Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-04-27
ST. LOUIS IS IN EARNEST.
The Louisiana Purchase Celebration
by Worlds Fair is Now
Practically Assured.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC PUBLIC MEETING.
Four and a Quarter Millions i'm Sight as
the Nucleus of the Fund of S15,OOO,-
600 to be Raised, and the Commit tee
of Two Hundred Promise to Make 1t
S5.OOO.OOO.

st. Louis, April 24.-St. Louis gave
an undeniable and emphatic approval
of an international exposition and
worlds fair commemorative of the
Louisiana purchase at grand mass
meeting Saturday evening in Music
hall. The demonstration was prac-
teal, in that the sum of S1,OOs,17O was
subscribed during the evening. Up to
seven o'clock in the evening $1,636, 800
had been subscribed and S1,6OO, 600
was announced at the close of the
meeting toward the S5,OOO,OOO with
which st. Louis citizens propose to aid
the enterprise. The committee of 200
guaranteed to raise enough more to
make it an even $5,OOO,OOO. There was
something of sentiment, too, in the
meeting, when round after round of
applause, shouts and cries of enthus-
iasm rang through the great hall in
answer to the appeals from the speak
ers to the patriotism of the great
audience and the prayers for support
and Endorsement. Men prominent in
public and business life were there in
numbers. No institution, public or
private, but had a representative. Men
who control hundreds of thousands of
dollars of capital invested in great en-
terprises rubbed elbows with the
small tradesman and householder and
manifested like enthusiasm. They
filed the seats in the great auditorium
on the parquette floor and overfowed
into the galleries.
The meeting had been called pri-
marily for the purpose of receiving
subscriptions to the 100000 fund
which citizens propose to furnish cor
the great enterprise. During its prog
ress ex-Gov. David r. Francis gave a
general outline of what had been done
by the various committees and what it
was proposed to do. He represented
the executive committee. Fred W.
Lehman, chairman of the Legislative
committee, told of the passage of an
act authorizing the incorporation of
the company. He told in detail of the
plan to have a charter amendment and
constitutional amendment, whose pc
CSSSlIN pldIIiSI, 10 lliNc Ine 1ulr
possibility. He told also of the prom
Uses made by national legislators of
federal aid to the extent of $4,000, GOO.
W. II. Thompson, chairman of the
finance committee, reported the work
done by his committee and the vari-
Gus subcommittee. After the meet
ing got well under way there was lit
tie attempt at restraint. Wild en-
thusiasm seized the audience, and the
demonstrations as the large amounts
of the subscriptions were read were
surprising and encouraging to those
who have done so much to forward the
movement.
In spite of the fact that the rain fell
necessarily during the afternoon and
evening, and it was unpleasant both
overhead and underfoot, there was no
dampening of the enthusiasm of the
vast audience. When such subscrip-
tons as that of w. II. Thompson, pres
iGent of the National Bank of Com
merce, on behalf of the bank, the
Planters Hotel Co., himself and
cashier, of S1OO,OOO; of Adolphus
Busch, of $4,000; David r. Francis
and brother, $4,000, and many others
five figures to represent
them, the enthusiasm was boundless
and the successful launching of the
nnterDriSa seemed IN no aSsured