Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-08
Some Things I Saw in the City.

Ed. Reqister-After we had rested
awhile, we called on my old friend. Lou
Bueckemann, head bOok-keeper of the
house of Rice, Silk & Co.. Washington
Avenue, 10th and St. Charles Streets,
one of the largest wholesale dry goods
houses in St. Louis. The basement is
made of polished blocks of granite and
the house is seven stories high. Aswe
entered at the main entrance, We in
quired for my old friend Lou. The
him at his desk. with about ten or fif-
teen under book-keepers. After the
he called a young man
and said, This is one of my sons," and
told his son.I married him to his moth
er years ago, and to take us all over
the house. So he opened glass door
and we stepped onto or into, l don't
know which, for on three sides of the
elevator were cushioned seats as soft
as down When we seated ourselves,
we felt we were going up through a
dark tunnel set up on end; as we went
up we passed other glass doors that let
we went, until began to think l must
be pretty near the skies. At last we
stopped and stepped out on the upper
floor, and. such a sight! the room was
just packed with all sorts of goods,
way up most to the ceiling. As we
walked around, guided by this young
man, we met, oh, l don't know how
many men of all ages and sizes coming
and going. with all sorts of goods in
their arms. As I walked to one of the
windows of the top floor, so l could see
way over the river into East St. Louis;
it spread out over an immense terri
tory, larger than st. Louis was the first
time / was ever there. After looking
over this floor we started to go down a
Our guide said all of the floors were
eight inches thick and made fire-proof.
There is in this house 154, 900 square
feet of floor, and we have engines on
the lower floor that can throw water
all over and through every part of the
house." AS we descended, we were
shown all over each floor, and such
sights and sights Of goods, and of every
thing that is ever made to cover and
adorn a person. from the smallest pa
per handkerchief up to the most costly
silks, satins, velvets, fit to dress
queen. never saw so many rich and
costly goods in one house. believe l
saw more dry goods in that one house
than there were In the whole city the
first time was there fifty years ago.
When we reached the basement, we
SAW men packing and baling immense
quantities of goods to be shipped to all
parts Of the country. Then we were
shown through the engine room. We
saw three engines, one for hoisting the
elevator and bales and boxes of goods;
one was running the electric motor to
light up all of the dark places during
The days, and great Corliss engine for
night lights. After seeing all of the
sights that our time would allow, we
bid .sgood-bye" to our kind friend and
made our way over to the great new
Famous, and here again we were almost
oewildered. Such another hive of in
iustry; it seemed as though all the
world had come together to see the
sights and share the good things. for
We met, oh, hundreds and hundreds OF
'olks. men, women and young folks. go
ng in and coming out; those that came
out with hands and arms full OF bum
lies and packages all done up in yel-
ow wrappers. AS 1 watched those
coming out, could see by their faces
1ow they felt as they bore those nice
,hings all done up nice for some loved
,nes at home. You could almost read
heir thoughts as they passed along
holding them SO carefully. How much
)ne can learn of human life by just
the faces of the passers-by,
md what place to study human ma
lure.
/ was-no, nothing ought to surprise
,ne in such crowd-but was going
% say was surprised as we passed by
IN ice factory. A great building where
hey first boil the water to remove all |
Impurities; then it is pumped into great |
ron moulds and frozen solid into cakes |
If ice about three feet by two feet and |
lbout eight inches thick. l saw wag-
ms being loaded with those cakes of
ce, so clear and solid; looked just like
,reat blocks of glass. was told
hey could make ice in those factories |
.heaper than to cut and harvest it
when nature made it, and then it was
20 much purer and solder, that people
preferred it to natures make, and then |
t, does away with all of those great |
houses to store it that they have to have