davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
TEMPTATION.

President Phillips Of the Board of
Public Improvements announces that
the motives of the Board have been mis-
construed in the discussion of the pro.
posed sprinkling ordinance.
According to his statement of the mat
ter the appointment of twenty-one In
spectorS at a salary of $1,000 year is
not obligatory. but will be- left to the OPP
ton of the Board. Ii at any time the
Police Department should refuse to per
NIT patrolmen to prepare reports on
sprinhling, as at present, the Board
would not be left powerless.
There is little likelihood that the po-
lice will force the city to return to the
old system of sprinkling inspection. An
ordinance giving the Board of Public I'M
provements power 10 employ inspectors
would be the greatest temptation to
such a course
By leaving out the provision for the
appointment of inspectors there will be
no possible cause for n misconstruction
Of motives. Vacant positions calling for
large expenditure of money do not as
suage the opportunities of place hunt
prs
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10

Private Car Parnassus. Aug Is. lss-.-
Dear Pierrepont: Perhaps it's just as well
that had TO hurry last night TO make my
train. and So had no time 10 tell you some
things that are laying mighty heavy on my
mind this morning
jim Donnelly of the Donnely Provision
Company came into the office in the after
noon with fool grin on his fat ace to tell
me that while he appreciated note which
he had just received I'm one of the FIRMS
envelopes, beginning Dearest" and con-
tanning an invitation to the theater to-mor-
row night, 1t didn't seem 10 have any real
bearing on his claim for shortage on the
last carload Of sweet picked hams he had
bousht from us.
OF course. | sent for Nnigan. and went
for him pretty rough FOR having a mailing
clerk 50 no account as to be writing per-
Sonal letters in Office hours and such Il
biunderer as to mix them up with the FIRMS
correspondence. Minigan JUS stood there
li'-e . dumb Irishn,an and let me get
through and go back and cuss him o. all
over again. with some trimmings that had
forgotten the FIRST time. before he told me
that YOU were the fellow who had made the
bull. Naturally, I felt pretty foolish. arsl
while ! tried to pass it of with something
about your stli being green and raw. the
ice was mighty thin. and you had the old
man running tiddledies
1t didn't make me feel any sweeter about
the matter to hear that when Milligan went
for you, and asked what You supposed Don
nelly would think Of that sort of busineys.
you told him to consider the feelings of the
girl who got our brutal refusal 10 allow
claim for a few huhdredweight of hams"
1 haven't any special objection TO your
writing TO girls and telling them that they
are the real sugar-cured article. for. after
all. if you overdo ii. it's your breach-of-
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
ISTHAuAN CANAL.

Senator Morgan's assertion that the
recent move of the Panama Canal Com
pany, looking to the sale of a part OF
that canal to the United States Govern
ment. is in reality intended to hamper
the Governments efforts to secure an
isthmian canal, foreshadows a vigorous
Senate opposition to the Panama prof.
ect.
In the event of such a development
public sentiment would unQuestionably
support this Senatorial opposition The
majority opinion in the United States is
strongly in favor of the Nicaragua Ca
nal enterprise
There is a belief that the Panama prof.
ect is exclusively for the benefit of the
Panama stockholders and n certain
clique Of railroads bent upon completing
a monopoly of trade in their own inter-
est. The exercise of lobby influence in
behalf of the Panama Canal is said to
have strengthened this belief.
The forthcoming report Of the 18th
mian Canal Commission. headed by
Rear Admiral Walker, will, under these
conditions, be awaited with unusual in
terest The people Of this country hope
10 see the commission recommend the
Nicaragua Canal route. To favor the
Panama route instead the commission
would have to reverse the recommenda-
tion made in its own preliminary report
There would be cause for astonishment
in such q reyerSal
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
TEACH THEM.

