The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, January 17, 1930

M. J. Morse, who has purchased of T. H. Morris, the Mammoth Spring Hardware, first came to our town 33 years ago and resided here a short time before locating in Thayer. By strict application to business he has climbed continually in a financial way. The first years of his residence was devoted to contracting and building. Then he drifted into the lumber business, then hardware and builders’ supplies. He now owns the hardware business at Koshkonong, has three stores in Thayer, one at Salem and one here. He took charge of the Mammoth Spring Hardware on January 10 and retained Luther Golden as manager, with George Ball as helper. The story of the upward climb of Mr. Morse would make an interesting book. We lack both time and space he. Suffice to say it is commendable at every step. His first thought is to satisfy the public. He has always done this; hence his success in volume of business. See his ad. in the issue.

John D. Horn, Dead!

John D. Horn died yesterday morning at 6:45 at his home on Eminence Hill, after several years of illness, surrounded by his entire family, wife and three daughters. He was born at Bakersville, Mo., July 28, 1870, married Miss Florence Beason at Moody in 1895 and moved to Mammoth Spring in 1903, buying and selling cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, etc. He was the father of 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls. The boys died in childhood. The three daughters are Ethel or Mrs. Fred Harris, Turman; Esther or Mrs. O. M. Taber, Oklahoma City; Miss Edith at home. There were all with him when the end came. John was injured by the Frisco a few years ago and never full recovered from that injury. He leaves 4 brothers …. (page did not copy remaining obit)

Albert Cooper, Dead!

Albert Cooper, born Sept. 11, 1878, at Sumner, Illinois, died at Seymour, Mo., Jan 10, 1930, aged 51 years, 4 months, and 29 days. He was brother of Mrs. Wesley Simers and Willard Cooper of Mammoth Spring. Funeral services were conducted from the Presbyterian Church by Rev. D. J. Estep, a Baptist minister of Seymour, at 4 p. m., last Sunday, the body arriving here on No. 103 that afternoon, burial being had in Riverside cemetery conducted by Leo Carr. Albert Cooper was reared here, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Cooper, than whom we have had no finer people. He leaves 3 brothers, Williard, Mammoth Spring, Raymond of Doniphan, Mo., and Hugh of Lincoln, Kansas, and 3 sisters, Mrs. C. W. Simers of Mammoth, Mrs. C. C. Playford, Tarpin Springs, Florida and Mrs. Ambrose Henry, Marianna, Ark. Beside these he leaves his mother, Mrs. Mary A. Cooper, who makes her home with her son, Willard, here. Enlargement of the heart took him away.

Albert Cole and family have removed to Mammoth Spring. Because there home is rented for a year to Les Humphries they have located in the Huckins home with Miss Maggie.

J. G. Baertels has purchased C. L. Manry’s interest in the City Meat Market and has taken possession.

Mrs. J. C. Jeffery left Saturday for a visit in Memphis. She was accompanied by her grandson, Jimmy Jeffery.

C. C. Pressly, president of the Citizens Bank, is again at his post of duty after a short stay in the Jonesboro hospital.

Mrs. Bryan Wahlquiest was operated upon in the Baptist Hospital, Little Rock, last week for six ailments, is recovering nicely.

The Confederate pensions of Liddy Jones of Saddle and John C. Smith and John Reese of Mammoth Spring were granted this week by the State pension board and their first checks will be in the February batch.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, Feburary 28, 1930

J. Newt Hunt and daughter, Miss Nannie May, spent last week in Izard County, returning Sunday.

C. C. Aylor, county judge of Izard county, was a visitor to Salem Monday. He is cousin to our Earl Sterling.

Mrs. J. E. Moffet, a Confederate widow of Wheeling, aged 84 years, died at her home Tuesday and was buried Wednesday.

E. Newton Ellis of Pocahontas and Shelby Ferguson of Evening Shade, candidates for prosecuting attorney, were in town this week.

