Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-01-24
BRIDGING THE MISSOURI.

1t is rs true now as 1t was when Ben
jamin Franklin wrote it in "Pooi
Richard" that, "God helps them thai
help Themselves"
Last year, somewhat through the NJ
gency of the INTEILrGENCER. Il number
of enterprises were set on foot III l. y
ington, the mere announcement o.
which through the metropolitan pa
pers, by their correspondents here.
gave us the reputation everywhere o
having awaked from years of lethargy
to a renewed life of activity and pros
perity. If in one or two instances new
enterprises have not proven all thai
vas hoped, Immediately, none of them
have absolutely failed, and the aggre-
gate of their Inauguration has been Of
i~ncaiculable benefit to the town.
If as much can be done to advance
the interests of Lexington i'll 1885 as
wes accomplished in 1884 we shall have
a certainty that the town will go Oh to
substantial prosperity.
The first thing necessary to accom-
plish this end is concer of action
unanimity. 1t public-spirited harmony
does not exist little can be done. The
fomenting of petty personal, politica
or business quarrels can only result in
general injury. What we need now i:
to forget such things as tar as is posi-
bic, and to work together for the com
mon good. 10 this end our energie;
shall be bent, and, so far as we can now
see, the most important measure thai
presents itself for the consideration o.
the people of Lexington is the building
offs bridge across the Missouri river;
a railroad and wagon bridge, if practi,
cable, but a wagon bridge certainly.
There is no reason why this should
not be done in this year of our Lord
1885.
Its advantages we need not stop &c
point out. 1t would open up to us the
trade of half a county, beside attract
ing a great deal of travel. The mer
chants of Lexington understand
fully, the benefits to be derived from 6
wagon bridge.
We AVE waited, for years, for some
one-eIse to build a bridge for us. l.
we really want a bridge why not bui!c
it for ourselves?
Bridge building is not so formidable
a thing as it has been in the past. The
peculiar difficulties of the Missouri riv'
err have been 10 a great extent ever
come bv engineering skill. What could
not d few years ago be accomplished
with less than hundreds Of thousand;
OF dollars may now be done with ten:
of thousands. This makes q very great
difference in the feasibility of building
a bridge by III own exerlion5. 1t Cal
be done.
AS Horace Greeley used to say, thai
s-the way to resume was to resume
81 in this case the way to do the work
is to 60 TO work. First, let us have 6
meeting OF our citizens; let q commit
tee be appointed to organize e compa'
ny to build the bridge; let this compa'
ny apply to congress for a charter, and
go on with the purpose of its existence
as circumstances may suggest. Ii rail
road companies want to help, or, in
deed, to do the work, well and good
but let us show them that We do DO
mean to wait, like Young birds in 6
nest, with our mouths open, expecting
some sort of providence to drop bug;
down our throats. We have done
enough Of that.
There are gentlemen in our midst
who do not become offended when they
are spoken of as financiers. Now, here
is an opportunity for financiering, Nc
of the narrow, selfish kind, but of tina
sort which builds ior humanity i'll gen.
eraE, for the community. Let it hot bt
said that 8 half mile-long bridge is no
roomy enough for all our tinanciers tt
stand upon at once, bRt it there have
been any little cause Of estrangemen
up to this tine let them be buried il
the patriotic desire to advance tie pros
perity of Lexington.
"Great souls by instinct to each other turn
Demand alliance, and in friendship burn"