There should be no especial danger of
foreign nations falling into the error of
| believing that the Worlds Fair of 1896;
will not open its gates promptly on
schedule time merely because of the ex-
preston Of an individual belief that
such will not be the ease
The machinery for arousing universal
interest in the Worlds Fair and stimu-
latinS all exhibitors to the exertion nee
eSSary for preparedness is now being
definitely set in motion. Worlds Fair
representatives to foreign Governments
are departing for their posts of duty.
From this time forward there will be no
siackening of work in this important
field. The fact that the Worlds Fair
will he held in 1903 will be properly i'm
pressed upon all minds.
sufficient guarantee of the prompt
opening of the Worlds Fair is contained
in the splendid local achievements in be
half of the Fair. The tremendous Oh
SiacleS that always confront such an
undertaking in the earlier stages have
been met and overcome with unfailing
certainty. The physical building of the
Fair has been put under way in a
shorter time than was ever known he
fore. All plans have been matred to the
minutest details. The Worlds Fair city
and people have shown a determination
and energy which make certain the full
fillment of all promises of the Fairs
timely opening.
The fact of this determination that
the Worlds Fair of 1893 shall open on
schedule time should be emphatically
insisted upon henceforth. There Is no
impossible task confronting the Worlds
Fair management. The same vigor
which has been shown to date Will
bring sure success in the performance
of the great work remaining to Ice done.
The entire world must be made to know
that the Worlds Fair of 1893 will open
on May l. 1909. as per announcement
from the beginning.
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10

ket; and from its fertility II will ere long
Weld more than half Of our whole produce
and contain more than half of our inhab-
itants.''
THE day that France takes possession OF
New Orleans he continued. fixes the
sentence which is to retain her forever be-
low low-water mark
1t was, therefore. very important intel
ligence" which General Harrison fastened to
send from Vincennes to ST Louis announc-
in@ the cession not only of New Orleans.
hut of the entire Louisiana Territory to the
United States.
This letter is given Just as it is written.
The original. in the handwriting of General
Harrison. is in the Tullock collection of val
uabie papers relating TO the early history
ct Louisiana Territory. II covers two pages
o. note paper. The postscript Is crowded in
to the lower right-hand corner of the sec
ond page.
General Harrison occasionally underscored
10 make his meaning more impressive For
example. toward the end of the letter he
drew line under perfectly" in the SEN
tence beginning IF You should consider il
perfectly consistent with your duty"
De Lassus was born in old French Fan
GERS. He entered the Spanish service in
1's2 as a cadet in the Royalist Regiment of
GUARDS, OF which the King Of Spain was
the Colonel In 1883. at the age of o. De
Lassus was Lieutenant Colonel In 1924
lie was promoted to be Colonel and was
given command of a battalion of the Kings
body guard.
The De Lassus family remained in Flan-
ders until the French Revolution, when the
father of Colonel De Lassus was forced to
flee. The elder De Lassus took refuge in
New Orleans in 1924. Colonel De Lassus
gave UP his commission in the Spanish
Army at home. and. on petition to the
King of Spain. was transferred as leu
tenant Colonel in the Louisiana Regiment
that he might be near his father and OF
service in the family. and at the same time
continue in the service of the King Of
Spain. He arrived in New Orleans in 1884,
In 1886 Colonel De Lassus was made Civil
and Military Commander of New Madrid by
Baron de Carondelet. who was the repre-
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
PRACTICAL RESTLTS-

| No greater justification for the
magnificent support that Missouri gives
| the State University could be presented
than the many forms of practical benefit
| that accrue to the material interests oi
communities through the aid of its eX-
! pertS. Not only does the instruction of
students proceed on IA high plane. but
the mental activities of the instructors
find large fields for immediate improve
ment of the States resources.
During the dry weather of last sum
mer the bulletins issued by authority of
the men attached Ia the university
gave much needed advice to agrcultur-
lists. In the southern part of the State
many orchards have borne Il heavy yield
because of the precautionary measures
suggested by experts of the university.
If new bug or insect appears in any
section of the State, the scientists are
ready TO investigate and provide RENE
dies.
So i'll the mining regions. Vast beds
of valuable minerals have been de-
velOped by the advice Of the investiea-
tors connected with the university
Quartz of unknown value can be sent
TO the School of Mines for testing pur-
poses. The scientific knowledge at the
service of the State is alone worth the
money spent in supporting the depart
ments.
Perhaps the most notable instance of
the value attached to the university is
found in the general acceptance of the
inocuation theory as applied TO Texas
fever in cattle. Through the expert
ments of the bacteriologists the germ
Of Texas fever was discovered. Cul-
lures are now prepared that will almost
insure animals against fatal results.
This has brought about a curious de-
velopment in importing finely bred cat
tie to Texas. They now come from the
seaboard via Columbia. where they are
inoculated With the virus of Texas
fever. Unless the European cattle are
thus treated they are almost sure TO
fall victims TO the prevailing cattle
disease of the Lone Star State.
And. after all. is not this test of practi-
cal efficiency a proper one TO apply TO a
State university? Unless education in
its highest forms can Justify itself by
results. where is the benefit? As long as
the university continues TO prove its
value in the present manner, Missouri
can do nothing else than do the hand
some thing by the institution.
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
FRO" John Graham En-
a Co. UnionS stock

