The Way it Was

100 years ago

A morning wreck on Missouri Pacific

The northbound Kansas City Memphis red ball freight train in charge of Conductor Courter had a bad wreck just this side of Pleasant Hill early this morning. Fifteen cars went into the ditch, some of them turned over and were badly damaged. The Kansas City wrecking crew was called, as no telegraph wires could reach this city.

The wreck was due to a soft place in the roadbed which was caused by the continued wet weather. Fortunately no one was injured.

50 years ago

One night in mansion enough for governor

JEFFERSON CITY -- James T. Blair Jr., Missouri's newly inaugurated governor, served two terms as lieutenant governor and fought a tough political campaign last year for the right to occupy the governor's mansion.

Blair took the oath of the state's highest office Monday and that night spent his first house as master of the 32-room. French-Italian style mansion overlooking the Missouri River.

One night was enough.

The next morning the new governor sent his clothes to his former residence here and for the present that is where he and his family will continue to live.

"The place is uncomfortable," Blair said, and "the beds are as hard as rocks."

State Sen. John W. Noble, as Democrat like Blair, said yesterday he didn't blame Blair "for not wanting to live in that rat infested fire-trap." Noble added he would push legislation for a new mansion and to have the old one converted into a museum.