The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
ST. .SNAKE-HILLS
The Missouri Town Whose Citizens Refuse tn
Salaries for the OniCes They Hold.

Il reckon you have heard about the Mayor Of
st. Joe. Missouri. and his Cabinet. " said a Mis-
sourian whose manner indicated that he was
proud Of his old town and State, 1T il this
way. When the new Mayor looked into the
financial condition OF the town he found that II
his appointecs were paid the salaries provided
by law there wouldn' be enough money in the
treasury to pay for painting a lamppost. So
he called In a. many friends as there were Of
fces 10 al, taking care that the called were men
Of means. and he said to them, If you will take
the places | offer and accept no pay. we can rub
no the old town and make II shine, and some
time or other We shall be called blessed.
Every man called took OF his hat and said.
show me my desk. and that Is the way the old
town Of the Black Snake Hills has started In to
get ready for the twentieth century.
For about thirty years 81. Joe has been the
butt-end of Kansas City's Jokes aud when a man
from the former put up at a hotel anywhere in
Missouri the smart clerks always thought it
funny 10 give him a candle when he went to HIS
room. and said something about the gas meter
being out Of order. The 81. Joe man has been
patient under all these digs ! don't know as
you know II. but 81. Joe is the ono town In that
part Of the country that never had a boom. In
the parlance Of the sport IL has been a sort OF
mud lark. but 1t always got In at some stage Of
the proceedings. ST, Joe capital has made a
good many towns that never would have got a
place on the map bot for that tact. II even
helped ST, Louis. | don't understand how IL
came about that the dear old towns exchequer
ran down, as seems to be the case. But you SEQ
what her b~usineo5 men have done when they
discovered the onditiO Of things.
som dt n na ,he s' yot,n p"sa s SO, ! Iemember when
the intention Of spreading the Gospel. and Of
helping run the ships Of state; and q being
that the Civil War had knocked their Inherit
ance higher than YOU can fire a -kyrocket. They
fell in the traces like trained fire horses and took
the bits in their, mouths, and they got night
down to hard pulling,
Even before the war il was so. reckon
You've heard Of NJ Jcf Thompson, who was a
He was the only funny General in the Con-
fedrrate cause. lie had an army OF about a
thousand men, most Of, whom got sick after
they enlisted JEFF marched them down into the
east corner Of the state. where It was 20 -lckly
that the frogs couldn't croak. and no camped
out there and said 10 his men. IF you are too
sickly TO fight YOU had better he here. for there
are no hospitals in tho South and, II YOU go
hom" the fanks viii get you Aud blamed IL
they didn't stay there and have a good time M
I'll Je1 Jaw an Opportunity Of takiag them
wher" everything was lovely.
We'll, JeN was Mayor Of ST, joe before the
war, and II was during his administration
that the lir.t macadamizing Of the rtreets was
done, The town wRS IN IT, infancy then, aud
there was no money to speak Of In the treasury.
But Jsf wanted u streets paved. So he bought
a load of rock one day. and then he pulled N
his coat and went on the rock pile aud crushed
boulders for awhile until some NJ the citizens
got ashamed OF thcmselveS and turned in and
helped until they got enough nj II. aud then a
tax was voted md when II fcll short the bust
hess men Of 81 doe went down in their pockets
and PM up the bllnncc. and the preacher.
plInked In som" ~ their pay. and some NJ the
boys worked on SATURDAYS. That's the sort Of
a rock-bottom old -. Joe'- got. aud YOU can't
shake a towr like that out Of her place"