return to previous section - 3

[1907]
[Julia Sublett Arnett, E.B.'s first wife died in July 1907 at age 32. She had had TB and spent several of her last years in a TB Sanitarium in Asheville, NC, before returning to KY. She died in Lexington while visiting her sister, Lizzy , who'd married Harry Atkison, who worked for the IRS.]

[Ruth Schoppe, "Uncle Charlie and dad [E. B. Arnett] were partners and when my father took my mother to NC because she had T.B., he rented our house and Uncle Charlie continued in the store. After Daddy came back, I guess he bought him out."]

(33) To G. C. Arnett 22 years 5 months and three days old and F. E. Arnett 17 years five months and seven days of age--price paid $1587.00 cash in hand. == By H.G.A. I furnished all the said funds to my said sons and they jointly executed to me a promissory note for said sum which reads as follows = viz.: -
$1587.00
One day after date, for value received in cash, we promise to pay to H.G. Arnett and Rebecca Arnett Fifteen Hundred and Eighty Seven Dollars, This being the amount paid to Erin M. Howard for all her interest in and to the H.G. Arnett farm. at this date. with a lien retained on said interest for said amount. Legal interest from date hereof..
This Aug. 8, 1907
signed: G.C. Arnett, F.E. Arnett
Att- Leslie Higgins

There have been several payments made on said note, as shown on said note at different dates.

[1910]
[Eugene B. Arnett married Miss Lucy Jones May 4, 1910. To them were born three children: Paul (January 2, 1911), Walter Wendell (May 5, 1912) and Bernice (May 4, 1919). During the three years that passed between Julia's death and Lucy's marriage, Helen and Oaks stayed with Sublett families and Ruth stayed with Eugene, often sleeping in a small bed at the store where he worked late.]

[Fritz E. Arnett married Loula Dyer, July 14, 1910. They had two children: Erin "little Erin" (March 14, 1911) and Lansing Ray (November 1, 1916).]

[Grover Cleveland Arnett died December 8, 1910 age 26 yrs, 8 mos, 14 days. Grover never married. He died of injuries from a fall from a roof.]

[1911]
[Paul Jones Arnett born - January 2, 1911 to E.B. and Lucy (Jones) Arnett.]

(63) A few more losses for H. G. Arnett: but remain silent on the "kidnapping" of my $5000 in "Gold" which I had labored five years for. The Culprits [one of whom was his own wife, Rebecca] are all well known to me, but I refrain from mentioning their names. Some [are] dead.

[Wendell recalled this story, "One time before I was born Grandma Arnett got mad at Grandpa about something (in some stories she was upset with some extra-marital fooling around H.G. was alleged to have been doing) and she and he brother Tom Higgins ran off with Grandpa's $10,000 in gold. They caught a train after getting to Mt. Sterling and headed toward California. They stayed out there for awhile and coming back they stopped off in Kansas where some wheat harvesters heard that Grandma was a good cook. She stayed and cooked for them awhile but soon got homesick for her people and for Grandpa. Daddy said the gold was still intact, for they spent very little of it." -- W.W.A. interview. In fact, according to Michael Arnett, they'd not even taken the gold with them but had buried it in some glass jars in the front yard of Grandpa Arnett's yard before they left and told him they took it just to rile him.]


[1912]
["Jan 12, 1912. . .E. B. Arnett announces store sale, closing out short lots and jobs, ladies and gents furnishings, mattresses, wall paper, furniture, dining tables, doors, windows, mill feed, cotton seed meal, baled hay, carpenter's tools, farming implements, cook stoves, churns, crockery and glassware."

"Jan 19, 1912. . .Full line of furniture at E. B. Arnett's . . . E. B. Arnett has rock bottom prices."

"Jan 12, 1912. . . HOWARD SUICIDE: Ms. Nannie Howard, sister to N.P. and Calloway Howard, committed suicide at Huntington, W.Va by taking carbolic acid."

-- Exerpts from Kentucky Mountaineer as reported in Journal of MCHS, Spring 1996 & Winter 1995.]


