The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-01-13
a Visit to Springfield


{ EDITOR REGISTER: Having Just re-
turned from little holiday trip to
/ Springfield, Mo-, and knowing that
my friends expect to hear from me
when l g. from homo and return,
scratch down the following for publ
cation, if you please:
| Springfield. is a lovely city of some
/ $4,000 or 5000 inha bitants. 1t is q
| city built among the trees, and il 1
had the naming of that burg ! should
have called it "Forest Ciiy." All
branches of industry are fully repre-
scented here, and city lots are held at
from $50 to 800 per front foot While
Springfield has sprinkIing of all ma
tiOnaIities, American blood largely
predominates. The people are mostly
northern men, the greater part Of
whom have settled here since the war,
and while politics are pretty evenly
divided, the Republicans hold the bal
ance of power.
We visited the national cemetery
/ here, AMI found it thing of beauty.
I Here lie buried the remains OF 1894 Of
/ the boys who fell at Wilson Greek and
vicinity. One hundred and thirty-fOur
of these, whose names were unknown,
are marked on the tOmbstOnes accord
ingly. The remainder bore the names,
! number of regiment, ETC., on the head
stones. | noticed that the most Of
| these appeared to be Iowa troops.
This cemetery is cared for and watched
over by an old Kentucky soldier by
the name of Delecroy. The Govern
ment pays MIN the sum of 81 200 q
year and furnishes him hand to help
him do the work. One of the prettiest
and grandest things that We
saw here is a marble shaft or monu-
ment presented by DIR. 7. j. Bailey,
of Springfield. 1t stands thirty feet
high, and standing upon the top Of
this is the figure of a soldier, cut from
the solid marble. He is i'm full uniform,
and leans upon his musket, his head
bowed to the earth as if watching
what is going on beneath him. These
scenes are very imposing. especially
to an old soldier, as they fill US with
thoughts of the long ago. This mon
ument cost Mr.. Bailey 5000. The
monument of Gen. Lyon is also here,
but his remains are in Connecticut.
There are also sos Of the Confederate
dead buried here. They are not in the
pau vi SIOuuu, Dui lueIt Is HOLn~
ing but stone wall between them.
This also is beautifully kept, not by
the Government as il should be, but
by what is known as the Confederate
Association.
Springfield has thirty five good, sub
stantial church buildings, all denOmi-
nations being represented, and also
many whiskey dens, or SALOONS" as
fhnV 0nlI fhAI11 Shn a leo ha n x-nf
ufacturing flour mills, ice manufactor-
les, electric lights, and, in fact, all OF
the modern improvements. The coun-
try around the city appeared to be
productive Notwithstanding the fact
that it is situated OH the top of the
Ozark mountains. The country for
Some distance on this side of SPRING
field, coming toward Fort Scptt, seems
very poor and abOundS in red brush,
until Golden City is past, and then it
is beautiful PRAIRIE, and abOunds in
beautiful farIss, good farm houses and
large barns. But let me aid right
here, that of all States that ever saw,
this Missouri beats them all for crows,
and If ! were to name it | should call
it the Crow state, for do believe that
| saw one million of that species Of
bird while on my way from Springfield
to Fort Scott.
Fort Scott is lovely town, but q
dull one. The railroad shops are pull
ing up and leaving, moving from
there to Chicago, while the glass fac
tory and several other public works
are dead and gone, and Fort Scott is
breathing hard. I visited our old
friend, DIR. Hendricks, i'm his Office
here, and also visited his family in
their home. The Doctor is pleasantly
situated here end has a good practice;
but Mrs. n. tells me she is not so well
satisfied here as she was at lola, and
predict that the Doctor will, sooner
or later, move back to his lola brick.
Wife and also visited the family of
Mr.. Ira Peck in Fort Scott, brother
of our friend and neighbOr, Mr. C.. r.
Peck. Mr.. Peck has splendid fam
lily, and the only thing that hurt US
was the parting from them. He. too,
as we'll as the Doctor. thinks of leav-
ing Fort Scott. He thinks of going to
California in search of health. IT'S
hard to break up when one is to well
fixed. L. +. KELLEY.