Let me join in the fun. Here are some occupations of Metropolis area citizens in my collection. Hope you enjoy this exchange as much as we have. My Great Grandfather DR. ALEXANDER M. COVINGTON bought the old MCAULEY HOUSE hotel on the River in Metropolis next to the old Opera House in about 1872. He and his wife, SARAH TAYLOR COVINGTON were HOTEL OPERATORS as well as SALOON OPERATORS changing the name of the hotel to the COVINGTON HOTEL. DOCTOR COVINGTON was an EYE AND EAR DOCTOR which was called an AURIST and OCCULIST at the time. SARAH was the COOK, LAUNDRESS, HOUSEKEEPER, AND BUSINESS OPERATOR as well as MOTHER of six children all living in the private quarters of the hotel. The black man who worked for doctor was the HORSE KEEPER. I believe his name was GEORGE WASHINGTON. Doctor Covington was convicted of OPERATING A TIPPLING HOUSE ON A SUNDAY in the 1890s. He was also charged with many other infractions that did not stick. He also "allowed" the cash sale of female services and use of the rooms for such purposes for which he was compensated. The Covington Hotel was also the Mail Stop used by the river boat men and travelers on the river in front of the hotel and the train operators to the rear of the hotel. Did this make him a mail man? He was a banker of sorts, extending credit against the pay checks that had not arrived to men who were in sore need of a room, bath, drink, or any other matters of personal need and comfort. DOC COVINGTON was not only known as the PISTOL TOTING MAYOR OF THE BARBARY COAST OF the OHIO RIVER but was also a BOOTLEGGER who was shot to death in 1903 in his hotel saloon in a gun battle with SHERIFF DUMP OAKS of Metropolis. This story of fatal dual proved to be the biggest scandal of the era was relayed to us by TEACHER and HISTORIAN PAULINE ARTMAN who taught history for many a year in Metropolis. Doctor's Covington's daughter MAY BELLE COVINGTON married JOSEF E. BRUNER. He was a PIANO AND PIPE ORGAN MANUFACTURER who operated in Metropolis along with a man named MUSE who was his partner. MAY BELLE COVINGTON BRUNER'S son was MASON E. BRUNER who was born in Metropolis in 1912. He was my father. He wasTRADE INSTRUCTOR OF CARPENTRY at Fort Massac before World War II. He moved to Detroit after the war and became an ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR COMPANY OWNER AND OPERATOR. MASON BRUNER was also a PHILANTHROPIST. His very close friend was HARRY HUMMA who was DRUGGIST in Metropolis. Harry Humma arranged the donation of Mason Bruner land on the Ohio, the former site of the Covington Hotel, to the City of Metropolis in 1969 and is now the location of the parking area and picnic area at the city park. His father, JOSEF. E. BRUNER also owned a ferry boat and was a FERRY BOAT OPERATOR selling his pianos and delivering mail up and down the Ohio River in the early 1900s. The Covington family were RACE HORSE BREEDERS near New Liberty and owned land there to that end. They eventually went to Smith Center Kansas with their horses in the 1872 land rush and GEORGE WASHINGTON COVINGTON, at the age of 17, won the first Kentucky Derby in 1888 as JOCKEY riding the famous horse, Mohawk. The patriarch of this family, GEORGE WASHINGTON COVINGTON I owned a farm in Livingston County, Kentucky, across the river from New Liberty, Illinois and was a SAW MILL OWNER AND OPERATOR from 1838 to his death in 1969. His daughter MATTIE COVINGTON married WILLIAM A. LEE of Paducah who was a DOCTOR who served in the Civil War. Well, colorful stories of my Metropolis, Illinois ancestors, may they rest in peace. Love from Massac descendant, Regina Bruner Markowicz of Troy, Michigan