[Walter Wendell Arnett born - May 5, 1912 to E..B. and Lucy (Jones) Arnett.]


[1913]
(11) Then at the age of 65 [1913], I was re-appointed under "The Civil Service" Commission, Postmaster at Hendricks, Ky. and served two years and resigned.

(11) About 16 years ago [1913 since H.G.A. is writing this note in his journal in 1929] F.E. [Fritz] Arnett and myself executed a note to said Sublett for $300 for clothing which was already mine. [See 1917 note.]


[1914]
(63) My son-in-law D. Glenn Sublett April 1st, 1914, agreed and promised me the sum of $500 and all my expense to go with him to the City of Wheeling, W. VA and aid him to close a big real estate deal which I did. So we were there 4 or 5 days. I was consulted with several times by Mr. Edward Romine of that city, "Glenn's associate in the deal" then pending. After we had seen and examined a whole lot of City property which Glenn was to have in the deal if it went through. So after several meetings the deal was closed with Mr. McCabe for an amount aggregating the sum of $17500. Glen getting in value $8750 and Romine the same. So I never got my promised $500. [written in 1927]


[1915]
["Jul 1, 1915. . . D. Glenn Sublett and W. W. Cooper have ads as practicing Attorney's at Law in Salyersville, KY. Magoffin Institute begins Jul 5th. Joe Higgins & wife returned home from Lexington, KY." -- Excerpts from The Salyersville Herald, reported in the Journal of MCHS, Summer 1994.]

[A photo of the 1885 H. G. Arnett house and household copied in Appendix B of the hard copy shows the following persons living there about 1915-16: H. G. , Rebecca (his wife), Hettgarn (granddaughter), Fritz (son), Lula (Fritz's wife), little Erin (Fritz's daughter), Gert (granddaughter) and another unidentified girl. At this time there was still a portico on the house, and H. G. is shown standing with the assistance of a cane. Carolyn Minix (b.1933) says the portico was gone in her earliest memories. Fritz may have had it removed following H.G.'s death in 1934. Click on photo for larger more detailed view.]


[1917]
(56) My $500 Commission Charge was agreed upon before we started to Wheeling W.Va. [1917] The deal was closed and property all exchanged with Mr. McCabe through Mr. Geo. E. Romine of Wheeling W. VA on April 28, 1917.

D.G. Sublett got the following property:
one lot and dwelling in Edgewood W.Va			$ 1500
one " " " " McDeShanta			$ 3300
one " " " " W. Wheeling, Ohio			$ 1800
one " " " " Moundsville, W.Va			$ 1400
one Roller Mill " Marshell Co "			$ 5000
one Street Car Coupon = to Cash "			$ 1000
Cash $500 note secured $3000			$ 800
.................................Total			$14,800

Geo. Edward Romine got in the deal:
one lot and dwelling in Elm Grove W.Va			$ 1000
one " " " McMeechen "			$ 2500
Cash $300 Note $200			$ 500
...................................Total Com			$ 4000

(56) Correct Statement:
About the year 1917, said D.G. Sublett was indebted to me in the sum of $550 paid the U.S. Government wholly caused by him. My Commission in the above McCabe and Romine deal is $500. About 16 years ago [1913 as H.G.A. is writing this note in his journal in 1929] F.E. [Fritz] Arnett and myself executed a note to said Sublett for $300 for clothing which was already mine. Also he held a mortgage lien against G.C.Arnett at his death for $275 which was kept a secret from me as the debt was a fraud. So limitation settles that. Just before said F.E. Arnett was married, he borrowed fifty ($50) dollars (57) from D.G. Sublett and secretly executed a deed to his sister Loulie Sublett to all his interest in and to his 1/5 interest in the G.C. Arnett Will for a consideration of one hundred ($100) dollars when only $50 paid, when said F.E.Arnett was not eligible to make a deed of any kind, and renders the said deed void.
(56) Besides I held a purchase money note against the said G.C. Arnett and F.E. Arnett for $1587 of date Aug 8, 1907, for the purchase money I loaned to said G.C. and F.E. Arnett when they purchased all of E.M. Howard and Calloway Howard's on (1/3) third interest in the H.G. Arnett farm as shown by the deed now on record. F.E. Arnett has paid in full all his one half of the said $1587 note and E.B. Arnett has credit for $400 on said note which leaves the remainder unpaid at this date which is assigned by me to said F. E. Arnett for value received.
This Nov. 7, 1929
H. G. Arnett