One of the loveliest affairs of the season was the bridge party at the home of Mrs. D. C. Rhea last Wednesday evening with Mrs. Rhea as hostess. Mrs. H. Chumley was awarded ladies high score, Asa McCord men’s high score, Myrtle Burch consolation prize. At the close of the games, the hostess served a delicious salad plate. Those enjoying the hospitality were: Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Daniel, Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Nesbit, Mr. and Mrs. Asa McCord, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Elmore, Mr. and Mrs. Cloy Culver, Mmes Pearl Heard, H. G. Chumley, Myrtle Burch, Ethyl Chapman, Miss Winifred Bellamy, E. C. Bellamy, R. H. Rippeteau.

Jacob Byrd Harmon died Saturday at his home southwest of town of paralysis and was buried Sunday afternoon in the Moten cemetery, ages 84 years, and five days, N. D. Porter preaching the funeral oration. He leaves a wife, aged 75, and four gown children, many grand and a few great-grand children. He was the father of 8 children, 4 whom preceded him in death. During the civil war he was a soldier on the Confederate side, enlisting along with John Reese, John C. Smith, and Marlon Jones, the 1^st two of whom still live here. He was a member of the Methodist church. He and his good wife were married 58 years ago. His children are Jesse, Alpha, and Will Harmon and Mrs. J. A. Riggs. Jesse and Alpha live here. Will lives at Wiville and Mrs. Riggs at Ft. Smith. All were present at the funeral except Will.

Bob Arnold of Thayer was a visitor at the home of his sister, Mrs. Charley Wahlquiest last Saturday.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, May 30, 1930

The meat market has just received a sanitary electric meat cutter.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stoehs and heir 5 year old daughter Genovie, spent the week end with their aunt, Mrs. Wm. Phiffer. Mrs. Stochs is daughter of Lewis Ramsey.

Newt Hunt is visiting his son, Tom at Lake City.

Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Ford sports a model A Ford 4 door sedan.

Mrs. J. P. Flannagan returned to Tulsa last Friday after a week with her parents, J. E. and Mrs. Ford.

Mack Kissee has moved his address from 1407 Madison to 6821 Cleveland street, Kansas City, Mo.,

Carney Taylor, aged about 86 years, died Tuesday at noon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Alvah Cherry at French and was buried Wednesday. We failed to learn who conducted the funeral.

Mrs. Nora Jurney, a very able Pentecostal preacher, of Morrilton, Conway, is conducting a revival at the Mammoth Spring mission. The crowds increased so that it was necessary to move into the large tabernacle. Next Sunday there is all-day service with dinner on the ground.

Rosa, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Josh Hayes of Field Creek, was operated upon for appendicitis in the Baptist hospital at Springfield Saturday at 5 p.m. and she is making a splendid recovery. She was accompanied by Dr. King and her father.

Jim Martin, cashier of the People Bank, is building a new stone bungalow.

J. D. Davis, a Janes Creek farmer, is her being treated for blood poison by Dr. Hull.

George Wyatt and family of Rosie and Earnest Wycough and wife of Salada spent Sunday at the home of John Kennedy at Riverside.

J. D. McEachern was over from Osceola this week with an expert plumber and had some needed work done on his beautiful new stone bungalow.

Harry Wood stopped off and spent a few days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Wood. He resides in Boston and from there goes all over the Union in the interest of an insurance company.

C. V. O’Neill carried two car loads of handles to Heber Spring Wednesday, L. E. Scharff driving one load, Mrs. O’Neill went along and stopped in Batesville to visit her daughter, Mrs. Dr. O. B. May.

Asks a Second Term

R. L. White authorizes us to announce him a candidate for re-election to the office of county and probate judge subject to the action of the Democratic primary election to be held Aug. 12 and the same will be found in the proper column.

Lee White is now rounding out his first term in the county judges office. He has made good and is therefore entitled to a second term with opposition and we hope no one will oppose him.

He needs no introduction from The Democrat, as every person in the county knows him and recognized in him honestly and straight dealings.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, Jun 27, 1930

James R. Roten is No More

James H. Roten, aged 85 years one month and 20 days, died last Saturday morning at his home 2 miles east of Sage, Izard county at 1.15 o’clock after an illness of about one month, and was buried Sunday afternoon in the Shell graveyard at 4 o’clock in the presence of more than 2,000 persons gathered there for the sad occasion. It was the largest funeral we have ever witnessed, 285 cars and 7 trucks in the procession. He was buried by the Masonic order.

