Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-09-03
A TRIP THROUGH MISSOURI.
A Mexico Minister and Family Enjoy
ing an Outing in Western
Missouri.
Corresponaenee Of the Leager.

ST.. JOSEPH, Mo-, Aug. 25.-What's
in a trip through Missouri worth writ
ing about? A great deal. We often
60 far away to see wonders more
commonplace than those that con-
front US every day. Strange how We
think anything from distance is Of
more value than that near by. The
more I see of our State the greater
becomes its charm. 1t is, indeed, q
great commonwealth.
Leaving home August 18th we went
| first for visit at Houstonia in Pettis
County. Fortune has been good to MS
in that we number among our friends
DIR. Jos. T. Brown and his two bright
daughters, at whose home we were
guests. stayed week there enjoy
ing every minute, and my family are
still there doing what did.
Sunday morning, August 1e, We
went to church and heard the Rev.
Mr.. Wilkes in a memorial service.
Mr.. Wilkes breaches to large con-
gregation and is a man of large heart
and brain. / was impressed by two
things: The great number OF children
at the preaching service and the fact
that the church filed from the front
to the rear, instead OF from tho rear
| to the front. So far as / am able to
Judge it would be well for all the con-
gregationsIln Mexico to take lessons
from that Houstonia church In the
| matter named. was invited to preach
at the evening service and had large,
attentive hearing.
down to the McAllister springs by our
friends, and were afforded an oppor-
tunity of tasting the water, which is
beginning to make for itself name.
Most of the party were content with q
taste. The water il impregnated with
| salt and sulphur and until one is ac-
customed to 1t the sensation of drink
ing it is anything but pleasant. One
of the children made remarks con-
cerning the water that were hardly
complimentary. The springs will some
day be popular resort. What is most
needed is money with which to i'm
prove the grounds, erect buildings and
put in modern bathing facilities.
On Wednesday left for st. Joseph,
where have for some days past en-
joyed visit with my brother, who is
q physician here. was surprised to
find in city of the size of st. Joseph
so many palatial homes. Some Of
them rival the fine homes of st. Louis
and Chicago.
Last evening ! was taken by the
genial and scholarly principal of the
High Schools, Prof. Miller, up to fhe
elegant new High School building.
Owing to the lateness of the hour we
could not see much OF the interior.
The building stands on one OF the
many bills OF the city and overiooks
the Union Station, the Missouri river
| bridge and the southern portion of
the city. II is an imposing structure
of pressed brick trimmed with stone,
and contains in addition to its class
rooms large auditorium seating 100
persons. But the most novel feature
OF the building liz its fire escape. IL Ia
metal tube six feet In diameter,
standing 60 feet high. There is an en-
trance to 1t from each OF the four
floors. The escape Is spiral stairway
without the stairs. You simply 60 TO
the entrance, sit down and slide to the
bottom in about twenty seconds, turn
ing around IA times. II Is warranted
to deliver all goods at the bottom
without delay or breakage. Thousands
have gone down it and no uniavorable
record has yet been made. We tried
1t with three eonsiguments, first con-
sisting of Principal Miller and my
brothers young America, second con-
sisting of Mexico preacher, third Of
pug dog owned by young America.
All arrived In good shape on time. IL
is wonderful invention aud yet
marvelously simple. Should q fire
ever occur In the school IL will save
hundreds of lives. leave soon for q
visit to my parents at Independence
and will be joined there In few days
by my family. When my fathers
peach crop ia over we may think Of
coming home. You're, ETC.,
A. A. WALLACE.