The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-03-02
foorrssnondsncs Of the News.
LETTER FROM SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI.


GAINES FARM, Missouri, }
February 8, 1871.
il. BOARDMAN Sir: As some O
the readers of the "News" would prob
ably like to hear something from this
part of Missouri, I will send you few
lines.
Ileft Hillsboro in July, 1868, stop
ped a short time in Cincinnati, then
came to st. Louis, by way of the o. &
NJ. R. r., thence to Warrensburg, Mo.
by the Pacific Road. A portion 0.
this road, west of ST. Louis, runs
through some of the rOughest country
1 ever saw. 1t lies on the south side
af the Missouri river, and approaches
in some places to within ten feet of the
waters edge, while above the road thf
rocks appear to rise 200 or 800 fee
perpendicularly, and perhaps much
higher. 1t is a wild and picturesque
country, but not adapted to farming
except in the fertile bottom lands
along the turbid Missouri and its trib.
utaries. Thought that if all Missouri
was like that portion extending from
ST. Louis to about 100 miles west,
had no desire to stay very long. But
when 1 arrived at Clinton, the county
seat of this county, (Henry) 1 was
agreeabIy surprised to see the finest
looking country ever beheld.
was glad to stop when I arrived al
Clinton, having travelled $50 miles
during such extreme hot weather, the
mercury ranging from 1907 TO 1862 il
the shade. But nevertheless, the citi'
zens were busily engaged at work
Old houses were being superseded by
fine new brick buildings, rivaIing any
of the business houses of Hillsboro.
There is now a fine stone mill here
which cost $4,000; also a fine Baptist
church, and a new schooI-hOuse, each
costing about $4,000 There are six
large drug stores and a great many
business houses of all kinds. Whisky
shops and gambling hells, regret tC
add, are abundant.
The Missouri Kansas Pacific & Texas
road runs from Sedalia through this
place to Ft. Scott, Ksnsas. 7 think il
is destined to go 10 Galveston, Texas
The Memphis, Tenn. & Kansas City
R. R. is being graded through this
county. Clinton is also point on this
road.
All the loafers and "dead-beats'' in
this country are talking about "hard
times" heavy taxes, etc.. while ljUt
men have but little to say, but plenty
to do, as soon as the weather gets bet
ter.
Public schools are not very prosper
Gus, so far as my knowledge extends.
In this District there have been four
/ teachers during three months, and still
the school is doing but little good. The
majority of the parents instruct their
children of nights, by abusing the
teacher, using vile eptthets about him
in their presence, and threatening tC
"come down" upon him with a ven,
; geance if he should happen to dick
one of their darling JOnathans or fax
en-haired Betsies And when these
youths grow to manhood and woman
hood, their parents can tell you how
many 'pOssums and cOOns and bar
their sons have killed, and how dis
graceful it is for girls to work away
from home, etc. You could not hir1
one of them to '.disgrace" herself il
no such way Thank God, this stat,
of things is rapidly passing away
Such people are going to Texas ant
Arkansas. wish them well. Their
are few of them in Ohio yet, anC
it would be good thing if they woulC
: take the Texas fever too.
wish to say a few words to thos
who anticipate coming to Missouri. 1
you are doing well where you are, d,
not come here to do better. You cal
! do much better in Ohio than you thinl
for, if you only try. Renters can d,
much better in Ohio than they can o
do here. And to the young men
would say, stay at home, work hard
save your money, but do not come Ou
here to get into business, for ever!
time there is chance for some on
there can be seen hundreds f1Ockin,
round it, like buzzards assembling
round a new-falIen carcass. But i
you do come, come 10 this county. I
is as good as any in Southwest Mo.
A snow fell here a short time since
IA inches deep. Old settlers say it i
the deepest one that they ever saw il
this country.
The M. E. Church is very prosper
GUS here. Last fall there were but {:
or three members, now there ar
about 80. And still the good worl
goes on. S.
The Mr.. Benedict who was victim
of the New Hamburg slaughter, wal
not the principal proprietor of the
Cleveland Herald, but a son of thai
gentleman. He was a young man O
great promise and Of the most attract
i've qualities.
! Little minds are tanned and subdupC