Judge Goodman, who has been very sick at his home near Peirce City, is rapidly improving. Circuit Court convenes on Monday the 23d inst. with a docket of 23 criminal cases and 160 civil. Rev. J. F. Shrum has been employed to act as Home Missionary by the Baptist Home Mission Board. Lewis L. Allen, the well-known insurance man of Peirce City, is looking at the wonders of the World's fair at New Orleans this week. The members of the Mt. Vernon C. P. Church are raising funds to build a parsonage on their church lot. About $300 has been subscribed. U. L. Coleman, assistant P. M. at Marionville, who was arrested last week charged with tampering with the mail, was acquitted in the examination before U. S. Commissioner Jones at Springfield. Lon Stogsdill was severely cut with a knife by Josh. Todd, at a dance near Verona, last Friday night. The cutting is said to have been done in self-defense and no arrests have been made so far. We printed this wek the Minutes of the Fortieth Annual Meeting of the Union Association of Regular Predestinarian Baptists, held with Spring River church last fall. This is no doubt the oldest church association in Southwest Missouri. The Literature Board, appointed at the last session of the Lawrence County Baptist Association, to devise and adopt a plan for the dissemination of Baptist literature, met at this place last week and organized. The Board decided to ask the churches of the Association for a contribution to be used as a permanent fund to supply a Depository located at Mt. Vernon. It is the intention of the Board to buy the books at wholesale rates and sell them at the usual retail prices, the profits to be used in paying the expenses of the colporters. Contributions can be sent to Rev. A. J. Alexander, Treasurer, Mt. Vernon, Mo. Married, at the residence of the bride's parents at Marionvile, Mo., Tuesday evening, Feb. 10th, 1885, at 7 o'clock, Rev. D. W. Cheek of Mt. Vernon officiating, Rev. R. L. Vannice, pastor of the C. P. Church and Miss Ida Turrentine of Marionville, Mo. Smith Hughes, of Peirce City had a portion of his left hand blown off on Tuesday night last, while tinkering with a dynamite cartridge. His wife had just told him to be careful, it was dangerous, but he laughed at her remarking that he knew what he was about. His thumb and two first fingers were amputated by the doctors and he will be months in getting so he can use what is left of his hand. Temperance program: Reading, Mrs. Thomas; Song, Percy Gaither and Joe Stephens; Reading, Mrs. Lucy Cecil; reading, Mrs. Fowler; Song, Mrs. Peden; Recitation, Miss Alma Leathers; Song, Misses Ida Smith and Mollie Hopper; Reading, Miss Mary Harvey; Song, Mrs. Ophelia Millsap; Recitation, Miss Ella Wear; Song, Mrs. Leathers; Recitation, Miss Millie Wear. [Speakers at the Teachers' Institute held at Peirce City Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7: Prof. M. L. Maiden of Cassville, D. J. Bigbee, Prof. C. E. Greenup of Mt. Vernon, Prof. W. J. Spilman.]

[Short Horn Association of Southwest Mo. appointed committee to solicit solicit subscription and arrange for importation as follows: W. E. Hall, Carthage; Author Taylor, Marionville; R. S. Hillhouse, Verona; B. K. Turk, Mt. Vernon.] Marriage Licenses Rev. R. L. Vannice of Greenfield and Miss Ida Turrentine of Marionville; Theodore Doss and Ottilia Worm; Henry Woodson and Mary J. Jenkins; A. J. Ward and Carrie Sifferman; E. J. Fortner and Martha Fortner. Probate Matters ..Bond of M. M. Johnson, administrator of estate of Sue E. P. Montgomery, in sum of $18,000 approved. ..N. Snow made final settlement of estate of Wm. M. Morris. ..Final settlement of M. M. Guinn, curator for Geo. E. Guinn, approved. ..Final settlement of E. C. Davis curator for Margaret A. Jones, approved. ..Final settlement of Daniel Lee, curator for Jerusha E. Smith approved. ..Final settlement of H. S. Hammers, curator for Sophronia Williams, approved. ..Final settlement of Sarah G. Williams curator for Henry T. and Laura C. Williams approved. County Court Proceedings ..The court finished their work Thursday and adjourned to the first Monday in March. The following items are taken from Thursday's proceedings. ..Road overseers to be allowed $1.50 a day; all persons liable to road work to work four days or pay one dollar a day. Signboards to be paid for same as last year. ..Treasurer ordered to pay $800 on principal of county school fund due from county. ..Treasurer ordered to pay interest due from county to school fund. ..Bond of W. S. Ryan, collector-elect, for $75,000 approved. ..The following road overseers were appointed: Dist. 1 -- Joseph Carter Dist. 3 -- Samuel Morgan Dist. 4 -- Albert Bayless Dist. 5 -- John Latham Dist. 6 -- F. M. Holder Dist. 7 -- W. W. Kirby Dist. 8 -- A. S. Bereman Dist. 11 -- M. R. Allen Dist. 12 -- W. C. Hewlett Proposals For Furnishing and Setting 52 Hitching Posts Pursuant to an order of the county Court, sealed bids ..... for the immediate delivery and setting up of posts around court house yard on which to suspend a chain for hitching purposes, as follows: First. For 52 perfectly sound, post oak or white oak posts, eight inches square and seven feet long. Second. For the setting up of said posts one rod apart in a true line, the end placed in the ground to be charred or coated with coal tar as the court may designate, and set in post holes two and one half feet deep and be substantially tamped; the other end to be squared and a hole bored through the center six inches from the top to receive a chain; the four corner posts to be braced from two sides, and cener posts, one on each side of crossing from court yard to be securely braced from one side with timbers not less than eight feet in length.

