Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-07-16
WILLIAMS WANTED SPURS.
Needed Bride When he Went Into
Battle But Another Instru-
ment Coming Out.

To the Editor of the Ledger.
ST. JOSEPH, NO., July 12.--There
was a preacher In the city of Athens,
who, owing to his cranky ideas on re-
llgion and other things, had driven
from his church all OF his Pensioners
except one very intelligent and worthy
man. But with this only auditor, the
parson would every Sunday morning
take his text and preach eloquently to
his intelligent listener. He always be-
gan his learned discources by saying,
"As | have the best and most learned
OF Athens before me this morning, /
take great pleasure in preaching to
you from verse - and chapter =, of
the Holy Bible.n The correspondent
OF the LEDGER has this advantage of
that preacher. He has thousands Of
hearers, Though some of them may be
unwilling readers) they have to take
the LEDGER, and usually read all that
is in 1t, good and bad. So they will
have to listen while l tell them my
sleepy Sunday afternoon story:
/ left Mexico Monday on a zig-zag
line for Iowa. Stopping at Fulton l
heard the %stentorian voice OF Col. Jim
johnson, Missouri's best and widest
known %auctioneer, and soon saw him
surrounded with droyes OF cattle, hor-
ses and hogs awaiting his inimitably
descriptive tongue.
At Jefferson City met delegations
from Audrain and Montgomery, who
came in the interest Of their several
county candidates for the appoint
ment circuit judge Of the Eleventh
Judicial district. Governor Dockery
received them all cordially and a most
happy and harmonious interview was
had, which l have since heard, result
ed in the opoltune appointment Of
r. d. Rodgers.
l had a very pleasant visit at Boone
vile, where l called on the State Re-
form School, which is indeed a fine In
stitution and too well patronized. 1t
was at Bonneville that ] first smelt
gun powder In battle. In marching
through the city to the attack, my
horse broke his bride bit and citizen
near by on the street promised me a
new one after the battle, but bless
you after the battle | didn't need any
bride bit, but / did want a pair Of
spurs worse than l ever wanted any,
thing.
1 called at the Confederate Home at
Higginsville and saw about two hun
hired old worn out veterans of "the lost
cause" comfortably quartered in neat
clean cottages on $40 acres of land.
There 1 met that good man, DR.. w..
w. Macfarlane, who is now the phys
ician in charge. Mexico never gave
up a better citizen or more loved phys
ician for a better cause. 1t is a honor
to the management of that institu-
tion to select such a man. At Hig-
ginsville l met Mr.. Doc Graham and
his son, Gus, who are erecting a splen-
did telephone line from Higginsville
to Lexington.
When we got to the Missouri River
at Lexington our bus was driven on
to a ferry boat not much longer or
larger than the bus. 1t is run by a
gasoline engine and like Senator Vests
story OF the steamboat on the Arkan-
sas river, would have to stop running
to blow her whistle. l don't care for
another such boat ride across the rag
ing Missouri.
At Richmond l met Elder Charley
Hill. He is pastor of a large and
wealthy church there. l went to
church with him this morning and he
has nearer a model church building
than | have seen in all my travels,
with auditorium Sunday school rooms,
dining rooms, kitchen and right up-to-
date, with furnace, electric light, hot
and cold water, land plenty of it.)
Charley is well liked here as q preach
er and citizen. l had the pleasure
there also of meeting Major Rick
that typical Vlrginian and Chester
field of all the hotel men who ever en-
tertained me.
Crops are developing wonderfully
fast and a much greater field than was
ever hoped for during the rainy season
will be had.
Well a fire alarm has just been turn
ed in and I'll 60 to the fire and see the
horses run to help spend the rest of
the Sunday afternoon.
Yours,
. ]. V. WILLIAMS.