The story we share with you this week, ‘A Remarkable Man,’ was written by Charles A. Robertson.
Cyrus Robertson “Cy” Williamson was my Granddad, Mom’s side. I was only 9 years old when Granddad died, so I have to rely on what others have told me.
Granddad was shrewd, and a good businessman. When Dad was courting Mom he asked for a job and Granddad put him to work hoeing weeds out of the corn at 50 cents a day. To test him out and not to remove the incentive totally, Granddad put Mom to hoeing in an adjacent field.
Granddad ran a Whitmer Route. His stock in trade covered many items such as extracts, liniments, corn cures, powder, cold cream, kidney and liver remedies, sanitary worm syrup, pain destroyer, cough balsam, laxatives, quinine tablets, hair tonic, and rat and roach paste.
According to his old route books, he tried to make 20 or more calls a day. A $5 sale was rare. His routes covered all of Brown County, and he made monthly calls. I have been told that on certain occasions, time being no object, he might go only a mile and, day ending, put up for the night having just spent the day talking to the customer.
He was lenient, and as of today, there were some who bought and never paid.
He drove a light huckster wagon pulled by two light breed horses and served 400 to 500 families with items that were defiantly needed and appreciated. Besides all this activity he found time to preach and minister to the needs of the Christian community.
My uncle Paul told me of the time he went with Granddad on his Whitmer route. This trip included a visit with Chris and Felix Brummet, who lived up a hollow near DuBois Ridge in the Yellowood Lake area.
Chris and Felix were old bachelors who looked it and were reported to be not too tidy about their premises. But as always, the Brown County hospitality shone. After the usual business transaction was completed, Felix turned to Chris and said, “Ah-God, Chris, get busy and rustle up some grub for these folks.”
Chris got busy. He went into the icehouse and got some catfish and ham. Paul was thinking that he wasn’t sure he could stomach anything Chris could fix, but they were invited in.
One room housed it all: The kitchen, living room and the bedroom. Chris had whipped up a batch of sourdough biscuits and gravy to go with the ham and catfish and garnished it with blackberry jelly.
Right then, Paul said, he decided looks can be deceiving. That was one of the most delicious meals he ever had.
His story was in the June 6, 1985 issue of the Brown County Democrat.
There are stories about Chris and Felix Brummet. They were brothers, the sons of Robert Brummet and Amanda (Harris) Brummet.
Chris was born Oct. 16, 1872. He never married. He and his brother lived alone on their little farm for many years until Felix married. He was well-known throughout Brown County and was elected clerk of the county and served from Jan. 1, 1916 to Dec. 31, 1919.
Chris and Felix lived together in the house where they were born. They lived their entire lives right here in Brown County. Chris died in 1944 as a result of pneumonia at his home, where he was born and lived his entire life, four miles west of Nashville. He was 71 years, two months, and nine days old.
Felix Brummet, age 88, died March 27, 1952 at the Brown County Farm, after an illness of only a few days. He was born March 30, 1864.
Cyrus Robertson “Cy” Williamson, age 70, died at his home on Schooner, Sept. 12, 1929, after a brief illness. He was born April 10, 1859, the son of James and Mary E. (Mabe) Williamson. He lived his entire life in Brown County. He was elected county assessor of this county where he served for four years. He was a member of the Brown County Council and president of that body at the time of his death.
He united with the Christian church early in life. In 1895 he felt the call of his master to enter the ministry at which time he was licensed and ordained by the Central Indiana Conference.
— Submitted by Pauline Hoover, Brown County Historical Society
