The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-10-01
WAY RAMDLES
WHAT THEBUSY MANAGER
FOUND IN MISSOURI
@ ID. ~
Pen Picture of Jefferson City; the
State House and
Hosiery
HERBERTF. M'DOUGAL

HERBERT F. MDOUGAL
Jefferson City. Mo-, September
30j-I went over to see Missourfs
new capitol building this afternoon.
1t is magnificent, spacious and beauti
full. The first thing / saw was me-
gro, and form down the cool perspec<
tive of the long corridor doated the
unmistakeable odor of Watermelon
typical Missouri combinationt
The capitol is one Of the sights
along the Pershing Way. 1t stands
on the site located by the capitol
commission in the very early days Of
preeminent, and so the commanding
location on the high, bank Of the
Missouri river was chosen. The
steam boats are gone now. but some
day, it is confidently predicted. yes
sells will ply the Missouri again and
river travellers will be treated to q
great sight as the boats slow down,
as they whistle for the bridge" just
above the capitol.
But the pivot Of the bridge will
have to be creased against that time,
for they have grown rusty from dis
use. an occasional snagboat. or per-
haps Sand sucker" being the only
vessel to insist on passage.
They Were Great Days
They were great old days, those
river days, and it revives romantic
memories to look out on the broad
and murky river. Here commanded
Captain LaBarge, master river pilot;
here Lewis and Clark passed in their
memorable trip OF discovery; here
went the old keelboats Of the pioneer
fur traders; here voyaged the AS
toria across country expedition that
had such narrowing experiences in
the early days Of the last century
when John Jacob Astor was building
up his vast machinery of trade.
And here, on the banks of that no
BILE stream stands one Of the finest
state houses in all the country sur
rounded by most fourishtng CROP Of
clover!
Missouri is trying again for new
constitution, the old document adopt
ed 1875 being badly out Of harmony
with present day needs. 1t was more
than a constitution; 1t was a master
ly effort on the part Of the drawers
to legislate for all posterity-and they
must have been a suspicious lot
Judging from the copper riveted re.
strictio4s that they included.
the state pointed to the new state
house as an argument against the
framing 6 a new constitution. Look
at our magnificent state house." he
pleaded, when we want thing, we
get it. and the constitution doesn't
hinder
Maybe there was a germ of truth
hidden somwhsre in that remark; at
any rate there was no new constitu-
ton called for at the general election
next following.
The Executive Mansion
Just across the street from OH
hotel window Is the executive man
sion, and you say that with bit Of
governors out OF his own pocket be-
cause he said that the imperial state
of Missouri ought to have fitting
residence for its chief executive. He
furnished It appropriately, and it's
grandeur still endures. He must
have been keen student of human
nature, for, as he probably had guess
ed, the state reimbursed him.
A later governor on one occasion.
being in his cups. led his favorite rid
ing nag into the dining room and
ordered that it be fed oats in the ell
yer wine coolers on the sideboard.
The state penitentiary, the largest
in the United States. for Missouri
has but one such institution, stands
on the river bank few blocks from
the capitol Its white stone walls
glisten in the sunlight, and at night
the electric lights twinkle like those
of an amusement park.
Lord Darlington Shows Up.
Lord Darlington" who was parol-
ed from it's keeping a year ago, the
daily prints are chronicaling, has just
turned UP in New York again, claim
ing IS be dead and seeking a daughter
to receive his estate. Ont Of the con-
ditions of his parole was that he
leave the. country never to return.
Jefferson City was settled by Ger
mans and there still are in use on the
main streets, buildings Of that pecu-
liar German architecture wherein
Rre employed twin chimneys at the
: ends of the roofs, and roofs that slope
down to the streets. The Germans con-
trolled the architecture for years.
but along came Michael McCarty of
another nationality, who had ideas of
his own, and threw new note into
the architecture Of the town.
For yeers he ran the leading hos
telry Of the town, and it was here that
Frank James, the noted outlaw, reg
istered as Capt. Milligan" and spent
a day or two preliminary to surrend-
ering himself after the death of his
brother Jessie at the band Of Bob Ford
In st. Joseph, Mo-,
| This city has two interesting ceme-
! teries-one national, and In 1t are
buried the bones transferred from
their original resting place, of the
victims of the Centralia massacre.
This event was one Of the reprisal
affairs that took place during the
Civil War, and numbered twenty FIVE
soldiers. 1t had It's sequence in the
| pursuit and death Of Bill Anderson
associate of the James Boys at Urich,
Mo. Major Cox, leading the pursu-
ers, killed Anderson az he came rid
! ing in the advance with a pistol In
either hand and his bride deins in his
teeth
| How Frank Was Acquitted n
And there is more to the sSery:
when the James Boys raided the
tank at Gallatin, Mo-, a few years
Mater. they took no money, but shot to
death Captain Sheets, whom they
4 thought was Major Cox and who was
the cashier of the bank. It was this
crime for which Frank was tried in
lGallatin after his surrender-and ac-
quilted. >..
| The other cemetery was the old
bilryinR ground and in IL lie the re i