The Marshall republican. [volume] (Marshall, Saline County, Mo.) 1899-1914, 1914-05-01
SECOND TEXAS LETTER.

DetefHiHeu 10 iedTH something OF
interest to our readers, we have been
asking all manner of fool questions
and making investigations and we
certainly learned a few things.
Sunday morning we attended Sun
day school at the Drashear Methodist
church. There was no preaching that
day and all church goers attended the
Christian church. where we heard a
very ably delivered sermon. At the
Sunday school as well as at the
church, the doors we're kept wide
open and even though we we're so cold
that chill passed oveer us OCCASION
ally the people seemed to take the
coolness as a matter OF course. There
was a small fire in the stove in the
middle of the room at both places but
IL did not raise the temperature much.
Both buildings as well as the other
two churches are large wooden struc-
lures as usually found In our coun-
try communities but devoid of paint.
There were probably sixty or seventy
five at the Sunday school and q very
good service.
Our biggest surprise was at the
Christian church. They had no or
gan and on inquiry we were told that
the church had split up over the or
gan question into progressives and
non-progressives rThe latter won
out and threw the organ out and the
progressives have taken TO the
woods" But we will say that II
throwing the organ out awhile within
prove our singing to what we heard
here II would be n good idea as the
singing was correct and hearty. But
we must naturally conclude that these
people who object to an organ as sim
iul must be making a desperate at
tempt to ge good. Having contract
ed cold, we did not 20 TO preaching
at night.
Monday morning we boarded the
train for Sulphur Springs and our
surprise can be imagined when we
met Will Rea on the depot platform.
we had no time to talk but took his
advice to stop at the Mcclimons hotel
and made no mistake. The building
is anything but up-to-dffte but the
meals and service are good. The on
iy evidence OF being south was in
having fresh tomatoes on the table
and at least three kinds OF meat at
nearly every meal.
We reported for work at the Even
Ing News Monday noon and for two
days interviewed bankers and busl-
mess men. getting some valuable In
formation. Sulphur Springs is slight
iy larger than Marshall and located
very much like our city. SO that n
comparison can easily be made that
is interesting.
The city Is not quite as old as Mar
shall but is like Marshall was about
twenty years ago In the matter OF I'm
provements. but as to business has us
beaten by about fifty per cent. II
mas four good banks. two daily and
two weekly papers. no flour mills, but
number OF cotton gins and cotton
mills. There are three lumber yards.
put do not appear progressive al
though they must do big business.
Judging from the large amount of
building going on.
The city Is far behind us In the
matter OF residences. There are N
number OF very fine residences which
compare favorably with ours. then
probably a hundred or so which are
In the middle class, say like English
avenue, except that only the finest
have foundations. the rest all being
Duilt on props one to three feet high.
The majority of the homes have from
three to five rooms. have no curtains
or carpets. The people though are
equal to ours In intelligence and have
decided advantage over us in not
having learned the trick of snobbery.
/ We watched the high school chill
dren assemble Wednesday morning
and noticed that nearly every girl
wore sun bonnet or came bare head
ed. Also that there were a good
many calico dresses. While We could
mt help but admire the girls, who
made pleasing picture many OF the
boys were generation behind in
having cigarette sticking to their
lips The schools seem abreast of
the times. We had the pleasure OF
meeting Prof. L. s. Witt, the leading
musician, whom We found to be a
very pleasant gentleman and only re-
sretted that We couldn't claim kin
ship.
In business way the city has 2s
grocery stores and the fact that they
are all doing fairly prosperous busi-
ness shows the comm raftva auc,,t