The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-05-09

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has fallen 2 per cent since the first of
this month. This means that gold has
gone up in value 2 per cent in less
than one month. This means that all
other kinds of money based on gold
has gone up per cent in less than a
month. This means that it pays a
man having money better to hoard it
or invest IN good easily convertible
government bonds than to let it out in
business enterprises however profitable.
This means the stagnation of all kinds
of business Except the bond issuing
busIness) we now see growing worse
and worse as the days go by. Does
anybody suppose these bankers do not
know this? Very truly yours,
w. NJ. FIsHBACK.
The Platte Purchase.
From the BOonvIlle Democrat.
A paragraph in one of our Western
Missouri exchanges, informing its
readers that the venerable Judge VIM.
T. Wood, of Lexington, celebrated his
87th birthday on the 25th OF March,
reminds us of his active agency and |
valuable services in the accomplish
ment of what is popularity called "The
Platte Purchase"
Judge Wood was born in Mercer
county, Kentucky, March %, 1909,
and in January, 1929, left Kentucky |
on horseback for Missouri, and in
about Two weeks reached the home of
his brother, General Jesse T. Wood, |
in Columbia. He was licensed as a |
lawyer before he left Kentucky and |
very soon after his arrival in Missouri |
settled at Liberty, Clay county, for the
practice OF his profession, in which he
attained great distinction. In a ripe |
old age he is universally esteemed for
his legal ability, unimpeachable integ-
rity and christian character.
But the object of this brief article Is
not biographical, but to give some
account of the Platte Purchase which
was accomplished I'm 1886.
Very properly the question arises
when, where and by whom was the
suggestion first made that Missouri,
state already among the largest in
territorial area in the union, should
extend her boundary so as to
embrace what is known as the sPlatte
Purchaser" The idea originated in
the summer of 1885, at a regimental
| militia muster at Dale's farm, three
miles from the town of Liberty, in
Clay county.
After the morning parade and during
the recess for dinner, the citizens
present were organized into a mass
meeting, which was addressed, among
others, by General Andrew S. Hughes,
who came to Clay from Montgomery
county, Kentucky, in 1928, and soon
afterward was appointed Indian agent
by President John Quincy Adams.
General Hughes was a lawyer by
profession of acknowledged ability,
and in wit and sarcasm almost the
equal OF John Randolph. General
Hughes died while attending court at
Plattsburg, Missouri, December IA,
1S43, aged 81 years.
At this meeting, and in this public
address, he proposed the acquisition
of the Platte country; and the measure
met with such emphatic approval that
the netting proceeded at once, by the
appointment of committee, to
organize an effort to accomplish it.
The committee was composed OF the
following distinguished citizens: Will
liam r. Wood, David r. Atchisou, A.
w. Doniphan, Peter III. Burnett and
Edward NJ. Samuel, all of them, S-Ne
time of the appointment of tins COM
mittee, residents of Clay county.
An able memorial to congress was
subsequently drafted by Judge Wood,
embracing the fact and considerations
in behalf of the measure, which all the
committee signed, and it was forwarded
to our senators and representatives at
Washington.
| Pursuant to the prayer of this
memorial, in 1886 bill was introduced
into congress by Senator Benton, and
ardently supported by his colleague,
Senator Linn, namely an act to extend
the then existing boundary of the state
so as to include the triangle between
the existing line and the Missouri
river, then a part of the Indian terri
tory, now comprising the counties OF
Atchison, Andrew, Buchanan, Holt,
Nodaway and Platte, and known as the
"Platte Purchase"
The difficulties encountered were
three-fold: /. To make still larger
state which was already one of the
| largest in the union. .. To make a
treaty with the Sac and Fox tribes of
Indians whereby they were to be
removed from lands which had but
recently been assigned to them in
perpetuity. 3. To alter the Missouri
compromise line in relation to slave
territory and thereby convert free into
slave soil Notwithstanding these
difficulties, the two first mentioned
serious and the last formidable, the act
was passed and the treaties negotiated,
aud in 1897 the Indians removed est
OF the Missouri river, thus adding to
| I. l. 4. 4.
| land in the world.
Republican National Convention, st.