The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-01-16

prospect is that Missouri will soon b
the first state in the union in the pro
duction of lead. 1t has lead mine
the St. Joe mine, at Bonne Terre, II
st. Francois county-which is though
TO be the largest producer in tn
world. the estimated daily production
being in the neighborhoOd of 1,50'
pigs.
The mine gives employment to 90,
men and supports populstion of near
ly 5000 people. In zinc Missouri
equals all of its sister states put TO
gether, nearly one-half of all the yielt
of the country being credited to he
mines. With the crude ore that i
exported included, statistics woulC
show that its product is larger thar
that of all the other states combined
The industry appears to be in its in
fancy, and promises to grow to i'm
mense proportions. In addition tC
lead and zinc, Missouri has iron, silver,
copper, pyrites and glass sands, the
latter in great quantities mined and
shipped from several counties and used
by the plate-glass works at Crystal
City, Jefferson county.
Missouri possesses building stones in
great abundance, among them lime
stone, sandstone, granite, marble and,
for ornamental purpose, Mexican
onyx susceptible of the highest polish.
1t has building sands, gravels aud lime
IN inexhaustible quantities, and val
liable mineral waters of varied proper
ties. In addition to these, Missouri
has thirty-three coal producing conn
ties, which, in 1899, yielded 5,017, ZOO
tons.
DIVERSIFIED RESOURCES OF THE STATE.
Missouri gained in population in the
last United States census decade 23. SO
per cent. While there are countrie.
which may Surpass Missouri in special
products, one in csrn, another in wheat,
another in cotton, another in tobacco,
and so on, when all the articles which
are necessary for the sustenance oi
man and for his physical comfort are
taken into consideration together, it Is
not too much to say that Missouri sur
passes them all in other words, thai
it can come more nearly supplying
from within itself than can any othel
/ equal area in this or any other country
all articles which are necessary for the
comfort and happiness of man.
1t is capable of sustaining in comfor
ten times as many people as are now
within its borders. From its cottor
fields in the south, it's corn fields in the
north, its splendid cerals and grasses
its endless variety oi fruits and woods
its limitless deposits of coal, iron, lead
zinc and other minerals, it can come
as near being self-sustaining and inde
pendent of other communities AS it /!
possible fer any state to be. Missouri
has over IA 900 business manufactures
with a pald-up capital of $1S9, ,556, ,546
with 143, l39 employees, making finished
goods of all kinds amounting to 1924 !,
SCI, 1888 annually.
Missouri has 6,599 miles of railroads
and seven navigable rivers. Its rail
roads have the highest order of mOderl
equipment, and passenger and freigh
service unsurpassed anywhere in tb'
world, the frequency, the speed, the
elegance and perfection of its trains
peing the admiration of the travelling
public. Upon its rivers are to be fouAt
steamboat and barge lines capable o
dong at low cost an lmmense freigh
business.
! LARGEST AVAILABLE PUBLIC school,
FUND.
Missouri enjoys the proud distinction
} of having the largest available publi
school fund of any state in the Ameri
can union. This fund Is divided a
follows: common school fund, $3,I4I,
. 53S.77; state seminary fund, 81 ,229,