Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-07-15
From DR.. Minor.
ITO 4. 2. Fitz.

Lear JTlend IOm-- our welcome
letter of the 9th inst. was received
several days since, but l have been
SO taken up with rose festivals,
horse shows, and other civic social
entertainments since my arrival,
that really, I haye found time for
little else.
We got here on the 9Th and the
next day the flower festival, or
rather the rose festival, opened and
continued throughout the week.
The flower or rose festival is an
annual celebration, and most
beautiful to behold. All business
is practically suspended; the city,
both business and residence sec
tions, are decorated with flowers
and bunting, and everybody is out
for good time.
The profusion of roses is simply
marvellous, and every moving OBJ
ject from the ponderous delivery
wagons and vans down to the light
and airy runabout and phaeton
is literally clothed in roses. Even
the horses and mules with their
trappings are gaily decorated
with the ubiquitous rose.
Besides the rose show proper,
there were many other attractive
features to enliven and vary the
weeks entertainment, such for
instance as the electrical automo-
bile and horse street parades.
But even in these street parades
and other functions the rose was
supreme-the acknowledged queen
of the festival to whom all paid
homage.
The floats used in these parades
were mostly dismantled street cars,
drawing their power from the
overhead wires and SO completely
disguised with flowers and designs
that you would never know what
they were unless you were told.
But the Rose Festival of 1909 is
a thing of the past, and for fear of
tiring you will drop the fragrant
topic and turn to something else
besides, you may not be so ardent
an admirer of flowers as l am.
This is a wonderful country, Tom,
and it's natural resources are not
yet half developed. The possible
ties of such country are almost
past comprehension - everything
seems to have been ordered on a
gigantic scale,-and this applies
not only to natural features, such
as mountains and streams, but also
to the flora and fauna of the coun-
try, especially the former.
You find yourself constantly re-
minded of that mythical traveller,
CULVER, and his wonderful ex-
perience in Brobdignag after his
sojourn in Lilliput.
AS a lumberman, and general
operator in wood products, you
should visit this country and look
around. 'Twould be revelation
to you. Just think, for instance, of
a saw mill that cuts half a million
feet of lumber a day, giant trees
100 feet and more to the first limb,
10 and IL feet in diameter at the
butt, and cutting I don't know
how much lumber to the tree, and
marvel.
But enough of this; come along
and see for yourself. These stories
sound fishy, but there are wit
nesses, living witnesses, to sub
stantiate them.
| / was truly sorry to hear of the
passing of our old friend-Pat.
For with all his faults land who is
without them?) he had some fine
traits of character, not the least of
which was loyalty to his friends.
Peace to his ashes. | never got
his wife's message while in st.
Louis, otherwise | surely would
have visited him at the hospital.
Please express my sincere sympa-
thies to her and the rest OF the
family when you meet them.
leave Portland tomorrow to go
with party of friends to Southern
Oregon (Cass county, on a fishing
expedition. We fish with flies for
speckled or mountain trout, Ia fish
unknown to Missouri waters) and
anticipate fine time. We go
down the Pacific coast by boat
about three hundred miles, and then
into the back county by private
conveyance, and expect to be gone
about two weeks.
Please give my regards to your
family, and all inquiring friends,
and drop me line occasionally.
Yours sincerely,
r. T. MINOR.
PORTLAND, ORE, June 20, 1909.