Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-18
A PEOPLE FLUSHED WITH PROS
PERITY AND PLEASURE.
GRIM POVERTY IS UNKNOWN
A MISSOURI COUNTY WHERE LIFE IS
WORTH LIVING.
Friendship and Hospitality the Hand
maidens of Thrift and Content
ment-An OIdtime Picnic ut
MacOun's Grove-Trib-
1te to Bland.

Especially All the roads in Ray county
must have led to the Junction to-day, for
at the annual picnic held in Macoun's
grove families from Richmond, Camden,
Orrick, Hardin and Lexington Wed with
the residents in making the outing a sue
cess. Although many attractions were
billed, only few materialiZed, but the
result was just the same-everybody was
out for pleasant time and had 1t.
Few counties in Missouri, or in the West,
as matter of fact, are as prosperous as
Ray. Its farmers are Industrious ar3
thrifty, its sons and daughters handsome
and intelligent. and its soil fertile. AL
though crops are backward, the farmers
do not repine. They know that in time
their acres will give unto them a bounte-
oEs store and that, succeeding the harvest,
money will begin its annual pilgrimage
to their purses. Land "in the bottoms
that does not yield from fifty-five to sixty
live bushels of corn to the acre is con-
sidered poor and in many fields the yield
has been known to be as high as eighty
bushels. In that same strip of bottom
land, which is kept moistened by the grand
old Missouri, the finest garden truck in
the world is raised; from the feeding pens
which are scattered all over the country
are annually shipped thousands of cornfed
steers to the Chicago and Kansas City
markets. and in the pleasant farm houses
that dot the landscape are being reared
children worthy of the pride of any state
in the Union.
Being happy and contented, the tillers
of the strip believe in affording more en-
joyment to themselves and pleasure to
their friends whenever the opportunity pre-
sents itself. Picnics seem to be the prin-
cipal avenue through which their hospital
ity finds vent The gatherings are noted
throughout the tier of counties in which
Ray is the brightest star. They are en-
tirely informal. Attractive programmes
are always prepared and the entertain
ments are free to all.
For to-day's picnic it was expected that
Congressman Dockery and Hon. David
Ball, both aspirants for the Democratic
gubernatorial nomination, would be the
oratorical stars.
Fate ordained otherwise. The death of
Hon. Richard p. Bland and his funeral to-
day at Lebanon caused the absence of both.
Judge ]. w. Alexander, of Gallatin, ap-
peared as Mr.. Dockery's proxy and Hon.
Jacob Childs, of Richmond, ex-United
States minister to Siam, made very hand
some apology for Mr.. Ball.
A. balloon ascension was also on the pro-
gramme, but owing to the enforced deten>
ton of the aeronaut and his paraphernala
at Hardin, the people were not given an
opportunity to guess whether or not a
funeral would be an ascension sequel
Notwithstanding these disappointments
the show was carried out to a most sue
cessful conclusion. In the town the home
baseball nine, the Lexington Junctions
placed crepe on the residences of Camden
by defeating that towns representatives by
a score of Is to 10, and at the park fully
800 people. mostly matrons and maids,
handsome and stylish, enjoyed music rem
dered by the Hardin Cornet band, and
listened interestedly to addresses made by
Hon. Jacob Childs, Rev. Mr.. II. NJ. Meyers,
of Hardin; Judge Alexander and Evangel-
list Lisk.
For the merry little ones and sturdy
youths various games furnished amuse-
ment and after the exercises and until late
in the evening dancing afforded pleasure
to beauX and bellies. ----
An Ideal Spot Is Macoun.
The grove is an fueal spot for picnic
IT is located on a swell, and is carpeted
with foliage yielding to the touch and in
vittng to siesta. Magnificent trees abound
people romped and made merry, ate and in
dulged in small talk or related reminis-
cences.
OF course the "oldtimer'' was there in all
the glory of his gray hairs and quaint
ways. Moores mill was favorite topic of
the men who live in the past. The mill IS
passed on the way from the junction to
the grove, and a view of 1t is sufficient to
tap reminiscence reservoir. 1t was built
by Colonel Moore in the ante-bellum days.
AT that time he owned nearly all the bot
toms in the vicinity of where the junction
now is. He possessed ninety slaves and
they titled the soil and harvested his crops.
mark.
Steamers plowed their way swiftly up
ana down the stream in those good old
days, and the colonel was the best patron
they had St Louis was the market for
his crops his cattle and fine horses, and in
order to facilitate his business he erected
the mill. Then he built a tramway-the
first rapid transit scheme ever realized in
Missouri-and on it his fame has ever since,
and probably. will for centuries to come,
still cherished in the memories Of the old
settlers, and as long as life lasts to them
the bottoms" will always be Moore S
prairie"
The exercises at the grove We're as highly
appreciated as the picnic viands were. Mr..
Childs acted as chairman and he, after
bidding everybody welcome, introduced
Rev. Mr.. Meyers: His subject was, THE
Enjoyment Of Life" and he handled il
tersely and Interestingly.
Touching Tribute to Bland,
Judge Alexander, as the representative
Of Congressman Dockery, was the riext
speaker and he proved to be most excel
lent substitute. His apology for his friend
touched chord of sympathy in the hearts
of his hearers, for. in making it, he paid
most eloquent and touching tribute to the
father of free silver" Hon. r. P Bland.
No people in Missouri said Judge AL
eSander, are dearer to Mr.. Dockery than
he has received many favors in the past
and he respects and esteems them but his
duty to his dead friend impelled him to
cancel his engagement with you and to
hasten to the bier at which ali Missouri is
mourning to-day. BY the death of bland
Missouri has lost her most illustrious son.
silver, for when he died the father of silver
died. He was of the highest type of man
hood. He was honest, he was fearless.
He was an ideal citizen faithful pubIic
father. l hope that Bland will live in the
hearts Of Missourians for ages to come for
were bestowed upon him during his TWEEN
ty-siX years of public life and of the trib-
utes of praise that the nation is paying
now that he is dead"
Judge Alexander, continuing declared
that crisis in the life of the republic
was swiftly approaching and that one of
the gravest issues in Its history would
have 10 be met within the next two years.
1t will determine, said he, whether the
country is to continue a republican form
| of government, for the people. by the peo-
| pie, and of the people, or whether on the
other hand, we are to be governed by the
classes.
Public Questions Discussed.
The money question, the conquest OF
Cuba, the war in the Philippines and trusts
were also. in turn, dwelt upon.
| In speaking of the trusts he said that i.
was a well known Democratic principle
that that government is the best that is
governed the least and he deprecated the
enactment of so many laws at the behest
| of the money power. The most effective
way to destroy the trusts, he said. was by
free trade, applying the principle especially