Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-01-10
Editorial Correspondence.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Mo-,
Jan. 4th, 1862.

tions in this part of the country have been
limited, and my observations consequent
ly very numerous | have spent q
couple of days in St. Louis and looked
about there considerably. That city now
is very dull. Nothing is doing there in
the way of business unless it is mixed up in
some way with the army. Shipments to
and from the South having ceased, there
are millions of dollars invested in boats
now lying there as dead and worthless as
though they were sunk in the bottom of
the Mississippi. Since have been here,
week to day, I have seen but three
boats pass this place, and they were not
loaded, from which you can Judge some
thing of the contrast between the St. Louis
is of the past and the ST. Louis of the
present. Of course north of there no
such restrictions have been put upon traf-
fic as is the case with points down the riv-
er, but business docs not 60 on as swim
mingly after all with Illinois, Wisconsin,
&c. &c, as it would were not ST. Louis
under martial law and large proportion
of her business men going through bank
ruI toy in one form or another. Since the
outbreak of this rebellion a vast number
of mercantile houses have been removed
from there to Chicago, so that it would be
impossible for the merchants of St. Louis
to do the business that was done there for
merly, even if it were offered to them.
St. Louis is not what you may call a
good looking town. Most of the streets
are very narrow, the buildings as gene
raj thing quite ordinary, and the smoke
enyeloping them all. so dense as to remind
one of a vast coal pit. In the latter re-
spect, she almost takes the palm from
Pittsburgh which, until now, l supposed
surpassed every other city on that score a
hundred per cent. In a city boasting a
population of 100, 900, of course there is
more or less elegance i'll the way of build
lngs, but you do not see as much of it in
St Louis as you would naturally expect to
! find There are no such residences as are
to be seen on Wabash or Michigan Ave-
nue. i'll Chicago, nor are there any such ho-
tells as the Sherman, fremont or Briggs
In these respects Chicago is fer ahead of
St. Louis.
Benton Barracks, located in the suburbs
of the city four miles from the City Hall.
is just now the most attractive point of in
terest there. The grounds consist of about
two hundred acres most eligibly situated
about fifty of which have been used for
years past as fair ground. Quite a
number of buildings have been erected
which in addition to those formerly built
for the use of the society owning the
grounds, furnish the necessary accommo-
dations for the commandant of the post
and his staff. Two parallel lines of bar
racks each three quarters Of mile long
and third Of mile apart have also been
erected and are used by the soldiers, now
numbering some 5000, while the space
alluded to between the barracks is used
as parade ground and just the thing for
that purpose. A large proportion Ct the
men there belong to the cavalry service
and the number Of horses consequently is
quite large. l presume ] saw at least
three thousand, perhaps more. Many
of them were good animals but there were
not few that were dear enough at what
they cost, viz S12O, which l believe is
the standard Government price Who
knows but they may have been of the lot
purchased at from SO to $50, and turn
ed over to the Government on false vouch-
ers at S120? You will remember that
the Washburne Investigating Committee
in their report show up some heavy frauds
of that kind perpetrated at St. Louis by
that officer.
The surroundings of this vast camp con-
sist Of the necessary buildings for the use
of Quartermastcrs, Commissarics, Suffers.
Bakers, Saloon Keepers, Newsmen, &c.
&C.. and of themselves would make quite
village. Everything is reduced to sys-
TEN and notwithstanding the army of men
and horses there, business moves off with
the precision Of clock work Some idea of
the provisions and forage required for the
men and horses may be gathered from the
| fact that there is consumed in one day, as
| am informed upon good authority not
less than 5000 loaves of bread, using be-
tween 90 and 20 barrels of -four, about so
to 90 barrels of pork, 10000 pounds of
beef, 30 barrels of beans 600 pounds of
hominy, 1,5G0 pounds of coffee. 1000
pounds of sugar, 40 gallons of vinegar,
$50 pounds of candles. 500 pounds of
soap, 10 bushels of salt.
Three thousand bushels of oats, or their
| equivalent in corn, and 90. 600 pounds of
hay and of fuel 20 cords of wood, and L.