St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-05-30
Letter from st. Louis.


st. Louis is the great city of the In |
terror. Its proportions. Industries ami
resources are vast. 1t Is situated on il
high bluff on the west bank of the Mis-
si>Sippi river. eighteen miles below the
mouth of the Missouri. The city front
extends fur twelve miles OH the river.
and it is from two to four miles deep
from the river. \ census taken lately
gives it Il population of little over four
hundred and forty four thonSand-an
increase of more than one hundred
Thousand in the last three Years. Call
ing New York and Brooklyn Oh" city, as
they are i'll fact. and st. LoulS Is the
third city in size i'll the Union, as it is
also third in the value of its manutact-
urcs- being exceeded only 10y Phila-
drlphia and New York.
Until last week had supposed the
site of st. Louis to he like that of
Chicago. low and Hat. ON the contrary
it is on Il high bluff slipping back from
the river at quite Il grade. The bust
ness pant of the city Is near the river.
but the residences are back on high
ground. giving excellent drainage and
air The city i pushing ont int" the
country with great strides. as may hc
Judged from the rate of increase the
last fen years. The place where the
rebel Fort jackson WAS located seven
wears ago. is now almost III the heart of
the city. 1t is fortunate for 1t. Louis
that it has abundance of room: 1t can
he extended indefinitely north. south
and west.
st. Louis is now in the midst of great
| internal improvements. y bridge Is
being built across the Mississippi river.
reaching into the heart of the city. tn"
oml, communication with til" east has
always been 10y ferry. Til" inconvrn-
fence OF tins method j. apparent n all
/ times. and especially 50 hen there l. q
/ both freight and passenger traffic. This
/ bridge Is now we'll along. The ahut
mcut~ and piers are completed and
vurkmcn have already begun to spring
the steel arches in the spans. When
done this bridge will hc Il marvel OF
engineering and mechanical skill. and
will cost ten million dollars. Seven
millions have already been expended.
. as | notice lay rcuoIt of chief ""ui"""'
made Il few days ago. | think there Is
no bridge now complete on this CONT
mcmt to compare with this in cost. 1t
/ i hoped to finish the work and open the
+ bridge to travel 10y January mcNt.
/ y new city postnticc and court house
/ is being erected. at Il cost of tive mill
/ ion dollars: and new Merchants En-
change. to cost = 500. Wu0. \ new hotel.
the ''Lindall." is going up. covering Il
whole square. at Il cost Of another mill
ion. Add Ia these great works. the new
Union depot. where all the railroads are
to centre. new business blocks. tacto-
rics. churches. and private residences,
going up all over the city. and its sub
ulh>. and one can see that II. Louis l.
making rapid strides in material things.
just across the river in East -. Louis,
National Stock Yards are being erected
on an immense scale. The company
has secured about four hundred acres
oi land in one body. and besides the
stock yards proper. which comprise
c"nvenlcnccS tnr handling any amount
of cattle. horses. sheep and swine. they
ale erecting Il large hotel and Il large
brick building to he used as Il Stock
Exchange. The yards and avenues are
all und,rdlained and severed. and
paved III the most substantial manner
with block stone. All the buildings are
very extensive. tor example. the build
ing devoted to hogs is eleven hundred
feet long and over one hundred feet
wide. II is expected these yards will
he the most complete as we'll as the
most extensive in the country. st.
Louis is the great shipping and dis
trihutIng point for stock. Cattle are
brought here in great numbers from
Texas and the Indian Territory where
they grow and fatten without feeding
OF care: and sheep and swine are raised
largely in this state. Kansas and Nebras-
k;r. of which this point is the market
and outlet
The event of the past week here has
been Il convention of Congressman and
Governors. The object on the part of
st. Louis. was to impress upon Congress
the importance of improving the chan
mel of the Mississippi river, deepening
it ut its mouth. and removing obstruc-
tions at several points between st. Louis
and New Orleans. The people of this
valley claim that the railroads are in
adequate to the wants of this growing
country, while freightS are so high that
it takes five bushels of corn to get one
to market: that water transit is much
cheaper, capacity unlimited. These
great rivers are Natures highways. a
+, hushel of wheat can he taken by river
from st. Paul tn New Orleans, 900
miles. for sixteen cents; and from New
: Orleans to Liverpool. 1000 miles. for
| fifteen cents: while the freight by rail
} from St Paul to New York only. is
: forty cents.
, There was Il good deal of speech
making at this convention by prominent
/ men nf this y.llay onI ,o.I.;,,,.