Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-06-30
READ AND HEED.

Audrain county not only ranks first
among the counties of the west in
wealth, enterprise, soil, climate, ad
vantages and facilities Of all kinds,
but it boasts of the liveliest and most
promising young cities, which, at no
distant day, will prove important
trade centres and shipping points.
LADDONIA.
situated on the C. & A. II. T., few
miles east of Mexico, bids fair to be-
come no insignificant rival of any
other town in Central Missouri. The
face Of the country, particularly in
that part of the county, is fair and
attractive, beyond the power of our
poor English to describe. Laddonia
lies at the summit lsvcl, and broad
reaches of open plain or prairie land,
from whose margin the country dips
with graceful incline, outward and
downward, in sympathy with the di-
verging water-courses that flow down
through groves and green, grassy
glades, interval and fringes Of timber
and pretty, ,low-lying, winding valleys,
to where they are lost in the larger
streams and forests, surround it on
all sides. The soil is generally a
dark alluvial, from twelve to thirty
inches deep, very flexible to work,
uniformly rich, and remarkably pro-
ductive and versatile. An imperish-
able soil, almost identical with the
ever-fertile, lacustrine soils of the
Rhine arl Mia -"Hn-~ --;n ""~
centuries of steady cropping, and is
the finest basis for grain, grass and
fruit known to the world.
This part of Audrain county is
rapidly being settled with the best
class OF immigrants, who are looking
for homes where they can enjoy all
the advantages of good society,
schools, churches, etc, and at the
same time can farm extensively and
to good advantage. This portion OF
the county with its broad, rolling
prairies still unscarred by the plow-
share, its waving fields of blue grass
and timothy, its abundant water sup
ply, offers Inducements TO stock rais-
ers that can be equaled in few local.
tiles. The stock raisers Of the East
ern States, who must feed their cattle
upon high-priced food, cannot COM
pete in the markets with our feeders,
and the sooner they change their fields
of activity the better for their welfare.
We are glad to be able TO chronicle
the fact that the tide of immigration
is now setting toward Missouri, and
Audrain is getting her portion, and
that, too, of the best class. We felt
assured that in the end, true merit
would prevail against the base slandel
of miscreants; and, although for s
time, emigrants from the East, being
prejudiced against Missouri, have
passed her by for the bleak prairies
of Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, ye'
truth has triumphed, and now tht
emigrant, let him come from wha
state he may. from Canada to thu
Mexico Gulf, will find neighbors from
his native state, similar in social, po
litical and religious principles.
The constant friction between thes
diverse social, intellectual, CONNER
cial and political elements has wor'
away sectional prejudice, dissipate'
local conceits, and, indeed, prett.
much everything of a provincial char
acter, developing in their stead
broad, moral, comprehensive AM
cosmopolitan order, most refreshing
and assuring to see.
There is no semblance of polite
or social intolerance or proscriptio
6 of Northern people, but, on the con
trary, a most liberal, generous an
hospitable feeling toward good me
from without, independent of thei
social or political antecedents.
Audrain county people are quic
to give new comels cordial Wester
welcome, and in every conceivabl
manner express their solicitude ft
the largest measure of iinmigratio
to aid in developing the latent wealt
of their beautiful and fertile countr,
Public enterprise has lmpelled I'll
expenditure of $3.50, ,0O0-princip
and interest-for the building {
railways; $65, 900 for county bull.
ings and appointments. and not lei
= than $50, 900 for the bridges, with
j liberal expenditure for incident
!. = uses, all within little more than
decade, every dollar of county obi