The year 1894 was a campaign year and a number of county officials were to be elected in November of that year, among them being a Judge of the Probate Court. Soon after the campaign began, I had numerous solicitations to become a candidate for the nomination for this office by the Republican Party at the primary election, and I finally yielded to the wishes of many friends and submitted my name for the nomination. At the primary election I was chosen by a large majority; my opponent being the incumbent Judge J.J. Ramsey. At the general election in November, my majority was more than 500 over the Democratic candidate, my personal friend Mr. E. F. Halbert.

I began a four year term in this office January 1st 1895, and the duties of this office in addition to work incident to editing and publishing The Index, some law practice and abstracts of title business gave me plenty employment. I was a very busy man and did pretty well financially for a few years.

The year 1895 not only witnessed my induction into public office, but also my entry into fraternal order, when I became a member of Hermitage Lodge No. 288 Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons

When we moved to Hermitage, Mo., Hickory County had no courthouse. The old courthouse had been burned several years previous to that time and when I became Judge of the Probate Court, my office was in a small frame building in one corner of the public square. Other county offices were in various private buildings about town. The inconvenience of having the county offices so poorly housed and the great insecurity of the court and deed records, constantly unprotected and liable to destruction by fire, created a strong sentiment among the citizens of the county, especially on the east side, favorable to the erection of a substantial brick courthouse, with fire proof vaults in which to keep the records and important court documents. In the meantime an effort was made to remove the county seat from Hermitage to Wheatland and a proposition for such removal was submitted to a vote of the qualified voters of the county, but it was also defeated. Then a proposition was submitted to issue bonds of the county in the sum of several thousand dollars, the amount of which I do not remember, to be sold and the proceeds to be used to defray the cost of the erection of a brick courthouse in Hermitage, the county seat. This proposition which required that two thirds of the votes cast at the election should be in favor of the proposition was defeated.

Then the citizens of the county, principally those residing in townships on the east side of the county, and including center township in which Hermitage is located, and which is part on the east and part on the west side of the Pomme de Terre River, raised a fund by private subscription, or individual donations, the same to be used under direction and supervision of a building committee for the erection of a brick courthouse. Plans and specifications for the proposed building were made and approved by the committee. The building was erected and paid for in full and presented to the county. After the courthouse became the county property, the offices and records were moved into the rooms provided for them in the lower story of the building and the auditorium or circuit court room and jury rooms were in the upper story. At the time I became probate judge the other officers of the county were, W. L. Snidow, representative; William F. Coon, county clerk; William U. Morton, circuit clerk and recorder of deeds; Wash. F. Reser, collector; James Kelley Moore, sheriff; James Nunn, Ben L. Mallonee and James A. Sharp, judges of the county court; Ben L. Mallonee being the presiding judge; and W. D. Harryman, prosecuting attorney; and Marion Holt, assessor. They were all very efficient officials.

During the year 1895, a story, "The Colonel's Secret," written by Miss Nelle Price (Nelle is the author’s niece) of Pana, Illinois, and rewritten and abridged by me was published in the Index under the nom de plume of Mark Trairs, a pen name I have used since and under which a number of poems were published in The Index in 1928. "The Colonel’s Secret" seemed to interest many readers of The Index.

The year 1896 was another political campaign year. The President, one third of the members of the United States Senate, all of the members of the House of Congress and many state and county officials were to be elected. That was the year when in the contest for the presidency, the main issue was free silver and the gold standard. William Mckinley was the candidate for the Republican Party who espoused the retention of the gold standard of the national currency and William Jennings Bryan, the boy orator of the Platt, was nominated by the Democratic Party, after his famous "Crown of Gold" oration in the Chicago Democratic National Convention, and his contention was the free coinage of silver dollars, at the ratio of 16 silver dollars to one gold dollar. It was a very exciting political campaign, the most so that had occurred since the campaign of 1850. Early in the campaign, it appeared almost certain that Mr. Bryan would be elected. He was a captivating orator and made an extensive campaign but gradually sentiment turned toward the gold standard and in favor of Major McKinley and he was elected by a big majority of the votes.