Mr. Teal's New Road Law Bill ..We hope the bill for the new road law offered by our representative Hon. Jno. T. Teel, will pass, that is if its provisions are such as we believe them to be. This bill substitutes taxation of property for the present very faulty and insufficient method of having our roads worked by compelling labor from able bodied men under 50 years of age. The roads in this part of the State are in a disgraceful condition, and under the present system they never can be placed in good repair. Many of our wealthiest citizens, and those who would be the most benefited by good roads, escape taxation for road purposes, while those who are compelled to work their two or three days in the year, as a rule do not work as faithfully and efficiently as would men who are hired by the road overseer and paid for their labor, with the knowledge that they must work well and obey orders if they want to keep their job. Property has to bear its proper share of the taxation for all other purposes, and why should it be exempt in any case from road taxation? ..... To continue the present system would be a creditable to the intelligence of our people, as would be to the intelligence of our farmers to continue to use the long discarded wooden mould board plows of 100 years ago. --[Peirce City Democrat] Short Horn [Association] [Special call meeting: President, C. C. Matlock, Marionville; F. M. Taylor, Marionville; W. H. Kirkpatrick, Peirce City; Judge Henry Brumback and B. K. Turk, Mt. Vernon; D. K. Hood, E. M. Chapman, H. Hubbart and John Paxton, Sarcoxie; Bart Johnson, Bowers Mill; Sam C. Eastman, Palmyra; S. U. Seerly, Carthage. "Owing to very bad roads many of the interested members failed to attend this meeting." [Sarcoxie Vindicator] Freistatt Items ..Mr. Otto Malzalm of Good Thunder, Minesota, is here visiting his brother Louis and other relatives. ..Mrs. Clara Eckert of Darmstadt, Ills., is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Schoen, and Messrs. Roettger and Muenter of Venedy, Ill., their Uncles, Messrs. H. and F. Aufdembrink. ..Mr. Holtmann at Kankakee Co., Ill., has bought a farm on Center Creek and will become a citizen of this county. Welcome, Mr. Holtmann, to our community, and may you never regret having located in our midst. ..Mr. F. Drews is building himself a neat residence. Now F. D. is a bachelor and the general query is why does he build such a nice house all for himself? Ferdy, own up. ..Mr. Geo. S. Peck is teaching the school in Spring River Prairie schoolhouse and is giving good satisfaction. ..Roads are in a bad condition and a sight met the eye of the writer of this which he will never forget: a drummer on his way from Mt. Vernon to Peirce City rested his team several times on the road. ..The wolves are having a high time. They can be heard nearly every night and seem to defy our nimrods. If rigid measures for their speedy extermination are not soon taken they will become a plague to this part of the county. ..Thanks to Rep. Teel for valuable documents. Teuton...Freistatt, Feb. 8 Remember J. P. Ware's sale at Heaton is on Saturday, Feb. 21st, 1885. Adv. for C. R. Carter, Retail dealer in drugs, fancy groceries, paints, oils, varnishes, dye-stuffs, etc.; east side public square, Mt. Vernon, Mo.