Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-06-18
OUR ST. LOUIS LETTER.


Candy Peddler's Ambition and Pluck
How Circuses are Being Forced Farther
from Business Limits.
ST. LOUIS, June?-The strong bond
Of fellowship which exists between st.
Louis and the State OF Kansas was
pleasantly emphasized few days ago,
when a telegram was received from
mercantile house at Wellington, stating
that genuine distress existed in conse-
quence of the cyclone and that aid was
needed promptly. Two representatives
of the large wholesale dry goods
and clothing interests of St Louis
went on the street az once, and three
hours after the receipt of the telegram
a response was wired that 81. 1876 had
been collected and that draft for the
amount would be honored on the prin-
ciple that he who gives quickly gives
trebly. The help was timely in the ex-
treme.
There is an Italian in St Louis, who
has original ideas. He is Stephen
DeIacella, a handsome, stout, darkish
man, who owns hotel and dabbles In
politics. He was the moving spirit of
the celebration here, a few weeks ago,
of the Ancient Order of United Work.
men, which was one of the greatest
society reunions that has taken place
in the West. He got up a rivee spec
tacle for that celebration, and actually
induced the Gould people to divide
with the local societies the money paid
at the gates oy the people who went
on the big bridge to see the brilliant
show He is now at the head OF a
national movement by Italians which
will give the visitors who come here
this fall for the festivities additional
entertainment. The Italians will have
a river pageant, representing the land
ing of Colum bus on American soil with
decorated ships, Spanish costumes,
banners flying from mast-heads, firing
of guns, and Indians, of course. On
one of the nights there will be fire.
works on the river, and there will be,
besides, an afternoon of speech-making
and music with the statue of Columbus
out in Tower Grove park, and an even
ing at the banquet table. 1t will be
the first occasion on which the thou
sands of wealthy and influential Italians
of the city have ever concentrated
their resources on a national affair of
more than local interest.
circuses comes here, their managers get
striking object lesson upon the
rapid growth of st. Louis. Twelve
years ago, when old Phineas brought
his first three ring show out West, he
pitched his world of canvas on great
vacant lot near the corner of Eigh.
teenth and Pine streets. When he
came around five years later. he had to
<olr L, &c .sS &C., -
a vacant lot on the corner of Jefferson
avenue, or Twenty-sixth street and
Dixon, all the lots nearer the Mer-
chants Exchange having been built up.
When he got here again, just before
he died, he could get no nearer the
business center than Thirty-second and
Compton avenue. Last week, the cir
Gus had to exhibit mile west of that,
again, at the corner of Vandeventer
avenue and Laclede, Office blocks,
stores and dwellings having taken
possession of all the other circus sites.
The lot covered by the tents this year
is under contract of sale and will be oc-
cupied by flats when the circus arrives
next time. 1t will then have to 60 out
near Forest Park, six miles from the
river, before large enough lot can be
found. But electric cars have done so
much for the city in the last few years
that Forest Park is now as near the
retail streets as jefferson avenue, four
miles east, was when Bob Stickney used
to delight the crowds under Barnum's
tents there, by his bareback riding.
Among the anxious people who have
been watching the floods for the past
none have been more worried
than the observers of the signal Office,
who had to announce every day what
the river was going to do. Early each
the river men would begin to
call up the signal observatory by tele-
phone, inquiring what the prospects
were for the day. Plans were made
upon these predictions that involved
of dollars, and if the OBJ
servers made mistake they were re-
viled without ceasing. One day, when
the river was going up slowly, cotton
merchant who had several thousand
bales of cotton piled up along the levee,
came to the signal Office and asked
the river would rise higher or
fall.
Its going up much higher" said
Observer d. j. Herndon, who was then
in charge of the office.
ut will cost me q thousand dollars
to move my cotton up out of reach of
the water" said the factor. "Shall I
do it?''
II can give you no advice" said the
observer ''We think the river is going
to rise, but you must decide yourself
what is best for you to do
The man went away uncertain, and
did not move his cotton. The water
came up, and he lost over five thousand
dollars. The next day he came up to
the signal Office very humbly.
"Do you want advice?" asked OBJ
server Herndon.
mo, DON'T" said the factor, rue
fully. eff you wink at me this time
ri move my cotton"
Kansas State Editorial Association.
ToPEKA.-The different district and polit- |
cal editorial associations of Kansas formed |
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