Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-04-22
A MAP OF ST. LOUIS.
How The Louisiana Purchase was Re-
qarded at the Time II was Made.

/
One of the most appropriate exhib-
Its to be made by the United States
Geological Survey at the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition this summer will
be topographic map of the city OF st.
Louis and its environs. Copies of this
map. which is mainly result of sur
veys made by Mr.. Charles E. Cooke,
topographer. will be distributed gra'
tuitously to Exposition visitors as a
momento of the Surveys work in one
of its most characteristic forms.
The visitor who studies this map
aud reflects on the Significance of the
Exposition itself may we'll marvel at
what hundred years have brought
forth. When President Jefferson pur-
chased the Louisiana Territory from
France in 1903 for fifteen millions OF
dollars, the transaction was hailed
with no enthusiasm in America.
President Jefferson had been forced in
to the negotiations by appeals from
the Western States for an open pas
sage to the Gulf of Mexico The mil.
lion square miles of new territory ac-
quired were held in light esteem, and
only Napoleon was astute enough to
exclaim: ''This accession of territory
strengthens forever the power Of the
United States. l have given England
a rival.' But now when st. Louis,
the most important city in this Louisi
ana Purchase and the fourth largest
in the United States, is about to cele-
brate the centennial of that purchase,
all the world recognizes the fact that
no single act of an American President,
down to the time when Lincoln pro-
claimed the emancipation of the slaves,
has been 20 far reaching or important
as Jefferson's deal with the Great
Napoleon.
The most conspicuous feature of the
map is the Mississippi River, the great
highway of commerce which crosses
the area from north to south. Between
the river and the bluffs, covering
distance varying in width from to s
miles, lie rich bottom lands dotted
with numerous sloughs and crescent
shaped lakes that denote old river
channels. Despite the frequency with
which the valley is submerged, 1t is
we'll settled, and the map bears wit
ness to it's numerous roads and farm
houses. A study of the map suggests,
however, the problems connected with
the safe guarding of life and property
along the river banks.
No part of this general district has
suffered more from the rivers depre.
dations than has the little city of East
st. Louis, also shows on this map. I'm
daunted by floods, it has. however,
had phenomenal growth. being one
of the few cities in the country that
have doubled their population every
ten years since 1880. To st. Louis it
serves the purpose of huge depot
where freight assorted and reshipped.
The great Eads bridge makes it prac-
tically part of the metropolis. Here,
10 East st. Louis, are situated the ma
tional stockyards, famous for their
horses and mules. To the North are
the towns of Granite City, Newport,
Madison, Venice. and Brooklyn. or
these, Granite City, with a population
of more than 5000, is the largest.
st. Louis stands in the midst OF q
region once we'll occupied by mound
building tribes. About miles north
east of East st. Louis are the Monks
or Cahokia Mounds, the most noted
group of mounds in the United States.
The principal structure OF this group
is stepped and truncated pyramids.
100 feet in height, which covers 10
acres. Many of the smaller mounds
of this group have been obliterated by
the plow, but so or 60 of varying sizes
still remain.
The map is easily indicative of the
size and Importance OF the City of st.
Louis. but it can not, of course, show
the rapidity which has distinguished
it's growth from a struggling hamlet
of few hundred people in 1900 to a
city with a population of 575,23S in
1900.
The map does show, however, that
20 railroads enter the city, which
divides with Chicago the honor OF be-
ing one of the two great railroad ex
change points between the East and
the West. All these roads terminate
at the Union Station, a magnificent
gray stone structure that covers IL
acres OF ground. Its interior ls adorn'
ed with beautiful mosaics and frescoes,
and it is accounted one of the finest
railroad stations In the world. With
the growth of railroad freight accom-
mOdations, the river traffic has declln-
ed somewhat, but when the water is
sufficiently high many boats still ply
the river and there is great activity
along the levees.
AS manufacturing city, st. Louis
stands well to the front, many OF its
factories being the largest of their kind
in the world. Especially noted are its
breweries, hardware and woodenware
houses, street.car shops, and tobacco
factories. The city contains many
public buildings. several of which are
Conspicuous for their ornamental ar
chitecture. One of the public lnstitu-
tions is Washington University, which
boasts handsome group OF new ad
ministration buildings, situated upon
, an eminence overlooking Forest Park
These buildings, only just completed
are within the Worlds Fair grounds
and are at present occupied by the Ex
l Ia :~lo lDA nf "