promise suit: but yoa must write before s
or after .. | have bought the stretch be
tween those hours. Your time is money
my money-and when you take half an hour
of it for your own purposes that is just a
petty form of petty larceny
Milligan tells me that you are quick to
learn. and that you can do a powerful lot
Of work when you've a mind to; but he
adds that it's mighty seldom your mind
takes that particular turn Your attention
may be on the letters YOU are addressing.
or you may be in a comatuse condition mem
tally; he never quite knows until the re-
turns come from tho dssd-letter Office
man can't have his rsld pumped ont
like vacuum pan. or stuffed fun of odds
and ends like bologna sausage and do his
work right. II doesn't make any difference
how mean and trihing the thing he's doing
may seem. that's the big thing and the
only thing for him just then. Busine,< il
like oil-it won't mix with anything but
business.
You can resolve everything in the world.
even great fortune, into atoms. And the
fundamental principles which govern the
handling Of postage stamps and OF mill
lions are exactly the same They are the
common law OF business, and the whole
practice of commerce is founded on them.
They ARE so simple that fool can't learn
them: so hard that lazy man won't
Boys are constantly writing me for adj
vice on how to succeed and when I send
them my receipt they say that I am deal
ing out commonplace generaIities. Of course
l am, but that's what the receipt calls for.
and il boy will take these commonplace
generali,ies ard knead them into his job.
the mlNture'H be cake.
Once fellows got the primary business
virtues cemented into his character. he's
safe to build on. But when a clerk crawls
into the Office in the morning like sick
setter pup and leaps from his stool at
night with the spring Of a tiger. I'm a lit
tie afraid that If l sent him off TO take
charge of branch house he wouldn't al
ways be around when customers We're He's
the sort OF chap who would hold back the
sun hour every morning and have IL
gain two every afternoon if the Lord would
give him the same discretionary powers
that he gave Joshua. And | have noticed
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
ILETTERS:FR A SELF-MADE MERCHANT TO

mora thar, ralioion was common-sense ana
n conviction that time n this world was too
valuable to be frittered away. IL he'd get
that in his head he didn't think he'd be SO
ant to trifie with eternity: and IL he didn't
get IL religion wouldn't be of any special
use to him
A big merchant finds himself In Doc
Hoover's fix pretty often. There are TOO
many likely young sinners In ms once 10
make II worth while to bother long WIFI
the Bills Very few men are worth wastins
time on beyond a certain point. ana that
point is soon reached with a reno" VINO
doesn't show any signs of wanting 10 neip-
Naturally. green man always comes 10 d
house in a pretty subordinate position' ana
II isn't possible to make so much noise with
a firecracker as with a cannon But you
can tell a good deal by what there Is left
Of the boy when you come TO inventory MIN
on the 5th OF July whether he'll be safe
to trust with cannon next year.
II isn't the little extra money that you
may make for the house by learning the
fundamental business virtues that counts so
much as It is the effect that IL has on your
character and that OF those about you, and
especially on the judgment of the old man
when he's casting around for the fellow to
Ill the vacancy just ahead Of you He's
pretty apt to pick some one who keeps
separate ledger accounts for work and Tor
fun. who gives the house sixteen ounces TO
the pound. and. on general principles. TO
pass by the one who Is late at the end
where he ought TO be early, and early at
the end where he ought to be late.
/ simply mention these things in passing.
but frankly. / am afraid that you have
streak of the Bill in you: and you can't be
a good clerk. let alone partner, until you
get it out. ] try not to be narrow when L m
weighing up young fellow. and to allow
for soakage and leakage, and then to throw
in a little for good feeling; but don't trade
with man whom find deliberately mark
ing up the weights on me.
This Is a fine country we're running
through. but it's a pity that it doesn't raise
more hogs IL seems to take farmer a
long time to learn that the best way to sell
his corn is on the hoof. Your arectionate
father JOHN GRAHAM.
p. 81 just had to allow Donnelly his
claim on those hams. though I was dead
sure our weights were right, and II cost
the house $50 But your fool letter took all
the snap out of our argument. I get hot
every time think Of It J.G.
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10

