The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-05-02
FROM MISSOURI.

i an an attentive reader, though not
. subscriber. Of your excellent paper
for 10 10 q regular visitor to one Of my
family, and am glad to know that Lin.
cvlu can boast Of so good journal.
Could | roll backward the wheels Of
time forty years, and stand in stsnford's
streets. | would know aud be known by
all But alas. for the work Of Deaths
inreleuting sickle aud the busy finger Of
Tine Tho broad sweep Of the former
has scot many, nearly all, Of my youth.
iul companions to the spirit land and
the busy finger Of the latter has doubt
les written 80 many changes upon dear
I'D Stanford that. we're | to-day permit.
tod to be In your midst, would be a
stranger In q strange place, and could
exclsim to my sorrow, but to the pride
Sf the present inhabitsnts, This is 4
world Of changes" The changes which
have been wrought would be sad to me
not that l have grown too selfish to
reoice in the prosperity of my bOyhood'-
nome, but that the associations and
scenes Of my youth would be more pleas
ips to me unchanged. | still have a
regard for Lincoln above every other
spo, on earth save my present home for
j; was there launched my slender bark,
aud ssll did the people sustain me in
business, and aid me with their counsel
in building a character which ! have al
NNys eudesvored TO keep. My occura-
tioE u Stanford was that Of a merchant,
ard " Sas IN thos- bllmy days Of cont
dencs wher bushes was done entirely
On tseive months credit. In that good
time the columns of our journals we're
no. cl.r0eret with numerous notices 20
The pa5.,c Of Ba,iaes doue solely cash :"
The visitor was not stared out Of counie-
nance by various cards. Cash pasted
here aud there in every store-house as
much as To say to him. Il mistrust you
Just here permit me TO say one thing
10 praise Of kentu ,kians. They pos.
sessed, forty years ago, a punctusli,y
which / have never seen surpassed
Whether they have lost this promp,ness
I am uuable To say ; but that they once
p,~se~ei thi. good quality is apparent
from many circumstances, one Of which
I ~ill mention. When | closed a busi.
ness Of several years standing in Stan.
ford, all had was scattered among my
customers BY the time was ready to
leave, all of my debtors had paid me ex.
cept one. and | am proud to say he was
not son Of Kent icky but Tennessean.
30 I left Kentucky deeply impressed
with the fact that its people had one
good and noble characteristic punctu.
ality.
In the Fall and Winter Of 1881 Wis.
tied Indiana, Illinois. and Missouri, more
fbr curiosity than profit; for I intended
10 return to Stanford and make il my
home for life. was much pleased with
these States and inhabitants generally.
l returned to Kentucky, but not to for.
get the broad level prairies over which ]
had passed, or the manners Of the people
watch so pleased my generous fancy.
could not banish this from my mind, so
| made immediate arrangements to leave
and try my fortune in the wilds Of Mis-
souri,. i left, but took with me heavy
heart, and, as far as | know, the bless.
ings Of all left behind me.
The question has often been asked me
by Kentucky friends, "Did you better
your condition by leaving us'" 1t is to
answer this question, in the briefest man.
ner possible, that make the present
communication.
II TO increase my wealth was to better
my condition, l can truly say ! was in.
jured by moving; for, had remained
in Stanford with the same success had
while there, | would have been worth
thousands where am now worth hun.
dreds. When I moved to Missouri il
ives 'parssly settled, with scarcely any
Improvements. But we are proud to
say the "hoxling wilderness has been
converted into the lovely garden Our
State has many miles Of railroad and
numerous and valuable public buildings.
Rducstion and religion have not been
forgotten. A great number Of churches
adorn our lpud, and the system Of public
instruction is excellent In short, Mis-
souri has risen ir0m the twentieth to
the sixth State IN the Union, and ! am
proud Of Il. So you see the reason why
l aud most new settlers have never grown
very wealthy is, that we have chosen to
spend our time and money in improving
our State, thus leaving il prosperous for
the rising generation. Therefore | have
never regretted moving, aud have in
many respects "bettered my condition.
Let me say TO all who may wish to
emigrate TO new country, that, though
they will have many haraships to under.