New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-02
a nY.TEKY OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

Prom the St Louis Timcs.l
One OF the peculiar features of st. Louis
which impIcsscH stranger, is the number
of odd, sGrnugc-lookiDg, dIlapidated build
Ines i'll various quarters, surrounded, rs
most of them are. by new and sometimes
splendid blocks, representing modern bust
ness enterprise and advancing social civil
zatiOn, the "now and the old" side by side
tho one silently sinking into notbingness
the other spr,nging from tire ashes of dead
past, " hose fate and fortunes have gone
forever out of sight
What n strange and thrilling record must
that awful volume be wherein, II ia said,
all the thoughts and actions of the count
lCss generations of men are written. For
tunatcly for u.s. We are permitted TO glance
for a moment only Mt its pages AZ we are
carried onward in the whirlwind and the
storm of life, its cares and passions, TO the
common rest of all.
On one of the corners OF Chestnut street
and the levce there stands an old fashioned
warehouse, which links old and young St.
Louis together by many n strange and mn
known bond.
Erected sixty years ago by the historic
John Jacob Astor, of New York, aud the
ChOutcaus, of st. Louis, andtformIng "a start
ing point toward tn, so giant fortunes which
now are controlled 10y their descendants,
this old building presents an ancient, de
caying look, ns II its soul had fed, leaving
but shell of it's former life behind II il
be true that
All houses when Elm men have lived ard died
Are haunted houses Through the open doors
III" harm less uhantums the IN erranHs glide
With tcct that make no sound upon the floors.
We meet them nj the DOORWAY on the STAIR;
Along the passages they come aud 60,
lu,paipahlc impIt ssions on the air,
a sens" Of s"mcthiuG moving to and fro,
How those phantom visitors must 9nonn
and sigh AZ tsB'N witness the inevitable de
cny of the places where memory rebulds
the fairy palaces Of this NouTHtnl early
life
lhe Americas Fur Company occupied
this budding. t"r many years. Here cour3-
4css tuTs were Sorsed, brushed, clipped and
. yrrGScd ssr EH:epcAH markets.
!r 1871. the ycsf Of the great inmpdatfan.
che water Uf the mighty river rrEe ar
G"wasd the Srrsmd story. and the present
%srGrHut. Mr. NIlssp. stepped iHtu ateSns
$~'at trNys nwO Of t!sS upper wissinws.
III" SHttrivS 81 saS budding. ut the frnr
Oh Cht S'bOSE AssppS. haR foundation Nn the
crimGiVs suca. bus plti Time has, uutwith.
standing iVa VaSA ~ ssase, made great gaping
fissWeeqs 90 Oss Nuils. % il in 1sti4ECS oi
aNan'S trust GnG faith.
'l'iOrre % .Ua o tiMN, however, whrh this
building T&s FWF g. rerint vacant. cnt a.
che @tiHhtNSr9 supposed occupied only by
che rats. ~hO ranged from hnur to fuNr
unn'ulcsissl: It Ia ni this era IN its history
nc are about TO speak.
i.SipI "n n hnu,le Of straw md rags. in
ehr upl,rr stuEy nf dwelling. nut half u
mills south iruni tho court iuusr. in the
spring Of the last year, 49,. MIA MI old
mani. wildly tossing Ia pain Of both body
Rnl soul At enc moment hr would cry for
Natrs. enchanting thst savage dugs were
guaEinE at hia liver: at another hi would
Eruan. aud point with stVny. staring ryrs.
at E",,'r imaginary vinitor. who seerlrd to
ave hIa brain into ahjrct terr"r.
made " his busiursH. day hy day, to see that
Gia wants were NOT utterly nrglt ctcd, or
thA' his s!ir'' lsss"rd not away without one
AGIl q: consolation.
ltxnA q cuse If Srlirinn srs meme, and
Gnlv patience and u atchfl,luSRS could do ita
@rIA. at bringing saniiy and Isa rnc~
0n"Ir ." tie trruhi,d wretch ID" lay tSrss.
6'rwal'IrS sn'a>lsnt life.
aluW iutNuinI. H2 the sunlight asseaTsoS 81
Shh.'Ssh Vh~ N,isritiatr,t windows. ~ ~ is
e'sNA.ry e.: ttr hight aud s"t:-nN.se 10
E'!dSa with i:n Si."'rs. o rhsnss sS.'k place
&u'i with . su.rS On,p!y:pS shoushts3insSe
Rra SgSr"wo SSs ONS c.aN eNgyGst Gao BIO
StssQs'so oaS srSg:
'.lAs So proes5, s'rs Wesi32 90 aea9 egs
@SFr; sure but Y eve b8t9a vePy COED To ne
WelG wanQ TO tell You something anyhow
bor no one knows when yc leave me ~ |
Shall ever meet the friend that's like We
once again, and I've got 10 tell il sooS or
die in misery
The visitor got an old Cox to sir on. took
the sick mans hand in his. and heard Qlo
Gale lie tells to you;
I've been a scapeErace all my life. lis
more than twenty five years since came IL
- Louis. I've fought and worked, got
drunk and cursed and lived hard life, hut
white I've seen on the river, in boats, and
on the streets at night many u wicked deed
of robbery, and sometimes murder, Eve got
TO blood On my conscience but that of one
poor woman. whom was afraid to help.
10 you know the corner Of Chestnut
Gtrrct and the leveci
Well that spot hangs heavy e, Bny con
@icnct; II was there, n good many Gears
ago that was a par in a terrible wrSng;
9waS SIruug, daredevil sort vt fellow
then: Il Was wear or two at er tho big
hcpd ana folks were afraid 10 risk ant Cher
rise: the house on the corner Threatened 10
0lll down; nobody rCnte8 il. hut still II Was
u,rd hy somebody; was one Of the t0llews
O. ho used - - there 81 nights ana en-
O oyulv Ggv@. with bottle Of WHISKY. and
@'ay cards. Sometimes Noi iiShts Su3 .,
q Is mvS,lN on the quiet.
some 81 IlN NhuliltAAAtAS AtN@l ~NEh sN-
Pow then GOT their money could aot tell.
uutl one night shout midsummer they
asked m,Fw,utd like q good lab that paid
well. had been loa&r- about Tor some
zine. had lIulr money, and said would dr 4
auNihjug tu raise 'hv wind.
Tho t,oA mo .a,n the uud'rpSTt oG She
7rlryh.usc. We used Ia ct II. Though a
ss,uduw. My t~o companions took out
,b,ir kui>,, trm tie back part 81 their
lc,ts AROUND ,lt,sr waists. ami Told lie 70
fr The s,uo. had none. Then torN TOOK
hold vi ms harris, crossing their hhiNtS an
The gro, M. asked utc "a rtpcsi an "ath |
IN, / v,l.la newer say "a = living cIva;a't |
, word al Nlar they were gong H. =
lii So. Ilr p,us,N was d'alh ny 'u'F
# the o,h,r I'VE on mm WHO os'h' '.'
,a.I ,,.i ;l,u rb,.y tuk me q; my share III |
Re work. 3D.,
4, l,.uis. never - return. She WAS NJ ESSS
a. l,rcrerty up IN On S.Nlh sttett' ana 4
MN wanted the estate. My work MAS t' !