were unknown. Sheets were folded and mailed for a distant friend, who paid twenty-five cents for his letter. Now in 1906 a letter for from two to five cents will traverse the globe.                                              Pike County's Illustrious Dead        The early pioneers were not particularly noted for their legal acumen and statecraft but more for the eternal principles of right, and their energy and endurance in the old and trying times when they started old Pike on the forward march of progress and civilization, and gave to us one of the gardens of the then new world. The first names on the roll of illustrious dead are Ebenezer Franklin and Daniel Shinn; and soon came William, Clarenden, Leonard and Henry Ross. The first named was the most distinguished and was known as Col. William Ross, who is now held in everlasting esteem for what he did for posterity. John and Jeremiah Ross, Rufus Brown, John Wood, Willard Keys, James M. Seely, John and Nathaniel Shaw, Alfred Bissell, John Matthews, Nicholas Hansen and Benjamin Barney, all will live in history as our first and most illustrious pioneer citizens. In the list of pioneer business men the following left their impression on the times, and will be remembered for what they did for the advancement and development of affairs: Lyman Scott, John Webb, N. W. Jones, C. P. Chapman, Austin Barber, B. D. Brown, M. Blair, Lombard & Ayres, D. D. Hicks, George Wike, Amos Morey, Lewis Angle, B. F. Westlake, John McTucker and Isaac A. Hatch. In the list of professional men occur the medical; and they gave the best years of their lives to the public: Drs. W. A. Whiting, A. C. Baker, Thomas Worthington, O. C. Campbell, F. A. Landrum, John A. Thomas and J. H. Ledlie. The brilliant legal minds that now are still and pulseless, but are so well remembered are: Chauncey L. Higbee, of whom Milton Haly said, "As great soldiers are said to learn the art of war upon the battlefield, so in the open field of practice, opposed with rivals and contestants, so Judge Higbee acquired, to a high degree of excellence, both the principles and art of his profession": Scott Wike, William A. Grimshaw, James S. Irwin, William R. Archer, Strother Griggsby and H. D. L. Griggsby, each were devoted to this profession, and doubtless fully endorsed this, from the day when Cicero said that the law was set over the magistrate to the time of Chatham's famous declaration, that where law ends tryanny begins, and from that day to ours, great men have celebrated the connection of law with liberty. To lossen the respect for law in America, whether that respect is lost by magistrate or the people, is a poor service to our country.      Added to this list properly come the following who were well known as good citizens, whose lives added to the glory and prosperity of old Pike. They all did something for schools, churches, for charity, and generally for all the people's interests. B. L. Matthews, J. L. Metz, Rev. William Hawker, J. Cleveland, J. H. Dennis, William Turnbull, James McWilliams, Charles Gibbs, George Pratt, J. O. Bolin, B. H. Atkinson, William Watson, Joel Pennington, Perry Wells, William Yokum, W. R. Wills, Sr., J. G. Adams, J. D. Rupert, Samuel Taylor, Hazen Pressy, D. A. Shaw, Moses Easley, Joseph Strubinger, Rev. William Rose, Revs. Carter, Worthington and Barrett, William Green, Niles Kinne, Samuel Clark, Horace Horton, James Tolbert, Moses and Joel Morey, J. C. Colvin, Joseph McFarland, Alex McClintock, C. T. Brewster, Dr. P. M. Parker and F. M. Clyde.                                                   Old Settlers' Association        It is not strange that among the pioneer settlers of any new country a deep-seated and sincere friendship should spring up that would grow and strengthen with their years. The incidents peculiar to life in a new country, the trials and hardships, privations and destitution -- are well calculated to test not only the physical powers of endurance, but the moral, kindly, generous attributes of manhood and womanhood. Then are the times that try men's souls, and bring to the surface all that may be in them whether good or bad. As a rule there is an equality of conditions that recognizes no distinctions. All occupy a common level, and as a natural consequence a