618                         HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

plat and prospective town, and that after having sold two lots, he changed
his mind, bought back the lots, and vacated the townsite. This was the
only town plat in the county to which was given a Bible name, found
only in the New Testament, where it occurs but once, designating the
place to which Paul was taken by night and delivered to the governor.
(See Acts 23 :31.) Practically, the only existence which Antiparris ever
had on the map of the county was the original profile.
    This is true too, of its successor, projected just about a third of a
century later. The North & South Railroad, surveyed in the year 1869,
was profiled to cross Eel river at this point, which, because of the water
supply there, suggested to some one associated with the enterprise the
advantages afforded for an industrial plant producing iron and Bessemer
steel. The suggestion took root, and by common consent the manufac-
turing city of the future at this place was to be known as Bessemer.
The only thing which appeared upon the site in anticipation of devel-
opments was an engine placed there by some one intent on cutting the
lumber for the building of the improvements, which lay there for some
months; then, succeeding the election of January 20, 1870, when the
proposed subsidy in aid of the rdad construction was voted down, was
loaded up and hauled away. While Antipatris, Bessemer and the North
& South Railroad are but recollections in the history of the county,
Rhodes’s Bluff is still there.

            The Tenant,less House.
    A mile southwest of Coal City, near the source of Pond Creek,
stands a new, well-built story-and-a-half frame house without a tenant.
Though built five years ago, it has never yet been occupied. It stands
with front well up to the public road on the line between Clay and Owen
counties, on a piece of ground ninety-nine feet square, comprising an
area of thirty-six square rods. In the matter of remonstrating saloons
out of business, in point of time, Jefferson township, Owen county, took
precedence over Harrison township, Clay county. When Coal City
went “dry,” the “wets” of that place had to resort to some expedient
whereby to obviate the necessity for going to Clay City and other points
for their supplies. Seeing the opportunity afforded, and assuming that
Harrison would not follow the example of Jefferson township, promoters
of the traffic at Clay City proceeded to locate a dispensary at the most
convenient available point on the Clay county side for the accommoda-
tion of the “wets” of Coal City and Jefferson township, at the same time
affording equal facility and opportunity to the adjacent population of
Harrison township. For this purpose, and to this end, the piece of
ground described was leased and the house built, the lower floor to be
occupied by the saloon and the upper floor by the prospective bar-tender.
Publication was made of application for license. Owing to an error in
description, the hearing of the case upon its merits had to go over to a
succeeding term of court. Meanwhile, the “drys” of Harrison township
were vigilant and succeeded in filing a remonstrance which had the
effect, in time, to defeat the issuing of any license within the territory.
At the time of the building of the house public sentiment was sharply
aligned between the “wets” and the “drys” in the immediate vicinity.
It was said by residents on adjacent grounds that for a number of nights
in succession the building was guarded by armed sentinels stationed
there to protect the property from the assaults of those who were
opposed to the movement of its promoters. But no violence was offered.