JUNE 48 
ONE OF THE FINEST. 
Jasper County. Missouri—Agricul¬ 
tural, Mineral and Commercial 
Wealth--Carthage—J opliu. 
MESSRS. HOI.MES AND SWEETLAND. 
We have written so much regarding the ad¬ 
vantages and benefits to be derived by “locat¬ 
ing” in the south western portion of Missouri, 
on account of the delights of a mild and equa¬ 
ble climate, a certain yield of crops, an abund¬ 
ance of fruit both early and late, and a society 
second to none in the States, that we will not 
generalize, hut proceed without unnecessary 
preface to record what we learned regarding 
Jasper County, “one of the finest” of the 
grand old commonwealth of Missouri. 
This tract of laud is one containing almost 
every attribute of wealth and furnishing such 
abuudaut rnuaus of obtaining a competency 
that it meets the wants of all who seek its hos 
pitable confines. Situated upon the warm 
southerly slopes of the Ozark plateau at au al¬ 
titude of about 1,100 to 1,1300 feet, m about 
the same latitude as Southern Kentucky, the 
advantages of the Summer sun are obtained 
without the malaria so often attending locali¬ 
ties of lower altitude. 
Over 490,000 acres of land are embraced in 
the county limits, of which not more than 
1,0J1 a^res can bo considered waste laud, 
while the rolling and undulating stretches of 
prairie and timber yield yearly crops of 
corn, wheat (from which superior Hour is 
made), oats, flax, castor beans and some to¬ 
bacco, while vegetables grow in abuudauce 
and are of excellent, quality. Native grasses 
thrive, while tame grasses, Timothy, clover 
and some Kentucky Blue-grass, are found 
throughout the county. This fact, together 
with the favorable climatic conditions,renders 
the stock interest one of unusual and increas¬ 
ing importance. Much attentkm is beiug given 
to bringing in thoroughbred Short-horns, 
Devons, Jerseys, Polled Angus, and building 
up in grades. A large land and live stock 
company has bought all the railroad lands in 
this and au adjoining county, and will have 
one gi aud stock-breeding farm stocked with 
Polled Angus and Hereford cattle. 
In horses Porcheron-Normaus and Clydes¬ 
dales arc preferred for farm use, aud Kentucky 
stock for roadsters. A great many sheep are 
found, aud the interest is increasing. Oots- 
wolds and (South Downs are preferred for 
coarse wool aud Merinos for finer grades. 
Many Berkshire aud Polaud-Chiua hogs are 
raised for market. The dairy interest, which 
is daily gaining ground in many other locali¬ 
ties, is absent here, although there are excep¬ 
tional advantages for creamery locations. 
The soil is of three varieties—limestone, marl, 
aud alluvial similar to the Virginia soil; the 
subsoil is clay aud the substrata iu the 
southern part are lead and zinc, with some 
shale and coal. 
Three streams of good size, with numerous 
tributaries aud many pure aud constant 
springs, amply water the county, aud good 
wells average 25 feet iu depth. Hard-wood 
timber is found along the water-courses and 
in the southwestern paid, away from the 
streams. Limestone, sandstone, brick clay and 
potters’ clay, all of good quality, are abundant. 
The mineral deposits of Jasper County 
are very rich, and being abundantly worked, 
furnish labor for many thousand miners, aud 
have given birth to the handsome 'city of 
Joplin and many smaller towns. The yield 
for 1882 of lead ore was 20,U(HJ tons, valued at 
over $1,0U0,UUU; zinc, 50,000 tons, over $900,- 
000; aud there arc daily accessions of capital 
aud labor to assist iu the further developmeut 
of this unknown but apparently inexhaus¬ 
tible mineral wealth. 
We heard an Eastern farmer say: “1 might 
like to obtain a home iu the West, and think, 
perhaps, it would be the best tiling 1 could do 
for my children, but money could not hire me 
to go to any locality where I could not raise 
fruit," aud he is right! 
A GRAND FRUIT COUNTY 
is Jasper, having apples, peaches, pears, plums, 
quinces, apricots, cherries, grapes, strawber¬ 
ries, raspberries aud blackberries, all attain¬ 
ing the highest state of perfection. Nearly 
every farm has its orchard, and apples are a 
prominent export, fully 8,000 barrels being 
marketed iu 1882. The population is largely 
cosmopolitan, with many accessions from the 
Eastern and Middle States, with but few 
foreigners or negroes: there is consequently 
much interest iu schools, there being 111 iu the 
county. The population is over 05,000 now, 
though by the Census, in 1880 it numbered 32,- 
021. There is no debt aud taxes are nominal. 
Eighteen or twenty flouring mills are scattered 
through the county, their aggregate capacity 
being over one-and one-quarter m illi on 
bushels of wheat annually. Laud.s range from 
$8 to $ 15 per acre, and farms from $20 to $40 
pei - acre. The fencing of the farms is good, 
being principally of hedge, wire, board, stone 
and some rail. When it is taken into consid¬ 
eration that this county, besides being wealthy 
in agricultural and horticultural products, 
furnishes two-thirds of the zinc product of tlie 
United States, it will uot be a wonder that it 
supports two handsome and thrifty cities and 
some nine smaller towns. 
