Richey, James

RICHEY, MILLER

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 7/7/2019 at 08:24:38

BIOGRAPHY ~ JAMES RICHEY
February 12, 1849 ~ February 05, 1942
Lamoni, Iowa

Lamoni's Passing Parade
Anthony, Joseph H. p. 121. ca. 1948

Many people look back to the days of the old Religio Literary Society as the source of many important events which have really had a marked influence upon their lives. It was there we gathered as youngsters to participate in the classes which were planned primarily for the edification of the younger minds, where social contacts and public appearances also played an important part, and where liberal education and cultural development were given opportunity to expand through access to many activities of an elevating nature.

To many a youngster at the time, these Friday evening sessions merely meant an opportunity for another evening out and to some merely a chance for an additional date, but making due allowance for all the frivolousness of youth I will venture that if all those who in those days participated in these sessions would take time to properly evaluate the many instances where this society has left an imprint upon their lives, the verdict would undoubtedly be to the effect that the purpose of the society was a worth one and the results achieved really worth while.

Naturally, the programs held at each session were of most immediate interest and to many of us who participated in them they were a source of inspiration and development. The speakers we listened to there were not in our opinion so much of the dry, preachy sort, but were often individuals who were definitely interested in young people and brought from actual experiences of life, incidents which were easily understood and readily adaptable to the lives of young people. One of the most colorful and impressive of these speakers so far as I am concerned was James Richey. I remember distinctly the first time I saw him. It was in the basement of the old Brick Church where he talked to us about his western experiences.

I often think of him as he stood before us that evening, dressed in typical western frontiersman style, his long hair flowing profusely about his shoulders; and though his face was completely bearded it blended harmoniously with his personality and gave him a distinguished appearance. He had been acting as a guide in Ranier National Park in western Washington and had but recently returned to his home in Lamoni. That he was typical of those old-time scouts was very evident, though upon this occasion his appearance was considerably more dressy than one would picture a scout so recently in contact with the grime and dust of the trail; in fact, dressed in this Buffalo Bill type of regalia he more nearly resembled a performer in a wild-west show.

"I know you would like to ask me why I wear my hair long," he said, as he started speaking with an ease of delivery and a voice quality that was pleasing and individually his own. "And the most simple reply I could give to your question is that in this respect I would like to give you the opportunity to see man as God intended him to be."

Then he smiled. A warm, wholesome, hearty smile it was, which immediately captured the interest and attention of everyone present, and which paved the way for the procession of interesting incidents that made up the talk which followed. At once it was evident that he was a great lover of nature and of the great outdoors, for here he had found those things which to him made life worth living; and his life had been fashioned to suit the conditions he found there. His clothing, his thoughts and his habits were all in harmony with this type of living. To him the "heavens truly declared the glory of God and the earth gave conclusive proof of the wonders of His handiwork," and being naturally of a religious turn he found upon every hand undeniable evidences of the existence of a supreme being in the majesty of the mountains, the sighing of the winds of the forests and in the lives of the wild creatures that dwelt there. It was the story of these things he brought to us that evening in a way that was impressive and lasting.

While my first impressions of James Richey were very favorable, yet as years went by I found opportunity to become better acquainted with him and with this acquaintance came a more complete appreciation of the richness of his character. In those days a certain group of boys with whom I was closely associated planned occasional camping trips, and as these trips usually covered a period of several days and involved a certain element of risk the consent of our parents was gained only when we included in the group some older person whom they felt would in a measure assume the responsibility of the venture and endeavor to curb some of the rash impulses of youth. We were especially fortunate upon two of these trips to have James Richey assume this responsibility.

I think, first of all, the method by which he completely won our hearts was the fact that he insisted upon doing all the cooking. He allowed each youngster to take care of his own dishes and equipment but when it came to preparing the meals he preferred to do the large part of it unassisted. Certain chores like peeling potatoes or going to the spring for water he often assigned to different boys of the group, but the actual cooking he did alone. Of course these meals were cooked over an open fire, a task which to many people would be practically an impossibility but one which was absolutely no inconvenience to him; and what wonderful meals they were! To this day I have never tasted goulash as appetizing and flavorful as that he cooked in a large black kettle suspended from a green tree limb cut to lengthy and held in position by forked stakes driven in the ground. And his pancakes - cornmeal and at lest half an inch thick - but what a flavor! The fellows simply went wild over them and begged for them every morning.

To this average person in similar circumstances such demands from eight or ten ravenously hungry boys would have been an imposition, but not to James Richey. He seemed to enjoy producing them as well as the hungry boys liked to eat them; in fact, I think the enthusiasm they showed for his cooking was considered a compliment, and he often entitled a satisfied chuckle and many a cheery remark as he stooped before the fire, cooking pancakes and listening to the delighted exclamations of the boys. He used but few utensils in his cooking and when the cake was brown on one side, by a quick flip of the skillet he threw the cake into the air and deftly caught it after it had completed a full turn. Naturally this manipulation delighted the boys and to partake of one of his pancake breakfasts was to enjoy a period of interesting entertainment as well as a taste treat extraordinary.

One day some of the fellows went into the timber to hunt squirrels but after sever hours of tramping through the woods returned empty handed.

"There are squirrels in that piece of timber," said James Richey in his quiet drawl, after they had reported the result of their efforts. And then, added: "That is, of course, unless you have gone out there and scared them all away. I think I will go with you tomorrow and we'll see what we can do."

