Warrensburg Missouri

11/9/01 9:21:03 PM Pacific Standard Time

When I walked from Lone Jack to Pittsville, I decided to be adventureous and take back roads instead of taking Hwy 50, since Hwy 50 is a busy 4-lane road. So I took country roads, most of them gravel roads. I saw far more dogs than people that day. In fact, at one point a German Shepherd came charging at me at full speed. At the moment when my heart was pounding and I was wondering if he was going to attack, the dog skidded to a halt about 5 ft away. Later that day Susan asked me if I carry any kind of protection. Well, yeah, there's some pepper spray somewhere in my backpack.......
When I got to where I was going to call Susan at, I found out my cell phone didn't work there. A man walked out of his house nearby, so I asked if I could use his phone. He said sure. We got to visiting and he said his sister was in an auto accident and started having seizures after that, so he was very interested in my walk.
On friday I gave 2 talks, the first to 7th graders and the 2nd to 8th graders. This evening I'll attend a meeting/reception.
Warrensburg began when a blacksmith from Kentucky, Martin Warren, built a log cabin & blacksmith shop in 1833. Within 3 yrs, the township of Warrensburg was established and incorporated in 1855.
Warrensburg is home to "Old Drum," from which the saying a dog is "mans best friend" came. On Oct 18, 1869 "Old Drum," Charles Burdens favorite dog, was shot. Burden vowed someone would pay for the "murder" of his beloved dog. That someone was his neighbor Leonidas Hornsby. He had recently lost a number of sheep to dogs and vowed death to the first dog found on his property. Old Drum was that dog.
Burden took the case to court. The case of Burden vs Hornsby was tried 3 times before the final case in Warrensburg on Sept 23, 1870. Burden brought in lawyer George Grahm Vest. Here is where vest made his famous eulogy of Old Drum. The eulogy won the case for Burden, who was awarded $50 in damages for the loss of Old Drum.
Here is a quote from Vest during the trial. I'll send the eulogy to you in another message.
"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog." George Grahm Vest
Y'all take care and have a great day! KB