Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-06-28
HIGGINsVILLE.

| 1.-THE following communication has been I'M
avoidably crowded out for two weeks past.l
We are going to have water bountiful, album
dsnt. flowing, freely flowing, rushing, gushing
and making the earth glad-two wells, one at
each end of town. Neptune and the Naiades,
and Moses smote the rock /! Flow gently sweet
Aftoni On Jordan's stormy banks; arise. breth-
rem, make your choice and sing. and you, U
mothers while the brethren sing, elevate your
voices and be exceedingly glad, for the tyranny
of washerwomen is broken. and the despotism
ofthe waterman has departed fore YER. No longer
will your bright faced oherubs be taken for the
disembodled spirits of a mud bank. but the &C
cumulated soil of the days sports will yield to
bountiful abluLions. You have been wronged,
previously wronged, but have suffered with a
stoicism that honors even the heroism of your
sex. And ii occasionally from the deep wound
ing of a tortured soul you have muttered in the
stifed tones of intensified agony, sob ! how is
it that men die of hydrophobia ?" it will only
be remembered to bless you. Your day of trib-
ulation is passed; forget as you would a troubled
dream. We are going to have oceans Of water
two wells; and they are going to be constructed
by voluntary subscription. Our public spirited
citizens preferringa mode of raising The neces-
sary funds which will emphaslze the inter est
lucy 1Ccl III IL "dItcI fdLucT Iuau wv ludt SuS-
gests the idea Of compulsion, which direct taxa
ton for the purpose would do. The subscrip-
ton list, as might have been readily conjectur-
ed, is headed with a handsome donation by our
popular and enterprising townsman, Captain
Hugh g. Smith, who neglects no opportunity eli
endowing with princely liberallty or stamping
with his indomitsble and indefatigable energy
every enterprise that tends to elevate the char
acter or promote the development of our town.
Sentiment favoring the project amounts to en-
thusiasm nnd moves unanimously in one direc-
ton. No one opposes, but all express astonish-
ment that a necessity so apparent, a want so alb
solutely essential should not long since have
been provided for. 1t is indeed remarkable,
that q community conspicuous for its intelli-
gence and enterprise should for the first time
seriously entertain a proposition which SO
directly and vitality affects its interest as the one
Of an adequate supply of water; and especially
when 1t can be obtained SO readily and mex
penslvely from q short distance IsloY the sur
face.
We are all proud and justly SO Of our beautiful
dashIng little city. We desire to invite and
even importune live men from all parts of the
country to settle among us. But what man
seeking a home or q place for the investment OF
capital would not hesitate to locate in u town
where water for domestic uses Is peddled through
the streets, or invest his means in a place where
by Casualty the cupidity or malice of an incen-
diary the whole is liable at any moment to
''Flee like q shadow and continue not except
in the form of dead ashes and charred ruins,
melancholy mementoes of his rashness and folly.
Immunity in the past from overwhelming disas-
ter has cheated us into u fale sense of security.
Seeing no danger imminent We believe none
possible. and thus trusting to blind fatality we
have rejected the dictates OF prudence, and with
a recklessness bordering on criminality ignored
gil principle and precedent. The misfortunes of
others have bad for US no Wholesome admoni-
ton. This must cease before wreck and ruin
awakes us 10 the realization Of the truth, that
God helps those who help themselves. The
writer Of this is no alarmist, nor is he easily
frightened with painted devils, but u just appre-
citation Of the danger that hourly threatens us
CAUSES him TO be serious in this matter. A
gentleman, = resident of our town, is standing
by while these lines are being Indicted. He
states that he was formerly a citizen ofSaganaw
u 1ourishing town in the state of Michigan, thai
during his residence the town was twice totally
destroyed by contagration, e%ntailing misery.
bankruptcy and ruin. On rebuilding the town
for the third time. scourged and dashed into pru
dence by misfortune, the foolish virgins kept
their lamps trimmed by way vi providing agains,
II repetition Of their former disasters, reservoirs
were constructed and fire apparatus provided.
The result is no lire of any conseq uence ha,
since occurred. And this guarantee Of security
has caused the population of the town to rapidly
increase. Historic precedents might be multi.
piled, but the Illuminated truth of the following
fhcts Will transpierce the most Opaque under
standing and dispel the. fog that envelopes tn.
hullest apprehension in the county First-The
property OF our citizens Is hourly and momen
tariiy in peril. 1t exists only by sufferance and
at the within and caprice OF fortune. The burst
ing of a lamp, a detective due, the carelessness
or design of u tramp, and any one of a hundred
other unforeseen and uncomfortable causes NAV
to-day or tomorrow blot the town from the
map of the country. Fire is serious loss to some
poverty vagrapcy to others, and calamity to
all One coniagrauon would lap by a Thousand
fold the costs of reservoirs. Sec ond-Respon-
slhle insurance companies refuse to take oul
risks, or do SO at exorbitant rates, thus leavin g
us without indemnity or driving us in despair
to insure in those of the bogus and mushroom
order. which are but delnsions and shares. The
amount saved by valid insurance annually
would more than sustain an effective fro organI-
cation. = men will not settle
where their property is insecure. Increase of
popula ton augments business. Greats demand
Tor and enhances the value of property, henc.
U tr nrotfn~ 10