The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-02-11
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WEBSTER GEovg,, NEAR Sr, LOUIS. Mo-.
Feb. G-When Hook at u map Of tho
city OF ST. Louis aud survey 1t, contour
front and rear, water and land, aud try
to imagine a slmilitudo Of some iamtlia,
kind to which 1t may be likenod, the
mention oil which will. rs 1t woro, pho.
tograph its appearance to tho minds
eye OF your leadership. lam reminded
Of the celebrated conversation that took
place between llamletand Poloniusas, to
what "yonder cloud" rising on their
sight above tho Danish horizon, mo,t
rcsomblcd. Hamlet, you remember,
fret thought il looked like a camel f;
then no fancied It resembled a weasel.
and finally, Ito concluded that /. was
quite like = whale; and whom Polonius
remarked that IL MAS, indeed, every
like q whale" they concluded 10 lot It
so 4, that aud call II 4 whale Of 4 cloud.
just 10 in regard to tho various 70.
somblsnces on tho map Of the grea.
metropolis OF tho southwest, and in 70.
gard TO 4 comparison OF views on the
subject that took place between our
friend Jimmy Campbell and myself q
day or two ugo, as we stood inspecting q
stree! railroad map that haugi on tho
wall above his desk in tho Rialto build.
lug. Our dialogue was very much
on ths Hsmlet.P olonius order, as to
whether thore was any camel or ryeasel
~ ub ala at,ptIitt,Ia Ia kkt. .ao H., 49,.
OF streets and parks and buildings.
spread out before our eyes over such \
grand area in every direction, or
whether, ignoring these Sha~kcapearean
comparisons. we must fluid something Of
CLOSER kin 10 our memories and imag-
nations" Well. after much learned
speculation in regard to things aqueous
audterroqueous. things herbiverou,, car.
uiverous and o~mniverous, we finally con-
Guided that the thing that st. Louis, "a
laid out On tho maps. mos: resembled
was au Ohio river turtle OF the obloug
or oval species that is, a turtle that is
somewhat longer than i, Ia broad; and
sc, like Hamlet and Polonius, We let 1t
so at that and agreed that it should be
written up as 4 turtle-shaped city; the
more so because, in addition TO tho oval
shape. there /, q faint suggestion OF A
turtles head protruding at tho soutl,
extremity, and a web foot projecting q.
the north end.
THE NEW ST. LOUIS
OF course some %jenlou, aud ~envious
Chicsgo person readin. ,hi, letter will
speak OF this turtle business as a happy
thought, and IS. ssrikingly descriptive OF
ST. Louis. because, a. all tho ChicaGosse
affect 10 believe. she is not only turtle
shaped but q turtle in her allow gait aud
in the torpidity OF her general move.
ments. Now, far be /: from me to lend
any aid or comfort to such all idea Is
this. for whatever va. true in that re-
spect OF the old st. Louis there il very
li,tls' Of /: visible in the st. Louis OF to-
day. As l have already aaid in my
correspondence. abe leads the van OF the
new south and southwest, and Is in all
essential respects a rejuvenated city as
well as n cosmopolitan community.
As you have already perceived in this
dissemination upon the topography OF
81. Louis the immediate cause OF 1t all
was the street railroad map referred to
at the outie;. l was ~endeayoring to get
a correct Compensation OF the lay OF
the land as respect, tho various sys.efn,
that make up the street railroad mile
age OF St. Louis. 1t had struck me
more than once that something upon
thi, subject would bs OF interest to
your constituency, especially the
Wheeling portion OF it, and 80 | vas
studying the delineations OF the map TO
that end. Naturally, being IN pursuit
OF information on such 4 topic, driited
into the Office OF our old time East
Wheeling friend, for II there j, ono
man, moro than another, who knows
all about the street railways Of St. Louis
1t is Jimmy Campbell, the stock and
bond magnate OF the Rialto building.
As Corwin once said OF Fillmoro's nd.
mlnistration lin which no Va, secretary
OF tho treasury. ~ know all about 1t;
for, in regard TO 1t, / can say with the
Latin poet, magma par, FIJI which. be.
ing translated, means, a great part OF
whom | was which,"
NATION OF CONSTRUCTORS.
This il what our friend can say with
much more truth in regard to the
present street railways OF tho great
Iaclede settlement known a. St. Louis,
for no man, | presume. hus had more
to do with their sr %ploi.a,ion, financing
and construction than Jimmy, unloss
perchance 1t be that other man OF Irish
name famous herc as John Scullen.
And speaking OF Irish nains., | have
long noticed that ~Irishincn, by birth or
lineage, arc somehow apt 10 become
connected with the street RAILWAYS OF
the country. They are public works
builders In their own country and have
aiso been largely go in this country.
They huyo been tho contractor, who
have built tho railroads OF the United
States. and have turned their money
thus made into tho exploitation of
municipal DEVELOPMENT Of evory kind.
especially in tho matter OF streot paving
and street rail vny construction. The
two men | have named are men who
began lilo "A railroad men, carriers OF
snryeyors' chains. then subordinate
surveyors, thon contractors, and thon
capitalists. And in this evolutionary
profession thoy arc only types OF thoir
nationality as it can be obIerted all
over tho United States. Tho Irish are
naturally a psople who run whatever
they takc hold OF. As somo ona has
taid, they run everything but their own
country. Tho Saxon has hold Thorn at
bay there a GOOD many centuries, but,
all tho same, like Barnaby Ridges
famous raven, they 'nsver say die
rms IRISH AEE sHRgwp TEADERs.
A Saxon bearing tho vary saxonish