bob Hopper. 
 
 Every member of this board was 
 as faithful in the work as the mem- 
 bers of the grade school board of 
 which I have already spoken. 
 Marion, 111. 
 
HERRIN'S FIRST BAND 
 K CORKER ACCORDING 
 TOJNE MEMBER 
 
 By GEORGE E. PARSONS 
 
 (Former Mayor of Herrin) 
 It was a hummer. It was com- 
 posed of the best buncli of fellows the 
 small village afforded. A very broad 
 statement but I think you will agree 
 w'h me wher * tcl' you who tiii" 
 were. 
 
 It was in the yeai- 1S9S, in the 
 month of May that this famous band 
 t-ame iiito CAisience. The writer made 
 a trip to Chicago and .selected the in- 
 struments. It was, I am sure, a good 
 move on the part of the band to send 
 me to make the selection as I knew 
 the difference between a cornet and 
 a tuba and also the difference, be- 
 tween a base and snare drum. There 
 were some minor things that I did 
 not know to aid me in making the 
 selection but I was very wisely a.s- 
 sisted by the firm of Lyon & Healy 
 from whom the purchase was mafle. 
 The instruments arrived in due time 
 and proved to be good selections, much 
 to the satisfaction of .the writer. 
 
 It would not be fair to hold you in 
 suspense any longer as to who the 
 members of this band were, there- 
 fore, I will tell you and what instru- 
 ments they played. H. W. Henry, 
 dereased, was the leader; cornet 
 Harry Stotlar, Bruce LaMaster and 
 Charles Stocks; tenor, Oscar Bandy, 
 Geo. Parsons, Lloyd Parsons; alto. 
 Josh Everett, Ed Ralls, Lou Jacobs; 
 Itaritone, Gus Sizemoro; tuba, Logan 
 
-•_34— 
 
 Bandy, base drum, Eli Browning; 
 snare drvim, Chester Parsons. 
 
 Eight of these are now living" in Her 
 rin, and I dare say that few of» our 
 vast population at the present time 
 know that there are so many retired 
 musicians among them and referring 
 to my broad statement at the begin- 
 ning of tliis article, don't you think 
 1 am right'/ 
 
 Soon after our instruments arrived 
 and we began to practice, we decided 
 to stage a Fourth of July celebration 
 under the auspices of the Herrin Con- 
 cert Band. At that time there was 
 no ground platted south of Oak street, 
 between 18th and 14th streets, or to 
 be more explicit, south of the resi- 
 dences of Leo Cline and Ira Gosnell. 
 Tl.ore was a strip of virgin timber 
 just north of the South Side school. 
 It was sure enough a virgm wildei- 
 ness, so thick with grape vines, bani- 
 boo, hazel bush, and other vegetation 
 that it takes to make a real thicket. 
 However we got permission fx'om the 
 owner very willingly to clean tWs 
 plot of ground up. 
 
 It was in the month of June that 
 the members of the band shouldered 
 axes and rakes and proceeded to the 
 task. It was very warm weather and 
 naturally we had to quench our thirst 
 often. This was long before a water 
 v^orks system was thought of and the 
 water supply in Herrin was very poor, 
 It was very hard to find a fountain 
 that would suit the taste of all the 
 boys but we finally found it, and it 
 took one busy carrying the pail as 
 it had to be carried from the business 
 section of the town and, as I said, 
 the weather was very warm. We 
 A'orked like putting out fii'e until the 
 
—35— 
 
 man with the pail arrivecl. Then we 
 wouhi stop and (|uench our thirst and 
 \>y the time we all took a drink the 
 pail was eiwpty and the water boy 
 would start on his long tramp for an- 
 other pail. Our friend, Bart Colombo 
 furnished the ioc free. which was 
 greatly appreciated. 
 
 In due time the grounds were clean- 
 ed and the Fourth dawned a beautiful 
 day. This was the first Independence 
 Day celebration Herrin had ever had 
 and I want to tell you I have seen 
 them all and I know this one in point 
 of loyalty and devotion to all that 
 goes with the day was the best one 
 Herrin has ever had. 
 
 But refen-ing back to the band and 
 the preparing of a suitable grove: 
 We had but four weeks in which lo 
 practice. Few, if any, except the lead 
 er knew one note from another, but bi 
 four weeks we mastered those instru- 
 ments and marched triumphantly at 
 the head of the procession, playing 
 music that would make Sousa stand 
 up and take notice, which feat prove(T 
 beyond a doubt our ability as musi- 
 cians. 
 
 After this we rented a hall, an old 
 two story frame structure that stood 
 where the Chinese laundry is now. 
 It was built by Charles Gargus then 
 of Carterville. Herrin did not go by 
 the name of Herrin by the people of 
 Carterville and Marion. They callled 
 it Buckhorn, and even Mr, Gargus 
 secured a deer's head with antlers and 
 placed it high up on the front of his 
 building, symbolizing the name they 
 had given to Herrin. But, thanks be 
 to Providence that Herrin has risen 
 from a village of Dagoes and coal min 
 ers as one prominent citizen of Ma- 
 
—36— 
 
 lion characterized it, to its proud posi- 
 tion as the largest and best city In 
 all the Coal Belt. 
 
 Most people hex-e have forgotten the 
 name that they gave us and we look 
 back over the years of struggles we 
 have had building from the founda- 
 tion up, overcoming- every obstacle 
 even to the fun poked at us by our 
 sipter cities with theiir foundations 
 laid years ago. To sit and muse by 
 the dying embers of the strides we 
 have made and how we have passed 
 them like a passenger train does 
 a tramp, we awate from our reveries, 
 saying, "Wonderful! how wonderful!' 
 But even in our exultation a small 
 tear trickles from our eye in pity for 
 those we have left behind. 
 
 I gueas I have got off the subject. 
 This building I refer to had a saloon 
 on the first floor and a hall above, 
 with a dumb waiter connecting the 
 two, and which you could also use 
 as a telephone. We did not talk 
 through it as you do a telephone but 
 signaled by quickly jerking the rope 
 and the operator at the other end 
 would understand what was wanted. 
 
 After this we began to give con- 
 certs on the streets on evenings. Some 
 business people appreciated those con- 
 certs more than others and it did not 
 tJlke us long to find this out. Then 
 M'e played for the; man that showeTt us 
 the most appreciation. Competition 
 got pretty strong between them at 
 times much to the satisfaction of the 
 band. 
 
 Then to have a change, we began 
 to stage birthday serenades. We 
 would find out the date of a man's 
 birthday and march in silence to his 
 residence and play a few select pieces. 
 
—37— 
 
 He generally would appenr niid Irir 
 vile us to he seated ajid it was ac- 
 cording to his tenipermcnt whether wr 
 R:ot something to eat or somethinfj 
 to drink. 
 
 They were always prepared for we 
 had seen to it that some member 
 whispered the news to him on the 
 quiet so that he would be ready for us. 
 
 The villa^fe was justly proud of its 
 band. We had a preat time and it 
 is with fond memories that we Took 
 back to those care free happy days 
 and recall that old poem — 
 
 Backward, turn backward, Oh, time 
 in your flight. 
 
 Make me a bandman just for to-, 
 night. 
 
 ONE FORMER MAYOR 
 OF HbRRIN TELLS HOW 
 HIS PREOECESSOR IN 
 OFFICE HYPNOTIZED 
 HIM ONJIS ARRIVAL 
 
 By W. B. WALKER 
 
 Our yesterdays and day befores 
 are erased from the calendar of time 
 but not from memory. Dull indeed 
 would life be if the past was lost In 
 the flight of time. We all like to 
 pause at times to let memory turn 
 back the pages in the book of life and 
 linger again for a time mid the scenes 
 of the past. 
 
 I am thankful for memory which 
 wafts me backward through the flight 
 of years to Mother and the dreamland 
 of happy childhood days, I am thank 
 
ful this hour that memory brings to 
 ine the smiling faces of tire many 
 people I learned to love while living 
 there. 
 
 Well do I remember my first even- 
 ing spent in H'erri(n I came over 
 from Marion to Herrin on the street 
 car. We were three hours making 
 the trip. I got off the car at the 
 First National 6 p. m. Saturday, Sep- 
 tember 10th, 1904. It was payday at 
 No. 7 mine. 
 
 The bank was doing a land office 
 business. I stood there for a time 
 watching the multitude and wonder- 
 ing in which direction the city was 
 •located. After awhile I fell in among 
 the crowd headed north and in a few 
 moments I landed on what I learned 
 afterwards was Elles' corner. 
 
 The blind and lame were there blow- 
 ing their harps, thumping their 
 H'uitars and playing ther fiddles. 
 
 The old board walk was squeaking 
 i-attling and flopping while men from 
 all nations were on parade. I was 
 just fresh from the World's Fair at 
 St. Louis and thought I had left most 
 of humanity there. But away down 
 there in Egypt-in a mining camp with 
 dusty streets and board walks was 
 a parading throng that would have 
 have made St. Louis go way back 
 and sit down. 
 
 I was in need of a shave so I be- 
 gan to look for a striped pole. I 
 soon found a sign that read right and 
 walked into an old frame building on 
 North Park avenue about where the 
 Herrin Supply Company's five and ten 
 cent store is now located. Some 
 great big fellow with a towel thrown 
 across one shoulder and with eyes 
 that blinked like a frog's pointed to 
 a high chair and said you're next. 
 
—39— 
 
 Dave Wilkerson, mayor Hcnin, was 
 ,tlie barber. 
 
 It didn't take him lonj^ to find out 
 that I was a newcomer and it didn't 
 take me long to fiml out that lie was 
 mayor. 
 
 While he lathered and shaved, wink 
 ed the other eye and .'^pit tobacco 
 juice, he told me more of Herrin's 
 history than I ever learned after- 
 wards. While he was grinding it out 
 to me like a hand organ a shot wa.-* 
 heard in a little lunch room that join- 
 ed the barbel' shtop on the north. 
 The cry on the street was heard that 
 a man was shot. 
 
 In a moment-all was confusion. The 
 mayor was gone and I was only half 
 shaved. 
 
 Say, Mr. Editor were you ever hyp- 
 notised — did you^ver dream a beauti- 
 ful dream and awake to find it gone 7 
 Well, that was me. I was hypnotised 
 soothed to sleep.. I lay there in that 
 old barber chair like a man awaken- 
 ing from a trance. I wondered where 
 tiie mayor was and if he would re- 
 turn. After awhila anotlier barber 
 came in and finished shaving me. But 
 that story of the mayor was never 
 completed; the shot that robbed a 
 man of his life also rol^bod tw <• 
 about ten minutes more of Heri'inV 
 early history. 
 
 I have been up and down tho worl-! 
 some but I'll tell the world that 1 
 never met before or after a m.an that 
 could put me to sleep like the bar- 
 ber-mayor of Herrin. 
 
 I lived in Herrin for fifteen year.". 
 While there I was elected and served, 
 two years as mayor of your city. 
 
