The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-05
SIXTY-H0UR GLIMPSE OF ST. LOUIS
BY H. A.. BRIDGMAN. EDITOR TIE ONGREGA ALTON ALIsT AND CHRISTIAN
WORLD.

Indian fighter as he was for many years.
j have seldom met :. milGer gentleman.
His bearing in civilian dress is not I'M
like that of a stanch New England de,i-
con. He WIS accompanied BY one or two
handsome. dashiNs captains. who repre-
sented the newer elements in our army.
Nearly every one in st. Louis comes from
somewhere else. 81 the New England So
ciety does not have d monopoly of public
attention. Every little while some re-
union of persons from different sections of
the country shows from what "a wide area
! the city'S population is recruited. This
was, indeed. to me one of the most inter
esting characteristics of the city-thc blend
of different types there. The Southern
! element, FOR instance. is much more pro-
nounced than in any of our sO-cailcd West
ern cities. ! sat at table with men whose
manners had hat indetinablc but charm
ing quality which We term Southern polish
yet their views and probably the views Of
the large majority of the St. I.ouisans
touching President RoDsevvltS entertain
ment of Booker Washington are not those
of the New Highlander. In 81. Louis you
have come upon that Modification of the
views on the negro question which you
always find when YOU cross Mason ard
Dixon's line. and the prevailing attitude
insensibly affects even the New England
contingent.
Commercially. too, the city represents
not one section or strain. The large Ger
man population has undoubtedly induced
IL freer atmosphere as respects Sunday OBJ
servance and personal habits than prevails
in cities further North. but il has. on the
other hand, contributed much to the sta
bility Of the city. and its Sarv!c, in behalf
of the Union ut the time of the civil war
was widely recognized even before Winston
Churchill celebrated it in his dramatic
story. Moreover, one feels at 81. Louis not
Il little OF the frontier push and hopeful
ness. 1t Is at the gateway OF the great
region, whose resources are
only just being opened up. AS iHlS uhuS-
veloped section of the country IS brought
into touch with the outside world. 81. Louis
is bound to reap the effects and To become
4 center of enormous influence and activity.
Indeed, already it has an env!able financial
standing. The week Of my visit the de-
posits in the banks. not including any OF
the trust companies, were SlcS,o01,Con. For
seven recent weeks in succession st. Louis
led all the large cities in the relative gain
in bank deposits. 1t has never known hard
times or q panic. While almost every West
ern city has been borrowing from New
York or Boston. St. Louis has been for
wardinc its surplus to these financial CEN
tiers. The strength ana S~tradiueSs Of the
financial situation in ST. Louis is. indeed,
remarkable. and ~justifies great hopes touch
ing anything which it undertakes.
Nota little of this %-ea- wealth, / am glad
TO say, IS in Christian hands and being de-
voted to noble ends. The Southern Metko-
dist is perhaps the strongest denominations.
and its wealthy men give literally, not only
To their own church, but to outside objects.
Washington University. for instance. Ia,
leaped forward in recent years, owing ~
the special aid furnished it by certain sub
stantial business men. one of them, besides
giving It many hundred thousands of dol
lars, has spent years in familiarizinr him
self with educational movements on both
sides Of the Atlantic. that ne might thereby
better serve the institution. 1t IS he. he
lieve. and his partner who have now put tho
annual proceeds from thcir business at tho
disposal of this university. Several ma cn;f-
cent buildings are being erected on the f,r-
ther edge Of the Worlds Fair grounds. and