Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-19
SACRAMENTANS ABROAD.
WHAT TWO SACRAMENTO MERCHANTS
saw TO SUGGEST THOUGHT.
Glimpses of Kansas City, st. Louis, Mem
phis, Baton Rouge, New
Orleans, Etc.
new oRLEANs, February IS, lsSl.

before the blockade OF snow was Drokens
There had been no trains through from
Kansas City for week. This road, the
Kansas Pacific, seems to have more trouble
from this source than either of the others,
apparently from its location. While it
has the advantage of being the shortest
line, it cuts the elevations more, and the
driving snow drifts into and fills the cuts,
aud as heavy SHOWS are not the rule, not
being yearly expected, snow-sheds are not
provided. An occasional fence, economi-
cally made, is now and then set out to as
sure the unwary that proper measures
have been provided. But this road will
have to be provided with several miles
of snow sheds between Denver and
Kansas City, or it will become
spotted " by all posted travellers. The
Denverite deems this road the favorite,
but when the snowfiakes fall he has con-
science enough left to give fellow mortal,
who goes to him well recommended, that
significant shrug of the shoulder which
imparts uneasiness to the inquirer. The
weather having moderated, melted the
snow, and we were delayed when within
a hundred miles of Denver about one
hour, but arrived several hours behind
time, owing to slow running and the con
dition of the road, broken rails having
been found by the engineer.
THE SEASON HAS BEEN BAD
For the whole country, which consists of
western Kansas. northern and central
Colorado and southern Nebraska. The
snow having been general and unusual,
and as it remained so long, a large amount
of winter feeding for stock has been COW
cred up and thousands OF head OF
cattle and sheep have died from starvation,
and others viii become SO poor as to be
nearly worthless. During the severe snow
and wind storms the stock collect IN the
railroad cuts for shelter, and often the
drifting snow and sand cover them up
completely and so solid does this mixed
mass become that the snow-plow can make
but little headway, and the removal of
the mass becomes the work OF the pick
and shovel. Experience will soon satisfy
this people that stock must be provided
with good shelter for short time every
year, and if the season is but usually cold
the stock will be the better for the care
given them in the winter months. The
railroads must fence the track and shed
the deep cuts.
KANSAS
Seems to be doing well aside from the
great loss of stock the present season, but
which we believe to be more particularly
confined to the western portion of the
State. Kansas City, Mo-, commands a
large portion of the trade and is good
business place. On the Kansas side of the
Missouri river there is now a town OF a
few thousand inhabitants. The large fine
central depot is also there, and several
very extensive packing houses, where meats
are put up and shipped direct to Europe,
as we'll as to the markets of this country.
Kansas City, Kansas, is destined to be an
important point, as the immense outlay
and business done by these packing houses
alone is the nucleus for good-sized town.
We did Kansas City in two-horse sleigh,
in company with some others, visiting the
principal streets, and also, the hills sur
rounding, on which are located the resi-
dences, built mostly of brick but goodly
in number. and many of them very large
and tastefully built. Leaving this place
early in the evening we arrived at
ST. LOUIS
Early in the following morning in time to
take walk across the st. Louis Rail-
road bridge before breakfast was served
at the Lindell. The new Southern Hotel
is now ready for the finishing touches and
the furniture. 1t is intended to occupy a
whole block, and the old business corner
now left will be built up to complete the
Southern Hotel property as soon as
present lease expires, which has some two
years to run yet. st. Louis is conserya-
tive city, an overgrown town-a Western
Philadelphia. 1t has firms, and several of
them, that are thoroughly alive to her
wants and her opportunities, but they
seem, as it were, loaded down with large
number of business houses that have out
lived their usefulness. Good fellows to
entertain and approve some new boom or
scheme, but are perfectly willing to let
the other man boom. This town Will
never burn down, bankrupt, nor set the
Western prairie on fire. 1t is a good city
for Denver, Omaha or Kansas City
to have back of them. 1t is
a solid city built on limestone, and "what
God hath given it no man shall take
away its location. Its own natural in
crease and advantages will assure it as one
of the solid cities of the great interior. 1t
has countless number of brick and stone
residences that will last and look well for
thousand years, and at this time there
are many being built, some of them pa
latial. The men that occupy these fine
places are, many of them, well along in
years, and evidently are men that have
STAYED WITH THE TOWN
These many years, and expect their off
spring to do the same. We visited the
water works, located on the north of the
city, where the supply is pumped from the
river by four immense engines-two of
i, 2OO-horse power each and two of 1000
each capacity, 26, 900, 900 gallons per day.
The water at this time has coal black
sediment in solution and is very repulsive
to one who has been in the habit of using
water of an unattractive creamy color.
st. Louis is some eighteen miles on the
river front, and from one to six miles back,
and is said to cover some 40, 600 acres, and
there seems to be rivalry among the
house builders as to who shall get the far
thest out of town We here visited the
private art gallery of II. L. Dausman.
We were accompanied by w. L. MARBLE,
California artist now located here. This
art gallery is credit to the city. While
the. room is not large, yet it was doubtless
designed to be ample for private gallery,
but the architect evidently did not realize
the taste and wants of the builder, for Mr..
Dausman has it and its approaches filled
in fact overcrowded-with a very choice
and expensive selection from foreign
artists, costing probably over 500, 900.
A man who, in his selections shows the
taste Mr.. D. has done, is one of those who
will not cease buying paintings. We took
the Iron Mountain Railroad south from st.
Louis, leaving in the evening, and next
morning we arrived at Belmont, Mo-, and