Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20

lectea southwestern link In the great
western chain is the work for the ener-
gies and resources of the noble state Of
which she is the metropolis and the orna-
ment. My dear Mr.. Editor, you, or some
Of your worthy successors may yet be
taken from your sanctum by steam and
borne on the same strong, swift pinions
TO the distant shores OF the Celestial en-
pre-"
Mr.. Thompson did visit the great West
by steam, but DO not know how far he
went. have not been farther than Lead
Vile, Col. But some Of my family have
seen "the Golden Gate" One OF them
, waded into the Pacific and brought me a
bottle Of It's water.
Several years after 1876 there was in
Memphis another large southern and
western commercial convention. and the
Hon. John NJ. Bolts and Mr.. James A.
Cowardin attended 1t as delegates from
Richmond. This may be the one TO
which Mr.. Sturgeon referred.
At the Memphis convention Of Novem-
ber 1916. 1 became acquainted with the
ST. Louis delegation and told them of
my desire to visit their city, where the
Messenger already had some subscribers
and contributors, but desired more. They
cordially invited me TO do so, and went
up the river with them. Among them
were the ponderous and somewhat negli-
&c Shad. Penn, editor OF the Democrat,
and the smaller, neat A. b. Chambers,
eoitor Of the Republican. There were at
Memphis a great many editors and they
resolved to cultivate one another by
having a liberal banquet of their own,
and in their kindness to the Messenger
they called on its editor to preside over
IT. The same measure Of enjoyment in
the same space OF time hardly ever fell
to the lot of the same number OF mortals.
With @ rational amount OF importing,
there was a constant and exceedingly
rich outpouring Of eloquence, wit, humor,
and song. that has hardly ever been sur
passed around any festive board. Penn,
Chambers and I felt the more brotherly.
The stage Of the river did not allow of
one of its floating palaces" and the
boat on which we were travelling had to
be kept IN equilibrium. The mate would
cry out to some crowds which he gaw:
"Geatl9ynen. keep the beat IN trim" end
he kept rolling his heavy boxes from
place to place on the deck. At length he
discovered that the cause OF his trouble
was the crowds who, flocked around Mr'
Penn, wherever he went, in order to
listen 70 his entertaining conversation.
After that the mate posted Mr.. Penn
where he wished him to be and the boat
steamed on moro evenly.
In St. Louis these brethren Of the
press, TO whom Keemle was added,
treated me and my magazine with great
cordiality, and gave me a supper at a
good restaurant. When I was a resident
Of Missouri all three were gone; but
became well acquainted with Paschal.
the Knapps, Hyde. Grissom, and Dim
mock, Of tho Republican. and less so with
Gratz, Brown. Mckee, Flshback. and Nc
Cullagh. Of the Democrat.
My whole sojourn in st. Louis was de-
lightful. for which was also greatly in
debted to an old friend at the University
Of Virginia, and in this city. George w.
Goode, and the gentlemanly and ever
courteous James f. Yeatman. 1 made
the acquaintance of DR.. McPheeters and
Thomas Allen, whom came TO know
better during my residence In 81. Louis.
Mr.. Sturgeon says Mr.. Allen was the first
president OF the Missouri Pacific railroad.
L used to call him Mr.. Presidents. He
told me that he held at the same time
thirteen presidencies, two OF which were
that Of the Iron Mountain Railroad Com
pany and that Of the University Club, OF
st. Louis
Mr.. James Lucas has already been
mentioned in connection with the Mem
phis convention. General Ferdinand Ro-
zier, OF st. Genevieve, was also a Gele-
gate. During my residence in Missouri l
renewed my acquaintance with both Of
these gentlemen, and made that Of the
Hon. Isaac H. Sturgeon.
I started from st. Louis, on the steam
er Palestine on the 18th day OF Novem-
Der, 1885, when the weather was very un-
propitious, and our boat was wrecked by
the ice before we reached Cairo But as
she got stranded upon a bar none of the
passengers were hurt. On the second
day a yawi came TO our relief and took
us 10 the Illinois shore. 1 rode several
miles upon a wagon without anybody TO
it to Cairo, and again shipped for
New Orleans, on the steamer Champion
which got aground so often and stopped
so long taking in freight that / was on
the Mississippi for nineteen daysl The
trip was so memorable that / published
an account Of II In the Southern Literary
Messenger for January, 1916. 1t contains
a description OF the visit TO ST. Louis and
some of the statistics collected there.
But II would extend too much this al
ready long communication 10 make now
any extracts from this winter trip
down the Mississippi" The Palestine got
off the bar and actually passed us.
During my twenty ODD years residence
in Columbia and ST. Louis visited near
" every portion OF Missouri. and wit
messed a good deal Of the railroad expan-
sion mentioned by Mr.. Sturgeon. and
have special reason for rejoicing over one
small, yet great, Improvement the
branch OF Mr.. Surgeons old North Mis-
souri, railroad from Centralia to the State
University. In my inaugural address be-
fore that Institution, now so greatly en-
larged and improved, the hope is ex-
pressed that ere long numbers OF IN
genuous students would arrive by rail-
road at her very doors. This they now
do. BENJAMIN BLAKE MINOR.
Richmond. Va.