The Lamar register., 1893-02-11
ST. LcUis ENTERPRISE
""ss TO DO uander Ground-Hotsl
hniiding-Trade of IndIan Territory
Library Features. Etr.

wires to Go uander Grouud-Hot.,
huiiding-rrads of Indian Territory
Library Features. Etc
ST. LOUIS, Feb. at seems now as
II million dollars or SO will be spent
oy the electric companies in laying
conduits in St Louis this year. The
Bell Telephone Company and one of
the largest electric lighting companies
nave already applied to the city for
permission to put down conduits, and
another telephone company, which in
tends to compete with the Bell and
lower rates is asking the Assembly to
gave 1t n franchise for the same pur-
pose The new telephone company has
bought conduit already laid in the
streets, and the systems planned by
the Bell and the lighting company will
cost each over half million dollars,
even though the first conduits are in
tended to occupy only the business
streets.
Most of the trade of the Indian Ter
ritory is directly tributary to st.
Louis, and the city is consequently
taking the lead in movements that
have for their object, the opening of
these lands for settlement The mer-
chants here, however, go further than
any proposition for the opening of the
Territory that has vet been advanced.
They want the whole Territory
opened, the Indians who own the
lands to be given their pay at once by
the United States, and convention of
Western business men is now proposed
to take steps to carry out the plan.
The convention will be held here, and
probably about the time the new Con-
gress assemblies.
The public library of this city, which
is one of the largest in the country, is
at last to be made free library. 1t
now belongs TO the school board, and
that body will be glad to get rid of it
II the city will undertake the cost of
its maintenance, which is considerable.
1t is not intended to put it into the
hands OF the municipal officers, but to
endow it by subscription, and at a
meeting of the most wealthy and pub
iic-sPirited men of the city the other
day, it was decided that this should be
done this year. The library has Just
moved into new seven story build
ing which cost nearly half million
dollars, and is most modernly appointed.
With the first thawing touch of
spring on the frozen streets, hundreds
of pickaNes will be sunk into the
ground for the tracli-Iaying on three
new cross-town lines of street rail-
ways. The city has now enough
roads running along its breadth, from
the river to the western suburbs 1t
only needs more lines to cut these at
right angles, particularly over the
rapidly growing western part of the
town.
1t is really becoming difficult to
count the new hotels which are in
tended to be finished in St Louis by
next fall II the builders carry out
all their contracts, and from the num-
Der of men working ut foundations
down town, there seems to be reason
to think they will, the city will be
able to provide half million people
with rooms by next October, when the
crowds begin to rush in to see the fall
festivities So far. all the hotels pro-
jected have been located near the CEN
ters of business down town, but this
week the contracts were let for an
other one, au eight-story building di-
rectly opposite the new Union depot
This hotel will be intended principally
for those who want to stay here only
between trains, and its rates will
probably be very cheap, while the
other hotels going up are for the
travellers who want the best of every
thing and are willing to pay for it