6.Benjamin F. Massey
and Joseph and Peter Powell were associated in the field of
Merchandising for a long time, about fourteen years.
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Massey's relationship started in
1831, and he was an employee of the Powells until 1835. The
Powells trusted him highly; put him in charge of a wagon train that he
took from St. Joseph, Mo. to Santa Fe, Mexico; over the Santa Fe Trail,
both Westbound and Eastbound. They further showed their trust by
giving him the responsibility of taking a second wagon train to Santa
Fe, a year later.
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Massey then paid a visit to his
old home, back in Kent Co., Md., returning to Missouri in 1837.
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Again showing their trust in
Massey, "his faithful friends, the Powells" offered to set him up in
his own Merchandising business in a locality of his choice.
Massey selected Fayette, Howard Co., Mo., a town about twenty miles
North of Boonville, Mo.; and the Powells furnished the goods to stock
Massey's new establishment.
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Operating as a Merchant -
trader, using Fayette as his home base, Massey traded into Southwest
Missouri where he and William
Tingle met, formed the partnership of Tingle & Massey, Merchant
- Traders; the Powells continuing to be their suppliers of trade
goods. The Tingle & Massey Merchant - trader partnership
operated profitably through the 1838 - 1839 period.
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In 1839, Tingle & Massey
ambitiously expanded their operations into Real Estate ventures.
They acquired several hundred acres of Missouri land recently opened
for entry by the State, and the site of the town of Sarcoxie.
They bought a Mill, laid out the town of Sarcoxie, sold building lots;
and set up a Tingle & Massey Mercantile House which opened for
business 6 Aug.1840, with the Powells still acting as suppliers of
trading goods.
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Then, 2 Jul.1842, the Powells
filed a Lawsuit against Tingle & Massey, seeking to recover the
substantial debt owed them of $5,147.37.
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The question arises:- Had
something happened to end the on-going supplier - customer relationship
that had existed for some time between the Powell brothers and B.F.
Massey and William Tingle? I think not.
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The reason for the filing of
this Lawsuit seems clear:
Tingle & Massey had over-reached their financial capacity when they
added their Real Estate ventures [that] did not generate enough profit
to enable them to pay what they owed the Powell brothers.
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The question again
arises:- Did the filing of this Lawsuit signal the termination of
the cordial relationship between the Powells and B.F. Massey?
There are small bits of evidence that the Powells were not bitter
toward B.F. Massey:
1
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At
the
time
the Lawsuit was filed, 2 Jul.1842; the Powells offered, at
their own expense, to have the Lawsuit continued; presumably to allow
Tingle & Massey a little more time to try to raise the money to pay
off their indebtedness.
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2
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On
18
May
1843, Peter and Joseph Powell, purchased at auction, two slaves
owned by B.F. Massey. But they did not take possession of the two
slaves, they loaned them back to Massey, and allowed him to keep them
in his possession.
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Despite all their efforts, Tingle & Massey were unable to pay the
big judgment against them. The Court then ordered Tingle &
Massey's Real Estate holdings sold at auction and 28 Feb.1844 the
Powells bought them to preserve their equity.
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Now we come to a provocative
piece of evidence. Written on the margin of the last sheet of the
record of the 1842 Powell brothers Lawsuit, and dated 15 Mar.1852, was
this notation:
"Recd. of the defendent,
one thousand dollars in full satisfaction of the Judgment and costs, by
authority vested in me by Power of Attorney, filed in office this
date. J.M. Wirsena, Gent. Attest. Jno. B. Limption,Clk."
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What did this imply? My
imagination, perhaps working overtime suggests this scenario:
1
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The
Powells
sold
the Tingle & Massey land tracts and town lots that
they had acquired at auction 18 May 1843. Perhaps the recording
of the town plat in 1849 was to make this possible.
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2
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The
proceeds
of
the sale of this Real Estate fell short of the $5,147.37.
Judgment obtained by the Powells against Tingle & Massey on 2
Jul.1842.
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3
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B.F.
Massey
or
William Tingle, or perhaps both, paid the Powells, 15 Mar.1852, the $1,000. required to satisfy the full Judgment.
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Assuming that my scenario is reasonably true, this $1,000. payment
successfully preserved the entente
cordiale that had prevailed between B.F. Massey and the Powells
for so many years.
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