Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-02-15

4 Brief sketch Of the City Of St.
Loafs - Its Foundation and
Growth - Some Of tho Leading
Ciaisens Former WilMingtOn
fans.

For the REPUBLICAN.
/, ST.. LOUIS, Me-, Feb. l3, 1882.
This old French town founded by t
leader of a party Of furriers and adve
turers who started out from New G
leans early In 1864, ascended the Faith
of Waters, bound for the regions of ii
upper Missouri, who, when they reac
cd its mouth founded st. Charles, b,
shortly abandoned that, and either r
turned by the river or by land aero
the country 25 miles to the point whel
st. Louis now stands. The leade
Pierre Laclede Liguest, concsiving til
idea that there must be, in the grei
future of this western country,
great central city, thought he made r
| mistake on this AZ the most command
ing situation, and accordingly drov
his stake on this, then rugged ground
and built the first house in the sam
year.
Perhaps they styled it at once tb
headquarters for furriers Of the nortt
west which business was long the mos
lucrative pursuit in this country.
Ira iition still has lively existanc
and says that the profits Of those nu
merous Turing companies continue,
for long years to fill the Golfers of ST
Louis and the names of Chateau an,
Leucas are represented here to day b,
great wealth. Probably no wiser spec
ulation was ever made than when Con
,rrous IN Q06 hourht thia wat Jnu,; ,
then called the Territory of Louisiana
for that little two million dollars. Ii
was land enough for an Empire and St
Louis Is the hub. 1t was no small item
that entered the mind OF its founder
that it not only had a rich surrounding
country, but three thousand miles ol
river navisAtion, probably the best In
the world. No sooner had Congress
Sc ured the purchase than st. Louis
began to attract the attention of our
pioneers and pretty soon they came in
conGrol of the city government. Find.
ing narrow contracted streets they sal |
we must rosurvey this city plat and
have wider streets and more cOmmodi-
GUS pavements, so that to this day there
is what is called the American and old
French part Of the city.
The enterprise Of young America then
began to show some of its characters
tics which has since built some of our
younger cities as il by magic. When
city limits were extended, it is not too
much to say, that no natural barrier
presented itself that could not be sur
no rock cliff that would not
be leveled and no ravine too deep to be
brought up to building grade. To de-
eide and to perform, went hand in hand
and the city now has a population of
over 100000. A substantial gain in
wealth for 81: Permits, 1896
buildings being a gain Of 20 per cent.
Total cost $476O, 900.
Relying on her great natural source
Of transportation, perhaps, made the
people little apathetic on Railway
but since the war few Cities
except Chicago has done more. For
quite a time the great river was a bar.
rier to the railroads, 80 that the trans
fer business employed one thousand
men and two thousand horses in its ac-
hauling and boating. To
build bridge was not new idea, for
engineering skill had been employed,
some from Europe) and its difficulties
rhair own cit;zen CANT Eado game tn
heir rescne with nlans for a steel
ridge and tunnel to cost ten million
lollars II ia enoupb tn saw II was
milf and stands a monument of enoi-
!, and cnmmercial nrot,t
This fhomght ia mt comnIete without
living the Gould syndicate a passing
'otice When snecie navments ware
and y oanaral hHsiness boo,n
vas In tba air fba fnanciers ava in.
fall on ST.. LoIis as A fruiL.
mi field of operation. He found an
men door and an easv victory
The roads centerinS here had a hard
ima to mil thronoh and those owned
" forsipn canital or a majority of If
we're RIM in the interests of rival cities
he ST. Io,1is Iron Mountain Il South.
rn r. r, was said to lie the onlv road
vholiv owned ami otticered bv home
,n;taI % Tha otbar. NJ cnmrss oy,ad IN |
art hv boms and fornign r,n;tal
Tba ovnJ;oata has Sr,uoht an i'm
of 9o nav o.ntte St Ion;s
ir Gomid bv his % Control of tha ITnion
,ac;so tho Tsx,S 3, pacifc tbe Kan.
40 pac;t;c rho Missouri P,citic the
w. v,h.sb T ~ Tnn;s In e, Pacitic and thar
,sds srs nrac,ic.Iiv % rhare i. M outlet to
~ aIiSan,,iPo P n,;,h"m; his nor,n;Ss;on 81
'aw VorL Rns,on and Chicaco must
o." aoth, nE.'on % W. oi2 Lag u .;I
,oH ,oH o tima "a as ~ ,hs Worth.rn p.niHn ia
rin n;nhai 1 tbrano, 60 Io ~ ths Atohison T Tn 20
nisuu a,Na 9. ou ..o"E' w !. oo, h";,. o i
On" " "m' an',.hou 10 :" rn,,. M " frnn, ~ ~ ' p;a
.oposou ooauno,n n". 80 a ,ha c,,ifnf T.,;tsn Wv
!. iahuv 1,'o' "o'.,vo wy y ~ ~, ~ o"'i'V4
Ia. ~ ~ ALSO 'rue lnaC oniGago anu
ahsas Guy cahho' get ln.o !eH"s or
~ g,eaI southwest wl1houI gong over
oiid llhe, unless they 20 via DehVer
MO Grahue w. ~ Ing ruulor that
nad oought tne Mississippi river is
)t true' that highway ID SUN iree 10
!e general puDlic. Ine opportunities
ot' LOUIS nave hot passed wholly uh'
oticed py Delawareans. o..
Inc late Governor folk was from
lilord' educated ior 'he laW' wheh
was aumltted 10 the 0as came mere
pract'ce, ana "orkeu DIS way up 10
10 hlgnest once withlh inc CIV Oh the