 I saw the town transfdrmed from 
 a mining camp with dusty streets in- 
 to a city beautiful with a population 
 
—40— 
 
 of fifteen thousand. 
 
 Your churches and schools, your 
 paved streets, beautiful homes and 
 well kept lawns are but the reflec- 
 tion of the thought and labor of the 
 people who call it home. 
 
 All things good and beautiful come 
 to a people who learn to labor and 
 wait. I hope that your dreams of a 
 bigger and better Herrin may be real- 
 ized as the years go by. 
 
 May wisdom guide the city in all 
 her ways. 
 
 May 1922 blessings be showered up 
 on you and your paper and may peace, 
 prosperity and happiness be theirs, 
 yours and mine. 
 Longmont, Colo. 
 
 HARD COUNTER WAS 
 FIRST BED IN HEI 
 FOR YOUNG MEN WHO 
 BECAMmOSPEROUS 
 
 In Herrin of old, 
 
 The counter was cold, 
 Bed Bugs were bold 
 
 And landladies would scold. 
 
 Would you believe that Fred Stotlar 
 wealthy business man, and Paul D. 
 Heri'in, now a prosperous farmer^ had 
 to put up with accommodations in the 
 early days of Herrin that a first class 
 tramp would have spumed? Think 
 of it! These scions of proud old fam- 
 ilies, one now in his fine Marion home, 
 with all comforts of life, the other 
 rolling in luxury in Missouri, had to 
 sleep on a hard counter in an old 
 frame store, and were accustomed to 
 regard "ham and" as a luxury! And 
 
worse still, they later bccajiie intimate 
 as.^ociates of bed bugs, both foreign 
 and domestic, for many bug-s had been 
 imported here from far distant climes. 
 Yes, and they had to take cussings 
 from the landladies of those days and 
 look pleasant at the same time. For 
 were they not laying the foundation 
 for their future prosperity? And 
 these same men, who now would frown 
 upon anything of the sort, had to in- 
 vent excuses that In this day and gen- 
 eration would be called bald faced 
 lies in order to hold their jobs! It 
 is even so, because Mr. Herrin has 
 written it. But let him tell the story 
 in liis own way. 
 
 Paul D. Herrin, in response to a 
 request that he contribute an article 
 for the Reunion Edition of The News, 
 writes from Eureka, Mo., that he is 
 doing well there as a farmer. Eureka 
 is in St. Louis county, on both the 
 main lines of the Missouri Pacific and 
 Frisco roads, 26 miles from the city 
 of St. Louis. Mr. Herrin says he 
 frequently drives in his Ford to St. 
 Louis in an hour and a half. Eureka Is 
 at the foothills of the famous Ozarks, 
 and Mr. Herrin says the scenery and 
 clirnate ecjual in his judgment those 
 of Colorado. 
 
 Mr. Hen-in has a farm of 200 acres. 
 Fifty of these are in timber and sewed 
 to blue grass for pastureage. There 
 are several good running springs that 
 never go dry. Mr. Hen-in parentheti- 
 cally mentions that there is no still on 
 the place but he has often heai-d it 
 said out there that more white mule 
 is made and bootlegged in St. Louis 
 county than in any other county in 
 the United States, except William.son 
 county. 111. 
 
 On the Herrin farm fifteen acres 
 
are in orchards. There are about 850 
 fruit trees of several varieties. Some 
 of the land is in alfalfa and clover. 
 The main crops are wheat, corn and 
 oats. The corn crop turned out well 
 last year. Mr. Herrin is feeding fifty 
 heads of hogs for the market. He 
 has three fine Jersey cows and 
 chickens^ turkeys and guineas galore. 
 He likes that life fine. It is plain 
 from Mr. Herrin's letter that he is 
 leading a life to be envied. This is 
 what he has written about Herrin as 
 he knew it in the early days: 
 By PAUL D. HERRIN 
 
 After thinking the matter over for 
 some days, I do not recall that Her- 
 rin was ever terribly* wild and woolly. 
 'Tis true there were some shooting 
 scrapes and fights in the early days 
 but not so many when on reflects back 
 to those days. I recall only the Joe 
 McCabe and George Hudson and 
 Drasty Allen and Tom Lisby shoot- 
 ings for a long period of time and 
 my recollection is that both shootings 
 occurred as a result, of policemen dis- 
 charging their duty. Both McCabe 
 and Allen, who were policemen, were 
 exonerated. 
 
 What wonderful changes have taken 
 place in Herrin: When I first went 
 there only three business houses were 
 in existence. The Elles Stoi'e Com-, 
 pany ,now the Herrin Supply Com- 
 pany, had just bought from Stotlar 
 Brothers the corner where the pres- 
 ent store is. There was a one story 
 frame building, about 20 by 60 or 70 
 feet on the site. On the east corner 
 James Conner, known as "Spot" Con- 
 ner, had built a small frame, not near- 
 ly as large or as good as the Stotlar 
 building the Elles firm bought. On 
 the south of the railroad Harry Dale 
 
had put up a small building. The El- 
 les Store Company, Harry Dale and 
 "Spot" Conner hatl the only business 
 [)laces in the village. In a short time 
 •mother building was put up between 
 tho.se of the Elles firm and Conner's. 
 This one was erected by fhe Dawson 
 Brothers, who went into the mercan 
 tile business In a little while build- 
 ings began to spring up all over the 
 little territory that had been laid out 
 for the town. / 
 
 At the time I speak of I was work- 
 ing for the Elles Store Company, 
 P'red Stotlar was also working there 
 and he was the manager. He and I 
 slept on a counter in the store and 
 l)oarded wherever we could get meals. 
 I have thought many times that the 
 board at some places was harder than 
 the counter we used for our bed. A 
 little later when the town had grown 
 ■;o fast as to justify a night police- 
 man Fred and 1 had a chance to go 
 to some boarding house where we 
 could sleep as well as eat. Well, our 
 eating got much better, as time went 
 on, but as the town's buildings were 
 all of cheap frame materials it seem- 
 ed they were better adapted to bed- 
 bugs than boarders such as flocked 
 to them. At that time a large per 
 oentage of the citizens kept boardei.-. 
 or wanted to keep them. Most of 
 these people were customers of the 
 Elles firm, and as competition in the 
 mercantile field was keen Fred and I 
 wished to get and keep all the busi- 
 ness we could for our firm. We had 
 to use all kinds of excu.ses. We were 
 iften told by women who were good 
 customers of the Elles store, that if 
 we did not board with them they were 
 iroing to trade elsewhere. One wo- 
 man said her husband had been hurt 
 
- 44— 
 
 at a mine, or had been -sick, and she 
 needed our board money to pay her 
 grocery bill. So Fred and I would 
 conceive of some excuse for leaving 
 the place where we were boarding, or 
 an excuse to keep from leaving. We 
 changed so often our stock of excuses 
 ran out and we had to use old ones 
 over again. 
 
 After about one year of sleeping 
 on the counter and boarding, which I 
 have only briefly sketched, I decided 
 to get married, which was about the 
 time Hei-rin began to grow at a rate 
 I doubt any town in Illinois has ever 
 equaled. To give an idea just how 
 fast it was growing I still remember 
 that at one time I was furnishing all 
 the building materials for 75 houses 
 and a part of materials for four, mak- 
 ing in all 79 houses for my firm. The 
 other lumber yard was older and bet- 
 ter established and I supposed was 
 selling about as mxich as my firm. -So 
 you see there must have been about 
 150 buildings under construction at 
 one time. 
 
 There are so many things about the 
 city of Herrin and the persons who 
 have been identified with its develop- 
 ment it would take too much of my 
 time and too much of your space to 
 tell it all. So I will .say I hope Her- 
 rin may continue to grow and that it 
 may become bigger and better in ev- 
 ery way. I really believe it is the 
 best city in southern Illinois and its 
 people are as good as any in the world 
 
4F— 
 
 CALLS fei M.^GiC 
 CIIY OF MIDDLE, WESI 
 
 By J. B. KAHX 
 
 I hardly feel entitled to contrii)ute 
 to tlie "Reunion Number" for when 
 we first came to Herrin in li>07 "that 
 bif? over-grown village," though, lack- 
 ing street improvements and sanita- 
 tions of every description, had the 
 earmarks of a hustling and bustling 
 little city destined to become in the 
 not far off future the "hub" of little 
 Egypt. Still what a wonderful trans- 
 formation; what a magic change in 
 the short period of 15 years. Then 
 a bo.x car for a depot, no water or 
 sewer system, streets and walks full 
 of mud knee deep, no hotels, old 
 fashioned store houses. Today 15,000 
 population, a beautiful and up-to-date 
 depot and warehouse, a modem watei* 
 and sewer system, fine paved streets 
 and concrete sidewalks, hotels good 
 enough for any metropolis, nice large 
 .<=tores, grand lodge rooms, magnifi- 
 cient houses of worship, good progres- 
 sive newspapers, high grade schools, 
 attractive homes, a big theatre, an as- 
 sured street car line. This is prog- 
 ress which every Herrin citizen, 
 whether he votes thei*e or not, can 
 justly be proud of. 
 
 If Miami, Fla., is called the Magic 
 City of the South, Herrin ought to be 
 called the Magic City of the Middle 
 West as both cities were incorporated 
 in the same year — 1900. 
 
 Herrin has been, is, and always will 
 be the best town in Southern Illinois. 
 
Thanks to the progressive city ad- 
 ministraton, wide-awake improve- 
 ment association and enterprising- 
 citizens, Herrin bids fair of becoming 
 a city of 25,00 population soon. 
 Daytonia Beach, Fla. 
 
 G. w. BANoy ly coil 
 
 BACKHIOllV 
 
 G. W. Bandy, now residing at 318 
 9th street, N. E., Washington, D. C, 
 writes The Herrin News as follows: 
 
 "I was bom and reared at Herrin's 
 Prairie, but have been- for some time 
 and still am holding a position on the 
 Washington police force. It is a very 
 nice job but we are thinking of com- 
 ing back to Herrin, or West Frank- 
 fort, sometime during the next sum 
 mer to live. It will seem more like 
 home to us, although Washington is- 
 the finest and cleanest city to live m 
 in the country. The schools are fine 
 and that is what is keeping us here 
 as the two gii'ls are doing fine. One 
 graduated the first of the year in the 
 high school and is now attending a 
 business college, taking stenography. 
 She will get through in July. Then 
 we may move back to Herrin or go 
 to Frankfort. It is an education In 
 itself to live in Washington. 
 
