The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-05-07
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
EN- ROUTE TO THE WORLDS FAIR.
sr. IonIs. NO. Nav IA. IeOl

ST. LOUIS. Mo-, May I'd, 1904.
MEssRs. LoNGNECKER BRos.-Deor Sng:-
After mailing your letter at Clifton Forge. va,
last Wednesday, where we arrived at s.l5 ?; NJ,
eastern time, and left at S.6 p. NJ, central ume,
we soon leave virginia ana cross INTO r north
east to southwest through the state, Wnicn mas
a Jim Grow" law. so that one day coach had on
10 a sign reading white" and the comDlnaIo,n
baggage and day coach contained sign Col
Ored." As soon as we pass out OF the 5tate INT
culled folks mingle with "de pore Waite trash e
again. The State of Virginia was the nome OF
Lewis and Clarke, the dauntless explorers OF the
tract comprising the Louisiana Purchase. Iney
were born at Charlottesville.
White Sulphur Springs Is passed in west VIZ
ginia. This is where the water has curative
properties and many resort thereto. other SIM
liar springs are situated in virginia ana wes ~
West Virginia, and Hot Springs of virginia.
The Hot Springs demonstrate the fact that the
centre of the earth is hot, as the wafer comes
After having passed over and through the va
rious ranges Of the Blue Ridge mountains we
Dear Where we run down the
valley of the Ohio river for about l6O miles 10
Cincinnati. Ohio. crossing the river as we enter
This run of 100 miles is through fertile valley,
the Kentucky hills on one side and the Ohio hills
on the other, with prosperous looking farm
houses nesting under the brow OF the niils;
yards wide and then again half to mile wide.
We arrived at Cincinnati about A. NJ. Here
the big 4, road took charge OF us ana carried
Fair CITY. This road is called the G. G. c. St. L.
and is nicknamed big T." because it runs to
those four big cities, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincn-
natl and st. Louis. For IS miles outside of Gin
cinnati they are changing the r0adbed entirely,
spending 81, 100000 The road is being straighten-
ed and grades lessened. All the bridges are be-
ing formed of cement where stone is ordinarily
used, the majority being entirely of cement.
We pass through indianapolis, the capital of
Indiana, q prettily built city. From Cincinnati
to st. Louis we pass entirely through the States
of Indiana and Illinois, a distance of about 400
niles dyas s9G Idn section where
sections and eighths. A section is 600 acres.
The country is slightly rolling in part. a good
deal being H t n many places and
this accounts Tor the vast network of roads
An hours ride east of st. Louis a large body
of water was seen close by ESst Alton. Not
nois, we were at sea- as to what it is, as it isn't
river, in the strict geogra phical sense It's the
Mississippi on rampage. A three weeks rain
spring freshet and it has overfowed for about q
mile wide, surrounding farm houses and barns
and covering wheat fields. This happened last
year, but not before in years.
We arrived at Union Station, st. Louis, at Z
P. NJ, September 28th, 1000 miles from Washing
either the Or New 9or
railroad stations. Twenty-Five railroads land
their passengers here. 1t fronts sos feet on
Market street and extends back about 700 feet,
covering all told IL acres, the train shed being
606x630 feet.
The Mississippi river is spanned by two bridges
connecting East st. Louis with st. Louis. The
Eads bridge is now post road bridge. The
total length of this bridge and approaches is
nearly two miles. The city covers great deal
of ground, the houses numbering upwards of
1000. 1t stretches 10 miles along the river and
is 3-5 miles wide. The population according to
the census Of 1900 is over $4,000. 1t has "A hos
pitfalls, 325 churches, IS cemeteries, rs public
parks. 40 fire companies 90 public schools, 9
daily newspapers, the largest drug house. horse
ment and boot and shoe factory in the world. 1t
also has on its hands the "Greatest show on
earth,'' the Worlds Fair, which opened prompt
ly on time at A. M. April Both, 1904, with the
expectation of remaining open until December
LIST, 1904, beating the time of all other exposi-
day is claimed to be record breaker, no official
figures having been given out up to Monday
night. A newspaper here offered $4,000 first
prize, with proportionate smaller ones to the
nearest guessers, SO that the officials will not
make any statement until the money and tickets
are counted and attendance is known.
w. H. r.