The Mills of Justice Grinds
Slow But Sure
H.G.A


(63) Also April 28, 1917, deprived me of $346 as "oil-Lease" Commission on 7761 acres in the name of R.D. Sublett to me and George Eastrom--Eastrom lost $910. After that Glenn sold to Yerkez and made all our profits clear amt--$1256.

(63) But I must say in conclusion that Glenn nor Loulie never did refuse or fail to sign an oil and gas lease nor hesitate a moment when I was the "beneficiary." H.G.A.[written in 1927]

(48) [In] 1917 I was employed Atty. Counselor and adviser by B.W. Arnett, during all the time he has held the Office of Postmaster at Hendricks, Ky or since the fall of 1917 attending to all his business affairs pertaining to said Office and all other matters needing attention whenever called upon to do- for himself and wife Missouri. I was consulted on all his business matters in all his wife's School teaching and was instrumental in procuring certificates to teach three schools in which she realized over $1200 and could have made him $500 more if he had taken my advice when he purchased the Phebe Howard lot of land. I wrote all his deeds and all his letters in all business correspondence of every matter and was the custodian of all his deeds until his father died. Fee $500 H.G. Arnett. wit== Kelly Oney, Galen Arnett, Calloway Carty, F.E. Arnett, Loulie Arnett, Haden Arnett, French Arnett, Beckham Arnett
Morehead Normal School - affair = 3 months work

[Eugene B. Arnett's stone house was built [1917] by some Italian stone masons."I also own the two story stone building in which I now live. It was erected out of native stone by Italians the cost of which was $5,000." -- from E. B. Arnett's memoir.]
["When our house was built in 1917, [Lewis] Marshall poured the concrete porch surrounding our big house. It was a good job of concrete work, and I remember he had embedded his name and the year he had poured the concrete on a section next to the wall of the house." -- W. W. Arnett memoirs (Ifo12). Following Lucy Arnett's death in 1960, the house and land were sold at auction and then sold to an oil company and torn down in 1961 for a gas station. In the mid 80's Salyersville set up "Ft. Prater" on the site, and during the 90's the land has been the site of the log cabin museum and future home of the Magoffin Co. Historical Society. -- jwa]


[1918]
[Phebe Higgins, Rebecca Arnett's mother, died November 15, 1918 at the age of 86.]


[1919]
[Bernice Arnett was born May 4, 1919 to E.B. and Lucy (Jones) Arnett.]


[1920]
[Before Rebecca's stroke, she and H.G. A. participated in a small church nearby. Ruth Schoppe recalled, "They didn't have regular church. They had quarterly church or something. Helen and I would go over the week before to help dust off the chairs, and Grandma would cook up everything in the world, you cannot imagine. They'd kill a calf and turkeys and everything. Then on Sunday they'd have this meeting -- it was primitive Baptist with footwashing and such. People would come from everywhere and of course they stayed with Grandma. That is one of the times I saw my great-grandmother [John Higgins' wife] there. She was at Grandma's and I know we'd go down to the little church, some of the cousins and all of us would clean up the church. They would have these big dinners and have church and it would last about all day. I remember she had stacked pies. There little fruit pies between two crusts and she'd put something like dried apple filling between them and then she'd stack them until it looked like a cake. Then she'd cut it like cake. It was good, I remember it as being very good." -- R. Schoppe interview. Although not a frequent "church go-er," Fritz' daughter Erin Arnett remembered H.G.A. reading his Bible on a regular basis, and she estimated that during the course of his life he "read it through three times from cover to cover."]

