The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-04-09

Benjamin Benson Cahoon was born at Smyr-
ma, Kent county, Delaware, July, 7, 1916, Of
scotch-Irlsh ancestry. His father was n local
Methodist preacher, a farmer, carriage build
err and a poor man. Benson Cahoon's life,
up to his twelfth year, was spent at work on
the farm, attending country public schools in
the winter. At twelve, he became a printers
apprentice in the Office of the Smyrna, Della
ware Times where he worked until no was
fifteen, when in July, 1861, he entered the
Union army as n private and as such
fought many battles, with the Army of the
Potomac. He was wounded at Gettysburg
and became somewhat deaf In the army.
Because of his youth his father at first took
him home but the brave boy returned the
next dag TO the army and remained with it
until, at the early age of nineteen he under
Grant was at and saw the surrender of Lee ut
Appomattox. From that time until his twenty
second year, he taught a country school at
$50 per month, reading law nj night. He was
admitted to the har and ut once came 20 Mis-
souri,, settled August o, 1858, at Fredricktown,
Madison county, Missouri, where he has
since lived. When he landed there he had
only 1925, and did not know a man in Mis-
souri,. Since then his career has been Ia the
highestdegree successful, professionally and
financially. He is very broad minded.
He is u thorough student and a hard worker.
He has not heretofore sought Office. BY per-
servance and assiduity he has become one of
the best read men in the state and Is an orator
of great force. He from the outset made
the study and development Of the resources
of Southeast Missouri Il matter of the first
consideration Mr.. Cahoon isno prominent
ly mentioned as the republican candidate for
governor of Missouri in 1896.
THE next article in this series will be "a
Forgotten Chapter in Missouri's Financial
History, - by Hon. Lon V. stephens, State
Treasurer.
In February, 1869, the late United
States Senator Lewis V. Bogy, himself
a native of southeast Missouri, re-
spending to my lament that southeast
Missouri lin which six months before,
l had found, as it ever since then has
been my home), was poorly developed
said
True and it will for Il long time so
remain, because it has so much, re-
quiring the aid of vast capital, that
car be profitably developed.
The industry Of a single man can in
the span of his life clear and make a
good farm on which he can well raise
a fanily, but the successful opening
and the profitable working of a single
lead mine requires a million dollars in
order to reach the best results. The
mere mention of the multiplicity of
the varied Of southeast Mis-
souri, excites the wonder of one to
whom they are unknown.
Ours is the only part of Missouri
which might be hemmed in by a
Chinese wall and sustain we'll, for all
time, three million of people without
unduly crowding them.
Twenty-Five years ago, around the
SUBMITS of Pilot Knob, in st. Fran.
co.'s county, and ut what is now Gran
iteville in Iron county, l hunted deer.
My native state (Dealware) is so level
and exclusively agricultural that in
early life, | was only familiar with
and labored in that noblest of all ayoc-
tionS, which is the seat of the virtues
and the mother Of the intclligcnces,
farming. Resting from the chase, |
repeatedly said, as from the lofty view,
| saw Il vast stretch Of bare granite boul-
ders and crude rock, what a pity this
wild waste is not Il succession of farms
on which families can live. Since then
l have seen the same rock bring to our
section hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars, as it has been converted, by
mans labor, into the clean and durable
commanding business houses
and beautiful homes of st. Louis, Kan
City and other western cities. So
as time goes by, | have ceased to decry
the utility of any of our uudeyeloped
resources. have seen since | came
to southeast Missouri, so many things
/ once thought worthless, converted to
commercial shapes and made the basis
for mans profitable employment, that
l now conclude nothing is created in
vain or fails of good use.
| expect yet to see teeming homes
and fertile farms spring from the long
decaying and enriching vegetable
mould that has for ages settled on innu.
mcrable acres of the swamp lands of
southeast Missouri, as they from lack
OF proper drainage, have been period
ically too much submerged with water
10 cultivate, Even now, without sys-
tematic drainage, as our people, bit