A SEARCH THROUGH THE COUNTY'S OLD RECORDS

IIt is interesting to search the old records of any county.  Did you ever visit the Court House and peruse the old musty books and examine the official entries made long years ago?  If so, then you can better appreciate the conditions which existed in the early days.  All the bright intellects do not live in the present age.  Our forefathers were superior to us invariably in many respects, especially when we stop to consider the advantages, if they can be termed such, which we enjoy over them.  Most of the early officials wrote excellent hands and the pioneer surveyors, who first came to blaze out the way for civilization were men usually of rare qualifications; and yet there were few colleges then.  People in those days applied themselves to their studies at home and then too there were not so many other things to think about, as is the case nowadays.

But down to the subject of these old records.  In looking through one of the early Minute books in the County Court Clerks office, there can be found numerous entries which are both interesting and amusing.   A few of these are here copied in full.  For instance, on the first day of January, 1846, the "Honorable Quarterly Court met at Gordon in pursuance to adjournment."  In 1847, at the January term of Quarterly court for Lewis County, it was "ordered by the court that the Trustee pay A.G. Buckner the sum of eight dollars out of any money in his hands not otherwise appropriated, for his services as Chairman of the County Court of said County for the year 1846".  Wonder if anyone kicked at that salary back then?  Seems like that was reasonable enough.  But those good fellows were not in the office with money as their priority. 

At this same term of the Court the "Trustee was ordered to refund to John Morrison the sum of 52 cents, same being poll tax paid by the said Morrison after becoming over age".  Those were cheap enough taxes looks like, when contrasted to our taxes of this day.

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