Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-11-10
OUR 81, LOUIS LETTER.
Curiosities of tho campaign Prepare
tions to he Commenced at once for
the Carnival OF 1898

Curiosities of tho campaign -Prepara
tions to he Commenced at Once for
the Carnival OF 1898.
ST. Louis, Nov. 4. The campaign IN
st. Louis has doomed the lumber bust.
ness, perhaps, moro than it has the
sale of badges and torches. In the
last Presidential election, the meetings
of the clubs and other party organiza-
tons were held in halls or theaters,
The increase in the registration this
fall has been enormous, and the
politicians ut the outset of the
campaign found that they would have TO
abandon the old plan, Accordingly
one club built great wigwam of wood,
which would accommodate the 5000
voters in its ward, covering vacant
lot nearly a 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
shantics, ornamentcd with campaign
devices and the pictures Of candidates
sprang up all over the city, and now
dot every vacant lot in the wards. As
a mayorality campaign will follow this
one the wigwams will stay till sum.
mer, at least, before they are torn
down and sold again.
One of the branches of the 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 the
rivers of Alabama, Mississippi, Ar.
kansas, Louisiana and Florida.
These 5 Duthern merchants come to the
city during the time of the Eail Fes-
tivities, and leave their orders for a
.Jear's 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
steamers, and send out
two or three of them; some charter the
boats and send only one. This com
mercial flotilla stcams along leisurely
through streams # 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 effected
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 is exhibits, and taking down the
colored lamps and fixed electric pieces
that delighted the eyes Of million
people last month. In "a few days
there will little remain in sight of the
festivities splendor except the illumin
ated signs and notices of the mer-
chants, which they will keep blazing
at night as an attraction to the passer-
by. The festivities committees are al
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 it is
intended to have. The spectacle is to be
so much more elaborate and costly in
1898 than it 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 Mer-
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
ings in the neighborhood. Now, cleo
trio ears run by the lecture rooms, and
the roar of dozen factories disturb
the students. The city has grown
miles past the university, and has
made the value of its property ten
times what it was when its doors were
first opened So, the university will
move, and it will almost be able to pay
for its land and its new buildings by
the sale of its present property for
manufacturing purposes.