Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-15
Across the Continent as Far as
Belgrade.

III,
After what was to me q wOfulfy short time
Of rest, parted with my guide, and set out
alone for the last ten-mile stage of my trip.
l crossed Cedar creek on a bridge of two
cedar poles, which strongly recalled the
story Of "the six long, slim, slick saplings."
1t can outwiggie the bridge over Stout's
creek. To avoid immersion, 1 crossed 1t
a la coon, and soon stood on the dividing
ridge between Cedar creek and Big river.
From that point must look back to say
that the people of South Belleview do not
| admit the right of Caledonia, and the region
, around about It, to be considered as any
part Of Belleview. They are right. The
formation of the country is not the same,
and the soil Is not the same, in the two dis
tricts. The people are not the same. Sub
stract from South Belleview its progress,
public spirit, and good taste, and you will
have Caledonia. This may seem to be harsh,
but facts will sustain 1t as true. In the first
place, the town has the appearance Of hay
ing become badly fatigued early In life, and
having sat down and never got up. The
people might have crawled out in the cool
of the morning and planted few trees, SO
that they could have sat in the cool of the
shade. There is one small street and few
alleys, in which stranger could, after night,
easily commit suicide by breaking his neck
But the great feature Of the town Is the col.
lege. The building Is stuck up on the bare
hip of a hill, without shade trees, and is sur
rounded by dilapidated board fence. There
is not one attractive feature, not one element
of beauty about the whole thing. In sixty
years the writer has attained to some of the
rudiments of good education and some
facts in connection with the work of educa-
ton, and he has seen some of the professors
of Caledonia College, he has seen some of its
graduates, he has seen the community In
which 1t is situated, and he has seen the COL
lege building, and he understands the theo-
logical and moral status of the ecclesiastical
organization under whose care 1t is conduct
cd, and the decision on the whole thing is
that Caledonia College Is as.far beyond where
Progress left the Pagan gods as old John
Millett was beyond astonishment when the
No Popery mob had raided the May-Pole
Inn. The principal use of the college at
present seems to be as means of support
to the town.
At Caledonia / took the Salem road for
three miles, through district consisting
largely of immense masses of solid rock,
varied in wet weather by mud holes Of un-
known depth. They need good road masters
out there very much. Three miles west of
Caledonia took the Webster road, running
through country not quite so rocky, and ut
a little less than three miles, reached Big |
river. just before l came to it met |
young colored man, evidently returning from
school, and, judging from the text books, he |
was an advanced scholar. He was very
1 enquircd about the crossing Of |
Big river. He asked me ii wished to wade |
1t. I assured him, IN my blandest manner,
that had no anxiety to do so; for the water |
was ice-cold and the stream aoaukarusa. |
He then said must 60 down the bank some |
distance. l did SO, and crossed without any |
and soon found myself In Bel
grade, with Is situated on section 20, town |
ship 36, north, range two east, Of the fifth
p. NJ. The town consists of less than
dozen houses, and has three stores, two
blacksmith shops, two wagon making shops,
and a neat, pretty church. In the town and
neighborhood there is a good amount of en-
erprise, which will appear from the fact
hat, after the first of next July, they will
have daily mail. Passing through the
own, and going one mile and half north
vest, at shutdown, on Friday, January 10th,
found myself ut home in the faulty of Mr..
Thomas II. Henderson. TIC.