HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 391 among the best. The first organization for a public school was made in ISTi and from that time much interest and attention has been given to the schools. At the present time there are two good brick buildings, a well organ- ized system of grade schools, and a good four years high school. Besides the two railroads Dexter has some good public roads. From Dexter to Bloom- field a distance of seven miles there is a fine rock road, and there are other good roads also. At present there are about seventy business establishments of various kinds. They in- clude large genei-al stores, drug stores, furni- ture and hardware stores, saw mills, heading and stave factories, handle factories, other minor establishments and two banks. The Bank of Dexter was organized in 1892 and has a capital stock of .$50,000. The Citizens Bank, organized in 1903, has a capital of $30,000. There are the usual church organ- izations with good buildings. The town has good streets, sidewalks, water-works, electric lights, and all the conveniences of modern cities of its size. Its present population is 2,322. Advance Advance in the extreme northern part of Stoddard county is on the Hoxie branch of the Frisco. It has a population of 621 and is a thriving and prosperous town. The farm- ing country around it is very productive and its people are enterprising. The Bank of Advance was chartered in 1902. Its capital is $20,000. The Advance Exchange Bank with a capital of $15,000, was chartered in 1909. Advance has good public schools, about twenty business establishments, the usual church organizations. Bell City Bell City in Stoddard county, is a town on the St. Louis Southwestern, laid out soon after the building of that line. Its present population is 316. It has one bank with a capital of $10,000. There are churches, a public school, hotel, four stores, and other smaller business establishments. Brownwood, situated at the crossing of the Zalma and Bloomfield branch and the Hoxie branch, is a saw mill town. Ardeola, Idalia, Dudley, Headquarters and Avert are other Stoddard county villages. Bernie The town of Bernie in Stoddard county, is situated ou the main line of the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad between Dexter and Maiden. The first settlement was made there in the year 1878. It was incorporated as a village in 1890 and as a city in 1908, the first mayor being L. J. Turner. Among the early settlers were A. H. Slayton, W. L. Smith, Jlorgan Wood, T. J. Bailey, T. L. Whitehead, W. S. Russell, J. A. Walker, W. L. Schutt, M. C. Dooin and J. M. Barnett. The early merchants were W. L. Smith, W. L. Schutt,
- r. C. Dooin. :IcFadden, Louis Klein and T.
L. Whitehead. There are now eighteen gen- eral stores in the town and also a cotton gin and grist mill. The financial interests of the town are cared for by the Bank of Bernie which was chartered in 1901, and has a capi- tal stock of $20,000. The town has just com- pleted the erection of a $10,000 public school building and is conducting a good school in- eluding a high school. Besides the general interests which we have mentioned there are other minor business establishments includ-
