The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-01-25
TINE nAsgreas, worrl.


Hlstesy u Ne Msssl Which Wss asesas1v
o. AFs In o louis.
The Planters Hotel ofSt. Louis, re.
Gently In flames. IL one Of the Oldest
hotels In the country, aud probably
the oldest Of any size or pretensions
west Of the AlleghaBies. II fronts on
Fourth street, and extends from Pine
street to Chestnut street Ia length, and
to the alley In depth. About q year
and half ago It was reniodeled and
two stories added in height. The of.
hce was brought down Ia the first sto-
~, and . handsome rOtundn was sd.
ded. Elevators were put In. together
with q humber Of modern improve
ments. and the antiquated style Of the
windows was changed. will accom-
mediate over go guests, and ranks
very nearly ~ high as the Southern
aud Lindell Hotels, Of the same city.
The Planlers' has always been ia
v0rite Of Southern people Before the
war Il was the largest and finest hotel
In the West ar South, aud had a rep
utation that was a. wide As the Union
II 10 referred to In Dicken.'
"American Notes. and other foreign
publications. As its name indicates
II was the headquarters for planters
who resOrted to st Louis for the pur-
pose of buying supplies. niggers, or
having q good time. In the balmy
days Of the river trade. before the
railroads set the steamboats, rolling
along the banks of::the Mississippi, the
Planters House was = perfect beehive,
aud made large fortunes for its sue
cessive prOprietOrs, several of whom
owned mest OF the servants Of the hotel,
and this cuts off q large item of ex-
pense. Many Of the planters made il
their home In winter, having the ad-
vantages of the excellent schools Of
st. Louis for their sons and daughters,
and society for their wives, while the
planter himself could find u good
punch or julep at the bar. or as high u
game Of poker as he wanted 10 while
the hours. The Usual style was ''u,te
u cottOn hale or bet a Niger" The
large balcony over the front entrance
was capable Of seating something like
100 people and was always crowded
ON pleasant nights with gentlemen and
ladies enjoying the cool south breeze,
the only breeze that brings a breath
Of comfort In q St Louis summer. |
From that balcony what stirring pO.
litical speeches have been made to the |
crowds that filled Fourth street from |
curb to curb Hot secession speeches |
In l60O-6l we're hurled over that rail- |
ing, and were answered by enthusiastic |
yelIs from the half mad pOpulace. |
since 1S41 I'm which year 1t was opened,
the Planters House has been q favor |
lite with the ultra Southern element. |
Not far from its southeast corner, in |
1859 or 1850 o negro murderer was |
chained to u large locust tree and |
burned To death by mob. The tree |
was afterward sold in small pieces for |
souvenirs throughout Massachusetts,.
The Planters Is still the headquarters |
of the Missouri Democracy, though of |
late years IL finds powerful rival in |
that way In the Laciede. Senator |
Vest always stops at the southern, and |
there Ii o tradition that his room IL
never rented TO any one during his
ab-ence. Senator COckrell always
goes to the Planters. Eek senator ID
II. Armstrong has occupied one suit
IF rooms there since the house Was
opened In 1871. The style of people
who stop at the Planters may be I'M
agined from the fact that the head
porter Is capitalist. and owns houses
and bank stock, but still he charges
dime for q ''shine," and pockets a
quarter or half with as much satisfac-
ton as his poorer brethren. The
hotel rarely changes officers or serv-
ants. The old-style people who pat
roniZe II want to see the old familiar
faces. and call the help by their chris
tian names. The table IL excellent,
and the French cook Ii al artist i'm
his profession. The present proprie
tors are the Messrs. Gerard. Before
the building of the great bridge and
the st. Louis Union Depot, all the
wagons and elegant four-horsc
started for the East st.
Louis depots from the front of the
Planters House, making very live
" and novel scene from q o'clock to-
o'clock In the evening, at which time
ali the eastern trains started. To-day
the first floor stores Of the Planters
are all occupied by ticket Offices. and
its neighborliOOd is the center for the
railway ticket traffic. Diagonally OPP
posite the northeast corner il the mod
st building of the Globe Democrat
newspaper, entirely out Of pro-
portion with the mammoth sheet.
Opposite the southern front Is the st.
Louis City Court House. Opposite il.
northern front Is the terminus Of four
ines Of street cars. At present the
iOtel Is six stories in height, and with
! handsome and imposing front. 1t
g a. near the center of business as IL
t. site had been selected for the pur-
bose, instead of traffic arrowing
round 1t. The hotel occupies ex-
city a block, but II should be remein-
,ered that the blocks in st Louis are
much shorter than in Chicago. In
the stairways were great
Y improved though they are still far
rom adequate for safe exit in case of
Ire.