Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-10-09

| IOr taxes OF 1856. amounts to $I4l $40,
589 "a, as follows:
Real estate. e....................S51 S514, ,34S 500 o.
| PERSONAL property. ............. Sl,017,ll0 "
Raiiroad companies .......... 42,S47,2 ,294 A
| Brldge companies ........... 2,yI6,UO0 OF
| Telegraph companies .... 622, $40 u
| Total. .......................S S741 ,S70, $50 I.
| Embraced in this assessment are 7l9,
325 horses, PA, ,4O6 mules, 1000, 1872
neat cattle; 2,925,9l7 hogs; 1,147 ,94s
sheep, and 1886 asses and jennets.
Compared with the actual value of the
property assessed, the assessment tall.
far short of the real wealth of the state
for it is well known that real estate is
assessed at barely 40 per cent. of its
value, while many hundred thousand
dollars in personal property escapes
taxation altogether. Tue assessment
OF railroad property like that OF real
estate does not represent its actual cash
value, but in proportion TO mileage the
assessment i'll Missouri is much higher
than the assessment in the neighbUring
states of illinois, Iowa aud Kansas
The taxable wealth of the state for
taxes of 1871 was $685.. .239, 1885; for
1872, 1872 ,293, ,377; for 1880, S5o8, SOL, :
443 SO; for 1882, $649, ,267 ,242 86; for
1884, 1926, 75,259 As; for 1886, $741,-
$40. O.5S9 "A.
The rates OF taxation for state pur-
poses in 1868 were revenue tax 25cents;
interest tax, 25 cents; revenue poll tax,
25 cents; in 1869, 1870 and 1871, reve-
nue. tax, 25 cents, and interest tax, 25
cents; tor l872-3-4.5, revenue tax, 20
cents, and interest tax rs cents !;
from 1876 to 1886, revenue tax, 2O
cents, interest tax, ~ cents.
HIGH LICENSE.
The high license system prevailing in
Missouri lessons the number of dram
shops, increases the amount of revenue
derived from them, abolishes the cross
road or country saloon aud confines
the sale of intoxicating liquors under
the surveillance OF the police. For the
year ending July 4, 1882, there were
3,469 licensed dramshops, and 132 wine
and beer houses in this state, from
which were derived state and county
taxes, amounting to S547 ,32O 30. For
the year ending July 4, 1886, the num-
Der OF dramshOps will not exceed
$500, and the state and county licenses
paid by them amount to not less than
81 500 900.
l have official returns from 40 coun-
ties, eighteen of which are without
licensed dramshops. The 81 granting
license report 2,675 dramshops, Of
which number 1.61S are in the city of
st. Louis aud 366 in jackson county.
These 2.675 drsmshops paid tor the
year ending July 4, 1886, state and
county licenses aggregating $1,42O,-
O65 80. Fifteen counties are vet to
hear from, which will probably increase
the number of dramshops 125, and the
revenue not less that $4,000. am
unable to furnish the amount Of town
and city revenue collected, but, exclu.
sive OF st. Louis, the amount will not
fall very far short of $500, 900, 80 that
the entire state, county and town IL
censes will amount TO about 81, ,8OO,-
600. In a majority of counties the
state license is 1925 for six months, and
$3.50 for the county, but in many coun-
ties the license is higher, some placing
the state license at $40, $50, and even
800, and the county at $500, $3.50 aud
$4O0 for Six months.
PROGRESS OF RAILROAD CoNsrRUc-
TIoN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES,
In 1852 there were five miles OF oper-
ated railroad in the state. In 1854,
thirty-seven miles. In 1885, 14O miles.
In 1857. 3l8 miles. In 1858, 547 miles.
In 1860, 8l7 miles. In 1870, 1000 miles.
In 1880, 1907. On the LIST of Septem-
Der, 1886, 5,051 miles, with the work of
construction ever going on.
Within 100 mitpo Of vnnr ototo ,o,:
tai are the st. Joe lead mines, the
greatest producing mines in America.
capable of yielding 100000 pounds Of
pure lead every twenty-four hours.
and that with as absolute certainty as
that rock may be obtained by blasting
the bluffs OF the mississippi river. But
it is not alone in st. Francois county
that great deposits of lead are found.
Rich, indeed, are the counties of Madi-
son, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin,
Jasper and Newton in this valuable
metal, and millions of pounds are an
nually shipped therefrom. Iron sufi-
cient to supply the world is found in
Missouri, but if we have in
supplies of lead and iron,
we likewise have the greatest abun.
dance of zinc and other useful metals.
Fine building stone, acres of granite,
every variety of clay and sand for the
manufacture of plate glass exists in
endless quantity, while vast coal fields
are spread over the northern and west.
ern portions of the state Such are some
Of our mineral resources, but the glory
ot Missouri is in her agricultural lands,
han which none are richer or more
productive.
Trusting l may have satisfactorily
your questions touching our
1scal affairs, am, with great respect.
yOnr friend IouN II o. ~