Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-02-09

| loremOSI states IN the Union. But to
do this such Bourbons as j. H. Burrows
and Senator Vest must be compelled to
take back seat and live men like Gov.
Crittendsn and Col. Crist invited to the
fore and invested with authority on a
broad, liberal platform of princiI les.
The rapid growth of Kansas City aud
st. Louis is simply astounding and mar
velous, whilst the interior and best part
of the State is non-progressive. The
northern part on the Hannibal & st. Jo
Railway is making rapid strides and fill
Ing up with young, progressive blood
but the central and southern part on the
Chicago & Alton, Missouri & Pacific and
st. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern
Railways is standing still. Magnificent
stretches of country and little bits of
houses, cheaply and poorly constructed,
strange contrast, and exhibiting an
abnormal condition of political economy
Had l time to write l could devote a
whole chapter to Kansas City, and l
desire TO say here l have never visited
city In which l took more interest than
Kansas City. AS seen at first from the
Hannibal & st. Jo Railway approaching
the city it has the appearance of being
built entirely on bluffs ascending one
above the other like mammoth tessel-
ated tower. Upon arriving in the city
my lmpetuOSity was almost unbounded
to get upon the hill top and take view
of the great city from aloft, SO much so
that the brave fair one on my arm had
to restrain me by gentle rebuff. The
city is busy building houses, grading
streets, walling up the sides of the bench
es or bluffs, and speculation in real es-
tate Iuns wild. Streets running paral-
lei with the bluffs are being graded
down fifteen and twenty feet, leaving
the houses-good, substantial structures
standing aloft and apparently in great
danger of toppling over; but there they
are, and the work of improvement goes
on and ina few years that rugged bluff
will be reduced to fair city with well
graded streets and paved walks. Money
from the East and South is pouring in
like copious showers i'll spring time; and
in this connection, desire to remark
that New York exchange at Chicago, st.
Louis and Kansas City, at this writing,
is at q discount, which means something
which means that New York is in
debted to the West and which fact car
ries with it a great Lesson.
Before finishing this letter l have
something to say about gaming in Mis-
souri,. The greater portion of my stay
in the State was in Linn and Charlton
counties. In the latter is a series of
lakes, full of fish and swarming with
ducks and wild game, and the timber
and hedges are full of rabbits, and the
fields furnish food to large and numeT-
our focks of prairie chickens. On the
very first day of my landing, was great
ly surprised by having gun put in my
hands, well supplied with ammunition,
and invited out to hunt rabbits. Now
be it understood your humble scribe is
neither Nimrod nor son of that great
man; no, not even a distant relation,
only as Mark Twain found himself re-
lated to Adam when he wept over his
tomb-a very. very distant brother, and
hence claiming no merit as shOotist.
But there is no excusing ones self, and
that being the case we march forward to
the scene of slaughter. Being a little
ingenious soon learned to put powder
and shot in the gun and make as big a
noise as any one in the crowd. l could
at least have the merit of shooting if
couldn't hit anything. However, we
soon found ourself in better condition
shooting wild ducks-Mallards-g
and prairie chickens. There was some
excuse for missing them-they were al
ways too far off, and l had not learned
to measure atmospheric distances yet.
found this complaint not confined to
myself, so got along first rate. But,
casting all jokes aside. if you want
good pastime procure snuff colored hat
and coat, a pair of hip rubber boots, and
go to Swan Lake, Charlton county, Mo-.
to hunt ducks and geese, and take i'll
prairie chickens on your way home, and
if you don't have good time it is my
treat.
Very Truly Yours, S. II. LEE.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, January, 's2.