History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 67

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 67

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Young Meyer, realizing that a knowledge of Eng- lish was essential to success in this country, attended a private school for the purpose of learning the lan- guage, but his means being limited he was obliged to leave school and make his own way in the world. During the same year (1848) he entered Reed's drug store at Fort Wayne as an apprentice. His progress was rapid, and by close attention to his duties during the day, and by employing his nights in studies per- taining to the business, he soon won the confidence of his employer. In the following year the cholera was prevalent, and owing either to the sickness of the proprietor and clerks or their absence from town, he was left in sole charge of the store for several weeks, and in this arduous crisis acquitted himself with great

skill and credit. In August, 1852, having saved four hundred or five hundred dollars, hc, in company with an acquaintance, opened' a retail drug store in the same place. The venture proved very successful.

What Mr. Meyer is accustomed to call the most fortunate event of his life occurred in July, 1854,- his marriage with Miss Frances F. Schmidt, a lady who some years previous had come to this country from Alsace, then a French province. To this alli- ance Mr. Meyer attributes a great share of liis suc- cess in life, she having proved a helpmeet for him in every sense of the word. Their domestic relations have been of the happiest character, and their union has been blessed with nine children,-seven boys and two girls,-of whom eight are living.

Meanwhile the business at Fort Wayne continued to prosper, and with increasing success and confi- dence Mr. Meyer became imbued with the desire to conduct operations on a larger scale. Accordingly he visited St. Louis in May, 1865, and made arrange- ments to establish a wholesale business. In Septem- ber he purchased the stock of J. Mathews & Sons, then in business at the corner of Second and Locust Streets. The stock amounted to about seventy thou- sand dollars, but although considered quite large in those days, when nearly everything was about one hundred per cent. more costly than at present, it would now be comparatively small.

The rapid shrinkage in values which set in after the war subjected all who were then in business to a severe ordeal, and many succumbed, but by assiduous labor and extraordinarily good management the firm was enabled to weather the storm, and its present stand- ing is a proud monument to Mr. Meyer's early labors.

Mr. Meyer is a prominent member of the German Lutheran Church, and at present is one of the, trus- tees of the Concordia Theological Seminary (Lu- theran), on Jefferson Avenue, as also of the congre- gation where he worships.

While necessarily devoting the greater portion of his time to his extensive business, he has yet been able to indulge to some extent a taste for literature. At Fort Wayne, besides attending to his drug busi- ness, he for some time owned and edited a paper, and since then has written more or less for the press. He has also traveled much in this country and abroad, principally on account of his health, which on several occasions has been impaired by overwork.

Although Mr. Meyer's associations outside of his business have been chiefly with Germans, he speaks the English language with the ease and fluency of his mother-tongue. He has also acquired a fair knowledge of French.

LIBRARY Ot THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

1291

TRADE, COMMERCE, AND MANUFACTURES.

Mr. Meyer has been uniformly successful in busi- ness. The building he first occupied, at the corner of Second and Locust Streets, soon proved too con- tracted for his rapidly increasing trade, and accord- ingly in January, 1867, the house removed to the building Nos. 6 and 8 North Second Street, occupying the four floors and the cellar. A few years later addi- tional space was demanded, and Nos. 10 and 12 were added, and about four years since the cry for "more room" forced them to occupy the adjoining structure, Nos. 14 and 16. This gave them the entire building, one hundred and eight feet front by one hundred and fifty feet deep, four stories high, in addition to the cel- lars, in all nearly two acres of floor space.' They also have an extensive store in Kansas City, the largest drug establishment west of St. Louis, while they still maintain the one in Fort Wayne, which is in reality the parent house. C. F. G. Meyer is the controlling mind in the firm, which, perhaps, conducts the largest jobbing drug business in the world, the annual sales amounting to millions of dollars.

Oils .- In 1843, Dr. Hoffman exhibited in St. Louis a sample of steam-refined lard-oil, manufactured at his establishment on Market Street, corner of Thirteenth, which was " as pure and clear as the best sperm, and burns as brightly." The oil was manu- facturcd from " inferior qualities of lard," and fur- nished to purchasers " at very low prices." The chandlers and lard-oil factories in St. Louis num- bered in 1850 ten factories, with invested capital of ninety-nine thousand three hundred dollars, employing two hundred and twenty-six hands, and producing annually four hundred and nincty-eight thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars.

