Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-15


volumes for the free use of all the pupils in The
city. This liberality has been the policy Of st
Louis for long while. In DIR. Eliots farewell
sermon, preached two weeks ago, he mentioned
the fact that in 1S49, when the cholera was SC
fatal that onc.d(th ofthe whole population died
and when one.thrd of the city, and that the
business part, was burnt; the citizens walked
over the ashes TO the polls, and voted additional
appropriations for the free schools. After that
disastrous fire, the only help st. Louis received
from the outside was $1,000 sent by Pttsburg tC
the mayor for distribution. Has the country
grown so much richer or so much more charita
bic since? or is it only that intercommunication
is easier? Dr. Eliot has preached here thirty
! seven years. and now leaves the ministry TO he.
come the president Of Washington university.
He has seen st. Louis grow up from small
| town; and his influence has grown with
| it. 1t would be hard TO estimate what he has
done for education, and for all charitable works.
His Judgment is so sure that people give to any
object which he approves; in all emergencies
they turn to him and he is never found want
Ing. His society is a large and active one, and
raises $40 GOO year for religious and charitable
purposes.
The mercantile library is thoroughly COM
Portable and cosy place, with desks, tables, and
gas arranged for convenience; the library and
reading rooms are carpeted and arc large enough
for pictures and statues as well as for books. |
could not tell much about the pictures, the light
was so bad ior them but there was a large copy
OF Guido's Aurora, copies Of the Washingtons
by Stuart, full length portrait Of Humboldt
a great many portraits of St. Louis men, a
number OF landscapes, and some curious,
cracked but unfaded pictures which looked as ii
they had a history. There was the worst full
length marble statue of Daniel Webster | ever
saw; several busts Of men well known here, Il
marble Christopher Columbus, some good casts
a bronze Venus, and two statues by Harriet
Hosmer, OenOne and Beatrice Cenci. Both are,
| believe, life size though they look larger.
Oenoue, plunged in grief at the death of Paris,
is crouching ON the ground, gazing in silent
despair at shepherds crook Her robe has
fallen about her knees, leaving the upper part
of the body bare. The figure and face are both
lovely. The statue belongs TO Mr.. Grow, but has
been for some time in the library. The Beatrice
is lying asleep ou.a short prison bed. Her posi-
ton and the disordered drapcry show restless
ness, but the face is calm and sweet; her head
is resting on one arm, while the other has fallen
forward, and the hand lightly holds a rosary.
This was an anonymous gift to the library.
Both statues need cleansing.
In the reading room, where 100 magazines are
taken, besides newspapers innumerable, there is
Ia, tt,Gp 10
very clumsy and very interesting pedestal of
black walnut, with medallious of carved oak
On one side is carved the house where Burns
was born, on another "1he Bridge" on a
third "rhe Cottcr's Saturday Night and on
the fourth scene from ''rhe Poets Revere -
These are elaborate pictures, in the hardest En-
| glish oak, and arc surrounded with wreathS of
oak and thistles; on the corners OF the pedestas
are small heads, in entire relief, Of Burns his
wife, and characters from his poems, An in
scripton tells that it was Presented TO the
Mercantile Library Association by the Caledo
MAN Society and admirers of Robert Burns"
Here, too, is a sculpturcd slab of marble eight
or nre feet square, which was sawed from the
wall of one Of the eXcayated chambers of pal.
ace in Nimrod, and is probably more than 5000
years old; so the card hung TO it says. 1t repre-
| sants a large-fcatured and rather handsome As
syrian, winged and bearded, who holds in one
hand bag or pouch, and with the other plucks
iroma trellis fruit which looks like pine-ap.
| pie, He occupies the middle of the slab, with
the trelis on both sides of him. The lower
quarter Of the slab is covered by an inscription
which does not 70 out Of its way on accoun t Of
the man, but travels straight on, line after line
right across his body and arms and has never
vet been read; so it is impossible to tell whether
or not its audaciouS disregard Of the rights o
humanity is justified.
1t is too cold for the beer gardens; but many
Of them are said to be nice places; and on,
which has the startling name of Uhrig's Cave
is famous for its music. Last year American
began to resort to them, and seemed to lis,
them as well as the Germans do. Shaw's gar
den is the private domain Of a rich and ecceu
trio old bachelor of English birth. It is laiC
out formally, with stiff regiments of evergfeeni
forever keeping guard. But it is gorgeous viii
flowers in summer, and its very large tropica
greenhouse is now full of palm trees, banan;
trees in fruit, banyans, papyrus, other trees @
the tropics, and great variety of ferns. Gar
den, hot houses, summer houses, are all open t,
the public every day in the week; really anC
trustlully open, nobody watches you, nobod,
interteres with you; only printed card re
quests you not TO break the plants in the green
house. You are as free to wander about Their
as you are on Worcester common. Is not thi
an almost unparalleled instance of private lib
crafty? Cooks wine vaults are among tin
wonders here, and visitors crowd TO sec tn,
place where ,5OO,O 900 bottles OF wine are stored
The Missouri wines are considered better her
than Ohio wines, and many people prefer Cook
missouri Imperial" to any other native, Or in
deed to any foreign light wine
1t looks little odd to us to see the name o
Christ so often on signs, both as a given and
surname, Jacob Christ and Christ Overlook, 70
example; but tits pronounced with short i, S,
does not strike the ear as peculiar. One of til,
popular lager beer saloons is kept by MAJ
named Christian Freund.
Since the Lindall house was burnt the South
ern hotel is the largest in the city. Its plan i
very good. On the ground floor are the office
bar and billiard room; the first floor is devote,
entirely to parlors, dining rooms and mmens
entries, where fine Apollo is prominent; ant
the sleeping rooms are above This arrange
ment has great advantages forparties and for PEG
pile who want exercise. without going out doors
for the entries make an excellent promenade
The national board of trade is in ses
sion here this week; and publ
reception was given them at the hotel on Thurs
day evening, On Friday they were invited to
banquet at the same place, and, if one couI,
Judge from the time they stayed and the cheer
they gave, they had very good time. Tn
dining room was prettily ornamental for til
banquet, with flags and statues; / recognize,
Mercury Psyche and Flora; the others did no
know. A Canadian gentleman looking at on
of the unknown, said to his neghbor, "Who i
that Miss2' Missouri, | suppose" was tn
answer, aud perhaps he was right, as well a
witty. The board Of trade, in their sessions
dealt with subjects altogether too large for thi
letter, else | would tell you something abou
them; the Boston men were prominent, infiu
entiai, and opposed to all Jobs and all scheme