 "The snowstorm here recently was 
 something fierce. Of course you read 
 all about the terrible theatre disaster. 
 Am sending you picture of myself 
 shoveling snow in front of our home 
 the day after the storm. Remember 
 me to all my friends.' ' 
 
FROM \\m mmE 
 
 OF COMiiM ClOB 
 
 By \\. A. BARTLKTT 
 
 I arrived in Herrin July KJtIi, ll»0(i. 
 and was disappointed and discouraj?cd 
 for a few months on account of con- 
 senting- to go Tliere as agent of the 
 C. B. & Q. I cannot help but notice 
 the fii'st few lines of the clipping 
 from the paper attached to your let- 
 ter stating that "Herrin ain't what 
 she use to be," and considering the 
 welfare of the Inhabitants of Herrin 
 today I can heartily thank God that 
 she ain't. But, even at that time it 
 only took me a few months to leai-n 
 that there were in Herrin a lot of 
 good, energetic, public-spirited men 
 and women that were not content to 
 sit quietly and allow those conditions 
 to continue without an earnest effort 
 for improvement. I learned this in 
 a few months after arriving there 
 and also learned that all that was 
 needed in order to bring about the 
 improvements so earnestly desired 
 was for someone to take the initiative 
 and start some plan that would bring 
 about the desired results. You and I 
 had TTiany personal talks along the.se 
 lines and no doubt you will call to 
 mind that I suggested that one way 
 to consolidate this thought and de- 
 sire for improvement and bring about 
 the co-operation of all th^ Herrin 
 people that were interested in the 
 future welfare of Herrin would be 
 to form a Commercial Club, not only 
 for the business men, but all of the 
 
— 18— 
 
 people in Herrin that we could interest 
 in this subject to begin improvements. 
 1 remember you requesting me to put 
 this thought into writing- and you 
 would print it in your Herrin News 
 with remarks in your editorial column 
 advocating it. We diet this and the 
 result was the forming of a Commer- 
 cial Club of which the Herrin people 
 honored me by electing me its first 
 president. The result of the efforts 
 of the Herrin Commercial Club start- 
 ed in' this way with the earnest in- 
 terest that the members took result- 
 ing in bringing about the impi'ove- 
 ments that Herrin enjoys today, for 
 as far as I have been able to learn, 
 every one of the improvements were 
 advocated and earnestly worked for 
 by the Hei'rin Commercial Club right 
 from the start, which meant added 
 schools, business, wat€r-works, sew- 
 erage, pavement, improved hotels and 
 advancement along not only com- 
 mercial but along educational lines 
 as well and I congratulate the Her- 
 rin citizens for their work along 
 these lines that they have continued 
 since the first start of the Commercial 
 Club in 1906 and feel proud when I 
 remember that I had a small part in 
 the starting of this good work, and 
 I know from the spirit shown at this 
 time will continue through the years 
 to come as it has in these last six- 
 teen years until Herrin will be an up- 
 to-date city instead of a town, as 
 you now call it. 
 
 Kindly remember me to all my old 
 friends in Herrin and assure them 
 that it is my earnest wish for their 
 continued prosperity and welfare. 
 Peoria, 111. 
 
■\-) 
 
 iO[ IH[ GOAI 
 
 In the early days of Henin many 
 wild pranks were played. The follow- 
 ing incident was related to The Her- 
 rin News: "A man well-known here 
 in those days had pailaken too freely 
 of the obejoyful. He mounted his 
 horse and went out for a ride. Hi.^ 
 course was by the way of Cherry and 
 14th streets. On the southeast cor- 
 ner there was a saloon famous in that 
 day. The. man rode across the board 
 sidewalk and ripht into the saloon 
 where he ordered drinks. He was ar 
 rested for riding his horse on the side- 
 walk and into the saloon. After ho 
 sobered up he wanted to square 
 thing.*' with the officer who had arrest- 
 ed him. The officer to'd him to come 
 to his room that night and bring sev- 
 eral quarts of whiskey. This the man 
 did. "Tell you what to do," said the 
 officer. "When the case is called you 
 testify that you were riding the horse 
 without bridle, that you couUl not 
 control him and that the horse went 
 into the saloon of his ov^m accord." 
 
 The man did so testify adn came 
 clear." 
 
50— 
 
 IS mm eiN 
 
 By C. D. COOK 
 
 Early in 1913 I was advised that 
 Herrin was without an ice plant and 
 upon personal investigation of the 
 situation and with the assistance of 
 some good enthusiastic citizens I de- 
 cided to cast my lot, perhaps the re- 
 mainder of my life among people 
 whom I soon found to be the most con- 
 j.';enial, honest and hospitable I had 
 ever come in contact with 
 
 I shall always remember the finan- 
 cia assistance given to me by the 
 banks and local citizens and the loyal- 
 ty of my patrons who made the Her- 
 rin Ice & Coal Company a successful 
 institution in your city. I can say 
 further that my business dealings 
 with the American and Italian people 
 were pleasant in every respect. 
 
 After four years operating this ice 
 plant I thought it advisable to sell it 
 for what I considered a good price 
 for the property and sold the plant 
 iji February 1917 to the DuQuoin 
 Utilities Company, who owns and op- 
 erates it at the present time. 
 
 After a short vacation in Florida 
 I returned to Columbus, Indiana, and 
 at once started to remodel an old ice 
 plant owned by my father. During 
 which time war was declared and in 
 October I enlisted in the Ice Plant Co. 
 No. 301, a special unit formed with 
 a personnel of 350 men to build and 
 operate ice and refrigerating plants 
 in France. We were sent over seas 
 at once and, after building the largest 
 
—51— 
 
 plant in the world at Gievres I was 
 one of ei^lit men detailed separately 
 to superintend the erection of small 
 plants at hospital centers and supply 
 bases. 
 
 After 22 months in the service 1 
 returned home and completed my 
 work, niakinp: what had formerly been 
 an old ice plant into one of the larg- 
 est and most modern coal yards in 
 the state. 
 
 A local corporation recently or- 
 ganized here in Columbus, capitalized 
 at $1GO,000 in which I am a stock- 
 holder took over both ice plants in- 
 cluding the coal yard and I accepted 
 a position with them as general maji- 
 ager. 
 
 Mrs. Cook and myself will always 
 cherish the friendship of the Herrin 
 people and will gladlj/ welcome a 
 visit from them at any time. 
 Columbus, Ind. 
 
 HERRIN NEWS ISSUES 
 
 BOUAR EDITION 
 
 IJy WILLIAM MITCHELL 
 
 In the month of August fifteen 
 years ago I landed in the city of Her- 
 rin, never having seen the place be- 
 fore and in the words of the Apostle 
 of the Gentiles "not knowing the 
 things that should befall me there." 
 There appeared to be only one hotel 
 in the place and it was called the 
 "Cash Hotel." Not knowing that the 
 landlord's name was Cash and nof hav 
 ing an extra surplus of ca.sh on hand 
 and being rather light in the matter 
 of ^aggagc, I was wondering how it 
 was going to fare with me if 1 
 
—52— 
 
 should happen to be asked to put up 
 in advance for two weeks, which v.-a^^ 
 the time I expected to stay in the 
 town. Upon applying at the hotel in 
 question I found that I couldn't gei 
 a weekly rate but a rate for only one 
 day at a time and that at a price that 
 would make the H. C. L. of today 
 pale into insignificance. Finding my- 
 self "up against it" I wandered 
 north on Park avenue, for I learned 
 that was the name of what seemed 
 ,to be the principal street in the town. 
 I presently was standing in front 
 of a newspaper oflRce, and knowing 
 that an up-to-date newspaper office is 
 usually a good bureau of information, 
 I entered and was kindly received by 
 the proprietor, Mr. Trovillion. After 
 telling him my troubles I was inform- 
 ed that the only thing for me to do 
 was to find a room somewhere and 
 take my meals at a restaurant. Bur, 
 the room, where was that to be 
 found? The editor knew of none, 
 when suddenly Joe Bond, the fore- 
 man of the composing room, who 
 heard the conversation, told me of 
 one place where he heard the occupant 
 was leaving and I might possibly get 
 a room there. I made "a bee line for 
 that place and fortunately found 
 where to lay my head. 
 
 In my experience I found a novel 
 situation resulting from the over- 
 crowded condition of the city. At the 
 Keller Boarding House where I stay- 
 ed I was obliged to give up my room 
 at a certain hour every morning for 
 the bed was used for three night 
 .shifts in the twenty-four hours, the 
 night workers occupying it for two 
 out of the three shifts. 
 
—53— 
 
 I called daily at the News office to 
 sed the Chicago papers. From Mr. 
 Trovillion I learned that the town 
 was on a bip: boom and that many of 
 the evangeli.-^ts of commerce and oth- 
 er travelers were oblijjated to sleep 
 at ni>?ht in the seats in the 1. C. wait- 
 ing room. 
 
 An innocent journeyman printer, 
 working in the Herrin News compos- 
 ing room, was found sleeping in an 
 empty box car in the I. C. yards, and 
 by an overzealous policeman was un- 
 ceremoniously aiTested and thrown in 
 to the cooler. This raised a furious 
 storm of protest about the treatment 
 of decent people .who couldn't find a 
 lodgment in an overcrowded city and 
 resulted in the issue of the famous 
 "Box Car Edition" of The Herrin 
 News, nearly two thousand copies of 
 which wei'e distributed free to the 
 public one Sunday morning. This 
 created a big sensation and led to a 
 change in the manner of treating the 
 new comers to the city. For me, the 
 unexpected happened, and I remain- 
 ed in Herrin, connected with The 
 News, until the end of 1907. 
 
 My next visit to the city of Herrin 
 was in 1915, eight years later. It 
 v.as difficult for me to realize that 
 it was the same plare that I had been 
 in eight years before. Thei-e wao a 
 well-equipped «.«>ta'eet ..car eysbem, a 
 new city hall, a score of first class 
 up-to-date commercial and bank 
 buildings, several spaciov •, and well 
 managed hotels, a splendid modern 
 school building in each ward and a 
 palatial town, hip High School and 
 hundreds of beautiful private resi- 
 dences, altogether c marvelous trans- 
 formation; but best of all the presence 
 • •f a runiber of fine churches. This 
 
_54— 
 
 is the one feature in the city's growth 
 and expansion that I want to em- 
 phasize. 
 
 In what is called a mad pursuit of 
 wealth and progress in material 
 things the existence of latent moral 
 forces in what theolgians call deprav- 
 ed human nature was unmistakably 
 in evidence. The spiritual welfare of 
 the people was not overlooked. If 
 the low and grovelling estimate of- 
 human nature so often adopted by 
 Christian pessimists were true there 
 would be very litHe chance for reform 
 in this world. Fortunately men and 
 women are not as bad as they are 
 often thought to be. Even at its 
 worst, in its so-called uni-egenerate 
 state, there is, in what Lincoln called 
 "the better angels of our nature,'' a 
 response to all rational efforts for 
 betterment. A great writer has said 
 that "It is significant that no one has 
 ever "brought the accusation of being 
 an easy optimist against the greatest 
 optimist the world has ever seen." 
 Jesus would have been a madman 
 had He addressed such an appeal as 
 His to a nature capable of anything 
 less than the highest things. Christ's 
 message in its wholeness is jassuredly 
 the greatest compliment that has ever 
 been paid to human nature. William 
 Penn made a treaty with the Indians. 
 He kept his side they kept theirs. 
 John Woolman carried the Gospel of 
 peace to a tribe actually on the war- 
 path. They met him with reverence 
 and courtesy. 
 