[The Missionary Baptist Church of Salyersville where Lucy Jones Arnett and Branch Higgins were active was organized in 1909 by a Rev. Sledge. In 1906 Rev. Lewis Caudill had been instrumental in getting the Home Mission Board of the SBC to establish the Magoffin Baptist Institute in Salyersville. "Brother" Caudill was the pastor of the Salyersville Baptist Church from 1920-1922, and was "remembered well" by W. W. Arnett who also attended the MBI where his mother first taught. -- jwa and notes from "Rev. Lewis F. Caudill" in Journal of MCHS, Summer 1994.]

[Wendell Arnett (b. 1912) recalled, "Both Grandpa and Grandma liked people, and Grandpa was an interesting conversationalist practically on any subject including politics, farming, schools, roads, timber or what have you. Daddy was the oldest of their children. They had four sons and two daughters and lots of grandchildren. At one time Grandpa was Superintendent of Magoffin County schools.......Many times we would go over to my Grandpa Arnett's home on what we called the 'Middle Fork' or Hendricks, Kentucky which was four miles from Salyersville. Going over there by buggy or hack pulled by two horses, through the narrow, sometimes muddy, rocky road was something, for you really felt as if you had traveled twenty-five miles instead. The trip was worth it however, for Grandma Arnett, nee Rebecca Higgins, was a wonderful cook like my mother. They had a big two story house painted white on the outside with a tin roof, usually painted red. Each room had a grate and was heated by a coal fire. Across from the house was the big barn which contained tobacco hanging up and being dried. The loft of the barn contained loose hay and baled hay. They had horses and mules and wagons and plows for it was a very big farm. My cousin and I had much fun playing in the hay and building houses with them. My Dad's younger brother Fritz and his wife and two children lived with Grandpa, and later, when Grandma Arnett was bedridden [with a stroke,] Aunt Lula took care of her and Grandpa and the house. Grandma really put a spread on the table and people coming by would always be welcome at her table. They used to say that Grandma killed herself cooking for all the people who would come by and eat dinner with them. -- W.W.A. interview. ]

["a few more losses":]

(63) Also Oct 17, 1920 "Government Case" The Colvin Abstract Mistake cost me 500 fine besides all my time expense $100
Loss of Post Office
Total [losses] $1446

[The losses mentioned on page 63 covered some 6 years. Those mentioned included: The Wheeling W Va deal of 1914 ($500 loss), Oil Lease loss of 1917 ($346 loss), Colvin Abstract mistake above in 1920 ($500 loss) and his time and expense ($100 loss) = $1446. These were in addition to losses mentioned in 1927 notes]

(37) Next comes the distributions among our children, itemized, of any importance which I have given, furnished and paid to each of our children, as I now [1927] get it from records, memorandums, accounts, and memory. to wit: --

1st. Eugene B. Arnett

1. The Greenlee and Forst Draft ........................... = $ 500.00
2. Balance on The L. Kern & Co. deal.................. = $1697.50
3. The Blankenship cattle money - used............... = $ 500.00
4. The Smedburg "Gold" at Catlettsburg .............. = $1000.00
5. The S. B. Hench Oil Lease Draft .................... = $ 300.00
Total..................................................................... = $3997.50

Real Gifts =
6. 1 cow................................................................ = $ 50.00
7. 1 mare to Oakley............................................... = $100.00
8. Schooling expense.......................................... = $300.00
9. Library and Case............................................... = $ 50.00
Total ..................................................................... = $500.00

(37) I turned over the K.P. Gullett farm to Eugene for Map and Chart Money, he had made as Commission from the American Book Co. and I had used it and my wife and I made him a deed to the said farm, all paid by Eugene = $1000.00

