Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-10-29
h. K. HrNDR.
Writes the Ledger an Interesting
Letter.


oorrespondence Of the Ledger.
HANNIBAL, Mo-, Oct. 29-Since o,v-
ing up our home in Mexico my wife
n l have been having a pleasant
.inie among Old friends In some OF our
former homes and Palmyra. About
nlteen years OF our lives were spent in
fulton, and our visit awakened many
pleasant memories, as we met a few Of
. OLD time friends and talked oyer
the days Of yore. Fulton il wide
awake and entering upon a new era Of
building and business. We left Ful-
ton to make room for the delegates to
the Two Synods, and reunion Of the
Westminster College. The Presbyte-
rians have had a great week, | see
from The papers. l know Of no more
beautiful college campus than that OF
Westminster College. l greatly en-.
loyed two meetings with the Y. M.
v A. In their cd hall In Westminster.
NY boys owe much to this grand old
college and l esteem 1t a great bless.
ing In my own life to have known.
personally, such men as DIR. Laws, DIR,
FISHER, DR.. Hersman, DR.. Rice, Dr..
MacCracken and other members OF the
faculty of the college.
The man that l have long wanted to
see Governor Of Missouri lives In Full
ton, Judge John A. Hockaday.
Hannibal has awakened from her
long slumber and is rapidly becoming
a great city. Yesterday | was accord
ed a favor that is enjoyed by few, l
am told, of even the citizens of Hanni-
bal. | had a permit and special guide
to go through and leisurely inspect the
the great cement plant established
and In operation three miles on the
river below the city. / had no con-
ception of the magnitude Of this
mammoth establishment, and was
amazed beyong expression as l was
conducted through this entire plant,
and had pointed out 20 me by an in
telligent guide, the buildings, machin-
cry and various processes in the pro-
puction of this far-famed Portland
Cement. One plant is complete and
in successful operation and a second
one rapidly approaching completion.
l was told that there was probably
three million dollars invested in land,
buildings and machinery. 1t is the
biggest thing | have ever seer in op.
peration for the production Of a single
article Of commerce. AS many as
$500 men have. been employed at one
time In the construction and opera
tion Of the plant. Ihave often passed
along under these barren cliffs Of
lime stone that were regarded as
~yalueless. They lie Just below Low
ers' Leap and the little cave that
Mark Twain has immortalized. But
who could have imagined that by the
magic touch Of mans genius such Inn
mense buildings and such wonderful
and complicated machinery should SC
soon be planted here, to snatch these
immense leaders of stone from their
long resting place, and by a hundred
mechanical combinations, and a score
OF separate processes, grind them to
powder, and by mixing them with
shale and coal and stucco, 10 proper
proportions, and passing them through
fire and water, bring forth at last a
finished product Of cement 80 useful
and indisputable In mans civilization:
Never have | been so impressed with
the marvellous Of mans genius az
when, on yesterday, / looked upon the
manifestation of Its power, in reducing
these mountains of rock to powder
| for mans commercial uses, And this
other thought came to me. Is 1t moi
wohoerlul what magazines Vi "eaiVi
God has stored away IN the bowels o
the earth Tor mans use ana happiness
heidi reserve Tor MIN IN the time o
need, when by the exercise Of BIZ
genius it shall be brought in tribute
49,. u ,.sa.. -,
faihyIa p uur oiu nom WIZ, ~
were nal,'eu' n'eu sniouen ono 49,
years VI Vhe wal, anu 49, o.'
ers sieep' ~ oons' sa,
Town a cnanees ieSs .nah any piso'
we nave ever I'seu. ~ ~ sui.ounue,
oy a ricn anu oeau.'iur oouasy' an,
Is IN CLOSE proximity W liannipa. an =
quincy winch WIN a'"ass AeeR !
from peihs very i"ise o,vs ~
was tne Tragedy Oi tne VI ou'