 When Herrin was thought by many 
 to be a godless city I have seen it 
 Sweep twenty-eight saloons out of 
 existence in one day, and while the 
 present system of dealing with the 
 drink evil is neither perfect nor 
 
—55— 
 
 permanent its support by the people 
 is proof of that response in human 
 nature to the call for better moral 
 conditions. The moral <iuality of an 
 action resides in the intention. Today 
 while in many citie?; in other parts of 
 the nation the theatres and the movies 
 are runninj? wide open nipht and day 
 in full blast on Sunday that seculariz- 
 ing of the Sabbath han never occurred 
 in Herrin. 
 
 lobserved that the social and in- 
 tellectual life of the city was not nep- 
 lected. Among the ladies several 
 societies and literary clubs were or- 
 ganized. The nucleus fo^r a public 
 library was started by volunteer con- 
 tributions of books by the citizens. 
 A room in the city hall was set apart 
 for its accommodation and a librarian 
 appointed. 
 
 I was in Herrin when the United 
 States entered the Great War and 
 witnessed the patriotic enthusiasm of 
 its citizens in their loyalty to the call 
 of the government. In this connec- 
 tion one of the most remarkable 
 things took place that was ever re- 
 corded in the history of democracies 
 when an edict was issued from Wash- 
 ington — without saying by vour leave 
 — recjuiring all the male citizens in 
 the nation between the ages of 21 
 and 31 to leave their families and oc- 
 cupations and become soldiers, there 
 were few recalcitrants or slacker? 
 but a prompt universal response to 
 the call, and the record made by 
 those who went "over there" will nev- 
 er bring the blush of shame to the 
 city from which they went. 
 
 Up here, in Canada, the uplifter.-? 
 and kill-joys are still with us. One 
 writes in a newspaper to the effect 
 Santa Claus should be no more. "A 
 
—U— 
 
 He," he says, "is a wilfull perversion 
 of the truth," and as Santa Claus io 
 a lie it is our duty to get out and 
 kill him. But is Santa Claus a lie? 
 It seems clear that each fits in with 
 the other. Are we to kill our fairies 
 and bury our fairy books because In 
 the minds of some people, incapable 
 of seeing them, they are a "pei-verslon 
 of the truth?" 
 
 Listen to what this fellow writes: 
 
 "Now, sir, the number of absolute 
 falsehoods, told deliberately, and with 
 malice aforethought, about the com- 
 ing of Santa Claus, is I'eally incalcul- 
 able. Myriads of innocent children 
 are given detailed accounts of his ac- 
 tual existence, appearance and meth- 
 ods. Childish letters are written "in 
 good faith" and they are answered, 
 thank God, in good faith by many mil- 
 lions of Santa Clauses. And the 
 world is happier for it Tear up your 
 Santa Claus, bum his whiskers, for- 
 get that he comes from the North 
 /Pole in his reindeer sleigh. Hire 
 men to watch all the chimneys on 
 Christmas eve. Pass a law against 
 having Christmas trees. Then start 
 in and make a real drsary world of it 
 by putting, love, generosity and de- 
 votion under the ban, and add to the 
 scrap heap faith, fancy, poetry and 
 romance. 
 
 Tliat just leaves us nothing but 
 death and our taxes to be happy 
 about. 
 
 I noticed that the Canadian news- 
 papers were singularly silent in res- 
 pect to the orgies which went on In 
 various United States cities on New 
 Year's eve; and as these wild scenes, 
 unparalleled "in the history of that 
 country, all took place under the 
 regime of the Volstead Act, the facts 
 
—67— 
 
 are doubly interesting. New York, 
 Chicago and Buffalo are mentioned 
 particularly as centers where every- 
 thing from murder to just plain pois- 
 onings were the features of the fes- 
 tive occasion. In New York city holi- 
 day "booze" of a poisonous character 
 (wood alcohol) left a trail of dead, 
 dying and blinded. Some hundred 
 poisoned people were treated in the 
 New York hospitals over the week 
 end, while deaths from imbibing the 
 stuff numbered a score. Sixteen peo- 
 ple, men and women, were taken to 
 hospitals suffering from shot or knife 
 wounds. Into thousands of hotels, 
 restaurants, cabarets and "clubs" 
 swarmed the people, loaded down with 
 drinkables of one sort and another, 
 while, outside the hoodlums were 
 keeping the police busy with an un- 
 paralleled outburst of violence. In 
 other words New York drank itself 
 crazy, while the head of the state 
 Anti-Saloon League boasted that the 
 city would be a Sahara over the New 
 Year. 
 Guelph, Canada. 
 
 AN OLD LANDMARK 
 WHO IS YET WITH US 
 
 Many of the states of the Union 
 have contributed of their citizenship 
 to help swell the population of Herrin. 
 Excepting only Illinois, Kentucky 
 probably has given us more men and 
 women than any other state. As far 
 as can be ascertained with any de- 
 cree of certainty, the first person f» 
 arrive hoi-e from the "Dark and 
 nin(i(I\ Gioimd" in flif> (1;i\- ■ {tf the ip- 
 
— 58 — 
 
 fancy of the present metropolis of 
 the Coal Belt, was the gentleman 
 whose familiar figure is shown in an 
 illustration on this page. All of you 
 know him, the only oi'iginal Lige Har- 
 ris. 
 
 Whether or not Lige encouraged an 
 exodus from Kentucky to Herrin does 
 not matter. Suflfice it to say, that 
 Lige has always been a leader and 
 he has had followers. Soon after he 
 left the Henderson section of his 
 native commonwealth and landed in 
 Kerrin others came from the Blue 
 Grass state. They kept on coming 
 r.nd they are still arriving. Lige is 
 of opinion that he is the original 
 Kentuckian in Herrin and so far ther« 
 has been no one found to dispute his 
 word. 
 
 "I don't just recall the year I land- 
 ed in Herrin," Lige told The News. 
 'But when I came here there was no 
 ''o^'^a, ony a very~small village, with 
 one or two stores. I J realized then 
 that this v/as going to be some city 
 in the not distant future and I stay- 
 i^d. All of my early predictions have 
 '^ome true." 
 
 Lige was asked if he were not the 
 man who was instrumental in inducing 
 the Illinois Central Railroad Company 
 to build from Carboi^.dale through 
 Herrin to Johnston City. Lige mod- 
 estly admitted that he was guilty. He 
 would not go into details but between 
 frequent expectorations of tobacco 
 juice he gave gentle intimations that 
 not only did he use all sorts of propa- 
 ganda to get the Illinois Central to 
 put Herrin on its map but as the re- 
 sult of agitations he started many 
 other improvements came. Mind you, 
 I^ige did not claim that he was direct- 
 
... responsible for the city hall, finely 
 {)ave<l streets, waterworks, high 
 .v^hool, the finest playhouse and th 
 
 IIi: HELPED TO MAKE HElTilIN 
 r.REATi:ST CITY OF COAL bELT 
 
 The tJnij- Orij;inui Liye iiarris 
 
 best hotel in southern Illinois, but 
 he confessetl to the soft impeachment 
 
—60— 
 
 that to the best of his recollection he 
 was the first to discover the needs of 
 these improvements and to speak of 
 them in season and out of season. 
 Often he was ridiculed for his am- 
 bitious plans but Lige kept hammer- 
 ing away at one thing till the people 
 took hold in earnest and then he would 
 start agitating for some other big- 
 scheme. In other words, he was and 
 is the pioneer boomer. He has led 
 the procession m his modest way. 
 
 Lige has not got credit for the 
 many things it has done for Herrln 
 and it is the purpose of this article 
 l;o give this faithful old leader due 
 ci-edit. 
 
 Right here^ it might be stated that 
 some things Lige is credited with hav- 
 ihg done he did not do. The story 
 told years ago and handed down to the 
 effect that Lige thought he owned the 
 Illinois Central railroad when it was 
 built to Herrin and that he purposed 
 Koing to Marion and having the deed 
 cocorded is a fabrication pure and 
 simple. Lige in talking about this 
 report called it by another name than 
 fabrication. He can use unmistakable 
 'anguage when he wishes to be very 
 positive about anything. 
 
 During the ' World War Lige was 
 one of the patriots of whom Herrin 
 was proud. He was right up at the 
 front of the front when it came to 
 show down of colors. And on last 
 Armistice Day it did one's heart good 
 to see him marching with soldierly 
 tread along with the boys from the 
 Legion Post and the school children, 
 car^'ying the Stars and Stripes. 
 
 Daily the hero of this story goes 
 about his chosen occupation of push- 
 ing his littl^ cart, cleaning up alleys 
 
—Gl- 
 and disposing of such stuff as may 
 be salable. Were it not for him the 
 assistant fire marshal, who recently 
 spent weeks in Herrin, would have 
 found more to complain of than lie 
 did. 
 
 At a little distance Lige looks to 
 be cross but he really in a very mild 
 mannered man. A close up view 
 shows a beni.Efn countenance. He likes 
 a little fun and the only times he 
 ever becomes cross is when boys and 
 urown men tease him beyond endui- 
 unce or play cruel practical jokes. 
 Those who find sport in having fun 
 at the expense of Lige are reminded 
 tn:it we read in the Good Book that 
 after one of the prophets of old who 
 Iran been treated somewhat as Lige is 
 jcked, there came two bears and kill- 
 ed forty of the smart youngsters. Or 
 it may have been forty bears killed 
 two of the mockers. You will find it 
 in the story about Elisha or Elijah. 
 Hunt it up. 
 
 BONO lELLS WHY 
 
 HE lOE mm 
 
 HIS ABIDING PUCE 
 
 , By JOE M.-BOND 
 
 While I can't be classed as an old 
 settler, yet I have been here long 
 enough to see many changes and im- 
 provements in Herrin, 
 
 I will never forget my experience 
 on my first glimpse of HeiTin. 
 
 I arrived here hi September, 190C. 
 
—62— 
 
 I had a traveling- card issued by the 
 St. Louis Typographical Union. On 
 my arrival I began to look for the 
 secretai-y of the printers' union and I 
 was just four days in locating liini. 
 I finally found the secretary, deposit- 
 ed my cai'd, and went to work for 
 Hal W. Trovillion in the Herrin News 
 office at $13 per week. All type was 
 set by hand and we used kerosene 
 lights, fastened on the frame. We 
 pi'inied the paper on an old Chicago 
 Stop Cylinder Campbell Press, and 
 when the old gasoline engine gave 
 out, it was up to the "devil'" and my- 
 self to furnish the motive power. 
 
