Hello, My name is Carolyn FLOWERS Tucker, I gave several generations of Family that lived in the Independence Co. area from early 1800's till 1900's. My Mom has saved a lot of articles from the Batesville Guard. Unfortunately she lost most all of it in a house fire last summer, but the few things I had at my home of hers, I would like to share, in her honor (she is Mildred RAY FLOWERS)as she now has Alzheimer's & can no longer research. So, if anyone has an objection to these articles please let me know, or if I am duplicating something, I checked the list archives & could not find anything similar, although the search engines on Rootsweb are a little untrustworthy these days. Our surnames in the area are JAMES, KING, KIRKPATRICK, LACKS, & LAWRENCE. Hope these articles are helpful to someone... Carolyn Batesville Guard News of Other Days JAN 1988 130 Years Ago The Balance is authorized to announce Jesse SEARCY as a candidate for Mayor of the town of Batesville. We are also authorized to announce the following gentlemen as candidates for town councilmen: A.W. LYON, Isaac FOLSUM, Sr., James W. BUTLER, Wm. E. GIBBS, S.B. FESMIRE & S.B. WYCOUGH. If William STEELE will consent to serve as constable of the town of BATESVILLE he will receive the vote of many citizens. In consequence of high water we have no mails from Little Rock this week. Private business called us from home suddenly & imperatively last week. We made a trip to Clarendon in Monroe Co., going & returning per the steamer Hale. But for want of space we should have noticed this week some improvements we observed at different points on the river--improvements that are cheering & encouraging. We may do so at another time. We herby tender our thanks to Capt. ADAMS & Mr. DILLAHAUNTY, clerk of the HALE, fro their kindness to us on the trip. They are as clever men as ever captained or clerked on any boat. And here we cannot but express our regret that so heavy a loss as the sinking of the Exchange & Lazear should have happened to such a man as Capt. ADAMS. The election of municipal offices will be held in our town next Monday. It is important that everyone should turn out; let us have a full vote & elect an efficient set of officers--mayor, constable & councilmen. We shall have something to say hereafter to what is needed in the management of our municipal affairs. The gentlemen called upon thru our columns this week, we think, will make good officers & would be glad to see them supported. ------Independence Balance ___28 JAN 1858