Reprinted in the Putnam County Herald, 15 July 1937, Page 6.

Sixty Years Ago

This is the sixth installment of this series of re-published article from the old "Cookeville Chronicle," which weekly newspaper began publication in Cookeville on October 5, 1877, with Carnes and Cope, editors and publishers.

"Local News" Issue of March 7, 1878

Messrs. S. G. Slaughter, Josh H. Brown, H. P. Davis and Mike Moore, all of the firm of Slaughter, Davis, Arnold & Co., left yesterday for New York City, where they will purchase a stock of goods expressly for the market. Look our for cheap goods, and a big advertisement, about the first of next month.

Capt. R. A. Cox and Col. J. P. Murray, of Gainesboro are attending Chancery Court at this place this week.

Chancery Court is in session this week, the Hon. W. G. Crowley presiding.

At the last meeting of the Board of Aldermen, J. B. Shores was reelected Marshal. He executed his bond and immediately entered upon the discharge of his official duties. He has secured the services of Mr. Sid Shaw as his assistant.

Only three more weeks until the day for the execution of the Braswell bothers.

Mr. W. W. Baker is now sole proprietor of the "middle Tennessean," published at Livingston, Tenn. We wish him great success, and hope that the people of Overton county have their own, as well as the interests of their county, enough at heart to favor him with a liberal patronage.

Registered at the " Reagan House," this week are the following names: C. Marchbanks, H. C. Snodgrass, Dr. W. B. Cummings and D. L. Snodgrass, Sparta; J. W. Comer and J. P. Hearn, Lebanon; R. A. Cox and J. P. Murray, Gainesboro; Maj. A. A. Swope, Carthage; W. G. Crowley, Smithville; Wm. T. Murray, McMinnville; R. R. Hawes, Nashville; J. E. Hogan, Gordonsville.

This issue of the Chronicle contains a list of the names of the defendants in Criminal Cases, also the parties in Civil Cases whose cases were disposed of at the February term (1878) of the Circuit Court of Putnam County, this list of cases having been furnished to the Chronicle ;by Capt. J. H. Curtis, Circuit Court Clerk. This closely printed list of the style of cases is one column in length and is conclusive proof that business was not lacking in so far as either the Criminal or Civil dockets of the Circuit Court of this county of sixty years ago, were concerned.

The aspirants for the position of Post-Master, in Cookeville, are so numerous that when anything is called for the "oPst-Master" every man present yells out "pass that this way."

(In those days the Post-Master, upon the arrival of each mail, "called out" the name or address of every letter and piece of mail.)

E. L. Gardenhire and Major Swope attorneys of Carthage, are in attendance upon Chancery Court here this week.

Read in another column, the advertisement of Overton Academy, Livingston, Prof. J. M. Coulson has had charge of this institution for twelve months and has succeeded admirably.

W. J. Farris, C. Marchbanks and H. C. and D. L. Snodgrass, attorneys of Sparta, are present in Chancery Court here.

"Local News" Issue March 14, 1878

Capt. H. H. Dillard is attending Chancery Court at Gainesboro this week.

Our esteemed and distinguished fellow citizen and townsman, Mr. Walton Smith, who has been known for some time as a candidate for Attorney General of this, the 5th Judicial Circuit, announced last week that he is no longer a candidate. No doubt his friends will receive this information with regret, as Mr. Smith is a man in whom his friends repose the greatest confidence.

Rev. J. W. Cunningham conducted the services at the Methodist Church last Saturday and Sunday.

It was our intention, all along, to get a sketch of the life, crime, trial and conviction of the Braswell brothers, who are to be executed at this place on the 27th instance, and print it in pamphlet form, in order that those who  might desire it could get it in a form that would be but little trouble to preserve, but not knowing anything about them ourselves and having failed in our efforts to get such assistance as would enable us to do it in a creditable style, we fail to get it up. We intend, though, at the earliest possible date, to give the readers of the Chronicle a more extensive history of them than we could possibly have done in a pamphlet form; together with the particulars of their execution, and those who desire the benefit of it can have it by subscribing for the Chronicle, or calling and purchasing them at 5 cents per copy, we cannot afford to pay for paper and then do ever so much work and let it go gratis.

