A picture might be worth a thousand words, but the sound of a voice can sometimes tell you even more.
Two recent Beacon slideshows included audio of conversations with longtime small-town residents recalling the history of their communities. In both cases, the unhomogenized twang of the speakers transported me instantly to a different place and time, conveying as much about the subject at hand as the words and images.
In freelance reporter David Weinberg's piece , the subject is Tuscumbia, Mo., home of the first shovel-ready project to receive federal stimulus funds. That bridge is now built. And though politics in the area trend conservative, residents are thankful for the federal assistance.
In addition to that window into the contradictions of human nature, what I'll remember from the piece is a brief history lesson. Speaking of the earlier bridge over the Osage River, Tuscumbia resident Royal Kallenbach recalled the day the circus came to town and tried to walk an elephant across. "He got out a ways and got excited or something and jumped off into the river," Kallenbach said. "Broke off one of his tusks and left it in the gravel bar."
Kallenbach's quiet bemusement conveyed something fundamental about how the world looks from Tuscumbia, whether the focus is the circus or the political circus.
Earlier, Beacon interns Drew Canning and Rachel Heidenry visited Kaskaskia , that chunk of land that once was Illinois' capital before the Mississippi changed course and made it an island. "If you don't like the water, don't live on Kaskaskia Island," advises Dot Brown, a longtime resident. Like the river, her voice flows at a stately pace yet with power.
Tapping into the richness of our region is an important part of the Beacon's commitment to report news that matters. Fortunately, working online, we can let audio bring that richness directly to your ears.
This article originally appeared in the St. Louis Beacon.