Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-11-09
Mowsy Letter from o.. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov. 4, 1881.

Nowsv Letter from O. Louis.
: ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov. 4, 1881.
Editor Of the Trdrlscffpt.
Three weeks ago yesterday I arrived
in this city, not 80 much SO stranger In :
strange land" al "a young man from the
country" The subsequent time has
been passed in acqusintlng myself with
people and places, and I am weary Of
novelty, new faces. and the conversation
of those unknown to me. The arrival of
the TRANSCRIPT was welcome event IN
the affairs of yesterday, and the first news
from Austin was read with avidity. One
does not really know the value Of good
local PAPER, until he leaves bis friends
and home. Then he scans every column
with eager gaze, fearing that he may ov.
erlook some choice bit of news. and he
reads with interest the little items which
he used TO think of no account. Natural
ly enough, the perussl of the locals aug
geste1 the idea Of writing letter for
your paper, and the suggestion has been
acted upon under the belief that some Of
your readers may be glad to hear from
one of their number.
I left Austin Wednesday, at 4 A. n,
and stepped from the train here the next
morning at 6 o'clock, after an uninter.
rupted ride of about 500 miles. The mo-
notonous level of the country, the gloomy
light of day, inky darkness Of night, and
incessant fall of rain, combined to make
the journey tedious in the extreme. What
kind Of country was passed through dur.
ing the night is matter of indifference,
unless it be far more attractive than the
water soaked prairie OF Iowa. The train
crossed the Missouri river At St. Charles
in the morning, and it was light enough
for me to see the great railroad bridge.
About year ago 1t gave away aud pre-
cipi.ated a train into the river. Now
such an accident would appear imposs,-
bic, as the bridge seems capable of any
strain. 1t is high and long, and is scarce.
ly more worthy of remark than its ap-
proaches. Bridge and approaches are
about mile long and in the form of q
huge 8. Still, one should not travel by
rail to st. Louis from the north, if he be
fond Of scenery,
With the exception of the 2d inst, the
weather has been delightful for two
weeks. To-day has been warm and hazy,
reminding of Minnesota Indian summer.
The long rows Of settees in the park
near my room have been filed with PEG.
pie basking in the sun aud enjoying the
soft, balmy air. There has been much
rain here since the hot weather, but much
less than in the north and west. The
Mississippi river is high and fearfully
muddy, rs we realize who drink the wa
ter so saturated with clay. that small
tumb!erful of It is almost Opaque. 1t is
rather thin for mud and little too thi OK
for water. 1t is simply fit for navigation,
and is being used for that purpose. Yes
terday there were about thirty steam
boats at the wharf loading and unloading
freight.
1t Is my purpose to write for my young
friends in the schools, Who have no: seen
this great city, short description Of it,
when shall have learned little more
Of it, and visited its places of interest.
Until then all mention Of it is waved,
and I hasten to say that am comforta-
bly, located, in good health, surrounded
by my books, hard at work, and-happy.
1t was my good fortune to have an
evening for the meeting of the American
Board Of Foreign Missions. The meet.
ing was held in Dr.. Goodale's church.
and was very interesting, indeed. There
was large attendance OF clergymsn from
all parts of the Union. An ADLER and
purer looking body of men I never saw.
The Congregational church may we'll be
proud of them and their cause.
A few days ago daring burglar was
killed by policeman not far from my
room. From the account given by the
morning papers, 1 clip the following ex-
tract. 1t tells long story in little space,
repeating again the terrible warning of
life of crime and wrong. 1t reminds me
that beneath the splendsr and attractions
of St. Louis is q great deal of wickcdness
and wretchedness.
Muncie Burns body lay in the morgue
yesterday; his fingers and arms which
had so often piled the jimmy and twisted
the outsid ers were rigid, and the legs
which had so often borne him away from
capture anil captivity were stiff and cold.
The eyes which In life had often watched
a policeman to keep his pals from arrest
we're closed, aud Muncie Burns was not
the terror and the dread of law.ablding
citizens which he was for so many years
before. Muncie had lived in opposition
to the law and officers thereof, and he had
died as he had lived. He was q desper-
ate man, and was held in high esteem, or
maybe dread, by his confederates. He
was handy with burglars tools. and
handy with his pistol, but as the fates
would have 1t, he met another man who
was handler with his pistol than he was.
The body lay in the morgue YESTERDAY,
and it brought to the doors Ut the dead
house men of all characters and condi.
tons. Criminals who knew Muncie in
life and who worked with him in many
a raid came to see the dead burglar and
the old police officers who had raped
him with club when they found him
running around the streets as . newsboy
and had captured him for mlsdeeds in
former days came to look at him. Re-
spectacle citizens came to look at him
about whom they had read 90 much.
Muncie was more interesting character
dead than alive,
WV. w. KEYsoR.
Almost Young Again.
my mother was afflicted long time with
and dull, heavy, inactive condi-