In 1857 the Patent Press Oil-Works, Latourette, Wyman & Grant, proprietors, were erected for the manufacture of oil from flaxseed, castor-beans, and cot- ton-secd. The great scarcity of the two former led the proprietors to turn their attention to cotton-secd, upon which they had experimented successfully. Though originally designed for the exclusive manufacture of linsced- and castor-oil, these works were early em- ployed in making cotton-seed oil, which was found so far profitable as to induce the proprietors to push their efforts in that direction. The proprietors were among the first parties in the world who succeeded in making oil from cotton-seed so as to make it pay. After ex- perimenting with thirty thousand bushels of the seed, they found so fine a margin in it as to induce thiem to extend their operations.

The oil was shipped to New Orleans, to the East, and Europe, and the cake was found to be highly valuable as food for cattle.

In 1877 the business of manufacturing cotton-seed oil was further extended by the opening of "The Future City Oil-Works," J. J. Powers, proprietor, at 607 South Levce, where buildings occupying the whole block had been secured, and power, presses, and sieves, with cleaning apparatus, erected. The capital invested (one hundred thousand dollars) has been increased, and the yearly value of the products amounts to more than three hundred thousand dollars, the factory employing one hundred and fifty hands, and manufacturing five thousand barrels of oil and five thousand tons of cake. A ready market is found in Europe, where the oil is manipulated into salad- and olive-oil.

The receipts of petroleum at St. Louis during the years from 1877 to 1881 were :

Years.

Receipts.

[ 106,023 barrels.

1881.

1,400 tanks.

68,928 barrels.

· 1880

1,320 tanks. 62,707 barrels. 897 tanks.

1879

61,651 barrels. 1

1878

842 tanks.

1877

109,053 barrels.

Lard-oil was made by three firms in 1881, who employed twenty-five hands, whosc wages were thirteen thousand one hundred dollars annually. They trans- acted a yearly business of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the capital invested was ninety- six thousand two hundred dollars.

Dry-Goods. - The dry-goods trade of St. Louis has gradually expanded from the humble transactions of 1808 until at this writing the city offers a market to buyers surpassed by none in the country for variety, extent, and cheapness.1

On the 23d of July, 1808, the following announce- ment was made in the Missouri Gazette :

1 " It must not be understood by the reader that a merchant at that time approximated at all in his business relations to the merchant of to-day. A place occupying but a few feet square would contain all of their goods ; and, indeed, during the period of the first growth of St. Louis a merchant kept all of his goods in a chest or box, which was opened whenever a purchaser would appear. Sugar, coffee, gunpowder, blankets, paint, spices, salt, knives, hatchets, guns, kitchen-ware, hunting-shirts, and every variety of coarse dry-goods were stored together.

"Owing to the tediousness of navigation, the prices de- manded for all articles of importation were enormous. Sugar and coffee were each two dollars per pound, and everything else in proportion. Tea was almost unknown until the advent of the United States government. Articles now regarded as in- dispensable to human existence, and occupying a low position in the scale of human comfort, were then esteemed the greatest luxuries, and so expensive as to be enjoyed only on state occa- sions, and then with parsimony."-Edwards' Great West, p. 289.

1292

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

" I will sell to the highest bidder for cash, on Tuesday, the 3d of August next, at ten o'clock A.M., at the house of Mrs. Labadie, in the town of St. Louis, an invoice of goods amount- ing to between seven and eight hundred dollars, viz .: Best Cognac brandy, that has been more than three years in cedar at this town; dry-goods, consisting of cloths, strouds, chintzes, calicoes, muslins, Irish linen ; saddlery, chewing tobacco, etc., and a large quantity of well-assorted castings and hardware.

" As the sole object of the sale is to raise the aforesaid sumn of money, the goods must be sold, fetch what they will; there- fore great bargains will be given.

" JERE. CONNOR, Auctioneer."

Wilkinson & Price were transacting business Au- gust 2d at Papin's old store. September 14th, St. Louis furnishes the first big advertisement to the Gazette, viz. : " Hunt & Hankinson have received, in addition to their former stock, and are now opening a general assortment of merchandise, which they will sell at the most reduced prices for cash, viz. : Tin and hardware, medicincs, stationery, saddlery of all kinds, wrought nails, cut do. of all sizes, men's hats, women's do., wool do., boots and shoes, ladies sprig'd kid and morocco shoes, plain do., Jefferson do., children's do., Lisbon wine, claret do., Cognac brandy, Imperial tea, Young Hyson do., Hyson skin do., loaf sugar, lump do., Muscovado do., coffee, chocolate, mustard, box raisins, best Spanish cigars, dry-goods," etc.