Uncle Jim Roten, as he was known to his friends, was born in McNary County, Tennessee, April 30, 1845. He came to Arkansas with his parents in 1850, locating in Carroll county where he remained 6 years, moving from there to Granby, Mo., at the age of 11 years, when and where he hired himself to the American Fur Co., to drive a team, operating in the Osage and Creek nations, Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

In the Fall of 1860, after 4 years spent in the wilds of the Indian country, the train of wagons of the American Fur Co., returned to the states. It was in November. Uncle Jim was 15 years old then. Think of it; that was more than 70 years ago. The Kansas Jayhawkers and Missourian had already been fighting over differences that brought on the Civil war, and secret companies were being made up. Capt. Shaw had organized Co. A. Mo. State Guards, Charlton regiment and was drilling at nights. In May of 1861 they drilled out in the open and for four long years he was active in the service of the Confederacy. His first real battle was that of Wilson Creek near Springfield when they routed the Federal forces. His father was wounded in this battle.

Then they marched on Lexington, Mo., being attacked near Ft. Scott, Kansas, but soon ran the federals back into fort.

After spending the winter near Cassville, Mo., they were reinforced Gen’s McCullough and McIntosh and when General Curtis of the federals, with 20,000 men, marched onto them, there was a real battle at “Elkhorn Tavern” or Pea Ridge. Generals Price, McIntosh, and McCullough were wounded in this 3-day battle.

After the battle of Pea Ridge reorganization was necessary. Roten’s new captain was Frazier, father of Luther and Cob Frazier.

Uncle Jim, one of Shelby’s men took part in the battles of Corinth and Iuka, Miss., Lone Jack, Mo., and in the Battle of Helena and in all about 37 battles, during the was, and was never wounded.

On Jan. 25, 1866 he was married to Miss Nancy Shell, in Izard county, and was the father of 10 children, 4 boys and 6 girls and reared them all but one to be grown and married. They are Mrs. J. R. Henley, Green Forest, Mrs. J. W. Shell, Sage, Mrs. Geo. Howell, Joplin, Sam Roten, Sage, Geo. Roten, Joplin, John Roten, Plain Dealings, La., Mrs. Lee Phillips, Mammoth Spring, Hettie Beach, Franklin.

He met his wife under peculiar circumstances. A bunch of 12 or 15 plunderers had gone to her mother’s home to take away her only horse. Roten heard the women crying. Alone he rushed up to the log cabin, commanded the release of the horse, ordered the men to leave, which they did. Then he ate dinner with them and a mutual friendship sprang up between James Roten and Nancy Shell which ripened into love and the marriage took place Jan. 25, 1866.

She died Oct. 31, 1928, after they had lived pleasantly together 63 happy years.

Since the civil war Mr. Roten has been a dirt farmer actively engaged in farming. He reared his family on the farm he died and where his good wife died.

He was a member of Christ’s church, the Mason order and the Democratic party and his friends were as numerous as his acquaintances, proven by the thousands attending his burial and the abundance of beautiful flowers place upon his casket.

No more consistently beautiful and good life has been lived than that of James H. Roten.

With his passing this editor has lost one of his best friends.

No man has ever stuck closer to us than has Uncle Jim Roten.

He was fully prepared for the departure and we believe when he said good bye here he said Good Morning up there.

Wahlquist-Nelson

Paul Wahlquist, 19, and Miss Vivien Nelson, 19, were married last Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock at the home of John Baldwin two miles west of town on national highway No. 68 in the presence of two car loads of witnesses. The groom is our youngest son and the last of our children to be married. The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Blanch Nelson of St. Joseph, Mo. She is the niece of C. O. Wahlquist, brother to the groom, and it was at his home in Wynne where she was visiting her aunt that the two first met. She came home with us from Wynne on Monday last week and the wedding took place five days later. So Paul is his brother and his uncle and her sister-in-law is his aunt. He was Clyde’s brother. Now he is his nephew. We call that keeping it in the family.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, Jul 7, 1930

T. J. Puckett, Dead

Thomas Jefferson Puckett, a Confederate soldier, aged 82 years and six months, died June 26 at his home near Violet Hill, Izard county, after a long illness, being an invalid for three years, leaving his wife and 7 children to mourn his departure. He was uncle of Newt Hunt.

