Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-10-11
PUBLIC ROADS INGENUITY PERFECTS DIORAMA EXHIBITS
OPTIMISTS COLOR ST. LOUIS
OdFashioned Character Found Among People, While Women
Uphold Substantial Things Of Life - Inherited
Customs and Devotion Musical Events.

mamma and the children may 20
to one Of the few remaining beer gar
dens to listen to the music and eat
black bread and cottage cheese, while
papa drinks his beer.
The German people enjoy sitting
out Of doors and listening to music.
This is probably the reason the st.
Louis Municipal Opera House in For.
est Park Is the largest one Of its kind
in the world. This Summer, while
the movie houses along the main
streets Of st. Louis were feeling the
struggle to keep above water. or
quietly sinking into receivership, the
open-air opera was turning customers
away. In spite of the fact that at
every performance 1,700 seats are kept
open free TO the public, there were
more than 100000 paid admissions,
ranging from Is cents to 50 during
the months Of June, July and August.
Light opera and operetta are enjoyed
nightly amid scenes Of natural splen-
dor under the stars, while famous
principals, brought from the musical
centers Of the world and splendid
scenic and lighting effects and chorus
groupings delight the spectator.
Grand opera also is very popular
and twice year the opera companies
come to the city. Another source Of
enjoyment is the st. Louis Symphony
Orchestra, which has an international
reputation, for 1t is Sc years old, and
considered Of first rank In musical
circles. Mothers regard musical
evening as matter Of family pleas
ure and education, 80 that these things
are not for the cultured few. Every
one goes who has the price Of adj
mission.
r IGHT now st. Louis Is agog with
the coming of the Yelled Prophet"
Many a feminine heart Is fiuttering
chosen one. For during the past 20
years, the ceremony of the yelled
prophet has ushered in the st. Louisan
social season bringing its female citi-
zen home from all parts of the globe
to participate in 1t. According to my
informer, it is q most exclusive affair.
I discovered only 10000 invitations are
sent out for the ball. To be more ex-
plicit-it always happens the first
Tuesday in October-first, there is
street parade for the populace, with
many elaborate floats depicting the
yelled prophet visiting foreign lands.
Then the following night, the yelled
prophet-a man always yelled, never
exposed (somehow I hope he is a nice
chubby German banker, having his
one glorious night at this magnifi-
cent ball summons to his throne q
debutante, whom he crowns as Queen
Of Love and Beauty, and she reigns
with her maids Of honor over the city
for season.
The customs and habits of the st.
Louisian are in many ways regulated
by the growth of her city. The women
tell me it is because the city has grown
west away from the Mississippi River
No longer has the water front or "old
man river" any attraction to Its people.
The city has spread like a fan for
miles to the north, the west, and
the south.
The residential districts are far
from the downtown shopping center.
so that Mrs. Housewife does most OF
her shopping in the neighborhood, and
spends little time wandering through
the streets and department stores,
window shopping. She has what she
calls her cumming days" generally
Thursday or Friday, when she goes
downtown to see what is doing.
In the evening, it is the fashion for
the family to walk or 60 to the pic
lures in an entirely different section
from the hotels and stores. for Grand
Avenue. many miles away. Is the
favorite habitat. The large residential
hotels and finest speciality shops are
also miles away, but in a different Sec
ton again, from the center of town,
so that most of the social functions
take you out Of the city. The reason
for all this Is that the city's bounda-
ries have not been expanded since
1876, so that the fine residential neigh
borhoods are now only part of the
county. The women have complained
that this is one reason they have not
participated in St. Louis politics as
fully as they would like to. for when
they protest an action to an OH
cial the first thing the politician
wants to know is If they are city resi-
dents. Generally they are not, and
then they are politely told to mind
their own business.
HOWEVER, politics and civic in
terests are not paramount in the
life of st. Louis women. They work
when they have to, but on the whole
they are home-loving and want to
make their family comfortable. Gen
orally a girl gives up her job after
marriage. However, before the chill
dren take up her time, she usually
devotes some Of her time to charitable
work. The volunteer department OF
the United Charities Is an active and
effective organization, because Of this
custom.
One thing the women here are
agreed upon. Whether it be q cause
espoused or a new resident in their
midst, there must be a recognition OF
the established forces, and their sin
cerity and reliability must be proved,
| before they can become accepted.
After that-well, st. Louis is de-
lightfully friendly and interesting city.
Fish Trap Easily Made.
AN EASILY made fish trap for the
capture Of small bait fish can be
| Constructed of ordinary screen wire