The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-06-17
OUR 81. LOUIS LETTER.

Gossip About Secretary Elkins-The
AutumnaI Festivities Planned for
Beautiful Results Promised-Summer
Evening Pleasures, Etc.
Stephen b. Elkins, the Secretary Of
War, is a Missourian and has many
warm personal friends in st. Louis.
For this reason everybody believes he
is in earnest when he says that before
he goes out of the cabinet he will get
enough money appropriated to make
jefferson barracks one of the largest
and handsomest military posts in the
United States. More than a quarter Of
million dollars will be spent on the
post if the plans for the improvement
are carried out, and considerably over
million dollars will be added to the
volume of business in the city, Real
estate men, too, say that the new post
will make property values rapidly in
crease in the southern part of town,
which lies adjacent to the reser-
walton.
Very few people, even artists, know
that when Robert Bringhurst, the
sculptor, modelled that statue of Grant
on Twelfth street he had posing for
him Paul Cornoyer, the young Ameri-
can painter who has recently achieved
distinction in Paris. The booted legs
of Gen. Grant are Cornoryers legs, and
the field glass in the hero's hand was
modelled from the glass taken from
| Gen John S. Marmadulie when a
! prisoner by Councilman Nelson Cole of
this city. These little things were
brought out the other night by a con-
versation between two gentlemen who
were having taste of the glories OF
the fall entertainment to be set before
us by the committees in charge Of the
festivities. 1t was at private exhibit
ton of miniature st. Louis, lighted
as it will be in the fall. Chairman
John c. Wilkinson, whose committee
manages the illumination, will make
the Grant statue and the statue of Lib
erty, which face each other on Twelfth
street, the central figures OF splendid
columbian tableau A third statue
Twill be put up between Liberty and
the Union depot, and the three will be
linked together and tlanked by many
'colored electrical devices. The whole
six blocks between the site of the new
City hall and Washington avenue will
be a brilliant promenade overhung by
pictures in light, half historical and
partly allegorcal. The suggestion Of
Columbus and his time will be pre-
served, too, in the Examinations on the
downtown streets.
The warm weather is leading to the
annual revival of very popular city
custom. Only St, Louis people know
how to sit gracefully on their front
steps summer afternoons. The girls
bring out cushions, as soon as supper
is done, while it is yet light and posi-
on the steps, with books in their hands
The men follow, the older with cigars
and the younger with banjo or man
dolin, and unless walk to an opera
garden or a fountain where there Is
ice cream soda interferes, there the
sit all the evening Neighbors come over
to see each other, and plans for picnic
and excursions are laid. Take wall
just now along Pine Washington
Locust-any of the streets lined witt
homes, out in the western part of tn
city, and you will see the groups ant
hear the tinllle of the music, the chat
ter and laughter now and then rising
above it. Many a st, Louis family
lured away from home by the summe
resort fashion, men and women stifeo
in small hotel rooms, look back witt
longing to the cool evenings on thei
( front steps, and hasten their return
} Boston is the only other city in tn
country where this fashion obtains o
making the front steps the reception
room on summer evenings. In New
York it is held to be bad form.
With their front steps, and an coca
sional day on the river or at one of tn
! neighboring resorts, st. Louis fol-
who do not want to enrich seaside o
mountain hotel men will get alon
very well this summer. There ar
twelve summering places within tw
hours ride of the city,tY rail and boat
All of these places make money fou
months in the year. Then there ar
the innumerable suburban spots whic1
= are high and cool, all of them reache,
u by fast street car lines. In conse
Il quence of these surroundings, the cit
10 looses but small partof its population
during the summer, and even in tn
!. dog days there is no exodus a. the bus
i. ness men such as one sees in the larg
eastern cities.
d Corn and wheat have taken quite
r rise of late, just when it is impossibl
for the farmers to take advantage {
the high prices. But, then, that's a
nove 4ha NOV