Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-12-26
MEXICO
AUDRAIN CO., MISSOURI.


AUDRAIN CO., MISSOURI.
Business Summary for 1878.
Mercantile, Manufacturing. Educational
ana Religious Institutions.
The city of Mexico is pleasantly
situated in the midst CT fertile coun'
try, interspersed with prairie and for
est, Astounding in limestone and coal,
and psopled with an industrious and
thrifty population. Its location is as
advantageous for commerce and man
u~factures as it is inviting fer resi-
dence. The st. Louis, Kansas City
& Northern, and the Chicago & Alton
railroads both pass throughit it, afforc-
ing direct communication not only
with St. Louis and Chicago, but with
AL Of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska mi
Iowa lying west and north of it. The
town has a good line of industries al
ready, but there is both room for and
need of many others. Mexico has
good hotels, respectable church edit
ces, large court house, strong Jail and
fine school and bank edifices. Per-
haps there are no better educational
opportunities in the State: than can be
found here, for both males and fe-
males. Our citizens are peaceful,
neighborly, temperate and religious.
All well conducted and industrious
newcomers are welcomed. The
neighborhood Of Mexico abounds in
raw material suitable for building and
manufactures. Besides wood, coal
and limestone, there are wool, fax,
castor beans, grain, corn, hay, tobac-
co, fire clay, with cattle and pork and
other natural products. Our great
need is skilled and willing hands to
take hold of these things and turn
them to greater advantage.
Ordinary trading is well and fully
attended to in Mexico. There is
abundance of goods in.the stores, and
it is even possible that there are too
many grocers. Farmers always find
large stocks of all sorts of articles,
with accommodating and honest mer-
chants to show them. There 10 good
demand for farm products. Horses,
mules, cattle, sheep and hogs can al
ways be readily sold for cash. The
same is true of grain, hay, fruits,
poultry and vegetables.
Among the further sources of en-
ployment in and around Mexico, are
those that would naturally spring from
increased production and more fitting
use of wool, tobacco, hides, wood and
iron. Among these may be classed
manufactures of boots and shoes,
wooden goods, -four and meal, wagons,
agricultural implements, etc. We
need a foundry badly-one in the
hands of acoaple of skilled mechan-
les would do well. A pottery could
be conducted here TO great advantage.
There is an abundant supply OF supe-
rior clay. Lime might be burned to
great advantage in this vicinity.
Starch, owing to the abundance and
cheapnass of orn can be produced
here to greater advantage than further
east. There are other openings that
we have no space to notice that might
give employment to hundreds of oper-
atives and as many thousands of
capital.
BUSINESS SUMMARY 1873.
The year just closed has been one
contraction. On that account it
has been difficult to realize the Gus
tomary and legitimate profits of bust
ness. At many periods of its course,
1t has been necessary lin order to meet
prevailing prices, to sell at or below
costs. Bleached domestics, which
last year brought IL LIE per yard,
now only command 10c. Prints worth
last year s 1-3c yer yard, can now be
had at 6 Lac. Flannels have declin-
ed from 5 to l0c per yard. The same
may be said of other goods, especially
groceries. The decline in farm prod
ncts is quite as great. Wheat, worth
last year ITO to 120c per bushel, can
now De bought at from 75 to 80c.
Corn, worth then 125c per Dbl, now
sells at 105. Flour that retaiIed at
from 2.6O to $40 per 100 lbs, now
sells at from 2. 90 to 80. Corn meal
worth thon 4jc can be had at 4Oe.
All this, however, is not characteristic
OF this community-it is the extraor-
binary but prevailing condition of the
whole country.
IMPORTS.
2s0 cars mixed merchandise. .......S 900. 900
20 cars iamber.."..-....~.... ...,. 81 500