Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-11-10

Emerson Goes Nosing Around Amongst
the Tall Oaks Down there and Sees
Things.

unfriendly poke at the Bluf-at lonl
range and in fog-it occurs to me tina
you might be good enough to allow {
friendly hand to tell what its owne
has seen deserving of note, while wait
ing here at the Bluff city for a SLOW
train home.
A great many Of your readers, I fear
think of this little city of Poplar Bluff
and this our sister county of Butler
only as a fit location for hospital, ano
the county for coon hunting and tim
Der stealing.
But, passing the question Of health
with the single remark that health
has been as good in Butler county dur.
ing the last few years as in any Other
part of the State, I beg you to allow Inc
to say that, in every material in terest
Poplar Bluff as town and Butler coun.
tyas a county are making such marked
progress as are worthy of note, and q
just source of pride to all who glory in
the growth and onwar march Of South.
east Missouri.
Slow as our Southeast seems to move,
I am quite amazed at the march OF
events, when I compare this brisk lit
tie city of to-day with the sleepy vii
lage ..oc twenty-oneo or twenty-five years
ago, when first traversed the seven
ty-five miles on horseback from Iron
ton to attend its first court, then held
here in an old log cabin; or even at a
later day, when the writer had the hon.
or of holding court, fifteen years ago, in
the same old clog cabin" Then, the
county was virtually a forest. Now
there is plenty of forest, but there is
much less, and very much else.
The External City" itself is scarcely
perched upon more irregular site than
Poplar Bluff, but it certainly does not
equal Kansas City in this respect. Pos
sibly these prototypes may be looked
to as in the nature of happy omens of
the future greatness of Poplar Bluff.
However this may be, can see many
evidences of a bright future before it.
With your kind indulgence, beg to
note few evidences of progress, enter
prise and activity.
In the way of manufacturing enter
prises, Hill, Nalle & Co., of Frederick
town, have one of the largest stave
factories in the State near the depot,
at which several million slaves per
year are made. r. Faulkner, Esq, has
another large stave factory and mill
few hundred yards from the depot.
Near these il the factory of Stead,
Jewett & Co. for cutting veneering.
They are using much "gum wood" for
this purpose, and it is found to be ex-
ceedingly beautiful when polished and
finished under the hand of the modern
cabinet artist.
POSSIBLY our Ironton girls, whom
the Bluff Citizen accused of "chewing
gum" for pleasure, may find some con-
ISOLATION in the reflection that the Pop
lar Bluff boys SAW GUM for bread and
butterD
There are, besides, about half dozen
of small stave factories, driven by horse
power, situated in different parts of the
county.
The product Of these factories does
not, probably, amount to less than
$4,000 to $500, 600 per year.
Then there are about fifteen saw
mills in the county, with unlimited
demand for all they can cut. 1t is
computed that the sawed lumber thus
produced amounts to fully 20, OOO, 900 to
25,O 900 feet nnually, which at ten
dollars per thousand would amount to
sum of $4,000
Besides this, there is shipped of pill
ing, hub timber, telegraph poles, and
logs, split slaves, etc., not less than
500, 900 more.
These items of wealth from the for
ests and labor are sufficiently formida-
BILE to be surprising, but do not think
they are exaggerated.
Two wagon factories do a thriving
business here-one carried on by our
enterprising and deserving Ironton
boy, Mr.. George Begley, and the other
by our other Arcadia boy, Mr.. Andrew
Harviell.
The Eureka Machine Shops are un-
der full steam, and doing good work
About twenty stores, big and little,
supply goods to the increasing popula-
ton.
The Bluff Citizen is the only paper
published here. and 1t is enough where
the great dailies reach, only few hours
old. The Citizen is q calm, dignified
paper, commercially free from all Bit
ter personalities or chickering's. and is
doing its share to push on the car Of
progress. Thos. NJ. johnson, Esq.
Presiding Judge Of the County Court,
is the editor. graceful writer Of more
than ordinary polish and good sense.
It is thrifty, enterprising Journal, and
70 oo,,rfAO,po oditDr II oil o,,o