THE ARKANSAS CITY JOURNAL
Arkansas City, Arkansas
Friday, January 11, 1889
LOCAL PICK-UPS
Walter Naish made a trip to Lake Village this week.
Judge B. F. Merritt was in from Halley yesterday.
C. H. Harding came in from Winchester yesterday evening.
Solomon Marks has been quite sick this week with erysipelas.
Judge G. H. P. Richardson is attending the Chicot circuit court this week.
Squire Ben McGehee has been appointed a notary public for this county.
Hon. John G. B. Simms, of the Chicot Chronicle, went up to Little Rock last
Monday.
Senator W. H. Logan of Luna Landing, Chicot county, passed up to Little Rock
today.
Rev. L. B. Hawley conducted divine services at the Methodist church last Sunday
morning and evening.
Miss Nonie Pindall is visiting in the Red Fork country this week.
The young people of Walnut Lake had quite an enjoyable ball at the residence of
Mrs. A. E. Proctor Friday night.
Mrs. M. E. Andrews, who has been spending some time with her father's family,
returned to Little Rock Monday.
William Brawner, of Grand Lake, Chicot county, came up on the Grant Wednesday
to spend a few days visiting relatives in the city.
Capt. John G. Warfield left for the up river country on the James Lee Tuesday.
He begins this week the collection of taxes for the year 1888.
Judge G. H. Joslyn arrived yesterday evening. He will leave for Little Rock
tomorrow to be present at the meeting of the legislature next Tuesday.
Misses Bettie and Sophie Belser and Mamie Bessellieu, of Monticello, left for
home last Saturday after having spent several days with friends here.
Misses Ludie and Belle Ousler, of Bolivar Landing, Miss., who had been visiting
Mrs. Frederick for several days, left for home on the James Lee Tuesday
evening.
Miss Lillian Peeples, of Red Fork, was in the city this week. She came down on
the Lee Tuesday night from Memphis where she spent the holidays, and left
Wednesday for home.
Esquires Sam Harrison of Mississippi township and J. C. Collins, of Red Fork
township, came down this week to make their reports in the county court of
fines assessed in their respective baliwicks during the past six months.
Judge Carroll D. Wood was in the city last Saturday and left on the Grant for
Lake Village Sunday where he opened the Chicot Circuit Court Monday. Capt. M.
L. Hawkins, late prosecuting attorney of the 11th judicial circuit, accompanied
him. Capt. Hawkins goes down to help wind up all of his old business in the
Chicot court.
It is the intention of Capt. Chambers, who took the Humming Bird No. 2 to
Cincinnati some time ago to build a new boat complete except the machinery,
using the Humming Bird's machinery. The new boat will be completed and will be
brought back and put in the Humming Bird's old run between here and Greenville
by the 1st of May. She will be called the Chicot.
E. A. Causey came in from Tillar Wednesday.
Col. J. W. Dickinson made a business trip to Dermott this week.
Capt. J. M. Whitehill has been in Little Rock several days this week.
Mr. Thomas Scott, of Jefferson township, was in this week to attend probate
court.
Pat Rice, formerly conductor on the Valley Route, came down from Little Rock
Tuesday.
Mr. John J. Bowles, of Tyro, Lincoln county, was down this week to attend
probate court.
Supt. Kelley, of the Missouri Pacific System, was down in his special car
yesterday evening.
A little stranger arrived at the residence of Mr. C. H. Van Patten this week.
It is of the feminine persuasion.
The house being built by Mr. W. E. Lambe upon his lot just above Marks store is
nearing completion. It will be occupied by Mr. Grago, the fruit dealer, when
completed
The free school now taught by Mr. B. A. McGehee and Miss Annie Seamans, will
close about the last of this month. It is reported that a private school will
open as soon as the public school closes.
Col. B. F. Grace went up to Watson yesterday to accompany the remains of Judge
W. B. Peterson.
Clerk Henry Thane left for Little Rock today. He goes to be present at the
meeting of the legislature to shake hands with old acquaintances. He will be
away for about a week.
R. W. Buck, who was convicted at the February term of last year of the Drew
circuit court for assault with intent to kill, and given three years in the
penitentiary, was pardoned on Wednesday by Gov. Hughes. Mr. Buck is the man who
shot David Caldwell, the marshal of Monticello, one night in the summer of
1887. He was a jeweler and was in business at Monticello at the time of the
shooting. As the shooting was unprovoked he got a good term in the
pentitentiary on his trial and would doubtless have served it out, but for the
fact that he is a cripple and his health has declined so that he is unable to
do any work.
Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Sweet have been out on Crooked Bayou visiting this week.
They returned this evening.
Geo. R. Clayton went up to Watson yesterday through the country to make
arrangements for Judge Peterson's funeral. He returned this evening.
Miss Sadie Seamans returned to Little Rock Sunday having spent the holidays at
home. She will re-enter St. Mary's Convent and resume work. She graduates in
June.
Mr. George N. Adams went up to Memphis last week and spent several days with
his mother and father who reside in the Bluff City. He came home on the Lee
Tuesday and returned to his old post at Courtney & Ogburn's.
DIED
On Wednesday night about 10:30 o'clock Judge W. B. Peterson died
very suddenly of apoplexy at the residence of Col. B. F. Grace in this city.
Judge Peterson came down from Red Fork on Monday evening and opened the county
court during Tuesday and Wednesday...(2 lines illegible)...the probate court on
yesterday morning. He complained however of being unwell all day Wednesday, but
ate his supper and was up for sometime after supper that night. He was retiring
when the fire alarm was heard in the lower part of town. He went to the door of
his room on hearing the alarm and said something to Mrs. Grace who was in the
hall, that led her to believe that he was unwell. He was assisted to his bed
and medical aid was summoned but he was dead in a few minutes. Dr. Smith, who
arrived about the time he died, gave it as his opinion that he died of
apoplexy.
Judge Peterson was about fifty-six or fifty-seven years of age. He
came to this county many years ago--during the 'fifties. He was married soon
after he came here to a Miss Terry, a sister of Mr. Sam Terry. His wife died
eighteen or twenty years ago and his only child, a son, was drowned in the
Arkansas river at Hopedale about fifteen years ago.
In 1874 Judge Peterson was elected county and probate judge of this
county, but in 1876 he was succeeded by Judge J. P. Clayton. In 1878 he was
again elected to the judgeship and again in 1880. In 1882, he was elected to
the lower house of the General Assembly. In 1884 he was return to the judge's
office and was re-elected in 1886 and 1888. He was a republican in politics but
he has always been a safe, conservative official and was well liked by all. He
was a member of the masonic lodge in good standing.
The remains were taken to Watson by way of Dumas yesterday where
they will be interred.
Copyright 2000 by Louis Reitzammer