Jacob Philipson announced in the Gazette of Nov. 9, 1808, that he was "opening at his new store, opposite post-office, a seasonable supply of dry-goods and a general assortment of groceries, among which are blankets, shoes, madder, and turkey red, linseed- oil, tanners' do., fresh teas, coffee, chocolate, and sugar, shad, mackerel, a few German and English Bibles, Testaments, hymn-books, etc., all of which he intends selling for cash at reasonable prices."

As indicated by the advertisements given above, the dry-goods store of the olden time was a variety-shop, such, for instance, as that of " Z. Mussina, just arrived from Philadelphia via Pittsburgh, with a large assort- ment of dry-goods, groceries, queensware, ironmongery, tin-ware, paints," which he offered " for sale at the old stand of Madame Labadie (lately occupied by A. C. Dunn) and opposite to Mr. Jacob Philipson." About this time also H. Austin & Co., of Ste. Genevieve, have a displayed advertisement. They offer to sell " brown, drab, and mixed broadcloths at from $2 to $6 per yard ; 1000 yards of calicocs from 50 to 75 cents per yard ; cotton laces from $1.25 to $2.50; best green coffee at 62} cents per pound ; loaf and lump sugar at 50 cents per pound. Goods purchased in New York for cash, and will be sold as low as any in the Territory for cash, or lead at $6 pcr 100 pounds, delivered at Ste. Genevieve or Herculaneum."

The following advertisements indicate the character of the trade and give the names of the merchants who conducted it during this year (1809) :

April 26 .- " Falconer & Comegys have just received and offer for sale at reasonable prices, at St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve, merchandise suitable for the approaching season."

May 24 .- " For sale, 300 yards fine country linen, 1400 yards tow linen, 1500 pounds nails, 2000 gallons old whiskey, also a quantity of white rope. The above-mentioned articles will be sold by the quantity for cash, as low as first cost and carriage from Lexington, Ky., to this place. Those who wish to pur- * chase will please call at the house formerly occupied by Mr. P. Leduc, opposite Alexander McNair's. GEORGE DALE."

July 26 .- " The subscriber has opened in the store formerly occupied by Messrs. Hunt & Hankinson an assortment of dry- goods, groceries, and hardware, which he is determined to sell at reasonable terms. MATTHEW KERR."

September 13 .- " Merchant tailor. Bernard Lalende, lately arrived from Bordeaux, takes the liberty to inform the public that he intends to follow the tailoring business in all its branches. He also takes this method of informing the ladies and gentle- men that he will sell at his shop cloth and other stuff, handker- chiefs, thread, wine, coffee, and Imperial tea, also an assortment of the best fiddle-strings."

September 13 .- " P. Berthold and Paul, lately arrived from Baltimore and Philadelphia, offer for sale a very elegant assort- ment of dry-goods and groceries at very moderate prices for cash. They keep their store at Mr. Valois', Main Street."

December 21 .- Bernard Pratte and John P. Cabanné an- nounced that they had fresh goods on hand at "Pratte's old corner, Main and Market Streets."

December 26 .- " William Shannon is now opening at the house of Francis Benoit a complete assortment of goods suitable to the present and approaching season."

During this year (June 7th) the dissolution of the firm of Hunt & Hankinson (Wilson P. Hunt and John Hankinson) was announced, and Henry M. Shreve & Co. (Fergus Moorehead) advertised a stock of goods next to Robidoux's residence, Block 6. On the 27th of September, Jacob Philipson announced the removal of his store to next above Gratiot's; and Falconer & Comegys advertised their store " in Labadie' store-house."

In 1810 the Gazette contained the following an- nouncements :

January 11th .- " Just received an assortment of dry-goods and groceries, for sale at reasonable terms, also a keel-boat seventy feet in length. SAMUEL PERRY."

February 20th .- " F. Menard has the honor of informing the public that he is now opening, at the house of Mr. Pierre Chou- teau, the following articles, which he will sell at wholesale or retail on very low terms : Sugar per one hundred pounds, $20 ; coffee perone hundred pounds, $40; Marscilles soap, dry-goods, Russia sheeting, brown linen, blankets, French brandy, rum, claret, etc."

April 19th .- " George Pescay, just from Philadelphia, with fresh goods, opened in the house of the late Mr. Robidoux."

April 23d .- " H. M. Shreve and Fergus Moorhead's store in Robidoux's log store, in block No. 6."

April 26th .- " Thomas Hickey, tailor and ladies' habit- maker, has commenced business on the Public Square, nearly opposite Col. Chouteau's."

April 26th .- " H. M. Shreve & Co. have brought from Phil- adelphia and opened at St. Louis a complete and general as- sortment of dry-goods, groceries, hardware, china, and queens- ware, iron, steel, castings, and stationery, at the most reduced

1293

TRADE, COMMERCE, AND MANUFACTURES.

priees. They have opened at Ste. Genevieve an assortment of the above-mentioned goods, which shall he sold at reduced profit."