 I never will forget one day, the 
 snow was about 2 feet deep in the 
 back yard and the engine house at 
 the back of the building was very 
 open and the snow had blown, and 
 as a result the gasoline engine had 
 froze up. I worked with it about two 
 hours, and she would not "budge." I 
 came inside in the building, washed 
 up and decided I would quit the job 
 and leave town. I never said a word 
 but walked out with my mind made 
 up I had quit. After getting outside 
 I counted my money and found I had 
 $2.85 in money. I could have made 
 it to San Francisco on that amount, 
 and had money left, but as my wife 
 and 3 children could not ride a freight 
 train and I could not pay their way 
 very far with $2.85, I decided I would 
 go into Chas. Pisoni's saloon, next 
 door, and have a few drinks of his 
 famous "Old Tim Brook." 
 
 After I had spent the greatest part 
 of my Two Eighty Five for his 
 famous brand, I decided I would go 
 take another trial at the old gas en- 
 gine. I went back and "juiced her 
 
— r,3— 
 
 up," turned over the wheel, and tlia: 
 damn eng:ine started to run and she 
 never missed another stroke for sev- 
 eral days. I had discovei*ed what it 
 took to make that enjLpne run, and 
 from then on whenever she got to 
 "acting up" I went and took another 
 drink. 
 
 When I first came to town, I could 
 find plenty to eat and drink, but could 
 not find a bed in town that was not 
 working, so I slept on a table in the 
 shop for a couple of week5, until my 
 friend, "Brad," finally made* room for 
 me at his hotel. About the third 
 night I spent in tke office I heard an 
 explosion on the opposite side of the 
 street from the shop, and I discover- 
 ed the next morning the night police 
 had killed a man in making an arrest. 
 I figured that kind of a game was 
 too strenuous for me, so I told Mr. 
 Trovillion Saturday night when I got 
 my pay that I guess I would ijuit 
 and get out of the town as I did not 
 care to be killed or kill anybody. He 
 had been here a couple of years and 
 had got used to such doings, and he 
 persuaded me to stay and get used 
 to a little killing now and then. I 
 remained and have had the pleasure 
 of seeing the town <levelop from a 
 mining camp of a few hundred to 
 a live city of 15,000 people. 
 
 In 1910 I was elected as City Clerk 
 on the ticket when Mage Ander.son 
 was elected Mayor. When .Ander- 
 son's administration came in the 
 town was' a mud hole — no paving — no 
 water or sewer system. He proceetl- 
 e<l at once to get busy and that a<l- 
 ministration put in the water and 
 sewer system and paved the down- 
 town section. When the water svs- 
 
—64— 
 
 tern was first mentioned the natives 
 wanted to hang the whole council, 
 and before the system was completed 
 those same people had presented 
 petitions to us to have the system 
 extended. We had our troubles as 
 well as our pleasures in conducting 
 the business of the city and some of 
 the happiest days of my life were 
 spent in the old city hall in the Dil- 
 lard building, with that bunch of 
 good fellows, namely: Jack Goalby, 
 "Soda" Will, L. W. Steckenrider, Geo. 
 Galligan, H. H. MuiTay, Mag^ Ander- 
 son and others. 
 
 Steckenrider could sleep standing 
 up, walking around and almost sleep 
 while talking. One night business 
 had ceased and every one in the hall 
 was perfectly quiet. "Steck" was 
 peacefully sleeping. "Soda" Will, 
 sitting along side of "Steck" reached 
 over, punched "Steck" in the ribs, 
 and in a stage whisper said, "Steck' 
 you second the motion — hurry up." 
 "Steck" jerked himself to life, 
 straightened up, rubbed his eyes and 
 addressed the house: "Mr, Mayor, I 
 rise to second the motion." My 
 friend, "Steck" got mixed up in sev- 
 eral tangles, but his seconding the 
 motion when' there was no motion 
 before the house, I thought was the 
 hottest one he ever pulled. 
 
 We had lots of business, some fun 
 as we went along, but I firmly be- 
 lieve "we have been thanked more 
 than we have been cursed for the 
 things accomplished during the ad- 
 ministration of the famous Mage An- 
 derson and his co-workers. 
 
 May Herrin ever continue to gi*ow 
 and remain one of the most prosper- 
 ous cities of the Coal Belt is my wish. 
 
— G5 — 
 
 AS I REMEMBER HERHIN 
 IN ITS_FORMATION 
 
 By A. C. HKNTZ 
 
 In the spring of IS'.iD we moved to 
 Hen-in, a village of a few hundred 
 people. Old No. 7 mine was the only 
 mine doing much business in the way 
 of hoisting coal. Elles Store Com- 
 pany wa.s operating a small general 
 store where the store now stands, the 
 former being a little fi*ame country 
 type of structure. Fred Stotlar, I 
 think, operated it. Alex Stotlar also 
 ran a store just west of it and Joe 
 Vick ran a small and only drug store 
 on South Park avenue. Morris Zwich 
 had just recently thrown his pack of 
 goods into a little shack near the Old 
 Rome saloon. 
 
 Charles E. IngraJiam operated the 
 Henin News at that time and in- 
 cidentally was president of the village 
 board. Joe McCabe was chief of po- 
 lice. 
 
 In the spring of 1900 the Labor 
 Party swept their entire ticket into 
 office and voted into existence a city 
 form of government with Henry Wil- 
 .son, mayor. A. C. Hentz, city attorney 
 a_Mr. Russel, city clerk; Ephriam 
 Herrin, city treasui*er, and John C. 
 Everett, police magristrate. "Hutch" 
 McNeill was chosen chief of police. 
 The night police, whom I shall not 
 name, sei'N'ed only a .short time, as 
 T had to prosecute him for stealing 
 Jim Pool's chickens, and as he was 
 not able to pay his fine he had to be 
 incarcerated in city jail, being unable 
 to serve time in jail and .sen-e the 
 people at the same time as night po- 
 
—66— 
 
 lice, the honorable maj'Oi' saw fit to 
 discharge him. After he was releas- 
 ed, he saw fit to try to take the town, 
 so I saw "Hutch" and together we 
 went after this would be bad actor. 
 •'Hutch was loaded, and although the 
 bad man had his gun pointed at 
 "Hutch" and swore he would not be 
 taken, yet "Hutch using more cour- 
 age than judgment made him then 
 and there hand over that murderous 
 weapon. 
 
 There wei'e eight saloons at that 
 time functioning in Herrin. Some 
 .stirring events occurred on account of 
 them. Part of them were operated 
 by Americans and part by Italians. 
 This being a cause of race hatred, 
 many time it would have only taken 
 a very small spark to kindle the slum- 
 bering hatred into the flames of war. 
 But I am glad to note that the schools 
 of the city so educated the Italian 
 children that very soon they began to 
 understand the American ways and 
 the bitterness in a marked degree 
 subsided and instead of a wild and 
 woolly frontier town Herrin began to 
 be more conservative. Schools and 
 churches were built, and lodges or- 
 ganized. A common good feeling 
 mingled with religions and fraternal 
 fellowship followed. 
 
 The political side of Herrin at that 
 time must not be overlooked. The 
 first Republican club ever organized 
 in Herrin was in the fall of 1900. 
 A. C. Hentz was chairman and L. E. 
 Jacobs secretary. The first Republi- 
 can victory for Herrin's prairie was 
 had that fall. McKinley's majority 
 was 45, and Richard Yates' 46. The 
 old timei's at Marion could scarcely 
 believe it possible, as it formerly had 
 
—67— 
 
 been the stronghold of rock ribbed 
 Democracy. 
 
 1 wisli that 1 hiul the time and that 
 you had the space to jrive I would 
 be delig'hted to open up memory's 
 pages and write it all as I saw Herrin 
 then and in my imagination see it 
 over apain. The young men and 
 women then are now scattered fai* 
 and near; many are dead, and some 
 Airgotten and all who are now living 
 lire middle-aged. 
 
 I shall always remember Herrin 
 with pleasant recollections. I made 
 many friends there and many of them 
 are still there. 
 
 Springfield, l/l. 
 
 EARLY STROGGLE TO 
 ESTiSBllSH FINE SYSTEM 
 OP SCHOOLS IN HERRIN 
 
 By H. T. .McKINNEY 
 
 Former Head of the Herrin Public 
 
 Schools 
 
 I am much interested in your pro- 
 posed "Homecoming Edition" of The 
 Herrin News. I am looking forward 
 with interest to learn the whereabouts 
 of rhany of the former friends and 
 associates of ours when I was for 
 X years one of "you all."' Ah I write 
 this to you, I am thinking of Herrin 
 8S *the changing city of fouthciai 
 Illinois. These changes as I have 
 / seen them, cover practically every 
 phase of human progress. Space al- 
 loted to any one of us, however, for- 
 bids great details or an attempt to 
 discuss more than one or two of these 
 phases. I will write of a few reminis- 
 
—68— 
 
 cences showing certain changes in 
 school affairs. 
 
 Being born and reared to the age 
 of 16 on my parents' farm at Hudgens 
 (10 or 12 miles from Herrin), 1 have 
 known of Herrin's prairie all my life. 
 I first heard of Herrin's schools aBoui 
 the time the room was taught by Dr. 
 Barney Ferrel, Sarah Davis and Dots 
 D. Williams. I first knew the village 
 of Herrin about 1900 when there were 
 only 3 or 4 houses south of the 
 Masonic temple and there was no 
 north Herrin. In 1903 as a teacher 
 I came to Herrin on the recommenda- 
 tion of G. D. Ferrel, who succeedea 
 W. A. Dixon, who was Herrin's first 
 superintendent of schools. I recall 
 that W. A. Stotlar was then president 
 of the board and as a sideline, was 
 postmaster close to Vick's drug store 
 I was made teacher of the 5th and 
 6th grades in the old frame building 
 in the room that was honored by the 
 privilege of ringing the big school 
 bell. That year Miss Eleanor Crow 
 w^as principal of the seventh and 
 eighth grades (so-called H.S. Prin.) 
 and Mr. Ferrell taught Mrs. Lell Stot- 
 lar Otey and her class the Freshman 
 work and Adie aBiley (Mrs Barrow) 
 work a«d Adie Bailey (Mrs. Barrow) 
 year work. 
 
 The next year I was made the first 
 principal of the high school as it was 
 organized up to the time of the pres- 
 ent organization. After sei"ving one 
 year in this capacity with Mr. Ferrell 
 still superintendent, I was promoted 
 to the superintendency which position 
 I held >for sInJ year's. Mr. Ferrell 
 resigned to go West to study law. His 
 salary if he had not resigned, we 
 should mention, would have been 
 
—69— 
 
 $1000. The board thought it a hi^h 
 salary but to hold him they had de- 
 cided to give it. His successor who 
 had been teacher for $45 and then 
 principal for $65, was advanced to 
 $86 and then to $100 a month the 
 second year as superintendent. The 
 year I left (1911) on account of the 
 town.ship high school which I had or- 
 ganized and which we had conducted 
 for two weeks, being knocked out, I 
 had been advanced from $1100 to 
 $1G00 to head the two schools. While 
 ihe salaries in the Hcrrin schools are 
 comparatively low, yet the figures 
 given here tend to show the change 
 for the better that has taken place 
 in this particular. Probably no grade 
 teacher now gets less than was paid 
 the superintendent 17 years ago, and 
 either the superintendent of the city 
 schools or the principal of the town- 
 ship high school last year (I do not 
 iiave lafer figures) got more than 
 twice as much as was paid for these 
 positions combined just ten years 
 previous. Is not this a change to be 
 proud of? 
 
