Reprinted in the Putnam County Herald, 20 May 1937, Page 4.
Cookeville "Local" News of Fifty-Nine Years Ago Reprinted From Old Paper
Dr. W. S. McCain (sic) has a copy of the Cookeville Chronicle dated January 12, 1878, of which James W. Cope was editor and publisher. The following "locals" will be of interest to our older citizens:
Mr. A. T. Anderson, our clever subscriber, meets us with a smile. It's another boy.
Messrs. H. S. Boyd and Walton Smith, attorneys of this place, attended Chancery Court at Carthage last week.
H. J. Brown declares that he is going to quit cutting hair for less than ten cents a cut, and if they don't like that he will neither charge not cut.
Our skillful dentist, whose card appears in another column, extracted 20 teeth for Mr. E. D. Staley last week preparatory to fitting him up a new set.
J. A. Welch has just established a new family grocery, confectionery house, and saloon, on the east side of the public square. The purest drinks only five cents a drink.
Dr. Hugh Lansden, who made arrangements several weeks ago to remove to Cookeville, arrived Wednesday. We welcome the doctor and all such men to our town.
Owing to the inclemency of the weather, the Nashville mail, which should have been here on Saturday evening of last week, was delayed until Sunday morning.
Not withstanding the weather was exceedingly cold and the snow was 11 inches deep last Monday, the attendance upon county was large.
D. L. Dow has succeeded in getting the broken portion of his steam mill repaired, and the sound of grinding is not very low now.
Married, on the 10th inst., by Esq. R. B. Womack, in the basement of the Chronicle, P. G. Carr to Miss Mary M. McClelland, all of this county.
The Sunday school of this place was reorganized last Sunday, with the following officers: H. S. Boyd, superintendent; J. H. Curtis, assistant; Miss Mary Goodpasture secretary; Miss Tiny Reagan, assistant; Miss Jennie Moore, librarian; I. N. Davis, treasurer.
You will find the Chronicle office in the room up stairs over the law office of Mr. R. B. Womack.
Rev. J. W. Cunningham has rented property and removed his family to Cookeville. We extend to him a hearty welcome.
Our legal friend, Capt. Miller, of Buffalo Valley, attended county court Monday and Tuesday.
The county court proceedings: Present, J. K. Peek, chairman, and 28 justices. Warrants drawn on trustee in 1877, $4,873.36. Trustee paid warrants during the year, $5,071.40. Outstanding warrants, $7,452.06. Current expenses for the year 1877, $4,783.36/ Taxes for the year 1877, $4,964.07. The revenue commissioners reported that all settlements were correct, except with William Lisk, former trustee, on Sept. 2, 1876, in which was a clerical error of $18.91, which amount was ordered paid to the widow of the said William Lisk. J. K. Peek, chairman, was allowed $100 for his services as financial agent for the year 1877. H. P. Davis, clerk, was allowed $78.20 for making out the tax book and duplicate for 1877. S. G. Slaughter, J. H. Moore and C. R. Ford were appointed commissioners to superintend putting in and building a cage for the county jail, and $150.00 was appropriated as part of the fund for that purpose. C. J. Bohannan, sheriff, was allowed $11.65 for wood and sawdust and one-half dozen chairs furnish the court. Samuel Young was allowed $2.12 for shrouding for paupers. The report of A. T. Anderson, county superintendent, show the scholastic population of the county to be 3,804.
Dr. L. R. McClain, assistant postmaster, lists ten mail arrivals per week, as follows: Lebanon mail leaves Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2 a.m. and arrives Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Livingston mail leaves Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 a.m. and arrives Tuesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Sparta mail arrives Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m., and leaves same days at 2 p.m. Rock Island mail arrives Wednesday at 12 ?m., and leaves same day at 1 p.m. Gainesboro mail leaves Saturday at 6 a.m. and arrives same day at 7 p.m.
The Chronicle was a four-page, six column sheet, with the outside pages ready-print. The two home-printed pages contained more editorial matter matter than news, and but for several juicy looking legal advertisements, the paper would have been a total loss as a financial venture. The editor was complaining of lack of patronage, and after a few months of bad business, the enterprise collapsed.