The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-03-05
Winter in Missouri.
NOTES OF A JOURNEY ALONG THE
LINE OF THE FRISCO RAILROAD.
1Correspondence of The Journal.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, February, 1908.
As | write, Missouri, over its length
and breadth, is locked in the embrace OF
winter Friday night we had little
rain, which froze as it fell; saturday
fog and rain, Sunday rain, sleet ana
snow. To-day the wind is from the
north. snow covers the ground, ice Is
all over the trees, and shrubs and now
ers: and many of us are keeping the
stoves warm, or trying to. ms con-
dition of things comes only occasional
" to our region of country and SO Wheh
it comes it hurts us. Neither is 1t ike
" to last long. AS | write the sun Is
beginning to break through the clouds'
and as soon as we can get chahge III
the direction of the wind from the
north to the south we shall behold d
sudden transformation. The trees anu
shrubs and flowers will cast Oft their
silvery covering, the beautiful snow VIII
leave us. and possibly by the middle OF
the week we shall resume the pruning
of our fruit trees, the trimming OF our
shade trees, and sundry other spring
ayocations in anticipation OF the COM
ing of seed time. We lave had an open
winter. but little ice or snow, but lotS
Of mud. Building improvements nave
been going Oh all the time.
This section of country is experience
ing quite stimulus. Springfield mas
subscribed $4,000 to buy the right OF
,yav for the Missouri Pacific railroad
+broroh Greene county, and the build
inc If this road, it is anticipated, VIII
or.u ND new avenues for the extension
of our commercial interests, besides
furnishing us with competing llne W
St Louis. Poultry, fruit and mining
a1e deemed to be the leading Industries
o+ this southwest region. IN the settle-
meut of the State the population moved
10 the richer prairie sections OF the
north, where they cultivated corn fields
. and raised cattle and hogs and many OF
fine farmers have become independently
wealthy. To-day our stony land is high
~ IN price and will bring higher returns
nom fruit than the richer lands OF The
,or-hern tiers of counties. Springfield
j.. rpnorted to be the largest poultry
sbinping point i'll the country. Much
attention is paid to the raising OF hne
Hooded stock aud competition is very
keen.
During the past season your CORE
sl,ndent has had an opportunity OF
visiting several different sections OF
+IIs country along the line OF the frls-
co railroad, from st. Louis, Mo-, 10
Wichita. Kansas, Sapulpa, l, T., Fort
smith and Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
s Louis is growing with great rapid
NV Commendable progress is BENG
made in the erection OF buildings 1or
the Worlds Fair, during the progress
OF which we hope to meet many OF our
Eastern friends again. The writer
hopes to have the privilege OF attend
mo this fair for, owing to one reason
and another, neither Philadelphia nor
Chicago was visited while the fairs
were in progress, although the Crystal
Palace, the British Museum, the Zoo
logical Gardens, the kensingtOn Mu-
scum and other places have been visit
ed. some of them on many occasions
Wichita. Kansas, is beautiful city
for IFS size. the centre OF vast agrl-
cultural region. The main street is
eighty feet wide. 1t has a line OF cleo
inc cars running out four miles, some
elegant stores, and some OF the finest
hotels we have ever seen, causing us TO
wonder W here sufficient patronage could
come from to sustain them IN an agrl-
cultural region Of country destitute OF
any attraction as a health resort or eX-
t4uslye commercial or manufacturing
interests such as obtain i'll Kansas City
or st. Louis.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is most
romantic city, the very opposite IN topo-
oranhic features to Wichita. Wichita
is .evel as plain, Eureka Springs about
AS rugged and hilly as nature could
make it. In Wichita you can 60 any
where you choose, east, west, north or
south, at right angles; in Eureka Springs
YOU cannot go any where at right angles.
There is no street which is level or
straight. 1t is either uphill or down
nil. and turning to the right or to the
eft. whichever way you 60. The cir
conference of the city is not very great,
but it requires considerable effort 10
navigate its length and breadth. Some
of the streets which have buildings on
both sides present a strange appear
ance. On the one side the houses are
built up a hill, on the opposite side
down a hill. In the first instance the
house may be three or four stories high
in 'front.', one story deep at the base,
with an ascending scale in the rear.
On the opposite side of the street the
opposite conditions obtain; the house
or Store may be one story high IN front
and three in the rear. At restaurant
where ! took meal | walked to the
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