 A long list of names including F. 
 -■Vpplegath, Pope Bros., Dr F. M. 
 Sanders, Dr. H. A. Berry, Dr. Lum 
 Brown, Attorney R. T. Cook, Attorney 
 Geo. B. White, R. A. Karr, W. A. Per- 
 line, Frank Chew, Ed. Summers, 
 Lloyd Walker, Geo. H. Harrison and 
 others come to mind as I think of the 
 tning days for board.s of education 
 in the Herrin schools. Our biggest 
 problem was lack of finances. John 
 Herrin's faith in us often helped us 
 out of the "slough of despond" when 
 we had spent all our money by about 
 March 1st. Mr. .A.pplegath's exper- 
 ience in erecting nice appearing build- 
 
—70— 
 
 ings with but little outlay, was large- 
 ly responsible for our three story 
 building on south side. If you want 
 to expei'iment to see how much 
 change has taken place in the cost 
 of public buildings, just try to dupli- 
 cate this building for $14,000, the 
 cost at that time (1907) 
 
 One could run on in this way and 
 point out changes in all lines. As 
 lates as 1911, for example, Herrin 
 had no parochial schools and the high 
 school only enrolled 125 while there 
 were about 2100 pupils all told. We 
 held school in the old Masonic hall, 
 in the old frame building, in three sets 
 of store buildings and ia the noitli 
 side building. Today witn taxe?. 
 comparatively no higher (for we ran 
 the limit then) we have nice brick 
 structures for all. Also, the equip- 
 ment once included only children and 
 seats (60 to 70 to the teacher who as 
 a rule had but little education above 
 8 grade). Today, practically all our 
 teachers have had normal training 
 and the basic number of pupils per 
 teacher is something like 40 to tlie 
 room. 
 
 I am proud of the progress that has 
 been made in all lines. I am likewise 
 proud of the trying experiences which 
 Both my wife (Norah Ferrell) w" ■< 
 worked with me in the Herrin schools 
 for six years, and myself had while 
 making our contribution to the de- 
 velopment of Herrin's most marvelous 
 institution, her schools. We are now 
 both p!roud of our many former pupils 
 who are so numerously entwined 
 among you. After leaving Herrin, 
 we went to Champaign-Urbana where 
 we have lived in an enjoyable atmos- 
 phere and have been students again. 
 
—71— 
 
 Largely as a result of Norah's inspira 
 tion and help, I have held out lonp 
 enough to earn three graduations 
 (B. A. '13) M. A. '15) Ph. D. 21). 
 We left Herrin chiefly to attain this 
 goal. Besides going to school I was 
 social secretary of the Illinois Discip- 
 les Foundation one year at the univer- 
 sity I was for four years at the head 
 of the combined school system at Gib- 
 son City and for the last two years I 
 have held a superintendency in the 
 public schools at Aurora, 111. I have 
 contributed numerous ai-ticles to edu- 
 cational journals and am expecting to 
 send to the press at an early date a 
 book on the essential work of the 
 teacher. I must now acknowledge 
 with gratefulness the vision of pos- 
 sibilities of progress which was given 
 me by a casual expression dropped 
 by each of two of my dear friends 
 who are now laking that long sleep to 
 which we must all look. 1 refer to 
 Brother F. .A.pplegath and Uncle Tom 
 Stotlar. Herrin has had and still ha."* 
 some wonderful opportunities and not 
 the least of these, consists in know- 
 ing the hopeful, helpful men an(! 
 women that you are developing 
 through the agency of your schools 
 and churches and lodges and the 
 opportunities which the business life 
 of Hcn-in affords young people. 
 
 Uncle Ruffian Harrison and Uncte 
 Eph Herrin 'speak to me in memory 
 as I think of my experiences among 
 \ ou. I could mention with pleasure 
 many more including Henry Wilson 
 and wife with whom I made my home 
 ancl likewise Mr. and Mrs. McCreery 
 and Mr. and Mrs. White. Anyone 
 connected- with the early history of 
 Herrin remembers gratefully the 
 
—72— 
 
 home that "took him in." Hotels even 
 lo a late day, have not kept up witit 
 othex" progress. 
 
 Finally, let me mention the import- 
 ant contributions made by our various 
 city mayors and councils; our lead- 
 ers of our own making in church af- 
 fairs; and the men of vision amonj>- 
 our foreign population. I recall, for 
 example, what effort James ColumTso 
 put forth to be the first boy of Italian 
 parentage to graduate from the Her- 
 rin High School. He later finished 
 at the University of Illinois. Since 
 that date, no doubt, the vision of the 
 public schools as an institution for all 
 regardlessof nativity of parents, has 
 spread to dozens of homes of the var- 
 ious nationalities. 
 
 In this connection, such earTy 
 teachers as Miss Stocks, Mrs. Jennie 
 Lawson, Miss Hudgens,, Miss NeeTy 
 and Miss Bozarth and others have 
 remained in the minds of many of the 
 boys and gins as among those who 
 started them in school. The last 
 three of these, I believe, are still on 
 the job. Next to these pioneer teach- 
 ers, I remember Uncle George and 
 Aunt Mary Fowler whose long and 
 valuable services as janitors at a very 
 low wage, made my work as superin- 
 tendent a pleasure during my entire 
 stay in Herrin. 
 Aurora, 111. 
 
— 7;i— 
 
 FOUNDER OF THE NEWS 
 RECALLS EARLY FRIENDS 
 
 By C. i:. INGKAHAM 
 
 Your Reunion issue appeals to me 
 as it no doubt does to all "old tim- 
 ers" who resided in Herrin when the 
 nineteen liundreds were omall numbers 
 The writer landed in Herrin January 
 3, 1899, bringing besides a fair sized 
 family, household goods, etc., a small 
 "print shop" and with this outfit soon 
 after launched The Herrin News. 
 
 The "glad hand" was extended to 
 us and from the very beginning a 
 liberal and loyal support was given 
 The News, Herrin's first paper. 
 
 Heirin and the friends we soo^n 
 made in the little town (nicknamed 
 Buckhorn) are among our most cher- 
 ished memories. Space could not be 
 made in the Reunion issue for the 
 many things the writer could recall 
 that wauld probably interest many 
 of your readers, both older residents 
 and later comers, but inclination leads 
 me to write of a number of people 
 prominent in the town's affairs dur- 
 ing the earlier years of our residence 
 there. 
 
 Mr. Eph Herrin was president of 
 the village board when the writer 
 established The Herrin News and was 
 one of its most consistent suppoi'ters. 
 His father, A. J. HeiTin, was still 
 living and I recall him as a grand old 
 man and have always been glad that 
 I knew him. Mr. D. R. Harrison and 
 his wife lived then in their fine coun- 
 try home which still stands near Mine 
 A. Mr. Harrison was a refined gen- 
 tleman of the old school, and a valued 
 
—74— 
 
 fnend to the writer. David Herrin, 
 George Roberts, John Parsons, Mrs. 
 Williams and her sons, Charles and 
 Ben Pope, W. W. and D. W. Williams. 
 H. F. McNeill, Abe Whitecotton, Mrs. 
 Perry, the Stotlar family, the Perrines 
 all of whom had resided in the com- 
 munity prior to the town's building, 
 were each in their different spheres, 
 in church, school or business, laying 
 the foundation for the now modern 
 city of Herrin, with its fine churches, 
 schools and business institutions. 
 
 About 1900, a year or two before 
 or within a few years after, a num- 
 ber of people now prominent and well 
 known in Herrin business and profes- 
 sional circles became identified with 
 Herrin's growth and prosperity. The 
 Dawsons, C. C, D. M„ Louis, John 
 and Bud, were all in business then, 
 and those left today are among Her- 
 rin's best known business men. The 
 Elles Bros., doing business as the 
 Elles Store Co., put an "add" on the 
 first page of The News, No. 1, Vol .1. 
 Mr. A. K. Elles, the head of Herrin's 
 greatest store, whom we m.eet when 
 at home, always recalls to mind the 
 pleasure we had in doing business in 
 the old days' with Mr. Ed and Mr. 
 Albert of the Elles Store Company. 
 
 About "now," Jo Vick, Dr. Ford, 
 Bob Karr, Bob Cook, Dr. Morgan, Dr. 
 Berry, Louie DeU'Ei'a, Paul Herrin 
 George McArtor generally called Mc 
 Carty then, as were the others by -the 
 shortest and most familiar names; 
 George White, Noah McNeill, John 
 Marlow, Felix Merlo, A. C. Hentz, 
 Jack Goalby, Abe Hicks, Chas. Spiller, 
 Joe Bond, Louis Steckenrider, Albert 
 (Soda) Will, Mage Anderson and H. 
 P. LaMaster, John Herrin, J. Vince 
 
— 75— 
 
 Walker and a whole lot iiiui>- oiu nn-y 
 hea«ls became identified with the city's 
 movements, business and political. 
 Most of them were aldermen, mayor 
 or something else that had to do with 
 city affairs and generally "stepped on 
 the gas" when engaged in that at- 
 tractive sideline. 
 
 Mr. Editor, sitting here in our lit- 
 tle Florida home, in my "shiit 
 sleeves," with the doors and windows 
 open to the balmy breeze, I could go 
 on writing for hours recalling the 
 many warm friendships and some- 
 times the rever.se, that the first editor 
 of The News yet often feels pride in 
 the making in the good old days when 
 'some regarded Hemn as wild and 
 woolly, but space forbids and I shall 
 close wishing good luck, prosperity 
 and happiness to all these old timers 
 I have mentioned and many others 
 not here named, who still reside in 
 Herrin, one of the mo.st prosperous 
 and progressive cities it has been my 
 pleasure to know — and I have gone 
 through quite a number of fine little 
 cities in the pa.st ten years. Again 
 best wishes to Herrin and all her peo- 
 ple. 
 Dania, Fla. 
 
 FORBTiCIPAL Of 
 
 L! 
 
 Editor Herrin News: 
 
 I might give you the following 
 hrief history of myself if you are in- 
 terested in including me in the group. 
 When I left Herrin I went to Urbana 
 
—76— 
 
 and spent a year at the University of 
 Illinois in completing my masters de- 
 gree. Then I went to Duluth, Minn., 
 where I held a position for two years 
 as principal of a gi'oup of schools, 
 a senior high school, a junior high 
 school, and elementary school, and a 
 department for mentally defective 
 children. 
 
