Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-06-29
From rlissour !.

Journal Surrounded by strangers here even in
the land where hospitality is almost fad and
the citizens vie with each other in making
strangers visit as pleasant as possible, yet even
with all their solcitude to make me pleased
with my surroundings feel longing for Audu-
bon county and the true friends and kind neigh
bors who were always loyal in days gone by.
Mid pleasures and places though we may
roam,
Be it ever SO humble there is no place like
home.
Now more forcible than ever seem these lines
from that old song endeared to the people of
the whole universe.
To appreciate true friends and kind neighbors
| one must separate himself from them and cast
his lot among strangers.
Here in country that providential Creator
seemed to provide with more than :her share
of natures blessings, a man ought to be perfect
| ly content to make his home. But in my wand
erings have learned that home, whether in the
scorched and sandy deserts of the west, on the
treeess prairies of the Dakotas, in the fertile
valleys or highlands of Iowa, has an endearing
charm that time can only etface from my mem
DRY. Though surrounded by far better advant-
ages to acquire competence in the world and
to leave substantial inheritance for ones
children, a man would hardly be human if he
| did not harbor within his breast for while
nameless longing for the home of his boyhood,
youth and early manhood.
| But enough of the things that were. it is my
| purpose in this letter to write of things that
| are: Conditions as | find them in Harrisonvilie
and Cass county. Missouri, my new home. 1t
has been often said of this county, that it is the
| best agricultural county in the whole state of
| Missouri Over enthusiast citizens of a coun-
| ty often make this claim whether county de-
| serves it or not.
| do not purpose to make any comparison be-
| tween this and other counties of this state, but
| to write of few advantages here and to let my
readers judge for themselves. But first word
about Missouri as state. As agricultural
region Missouri is not surpassed by any state in
the Union, it is indeed the farmers paradise
where he who sows never fails to reap here
nature generously bestowed her attractions of
climate, soil and scenery to please and crafty
man while earning his living by the sweat of his
brow. Ii you were to set this state out by itself
/ away from all others it could come nearer liv.
ing from its own products than any other state
in the Union. Rich in soil which grows agri.
cultural products in abundance rich in timber
and mineral lands, while all kinds of grasses
seem to thrive as if it We're created by nature to
be their natural home. this state is an empire
within itself Missouri stands out alone among
the older states offering the greatest in
ducements to the settler. Whether this partic.
ular county of Cass deserves the name of the
best agricultural county in this state of ia
counties, do not pretend to say. Cass county
is situated on the west line and about half way
between the northwest and southwest corners
of the state. | will enumcrate some of the ad
vantages claimed for this county out of which
grows the claim that it is the best county in the
state: All kinds of grains grasses are grow
successfully here 1t has more miles of railroad
(main lines) than any other county in the state
This claim means more than it would seem al
first glance, When we remember that locat tee
in this state some of the largest cities in the
United States. among which are Kansas City anC
st. Louis, two of the greatest railroad center.
in the world, to say that Cass county has moro
miles of railroad than any county in the state
means great deal.
Eighteen passenger and forty freight train:
run through Jacksonville, the county seat
every day, thus giving the farmers the best ia
cilities possible for getting their products or
the market.
Kansas City, the second greatest grain anC
live stock market in the United States, can be
part of the county and much less from the cen
trail and northern part. No county in the state
suffered more from the ravages of war than die
Cass county during the rcbillion dcpopulated
by military orders, its progress has practically
all been made since 1870. Its farm lands are
still much cheaper than their fertility and close
proximity to Kansas City would warrant. As
to health they claim for this county particular
advantages. Ague, malaria fevcrs and all kinds
of lung troubles practically unknown un
less contracted before coming to this county
The farmers quiet hospitable, liberty-loving
people, but have not the push and go-ahead &C
| tiveness about them which characterizes the
farmers of Iowa. | think an Iowa man here
if he could retain the same money making pro
pensities that he exercises in Iowa, would dc
much better here than there. Land is from five
to ten dollars per acre cheaper than in Audi.
| bon county. 1t seems to me that it is not nee
lessary to be endowed with the gift of prophecy
to foretell great advance in the price of these
farm lands. They are unquestionably too low
for the location. Once in possession of farmers
like we have in Iowa, who would use advance
methods of farming and practically demon.
strate that this land will pay interest on an in.
! vestment of.double the amount that now takes
40 buy it, land values materially advance. To