The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-03-16

such seems 10 Octlr6 inc OtuCc, L HuNO nv iuss
yielded to the solicitations Of my friends and
hereby announce myself q candidate Tor re-
election, promising the same earnest devotion
that have displayed in the past; heeRect-
fully, u. ID. SLA
THE STORY OF TWO CITIES.
Another week has passed and gone.
The subscription to the bridge has
enjoyed n constant but gradual growth.
Many have discharged their duty since
our last publication, but y host OF our
citizens have, as yet. failed to meet
the standard of the expectations of
their friends and neighbOrs.
The committee needs about thirty
five thousand dollars. 1t must have this
amount before any negotiations a be
made toward the building of the
bridge.
The salvation of Lexington now
depends upon the raising Of thirty-five
thousand dollars. Tho story of success
or failure will soon he related.
Ere long we shall know which of
the roads Lexington will take.
We are at the parting of the ways;
we stand, hesitatingly, at the inter
section of two roads, n of which we
are forced to journey. There is no
such thing as a stand-st till hand.
One of these roads leads to a pros
perons city, with factories. with rail-
roads, with beautiful residences, mag
nificent colleges, towering business
houses and stately churches. This
city is the home of ten thousand happy,
prosperous and contented people. 1t
has direct connections with the world.
Its merchants, its bankers, its millers,
and all who do business there, enjoy
the patronage from every side. 1t Is,
indeed, an ideal town, where success
crowns honest effort, and contentment
blesses every home.
what is the ticket, Mr.. Agentp"
.sThirty-five thousand dollars, and O
fortune when you get there"
"Too steep; can't pay it; we will
inquire of the agent for the other
road"
The would-be passengers find the
agent of this road an honest man, and
he tells them that the fare Is free.
..But, sir, what of the city to which
your road will take us~
swell, gentlemen, in the year 1917,
a number Of families settled there, and
it was made the county sest of the
garden SPOT of Missouri in 1922. II
is located on the Missouri river, which,
IN those days, teemed with steamboats,,
and was the only means Of transporta-
ton. 1t vas then a great shipping
point, and the commercial center OF
the western portion Of the state. For
many years it was q OF the leading
cities, and all who did business therein
were prosperous. Nature has done al
for it that it was possible for nature
to do.
One day. moi many years ago, the
Missouri Pacific railroad was built,
which cut off the trade 80 as to render
it dependent upon the country contig-
Gus to it.
Tho steamboat was replaced with
the locomotive, and the Missouri river
then became its greatest foe. But
pluck, push and progress marked the
invincibles who had settled there. The
location of this city, its educational
advantages, and its inexhaustable coal
fields, made it for n long time a city Of
much Importance. But the Missouri
river, which had built up the city,
now robbed her of her trade, and
severed her connection with q vast
amount Of territory. In 1894, having
lost much of its prestige and much OF
its trade, it decided that il would span
The river with a bridge. In 1895, the
citizens of that city raised s1l5,OO0 tor
this enterprise. Only q small number
Of her citizens would contribute.
% was necessary; the $3.50 o
yer raised, and u town, once
BUS, began slowly to die. Pro-
tefsive citizens moved away; real
estate began 10 sell for a song; the
colleges began to lose their usefulness /;
what factories she had, closed their
doors; capital, seeking investment,
went elsewhere; young men severed
the ties that bound them to the home of
their nativity to choose other fields;
business houses became vacant; Offices,
once the consulting rooms Of able law
yers and wise physicianc, began to be
inhabited with bats and owls; resi-
dences. where once lived happy fam
lies, became dolapidatca; 1t suffered II
great exodus of her people until now
none are 40 humble us to live there bnt
those who cannot leave, and none SO
foolish rs 10 enter but those who are
compelled. My accommodations r
cheap, but the end of my destination
mas not an attraction ave that It Is an
appropriate place to hold a funeral"
The would-be passengers have paused
awhile; common sense would tell them
TO buy the thirty five thousand dollar
ticket. 1t 10 a large amount, It's true,
but. divided among a large number,
tits but a small amount for each.
A dead town is fit for nothing but a
graveyard, and it would be a bad idea,
even II the fare Is free, to accept the
agents courteous offer.
But they are hating still; q large
number want to 60 to the prosperous
town, but all must go or all must stay.
They NIL know the story OF the two
and yet many are foolish enough
to accept q foolish ride to commercial
death and decay. These know we'll
what 1t means, but the "almighty
dollar Is what they hate to spend for