Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-12-09
Sightseeing.

Ed. Register-Allow me to shift the
scenes from the city to the country
for this week; then We will go back to
the city. For the last fifty years or
more have been receiving Invitations
to ..come over to Black river and see
us and 60 hunting and fishing" Al
though my body could not get there
for first one reason, then another, my
spirit, my heart, and my mind were
there, and not until last week when
Professor Fox came to visit US and to
attend to some business could L make
the trip. One morning he said to me
..Mr. Fred Hunt will come up with
his two-seated spring wagon and will
take US home to Lesterville in the
morning and you are to go home with
me and make that long-promised visit. "
On Monday morning at ten and a
half o'clock We started, and as the
clouds looked as if they would pour
down down rain every moment, we
took plenty of wraps and umbrellas.
AS we drove along [ kept my eyes wide
open, for | love to look at the rocks
and trees, the late wild flowers, the
wild asters and golden rod and the
rich foliage. 1t seemed so good to
once more get out in the woods, and
view the roads; for when the Springfield
road was surveyed from Fredericktown'
many years ago, l was appointed to
oversee the cutting out aud opening
up of that road from the st. Francis
river to what is now Hogan. Nothing
of interest occurred until in about a
mile of Hogan, when the clouds let
down the rain for about a mile, as if to
take good cry.
As we passed the schoolhouse we
saw boys and girls sitting around out
doors eating their dinners. So when
we got over to the Hollomau place we
basket and lunch box that had been
put up for us. And l tell you l, for
one, enjoyed it for / had got quite
hungry. After we had rested we drove
on, and as we went winding up and
around among the mountains, asked
myself, .'How did anybody find their
way over these mountains to the world
Carver'S creek l just thought, well,
that man is not troubled with his
neighbor's chickens, for l could not
see where a neighbor could come from
or where a neighbOr could find place
to settle. After long drive up and
down such steep mountains, all got out
and walked but myself, we at last
struck the head of Mill creek. As we
sped along a good, smooth road. we
soon came in sight of the river valley
spread out with large beautiful farms,
with great fields of corn and wide
meadows, surrounded by low foot
hills, as if old mother earth had got
tired and wanted to lie down and take
a rest.
As we come to the east fork of Black
River we saw great piles of long. pine
saw logs, piled up on each side of the
road right in the middle of what is the
river when it is running full. l asked,
s'What are all these logs here fOr?"
was told those logs were waiting for a
freshet to take them down the river to
Leeper, to be sawed into lumber, and,
'swhere is the town." for | could not
see any signs of one. They said, ''just
over the hill" When we reached the
top of the hill then l saw Lesterville-
town nestled in the head of large
valley with large farms off to the south
and west. The town was on gentle
slope with high lands on the north and
east, with a river on the east, south
and west, and such clear water yor
could see fish way down in the deeI
water. The sand and gravel were 81
white and clean, deep water looked
shallow.
l saw, as we reached town, aud haC
time to look around, right across th'
street, large two-story store painted
white, with brown blinds. On tn,
front, a wide porch with "Dob5ins
| Carter & Co.." lower down, "Olivel
| Chilled Plows," .Post-Ofice," ant
when l crossed over to see what wa
to be seen, saw the proprietor with
| his two assistants, one a lady, yer.
busy waiting upon their customers
and | saw the store had as great a va
riety and as good an assortment O
goods as you will find in any countr
store. You could get anything from
cambria needle to a cross cut saw, ev
erything from an iron spoon to tn
finest of table ware; from a spool o
thread to bunch of carpet yarn; frou
bed ticking to the finest dress goods
from palm hat to hat with ostricI
plumes. And as / sat by the stove on
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