The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1900-05-10

self to q declaration that its inhabi-
tants could not hold it against an
army Of 10000 men if the native
population was united. TaneY
county is full OF old soldiers, as loyal
as any men in the world, but it was
often telt durin the Bald Knob days
that the idea of overawing Taney
county with q company or two of
militia was absurd. It would take
some regiments of trained soldiers t"
do that, it it had to be done. All
writer's on the philosophy Of history,
from Montesquieu to Buckle, have
had something to say about the close
connection between environment aud
character, between independence and
isolation. The people of Taney
county, be the cause what it may, are
noted for their individuality and
their refusal to be all cast in the same
mold. Many years ago the late Capt.
N. N. Kinney assured the writer Of
this article that, while he had travel
ed far aud wide and knew the world
we'll, he had nowhere found SO many
thoroughly Independent people as IN
the hills and hollows of Taney county.
Each man is somebody, said the ia
nous Bald Knob captain in his
graphic phraseology, and not the
mere echo of other mems opinions.
What was true in 1887 ia true to-
day. The key to Tauey county is
the strong individuality Of its citi-
zens, their Indifference to the opinion
of the outside world, their reliance
upon their own Judgements. For
good or for evil, they think for them
selves, aud are not at all affected by
the conventionalities of society.
These things make visit to Tauey
county refreshing even to the rich
aud influential. They are met on the
broad, human plane. There is no
subserviency, no servility, no ffat,ery,
while there is thorough politeness
and unfailinx courtesy. Shut out
from the commonplace world Of sim
pering unrealities by the giant hills
and mighty forest of their own
weird and wondrous land, they are
not contaminated by the paltry am
billions to all look and talk alike.
Such freedom of speech and origi-
nality of thought is as refreshing az
it is unusual.
During the famine and drought
years of 1894 and 1895 in Nebraska
aud the Dakotas, . large number of
the sorely tried people Of those
States found refuge in Taney county.
They we're sad, sombre and puritani-
cal, aud their faces bore the kill-dog
expression of constitutional pessim-
lists, but they have long since become
Missourians aud front all evils with
the mingled stoicism and epicurean-
ism of the true citizen of Taney
county. Nature in a land of vast
forests and gently gliding streams,
where perfumed flowers, joyous
birds aud the ceaseless hum of guady
and glitteriug insects are never want
ing during the long summer season,
is very different from nature in the
grim, parched aud arid North. where
life is a perpetual struggle, rest . sin
and death release. Taney county
takes all strangers to her bosom and
makes them over again, or pro.
nounces them unfit and unworthy to
enjoy her privileges, aud today the
immigrant Of few years ago has be-
come even as the children Of the soil
There has becu a great deal Of pro.
gress in Tsney county in the last tea,
years, but not enough of the shabby
geuteel imitation thereof to infect
the people with q foolish discomfort
with the land of their residence, aud
IN thousands of cases, of their birfn
Wheat, corn, cotton, hogs, mules s.ad
cattle may 60 up or may 60 dc va,
but the true citizen of Taney co,,nty
looks upon the world with q rhiio.
sophical eye, aud still sticks TO his
opinion that drink Of tho Wster ol