The Cairo bulletin., 1904-06-18
LA CENTER AS IT is.

1t is a trte saying that man IS
gregarious animal tie must live with
his kind. There has been but one
Robinson Crusoe, and he lived only
in fiction Kentucky folk are no eX'
ception to the rule. They are pre-
eminently a social people. Through
out America the name Kentucky
brings up pleasing visions of hospi.
tality, generosity, sociaibility. The
writer of this article has always held
this as a theory, and ten months res
idence among these noble-hearjed
generous. social people has confirmed
him that the best has never been told
desire for close association
With his own race has caused man to|
erect perhaps all cities great and
small that have existed on earth
La Center Ballard county, Ken
lucky gives this same gopi old reas
en- for her existence, when shc make
her politeat bow. ANA asks for recog
milton as a member of the great sis
terhood of little clies which, like
bright gems dot our happy and pros
porous land
La Centar'a nohiea, highest, hnli
eft ambition 81 TIA, she may al
luster to the glorious history Of thai
state in which it is her proudes
boast to be locaCcI
SIZE hopes 10 live 10 BLISS HAilar
county 20 bless Kentucky to blea
the world, ~ reason of the moral
religious and intellectual influence
which she shall certainly Away ca
deavor - send forth e. make mel
happier, wiser and better.
Ia Sept mbcr, 1902, the town 81,
was pGrohasl by the La Coai
Company with he ayowed purpos
Of erecting d town thereon II wa
purchased rom Mr.. NJ Nj. Davis fu
twenty thousand dollars and q
once ail ont in streets, alleyaani lot.
Mr.. S. 7. Payne with his keen bus
mess capacity saw the superior a.
vantages Of this site Tor a lille cit
and organized a company of wealth
capitalists living in McCnckeu an
Ballard counties for that purpose.
II lies on q beautiful only Slight
rolling neary level, tract Of grounl
precisely midway between Paducai
Kentucky, and Cairo. Illinois, abmu
twcnty miles from each Of thos
cities. and in the geographical Ger
ter of Ballard county hence tn
name La Center, appropriate hea'
tiful. pleasant to the ear. when pre-
nOunced by a Kentucllian, with tina
soft Southern accent In altitud
according to the official survey o
the Illinois Central railway.it is sixty
eight feet higher than Paducah an
seyentyeight feet higher than Cairo
above the level Of the sea Thi.
elevation gives an excellent drainage
into Humphreys Creek about a mil
north of '''e town.
La Center is certainly besseC
with the rich farming land by whic
il is surrounded This soil is yer,
fertile in the production of corn
wheat ana tobacco Small fruit !
are produced in great abundance here |
aleo The land seems we'll adapte
to market gardening, and poultr! |
thriyes. and produces abundant, |
with but little care on the part Of tn !
prosperous husbdndman hereabouts.
The country is settled with pros !
porous AMI happyhcarted people |
II would ccm probable, Judging from |
family names heard here and the char /
ucteristics OF the prominent tami! |
les that the people are nearly ali 70 |
motely Of Scotch and Sc0tchiriel |
descent. Those sturdy yeomon whc |
left Nouh ireland anl Southern Scot
land century ago and settled on on
Atlantic selb0ard have been in1ee' |
the salt of the earth for the contra |
part Of the United States.
Kentucky and Ballard county ulii
mately received large number O
the descerdenm Of those vigorous |
c'l Scotch sirca We have praetic
ally no fareign-bon population The
writer has never heard Of a foreign 4
born ~idcnt of the county. There
doubtless. are n fdw. Here We find 4
the true Americen as he is. and
more patriotic people exists nowhere
in all our broad land. intensely loyal
70 all the true principles Of our
government.
The negro population is not large.
Nor are they dissatisfied and restless
here, The whites seem to know how