The sun., 1901-08-26
SOMETHING ABOUT ITS WONDERFUL PROG
RESS And PROSPERITY.

ST. Louis stands proudly before the world
Valley, the fifth city In the United States,
and the city in which is to be held the
greatest Worlds Fair in history, The
Centennial of the Louisiana Purchase has
attracted the attention of the civilized
world. and all foreign countries, especially
England, will have finer display at the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to be
given in st. Louis in 1903, than ut any OF
its predecessors
ter old 1t was settled by the French,
and for thirty or forty years the Indians
Louisiana purchase the little village be-
gan to be something more than a mere
trading post. It's population steadlly m,
creased. and when steamboats, began 70
ply up and down the river they Increased
the city's Importance.
Up to the time of the civil war the
city enjoyed a fair growth, but. begin
ming with the close OF the war, the city
moved onward in earnest Men Of wealth,
push and enterprise were not slow 10 70
coming here. invested their capital and
energy in enterprises of all sorts that
ad6ed to the cityS wealth and import
ance. Trade and industry took a fresh
start and the city began to grow at
wonderful rate. Modern methods. were
introduced into every department Of husi-
ness life and magnificent buildings were
erected eor commercial purposes.
In the year 1850. but 70 years after the
To-day, hardly 20 years later the popu-
lation has doubled again-as the late
census shows
This remarkable growth of St. Louis
was iii no sense due to boom at any
particular period. 1t has been a steady,
constant increase and this fact has served
to make the city solid and substantial.
AS st. Louis has increased in popula,,
financial Importance, From mere trad
ing post II has become the trade center
Of h na F tSa Hay West 4na and hs oth 5
west, and from a village, without even
bank. it has developed. into one Of the
financial stronghold of the continent
That st. Louis should be a commercial
center of vast Importance is not surpris-
ing. Both from a geographical and topo-
graphical standpoint 1t has advantages of
rare Importance.
The city is many feet above tide water
and is blessed with superb sanitary con
ditions. Great trunk lines Of railways
converge here. st. Louis is the gateway
through which pass all the. great, trans
continental lines and through which must
be carried the products Of Inc East, as
well as the wealth of the West. II is a
natural distributing. point. Hence it IS
vantaees, and with the indomtah!e en-
ergy of its merchants, that ST. Louis oc-
cupies its present proud place in the bust
But St, Louis is less notable for the
amount, of business that is handled by
the railroads passing through its gates
than for the goods produced right here.
In many lines ST Louis leads the coun-
try. It has the largest wOodenwaro house,
drug house, the largest wholesale
lumber company, the largest brew
cry! the largest :, nhottographie dry
awning company, the largest agri
cultural implement company, the largest
shoe manufacturing company the largest
tobacco manufacturing plant, tho largest
car manufacturing company, the largest
electric supply company, the largest en-
pany, ths greatest incandesceinit' iamr
COMPANY, the greatest patent pulley com
pany end. the greatest wire rops com
pany in the entire world Besides this
st. Louis has the nest mpdern equipped
cold storage and refrigeratins warehouse
the greatest wooden mills manufacture
ing house, the greatest jail manufacturing
company. St Louis makes more bricks
and fire bricks, more washing machines
than any city in the country. and is tbs
only city in the world that has a plant
that makes pure table sugar out Of corn
and has street car system that is
equalled in no city in the world.
The banks Of St. Louis rank hgf
among the financial institutions Of thu
country. They have braved financial nan
les without tremnr and when banks II
other parts Of the country were failiny
daily they went along dotng business al
The. stability IL st Louis financial ii
stituttcnS reflect the general healthy con
dition thar permeates business circles
1t IS estimated that the total volume D
the wholesale and iohhing business o
the city amounts 10 Sl5onO,1o a year
while the output of the various factorie
located in this city reaches tGtal vastll
greater than this sum.
Some Of the leading wholesale aouse
of the country in certain lines are locate
herr while in the output of some kind
or manufactured product, St. Louis is no
excelled by any city in the country. Th
wholesale houses Of 81. Louis handle al
most every conceivable lire Of goods in
cludlng notions, boots shoes. clothing
paints, drugs and groceries They cm
DlnN q travelling s11n9fppD u-b
sell their goods throughout the West
The tendency toward Capitalization
fairs Of life finds DISQUALIFICATION in TIL
constant growth of the wholesale an,
1otbng interests of this city. Jobblni
some of the county seats find that thei
business Is outgrowius their facilities
and naturally they gravitatc toward ST
Louis, where the, ltneXCelled shipping ia
cilities make it possible for them 10 reacl
Customers in the shortest possible time
indefinitely.
ST Louis has attained grand position
as an industrial and rnanufaC turing cen
The proximity of naturc's storehcrlse
is sufficient to give prominence 10 tn
more staple industries. while having a
command sL-h varied ana valuable prod
ucts of tine mine, the forest and tn
farm, and po1-ossing the very best facili
ties for the distribution OF goods, moth
ing is lacking to make ST. Louis the IDEA
city for the location OF manufacturini
establishments nf every kind, This cit
has established a permanent reputation
for sounI business methods and the sub
stantial basis upon which her commercial
and financial fabric rests and II is des
tined % become the manufacturing cente
for that immense and fertile section lyinj
In the South ana Southwestern section
of the United States.
In addition to being a busy city, st
Louis is a beautiful city 1t IS Il city .
homes. Paladal mansions grace the side
Of the bouleyards and pretty homes arr
nal f,f tl1a 81 i
Louis is remarkable for its number o
home-owners. particularly among the mic
die and laboring classes.
Besides beautiful homes, st. Louis 1