New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-09-01
TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENCE.

TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENCE.
Dear Crescent The city of St. Louis, familiar to
many of your readers is full Of interest The stranger
will find it to his advantage to spend two or three
days here He will not fail to note the growth OF the
city and the ealthfu basis Of its prosperity Paatiai
residences, and DID, are to be found everywhere.
Entire blocks of stores being erected OF the most
costly material and approved architecture: Whlle
facing them, may be seen others OF equal expense,
but with the gloss and freshness of first completion
worn away. These are evidences OF healthtai pro-
gress and permanent success The public and private
buildings have been erected, not OF yesterday ana Tor
the morrow, but for future generations, and by men
of public spirit and far sighted policy. The natural
resources of the place have done much to give it the
appearance of stability. city ordinance prevents
the erection Of frame buildings, consequently the
abodes of the poor, as well as OF the richer classes
are built of brick or stone taken in abundance from
the quarries in the neighborhood.
There are some pleasant drives in the vicinity, but
to reach them you must pass through the smoke OF
factories the fumes of distilleres and all the evil
dences of the industrious but filthy emigrant popu-
lation which encireles the heart of the city. The
cemetery and the arsenal are well worth visit. The
railroad to the Iron Mountain will soon be com
nleted and apart from its weightier advantages, it
will furnish beautiful ride through the rich and
variegated scenery of the river and country.
The most prominent characteristics of st. Louis
anpeared to me to be fine stores and lager beer The
latter seemed to be everywhere present. Fine houses
and noorhouses beautiful gardens and spacious walks
were consecrated to lager. In some sections the pre-
siding genius and the household divinity was lager.
Il seemed an interesting question to know where the
consumers came from, so common was the familiar
sign, The conclusion was irresistible, that the sign
did not indicate for sale so much as for USE and that
each seller was his own best customer.
The amount of travel which centers in St. Louis
is truly astonishing The hotels, though not Of the
first order, are crowded to depletion. One meets
here with people from all parts of the country: Grim
and hersue men, fresh from the troubles and perils
Of TerritorialIfe; Adventures from the North, full
of schemes and strange stories of great cities burst
ing into liie ".Soffering marvellous inducements to
certain wealt ! smooth and oily men from the East,
counting trade and discoursng with wonderful Volu-
bty and good humor sour and sullen fugitives
from disease laughing, gay-hearted ramblers for
pleasure every type of human character one can
meet with in St. Louis. That it is great city is
beyond doubt That it is destined to be one Of the
greatest cities of the world is so often urged that ii
must be highly probable. If any man is skeptica
upon the subject, and feels particularly interested in
solution of the problem, let him spend a few days
OR weeks here and judge for himself. Let him look
at the magnificent country which stretches around
far beyond the line of his travel, pouring in an I'M
ceasng stream of wealth. Let him walk upon hel
evee and the long line Of steamers some for the
South, many more for the Missouri and Upper Misss
sippi, leaving daily, filed with freight and passengers
Let him note the enterprise of the nhabitants the
varied and increasing number of its manufactures
the agricultural and mineral resources of the country
its central and prominent position from which radatt
highways of travel to the four quarters Of the coun
try After a thoughtful survey of this nature W.
cease to wonder that the age has predicted for St
Louis manifest destiny of wonderful progress ant
eventual grandeur.
We left St Louis for Alton while vet the FRESHNESS
of the morning reigned over the river and the hills
and the cool breeze met us full of health and enjoy
ment II was with an emotion of gratied curiosit
that we saw the Missouri pouring its muddy tide int
the Mississipp that stretched away to the North il
D it's calm and lucid course, What our inexperience
Z ewes had taken, in the distance to be sand banks
proved to be only the cosged curdled waters refus
ing to coaesce The great Father seems to resen
this new intrusion, as if marveling at the sudde
transition from limpd clearness to the morose an
p turpid aspect of its future career.
= A few moments more and we stood upon the hig
= cliff of Aton-fain to lnger brief period that
= might take parting look at the Old river, and dive
;, 1pon the beautiful landscape But man may ne
stop long alter his baggage mas been checked and I'll
- shrill, quick whistle has sounded so "all aboard
4 is the word and on for Chicago!
: A beautiful ride 1t was at first. On either sic
stretched away the fine prairie lands OF ILLINOIS,
y fruitful garden teeming with its golden harvests.
was pleasant to see the fields OF graln-ther ditere
=. colors rejecting the sunght--and spreading avs
q until the unbroken plain seemed to merge in gre
os ocean. Here, as upon the Illinois Central, the Lar
has been brought into cultivation, and exhibits
Z unhroken line OF Improvement. We were shown
~ lagos OF respectable size, the growth OF TWO yea
only, with churches, schooi-Eouses and taVerns WI
- high.soundlng names. Absorbed by this view OF
fine country and by these evidences OF energy al
industry IL was some time peAore we became ava
that the ROAD was very aus'y. our teiio"'pasSepse
a., had lost or were gradually oshg' ther laehtty II
IS variations OF the human mar mad disappeared. bla
y, and red and white and sWeet-anburn, mad ASSUME
ms a uniform dlngy color. "hite hncn and yeilo
ns striped and spotted linen, all had the same death-
ID, hue few eyes still twlnkled, nall IN mlrth at
to misortuneS of our lot-Or at the resignat