Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-02-06
ST. LOUIS LETTER.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. l, 1888


evening. The weather was cold, and
there was light snow which, mingled
with mad, made the streets most
wretched for pedestrians. The side
walks, and especially the street cross
ings, are public scandal. 1t freezes
hard every night, and in the morning
one is in danger of breaking his neck,
or some of his limbs. Then during
the day the constant traffic thaws the
snow and ice and the result is the
dirtiest mass of slush imaginable. If
there be anything inviting about this
big town just now it has escaped my
notice.
| promised TO write, but there is
little worth writing about. The most
interesting portion of my trip was
between Wichita and Fort Scott, in
the elegant palace cars of the Sun
flower line, into which | was politely
shown by Conductor S. F. Hayden.
Sheriff Hays, Chief EngineerWoods and
Roadmastcrs Gatfeny and Sullivan
were on the train and we had very
pleasant time. The road is in superb
condition and every station was
reached on time. The train was well
filled with passengers, fact that was
in striking contrast with the remain
der of my journey. At every station
as we proceeded from Kansas one
could not but feel that he was reced-
ing from the land of busy life. Travel
ing in Kansas one is generally
crowded i'm the cars but in Missouri
one might have q whole coach to him.
self. The snow was deeper at Fit.
Scott and increased in depth as We
came north. AT Nevada, Mo-, two
lank lengthy chaps from Arkansas
one with violin and the other having
banjo, each being supplied with a
bottle of whisky, boarded the train, as
did also tall Missouri farmer from
Barton county. This latter gentleman
was character and was the leading
star on that train until we reached
Schell City, where we took supper.
He wore a long gray whisker, a
slouched hat, and n butternut suit,
ali inside his boots except the hat and
the tail of his coat. He had whisky
in every pocket and comfortable
supply inside. The Arkansaw fiddler
struck up breakdown, and the way
that old Missourien weited the floor
of that car was holy terror. After
every breakdown ali the bottles were
sampled. A number OF other con-
vivial spirits joined in the circus, and
none who has not had the good for
tune of having been at rural break
down ia the Sni hills or the climber
deestrict," can picture in Imagination
the time there was in that car. The
train men didn't mind it. They
seemed TO be used to it. Just at the
station where this jolly troop left us,
three Scotchmen who had been full
since Burns dinner, boarded he
train. They were going to Moberly
and each had a flask of lightning. One
of them was singer from "Auld
Rikie," and as the crowd felt rather
sober siuce the fiddlers and the old
left, he was encouraged
and truth TO say, he would have been
a God-send at the late banquet at TIE
He was a genuine Scotch
singer with the richest kind of
brogue.
l stopped over night az Sedalia. 1t
was very cold and | didn't take in the
lily to any great extent. l boarded
The ST. Louis express on the oil rclia-
Die Missouri Pacific next morn
ng. There were about twenty-sev-n
passengers ON the whole train.
The road was in fine condition and
was comfortable, but there
vas no business. l sat with the con-
luctor, who, in reply to my inquiry,
aid: at has been about like this for
ix weeks. There is no travel. You
zee, there is not enough on this train
o pay expenses" The crowd received
! few accessiOns along the way but we
cached ST. Louis with no more pass
myers than would be in one coach |
anywhere in Kansas. st. Louis is |
cry dull and the poor are suffering.
As l thought of remaing week ] took |
notion TO hunt up furnished room
nd eat where I happened to be at |
neal time. My experience in room
uniting and what | saw made me reflet
What contrast with things in our
WI happy city. An air of poverty
Tas everywhere. The rooms in the
est localities were scantily furnished
nd the little CRATES which were eX.
ected to heat you up would hold
bout hatfnl of coal. AT length |
Ook room that was fairly comforta-
lie. met a Globe-Democrat reporter
Tho had been On a bust and was of
uty. told him about my experience
4 hunting rooms and he said, Come
18th me-" did. and saw so much
overly that / began to reflect on our
wn city and the aspirations of her
itizens to become a big city. Com
airing the condition of our people
18th those see here, it is difficult TO
nagine. in the light of the comfort of
nc one and the extreme wretched-
ess of the other, why we
Mould desire to become n
rye city. The beggary, the poverty
nd wretchedness, to say nothing of
lie wickedness. to be met on every
and in a city like this is appalling.
ak of poverty or wickedness in the
orst towns in Kansas. There is
one. Ny companion and 1 went
and saw enough. Sun
" is not much observed in st. Louis.
he banks, large stores etc., are of
'urse closed and good people 60 to
lurch, but all the small stores, sa-
ons, billiard halls and places of &,
are running full blast. At