In the fall of 1896, while the presidential campaign was in progress, my sister and her daughter Nelle of Pana, Illinois, visited us and stayed with us a week or more, and we enjoyed their visit very much. Sister and Nelle were greatly interested in the election and being strong Repubicans, were very anxious that Major McKinley would be elected. And then the time came for their return to their home, and with sadness we bid them good-bye. That was the last time that any of us ever saw either of them except Joe, Mary and Inez, who visited them during the World Fair at St. Louis in 1904.

A short time before we left Urbana, Brother Dolph and wife sold their home in Urbana and moved to Buffalo. A few years later in 1895 or 1896, they came to Hermitage and visited us a few days. Irene was in very poor heath then, was afflicted with tuberculosis, but though very frail she was very cheerful and hopeful that she would soon be better. We were grieved to part with them. We never saw her again. She died at her home in Buffalo, I think, in 1896. She was a very inteiligent and well-informed woman, and a truly good Christian and was greatly missed by her family, relatives and many friends.

About two years after we removed from Urbana to Hermitage, Brother Bud sold his farm near Urbana, and I let them have the use of our farm near Urbana free of charge until they found another location. They lived there one year, and then removed to Buffalo and Bud bought a grocery store and engaged in business assisted by his son Jim.

In 1897 on July 26th our fifth daughter, a small, red headed, black eyed baby was born. She was a very beautiful child we all thought, especially her brother, who on first seeing her said, "She is the prettiest baby I ever saw". Joe said, "Ma, she is just like a little flower." (Mary L. S.) Soon after her birth, Brother Dolph who had located in Preston after the death of his wife, came to visit us. We had decided to call our baby Anna for my sister and Dolph asked to add Irene to the child’s name in memory of her deceased aunt, Irene Slavens, and we did as he requested. I do not remember what year it was that Brother Bad visited us in Hermitage, but I think it was while he was living in Buffalo. He was accompanied by his daughter Gona’s husband Rev. Dewitt Beery, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, who resided then in Morrisville, Missouri. We were glad to see them and to form the acquaintance of our new preacher kinsman.

It was not long after this that Brother Dolph removed from Preston and located at Hermitage. He stayed with us awhile, then he rented a small dwelling where he had his office, living and sleeping rooms, but still boarded with us. His health was considerably impaired, but he was able to do some practice far awhile, though, after a few months he became more feeble and unable to practice medicine and his son-in-law, Tenie ‘s husband, Mr. J. Harrison Reser, moved him and his effects to their home near Urbana. His health continued to grow worse and he died April 4, 1898 of a complication of diseases.

He was a man of more than average intelligence, a physician of excellent ability and long experience, a very thorough English scholar and a well-informed man, not only on subjects pertaining to his profession, but upon science, literature and religion. He was a member of the Methodist Church, was well-versed in and a great student of the Bible, and was a firm believer in the Christian religion. I was greatly grieved to know that my dear brother had passed away and that I should see him no more ot earth. On account of the serious illness of my wife I was prevented from attending his funeral and burial. His remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Buffalo, beside his lamented wife.

Sometime before Dolph went to Urbana to live with his daughter, Tenie Reser and family, my wife became very ill of rheumatism or rather rheumatic fever. Her illness continued a long time and being of the inflammatory type of the disease her limbs were much swollen and she suffered excruciating pain and she became very much emaciated and almost helpless; but under the efficient treatment of Dr. James R. Pack, who had become our family physician, she finally began to recover, but her convalescence was very slow. Her limbs, especially her knee and ankle joints and her hands and arms were still badly swollen and it was impossible for her to walk for a long time, but eventually the swelling in her limbs partially subsided and slowly and painfully she began to walk and in time recovered the use of her limbs. The doctor said it was the most serious case of the kind he ever had to finally overcome the dreadful disease and get well again. He attributed her recovery, largely to good nursing and I am sure that the careful attention given her by her mother and her sisters Mattie and Laura and several friends and what help the children and I could give were very beneficial to her. But I know that had she not had the careful and scientific treatment of oir experienced physician she would have succumbed to the malignant malady.