An account of the proceedings of the March, 1878 term of Putnam County Chancery Court is published in this issue of the Chronicle, giving a list of 19 cases which were tried at that term, followed by the statement "The Principal Questions in a Great Many other Cases were settled and interlocutory decrees entered."

Messrs. Walton Smith and H. S. Boy, attorneys of this place are attending Circuit Court at Smithville this week.

(The following is re-published, being a portion of the news-letter of the Indian Creek correspondent.)

Editor of Chronicle:
If you will not consider it an intrusion upon your generous offer to publish communications from all parts; I will give the readers of the Chronicle a short sketch from our part of the county.

We have, on Indian Creek, a large comfortable and well ventilated schoolhouse that has been erected within the last year. It opened its spring session, the first Monday in March, under the supervision of Mrs. Fanny Denny. Its prospects are quite flattering, on the south fork of the same creek the people are getting lumber ready to build a large M. E. Church (Nothern Methodist). At Pleasant Grove, in the head of Rock Springs Valley, the people are preparing to build a large new M.E. Church, South Building. We also have on Indian Creek two good mills; one steam mill and one water mill run by Leffel's machinery, which is doing quite a profitable business.

We have within the bounds of five miles square, five stores, all of which command a good trace and keep first class goods."

(This rural correspondent of the Chronicle wrote under the nom de plume of John Newton.)

The boys of the town collected all the old tin pans, bells, etc., they could find Tuesday night, and were making a very good start twoard keeping somebody awake all night by "serenading," when the policeman got among them and broke it up with a row.

Markets
The following are the market prices paid by the merchants of Cookeville for country produce.

Feathers, per pound, 35 cents.
Wool, washed, per pound, 35 cents.
Wool, unwashed, per pound, 25 cents.
Ginseng, per pound, 95 cents.
Rags, per pound, 2 cents.
Beeswax, per pound, 25 cents.
Lard, per pound, 8 cents.
Bacon, sides, per pound, 7 1-2 cents.
Bacon, hams, per pound, 7 1-2 cents.
Bacon, shoulders, per pound, 5 cents.
Butter, per pound, 10 cents.
Eggs, per dozen, 6 cents.
Wheat, white, per bushel, 90 cents.
Wheat, red, per bushel, 85 cents.
Flour, per pound, 3 cents.
Corn Meal, per bushel, 50 cents.
Corn, per bushel, 50 cents.
Cotton seed, per pound, 2 cents.
Cotton seed, ginned, per pound, 8 cents.
Apple, green, per bushel, 75 cents.

Lodges

Masonic - Cookeville lodge, No. 266, F. & A. M., meets 3rd Saturday night in each month.
J. Arnold, W. M.,
L. R. McClain, Sec'y
Cookeville Chapter, No. 112, R. A. M., meets first Monday night in each month.
J. Arnold, H. P.
J. B. S. Martin, Sec'y
Odd Fellows - Mount View Lodge, No. 179. I. O. O. F., meets 2nd and 4th Saturday nights in each month.
L. R. McClain, N. G.
W. J. Isbell, Sec'y
Cookeville Encampment, No. 45, I. O.  O. F., meets 1st Saturday night in each month.
J. P. Martin, C. P.,
H. P. Davis, Scribe.
Knights of Honor - Putnam Lodge, No. 380, K. of H. meets 2nd and 4th Thursday nights in each month.
B. R. Womack, Dictator.
R. H. Brown, Reporter.
The following Cookeville business and professional men carried advertisements, or professional cards in this issue of the Chronicle: Z. T. Hinds' Drug Store; J. P. Martin & Co., Drugs and General Merchandise; Dr. H. C. Martin, physician; h. S. and A. W. Boyd, lawyers; Walton Smith, lawyer; B. R. Womack, lawyer; Dr. P. W. Glenn, dentist, Chronicle Job Printing Office and "Reagan House," E. D. Staley, Manager.