CARTHAGE, 
the county seat, we visited first, aud failed to 
find a typical Western town,but were surprised 
to be ushered into a city whose appearance 
would suggest some of the older Eastern places 
where we passed our boyhood days. The site 
is delightful and Die surroundings picturesque. 
The architecture—mostly of brick with hand¬ 
some business blocks and residences—is modern. 
The str eets are justly the city’s pride, beiug 
wide, smooth, bordered by large and beautiful 
shade trees and well-kept sidewalks. The 
drives are superb. The walks are euliveiling: 
the lawns a carpet of emerald embossed w ith 
floral ornaments; the homes cheerful aud, as 
would he expected, the citizens are thoroughly 
alive to improvement, development, educa¬ 
tion and religion. 
Thera are line school buildings aud 
graded schools of 17 departments, including a 
high school under efficient tuition. There is a 
distinct school for colored children. The 
school fund is $250,000, the interest upon which 
alone is applied to educational development. 
There are nine churches of various denomina¬ 
tions, some quite tasty; five literary societies; 
a public library aud reading-room; three in 
terestiug newspapers, one issuing a daily; civic 
societies of all classes; a handsome opera 
house, with a seating capacity of 500; au ef¬ 
ficient volunteer lire department; water works 
of the Holly system; good gas; a street rail¬ 
way chartered; a telephone exchange of over 
50 members; a strictly first-class hotel; two 
other good ones, and several others of minor 
importance; four banks, having an aggregate 
daily deposit for 1882 of $19,683; a building 
association; large stores well stocked aud the 
right kind of “timber” amoug the business 
men to keep a city up. 
L>uite a city? Yes, indeed! Over 6,000 
population, an increase of over 1,650 since 
the Census. A municipal debt of only $5,000 
to $7,000 floating. The permanent improve¬ 
ments for the past year have aggregated 
$259,000. The Poat-Ofli-ie business in 18S2 
showed an increase of $3,024.22 over the busi¬ 
ness of 1870, aud netted the Department $6,* 
591.30 profit, the total business being $10,33!). 
30. The Carthage Board of Trade have a 
membership of over eighty. 
Markets east, west, north aud south are 
available, the city being reached by the Mis¬ 
souri Pacific Railroad and the St. Louis und 
San Francisco, whose lines intersect at this 
point. The surroundings and principal at- 
tributes of wealth ar e agricultural, but the 
city just at this time presents unusual advan¬ 
tages for the locating of certain manufactur¬ 
ing enterprises, aud we were informed by 
some of the leading citizens that every en¬ 
couragement both pecuniary and otherwise, 
would be teudered to new enterprises, and 
that the right hand of fellowship would be ex¬ 
tended full of greenbacks to help any legiti¬ 
mate undertaking which would tend to build 
up the city . Among others were mentioned a 
manufactory of flax liber, au oil mill, a can¬ 
ning establishment, manufactories of boots 
aud shoes aud agricultural implements, and a 
creamery. All of these, under able manage¬ 
ment, would undoubtedly pay, as the market 
is good, and fuel and materials are convenient. 
The manufacturing iutorasts are considerable 
even now, embracing an extensive plow fac¬ 
tory, a large machine shop aud foundry, two 
carriage and tw r o wagon factories, three 
flouring mills, one hominy mill, two woolen 
mills—one the largest iu the State—one soda 
water factory, one cigar factory, three brick¬ 
yards, two lime kilns, marble works, a broom 
factory aud several min or interests. The 
people arc as a unit for, iii-st, Carthage, then, 
Jasper County. They are intelligent, well- 
read, aud uot bigoted, aud any man, lie he 
from the North or South, need never fear the 
welcome he will receive here or in 
JOPLIN, 
the metropolis of the county, aud the great 
lead and zinc center of the Southwest, aud 
the central city of the heaviest producing 
territory in these minerals in the world. 
