Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-10-04
A WESTERN LETTER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

Co-> LIN Ell HASE ONE.
saw the best country on our Journey.
The buildings were better and the
farms looked more prosperous and up
to date. The fields of corn were
larger and looked better
In arriving at st. Louis We crossed
the Mississippi river on a high
bridge which must have been about
thirty or perhaps fifty feet above the
water so the river steamers could go
under without opening the draw.
The depot at St. Louis is the seq
ond largest and best in the United
States. second only to the one at
Washington, d. c. there are Cd tracks
coming under the train shed. The
city IN the morning had a rather
smoky look as they use nothing but
soft coal here.
We left st. Louis on the Iron Noun
j tain road and for some twenty miles
ran alongside the Mississippi river.
which was very muddy and dirty. and
saw some of the odd river steamers
with the paddle wheel in the rear:
they were going at pretty good speed
and kicked up lots of water behind.
1t is 81 miles from St. Louis to Ar
cadla, and the country, though pretty,
is very rough and not of very r-uch
value. There are high bluffs along
side the river in some places, perhaps
reminded me of the Palisades on the
Hudson they did not compare with
them in size or beauty.
We arrived at Arcadia the second
; day of our journey and found our
friends there to meet us. Ny son
Arthur and another Vermont boy
. from Richford. c. H. Hopkins, have
an ice plant here and are making ice
and ice cream. Arcadia is a noun
famous country. the valleys narrow
and great many square miles of
wood and timber The mountains
contain great deal of mineral, iron
and lead. The towns have no electric
lights, but expect to have them as
soon as large country club is COM
pleted. The club have 1000 acres
and are putting in a large dam about
fifty feet high to make a lake of
about six hundred acres. and will
have power for lighting and street
cars; They have fields of corn here
but the biggest Industries seem to be
raising hogs and selling timber
They are putting in their winter
wheat now and have had no frosts
yet; the days are warm, from IS to 95
degrees during the middle of the day
, The roads are very poor and very
) few bridges, the streams are general
! ly forded. and not very convenient for
people who go out for walk. They
tell me that the woods are full of
: game: deer, bear, foxes and wild tur-
key and lots of small game, and l
: presume it is so for there are lots of
coons OH the streets.
yesterday there was celebration
in -
Pilot Knob, which was fought At
years ago. The union forces held the
fort here for three days and then
blew it up and escaped The breast
works are still plainly to be seen and
t where the fort was is the big hole
made when they blew up the fort
The speeches at the celebration were
, very good and there was large
: crowd present. They intend to erect
. large monument there next year.
{ The Grand Army men were we'll
{ represented and some wore the blue
: and some the gray. This country
: was also swept by ia raid by Gen.
Price during the latter part of the
war. and another historic point is the
old mansion where General Grant re-
ceived his commission as Brigadier
General during the war. There is d
fine park here and some of the old
cannon used then. The climate here
is fine and noted as health resort.
The water comes from large springs,
and the country is the most like
e Vermont of any that we passed
through.
With best wishes to all.
o. A. White.
Arcadia, Mo-. Sept. 80, 1911.