The following are selected articles from a Newspaper titled, "The Higbee News" which was issued out of the town of Higbee, in Randolph County, Missouri from the years 1888 through 1953. The editors were W. H. Welch and his son H. Scott Welch. This paper covered the Higbee area and also a great deal of the northeastern part of Howard county. The copyright notice at the end of this transcript is there for the sole purpose of keeping this work free to the public, and to ensure that it is not harvested by a fee-based corporate genealogy site, or published in any format for profit. If you decide to use the information from this transcription, PLEASE LIST ME AS THE SOURCE, rather than the paper. My transcription is another generation removed from the microfilm, and would thus be a third generation copy of the original paper. For proper documentation, a researcher should obtain a photocopy of the microfilm for their own permanent records, and use my transcript as a guide or index. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan through the State Historical Society of Missouri, and a copy is also on file at the Moberly Public Library, generously donated by the Higbee Historical Society. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thursday, 14 Oct 1926, Vol 40, No 24, Pg. 1 Col 1,2&3--HIGBEE'S GRAND OLD MAN CALLED HOME--M. Murphy, Beloved By All, Passes On After Long And Useful Life--Funeral Held Tuesday.--"Mr. Murphy's dead!" Such were the startling words that most folks heard on answering their telephone Sunday morning, or which were spoken to them in subdued tones by acquaintances they met on the streets, and for a time those who knew him best, and loved him for the good, grand old man that he was, could hardly realize that Higbee, which had known M. Murphy for almost half a century, and who had been a familiar figure in and around the store on the corner for almost thirty-six years of that time, would know him no more forever. But it proved only too true. As stated in our last issue, Mr. Murphy was seized with an attack of acute indigestion a week ago last Sunday, but, as stated, he had apparently recovered to a great extent by the middle of the week, and neither family nor friends dreamed that his end was so near. He seemed about as usual when the family retired Saturday night and no uneasiness whatever about his condition was felt. They were shocked beyond measure on going to his bedside about 7:30 the next morning to find that he was near death, being unconscious and with only the flutter of a pulse, passing away a few moments after a physician arrived, as peacefully as a child falling to sleep on its mother's breast, death occurring from a weakened heart. While family and friends had confidently looked for his recovery, he evidently realized that his departure was near, for on Mrs. John Goin taking him some flowers a day or two before, after thanking her in his kindly, gentlemanly way, and in that softly modulated tone which was peculiarly his own, which all knew so well, he replied to her expressed hope that he would soon be up again by stating that he was an old, old man and had been living on the time of others for a long time, and that he doubted very much whether he would ever get up again. Mark Murphy was born in Ireland on February 29, 1840, and died October 10, 1926, aged 86 years, 7 months and 10 days. When quite a child he came to this country with his widowed mother and eight brothers and sisters, all of whom have long since gone to their reward. The family located in New York, where deceased remained for several years, one of his jobs, as he had often remarked to us in telling of his boyhood being that of newsboy. He later came west, and was located in Chicago for several years, finally locating in Nilwood, Ill., where he was married on December 25, 1862, to Miss Martha A. Renfro, who preceded him to the great beyond many, many years ago. While quite a young man he learned telegraphy, and was sent here by the Chicago & Alton in 1880 to take charge of the station as agent. The road was built through here in 1878, and as the construction gangs were composed, generally, of a pretty rough class, and as the tie business was then in its heyday and we had plenty of saloons, fights and broils were of frequent occurrence, and Higbee was "wild and woolly," and the job was no sinecure, proven by the fact that the two agents who had preceded him had asked to be relieved. Whether the company officials thought that because his name was Murphy he would be the right man for the place, we do not know, but we do know that he filled the bill. The company furnished him a place to live over the station, but to him it was a home and he made it his castle. After having put his mark on numerous bums, drunks and roughnecks in general, but only after asking them in his gentlemanly way to leave, all such gave the station a wide berth, while those who went to the station to meet the trains, having no other business, watched their step. During his ten years as agent there was no carving of initials on the depot nor the making of a bunkhouse out of the waiting room, while the entire building was always as neat as a new pin, and the little park west of the depot was a joy to look at. While on this job he acquired the reputation of being "hard-boiled," but not among those who knew him, for a more kindly or gentle man, when treated as the gentleman that he was, we never knew. We recall a rebuke, and one we shall never forget, in those days. With a kid of about our own age we went to the depot one Sunday afternoon to see the passenger train come in, and while waiting each was busy whittling on a pine stick. Presently Mr. Murphy appeared with a broom and began sweeping up the litter, his only words being, "Boys, you will find a carpentershop down the street," the words being spoken as softly as if he were talking to a child of six, but carrying, just the same, perhaps from the way in which they were spoken the roar of a lion. The knives were put up, and so abashed were their owners that they forgot to apologize either in words or by relieving him of the