Some time during the fall of 1897, when Irene was only a few months old Luther Price, my sister’s only son, visited us and stayed several weeks with us. He was a small, rather heavy set young man, had black hair and eyes and dark complexion. Like his mother, he was of a nervous temperament but good natured and full of fun. He brought a small graphophone with him and we all enjoyed the music played upon it. I think Joe traded him a gun for the graphophone. He returned home some time in December and just before Christmas he sent the children a present of nuts. Luther visited us again in 1898, when his aunt Josie was just beginning to recover from her illness. He remained with us two or three weeks and during this time he went with the Hermitage Band, of which Joe was a member, to Cross Timbers, Gerster and other places. He was a good snare drummer, which was Joe’s position in the band, and often he was temporarily the band’s drummer boy. We were all delighted with his visit and regretted to part with him on his return to his home, Pana, Illinois.

We had a brief visit from another one of my nephews during the summer of 1898. He was Robert Burns Slavens but we always called him Burnie. He was Brother Dolph’s youngest son and was then about 25 years old. He was a tall slender young man, had blue, or gray eyes, dark hair and a heavy mustache. He only stayed with us a few hours as he was only passing through Hermitage on a business trip, he was a traveling salesman far a Kansas City wholesale mercantile establishment. He said he had recently visited my sister and her family in Pana, Illinois. He went to Le Compton., Kansas and married Miss Maybelle Spangler. We were truly glad to see Burnie, who when he lived near his parents in Urbana, although Joe’s senior by about five years, was his playmate for two or three years.

The year 1898 was campaign year again in Missouri. A number of county officials were to be elected that year and among the number was Judge of the Probate Court. I was a candidate for the nomination at the Republican primary election. My opponent for the nomination was Rev. Patrick Chancellor, a fine old man. After a vigorous and very hotly contested campaign, I received the nomination and at the November election was elected by a large majority, over my Democratic opponent Mr. Anthony W. Boucher of Preston.

I began my second term as Judge of the Probate Court of Hickory County in January, 1899. At that time the other newly elected of the county were E. Madden Kerr, representative; Edwin H. Yeaw, collector; Samuel Lycurgus Williams, circuit clerk and recorder of deeds; Moses N. Nichardt, county clerk: William L. Pitts, prosecuting attorney; David P. Heston, sheriff; Joseph Riddle, presiding judge of the county court; Peter Solberg and James A. Sharp, associate justices; George Miller, assessor and John Thomas Ferguson, collector, all of whom were highly respected citizens of the county and in discharge of their official duries were faithful and efficient servants of the people

I continued in the newspaper business during my second term of office as Judge of the Probate Court and besides editorial work and attending to the duties of my office, I did a lot of abstract of title business furnishing all the abstracts of title on lands on which the Shartel Mortgage Company of Neosho made loans on which in Hickory County, in addition to abstracts for other clients. Mr. Don J. Irwin of Wheatland was agent in Hickory County for the Shartel Mortgage Company and kindly gave me the abstracting for his company. I bought a set of abstract books and my daughter Mary assisted me in making entries on the same of new land transfers from the deed records. During the winter of 1902, I think I had quite a bad attack of la grippe and was sick for two or more weeks, and was not able to be at my oftice or attend to any business during the worst of my illness.

It was during the time that I was ill, that the store of John McCaslin and Charles Czarlinsky at Wheatland was burned. I do not remember the cause of the eire. The firm sustained a considerable loss by the fire.

When I resumed work in office a lot of work had accumulated. On January 1, 1903, my second term as Probate Judge expired, Mr. Joseph S. Hartman having been elected as my successor. I retired to private life having, I hope, made a fairly good record as a county official.

I think it was in the year 1901 that our daughter Mary attended a term of school at the State Normal School at Warrensburg, Missouri. She wished to qualify herself to teach school, and we thought the Normal School would afford the best advantages for prospective teachers. After that she taught in quite a number of schools in Hickory County during the next few years in the Cross Timbers, Mashburn and Hermitage school districts.

Copyright ©2004 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.