 From thei-e I went to Chicago and 
 attended the University of Chicago 
 and I now have the residence for my 
 doctor's degree completed. ' There is 
 no doubt in my mind but that I will 
 c mplete my dissertation during the 
 summer. From Chicago I went to 
 Kirksville, Mo., as head of the de- 
 partment of education and director of 
 the training school in the State 
 Teachers College there. At the close 
 of one year I found a more desirable 
 opportunity here in thq position I 
 am now holding. I am here director 
 of the training department and de- 
 vote part of my time to teaching 
 courses in education and psychology. 
 I might mention also that Mrs. 
 Schutte and I spent a summer term 
 at Columbia University in New York 
 City. We enjoy the best of health 
 and are most happy in our position 
 here. 
 
 Will you kindly extend greetings to 
 my friends in Herrin. Mrs. Schutte 
 joins me in extending best wishes. 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 T. W. SCHUTTE, 
 Director Training School. 
 Mooi'head, Minn. 
 
OPENING NI6NT OF THE 
 HEBRIN OPERA HOUSE 
 
 By R. C. TRKLCE 
 
 I am invited to say "Hello" to all 
 the 'old timers' of Herrin in the Re 
 union Edition of the News, and I sup- 
 pose I atii expected to tell of some of 
 my experience in the early days there. 
 So 1 will bejifin as far back as pos- 
 sible. I made my arrival in Herrin 
 at eight o'clock on the evening of 
 January 9th, 1901, having driven from 
 Benton on a one horse buckboard. The 
 mud at this time was about knee deep 
 in the streets and the only concrete 
 sidewalk in town was twenty-five feet 
 in front of the Big Muddy Coal and 
 Iron Company store. The rest of the 
 walks were all made of black oak 
 boards from Henry Wilson's sawmill, 
 in the northwest pait of town. 
 
 In those days it was customary for 
 almost every one to drink beer and 
 shoot off pistols, especially on pay- 
 <lay, and ride "Bryan's" train on Sun- 
 days. In 1903 we got the street cars 
 Then some of us took to them. Once 
 in awhile, to our great delight, some 
 small road show would wander into 
 town and settle in Bart Colombo's 
 liall. The shows soon found that to 
 come to Herrin was a sure cure for 
 bankruptcy as we were always there 
 by seven o'clock with the money for 
 reserved seats, which were procure<l 
 by paying the show man at the door, 
 then rushing madly up the stairs to 
 grab the next best chair in sight and 
 fight for position. This reminds me. 
 I will tell you about the opening sliow 
 at the Opera House, which was com- 
 
—78— 
 
 pleted early in the fall of 1904. A 
 few weeks before it was finished I 
 was engaged as manager, so after pro 
 curing a show for October Srd I got 
 the theatre all ready with the help of 
 Tony Malandrone, (who was the stage 
 manager) with his crew of boys. 
 Electing to sell the tickets myself, 
 I spent the greater part of the week 
 explaining to the patrons that each 
 ticket was numbered and called for a 
 specified seat and that no one else 
 could get that seat but the holder of 
 that particular ticket; also that there 
 would be no need to hurry as the 
 doors would not be opened until 7:30 
 and the curtain would certainly not 
 go up before 8:15. I found out later 
 that r was all wrong about it and 
 must have been entirely misunder- 
 stood, for by 6:30 on the evening of 
 the show there were fully four or five 
 hundred people collected before the 
 entrance, all holding good tickets and 
 demanding admittance. It seemed to 
 me that half of them were women 
 with small babies in arms. By 6:45 
 they were sending delegations to pre- 
 vail upon me to open the doors. 1 
 held out until seven o'clock and after 
 having ascertained that the ushers 
 were all at their stations and that the 
 manager of the troupe was at the 
 head of the stairs to take the tickets 
 I gave the order to open the door. 
 This brought forth a loud shout from 
 the crowd and resulted in a rush of 
 hundreds of people, all trying to reach 
 the top of those stairs at one. The 
 brave show man and Bruce LaMaster, 
 who was acting as head usher, made 
 an effort to collect the tickets but 
 soon saw that it was hopeless, as they 
 
—79— 
 
 were pushed violently backward down 
 the isles to the orchestra pit, where 
 1 found fhem sometime later still 
 gesticulating wildly. The rest of the 
 ushers had all taken the count early 
 and retired to some peaceful place, 
 probably under the stage. Of course 
 every one grabbed onto the best seat 
 they could get and began to take 
 stock of the surroundings which dis- 
 closed the fact that no one, by any 
 chance, had the seat they had barg- 
 ained for. 
 
 By this time I had been sent for 
 again, and when I arrived every one 
 had plenty of time to get mad. Of 
 course they all wanted their seats and 
 it sure took the joy out of life for 
 few minutes but by making a few- 
 changes we got every one to agree 
 they were sati.sfied, and soon after 
 we were all enjoying the show. I am 
 sure this incident will be remembered 
 by many of the old timers of Herrin. 
 And to those who may be interested 
 in what has become of me, I am liv- 
 ing in Baxter Springs, Kan., a very 
 nice and prosperous city in the south- 
 ea.st comer of the state. I like it 
 here very much. However, as the 
 best years of my life were spent in 
 Herrin, you may be cure 1 will never 
 forget and am looking foi-ward to the 
 day when I may pay Herrin a visit 
 and shake hands with all my old 
 friends again. In closing I will say 
 that I have completely regained my 
 health which was rather poor when 
 I left Herrin. 
 
—80- 
 
 JOi GLENN'S H[.^, 
 PAWNED FOP. 
 
 John Glenn, former deputy United 
 States marshal, relates the following 
 as one of the most unique experiences 
 he ever had in Herrin: 
 
 "Twenty-two years ago I lived out 
 in the country and mined and farmed. 
 One day I drove into Herrin in a 
 buggy which had a top ov^r it. I 
 stopped at the Elles store, wtiich was 
 then either the only one here, or one 
 of the very few. Hardly had I got- 
 ten out of the buggy when a hen ap- 
 peared on the seat of the vehicle and 
 began to cackle after the manner of^ 
 hens that have just laid eggs. I re- 
 cognized her as one of my hens. She 
 flew down and began to forage about 
 as if she belonged in Herrin. On look 
 ing under the seat of the buggy I 
 found the hen had her nest there, 
 with eight or nine eggs in it, and one 
 just fresh laid. Several of my friends 
 volunteered to help me catch the hen. 
 
 We had cbnEiderable trouble. The 
 hen sought refuge under a building 
 that was there the Herrin Supply 
 Company's ten cent store now is. The 
 house was raised off the ground. The 
 hen got under there and we had lots 
 of trouble getting her out. Finally 
 she was captured and we pawned her 
 with Caesar Biotti for eig-ht bottles 
 of beer and broke the shells of the 
 eggs and poured the contents into the 
 beer. Sometime after I saw Caesar 
 and he told me he had killed and cook- 
 ed the hen. He said she was the 
 toughest fowl he had ever eaten." 
 
—SI- 
 
 s 
 
 lYl 
 
 OF HE 
 
 By MUS. JOHN E. WEBSTER 
 
 Formerly Miss Laura Tygett of 
 Henin. 
 
 Kesponding to your request to con- 
 tribute to your special Reunion Edi- 
 tion, I can hardly number myself as 
 one of the early pioneers, thus know 
 of little I might say that would in- 
 terest readers of your splendi(| paper. 
 
 Being one of the younger genera- 
 tions of Herrin, every body there 
 knows my life as an open book, unless 
 it might possibly be the last few years 
 after accepting a position in the sec- 
 retary of state's office at Springfield 
 June 1, 1918. A that time I had no 
 thought of ever leaving Herrin. So 
 to the many good girls I know In 
 and around Herrin who are still single 
 let me say take your time, and let not 
 the creeping years, or fear of being 
 called an old maid startle you into ac- 
 cepting the first offer of marriage. 
 Take your lime and get a real man. 
 vSet your ideals to the standard you 
 desire in a life companion, then wait 
 patiently until he comes along. Live 
 a life worthy of such a man, and he 
 is sure to come along in due time. 
 Only those who live a worthy and use 
 ful life, both before and after mar- 
 liage, have a right to expect to meet 
 
—82— 
 
 such a man, or to bold him aftei' they 
 do meet him. 
 
 -~ To those who may care to know- 
 where I went, and what kept me from 
 r. 1 urning to Herrih when leaving the 
 . I ate House position, will say I took 
 ii.> time and won. During my stay 
 at the State House, I met the man of 
 my dreams, a man who loves his home 
 because I am in it, and one who has no 
 bad habits, does not use tobacco in 
 any form, is always at home when 
 his labors are done. And we are liv- 
 ing the simple but most happy life. 
 We live just outside the city limits 
 of Peoria, 111. Seven minute car ser- 
 vice directly by our door. Our home 
 consists of six room house, three lots 
 90 X 152, and one lot 85 x 33. We 
 have a wonderful Jersey cow, all the 
 rich cream and milk we can use. We 
 have sixty fine laying hens, and get- 
 ting 30 to 40 eggs per day all winter 
 long. 
 
 I have everything 1 need or want 
 to make me happy. It is wonderful 
 fo have one's own garden, grapes and 
 all the fine milk, cream and home but- 
 ' r and fresh eggs one can use. I 
 have a 'arge hen house 35 x 29, in 
 ^\'hich I h3.ve 22 trap nests for my 
 hens. It is wonderfully to know by 
 r.ctuai record just what each hen is 
 doing toward paying her way, and to 
 knov/ wiiich ones to kill because they 
 do not pay their board, and with re- 
 liable trap nests installed, no mistakes 
 are made in selections. 
 
 If all msriied women were as hap- 
 py in their homes and with their hus- 
 bands as 1 am, and would make the 
 same efforts to make their homes the 
 one place their husband would care 
 most tP be, the movies, and afternoon 
 
—83— 
 
 clubs, liridge and card parties would 
 soon Ko begging for want of attend- 
 ance. 
 
 1 have all the blessings of rural life 
 — fresh air, song birds, home grown 
 irardens and sunshine. And all the 
 advantages of the city — city water, 
 y-as, electric lights and car service, 
 a nice home, a good husband, why 
 shouldn't I be happy? 
 Peoria, 111. 
 
 mm SENDS iSSAGE 
 
 My lirsi mtioductory to Herrin was 
 in the late fall of 1912 when I called 
 on Hal W. Trovillion, the editor and 
 proprietor of The Herrin News, in 
 reference to some special newspaper 
 work. As a result of the brief in- 
 terview, betAveen trains, that I had 
 with "Hal" I hustled back to St. Louis 
 and brought my family, consisting of 
 Mrs. Lalus and our son and daughter, 
 a nurse. We landed in Hei-rin the 
 .Sunday before the presidental election 
 How we (Mrs. Latus, Mr. Trovillion 
 and I) traversed the streets of Her- 
 rin that Sunday looking for quartei-s 
 for the few months we were to spend 
 in Horrin now one will never know. 
 We finally landed a home for the 
 nighi in the cosy house of the mother 
 of the then Deputy Sheriff Gasaway. 
 .'^he was a kind and motherly woman 
 and made us feel at home. 
 
