The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-06-02

Fl e d as ~
perhaps the! reader read between thsslines
he does st. Louis He hassIso seen piac "a no did not
like as we'll He has tried not to let any prejudices
ne may have interiors with tho ruth Of his state
nents Occasionally he has tried to be witty, which
he hopes the reader will not remember against him..
| +Ms The WRITER.
One hundred and forty-one years ago
while yet the Mississippi Valley, now
inhabitedsby millions tof thriving indulge
trious people, was practically an nniii-
habited wilderness, peopled only l5y q
few savages5 who ;roalned through the
forests in quest OF game, or chased the
shaggy buffalo across the prairies;; .
little band of French traders; as they
swept around one OF the majestic curves
Of the Father Of Waters saw magnif-
cent sheet Of silver spread out before
them. Filled with delight and adnira-
ten their leader, Pierre Laclede, said
that here he "Found a situation where
he intended to establish settlement
which might hereafter become one of
the finest cities in America" The set
Element, or trading-post, was forthwith
set up and named Saint Louis in honor
OF Louis XIV who was then reigning on
tho French throne. ~" esst
"A century and half has slipped
away; nothing is. left of Pierre Laclede
and the little band of French traders
but scant record of their doings; the
prairies where once the bison grazed
are dotted with cities and villages and
teeming with multitudes of civilized
people; the little French trading post
has indeed become mighty city, great
or even than the fondest dreams Of
Pierre Laclede.
l Thapn 10 oorfo;n ohor
Louis that grows on one as he learns
more about her. Her history may be
said to have been quiet one and yet
many incidents of national, even Of
world wide significance have marked
the development of this great Missis-
sippi Valley of which st. Louis is the
great commercial center. Dating her
beginning back to the days Of the
French explorers she has grown stead
lily until now her citizens point to her
with pride and tell you that st. Louis is
the fourth city in size in the United
States. So it is with a feeling some
thing akin to veneration that we ap-
proach the subject. Veneration, not so
much for what she is today, but for the
air of romapce which clings about her
origin, and the manner in which she
overcame obstacles and attained her
present eminence. Other cities have
grown by leaps and bounds. st. Louis
has grown slowly but steadily, and has
in consequence retained some of her old
fashioned ways that other cities have
lost in their more metoric growth, but
which nevertheless give her an added
charm not possessed by some of her
rivals. There is much of this old city
to remind one of her early history, and
one of the first things that strikes the
| visitor is the many names Of historic
import still remaining about the city,
such as LaSalle, Chouteau, Meramac,
Alamo, Carondelet, Laclede, etc.
He who attempts to describe st. Louis
from an acquaintance Of a few short
months, especially when that time has
been filled with work instead of sight
seeing, sets himself a hard task How
ever, the task is fraught with pleasure
for st. Louis is an interesting city, not
alone on account of her great EXPOSE
tion, but for her varied Industries, her
variety of people and her metropolitan
character in general. Three great races
OF people are represented in large
numbers in her population. "But more
of this anon," as Samantha Allen says.
| AS commercial center st. Louis is
the gateway through which the pro-
ducts Of the whole Mississippi valley
are interchanged. She is the key to. tho
situation. Twenty-four, great lines Of
railway spreading out in all directions,
bring the north and the south and tho
east and vest in quick and constant
communication and afford channels
through which their products find free
and ready exchange. Her commercial
interests are enormous and great bust
ness enterprises flourish. To take care
fall this necessitate s immense trans
pprtatioi facilities, and it is indeed a
thrilling sight to stand on the great
| Grand Avenue Yiaduct and look down
on the rows and rows of freight cars
strete hing out down the tracks as far ais
can he seen. y is q sight once seen not
soon forgotten. = 4. : . Is IS &:
Besides these vast railway systems
which bring st. Louis in quick touch
with every corner of this great valley
several steamboat lines in operation on
the river furnish means of cheap trans
portation between here and the Gulf
ports, to say nothing of the cities situat-
ed on the Ohio, and other navigabls
rivers tributary to the Mississippi. We
have no figures at our disposal, but judg-
ing from the scenes we have. witnessed
on the wharf, and the number of large
freight steamers to be seen at all times
passing up and down the river it would
seem that the river traffic is no small
factor in the commercial Importance Of
st. Louis. The river has always held a
sort of fascination for the writer. What
history it has had! From the time
when the brave De Soto penetrated the
wilderness and claimed the honor of be-
/ ing the first white man to gaze upon it's
rushing tide, only to die and be buried
beneath the turbulent waters of the
great river which he discovered"
through the stirring scenes Of the Civil
War when the North and South fought
for it's possession on account Of it's STRAIT
| egic Importance, through the reign of
the river pilot, whose sun alas! and
whose picturesque figure has disappear
ed forever from the scene, down to the
present, what tragedies have been enact
ed on it's restless surface! Its history
alone would fill q volume, and we can
not leave it without telling one story.