Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-02-07
NUMBER 80
The Land Grant in SOutheast
Missouri.

Il Inc fOIloWlng covers some questions
relating to the land grant in Missouri
which is very likely to be withdrawn
from the Iron Mountain railroad: It
lies between Pilot Knob and the south.
ern boundary of the state, and extends
about equally east and west OF the st.
Francois river, along which that rail-
| way was to have been built, instead of
Black river, where it is now operated.
To prairie man, Southeast Missouri
is mountainous" but Yankee,
Pennsylvanian, Scotchman or Switzer
regards it as q most charming hilly
country in the uplands; and, while the
highlander calls the lowland region "a
swamp" the people of Northern In
diana, Ohio, New Jersey and the Hol-
landers and others Of Vriesland, Zee.
land and elsewhere in Michigan, re-
gard that so-called swamp as a valua-
BILE anG attractive iistrict. It IL q case
of ."you pays your money, you takes
your choice" But fortunate will be
the man who can secure upland for
summer grass and lowland farming
for winter use. Records show that
there is no superior region for wheat,
but 1t is rather too far north for cotton.
Corn, sorghum, rye, oats, tame grasses
and fruits flourish. The first settlers
report that the country was found q
prairie, bearing grasses such a. are
boasted in the far West now, to cure
upon the ground and yet fatten horses
and cattle. The custom Of burning
grass has continued, 90 that In places
there is little underground in the forest.
The timber consists Of oak, hickory,
elm. walnut and pine, principally.
Unlike the Northern pineries, the oaks
grow with them, aud even q thick
growth Of pine may be followed by
vigorous growth of oak. The gentle
slopes, valleys and "highland latst
are very rich. The st. Francois river /.
is navigable from Greenville south
wardly. The country can be reached
from the Iron Mountain railway from
points between Ironton and Poplar
Bluff, also between Fredericktown and
Delta, from the Cape Girardeau and
and Southwestern railroad between
Delta and the iron mines northeast OF
Poplar Bluff. For more definite In
it may be well to address
the following persons who have hereto
fore been acquainted with this country,
and may yet be willing to reply: Mr..
James Fl. Chase, q. 8. Register Of
Lands at the general land Office, Iron
ton, Mo-; Mr.. Hamilton, Piedmont; Mr..
E. r. Leutz, Poplar Bluff; Mr.. Gahoon,
Mr.. Murdoch, Lutes-
vile; Mr.. Louis Houck, Cape Girar-
deau; Mr.. D. S. Crumb, Bloomfield.
While people grow wild over the
great Northwest aud other remote re-
gions, quiet, thoughtful people are
finding out the bdhefits of filling in va
cances in older and well-tried districts.
For example, the Grandin family OF
Pennsylvania, with others, who have
become broadly known through their
with the great Grandin and
farms of Dakota, have pur-
chased more than 10000 acres in
Southern Missouri. The Kansas City
and Memphis Railroad company has
secured over 100000 acres. Of timber
land, the most Of which will be tapped
by the branch road about to be built
from Hutton Valley to Poplar Bluff.
Many Pennsylvanians, Canadians and
Wisconsin men have taken large tracts,
some of whom propose to cut the TIM
Der for market Immediately and sub
divide the lands for agricultural pur-
poses.
The counties of Southeastern Mis-
souri, are in good financial condition,
only two or three having any bonded
debt and many of them have money
at interest. The mining and manufac-
turing interests require more supplies
than the farmers now supply. It would
be difficult to find more desirable re-
gion for dairy business, sheep raising
and fruit growing, aud the markets
afford certain demands. .-Republica
TO THE WEST.