(38)
2nd. Calloway Howard and Erin [Arnett]
1. Jan 1, 1895.....To Supt Co. Claim for 1894...................................... = $ 517.30
2. Apr 1, 1895 ....To Lou. Gormley Check............................................ = $ 175.00
3. Jan 1, 1896 ...To Mary Whitely Check........................................... = $ 150.00
4. Oct 9, 1896....Certificate of allowance for Doony............................ = $ 50.00
5. Apr. 10, 1896 Whitely Claim, due 4-10-1896................................... = $ 37.50
6. Apr. 10, 1896 ..Dooney Claim .."........ " .......................................... = $ 37.50
7. 1897............. Dooney Claim .." ..10-10-1896 ............................... = $ 37.50
8. 1897............. Whitely ...." ....." ..10-10-1897.............................. = $ 37.50
9. July 7, 1897 Dooney ....." ....." ..3-7-1897, dead ........................ = $ 24.99
10. Mar 1, 1890 ...The Greelee & First Draft 1898 ............................. = $ 250.00
11. Mar. 13, 1903 J.C. Patrick Check (in the Gah) ............................ = $ 100.00
12. Oct. 10, 1904 Buckwalter Check at Ventua Hotel....................... = $3200.00
Total - Large items................................................................................ = $4617.29
All paid except $378.30 as shown on "Ledger" Pa. 284

Absolute Gifts [to Calloway and Erin Howard]
13. 1 cow............................................................................................. = $ 50 and schooling
14. To amount paid on 1/3 of farm....................................................... = $1587.00
15. To the above val. B. Page 284..................................................... = $ 378.30
16. To Cast - Smedburg money..................................................... ...... = $ 500.00
Total .................................................................................................... = $2465.30

I must give to Calloway Howard first praise for his indefatigable service and also his attention in my behalf in adjusting all my debts in a most satisfactory manner.
While I tried to reciprocate all those favors as I am sure neither Fritz nor myself ever even hesitated or refused to sign notes, aid and assist Cally or Erin, when in need or distress, as was shown, when I gave Cally a check for $3200 and never even took his due bill for it. Then Fritz on the Mayo. note for $4000.00


(39)

D. M. Arnett

1. Blankenship note......................................................................... = $ 100.00
2. K. N. Fletcher acct...................................................................... = $ 50.00
3. D.D. Sublett acct. to H. G. A...................................................... = $ 50.00
4. Smedburg money. money paid Sublett.........................................= $ 50.00
5. Smedburg money ...." ........." ....... " ...........................................= $ 300.00
6. Hospital at Lexington, Ky............................................................. = $ 125.00
7. Paid Dr. Center's, Hazel Green....................................................= $ 50.00
8. Paid on Farm before Dury bid it in 1894........................................= $ 900.00
9. Lot of 3 acres "House stands".....................................................= $ 300.00
Total..................................................................................................= $1925.00

Gift
10. 1 cow......................................................................................... = $ 50.00

After the death of said D. M. Arnett on April 23, 1904 and the abandonment of his widow Dora Arnett from her three only girls, viz.: - Myrtle M., Gertrude & Hettgarn, which my wife and I took , cared for, raised and educated until they all married off as mentioned before in this book..

(39) The three above heirs of D. M. Arnett, dec'd, now Myrtle M. Rennie, wife of John Rennie, Gertrude Patrick, wife of John H. Patrick, Jr. and Hettgarn King, wife of Thos. L. King, are now the equal joint owners in Fee Simple of the 50 acre tract of land, known as the John Patrick, Sr. land, purchased by H.G. Arnett, June 23, 1894. See records (40) Deed Book. No. 4, Page 336. also the 3 acre piece of land, deeded to D. M. Arnett by Loulie Arnett by the direction of H. G. Arnett, June 2, 1902, in "Fee Simple" see book 16, Page 588, office records, now a residence cottage erected on it.

