North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-07-17
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The eccentric Mark Twain having lately
been on visit to Hannibal, Missouri, and,
as be says, where he was ''raised," gives
the following sketch of the rise and pro-
gress of that fourishing village a41zs H
Hannibal has had hard time of IL ever
since ] can remember. and was raised"
there. First, it had me for. citizen, but i
was too young then to really hurt the lit
tie place. Next, Jimmy Finn, the town
drunkard, reformed, and that broke up the
only saloon in the village. But the tenn
perance people liked it; they were willing
enough to sacrifice public property to pub
lie morality. And so they made much of
Jimmy Finn--dressed him up in bran new
clothes, and had him out to breakfast and
to dinner, and SO forth, and showed him
off as great living curiosity-a shining
example Of the power Of temperance doc
trines when earnestly and eloquently set
forth. Which was all very we'll, you know,
and sounded well, and looked well in print
but Jimmy Finn couldn't stand it. He got
remorseful about the loss of his liberty !;
and then he got melancholy from think
ing about it SO much and after that he
got drunk. He got awfully drunk in the
chief citizens house, and the next morn
ing that house was as if the swine had
tarried in it. That outraged the temper
ance people and delighted the opposite fac
ton. The former rallied and reformed
Jim once more, but in an evil hour temp
tation came upon him, and he sold his
body to the doctor for quart of whiskey,
and that ended oil his earthly troubles
He drank it all at one setting; and his soul
went to its long account and his body went
to DR.. Grant. This was another blow to
Hannibal. Jimmy Finn had always kept
the town in sweat about something or
other. and now it nearly died from utter
inanition.
After this, Joe budding, reckless spec
ulstor, started q weekly stage to the town
of Flora, thirty miles away, where cou-
pie of families were living, and Hannibal
revived very perceptibly under this wild
new sensation.
But then the scarlet fever came, and the
hives, and between them they came near
hiving all the children in the camp. And
90 Hannibal took another back-set. But
pretty soon Z weekly Newspaper started,
which bred q fierce spirit Of enterprise in
the neighboriDg farmers, because when
they had any small potatoes left over that
they couldn't sell. they didn't throw them
away as they used to do, but they took
them to the editor and traded them off for
subscriptions to his paper. But finally
the potatoe-rot got him, and Hannibal was
foored again.
However, somebody started pork.
house, and the little village showed signs
Of life once more. And then came the
measles and blighted it. It stayed blight
ed good while too.
Alter . while they got to talking about
building plank road TO New London, ten
miles away, and after smother while they
builtit. This made business. Then they
got excited and built . gravel road to Par
IS, thirty or forty miles. More business.
They got into q perfect frenzy and talked
Of railroad-an actual railroad-a rail-
road two hundred miles long-s railroad
from Hannibal to St. Joseph |! And be-
hold, in the fullness Of time--in ten or
fifteen years-they built it. @4 N3g
A sare-enough prosperity burst upon
the community now. Property went up.
1t was noted IS significant fact that in
stead Of town-lots BY the acre, people be-
gan to cell them by the front foot Han
nibal grew fast-doubled ito population in
two years, started daily paper or two,
and came to be called city-sent for
fire engine and had her out, bedecked with
ribbons on Fourth of July. but the engine
house burned down one night and destroy
ed her, which cast gloom over the whole
community. And they started militia COM
panies, and Sons of Temperance, and Ca
dets of Temperance. Hannibal always had
a weakness for the Temperance cause. i
Joined the Cadets myself, although they
didn't allow boy to smoke, or drink, or
swear, but | thought could never be truly
happy till | wore one of those stunning
red scarfs and walked in procession when
a distinguished citizen died. Istood it for
four months, but never an internal distin-
guished citizen died dsring the whole time;
and when they pronounced old DIR. Nor
ton convalescent, (a man / had been de-
pending on for seven or eight weeks,)
Just drew out. drew out in disgust. and
pretty much all the distinguished citizens
in the camp died within the next two or
three weeks. tlk sf5Ti 8at
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