HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY  147

century, closely following the subsidence of the smallpox epidemic and
sensation. A professional promoter of the new system of intercommuni-
cation, who made it a business to plant the service in towns of sufficient
size to justify the venture, came upon the ground from Paris, Illinois,
and having established the plant, disposed of it to resident parties as an
investment, then sought other fields of operations. His name was P. G.
Farrow, known as “P. G.” for short, the man who sported dazzling dia-
monds of the first water and lighted his cigars by the use of twisted ten-
dollar bills as tapers.
    The financial affairs of the incorporation have been well managed,
having been conducted on the cash system. No bonds have been issued
for any purpose, nor has there been at any time any outstanding indebted-
ness because of no funds for its liquidation. There have been no defalca-
tions, embezzlements, nor misapplication of funds on the part of those
into whose hands they have been committed for safe keeping and proper
disbursement.
    Any history of Clay City would be inexcusably incomplete without
mention of the smallpox epidemic of the winter of 1900 and the sensations
attending its prevalence. The home physicians were disagreed in their
diagnoses of the disease, some regarding and treating it as chicken-pox.
Dr. Hurty, secretary State Board of Health, came upon the scene and
pronounced it smallpox, ordering a quarantine of all the homes affected
and of all persons who had been exposed to it, and suspending all the
schools of the towns and township. All public assemblages were declared
off and not a church nor school bell was heard for more than a month.
The schools were resumed the last week in February. The railroad quar-
antine was not lifted until the 12th of March. To get out of town by
railroad a passenger had to get a permit issued by the secretary of the
local Board of Health. Dr. C. H. Wolfe and Dr. F. B. McCullough, sec-
retary County Board of Health, continued to call the disease chicken-
pox, Dr. John Williams named it pemphigus, others called it Cuban itch.
Of the scores of cases, in and about the town, there were two deaths—
a woman and child. Population, 1,800.

                            BOWLING GREEN.

    Historically, Bowling Green is the first and oldesttown in the county,
founded coevally with the organization of the county. Here was insti-
tuted primarily the system of local or county government then in vogue
in the state of Indiana. It was made the capital, or seat of justice, of the
separately and newly organized area of three hundred and sixty square
miles of the state’s territory. Because of this distinction, it was the first
point within this territory to become known abroad, to which the early
emigration to the new county was attracted and directed. The earliest
recollections and reminiscences in the history of the county cluster about
this place. For the first quarter of a century of its history half the inhabi-
tants of the county received their mail at this point. Prior to the build-
ing and operation of the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, Bowl-
ing Green was the commercial and social center of the county. Here
was found the professional talent of the county, legal, medical and minis-
terial. The official and public business of the county was transacted here
for full half a century, as it was just fifty-two years from the time that
the pioneer public buildings were occupied to the time that the public
records were moved to Brazil. A large percentage of the county officers
elected for the first third of a century were residents of Bowling Green