Saline County, Missouri - Miscellaneous Items of Interest, 1910

. Tliis institution was established by act of the Legislature approved May 24, 1899. and was ultimately located at Marshall. The matter of selecting- a location for the institution was left to be determined by the board of managers, \vho was appointed by Governor Stephens. The location of the institution was made the subject of competition to be governed by the most liberal offers that were received. This matter was finally determined in favor of Marshall, the people of this town paying about twenty thousand dollars to secure it.

It was declared in the act establishing the colony "to be for the humane, curative, scientific and economical treatment of the feeble-minded and epileptics." The law also directed that the institution should be built on the cottage or village plan, and should contain cottages for domiciliary use, an infirmary, ch?pel, school house and work shop. The management is vested in five managers, two of whom shall be women, and but two of the others of the controlling political party. The term of office is four years, two to be first appointed for two years ; three for four years, and ^-acancies to be filled every two years thereafter; compensation one hundred dollars a year and traveling expenses, being similar to that of other eleemosynary institutions of the state. The officers of the institution are superintendent, treasurer, steward and matron.

When the building of the colony was commenced, a general design was formulated by the architect and adopted by the board for the buildings that are contemplated for the colony when complete. The appropriations for the institution that have been made so far up to this date. 1909, have been about sufficient to complete half of the buildings of the original design. The Legislature will doubtless ultimately provide for the completion of the buildings necessarv to carry out the original design. About half have now been built and completed, the institution containing l)etween four and five hundred inmates.

l-'rom the hrst settlement of the county until the huildin^- of the railroads the people of the county were greatly interested and concerned in the steamhoa.ts and the Missouri river traffic. This county had a greater river front than anv other county, Saline's river bank being divided among three counties on the opposite side, Howard, Chariton and Carn^U. Saline county was f(M-merlv almost entirely dependent on steamboat carriage for its commerce and mode of travel for half a century or more, and our people must be greatly interested' and benefited by the revival of transportation l;)y steamboats on the river, which now seems probable.

It has lately dawned on the commercial intellect of the leading merchants of Kansas City that the navigation of the Missouri river is the very salvation of their commerce and prosperity. The manufacturing and commercial ]ieople and their interests now govern the country through the Congress, and thev will doubtless have both the power, the inclination and the dis])osition to ])rocure whatever appropriations it may be thought necessary to i)ur the rivers in condition for the revival of the commerce thereon.

The passenger travel on the river will also l)e important when boats become numerous and frequent. From 1850 to i860 has been called the ''golden era" of steaml)oat navigation on the Missouri ri\'er. It is hoped that the "golden era" mav return and if it does. Saline count)- will enjoy as great ad\antages from it as any other in the state of Missouri.