Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-10-29
VISIT TO SOUTHWEST MISSOURI.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Ledger.

OEEcSuohucuCc VI IN kcoeNAs
MEXICO, Mo-, October 22.-Know-
ng that many in North Missouri
would love to know something more v
If South Missouri, I will give you a V
short sketch of my trip through n
county. i,
Leaving home on September 25th, p
[ landed in Kansas City on the @
morning of the 26th, staying there t
only long enough to change cars. l 4
took the Gulf road for Springfield, {
Mo. Beautiful farms were mapped {
out on either side of the road {
through Kansas, all enclosed with
rock and hedge fences. Fine corn
aud hay were harvested in abundance.
Fl. Scott is a misunderstanding place.
On reaching Springfield at 1880
0 clock the same evening l remained
two days in the town visiting
kind friends and was shown around
the city and found it lively and en-
terprising. 1t is a city OF 22,ooo
inhabitants. I visited the National
and Confederate cemeteries two miles
out of the city, and found them en-
closed with beautiful hewn stone
fences. The government is having
built q boulevard drive out from the
city and it will be finished this fall.
1t will be one of the best drives In
the State. Took in DoIey's rural
park a short distance from the city.
They are improving it every day. 1t
has a large lake, bath-house and
boating. The natural scenery is very
pretty. next went with a party OF
friends to visit Knox's Cave, seven
miles from the city. Found Mr..
, Knox, the owner, at home and ready
to show US through the cave. Our
guide furnishing US with tapers, we
started to explore. Now, reader, it is
almost useless for me to describe this
cave of natural grandeur. The frs
room you enter has an archway hang
ling, as it seems, with icicles and jets
J, as it were, and walls with almost ever.
shape that a sculptor could name
Ion our way, passing by "Rache
ID weeping over her children 9Th
china closet" sthe Queens basin,'
Ii and pillars thirty feet in circumfel
ence extending from floor to ceiling
cream colored and s%eulptured wit
Natures hand, we saw things whic
we cannot describe. One of thes
= pillars Mr.. 4. calls "Solomon's Ten
ple." After travelling ~undergroun
one half mile We struck ochre bed
There must be thousands of barre
! deposited there. The ave has bee
} explored a mile and q half. This
only a faint description. l then +
turned to the city and at 80 o'clo'
again took the Gulf road for We
m Plains, Mo. ; found on my way Ced
|VlGap extension bridge. Across Mou
Lu tain Grove was grand scenery fre
car window. Next Cabool, whe
some mills are located through t
the pineries and q great deal of lumt
we'd is being shipped to the state of X
aSS sas and farther West. Next Old
Here we found twenty-five hundl
Ills, acres in orchard-apples, peacI
and small fruits. A force of nurse
Oh men are employed. This orchard
owned by a company at Kansas G
As soon as the trees commence bt
an ing there will be built a drying
canning house. The trees are now
years old. Next We landed in "
M" Plains found it a nice little will
built on the southern, slope OF
ozark mountain and found the ]
Pile energetic. West Plains is a G
trading point, the county seat
ILL.,, Howell county.
Capt. Hiner has a fine bearing
chard near this place. Mr.. Joh1
went out and Capt Hiner gave
some of his fall and winter ap
- October peaches, beets and 8
POTATOES. Mr.. johnson sent the
the editor to be put on exhib
!, but they looked so delicious the e
ate them all up. In the near II
1fD0I. this will be a fine fruit country.
pies grown on Captain Hiner's
chard took the premium al
-World'sF Fair, New Orleans. 1
.n Twisted in the interior OF II
! county and found the country
trough and rocky. The valley
pr. are very rich; corr and vege'
all grow well. In the uplands
and tobacco and all orchards do
The uplands are gravel soil. &
stplowed under. Strawberries
7 grapes grow well. You find but
timber, but the black-jacks are
undergrowth; the same black
make the best of fre-wood; e.
n can be found to fence the coun
with.
It is some warmer there tt
4 short North Missouri. l found the Q
.ery re- tiers to be a kind hearted, Oh
people and are mostly Tenness
j lRUN A needed want ia more mea
open up the country. Cattle an
=" do we'll. They need good OK
d -hand to break up that country and I
distant day, with vim aad emit
Rf' and some means, il will be q go
HlEloH: of Missouri. Think in fruit
.x,ol ,s Hona that ha'