Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 21, ROT-Siam

184
ST LOUIS
important public buildings are the new custom-house and
post-office, erected at a cost of over $5,000,000; the mer¬
chants’ exchange, which contains a grand hall 221 feet 10
inches in length by 62 feet 10 inches in width and 60 feet in
height; the court-house, where the civil courts hold their
sessions; the four courts and jail, in which building are the
headquarters of the police department and the chambers
of the criminal courts; the cotton exchange; the new ex¬
position and music-hall building on Olive Street, erected
by public subscription; and the Crow Museum of Fine
Arts. The present city-hall is a large but hardly orna¬
mental edifice. The mercantile library, on Fifth and
Locust Streets, contains nearly 65,000 volumes and also a
valuable art collection. The public school library in the
polytechnic building has about 55,000 volumes. There
are six handsome theatres and various other smaller places
of amusement. The public school system of St Louis
includes the kindergarten (for which St Louis has become
somewhat celebrated), the grammar-schools (including eight
grades, of a year each), and a high school, besides the
normal school and a school for deaf mutes. The public
schools naturally absorb much the largest number of pupils;
but the parochial schools and the private schools gathered
about the Washington university are also much frequented.
The number of pupils in 1883-84 was in the normal school
64, high school 783, grammar-schools 52,280, total in day
schools 53,127 ; total in day and evening schools 56,366.
The total number of public school buildings is 104, and
the value of property used for school purposes $3,229,148;
all the school edifices are substantial and convenient, and
many architecturally attractive. The receipts of the public
school system for 1884 were $941,332, and the total ex¬
penditure $934,609, the amount paid to teachers being
$632,873. Of parochial schools there are about 75. The
Washington and St Louis universities are old and well-
established institutions. There are also the Mary Institute
and the manual training school, both connected with Wash¬
ington university, the college of the Christian Brothers,
convent seminaries, and numerous medical colleges. In
addition there are art schools, singing and gymnastic
societies, and other similar organizations and establish¬
ments. There are published in St Louis four daily news¬
papers in English and four in German, and also a number
of weekly publications.
There are 16 Baptist churches, 8 Congregational,
13 Episcopal, 25 German Evangelical and Lutheran, 6
Hebrew congregations, 18 Methodist Episcopal, 8 Methodist
Episcopal Church (South), 25 Presbyterian, 45 Homan
Catholic, and 3 Unitarian. Many of the buildings are of
imposing proportions, built of stone, massive in character,
and with lofty spires. The Roman Catholic cathedral, built
in 1830, is the oldest church now in use. On the high
ground in the central-western portion of the city (Stoddard’s
Addition) will be found most of the costly church build¬
ings, whilst in the northern and southern portions of the
city there are very few indeed.
The parks and squares of St Louis number 19, covering
nearly 2100 acres. Tower Grove Park, in the south-western
suburbs, containing about 266 acres, was presented by Mr
Henry Shaw. The smaller parks are situated to the east
of Grand Avenue, and the driving parks in the suburbs,
—O’Fallon Park (158 acres) at the northern extremity
of the city, Forest Park (1372 acres) west of the central
portion, Tower Grove in the south-west, and Carondelet
(180 acres) in the south. In the immediate vicinity of
Tower Grove Park are the Missouri Botanical Gardens,
established by Mr Henry Shaw, and containing the most
extensive botanical collection in the United States. In
addition to the parks, the Fair Grounds in the north-west
should be mentioned, where the annual fair is held, and
where there is a permanent zoological department. An
amphitheatre, capable of seating between 20,000 and
30,000 spectators, and a race-course with a most elabo¬
rate grand stand, are among the other features. There
are various beer-gardens in the city, largely frequented as
pleasure-resorts. There are about 120 miles of street rail¬
ways in operation.
The following table shows the population of St Louis
at different periods :—
1799 925
1810 1,400
1820 4,928
1830 5,862
1840 16,469
1850 74,439
1856
1866
1870 (United States
census)
1880
125,200
204,327
310,864
350,518
The figures of the United States census are strictly con¬
fined to municipal limits, and do not include the residents
of East St Louis and of various suburban localities, pro¬
perly a part of the city population. In 1880 the popula¬
tion (179,520 males, 170,998 females) was divided as
follows :—native, 245,505 ; foreign-born, 105,013. Of
the latter 36,309 came from Great Britain (28,536 Irish)
and 54,901 from Germany. The death-rate per thousand
in 1882 was lOffi, in 1883 it was 20-4, and in 1885
(population being estimated at 400,000) it was lOff.
The police force, including detectives and employes, numbers
about 500 men. The fire brigade numbers 250 men, with 22 engine-
houses. The city has three public hospitals, an asylum for the
insane, a poorhouse, a workhouse for the confinement and employ¬
ment of prisoners charged with petty offences, and a house of
refuge which is a reformatory institution for juvenile offenders and
for the education of children thrown upon the care of the city by
abandonment or otherwise. The number of asylums, hospitals, and
other institutions supported by private charity is very large.
Government and Finance.—St Louis is not included in any county
of the State, but exists as a separate municipality. It was formerly
embraced in St Louis county, and was within the jurisdiction and
taxing power of a city and county government. The State con¬
stitution was revised in 1875 and two years later the separation of
the city and the county government was effected, the former being
reorganized under the present charter. The city levies and collects
municipal and State revenues within its limits, and manages its
own affairs, free from all outside control, except that of the legis¬
lature of the State. The voters of the city have the right to amend
the charter at intervals of two years at a general or special election,
—provided the proposed amendments have been duly sanctioned
and submitted to
the people by the
municipal assem¬
bly. The legisla¬
tive power of the
city is in the
hands of a council
and a house of
delegates, styled
collectively the
municipal assem¬
bly. The council
is composed of
thirteen mem¬
bers, elected for
four years by
the voters of the
city generally,
and the house of
delegates con¬
sists of one mem¬
ber from each of
the twenty-eight
wards, elected for
two years. The
following officers
are elected for
a term of four
years : — mayor,
comptroller, au¬
ditor, treasurer,
registrar, col¬
lector, recorder
of deeds, inspector of weights and measures, sheriff, coroner, marshal,
public administrator, president of the board of assessors, and pre-