The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-03-03
CAPTAIN LssuEUn's ADDRESS.
LAFAYETTE

"LAFAYETTE COUNTY"
MIR. PRESIDENT: Upon an ideally
bright and pleasant day of June, in 1861,
five youths, in the ruggedness and strength
of early manhood, full of romance, with
senses all acute to drink in the incense of
the season, strobe out n OF the roads
leading southeast of Lexington. They
were members of Kelly's then celebrated
company OF infantry, and were enjoying
a few leisure hours in a stroll about the
country. Warm personal friends, they
exchanged, as they walked, the conf
dences of the young, and specialized upon
the future, which was big with events of
portentous moment-to some of them,
alas, promising devoted service but to end
in glorious death. After a while the
party reached an elevation which COM
manded an extended view, as beautiful a
panorama as was e'er unfolded before the
eyes of mantle tender foliage asserting
itself in the patches of wood which here
and there marked the landscape; the
checkered fields stretching away on every
hand, the grassy valleys, the different
shades OF green shown by wheat and oats
and corn and meadow. The orchards and
the house-groves dotted about at inter-
walls, and over all a sky of as clear n blue
as ever Italy could boast. Add to this the
singing of the birds and the thrill and the
exhilaration OF the pure and balmy air,
and there was presented q scene to en-
rapture and to inspire. Here these young
men paused instinctiveiy, and in awed
silence paid the homage of reverence to
Nature and to Natures God. As we stood
gazing, and too much absorbed to have
observed the sound OF approaching feet,
there suddenly appeared from n side road,
and nearly among us, a vision of lowell
ness which was so photographed upon my
memory that 1t will retain its place while
life lasts. 1t was n young girl, just bud
ding and rounding into womanhood,
graceful rs a g~IZelle, beautiful as n poets
dream, her splendid eyes evincing her
surprise, her hand raised to check the
magnificent bay horse upon which she
rode, second only in beauty to the mis-
tress, who, with a touch, guided and con-
trolled him. AS they stood there for q
moment, silhouetted against the back
ground Of sky aud field, the woman, evil
IDENTIFY pleased, though startled, (for the
women in those days were even more
patriotic than the men, the horse with
nOstrils distended, with arched neck and
paving foot, his head in air eager to be
of as though upon the wings OF the wind,
the beauty of it all sank into my min
and heart and soul, and filled me with
the thought that here were a people and a
country that one could fight for, aud, Ii
need be, die for. At that m ] fell in
love with Lafayette county, and have
been faithful to that love from that hour
unto this.
~ hittAS Aoi MAJ ioaA toA =
when the clash OF arms was over, aud |
was living on the old farm ten or twelve
miles southeast of where this incident
occurred, | met n blacs-eyed daughter OF
Lafayette, who was as graceful and daring
a horsewoman as the one | have described.
/ had known her in the south, where she
and her family were refugees. In our re-
newed acquaintance we many a day gal
loped over the hills and through tue val
leys of Davis township. As we OCCASION
ally walked our horses up a hill or over a
bridge. l got n chance to make love to her
u bit. L remember one especially sacred
spot. 1t was the old bridge over Tabo,
by whose side grew a massive elm. An
iconoclastic hand has moved the bridge
some yards away from its poetry and its
shade, but in those days, when we tive
, came to that particular place, its plea
was irresistible; all nature seemed
attuned; we drew our reins, and-well,
won't tell o what we said. She has
been my wife for many years now, and IL
the mother of quite a mbe OF Lafayette
! county boys and girls.
1t IS a great country, is IL not? JUS
look at it! With its 10000 people. With
sixty miles of river front with over q
, hundred miles of RAILROAD, and with
' access to two other great railroad systems
, on the north. Lying thirty-three miles
long, by nearly twenty-five miles wide, i
contains $40 ,5S3 acres OF as fertile anC
beautiful and as can be foundin one bod,
! anywhere upon earth. An UPLAND
prairie, the soil is as deep and rich as is
that OF the valley of the Nile. Corn
wheat, rye, barley, oats, clover, and til,
grasses especially blue grass grow to b,
as large as they can be produced any
} where. Fruits of all kinds, trees, vines oil
bushes, grow in the greatest profusior
and perfection. The soil 10 genial, kindly
friable. 1t has but to be Tucked in ordel
to laugh in return with plenty. A genera
! failure OF crops is unheard Of. This on
I crop, or that, may at times be short, bu
the others take its place, and man always
inds his wants more than supplied
r Think of its resources! Why one year m!
friend, Mr.. Robert Hale, after careful ant
systematic inquiry, put its yield of whea
D in round numbers ut 5000 600 bushels.
4 have not at hand q compilation of it
[ nIinn,onln for tho tnaSf Nnnr hnI thu lns