April 26th .-- " Wood & Dunn have just arrived from Phil- adelphia, and have opened in St. Louis a general assortment of dry-goods suitable to the season, also groceries, queens and hardware, ete. They have also opened in Ste. Genevieve an assortiment of dry-goods, groceries, hardware, etc."

May 10th .- "J. G. Comegys & Co. just returned from Phila- delphia with a large stock of fresh, goods, opposite Charles Gratiot."

July 12th .- " Patriek Lee, auctioneer, broker, and commis- sion merehant, informs the publie that his store near the post- office is well provided with dry-goods and groceries, which he will sell at a moderate price. He has commenced the business of a broker and auctioneer in the town of St. Louis, and will execute with the greatest punctuality the orders of such persons as may address themselves to him in that line."

September 20th .- " Horaee Austin is opening at the old stand of Messrs. Faleoner & Comegys a handsome assortment of dry- goods."

Ahout this time the terms of sale were harter and exchange rather than cash. When "a heap of whiskey and peach hrandy" were offered hy Frederick Yeiger (1811) for "heef hides," with the remark, "no credit, as he can't write," it is not surprising that "Joseph Bouju, clock- and watch-maker, silversmith and jeweler," should offer for sale "cherry hounce, ratifia de Grenoble, whiskey, a gig and harness, with his kecl- hoat and apparatus."

On Jan. 12, 1811, Jacob Philipson offered his goods " low to close out."

February 14th, Moses Scott advertised his store, "next ahove Baird's shop," and on May 22d McKnight & Brady informed the public that they had on hand a large stoek of fresh goods opposite the residenee of Gen. William Clark (Papin's old store).

Christian Wilt, from Philadelphia, advertised his goods July 25th, in Mussina's stand, and Depestre, De Mun & Co. an- nounced September 11th that they were just from Philadelphia and Baltimore with an assortment of new goods.

In May, 1812, it was announced that McNair, Thompson & Co. had just opened a handsome assortment of merchandise from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Madame Rohidoux's house (Block 5), and that J. F. Laveille, just from New Orleans, had opened a new store in Madame Chouteau's house (Block 33). On the 6th of June the dissolution of the firm of Berthold & Paul was announced, and on the 17th of September the closing out of the business of Depestre & De Mun. On October 10th it was stated that Smith, Von Phul & Co., of Lexington, Ky., had dissolved, and that Smith & Von Phul would continue ; and on November 6th that Veuve Pescay and Michael Tesson had dis- solved the partnership existing since February, 1811, and that M. Tesson would continue alone.

During 1813 the following advertisements among others ap- peared :

January 9th .- " To the Ladies. Shawls, fine muslins, hon- nets, laces, etc., for sale at a moderate pricc. M. TESSON." June 19th .- " Berthold & Chouteau have on sale a general assortment of dry-goods, groceries, hardware and croekcry, etc."

November 13th .- " Mcknight & Brady have just received from Baltimore an additional supply of woolens; will be sold for cash at their store on Main Street, opposite Governor Clark's."

On the 31st of December, 1814, Mcknight & Brady gave notice that they had sold their stock and desired their accounts settled up.

Peter Lindell & Co. announced Nov. 26, 1814, that they would close their business on the 1st of January, 1815.

About the close of the war of 1812, say in 1816, there was quite an influx of men of business and capital to St. Louis. Some who, doubtless, during the war had studied its advantages decided that it was equally adapted for trade in peace, and the close of the war having given a great impetus to scttlement in Illinois and Missouri, all these new settlements, as well as the old ones, began to look more and more to St. Louis as their place of obtaining sup- plies. Among those who came here at or about that time as merchants or engaging in mercantile pursuits were Col. John O'Fallon, Peter and Jesse Lindell, and Henry Von Phul. Others came after them, among them George Collier and James Clem- ens, Jr. Among the other merchants of St. Louis about this time were Thomas and John Crom- well, Charles W. Hunter, Isaac Bennett, Theodore Hunt, James Kennerly, Smith & Spicer, Thomas Hanly, Réné Paul & Co. (" new goods from Phila- delphia and Baltimore in his new store-house," Block 4), John B. Herpin & Son (" new store from Phila- delphia in Patrick Lee's former stand," Block 37), Stephen R. Wiggins, Patrick M. Dillon (at the house of Maj. P. Chouteau, Main Street, Block 28), John Little, Porter, Glasgow & Nivin, Maddock & Duval, and Charles Wahrendorff, who advertised German goods at Perkins & Drip's store, opposite the post- office. One of the leading business men and influen- tial citizens of St. Louis about this time was Thomas Forsyth, who was a prominent figure in the early history of Illinois and Missouri. His father, Wil- liam Forsyth, was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, who came to America in 1757. After a short stay in Philadelphia he went to Canada, and was wounded in the battle of Quebec, where both Wolfe and Mont- calm fell. He married in Canada and settled in De- troit (then a British town), where, Dec. 5, 1771, Thomas Forsyth was born. The boy received a plain but practical education, which qualified him for both the public and private business in which he after- wards engaged.

