The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-04-20
ST. Joe TO THE RESCUE.
A Delegation of Lexington
ians With the Bridge in
Their Hearts Visit
Our Big Sister.
THEY ARE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC
Over the Cordial Welcome Extended
and the Prospects of a Large
SubscriptiOn-The Board OF
Trade There Now Has Full
Control, and Good News
Is Expected.

10 HApNStSos
Bright and early Tuesday morning
thirty-four of Lexington's leading
citizens boarded a Santa Fee special at
North Lexington and landed in the city
OF St. Joseph at 10 80 O'Clock. The
Santa Fe road cOmplimented the COM
miltee by providing for them a special
car without money and without price.
The committee returned at midnight
the same day, and each and every one
Of them are singing st. JOseph's
praises. They think that city will give
S25, 200, and that the money will be
raised in a very short time. The
matter is now in the hands of a COM
mittee and they will do their level best.
St. Joe will never regret taking an
interest in IL bridge. W. copy
below an of the meeting there
taken from the st. Joseph Herald. 1t
follows:
The delegation of business and
professional men OF Lexington, Mo-,
t~hirty-six strong, arrived in the city at
10 40 a. m, yesterday in special coach
No. AZ of the A. T., & St. Fe They
came for the purpose Of working up an
interest in the new bridge at that
place which they contemplate building
the coming year at a cost of $500 900
or more. When they returned home
at 6 :25 p. m. they felt greatly encour-
aged over the prospect of getting what
they asked for $25, 900 in stock In
the new bridge.
The delegation wired Postmaster
Atkinson that they would arrive at IL
a. M, and the accommodating post
master was on hand at the Union
depot ut that hour with q dozen q r
riages to receive them, but unfortunate
for him they arrived about twenty
minutes earlier than they said they
would In the telegram, and he missed
them and they walked up town. After
dinner the visitors put in the afternoon
looking over the city. To many of
them it was their first visit to st.
Joseph.
At 4 p. m. they assembled in the
parlors of the Commercial club with q
number of the business men of the city,
who met them and listened to their
proposition and discussed the subject
of the contemplated bridge with them.
Major H.. Il. w. Hartwig called the
,,aat;pn 70 nrIar and nrootlaI
Mr.. Atkinson, who was formerly a
resident of Lexington, made the first
speech. He paid a high tlibute to the
character of the visitors In his opening
by stating that he had known them all
for tmore than a score of years, and
had always known them as business
men of high standing. While he re-
GREETED that the attendance of the
business men Of the city was not larger,
yet he believed that from the nucleus
Of business present could lie started
a movement that would accomplish
the desired result. He said that he
knew that the people of Lexington
were in earnest in building the bridge
and It was clearly to the advantage of
the business men of st. Joseph to
render them the aid asked. The build
ing of the new bridge would open up
business opportunities to st. Joseph
that could hardly be estimated. This
was the time and now was the oppor-
tunity for St. Joseph to enlarge her
commercial interests. He said that he
spoke by the card when he said that
the day the new bridge was opened up
the merchants of Lexington would buy
500, 900 worth of goods Of the business
houses of the city. This was only the
starter, and there were years and years
to come. There wa one way to get
the bridge, and that was for st. Joseph
people to put their shoulders to the
wheel, appoint committees and 60 to
work to raise the sum needed.
Major Hartwig having said that he
would start the ball rolling with a
liberal Subscription, Mr.. Atkinson said
that he would duplicate the majors
donation.
j. C. McGrew, chairman Of the COM
mittee, and a prominent miller of
Lexington, spoke on behalf of the
visitors. He said;
A few years ago a committee Of
your citizens (Mr. Hartwig, you then
mayor, | believe, was amongst them)
came To Lexington to interest us In the
building Of n bridge across the Mis-
souri, riser at Lexington SD rs TO close
the gap between the city Of St. Joseph
and our city. remember Of being in
our court house at the time we met
your commitlee aud talked Over the
question. This was considered only as
an initial meeting, your committee, as
well az ! reGnlioet, inid ~ they would
be back again. VIZ met you fairly.
We were glad to see you. We well
coined yon with a hearty welcome, and
we even told you We were then ready
to bnild one or more of the piers. Soon
after this the railroad running from
here TO n point in the woods just
opposite u city got into financial.
troubles aud there the bridge matter
stopped. Last spring u people began
to agilatc this bridge question again,
and on account of the hard times then
prevailing VIC concluded TO put the
question off until this fall. So, about
two months ago We again revived it,
having in the meantime organized a
company under the laws of u state
and secured our charter from congress.
We have had sounaings made for the
piers, and have found things as favor
able rs VIC could hope for. We have
had communication with the Santa Fe
officials, both by letter and in personal
interviews, and we find they are
anxious to extend their line from Lex
ington in tho woods to our beautiful
city, and we are anxious to continue it
on through the land of Canaan, the
garden spot of the world (our rich old
county, Lafayettel, on to Sedalia, the
would.b he capital of II great state,
na.IIunn L. LniIl th.n l.;l-n L.