Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-06-18
Druid MOSES
THE POEM OF LIFE
IN THE FOOTPRINTS
OF PROVIDENCE.
BY TOM BENTON.
COPYRIGHT 1903 BY NOAH 8. JOHNSTON.
POsToFFICE: ROUTE ., LADDoNIA, no.
CHAP. XII.-HIsToRIC PICTURES
COLUMBIA.

The town of Columbia, Mis-
souri,, is situated about nine miles
northeast of the Missouri river,
which turbid stream can be seer
from the dome of the University
The Hinkson creek drains the
eastern part of the town, while the
branches of Bonnie Femme drain
the south and Perche the north
west. Those who laid off the city
made a wide street running east
and west naming it broadway. d"
They began on the west suburb
and numbered the streets from l
to or Shat crossed this Broad
way, running north and south.
Then began naming streets from
either settlers or some name fan
cied by those who added to the
town, sometimes from Presidents
or Generals.
When Congress made her gift to
the state of lands for education
and the Legislature called for hi DIS
Boone county offered, according to
one statician, lightweight thous-
and dollars for its location at Col
umbia and thus secured this great
prize. In 1841 John H. Lathrop,
Robert s. Thomas and VIM. w.
Hudson opened the school with
eightyseven students. They used
the Columbia College building, an
old brick west of the University
campus After some years the
new building was ready, with its
large glass dome. James Shannon
was President when David first
began to go to the closing exercis-
es. George w. Hyde delivered
the first salutatory in Latin that
David ever heard. People listened
but none could understand the
speech, unless it was Prof. Math-
ews, who sat with bowed head as
if an eager listener. Here Eugene
Field, the poet and author, delivered
Coughs temperance lesson in
which was used the Niagara Falls;
"The rapids are below you," rang
out loud aud clear. Vial ha! ha!
What care 1 for the rapids2" and
here Field showed his fine dramat-
ic talent, for all were so moved
that they felt the heart respond to
his appeal. Alas that he should
have so nearly gone over the trap
ids" himself.
The Court house and University
face each other, a half a mile dis
lance between. On one occasion
the students were celebrating the
glorious Fourth. The cannon
was placed about one hundred feet
from the University and fired with
blank cartridges, north. The COM
mand rang out strong, and clear,
MAKE ready, FIRE" David said
to himself, 81 will now see if
Parks Philosophy is right about
"The softest whisper moves as
fast as the loudest thunder" He
started to the Court house and as
he went from the place of firing
he noticed that the command FIRE
was getting nearer and nearer to
the boom of the cannon and still
walking and listening closely, they
came together, then out rang
vBooM," then came "FIRE." So
the teaching on sound movement
was no longer accepted, for David
never doubted his own senses.
One of the early settlers was a
small but very energetic French
man named Guitar. He fell in
love with Miss Gordon. The
young lady gave her heart
to this man, and not long after
her hand. His wife became in-
terested on the subject of religion.
The Frenchman had never seen a
baptism and said she should never
be baptized She replied, 81 left
my fathers house and kindred for