Wilford W. Beardsley and the preacher man

Find a Grave photo by Doris Christensen

A front-page column entitled "The Mormon Trace" was a standing feature of The Chariton Leader during many of the early 20th century years that the newspaper was edited and published by Henry Gittinger. The title referenced Gittinger's preoccupation with nomenclature --- he was convinced that the proper title for the Mormon Trail through Lucas County and beyond should be the "Mormon Trace," a somewhat archaic usage.

The column, often quite lengthy, included brief news items, gossip, historical tidbits about Lucas County --- and, now and then, reader submissions.

The column of May 29, 1919, included a submission by Wilford W. Beardsley (1844-1929), then 74, recounting his encounter with an itinerant preacher aboard a passenger train while traveling from Chariton to Villisca.

W.W. Beardsley was the father of Sam Beardsley (1880-1935), Chariton's leading undertaker during the first third of the 20th century, but quite a character in his own right. An honored veteran of the Civil War, he was by profession a stone cutter --- a maker of among other things tombstones --- who operated out of a "marble yard" on the site of today's fire station wing of City Hall.

Here's Mr. Beardsley's account of his trip to Villisca:

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Certainly our old friend, W.W. Beardsley, must have had a very cheerful trip one day last week if we are to judge by his own account. Here it is:

"The other day when I went out to that town where the axe murder was committed --- Villisca, yes, that's the name of the place --- I fell in company with a fellow on the train who appeared to me as though he were crazy, but it said it was religion that was working on him.

"Every few moments he would jump up, pace up and down the aisle, frantically wave his arms and ejaculate, 'This train and all aboard are now on the brink of eternity --- are you ready for the leap? Prepare while it is today!'

"Then he came and sat down across the aisle and addressed himself to me, 'Brother, whatever your name is, you look like you are about all in. I wouldn't be in your shoes for a quarter section of golden nuggets the size of cucumbers and a thousand years lease on this railroad to boot. You look to me like you are running on the wrong track.'

"Then he took another turn in the aisle and after settling down again resumed, 'And my opinion is you and the balance of these passengers will land where the ghosts will dance on warm coals in the Valley of Despair. I'm immune, myself. I'm clothed in the garments of righteousness --- and have been baptized three times face foremost in the fountain of bliss, once for each personage of the trinity, which is required by the eternal law, and besides, you notice my garments are white. I tell you it is a sin to array oneself in dark raiment. Colored clothes attract evil spirits, and evil spirits destroy the soul.'

"Just then the conductor called out the town where the axe murder was committed --- Villisca, yes, that was the name of the place, and I got off, but as I landed it was noticed that the evangel of the spotless raiment had followed to the platform and was preaching in some sort of jargon in which each comforting sentence ended with a double I."

Mr. Beardsley no doubt spent a very cheerful afternoon under the entertainment of the zealot which prepared him fully for his visit to the "axe murder" town.