Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-11-28
TALE OF SEVERAL CITIES.

At the beginning OF the Civil War
there were several towns strung along
the Missouri river i'm the western part of
the state, to wit: Lexington, Westport,
st. Joseph, Kansas City. In population
and Importance these places were of
nearly equal with advantages strongly
in favor of Lexington and st. Joseph.
Ten years before that Kansas City con
sisted of one or two possibly three
brick warehouses on the bank of the river
and was known as Westport Landing. AT
the top of the bluff, by the Westport wag
OF road, was the stage office of the com
pany who ran the overland stage to San
te Fe.
Between 1880 and 1900, the population
of Kansas City, Mo-. trebled. In
the same period st. Joseph grew from
$4,000 to 102,979.
In 1890, Lexington had 4,537 popula-
ton; in 1900 it had lost nearly 100 Of
this number. In 1850, it was operating
rich coal mines. had a Wholesale business
which extended from the river to Ar
kansas, and did a big overland freight
ing business to California, and New
Mexico. There is no reliable data at
hand as to the population Of amy of these.
towns as the close of the Civil War.
Weston may have at this time a popula-
ton of 1,O19 people.
1t would be impossible TO name here
the particular opportunities which have
knocked at the cloor cf each of these
places. st. Joseph has always been a
rich, and rather progressive city. How
and why it fell behind its rival at the
mouth of the Kaw in influence and de
velopment, may be explained on various
grounds. Lexington's fate WAS a hard
one. She permitted herself to be segrc-
gated by the Missouri Pacific, and cut off
from her big trade s%5uthward. and was
loaded, in common with the territory i'm
mediately surrounding her, with a bond
ed Indebtedness a great part of which
had been fraudulently created. Too long
ago to analyzc her history down to the &C
tual sins of omissi II which placed this
city hepelessly behind i'll her race with
n%eighboring citi $.
AS to Kansas City. VIC are not limited
to opportunities neglected, but to oppor-
unities embraced. There came Il day when
the Hannibal and ST. Joseph railroad
Knocked at her door with the prop Sition
to construct what is locally known there
as the Hannibal bridge. When the
bridge was secured aud constructed, the
city was linked up by railroad with st.
Louis, Hannibal. Quincy, Chicago and
the big rich agricultural empire of North
Missouri and it opened the gates Of the
growing west t. her. She took the tide
at its tloed and the tide led on to for
tune-fortune which can hardly be de
scribed i'm terms of business and finance,
What this great Opportunity meant to
Kansas City. deep water at Brazos SAINT
ago will mean to uS. 1t will at least link
us closely to the Panama Canal. No MAI,
now living can fJrecast the benefit To MS
Of the deepening of the channel at Point
Isabel. No living man. normally intelli-
gent, can fail to forscc hat il will he a
turning point in our history-a turning
that makes for the building of Il great
city here on the bank of the Rio Grandc.
Every citizen should subscribe to the
bonus fund according to their means. Er-
cry dollar planted il this fund will re
turn to your pockets, multiplied many
turn to your pockets an hundred fold.
-. xM.