Judge Baker laments passing
of kegs of free drinks,
election season fist fights
"I recollect it so well, we had three day elections in those days, andit was mighty hard to tell how it would be, and things would get mighty warm towards the last, and there was a heap of pulling and dragging backand forth, sometimes mighty tough fights would come up, but they didn't use pistols, it was just a knock down and drag out. Bell's friends had their barrel with plenty of sugar and tin cups over yonder on the east corner of the public square, and Caldwell's friends had their barrel and sugar and cups on this corner, and all you had to do was to just go and get it and sweeten it to suit yourself. I tell you times have changed very much since then. I believe the world is growing worse all the time."