The Marshall republican., 1914-03-27
EARLY ST. LOUIS
PROFESSOR n. l.. SPENCER
WHITES 4 HISTORY OF EARIY
DAYS IN THE MO. METROPOLIS

A 120-page history of st. Louis, |
written by Thomas 4. Spencer Of D.
547 Waterman avenue, principal of
the Irving School. Will be published |
this month as q preliminary TO the
pageant and masquo OF %. Louis, to
be produced in Forest Park May 2S-
81.
Principal Spencer was one OF the
members of n subcommittee appoint
ed by the Pageant Executive Com
mittce. to prepare such a book, but
the other members found themselves
unable TO give the necessary time, so
he did practically all the work. con-
fcrring frequently with Judge w. u.
Douglas, president OF the Missouri
Historical Society.
In some matters, Spencer has
reached new conclusions. not brought
out by previous historians of ST.
Louis. For instance, he holds that
the white women of early st. Louis
were not the capable, resourceful mat
rons that the wives OF pioneers are
usually supposed TO be.
Spinning wheel Loom Unknown.
There was no domestic manufac-
turc among the early French settlers.
he writes. "Tho spinning wheel and
the loom were alike unknown. So
deficient were the women in this
respect that. although possessed of
numerous herds. they were not even
acquainted with tho use OF the churn.
but made butter by beating the cream
IN n bowl or shaking II in a bottle.
Life in early 81. Louis was very
pleasant. he finds. and there was no
complaint of the lack of night life.
os billiards, card parties and dane
ing were the common forms OF anus
oment. The dancing, IN those pre-
tango and oven ante-waltz days. con.
sisted of cotlllons. reels and minucts.
For years in the social life OF 81.
Louis" he writes. there was scar
cely any distinction OF classes. The
wealthy and more intelligent were
doubtless considered moro important
pcrsonagcs, but there was no clearly
marked or recognized difference.
Thoy all associated together, all dros.
scd alike. and frequentod the same
ballroom and places of amusement"
lie adds that they kept not only slav-
es. but Indian slaves. They did not
wear hats. shoes and stockings, but
handkorchiefs, moccaslns and buck
skin loggings.
Sunday Dances Popular.
AS late rs 1913, he relates. French
was still the prevailing language In
this city. As showing the usages OF
the French, he Introduces dcscrip-
ton OF life IN Ste. Gencvlcye, the
largest settlement near ST. Louis.
There, Il appears, sunday afternoon
dances were popular. but IN other
respects the people were strict Sab
baiarians.
The personal habits of Pontiac,
the most famous Indian In st. Louis
history. receive some attention, and
the historian says candidly that Pom
tiac spent his latter years chiefly in
apsorbing red liquor. and that he
was tomahawked while on a particu-
larly vivid spree. The memorial tab
let In the Southern Hotel makes no
reference to these facts.
He does not accept without qual-
ilicatlon the theory that the Mound
Builders were agricultural Indians,
VINO abandoned their mounds and
went to buffalo hunting when the
buffalo came down from the North
west. This II the theory on which
the opening scenes OF the pageant and
masque have been written. and spen-
Ger mentions IL as an interesting the
theory, but one which some students
do not accept. Another theory, he
says, Is that they were an entirely
different people from the Indians
and that, by some plague or cata-
clysm of nature, they became extinct
Spells tho River "NIaramec."
iie spells the principal river of st.
Louis County "Maramec," holding
that there is no historical authority
Tor the common spelling "Meramee. :"
Another thing In which he calls
time on the pageant makers in the
story OF "the day OF three flags" at
the time OF the Louisiana purchase
In 1903. The pageant viii show the
Spanish, French and American flags
all over st. Louis in one day, but
Spencer says this episode covered at
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