The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-09-19

was already a hero among frontiers.
men. because he had made one OF the
most desperate flights for his scalp OF
the many made when the keelboat
down the Ohio was the chief means OF
connection between the business OF
Atlantic coast cities and that Of the
Mississippi valley. lt adventures are
TO the adventurous always. the st
Louis keelboat offered them 20 those
who demanded the spice OF danger
without going into the air for &c.
The kcelboat then. &c must be re
mcmbcred. was no more ont OF date
than the airship Is now It was the
best modern boat ir 1909 which could
be equipped by the capital of Saint
Louis. OF New Orleans or OF Philadcl.
phia. Because OF f. Philadelphia and
Saint Louis commanded the East and
West movement OF business as that
North and South was commanded by
Saint Louis and New Orleans, as soon
as their first II & Of koelboats were
regularly organized. Il helped 10 make
great history. even IL it did have to
be pulled upstream by a rope dragged
by men on the bank
II Is almost II not quite as hard
now to imagine what the world meant
before the age of steam as 10 is to
think out what will be It's meaning in
the age Of the perfected airshlp and
acroplane. Every contrast possible
I'm the Saint Louis Centennial week
OF pagoants will be challenge to
look backwards and forwards IN the
attempt to find out what a hundred
years already mean, as the first sue.
cess I'm the attempt 10 find what Il IS
to mean shortly for this generation
and for the grandchildren Of this gen.
Grafton I'm 20O9 In the third genera
tion between the desperate fight for
life on the keelboat with Indians
shooting from both banks at men lying
flat and shooting back from their
deadly flintlock, mu7zlc-loader. Saint
Louis has grown from a keelboat
landing" of lac log houses and As
South streets to a city with an area
of siXtytwo square miles and pop
ulation of nearly three quarters OF .
million. Where three million dollars
in cash might have been a high price
for everything In the town a hundred
years ago. its bank clearings thi.
year will pass three thousand millions
As It leads the world in the manufac
ture OF cars for steam and electric
railroads, one of its own cars, leavinl
its terminal tracks for the first time
might pass over 23O, 900 miles OF tract
in use in the United States this yea
and return to Saint Louis finally 4
show that a modern American cit.
has "unbroken connection" with NOR,
miles of track than any car Is likel.
: to pass over before wearing out
West OF the Mississippi the car max
ing this circuit from Saint Louis nov
, would follow closely the water route
OF its keelboats and the overlan
! routes OF the prairie schooners."
In 1909 the total amount OF cas-
, in circulation In the United States a
4 reported by the treasury, was slight
o less than s270OO,O0O On June 23rj
!. 1909, Saint Louis reported to the col
y troller OF the currency capital c
,. s39, 100000 and assets OF s43, ,161 90
in currency and coin. The openin
a up Of the American west. dating bac
y to the incorporation OF Saint Louis
: 1909 has enriched the world until
n is hard TO think out what such III
!, ures mean in explaining history. Tt
"a world has been moving some" b
"A tween the days OF the keelboat an
"A the days OF the dIrigible airships ar
7, the aeroplane, flying over Laclede
- landing place on the MssissipT
20 Think Il OUT IS the challenge OF Il
.. Saint Louis Centennial with its spe
nj tacles Of historic, industrial and civ
* pageants. reinforced by parades OF a
O tomobiles, educational parades, gam,
A.. ilmmlnatons. fireworks, music, pub
banquets. speeches and everythi'
ir. else that is most likely to ddraw al
Il entertain great crowds of people
ad whom the city attempts to show I
is panoroma OF a century. The a.tem
N. to shov the meaning of a hundr
60 years II history In a week is lar
he undertaking and Saint Louis Is und
nd taking II In a large way. It expe,
N the crowds and expects them to
IN. JOY the show whether they think
ns out or not. II they do not succeed
he thinking It out, they can pass II do
to lhp third generation after the