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| Times contest winner claimed $400 piano |
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| Question: Isn't it strange how some things seem to happen when you least expect it? Just a few weeks ago, Nina Coffey and I had a conversation about a piano her mother, Ruth Richesin, won as a young girl. But today, while searching old records, I ran into information about how this piano held the attention of the whole county in 1911. |
| Answer: It seems the Harrison Times sponsored a contest, with the prize of a $400 Smith and Barnes piano, to be awarded to the young lady selling the most subscriptions to the newspaper. The beautiful mahogany, walnut and veneer piano stood 4 feet, 8 inches high and was quite a handsome prize for the young lady willing to work hard enough to win it. |
| The contest began about March 1911 and continued for a long period of time. Girls from all over the county entered, and most communities were represented. In order to get the contest off to a good start, special prizes were awarded during each contest time period. Some of the prizes were jewel boxes, necklaces, gold rings, and Rogers silverware sets. |
| This writer owns one of the jewel boxes, but my mother did not win it by selling subscriptions - my dad and I bought it at an estate auction when I was a young girl. We gave it to mother to hold her postage stamps, and after her death it became mine. |
| Some girls were rather late in joining the contest, and in order to get more girls interested, the beautiful and valuable prizes were offered almost monthly. Some of the early winners were Walsie Speer, who won a Rogers silverware set, and May Maples and Clara Beene won jewel boxes. |
| The following young ladies were listed as having entered the contest: |
| Omaha - Gertie Middleton, Ella Andrews, Stella Cox, Ollie Wilson, Anna Matteson, Gladys Willets, Roena Clark, Ella Darrell and Roena Alliston; |
| Bellefonte - Vida Thompson, Blanche Timmons, Myrtle Bruton, Mary Coffinan, Pansy Rogers, Oma Ruble, Stella Lane and Clyde Eagle; |
| Western Grove - Elma Gladden; |
| Lowery - Ruth Richesin and Alice Johnson; |
| Everton - Laura Minyard, Liza Magness and Dora Holland; |
| Bergman - Virgie Swafford, Lucy Langford, Ada Price, Bertha Taylor and Ione Wade; |
| Hill Top - Minnie May, Clara Mallett, Bonnie Fearnside, Ollie Scisim, Oza Qualls and Minnie Hunt; |
| Valley Springs - Irtie Patton, Ruby Murray, Mellie Wallis, Biffle Thomas and Virgie Keeling; |
| Francis - May Maples; |
| Harrison - Kathryn Shelby, Donn Parker, Sallie Watkins, Ora Hudgins, Lizzie Curnutt, Dovie Holt, Sallie Burns, Nellie Ratliffe, Walsie Speer, Mable Maggard, Lea Wellman, Effie Davis, Daisy Kuder, Robyn Rowland, Nina Nicholson, Josie Frank Glass and Lillian Eoff; |
| Elmwood - Artie Spurlock, Ethel Miller, Vera Fiser, Georgie Harris, Beulah Hastings, Eva Wray, Lena Nance, Grace Sparks, Clara Beene, Martha Tedford, Bessie Cotton, Stella Ingram and Eva Richesin; |
| Pleasant Ridge - Addie Young and Addie Jones. |
| For several weeks, Walsie Speer, May Maples, Clara Beene and Nina Nicholson were leading the contest. But shortly after, Ruth Richesin took the lead and never looked back. Nina Coffey said her mother was almost embarrassed to claim the prize since she had sold so many subscriptions. In one three-month period, Ruth sold 20 two-year subscriptions, seven five-year subscriptions, and four 20-year subscriptions. All this was done by riding horseback from her home in Lowery. It is noted that her dad bought the first subscription she sold, and also furnished the horse. |
| Typical Dad. |
| When it was announced that Ruth had won the piano, her brother, Tom Richesin, bought a new wagon and drove her to Harrison to pick up her prize. They stayed in a local hotel (Nina thinks it was the Rush Hotel), and Ruth's uncle Jim Richesin came to see them and bought Ruth a yellow satin dress. |
| This wonderful old piano is still in Nina Coffey's home, and I hope some member of the family will treasure it for years to come. |
| Did your grandmother sell subscriptions and maybe win one of the other prizes? If so, the museum would love to hear from you. |
| The Boone County Heritage Museum strives to preserve the history of Boone County and its people. We solicit your stories and encourage you to turn in your family histories for Volume II of the Boone County, Arkansas Family History Book, to be published in 2007. Histories may be mailed to 124 South Cherry Street, Harrison, AR 72601. |
| Please join the Historical Society for a noon hour walking tour of Old Carrollton on Friday, January 12. James Putman will serve as tour director, telling stories of Carrollton when it was the legal and commerce center of North Central Arkansas. Walking shoes are suggested. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Breece can be contacted at bchm@windstream.net |
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