The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-02-18
WESTERN MISSOURI.
LETTER FROM THE REV. e. v. CAMP.
~ = BELL.
BUTLER, Mo-. Feb. I'd. 1878.


BUTLER, Mo-, Feb. I'd, 1875.
EDITOR JouRNAL.-I have been waiting
for something to turn up that would give
me pretext for writing another letter for
your columns. But that something has
not turned up yet. Life here moves along
quietly enough to suit the sobersst people,
with only an occasional theft or other pet
ty violation Of good manners by people
whose bringing up has not been quite what
the law requires. Occasionally some little
incident shows that Southern blood has not
lost all ito fire, and a. of old, under real OK
imagined provocation, IL not slow
TO Use THE PISTOL.
A few weeks ago, the Clerk of the Circuit |
Court an sstimable gentleman, and soa Of |
the former Baptist minister here, delibsz-
atsly shot At man on the court house
steps, having first laid him on his back by = |
gentle use of the Aexors and sxtensors of |
his good right arm. OF course, there had
to be some show of observing the propre-
ties of the law for such cases made and
provided; but the indications are that 4
twenty dollar fine will end the matter till
the next time.
The holidays passed with us pretty much
As they usually do with you, the children
getting the best end of the purse. Every
church in town had it's Christmas tree or
aomoth;pr <hat on.-.r>I %h> x,rDo.>
though there was evidently feeling that it
was almost like drawing the life blood.
One would hardly believe that the loss of
one crop could
so CRIPPLE A COUNTRY;
but here We are made to realize it. It
stares upon us from the gaunt forms Of cat
tie and horses that have been kept on short
rations since last fall. The market prices
proclaim it. A few days ago gentleman
bought an excellent fve-years old horse,
warranted not to cut in the eye, for twenty
six and a-half dollars. The owner had no
feed and no money to buy with, and sold
rather than have his horse starve. Cattle
can scarcely be given away, and it il rare
thing to re load of hay or corn about tho
market. And yet, with all this, our NOR
chants are doing reasonably we'll. have
not known Of the discharge of a single
clerk.
1 have been here long enough to pass
through some of the seasons and form =
judgment Of them 10 far. I have hardly
been able to realize that it
Has BEEN OR Is WINTER.
We have had three or four light SHOWS
just enough to tempt out the few cutters
there are in town, but in the course of two
days at most the ground would be all bare
again, and good part of the time one did
not need either rubbers or overcoat for
'trset~walking. The eighth day of this
month made us look two or three ways at
once. The wind was sullsn-like in the
morning, but became more spirited towards
noon and kept on getting spirited all after
noon, so that by evening roaring coal
fire in the crate was something Of an in
ducement to stay from the evening service.
Then during several days following, the
mercury kept fooling along from zero
to ten OF twelve below, and one morning it
was 80 inconsiderate and 80. regardless of
propristy a. to
STAND AT FOURTEEN BELOW.
And this, too, Lay old thermometer, that
has spent several winters in St. Cloud and
| therefore should know to tell the truth! I
have heretofore had unboundsd confidence
in its integrity; for did I not give it all the
tests when bought it and was it not 4
faithful friend during many Year,? Alas!
i must be that evil communications corrupt
good manners, and Isse no other way than
| that Grant shall send some of his soldiers
here to rsorganize it.
Our Solons are At work now, and to
their credit be it said, they have thus carly
passed q "stay law" that will be relief to
the people. Heretofore Ill taxes had 70 DO
paid in January new the real estate taxes
are not to bs paid till in the summer.
If my letter were not already growing
tedious, I would like to give you some facts
in relation to the schools of this State; alss
in relation to it, mineral wealth. I think
there il no question about the future
Of Missouri. 1t may be 4 good way of,
but there is future of greatness before it.
The climate seems to be good the soil is
of medium quality, while the coal and iron
are inexhaustible, besides lead, of which
more than 100000 pounds were shipped
to St. Louis during 1873. And as all know
there are many other minerals here.
| Yours truly,
| E. V. CAMPBELL,