The city has not the architectural beauties 
of its sister city, but yet is far from beiug de¬ 
void of them, It owes its being to the vulua 
ble discoveries of lead aud zinc iu I860, ami 
now contains a population of some 10,000, an 
increase of 3,000 in two years; while around 
it, like lesser jewels encircling the richer 
gem, are ten or a duzen famous mining towns 
all of which largely obtain their supplies at 
this point. Every attribute of a thrifty, en¬ 
terprising city met usat Joplin— electric light 
telephone, street cars, water works, gas, sev¬ 
eral good hotels, a building association, two 
banks, averaging $35,000 of daily deposits, 
busy, bustling businessmen, and the news-boy 
with his daily papers, two being issued here. 
Not enough interest has heretofore been 
taken in education, but we understand that 
$20,000 have recently been appropriated for the 
erection of a nesv building. There is a medi¬ 
cal college located here from which is issued 
a monthly magazine in the interest of medi¬ 
cine and surgery. A handsome opera house, 
with a seating capacity of 500, is put to fre- 
quent use, while religious observances are 
held iu eight neat and commodious churches. 
As figures give a better idea of the business 
importance (if localities than more words, wo 
will give some as giveu to us by those who 
ought to know. The commercial business of 
the city for 1882 is estimated at $ I ,!)!Ki,000; per¬ 
manent improvements for the year, $280,000; 
value of exports: minerals, 13,000 tons pig 
lead, worth here $1,170,000; white lead $114,- 
750; and spelter (in five mouths) $71,650. The 
bonded debt is $8,000, with a floating debt 
limited to u few warrants selling at 97c. There 
are two terms of the circuit court held annually. 
Besides the Missouri Pacific and St, Louis 
and San Francisco Railroads, Joplin is the 
southern Missouri terminus of the Kansas 
City, Fort Scott aud Gulf R. R. and has the 
Girard branch of the St. Louis and Santa Fe, 
hence it is quite important as a railroad center 
having ready access to every available 
market. 
Five well-organized civic societies aid iu 
cementing the friendships and extending the 
acquaintance of the citizens: Blue Lodge, Chap¬ 
ter and Knights Templar, A F. and A. M., 
Lodge and Encampment, I. O. O. F., and 
several others. The water supply is good—a 
large reservoir capacity for all ordinary pur¬ 
poses, supply pumps iu ease of tire, an inex¬ 
haustible fountaiu-head and excellent quality, 
the water being entirely free from drainage 
seepiugs, 
Au interesting volume might be written ap¬ 
pertaining to the mining facilities, the source 
of supply and the different manufactories 
utilizing it; hut in this brief article we can 
only enumerate them: There are mammoth 
works of the Lone Elm Mining anti Smelting 
Company, Granby Mining and Smelting Com¬ 
pany, Southwest Lead aud Zinc Company 
all manufacturing pig-lead: Lone Elm White 
Lead Manufactory (which we will state before 
proceeding is among the largest iu the world 
and the only one where white lead is made 
by the condensation of the fumes generated 
by the ore duriug the smelting process, the 
daily product being over 15,000 pounds); Jop* 
lin Zinc Company; Woolen Mill Company; 
Sargeant Milling Company: Joplin Faint, and 
Oil Company; two foundry and machine 
shops; two boiler and pump works; sheet aud 
galvanized iron factory: a brewery; a car¬ 
riage and wagon factory; a soda water fac¬ 
tory; two cigar factories; two brick-yards; a 
lime kiln; marble works aud two pork-pack¬ 
ing houses. 
Joplin furnishes good opwungs for the 
manufacture of sheet zinc, sheet lead, shot 
and pipe, white lead (by corrosion), paper 
from straw, tow, twiue, aud sacking aud 
plows and wagons, aud auy capitalist! desir¬ 
ing to locate there would find hearty financial 
co-operation aud every legitimate aid to make 
their under taking a success. 
fcOT lilt IJ 0111X1} 
THE MICROSCOPE. 
Among the many methods to be employed 
to pass away a leisure hour or two, there are 
none perhaps that will furnish a greater 
amount of both pleasure aud profit to the 
young people than that of looking through the 
microscope. The youthful mind is ever look¬ 
ing for new developments, is ever on the alert 
for strange tilings, mid so it becomes a matter 
of importance as to how we can best interest 
aud at the same time educate the boys and 
girts, aud especially so those upon the farm. 
For this purpose perhaps uothing will serve 
better than the microscope. Centuries ago, 
long before civilized man had found a 
Western home, “burning spheres” or glass 
globes filled with water, were sold in the 
shops in Athens, which were used for no 
other purpose than that of reading, and it 
wus uot until within the lust two centuries 
that powerful magnifying glasses became 
first known. There are two kinds of micro 
scopes, commonly speaking, now in use, viz., 
the simple aud the compound. The coin|Kmud 
wliich consists of several lenses, is used almost 
exclusively among scientific men, mid is, as a 
rule, u very costly instrument. The simple 
microscope, consisting of one lens, can be 
purchased at prices all the way from 50 cents 
up to $5. It is to this simple microscope that 
1 wish to cull the attention of the young peo¬ 
ple who read the Youths’ Department of the 
Rural. If the boys aud girls can only get 
75 cents or $1, with it they may procure a very 
good magnifier that will answer all purposes. 
