The state herald., 1892-11-11
OUR ST. LOUIS LETTER.
Curiositios OF tho Campaign-Prspsra
lions to no Commenced n Once for
A.. r.,.tvul 0n1

Curiositics OF tho CsmpaiEn-Prepsra
tions to no Commenced ~ Once for
tho Carnival OF 1903. >" ~
st. Louis has doomed the lumber busi-
ness, perhaps, more than 1t has the
sale OF badges and torches. In the
Inst Presidential election, the meetings
OF the clubs and other party organiza-
tions were held in halls or thcnters.
The increase in tho registration this
fall has been enormous, and the
politicians at the outset Of the
campaign found that they would have to
abandon the old plan. Accordingly,
one club built u great wigwam Of wood.
which would accommodate the 5000
voters in its ward, covering vacant
lot nearly block In extent with the
structure. 1t was found that it was
/. cheaper to do this than to hire halls,
and the idea took. Picturesque wooden
shanties, ornamcnted with campaign
devices and the pictures Of candidates
sprang up all over tho city, and now
dot every vacant lot in tho wards. As
u muyorality campaign will follow this
one the wigwams will stay till sum-
mer, Mt l0ast, before they are torn
down and sold again.
One OF the branches of tho wholesale
business of St. Louis that is peculiar
to this city is occupying the attention
of the big merchants just now. The
houses here outfit hundreds of stores
in the small towns along tho
rivers Of Alabama, Mississippi, Ar
kansas, Louisiana and Florida.
These southern merchants come to the
city during the time OF the Fall Fcs-
tivities, and leave their orders for u
years supplies before they go away.
About the beginning of November, the
wholesalers here send out u fleet of
boats loaded to the guards with goods
for these Southern customers
Many of the houses own their
steamers, and send out
two or three of them; some charter the
boats andesend only one. This com
mercial fiotilla steams along leisurely
through streams of the southern
States, leaving the little landings here
and there hidden under boxes and
bales OF merchandise, and gets back to
st. Louis about the beginning of
Spring, in time for the boats to enter
the regular summer river trade. A
great saving in freight rates is SELECTED
in this way by the st. Louis merchants,
and it is to be presumed the customers
get the benefit of the economy.
Scores of men have been busy this
week stripping the exposition bdilding
of its exhibits, and taking down the
colored lamps and fixed electric pieces
that delighted the eyes Ct million
people last month. In n few days
there will little remain in sight of the
festivities splcndor except the illumin-
atcd signs and notices of the Incr-
chants. which they will keep blazing
at night as an attraction TO the passer-
by. The festivities committees are nj
ready at work ON their plans for next
years celebration, and will shortly put
designers To making the sketches for
the many brilliant street pictures 1t is
intended to have. The spectacle is TO be
so much more elaborate and costly in
1893 than 1t was this fall that the work
must be begun much earlier.
About twenty years ago Washington
university WAS located on Washington
avenue, over mile from the Mcr-
chants Exchange, and six separate
buildings were erected for the several
branches of the school. business then
had not got within half mile of the
site, and there were only few dwell