The Williamstown Alphabet

Auctioneers. – D. B. Price and James W. Tucker, both glib-tongued gentlemen, sell on court days and other public occasions a great amount of stock in Williamstown and Grant county.

Blacksmiths. – W. P. Savage, Charles O’Hara, and Thomas Wolfe, all busy almost constantly.  Brick masons. – David Boys, Jeremiah Rudicill, and William Creighton.  The first wrought in Williamstown, Ky., and in Greensburg, Ind., last year; the two last, in Cynthiana and Paris. Butter. – Little is brought to town.  Stock feed very scarce in consequence of the protracted winter.  Butter is worth 20 cents a pound, a price readily paid, when it can be purchased.

Carpenters. – William H. Conner, his two sons, James Lemmen, James Zinn, and Lawrence Cavanaugh, generally busy in town of county.  All good architects.

Clerks. – Theodore O’Hara, Circuit Court. - James Taylor, County Court, both well qualified and fine penmen.  It would not be displeasing to have Taylor record a deed for a thousand acre tract, if I were the grantee. ‘Twoud look so well in the big book.  Constable. – Wm. H. Childers is constantly on the look-out for some man who owes some other man.  Candidates. – James P. Webb, present Deputy Sheriff, has been, after proper incubation, hatched out nominee for the principal position over John T. McClure, present Sheriff.  Another candidate for that office is said to be in embryo.  McClure and Webb are both clever men and popular officers.  James Willis is the nominee for the Circuit Clerkship to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of R. M. Lowe. Covington Journal is more eagerly sought and read that any other paper that comes to Williamstown. Corn sells her for $1.75 per barrel.

Doctors. – Three in town, “with powders and pills to cure our ills,” besides Dr’s Johnson and O’Hara, otherwise employed.

Eggs. Worth fifteen cents per dozen.  Exchanges. – Frances Sechrest, (“Knuck”) has exchanged his position as landlord of the Seymour House for a farmer’s quietude.  Those acquainted with the efficient and amiable hostess will long remember her skillful preparation of eatables that appeared on the table.  Geo. J. Burgess succeeds to the abandoned position.

Fiction suits the majority of readers.  Facts scientific and useful not in great demand.

Good Templers have a prosperous and influential Lodge in town, several in the county; all gaining in anti-whiskey, reformation power.

Hotels. Johnson House, Simpson House, and Seymour House.  Perhaps one or two would be enough for the interest of the patrons and proprietors.

Idlers. – Too many.  Don’t need any. 

Judge, Police Court. – A. G. Dejarnette, a promising young lawyer, well-informed, industrious and exemplary.

Kindness. – Demand greater than the supply.  Large per cent upon investments expected in reciprocal transactions.

Lawyers. – Too many for the county’s peace; four in town; two in the vicinity; and now one making more law; - who require big fees for telling what little they know about law and equity.

Matrimony is now understood to be a “matter-o’-money.”  “What a pity she is a poor man’s daughter.”  Molasses (tree) is, or has been lately, made in more than usual quantity by sensible people residing in the upper part of Grant.  Two dollars per gallon.  Did you ever taste “tree molasses”? It and buckwheat cakes! Ugh!  The nectar and ambrosia of Jupiter are mere sorghum syrup and corn-dodger bread compared to them.  Any man who cuts down a sugar-tree in Grant of any other country should be compelled to live on – on - on as long as he can, on sour slop and unsifted corn bread, “without benefit of clergy”!

Newspapers – None published in Williamstown but the Gas Gazelle, whose daily gabble is the intellectual food of gapers and gossips.  The paper that was to be, is not, and, (reluctantly admission!), perhaps never will be.

Omnibus Owner and mail contractor, O. P. Hogan.  Communication between Walton and Williamstown by omnibus, down and up daily.

Preachers – Revs. Overstreet, Methodist, South; Yancy, Reformer; Piersal, Methodist, North – all young men.  The venerable Wm. Conrad, in his seventy-fifth year, Calvinistic Baptist.  Painter. – Ferdinand Burch, master of colors.

Quackery. – All kinds; quantum sufficit; can’t particularize.

Removals. R. M. Lowe has moved out on the farm he purchased from John Newman, Joshua Pack lost his farm and moved to Mrs. Lawless’.  Joseph E. Boswell occupies the farm vacated by Pack.

Storekeepers. Dry goods, Zinn & Zinn; Postmaster, Porter; J. H. Webb, Lucas, & Coombs; groceries, by J. J. Carder and R. A. Collins; druggists, Dr. R. H. O’Hara and John T. McGinnis; shoe and boot maker, Williams; saddler, John Buskirk .

Tailor, Henry Hall, also Justice of the Peace; tin shop and stove store, by J.W. Mount.

Useless Citizens. – a few who won’t work.

Vain Persons. – A few afflicted with exceedingly great emptiness of head internally – the real “swelled head.”

Wood. – Scarce and highly priced.  No coal by the Southern Railroad yet. Must wait till the Owingsville, Cynthiana, Williamstown, and Louisville Railroad is constructed.

X, Y, and Z stand for unknown qualities.

But apples in Grant, cabbage, potatoes, and turnips, have stood the winter well.  Very little plowing done yet, and that sod.  No oats sown.  Small grain has a poor appeaance.  Mud  road deep, almost impassable.

 

B. N. Carter, Williamstown, Ky., March 19, 1872

from the Covington Journal, March 23, 1872