The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-07
INTERESTING LETTER FROM DR..
J.V. N. STANDISH.

The Galesburg Register of last week
contains an interesting letter from DIR.
Standish, who, with Mrs. Standish, is
now on his way to California. We trans
fer to our columns as follows:
New ORLEANS, La, Nov. "a. 1885,
Four weeks ago yesterday we started
on our trip to California. vio Quincy, s..
Louis and New Orleans. Quincy is a
beautiful city and has right to boast of
her elegant homes with their spacious
grounds we'll adorned with tree and
shrub and flower. Many of her streets
are nicely paved and are lined with state.
| ly trees from end to end. In her brick
pavements she has outdone Galesburg
by long way. They are better laid by
reason of deeper and better foundation
of broken stone. which is right at hand
and costs but little. But notwithstand-
ing all this. Quincy seems to me to be
sleeping or half dead. Business seems
to move with slow and dignified tread.
The low price of property surprised me.
A house and lot which passed many
times, the house equal to any one in
Galesburg, and the lot twelve rods square
filled with shrubbery, was sold for 1000.
The same we'll located in our own city
would bring not less than S20,0 900 or $685.
600. A gentleman said to me that he
had for sale piece of property consisting
| of ~ acres and house nearly new
costing $4,000, and if he could get bid
of $4,000 he would accept it. From
these casee, one can judge fairly of the
low price of property in the beautiful
city of Quincy. | remarked to friend
that Galesburg could sell out and take
the money and buy all Quincy and have
some to spare.
st. Louis.
st. Louis is a charming city, notwith-
standing the Chicago Tribune speaks Of
it as "village at the other end of the
big bridge" Its progress during the
last twenty years has been wonderful.
All of the western portion of the city.
few years ago, was wild, unbroken
prairie; now it ID covered with palatial
residences and the streets are neatly
paved. For this purpose brick is used
quite extensively and the same care in
putting down the foundation is shown
as was observed at Quincy. Certainly,
st. Louis shows solid improvement from
end to end and her nice homes, beauti-
full streets, and her almost semi tropical
tree and shrub, invite the stranger to
tarry here if not to stop. She boasts
and perhaps rightly, of the following
facts: She claims to have the largest
railroad station in the world. 1t is
magnificent structure covering many
acres; her tobacco factories are the
largest in the world; her lead works, her
brick yards. and her stove factories.
When she compares herself with the
rect of the United States, she claims the
largest brewery, the largest shoe factory;
steel car factories. hardwood lumber
market. hose output, finest street cars.
and the finest botanical gardens. She
has % miles of electric street railroad,
and can truly say her street cars are
the best have ever seen. Her increase
in wealth is marvellous. In 1860, her as
sessed valuation was only 5711s millions.
while in 1895, it reached 1861 millions.
Her manufactured products in 1860
we're only 27 millions, while in 1894, 2S5
millions. In 1885, the number of pass.
engers carried by street railway was Al,
100000; in 1894. 98,0O0.000.
While at st. Louis we were entertained
at the beautiful home of Mr.. and Mrs
John ]. Cole. formerly students Of mine
New Orleans.
While billiards. are raging in the fro
zen North, and the therm meter is s.rug-
Cling toward the zero point, we are bask-
ing in the warm sunshine of the sunny
South. Clad in our winter garments,
many day since we have been in this
city we have been uncomfortably warm.
We are in land Of palms and flowers.
We are in city where extremes meet.
Save Cairo, Egypt; Jerusalem in Pales-
tine. this is the dirtiest city l have ever
visited. And yet it has many beautiful
streets, beautifully paved. Brick pave
ments are being laid here as in other
cities. The brick are made in Missis-
sippi and are the best have ever seen.
They are of larger size than ordinary
brick, being an inch longer, half an inch
wider and thicker. Among the better
class of citizens there is longing for
change of city administration, that
homes and better improvements may be
made.
One portion of New Orleans is most
beautiful. The streets are cleaned and
well paved, and lined on either side with
elegant mansions. One would never tire
riding along st. Charles avenue. dis
lance of seven or eight miles. This ave-
nue. is thing Of beauty in tree, shrub