broom, and for which we have always been most heartily ashamed. And such he was at all times, so far as we ever knew. But woe to the man who became "smart" or obstreperous. These, likewise, he never had to deal with the second time. A mechanic by natural bent, and more or less of a genius, Mr. Murphy acquired the trade of watchmaker along with many other accomplishments, for years repaired watches for the railroad boys and others up and down the line while he was agent, and on resigning his position with the railroad in 1900 he opened a jewelry store in the room now occupied by Winn's drug store, and living in the upper rooms. A few years later he purchased the old Lessly building (the present store) many predicting that he was making a mistake, as it was considered nothing but a shell, but he soon made of it one of the best in town, and as comfortable and convenient a home of the second story as one could find anywhere. Moving to the new location he embarked in the hardware business, in which he was very successful, and later engaged in the wholesale oil business as a side line, and which proved equally as successful. After a few years he gave up the jewelry business, but his love for repair work was so great that he gave up bench work only when failing sight and the weight of years forced him to do so. Several years ago, feeling that he had earned a rest, or at least a release from the responsibilities of the business--and he "rested" about like his friends thought he would, by waiting on the trade as usual--he turned the business over to his grandson, Mark C. Murphy, and had since spent his time doing as he pleased--"clerking," when he felt like it, conversing with friends or enjoying his pipe and a good book. He was a constant reader up to the time of his last illness, keeping up with the times through the daily press, and had read libraries of good books, and seemed to have remembered them all. Thrown on his own resources in his tender years, he was a self-made and a self-educated man, and a better job of it we never saw. He had had a varied business experience before coming to Higbee, seemed to know something about everything that came up and could converse most intelligently on any subject you could mention. He was our oldest citizen in point of years and perhaps in residence, as we can recall none who has lived in the town proper longer than he. And all of his years among us were useful and honorable, and we are sure that no one had more friends, or deserved more, at least. He always took an active interest in Higbee and the welfare of her citizens and stood for everything that was for the moral uplift of the town and community and had served the town as mayor. When it came to moral courage he did not know what fear was, and many a fight he had waged against the liquor business, sometimes single handed and alone, and at his own expense, and he lived to see, we are glad to say, what he had long contended for--national prohibition. While his mother and all the family were devout Catholics, he was Protestant in belief, but never connected himself with any church. So far, however, as believing in Christ, being upright and honorable in all of his dealings, standing firm for his convictions and rendering to every man his just due, he lived the christian life, and we are sure in our own mind that in his going a just man has been made perfect. He was also the oldest member of the Higbee Masonic lodge, both in years and membership, and had been a member of the order for 66 years, having joined in Illinois immediately on reaching his majority. In his younger days he was very active in lodge work and was letter-perfect in it from beginning to end, and had served as Master of his home lodge. On coming to Higbee he affiliated with the lodge on its institution in 1885, and was one of its charter members, the last, so far as we know, and had been its Master several times. Funeral services were held at the Christian church Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock by the Rev. E. M. Richmond, the church, despite the damp, raw day and the mud, being filled, many being in from the country. Every business house in the town was closed as a tribute of respect to his memory. Having known Mr. Murphy for many years, Rev. Richmond paid a glowing tribute to his honesty and integrity and above all to his moral courage, and urged his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to follow in his footsteps--something we could al do in our vast improvement. It was our good fortune to have known Mr. Murphy from the day we landed in Higbee, and our better fortune to have numbered him among our staunchest friends--one ever ready to overlook a fault or forget a mistake. Always affable and agreeable--and kindness itself, always, to us,--we could enjoy his company for hours, and could either have spared the time, we would have asked no more companionable a crony. Having seen him almost daily for almost forty years, and having learned to love him as a father, we shall miss him, we believe, the balance of our days, as we know will all of his loved ones. Kindly, a gentleman always, tender hearted and sympathetic, just and upright and living the Golden Rule, so far as we were ever able to observe, standing firm for what he considered the right, he was a grand old man and a truly christian character, in whose passing his family, the town and community have suffered an irreparable loss. He is survived by one son, Mark, and one daughter, Miss Lulu, two grandsons, Mark C. Murphy of this place, and Paul Murphy, of Clark, and four great-grandchildren, to whom the deepest sympathy of all goes out. Interment was made in the Higbee cemetery with full honors of the Masonic fraternity of which he had been a member for so many, many years. Peace to his ashes! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission from Kathy Bowlin. Although public information is not in and of itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented, transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of their patrons. Kathy Bowlin Additions, corrections, comments welcome.