Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-06-09

lo"s anu tho DcneHI nOpeu IOI Is
for them, regardless of the general
welfare. In considering the cal
luminous charge made against this
community by the self-styled
promoters" let US read a brief
page from the history of this coun-
ty especially of the Arcadia
Valley. In 1871 the State es-
tablished the School of Mines at
Rolla. The act authorizing it's es-
adjustment gave to a committee
the power of selecting the site, the
selection to be determined in part
by the amount of lands and money
to be donated by the localities
competing. There was no back
wardness on the part of the peo-
pie. here in subscriptions to the
project, and Rolla secured the
plum only by the committee's
placing a higher money value on
the lands offered in Phelps county.
In 1878 the Southeast Normal was
established at Cape Girardeau,
when by all rule of fairness it
should have come to this Valley.
Again had we put forth our
strongest efforts, to be again de-
feated, and in some measure dis
gusted. But still another strenu-
Gus effort, backed by liberal sub
scription, was made when the To-
cation of Marvin Institute came
up, some eight years ago. And
there was the location of Asylum
No. 4-could any community have
put forth greater endeavor than
this? The "knockers'' of to-day
were promoters then-promoters
whose vested interests were all
here-promoters who labored hon
estly for the true advancement of
the community not to line the peck
cts Of a ~''frightful few" We are as
alive to every interest of the CO un-
ty to-day as we were then, and
extend a cordial welcome to all
people who come here to make
their homes with US. But we do
not hold out false enticements to
induce their coming. We have had
some wooden mill and creamery
experience, and the taste thereof
fingers not pleasantly on the pal
ate of our memories.
Last week my view of the Muir.
dock Crumb transaction was we'll
voiced in the REGISTER by n of
the contract-holders, and | have
no harsh words for the Company.
Those men were in it for the
money they hoped it would bring
to them, and they operated within
the bounds OF the law. But | had
and still have serious misgivings
as to its ultimate effect upon the
economic welfare of the county.
To this l will revert at another
time.
One day last winter a gentleman
stepped into this office and intro
duced himself as J. NJ. Ham of
Milford, Delaware. He said he
held two contracts in the Murdock-
Crumb scheme, had just been over
the property, and was thoroughly
disguised with what he had seen.
He was very energetic in his de-
nunciation of the graft" as he
denominated it. l said to him,
"Why, you IRE we'll along in years
and experience, and ought to
know better than to buy "a pig in
a poke Eyes" he said, 81 felt
that way about it, too, and held
back until | was recommended to
write to Rev. Fuller Swift, of the
First Baptist Church, Ironton, who
could of course be relied upon to
tell me the truth about the land.
| wrote to him and on receipt of
his answer | closed the deal. Here
is that answer''-and he handed
me the following letter, accom-
panying its tender with a few rude
CALCULATIONS not politely printable.
Having a copy of the letter before
me, | reproduce it for the enter
tainment of the reader:
ARCADIA VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT Co.
FULLER SWIFT, MANAGER.
-IRoNToN, MISSOURI
May 7, '09.
|. M. HAM, Milford, Delaware:
MY DeQr Sir-Your letter is before me
and | beg pardon for delay. Have been
alone in the Office most of the week as il
has been Court Week here. You know We
have enough of the South to make "Court
Week" a great event; then my partner is
an attorney and has been trying cases all
week.
Now we are not agents for the Crnmb
people but are looking toward great results
Of their sale. We know what we are into.
The land is stony in pockets. There are
three kinds of stone formation or distribu-
ton here. On a shrap hill side there is
what we call Crib rockn also the draws OF