sentative of Spain in the Mississippi Valley
In 17s9 Colonel De Lassus. on An order
proceeding directly from Spain, was ap-
pointed Lieutenant Governor and Com
mandant in Charge of the Upper Louisiana
Province. with headquarters at St Louis
His father settled at New Bourbon. near
Ste. Genevieve, Mo-. and was given an ap-
pointment as Civil Magistrate.
This narrative Of the experiences Of the
De Lassus family is essential to an under
standing of the relationship which had de-
veloped between General William Henry
Harrison and Governor De Lassus. The
latter, notwithstanding his French origin,
had every reason to be loyal to SPAIN and
was so. From the sufferings Of his family
at the hands Of the French Government
under the First Consul he was naturally
open to the overtures which General Harri-
son. as the correspondence shows, was
making The letters which passed leave
little doubt that II Bonaparte had under
taken to establish and enforce his au-
thority In the Province OF louisiana De
Lassus would have thrown all his influence
In favor OF American occupation. The let
tiers of General Harrison, with the severe
comments upon ''the Corsican." take on
new meaning in the light of this story OF
De Lassus and his family
The course which the Ex-Governor of Up
per Louisiana pursued after the transfer in
1904 Is further evidence that he was RAPIDLY
making up his mind TO become an American
,itizen.
On the 9th of March, 1904. Governor IA
Lassus transferred his authority and Can
tain Amos Stoddard of the United States
Army. and the agent of France received
the surrender. A few months later. m
october. Colonel De Lassus with the SPANS
roops. went down the river and crossed
over TO Pensacola, which was still under
spanish sovereignty. In 1910 Colonel De
,assus resigned his commission in the
spanish army and returned to the Terri
ory of louisiana where he lived until ,s1s-
he time of his DEATH
ne FAMILY home was for many years I'm
southeast Missouri and a town now bears
Inc nome, written "Delassus."
WALTER b. STEVENS
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
FACTS RELATIVE TO THE
GROWING NAVIES OF THE WORLD

The Russian bsttleship Retvizan. built at
Cramps yard. IS practically completed. The
builders have not only turned out faster
ship than the contract called for but they
have also built it in better time than any
other contractor for similar vessels The
keel of the Retvizan was laid November 3.
1888; the launching took place October 3,
1900 and the steam trial. October %. 1891
The time in building and completing this
12N0-ton battleship. including delivery Of
armor. guns and other requisites was there
fore a little less than two years between
the laying of the keel and the launching
and exactly one year between launch and
trial. making a total of practically three
years time. The three battleships Maine
Missouri and Ohio building for the United
States Navy at Cramps. Newport News and
the Union Iron Works. do not show the
same speed in construction. They were
contracted for in October, 1898. to be COM
pleted follows during the present year:
Maine. June /; Ohio. June 5. and Missouri.
August CO. The latter Is still on the stocks
the Ohio was launched May IS last and the
Maine July q. On October / last the Maine
was 81 per cent advanced toward compile
tion, the Missouri 45 per cent and the Ohio
only 4s per cent. At this rate II is cal
culated that me Maine may be turned over
to the Government in October 1902 and the
other two ships in February 1902 That is
to say. they will be from fifteen to twenty
months behind their contract date Of de-
livery. The chief cause for this DELAY is
due TO the armor manufacturers who tried
to oyerreach the Government, and eonse-
quent waste in time TO bring them to rea-
sonable terms. There was no such trouble
with the armor for the Russian ship. nor
were the contractors hampered with the
red-tape interference by Government
officials. which greatly retards building of
vessels for the United States Navy.
The Russian battleship Tsarevitch. 1880
tons. building in France. was contracted for
simultaneously with the Retvizan in the
United States. but Is still far from comple-
tion. Her keel was not laid until Nav. 1889
the launch took place February q last and
her trial viii not come off before July next
year.
Rear Admiral Crowninshield Chief of the
Bureau of Navigation, complains of the in
adequate number of flag officers In the
United States Navy. asserting that the in
ferior rank held by commanders Of our
squadrons. as compared with those of other
countries. Is prejudiclal to the interests tf
our country. He pleads for more Admirais
Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals and
gives the following figures of foreign na-
yies in support of his argument:
FLAG OFFICERS IN THE PRINCIPAL.
NAVIES.
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
GEORGIA AND THE PURCHASE.