(39) Also they own a 1/5 prospective interest in the Will made by G. C. Arnett, Nov 24, 1909, directing in the
First = That all his just debts be paid &
Second = That this "Will" is not to interfere, nor interrupt with the rights, privileges, and reservations in the deed from Loulie Arnett single, to Erin M. Howard, F. E. Arnett and myself, of date June 7, 1902 for my father and mother, H. G. and Rebecca Arnett in which they retain the full and unrestricted use and control , also benefit, during their lives. The 1/5 "of all the residue" means, all that remains after all the debts were paid and H. G. and wife were cared for and comfortably supported, during their lives and all funeral and monumental expenses paid.
(41)

Loulie Sublett

1. To the Smedburg money - 1902...................................................... = $1000.00
2. To the William Risner lowl 200 acre farm........................................ = $1500.00
Then valued $1500, now worth $3000, 1927............................................ ________
Total.......................................................................................................= $2500.00

Gifts
1 cow.................................................................................................... = $ 50.00
1 Piano - Loulie Claimed........................................................................ = $ 125.00
Total..................................................................................................... = $ 175.00
[According to Carolyn Minix there was no piano in the HGA house when she was growing up there after 1934, but there was an old pump organ. She didn't recall anyone playing the organ, though. Loulie may have been the only one to play the piano and then took it with her.]

(41)
G. C. Arnett
1. 1/2 of all the old home farm after he and F. E. Arnett had purchased from E. M. Howard and her husband, the 1/3 interest, they then owned in the undivided farm, subject to the lifetime named for Rebecca and H. G. Arnett without any restrictions or prohibitions.
Deed was made Aug 27, 1906. See B. No. 22. Page 280. Consideration, $1587.00
all in hand paid by H. G. Arnett

Gifts

2. Schooling at Lexington, Ky............................................................... = $ 100.00
3. Doctor & Hospital Bills paid............................................................... = $ 300.00
Total...................................................................................................... = $ 400.00


(41)
F. E. Arnett
1. Same as G. C. Arnett estate above named
2. Doctor and Hospital Bills, at Cincinnati, O
and other places................................................................................= $ 400.00

Lost one eye

All paid by H. G. Arnett

["When we would go over to visit him [H.G.A.], we'd go over in the wagon, Grandma [Rebecca] would always have all the food in the world you know. We called it the Middle Fork. Hendricks is the Middle Fork. Grandpa always wanted to talk about current things - he never talked about the past much. He took the literary digest and he took current magazines and he always wanted to talk about politics." -- Ruth Schoppe]

["I remember one time I went over there and Louis Henderson was up to see me, he was one of my beaus, that is when I was teaching (at Campbellsville College about 1926) and he was a coach. He'd come up to see me and Grandpa said, 'Well, Ruth, I understand that the young man that you were going to marry has been over to see you.' I said, 'Well now Grandpa, a young man has been over to see me but I'm not sure he's going to marry me or not,' and he said, 'Well, I won't ask you if he's rich or is he handsome, but I will ask you if he has good ole' common sense.' He said if he has that he'll make it. But I didn't marry him." -- Ruth Schoppe]

[On another occasion when Ruth visited her grandpa she recalled his asking her, "Ruth, come in here; I'm doing something and I don't know what I'm doing." He said, "I'm getting awful tired of it - its an awful bore. These teachers bring this stuff in, and I have to work it out for them. There are questions to be answered, and I answered them - I don't know what becomes of them. What are these?" Ruth said, "Why Grandpa, you are taking correspondence courses for them and sending them off and getting them A's." -- Ruth Schoppe interview]


[About once a month Walter's dad, Eugene, would rent a hack (type of wagon) with four horses and have Charley Leggs Patrick drive the family over to the Middle Fork (Hendricks) where Becky would have prepared a huge meal with turkey, ham, potatoes and all the trimmings. Eugene "took good care of his dad" and Walter often noted that Eugene would slip H.G. a hundred or two hundred dollars. H.G. by this time was mostly in a wheelchair and had various laborers to run the farm. Walt recalls that H.G. enjoyed talking about a wide range of topics though he can't remember the topics at this time. Later on when Becky had her stroke, Walt recalls that she would often be in pain and cried out in a horrible way. -- W.W.A. interview]

[As his children got older and moved out, Carolyn Minix recalls hearing that H. G. and his wife rented out some of their upstairs bedrooms to various "drummers" or salesmen who would stop by the county to sell goods at his or Eugene's stores. H.G. and Rebecca and the family all slept in the downstairs left bedroom of the HGA house.]

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