According to his promise he led a small group into the woods the following morning. We were not a little skeptical and wondered wherein his theory of squirrel hunting differed from our regular procedure of tramping through the woods and keeping a sharp lookout for any signs of the bushy-tailed little animals. On this point, however, we were not long in doubt, for once we were fairly in the timber our guide critically scrutinized the ground we passed over as well as many of the surrounding trees, and finally announced:

"We have gone far enough: there should be squirrels there. That large hickory tree at the bend in the creek is probably one of their main sources of food, and from other indications they have been in this vicinity very recently; so we'll stop her awhile and see what we find."

With that he assigned each of us to comparatively concealed positions with instruction to remain quiet and keep our eyes open. Then when he was satisfied that we would follow his bidding he withdrew a short distance, where he also concealed himself in the underbrush, and her at frequent intervals he imitated in an especially natural manner the bark of a squirrel. For some time we remained thus, quietly, listening, but nothing happened; and then, as we began to wonder about the feasibility of hunting squirrels in this manner, we heard very faintly in the distance an answering bark. A short time later we spied one of the little red animals we sought, leaping from branch to branch in one of the trees a short distance away. A few minutes later it came closely enough within the range of our rifles to definitely insure it a place in our game bag. Then, gaining confidence in the plan, we settled quietly back to await the arrival of additional game.

The efforts of that hunt furnished meat in sufficient quantity for a squirrel feed that evening, where we had the satisfaction of explaining to the other fellows the details of this new method of hunting - the method where you do little walking about and let the squirrels hunt you. This adventure was just one feature of woodcraft he taught us. He knew the habits of all kinds of wild life and understood their language, and when the fish refused to bite and our efforts as fishermen were going unrewarded, he explained that the fish were coming upstream at this particular time of year and how our lines should be reset if we expected them to sample the bait we placed on them hooks to tempt them. He showed us how to make snares of horsehair to catch birds and when some of the boys attempted to capture a large snake they had corned, he stepped quickly over to the reptile and with stick he tapped it lightly on the nose until it formed its long body into a tight coil, then placing the same stick under it he quickly lifted the squirming body and dropped it into a large sack which one of the boys had brought for that purpose.

These incidents are but characteristic of many things he taught us, and I have thought many times how fortunate we were to have the privilege of learning these things at first hand from a man whose life and habits, along with others of similar experience, have contributed a definite page to that great activity which today goes under the name of Scouting.

In my memory James Richey stands out as one of the most picturesque characters of Lamoni. While he never had the educational advantages many have enjoyed, yet he was exceptionally well posted on many subjects and was reasonable in his views and a clear thinker. He possessed a natural ability in working with youngsters and during the periods he sponsored our groups, or at any time during may associations with him, I never knew him to lose his patience or to become irritable or unreasonable. In fact, to me he was one of the most lovable and interesting characters of my acquaintance.

He was, however, a man of the great outdoors, and as years began to take their toll and environment and conditions generally forced him to forgo many of the activities he had always known, he became a s a great mountain oak which has awakened to find itself transplanted in a flower garden. The gnarled branches which had stood the tests demanded by the storms which raged up and down the mountainside found little use in this protected area where their strength and hardiness were lost and unappreciated among the more ornamental foliage and the shapely but less sturdy occupants of the garden. But to James Richey the memories of those old days and their activities remained fresh in his mind, and determinedly he endeavored to keep them alive. He made for himself a coat and cap of goat skin which during those days upon the western trails would have been considered a work of ingenuity and cleverness, but to the casual observer on the streets of Lamoni they brought forth only curious smiles. In the same spirit, as age advanced, he built a boat and with the spirit of adventure still surging strongly in his veins planned an extended trip of exploration which was to include many miles of river travel. But after many days of hardship, and after piloting the little craft over a perilous course, he finally conceded that this project was too strenuous for a man of his age.

James Richey gave much to Lamoni, and of the numerous instances which might be related, none illustrate the richness of his character more clearly than the service he rendered in the early days of Lamoni when an epidemic of diphtheria scourged the community and the children of the new village were dying by the score. Many of the inhabitants were stricken with terror by the severity of the epidemic and often drove miles out of their way to avoid passing a home that had unfortunately been stricken by this merciless destroyer of childhood; but not James Richey. Even though he had a family of children who at that time were at the age of most susceptible to the ravages of the disease, he unhesitatingly offered his services where they were needed most. Day after day and night after night he helped to care for and nurse the afflicted, he helped bury the dead and comforted and encourage those who were forced to part with their dear ones. In every way he did all within his power to be a good neighbor, and only those who knew him intimately can properly evaluate the extent of his contribution. His life embodied many outstanding qualities and he holds a place that can be filed by no other as one of the most picturesque and colorful characters in Lamoni's passing parade.

NOTE: James Lawrence Richey was born February 12, 1849, Kingston, Missouri, the son of Cornelia A. Richey, and died February 5, 1942, Lamoni, Iowa. His wife, Mary Margaret (Miller) Richey, was born June 17, 1850, and died December 8, 1924, Lamoni. They were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa.

I copied this from Lamoni's Passing Parade by Joseph H. Anthony, page 121 on James Richey to share with you all.
Thank you, Jean Belzer
Submission by Jean Belzer, Sunday, May 27, 2001