Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-08-22
The Arcadia valley.

Iron Mountain Railroad about
ninety miles from st. Louis, known |
as the Arcadia Valley. 1t has an
appropriate name and suppose
was given this title because of its
resemblance to ancient Arcadia. a
country in the midst of Pelopo-
nesus, located between Achaia,
Messenia, Ellis and Argolis. The |
ancient Arcadia received it's name |
from ARGUS, a son of Jupiter, and
was called by the ancient Dry |
modes on account of the great
number of oaks which itproduced,
and afterwards was called Lyca-
onia and Palasgia. The ancient
Arcadia has been much celebrated
by the poets and was famous for
it's mountains. The inha bitants
were for the most part all shep-
herds and were, in addition, skill
full warriors AID musicians: They
were somewhat eongeited, per-
haps, ia thinking themselves more
ancient than the moon. Pan, the
god of the shepherds, chiefly lived
in Arcadia.
Our modern Missouri Arcadia
Valley is surrounded by noun
tains, but has not yet been cele-
brated by the poets, simply be-
cause the poets have not seen it.
1t is remarkable thatany territory,
six miles long by four miles wide,
down in the Ozark Mountains
could have remained unsung, un-
seen and unknown so long by the
vast majority of the people who
live in Missouri. 1t is characteris-
tic, it is said, of the Missouri
people to be t'shown" before they
are convinced. If all the people
who live in the state could be
shown the Arcadia Valley, they
would wake up to the fact that
they have in their midst as beauti.
full little mountain region as can
be found in Switzerland or any
other famous mountain country.
have been hearing of the place
ever since / came to st. Louis near
ly twenty years ago, but not until
last week did / enjoy the pleasure
of beholding that wondrous place
of quietness, GOODNESS and beauty.
John Addington Symmonds said
it was easy from first visit to
feel and say something obvious
about Venice; that the influence
of that sea city, when first seen,
is unique, immediate and unmis-
takeable, but that to express the
sober truth of these impressions,
after the first astonishment of the
Venetian city had subsidized, after
the spirit of the place had been
harmonized through familiarity
with ones habitual mood, was
difficult. So, | was in Arcadia
Valley last week just enough to
feel the rapture Of primal view,
thus / brought away the picture
formed notas in the case of Venice
by glimpse from d gondola glid-
ing noiselessly through her net
work of canals, but valley with
its singing katy -dids, it's pure cool
air, its splendid oak trees, its sky
line and brilliant sunsets that has
framed picture in my memory
OF spot as beautiful as any on
the planet. find it easy, there
fore, to call up, after days abb
sence, the vision of that center Of
natural beauty.
Symmonds, from his first view
of Venice, painted sunsets en-
blazoned in gold and crimson up
on cloud and water. AT Arcadia
1--we have the sunsets emblazoned
In gold and crimson upon cloud
and mountain. We have there
peaks which we may represent as
violet domes and bell towers arch-
ed against the orange of west
ern sky We have there moon
Hight silvering breeze-rippled
breaths of soft landscape. We
have there distant mountain ridges
shimmering in sunlitten haze.
4. We do not have pictures as they
have in Venice made by earth's
proudest painters encased in gold
in walls of council chambers when
i that city sat enthroned a queen
and whore mobiles swept the floors
with robes OF Tyrian brocade, but
1--we have a combination of noun
tain and lowland formed by the
4 Lord Almighty far more splendid
than any picture Titan ever
painted. But to the people who
make Arcadia Valley their home
the wonder and splendor Of their
valley is not felt. II they were,
the inhabitants Of Arcadia Valley
would give up at least four days