Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-12-22
DADE COUNTY AGAIN.

WELLINGTON, MO-, Dec. III, 1000.
EDITOR INTELLIGENCER:-W have
just received copy of the mtelligencer
in which E. P. NJ. replies to my article
In rather rough manner. He says
am correct in one particular. The rest
is misstatements or not true, and that
we have exposed our ignorance. And
that could not write the truth about the
county unless had seen more Of it. He
further says had two objects in view.
The first to have him acknowledge that
Dade is superior to Lafayette. deny
the assertion, as every one in this coun-
ty already knows that without his ac-
acknowledgement. only gave sketch
of our travels in my first. When i'll his
first he tried to make it appear that 1
did not know where had been, and
that got lost. He says Archie is in
Vernon county. will here ask him
if it isn't in Cass county, if so, am
correct in two places. He says my
second object was not to publish true
account Of Dade county. 1 say this
assertion is not true also. He says q
line twenty miles long will be ample to
trace every step we have taken in Dade
county. Perhaps it would be. there if
they would take an air line, but follow
the road over the hills and hollews, and
you will have about double that dis
tance. He says, pretend to know all
about the county. l only spoke Of what
1 saw. still say never saw any blue
grass in the county of any consequence.
L have seen more blue grass in Lafay-
cite on one acre of land than all l saw
in Dade county. He further says, the
part of the county we saw is as one to
one million. If we only saw the one
part, should dislike very much to see
the million. think my memory about
as good as his, and haven't forgotten
what saw. He says, in spite of my
misstatsments, the fact still remains
that Dade county raised q better crop
OF wheat and corn than Lafayette. 1
gave it credit in my first of having good
corn, but as to wheat l cannot agree
with him as have seen more wheat
on one farm here, than any ten there.
AS to the mineral am not prepared to
say. But will here add, we did not
run any mines as we travelled through
the smoothest part of the county.
Hence we missed the rich part of the
county. "He says, Zach, you know,
lives in the river bottom" (Yes, Mr..
Editor, do live in the river bottom
and l am proud of my home, of my
health, and of my many good friends
in the bottom, and throughout the
county, and do not think it any dis
grace to live in the river bottom. If I
remember right have seen the time
when E. P. NJ. was seeking place in
our bottom. l know how blue grass
looks in Lafayette, but would not
know how it would look in Dade coun-
ty among the rocks. am under many
obligations to him for his kindness to-
ward us in offering us one of those
awful hills to set on my farm in the
bottom for the protection of myself
and family. But, for two reasons, L can
not accept. One is should dislike
very much to see Dade county soil
mixed with Lafayette as there is such a
wide difference in it. The other is Dade
county would look odd to remove one
Of those awful hills from it, as it would
leave too much level ground there aftel
removing the hill. As to the annua
struggles of the high waters on one
side and the malaria on the other, W,
will try and take care of ourself an(
family. High water comes now anl
then, but we have lived in the sam,
, river bottom since 1862, with the ex.
ception of part of 1875 and 1877, anG
, have never been drowned yet. And al
to health, have been blessed with gooG
. health. don't think l ever had a
. much as one dozen chills in all my life
all told, and have been farming here
. almost all of that time, and have never
on account of high water, drouth OF
, malaria, or any other cause missed
raising good crop. 1 do not like to
, be accused of making false statements,
of telling untruths, and exposing my
ignorance all at the same time. Perhaps
am more ignorant than my friend E
P. NJ. rs he has travelled all over the
state, and have never been anywhere
and can't tell anything as see it, bu,
don't like to be told of it, and am SC
green l will expose my ignorance very
: often and not know enough to find Il
= out. And a. to truth, will leave tina,
fer those to say who know me, as an
= about as we'll known by tho readers o.
f your valuable paper as E. P. M, ani
}. perhaps there are some of them wht
= have been as fortunate as he in travel
: ling, and have seen his county. Az
It have already worried your patience,
n will close. ZACH. w. WRIGHT.
The season for cotton picking since
the occurrence of frosts as in gathering
bottom crops has been quite favorable