Evening journal., 1912-10-26
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Massachusetts Man
Who Gave st. Louis a
Leading Trade
By Holland.

Leopold Morse, who was for years
prominent merchant Of Boston.
Mass, served as a representative in
the Federal Congress which sat in
1881. He amassed a considerable for
tune as a merchant and his keen busi-
ness judgment, his energy and a most
engaging personality caused him to be
warmly received in fellowship with a
number of prominent business men
who were members OF Congress.
One afternoon I'm the winter Of 1881
| had opportunity for a very pleasant
chat with Mr. Morse and was espe-
cially impressed by an incident which
had only recently come under his own
observation.
81 was talking with one of the st.
Louis representatives in Congress
few days ago about the growth of st.
Louis as a commercial city, began
Mr. Morse. He said to me that he
thought St. Louis would surpass Bos-
ton In one industry and that was the
making and marketing Of boots and
shoes. I was somewhat astonished at
this statement, for ! did not know at
that time that St Louis stood next to
Boston in the business Of manufactur-
ing and marketing boots and shoes.
But my friend said to me:
''No matter whether st. Louis sur
passes Boston or not In this industry,
your people should have the satisfac-
/ ton of knowing that II was due who'll
/ ly TO a Boston man that st. Louis has
/ become the greatest boot and shoe
market in the United States, except
| Boston
"'What Boston man was that? T
asked. And he replied that it was ex.
Governor William Clafin.
81 was persuaded that my friend
had made a mistake, for | knew that
! Governor Claflin was born In Massa-
/ chusetts, that his father was the first
American to make use of machinery
| in the manufacture of boots and shoes
and that the son had carried on that
/ business and gained great riches
thereby. It seemed incredible to me
that he had ever lived in st, Louis so
I made it a point to ask a man who
knew Governor Clailin well if there
was any truth to the story.
He told me that IL was absolutely
true. He said that when William
Claflin was only about twenty-one or
/ twenty-five years of age and had been
thoroughly trained by his father so
that he was an expert manufacturer
of boots and shoes in town near
Boston, his health gave out. There
upon his father told the young man
/ that il he would go to some one of the
more flourishing cities in the West
! and start a boot and shoe business,
he would fit him out and supply him
/ with boots and shoes for two years.
| Then he would have to go it alone.
But what city shall I go tor Will
liam Clatlin asked.
"His father said in reply that some
! OF his friends had recommended that
| he open a large wholesale boot ana
shoe house In the new town of Chica-
90. But the senior Clahin had little
faith in the growth of Chicago. In
stead. he predicted that St. Louis
would become the great commercial
emporium Of the Mississippi Valley
IN addition to that he stated that the
pioneers who we're going into the far
west were for the most part making
St. Louis tbeir starting point. He was
convinced that a large trade could be
secured from these pioneers
"All this was the year 1S3S,' said
Mr.. Morse. William Claiiin went TO
St Louis and before he was thirty
years Of age he had made st Louis
what II has ever since been-the
great center of the boot and shoe
trade of the west and southwest Yet
he always felt that If he had been ten
years later his house would have been
established at Chicago. whose first
great boom came in the decade be
tween 1S40 and 1850.
so it was Massachusetts young
man who gave ST. Louis the start in the
boot and shoe business which ma;
made her now second only TO BostoI
in that business. Then. when he haC
the business we'll established i'm tho
Mississippi Valley he went back tC
Massachusetts. gained great wealth
and prominence and influence, anC
the governorship of the Common
wealth.
Copyright 1912. by e. j. Edwards
All rights reserved)