Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-17
nEErs FORMER MEXICO SOY.


To the Edltor Of The Ledger
ALBERT LEA, MINI, July lS-l
have often heard OF the golden wheat
fields Of Minnesota and It's broad Sa-
vannahs, and to-day l AN enjoying the
purity OF its atmosphere and beauty Of
Us sceaery. Albert Lea is a beautiful
little city Of six thousand and sits like
a gem OF beauty on the rolling prairie
amid the golden grain fields Of thous-
ands Of acres II Is situated On a most
beautiful lake, whose sparkling waters
gllsten In this mornings sunshine,
while thousands Of fish Of every hue
and kind play In It's crystal waters, the
surface Of which Is a smooth as a sea
OF amber and as transparent as glass.
AS pure as the air Of an Alpine forest
is the atmosphere this morning as ]
took my Sunday morning walk along
the beautifully shaded roadside, where
the fragrant smell Of new mown hay
perfumed the air. and the silver song
Of the field lark and the willow voice
Of the thrush charmed me with the
music OF nature. We welcome with
delight, after so long a season Of rain
clouds, the cheering sunbeams to warm
and brighten up the earth. At the
hotel here l met a man, who, looking
over the register, saw my name from
"Mexico, No. for ! always did and
do register from home town flor l am
proud Of i'll He came up TO me and
without telling me who he was or
where he wal from asked me: How Is
Ben Jonnsons Who did Miss Bette
Brooks and Miss Belle Muldrow
marry?" / said, "Who are you,
friend?'' "Well,u he said, 81 and Ben
used to clerk for MI. Northcutt, and l
had some sweethearts there, but it
was before your time His name is
Charley A. Gillian. He is express
messenger on the Illinois Central R. R.,
and quite an entertaining gentleman.
He told me Of a boyhood fight he and
Ben had and several amusing incidents
with boys around town.
At Cresco the other day in Iowa l
met the only female cashier Of a bank
/ ever saw. / got my mail, walked in
to the bank and called for the cashier.
A pretty little blue-eyed woman said
she was cashier. l opened my letter
in her presence lhad deferred opening
it till in the presence Of a bank ofic-
ial.l l threw down my 40 dollar draft
and asked her to cash 1t, but no sir,
no money without Identification. !
told her / knew no one in 500 miles OF
the town, told her Of my long expert
ence on the road and having my drafts
honored. / told her OF my family faI
away and OF my destitute condition
among strangers. | told her every
thing else that l dared TO tell her, but
no use, l couldn't get the m%oney-noi
from her. l called the president Of
the bank, sitting near, gave him a few
skull and cross-bone signs, whispered
a few soothing words In his ear anf
got my money. As | went out OF thu
bank ! said TO myself
'lOf all Gods creation woman's th,
sweetest and dearest
And to Him OF the devil, she can CONT
the nearest.
The part Of Iowa l Travelled through
this month has suffered terribly from
J rains and floods. From Calmar 10 De
: cora, a distance OF IA miles, the Chica
60, Milwaukee & ST. Paul railroad haC
| to build y miles OF entire new track
Grade, bridges, ties and iron we're al
swept away in one night In a terribl
storm and the ties and iron are still IL
, fields and woods. Some or the iror
} you can see hundreds Of yards out IL
the fields or woods. 1t has been
bad month to travel in Iowa. low;
isa Prohibition state, but there is NOR
intoxication in Iowa than in Missouri
Their population is much more mixeC
than ours, and
The Frenchman drinks his sparkling
:. wine
\ And the German sips his beer.
The Englishman takes his 'alf and al
n Because 1t brings him cheer.
THE Irishman takes his whiskel
i straight
i Because 1t brings him dizziness,
But the American has no choice all,
J, So he drinks the whole bad-husi
Il ness.
At Albert Lea ! saw the onll
"Nigger" we saw in the state ant
his ebony face was pleasant reminde
Of home TO me and as 1 passed and sale
good morning Boss his merry laugl
rang out on the morning air like
bugle call. He said TO bystanders:
know dat mans from de south. He 4
the only specimen OF the Afro-Ameri
can citizen In the city and is quite
toast" among them, but when
offered TO furnish them more Of hi
, kind, i. o. b. at Mexico, Mo-, the!
demonstrated. One was plenty. Poo
"darkien the north and east dom
want hlm-won't have him-won'H
. give him work, and the south wishes
him somewhere else. He's the biggest
proposition before the American PEG
pie to-day and then comes capital VS.
labor.
!. My trade is all / could ask and thess
county officers with whom my trade Il
exclusively, are all gentlemen ant
know "a good thing when they sex
IT," Yours, J. ". WILLIAMS.
The Making Of a Gentleman.
Rev. DIR. Madison Peters OF Brook