| The settlers in Georgia, the youngest
of the Thirteen Colonies, did not take SC
| active a part in the Indian trading and
intrigue which helped on the failure OF
| the French in America as did the wan.
dering traders from the older colony of
South Carolina. And yet there are many
circumstances that identify the State of
Oglethorpe. Bob Toombs, Joe Brown
| and Ben Hill with the events which led
up to the purchase of the Louisiana Ter
ritory by the United States.
Iberville and Bienville established the
first French colony on the Gulf of Mex
leo in 1899, and two or three years later
laid the foundations of Mobile. in Ala
bama. 1t was not until 1917 that Bien-
vile, by orders from France, cleared
away the brush and built the first cab
ins on the site Of New Orleans Having
thus established the American head
quarters of John Laws Mississippi
Scheme, the next important step for the
French was TO obtain safe and easy
communication between their posts on
the Gulf and the Lower Mississippi and
those in Canada.
For this they needed unimpeded navi-
CATION of the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries, but in this they were steadfastIy
opposed by the Chickasaw Indians In
Northern Mississippi and by the Five
Nations in Northern New York. The lat
ter, a fierce and warlike race. cut of the
traneh from tho firth vi,
Ohio, while the Chickasaws gave them
no peace in navigation of the Lower
Mississippi. But for such opposition at
a critical time the French might have
gained foothold in the Mississippi Val
ley that would have made them strong
enough to outdo the British in the
French and Indian War, by which
France lost everything between the Al
feghany and the Rocky Mountains which
La Sale claimed for France when he
set up the French standard at the mouth
of the Mississippi In 16S2
From the time of Iberyille's landing at
Biloxi Americanized English traders
from the South Carolina settlements
supplied the Chickasaw Indians with
arms and ammunition and encouraged
them to harass the French attempting to
pass up and down the Mississippi. After
Oglethorpe's landing at Savannah. wan
derers from the Georgia colony joined in
this grim missionary work. Brave. in
telligent and thus well supplied with the
munitions of war. the Chickasaws were
always successful against the military
enterprise OF Bienville and his French
colOnists in the South.
Georgia is brought more directly into
the currents of events leading TO the
Louisiana Purchase by the successful
efforts of the Spanish Governor at New
Orleans to- arm and incite the Georgia
Indians-Creeks and Cherokees-against
the Americans who had poured over the
Aileghanies after the Revolutionary
War and established strong and grow
ing settlements in Kentucky and Ten
nessee. John Sewer in Northeastern Ten
nessee took care of the hostile Chero-
KEGS, while James Robertson at Nash
vile, aided by the ever-friendly Chicka-
saws, inflicted most humiliating defeat
The St. Louis Republic., 1901-11-10
WORLD'S-190 FAIR.
THE ADVANCE Guard.

In the announced fact that more than
5000 men will find steady employment
in the work Of municipal improvement
to be prosecuted until -. Louis has been
modernized to the Worlds Fair stand
ard there is found an early indication of
the prosperous era upon which st. Louis
Is now entering.
This. however. is but one item OF the
many that must be considered in estl-
mating the magnitude of the local I'M
petuS which Will come from World :
Fair work and the great task of munich
pal Improvement.
In the construction of the World $
Fair itself many more thousands VIII
find employment.
Vast supplies in the way of material
must be purchased, thus further widen-
ing the scope of labor employment.
Every trade and every line of business
and industry will feel the stimulus. The
many millions of dollars TO be disbursed
in st. Louis will reach all legitimate
channels and stimulate all legitimate un-
dertakings.
The 5000 men 10 be employed in
Street, Sewer and Water department
work are but the advance guard of the
host that will find employment owing
10 the Worlds Fair and st. Louis's con-
sequent determination on municipal i'm
provement Local labor, trade and in
dustry have never confronted brighter
prospect than the present. The Worlds
Fair and the New st. Louis mean pros
perity and general good times.