Uncle Tom was born in Murray county, Tennessee, coming to Arkansas in 1880. In 1870 or 60 years ago he was married and they celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in May of this year.

He was a member of the Church of Christ and the Democratic Party and was true to both to his dying hour.

Most of his life was spent in the community where he died and no man had more friends among his acquaintances. He was loved by everybody who knew him.

Eld. B. M. Lemmons preached the funeral.

Four of his children and his wife were present at the funeral. The other children, residing in Oklahoma and Texas, could not get there in time for the burial.

A large gathering of people attended the funeral.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, August 22, 1930

A Good Woman, Gone!

Indiana Narsises Melton, step mother of Mrs. Walhquist, died on primary election day at her home near Brockwell, Izard county. She was the mother of 10 children, only one of whom is living, Chester, age 27. She was born at Lunenburg, Izard county, April 7, 1857, daughter of “Uncle Dick” Hays and was aged 73 years, 4 months, and 5 days. She was buried last Wednesday in the Forrest Chapel cemetery in Violet Hill township beside her late husband, “Uncle Ham” Melton, father of Mrs. Wahhquist. “Aunt India” was a good woman, loved by all who knew her.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, October 10, 1930

Jim Denton. Dead!

A telegram was received here Tuesday at 11 o’clock by Gordon Rogers from his sister, Ruth Denton, announcing the sudden death, following a major operation, of her husband, J. S. Denton, which occurred at Commerce, Okla., that same day. Ruth the wife of J. S. Denton, is sister to Gordon Rogers, Mrs. A. B. Dutton, and Mrs. Bert Graham, and cousin to Ellen Rightmire of our town. Mrs. Rightmire left on the No. 6 to attend the funeral. Jim Denton married and started out in life here. He got a arm cut off in a hand-feed cotton gin. Many a person has thrown himself upon charity of the public with a lesser handicap. Not so with Jim Denton. On a credit Jim acquired a yoke of oxen and wagon and went to draying for the merchants of Mammoth Spring. The public, admiring the grit and industry of the man he was soon able to possess a pair of good mules. Soon, too, he owned his home and barn. Sell his dray business he opened a grocery store in a corner-front frame building that stood where now is situated the brick store of the Mammoth Spring Hardware. With Jim Denton his lost arm was an asset instead of a handicap. When he passed out of life he left his companion in splendid shape financially.

The Democrat, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, October 17, 1930

Miss Fleeda Dearinger of Camp had tonsils removed here Tuesday by two of our local physicians and she is doing fine.

Mrs. Ellen Rightmire returned from Commerce, Okla. Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Tedrow of Galena, Kas., are visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Huckins.

The little girl of Jake Madden who has been sick for several weeks is reported some better.

Capt. F. M. Hanley, aged Melbourne attorney, and a veteran of the War Between the States, passed his 85^th birthday, Tuesday.

Although just a boy in the War Between the States, he has been called “Captain” practically ever since coming to Melbourne in the late 70s. He was living where he now lives when the tornado visited Melbourne in the 80s and while his home was destroyed none of his family were injured.

His friends and neighbors, deciding, perhaps, that one of the best ways to live long and be happy is to eat and drink, gave Mr. Hanley various articles of food. A nice watermelon, a can of coffee, a plate of sausages, a few bananas and a plate of tea cakes were among the gifts of the kind he received.

Mrs. Mattie Hudgens, born in Shelbyville, Tenn., April 24, 1872 died at her home in Boise City addition to Mammoth Spring Oct. 19, 1930 of tuberculosis, age 60 years, 5 months, and 25 days, the mother of 6 sons, five of whom survive her, together with one sister S. E. Hager, better known as “Aunt Kit”. The sons are Fred Burns, by her first marriage, S. A., C. T., A. C. and C. S. Hudgens. Mrs. Hudgens was converted and united with the Missionary Baptist church early in life and she lived the consecrated life to the very close. In her father’s family were 11 children. “Aunt Kit” is the only one left. Her friends were as extensive as her acquaintance. Everybody loved her who knew her.

Updated 16 Feb 2015