 The next day we were fortunate to 
 .•secure quarters on South Ditch street 
 
—84— 
 
 with a family named Richey, where 
 we remained until we left Herrin. 
 The town of Herrin then was small 
 but the vista was grand for the future 
 We met some very fine men and 
 women, who have been favored by 
 their fellows such as Judge Cook, 
 Lawyer Crichton, A. D. Morgan, a 
 most pleasing and captivating gentle- 
 man, Dr. Sanders, Dr. Boles, Dr. 
 Treece, etc. 
 
 The Gem movie theatre was one 
 of the popular amusement places at 
 that time. Election night was a lively 
 one and the returns were flashed in 
 the store room then occupied by the 
 Good Luck Clothing Company. The 
 crow'd came early, 90 per cent G. 0. 
 P. and Bull Moose, but were home be- 
 fore 11 p. m., as the returns that came 
 in early indicated the election of 
 Woodrow Wilson to the presidency. 
 
 Ephraim Herrin was then active in 
 business despite his advanced age and 
 was at his bank every day. Joe Bond 
 was the popular city clerk and also 
 the efficient foreman of The News and 
 mvTch of our stay in Herrin was made 
 pleasant by "Joe." We always 
 
 tliought that Herrin would thrive and 
 arow, as it had a~"live editor and a 
 bright newspaper in the News. To 
 Mr. Trovillion, w« are under lasting 
 obligations for his extreme courtesy 
 and kindness to us during our stay 
 in Henin. We enjoyed every minute 
 of it and our close contact with the 
 folks, who were kind and hospitable. 
 We often speak of Herrin and our 
 children the same and some day we 
 will come back to Herrin to see a 
 bigger and busier city. i 
 
 To the citizens of Herrin we ex- 
 tend our kindest greetings and best 
 
—85— 
 
 wishes an.l know for a surety that 
 The Herrin News under its present 
 elticient management and control will 
 eer be a guiding star for the "destin- 
 ies of Herrin and its people. Every 
 Herrinite and those who love Herrin 
 should read The Herrin News — it has 
 fought the battles of the citizens in 
 the past and can be depended upon 
 to stand by the Herrin people's best 
 interests in the future. 
 
 C. C. LATUS 
 
 Secretary of the Pennsylvania As- 
 sociation of the Baking Industry. 
 
 Pittsburg, Pa., February 7, 1922. 
 
 PLEASUHES MID SCENES 
 OF EARLY HARD TOIL 
 
 By BRUCE LaMA.STER 
 
 A familiar sign on billboards in 
 in this city, advertising one of the 
 large bakeries, calls the attention of 
 the public to the days when a barefoot 
 boy sat on a creek bank fishing and 
 eating a lunch made from slices 'of 
 good rich bread. The writer can 
 scarcely remember of ever having had 
 the pleasure of doing much fishing 
 for when I became large enough I 
 had to swing a two hors« plow around 
 the comet on a farm located about 
 three miles east of Hemn». This was 
 about the year 1889. From that time 
 to the present date it has been mo.st- 
 ly work, some play of course, and at 
 that I consider myself more lucky 
 tlian a number of my very good 
 
—86— 
 
 friends who have passed to the Great 
 Beyond. 
 
 I recall very distinctly one of my 
 greatest pleasures then was to saddle 
 an old horse and ride over to the old 
 brick store owned by Mr. D. R. Har- 
 rison, which still stands in the north- 
 west part of town, about twice a 
 week to get the neighborhood mail 
 which was carried from Cai'terville on 
 horseback by a man beloved by all 
 who knew him, David Hemn. 
 
 One of the great pleasures deriv- 
 ed from life on a farm those days 
 was to get a wagon load of friends 
 and neighbors and attend revival ser- 
 vices at the Herrin Prairie Baptist 
 Chutrdi which istood jujst noith of 
 v/here the present swimming pool is 
 now located. Prominent among the 
 members of this church were D. R. 
 Harrison, Abraham Whitecotton, 
 David Herrin, Uncle Billy McNeill, 
 George Roberts, John Parsons, Alex 
 Stotlar, John Bandy, Uncle Jimmy 
 Stotlar, Geo. Harrison and many oth- 
 ers, also the pastoi', Brother Nolen. 
 
 One day while sitting in the little 
 old countiy school, known as the 
 Bandy School, located about one mile 
 east of the present city, came a bunch 
 of surveyors, and the neighborhood 
 for miles around became very excit- 
 ed over the coming of the railroad. 
 Finally it came and with it the city 
 of Herrin, which was once a cornfield 
 owned by Mr. Eph Herrin. 
 
 Among the first newcomers in Her- 
 rin or Buckliom, as it was commonlj'^ 
 known, was "Spot" Connor from Car- 
 tei'ville who opened about the second 
 store in town; the first being opened 
 by D. R. Harrison who had already 
 located in a frame building where the 
 
—87— 
 
 First National Ban know stands. Lat- 
 er the Connor store was taken over 
 by Alex Stotlar who became postmas- 
 ter. A partnership was formed by 
 H. P. LaMaster and Alex Stotlar who 
 later built and occupied a frame 
 building where the present Zwick 
 store is now located, they occupyin^r 
 the ground floor and Dr. Berry the 
 loft. About that time I realized my 
 life's ambition which was to move to 
 town, which we did in 1899. Tho 
 house we lived in then .stood where 
 D. W. Dawson's furniture store now 
 stands and I think it contained about 
 36 windows. 
 
 One of the most notable events in 
 Herrin the early days was the coming 
 of the Herrin Comet Band of which 
 I was a member and as its leader a 
 very able man, Horace Henry, ami 
 later had as its leader Prof. Grear. 
 
 While I am writing this little art- 
 icle and think back over the many 
 good times I had then, also the hard 
 work( heavy on the work) it seems 
 but naught compared with the diffi- 
 culties I have these days, digging 
 through the records of a $75,000,000 
 corporation; compiling reports for 
 those who want them but after all as 
 we grow older our thoughts wander 
 back to childhood and younger days. 
 
 Kansas City, Mo. 
 
-88— 
 
 JACK BEAM REQUIRED- 
 TO PRODUCE SLEEP 
 
 By JOE BERRA 
 
 In the spring of 1898, I was en- 
 gaged in the saloon business at Mur- 
 physboro, Illinois, associated with our 
 late and esteemed citizen, Louis Dell- 
 'Era. While engaged in such business 
 I became associated with the Mur- 
 physbox'o Brewing Company, and we 
 soon realized the busines prospects of 
 the coal fields of Williamson county 
 and particularly the new towTi of Her- 
 rin. 
 
 One bright sunshiny day in the 
 spring of 1898, in company with 
 Joseph Stienle, then agent for the 
 Rudolph Stecher Brewing Company 
 drove from Murphysboro, behind a 
 big team of black horses to the then 
 site upon which the city of Herrln 
 is now located. Upon our arrival af- 
 ter investigating the outlook we select 
 ed a lot for our business purposes, 
 which is now located immediately op- 
 posite to the north from. the present 
 Jefferson Hotel. 
 
 Within a short time we had erected 
 a one stoiy 'frame buildin?, aibo0 W) 
 feet deep and 25 feet wide. We fur- 
 nished the building with fixtures 
 brought from Jackson county, which 
 fixtures were of the old fashioned 
 kind. We had two big coal oil lamps. 
 I look out the first saloon license In 
 the city of Herrin, in the name of 
 Berra & Dell'Era. At that time 
 there were twelve or fifteen houses 
 erected in said community. Ther« 
 was no passenger trains at that time, 
 only coal trains and no telepHonet, 
 
—89— 
 
 and only two small stores. I wa; 
 unmarried at that time ano I obtain- 
 ed board at the George Bradshaw 
 Boarding House. There were ten or 
 fifteen other boarders there at thar 
 time. The Big Muddy Mine No. 1' 
 was then in operation employiii?: 
 about 100 men. 
 
 I was the sole one in charge vl 
 our business and I slept in the rear 
 end of the sal-ion. I opened our place 
 of business at 5 in the mornirig and 
 closed at 11 P. M. My bavtend-r's 
 name was Cr^esar Biotti, now c';,'!ra;~3d 
 in tlie grocery and meat busines.s at 
 Secser, 111. At that time I had a 
 blind, gray mare to haul my supplies 
 from the railroad depot. 
 
 Many amusing incident.s hapi>ene(l 
 to me while engaged in bu."iness in 
 those early dayn. Most every citizen 
 carried a revolver and one nigi:t I 
 remember, at closing time, I had .-^ix 
 or seven customers in my place. I 
 said "Boys, let's go home, it is clo-^- 
 ing time." One of my cu.stomers 
 said, "I have no lantern to go home 
 with;" it was then very dark. An- 
 other customer said, "Are ycu afraid 
 to go home in the dark, Willie?" 
 Then Willie pulled out a 38 calibre 
 revolver and laid it on the counteF and 
 said, "I will never be afraid to go 
 home a£ long as I have got this boy 
 with me." One after the other, each 
 pulled out a gun and laid it on the 
 counter. The first thing I knew the 
 counter was full of guns. I had never 
 owned or carried a gun in my life and 
 to see all tho.^e guns on the counter 
 made my hair stand up straight and I 
 began to perspire freely. They, how- 
 ever, departed peaceably and I retired 
 to my bed in the rear room. 
 
—90— 
 
 I could not sleep after seeing such 
 an array of artillery and had to get 
 up and take a nip of Jack Beam. I 
 returned again to bed and was about 
 sleep when I heard the report of many 
 shots. I thought the big boarding 
 house was on fire, but it was only the 
 boys away off having a good time 
 which sti-uck me as very funny. 
 
 There were no sidewalks or street 
 lamps and we frequently got stuck 
 in the mud. One night I got stuck 
 in the mud crossing the street to the 
 boarding house and only had one boot 
 on when I got to the boarding house 
 and never found the other boot. 
 
 The town grew rapidly and in a 
 short time the population was over 
 a thousand and kept growing. 
 
 In 1804 the firm of Berra & Dell- 
 -Era erected the Opera House Build- 
 ing which bunied January 13, 1917. 
 
 We also constnacted the European 
 K('tel on its present site, where many 
 ;^ocial and business events occurred. 
 V«e also constructed several dwelling 
 houses in the city and you could hard- 
 ly imagine that the present city a.s 
 it now stands is ihe gi'owth of the 
 little village -of a few years ago. 
 
 One of Ihe most important indus- 
 tries that contributed to the success- 
 ful deveio;"iieni of the city of Herrin, 
 was The Herrin News V hich reported 
 all the happenings of f^ur city to the 
 outside world and caused outsiders to 
 take notice of oux growing town and 
 help develop our business industries. 
 
 I am sure proud of the success of 
 our little city of Herrin as it now has 
 developed and I am always glad to 
 
—91— 
 
 SO back to tlie place which was once 
 my home and in which I have reaped 
 succ«.-s and mingle wkh my friends 
 and associates and renew old ac- 
 • ■uaiatanres. 
 Mun)l,y?boro, III. 
 
LIERftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 009 088 495 5