Supposing one of our young friends obtain 
one, what will he or she do with it? If John 
buys it, he will probably look through it at all 
sorts of tilings. Ho will hold it over the 
newspaper or some book to see how big the 
print can be made or how coarse the paper 
will look; examine all the scratches upon his 
hands, and be surprised at the big gash where 
he thought there w as only - a little wee scratch; 
look through it at, his hands, pieces of hair, 
grass, wood, stone aud a multitude of other 
things, aud then before long will find, if hi s 
eyes are open, as most boys’ a re, that, he can 
make cloth and paper smoke by concentrating 
to a point a ray of sunshine upon it, and be 
doing that a good share of the time, until 
he burns himself, when perhaps he may be 
williug to stop. That is the way young folks 
begin to use a magnifying glass, at least that 
is the way the boys and girls did when I was 
young, and l guess boys aud girls are not 
much different now from what they used to 
be when Uncle Mark was a boy. 
But how can the microscope be used profit¬ 
ably by our young friends? The place in which 
it, should be used more Mum in all others, and 
where U. M. would like to see it used by every 
member of the Horticultural Club is in the 
study of botany. The Boys and girls on the 
farm ought to spend all the time they can in 
studying the plants growing upon the farm, 
so that they may know something more about 
Dock or Pig Weed or any other plant, than 
merely that it is Dock or Pig Weed. They 
should be well acquainted with all the plants 
on the farm; should know their characteris¬ 
tics: their good or had qualities as the ease 
maybe; whether annuals, biennials or peren¬ 
nials; w hat family they belong to, and upon 
what kinds of soil aud under what conditions 
they flourish best. Much of t his perhaps can 
be learned without a microscope, but suppose 
ing one comes upon some strange grass or 
weed; how can it, lie determined if no micros' 
cope is at hand, and the flow er is so small that 
all the parts cannot be distinctly seen? Likely 
as uot it will bo sent to Uncle Mark for him 
to name. But with a magnifying glass in 
one’s hand, now ft most, necessary thing, and 
u botany iu the other, not much trouble will 
be had in linding out, the name of the hitherto 
unknown. Having found out the name, the 
other facts are easily ascertained, aud the in¬ 
formation resulting even if uot valuable, will 
give much satisfaction to the young botanist- 
But suppose father buys a lot of grass seed, 
aud is not sure as to whether it is what he 
paid for, or is a mixed up rness, containing 
weed seed, etc. Perhaps John’s microscope 
may tell the story, and father finds he has a 
quantity of injurious seeds in what he thought 
was June Grass seed. Was uot the micros¬ 
cope of value there? I think all will agree 
that it w r as. 
And thus is this little piece of glass made to 
furnish a vast amount of pleasure and profit 
to its young owners. Perhaps this work begun 
by John with the simple microscope, may lead 
him to the use of the compound one, and finally 
to become through it a benefactor to his fel¬ 
low-men. If you have 75 cents to spend, in¬ 
stead of loaviugit in the grocery for candy 
or nuts, take Uncle Mark’s advice aud buy a 
microscope, and you will liud that it, will last 
longer than the candy, and will furnish you 
with a store of information aud pleasure not 
soon forgotten. Uncle Mark. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I would like to be¬ 
come a member of the Horticultural Club. 
My brother and I have picked a great many 
flowers this Spring. Plmu trees are iu blos¬ 
som now. I have picked some 1 think they 
are very handsome and smell very sweet. We 
have planted some of the garden already. 
We have a dog aud we call him Shop. As 
this is my first attempt to write to you, 1 will 
close, hoping to see this iu print. 
Lancaster Co., Neb. Nellie C. Wkhtcott. 
[Now that Uncle Mark has grunted Nellie’s 
desire to have the letter printed, won’t she 
write the Cousins (before next Fall) an account 
of that garden, and tell how it is getting 
ulong. u. m.] 
Uncle Mark:— Will you please add my 
name to the list of Cousins? 1 have long 
wished to become a member of your Horti¬ 
cultural Club. The flowers you seut did uot 
do very well it was so dry. Father’s com and 
potatoes were good. 1 will tell you about 
some experiments 1 am making, next time. 
From your nephew, Charley E. Fay. 
Bremer Co., lowu. 
[Do not, forget your premise, but be sure and 
tell us about your experiments. We shall be 
glad to hear about them.— Uncle Mark.] 