In 1793, Thomas Forsyth left Detroit, in company with his half-brother, John Kenzie, the founder of Chicago, and for several years engaged in trade with the Illinois Indians. In one of his Eastern trips he met and married a lady named De Maillot, of Hagers- town, Md., and in 1809 settled at Peoria, Ill. During the subsequent Indian troubles he exercised a great influence over the savages, especially the Pottawato- mies, years of dealing with them having given him a perfect knowledge of their language and disposition.

1294

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

To the Governors of both Missouri and Illinois he repeatedly conveyed intimations of threatened hostili- ties, and while he could not always avert war, he was able to do much to mitigate its horrors.

In recognition of his services he was appointed Indian agent at Peoria, with full power to act in case of an emergency, but the appointment was kept secret lest he should lose his influence over the tribes. After the massacre at the site of Chicago, in August, 1812, Mr. Forsyth, at the risk of his life, went directly to the Indians and secured the ransom of some of their captives. This was a most dangerous service, for liad the Indians been aware of the fact that he was a government agent, he would no doubt have been burnt at the stake. It required the utmost sagacity and the greatest tact and skill to conduct thesc ne- gotiations so as to retain the confidence of suspicious Indians ; but his uniform kindness towards them and, above all, his unvarying candor and truthfulness in dealing with them gave him great influence and caused them to trust him implicitly. More than once his life was imperiled by the machinations of enemies who sought to compass his death at the hands of the savages, but his tact and good fortune always enabled him to escape.

Mr. Forsyth acted as agent for the Illinois In- dians during the war, and when peace was declared he was intrusted with a still more responsible duty,- that of agent for the Sac and Fox Indians. He made treaties with these nations, which were always ratified by the government, and was charged with the distribution of large sums of money and great amounts of merchandise, which duty he performed with the strictest honesty and with marked ability. He re- tained this agency for many years, and it is thought that had he continued to hold the office the Black Hawk war would not have occurred.

He finally removed to St. Louis, and resided in the little village for several years, at the same time per- formning the duties of Indian agent and visiting Peoria as often as was necessary. He bought eight hundred acres of land owned by Jean Marie Papin (the progenitor of the Papin family), and forming a large part of what is now Forest Park, where he re- sided for the rest of his life, dying in 1832.

Nature bestowed upon Thomas Forsyth a sound and well-balanced mind in a sound and athletic body. He was a gifted talker and a most pleasant and enter- taining companion. Benevolence and kindness of heart were his predominant traits. He occupied a prominent position in the community, as was due to one who had performed important public services. His private life was amiable and blameless, and he

died universally esteemed and regretted. He left four children,-John, who died at the age of twenty- one, while studying medicine with Dr. Farrar ; Thomas, who was a rover, and died away from home ; Mary, who married a French gentleman named Bouis and died within a year thereafter ; and Robert, who was born in 1808 and died Nov. 1, 1872.

Robert Forsyth was a farmer, leading a quiet life of ease on his estate in St. Louis County, and was a respected citizen. He married Miss Anna M. Culver, of Pensacola, Fla., and left three children, all of whom are yet living,-William Forsyth, a resident of Kirkwood, near St. Louis ; Mary, who married Dr. G. H. Morrill, and lives in St. Louis; and Laura, who married E. M. Tesson.

On Oct. 18, 1817, it was announced that Ber- thold & Chouteau's partnership had expired, and that A. P. Chouteau, De Mun, and John B. Sarpy would open there. November 29th it was stated that " Thomas Estes' one hundred thousand dollar" stock of goods had just been opened "in the store lately occupied by R. Collet, lower end." December 6th notice was given of " Gabriel and Réné Paul's large stock opening in R. Paul's stone house, North Main Street." Sanguinet & Bright advertised their store, December 13th, on Block 6, nearly opposite the post- office, and Bernard Pratte gave notice, December 13th, of his removal to his new brick house between Clemens' and Smith's stores. About this time Thomas McGuire & Co. transacted business " opposite Gover- nor Clark's, lately M. Scott."

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 67

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358