Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-07-21
OLD DANvILLE.
Once the Superior of Mexico But
Stops Growing for so Years.

Danville, Mo. July l6.-The
inhabitants Of this little town arr
awakened TO a lively hope by a
cablegram from the Old World.
received this week. which says
that the st. LouiS.KansaS City
Electric E,ilway Company has
floated in Paris the $15.0O0000
worth of bonds necessary for the
construction of the proposed rail
road. which. riding to the sur
vey. will touch Danville and bring
it into life again.
This little place is the only town
in the county shown on some of
the great maps of the country.
But because the railroads pasSe'.
il up mary years ago and contin-
ued to do so. and because re-
markahlc couuty-Seat contest has
been waged for more than tift'
years in the county, it Is village
only significant for what it has
been in the past. and the title it
now holds by a recent decision al
the Supreme Court that it is in
law the actual county seat Of
Montgomery County.
When the cablegram came this
week announcing the good news.
the inhabitants Of the town began
t. hestir themselves and to talk
about the possibilities Of old Dan
Vile after its Rip Van Wrinkle eX-
perience.
The citizens, however. have
been willing all these years to en-
JOY life in the good oll-faShionei
way, eating couutry-cured hams
and newly laid eggs. that did not
have IL be candled. as they
mast be in the cities to bring the
highest prices They have enjoyed
their COWS. chickens and gardens.
and the country-fellowShip. as
well As the advantages Of their
little school and church. being as
ronteuted as if they saw an aero
plane exhibition every day.
Nevertheless. they are willing t.,
have this peaceful equilibrium dis
turbei by the coming of the new
railroad from Kansas City to St
Louis. There are many SurmiseS as
to what will be the result now of
the county-Seat contest, which has
been waged for fifty years or more
and is still unsettled. 1t will be re-
called that at the last election
Danyille won, hut by a decreased
vote.
Attorney John NJ. Barker. a
citizen of this county for more.
than fifty years, gave this story Of
the county-seat contest after hear
ing that Danville was about to be
born again after waiting half
century for a railroad.
When ! was a little boy in this
county, which has elected me
Prosecuting Attorney three times,
Danville was the social equal of
st. Charles. Fulton and Columbia,
and much the superior of Mexico.
1t was also considered the bus;-
ness, educational and social cen
ter of this part of the West, out
side of st. Louis. At that time
Danville had fine residences, brick
stores, a college and well-dresSed
citizens. The stage coach was the
feeder of the Santa Fe trail aud
every seat was full.
"There were ambitious folks
those days who dreamed of taking
the capitol from Danville to Mont
gomery, then a village, and it had
the same effect on the Danvillo
Courthouse party as a red ban
danna on a bull, The contention
waxed hot until the great clash
for the unity of the land cams.
Sin October. 1864, Bill AnGer-
son, a noted guerrilla, ana his
gang had something against old
Danyille, and no reverence ia
speak of touching the finer feel