USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > The history of Buchanan County, Missouri > Part 57
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A detailed description of the building, supplied by the architects, is as follows :
The style of the building is Eastlake domestic gothic, and contem- plates a building 400 feet in length and 50 in width, set back from Sixth Street 36 feet, so as to give room for carriage way between present street line and front of building.
The front on Sixth Street will present a central division of 120 feet front, and three stories in height, with a clock tower in the center rising to the height of 150 feet from grade. On each side of this central divi- sion there will be wings of two stories in height, and extending 90 feet in each direction to the end pavilions, which are three stories in height.
All exterior walls will be faced with pressed brick laid in black mortar, with elaborate trimmings of stone, black and moulded brick, and encaustic tiles. All windows will have transoms over them filled with stained cathedral glass in varying designs, set in lead sash. This
1
596
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
work will be of the best description of stained glass work and will give a most beautiful effect to the various rooms of the building.
The first floor of the building will be divided into three parts by open corridors or passage-ways, 16 feet 6 inches wide ; these corridors will be arched over, and faced with pressed brick with trimmings to cor- respond with the exterior of the building. From these passage-ways, the stairways to the second story of the building will start.
The north division will contain the baggage room, 50x50 feet ; two express offices, 22x50 feet ; mailing room and superintendent's room, each 15x25 feet.
The central division between passage-ways will contain ladies' and gents' waiting rooms, each 50x50 feet ; ladies' and gents' wash-rooms, etc., each 18x25 feet ; barber shop and telegraph office, each 18x25 feet ; general ticket office, lunch counters, etc. The south division will con- tain the diningroom, 50x50 feet ; hotel office with wash rooms, etc .; bil- liard room, kitchen, all the necessary pantries, etc., and hotel stair- way to second story of building.
The second story will contain the railroad offices, 18 in number, and 35 large sleeping rooms, hotel parlor, bath rooms, etc. The third story over north pavilion will contain janitor's apartments; the third story over central part 15 sleeping rooms for hotel,and that over the south pavilion the servants' rooms.
The finish throughout the building will be rich and massive and of the style generally known. as "Eastlake." The trimmings for doors and windows will be of gold bronze of rich design. The building will be heated throughout by steam and be supplied with hot and cold water.
In making their estimates for the building, the contractors find that there is a mile and fifty feet of base board on each floor; that there is over a mile of stone belt courses on the building, and that five times around the building makes a mile. It will take about 2, 100,000 brick.
Such is the history and description of the Union Depot, and surely the vexatious delays that have from time to time retarded the work will be forgotten in contemplating the elegance, architectural beauty and convenience of the magnificent structure.
The building will be a lasting monument to the energy, enterprise and public spirit of its projectors.
WATER WORKS.
One of the chief needs of St. Joseph for more than ten years past has been a complete and perfect system of water works, to be employed both as a safeguard against fire and as a means of averting the possibili- ties of a deficient supply in seasons of drought.
But it was not until the 10th day of December, 1879, that anything was actually accomplished in that direction, at which date the Mayor
597
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
approved an ordinance passed by the City Council authorizing the con- struction of water works upon the "gravity system," the supply to be obtained from the Missouri River, above the city limits.
On December 23d, 1879, the contract was let to the St. Joseph Water Company, under bond to complete the works and furnish a full supply of pure, wholesome water within twelve months from that date. This company commenced work on the 4th day of January, 1880, and upon the 12th day of January, 1881, the works were accepted as perfectly satisfactory by the city authorities. In order that our citizens and others may know something of the character and extent of the works, a brief description is here given :
Three miles up the Missouri River, the Water Company purchased one hundred acres of land, where they have since erected their engine and reservoirs, and it is from that point the city is supplied with water.
Few people have an idea of the immense amount of labor and mate- rial it requires to supply a city like St. Joseph with water works. The Water Company was fortunate in procuring the one hundred acres of land upon which the works have been erected. At the foot of the hill, on the ground mentioned, the great engine house stands, and upon the top of the same hill the splendid reservoirs are to be found. A few hun- dred feet from the engine house the water is procured from the Missouri River, and the company went to a heavy expense for the purpose of pro- curing river protection and a constant channel from which to procure at all times the purest water possible. About thirty thousand dollars were spent in this manner, the company well knowing that in order to make the water works of great value to the city, measures should be taken to guard against such a disaster as would result in an insufficient supply of water. All along the banks near the works the ground has been cov- ered with brush and rock, making it perfectly solid, and a piling runs out to the main channel about thirty feet in length. A 24-inch pipe runs from the end of this piling to the engine house and through this pipe the water is forced by the engine into the pipes running along the hill to the reservoirs above.
The building, in which is situated the engine for forcing the water into the reservoirs, is forty feet wide by eighty feet long, and is divided into two compartments. The north compartment is used as a boiler room and in it are placed three boilers, which contain fifty-nine 4-inch flues. These boilers are sixteen feet long, and sixty-four inches in diam- eter.
The southern portion of the room contains the engineer's room and the engines have been located therein. They have, besides the large one, a small engine set up which is capable of throwing one million gal- lons of water into the reservoirs every twenty-four hours. The large engine is capable of throwing four million gallons every twenty-four
598
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
hours. These engines are from R. H. Worthington, of New York, and are built upon the horizontal plan. If one of them gets out of order the other can be put into use, thereby preventing the supply of water from giving out on account of accident. On the west of the engine is the smoke stack, which is one hundred feet high, sixteen feet in diameter at the base and six at the top.
The reservoirs are situated upon the hill above. It cost the com- pany $7,000 to make a road from the foot to the top of this hill, and the reader can, consequently, judge how rough it is down this elevation. An immense amount of work has been expended upon these reservoirs. The great basins are supplied with water by the engines below, the water being first forced into a well west of the elevation, and after that it runs through pipes into the reservoirs, of which there are three. The settling basin is 380 feet long by 85 feet wide, and its capacity is three million gallons. Its depth is twenty feet, and its water level is two feet higher than the reservoir on the south. The company proposes to keep seven- teen feet of water in this department all the time. At the east end there is an overflow pipe from which water can escape. The largest basin of them all is that on the south side, which is 210 feet wide by 300 feet long. Its full capacity is eight million gallons, and the idea is to keep at least fifteen feet of clear or filtered water in this reservoir all the time. Situated at a point midway between the settling basin and the south basin is the affluent well, and the water flows through a twenty-inch pipe and into the same. There is a strainer of copper at the end of this pipe, having five thousand little holes, which prevents the water from getting anything into it that might succeed in reaching the basins. The city receives its water directly from the affluent well mentioned. It is run through a twenty-inch pipe, which is laid under the ground all the way between the city and the reservoirs, three miles distant. The north basin, which is also intended for the filtered water, is 150 feet wide and 300 feet long, and has a capacity of six millions of gallons. Although partly dug out, this basin will not be put in operation for the present. The company has laid a layer of gumbo one foot and a half thick all over the bottom and sides of the basins. Over the gumbo is placed a layer of brick, with the crevices filled up with cement.
If at any time it should be required to empty these basins there is certain machinery on hand that can be placed at work immediately and the old water can be replaced by that which is fresh and pure.
It is hardly probable that all the basins will ever get out of order at the same time. Should they do so, however, the company still has a way to supply the city with water. There is direct connection between the affluent and influent wells and the water is supplied to the city by opening the valves. If such an accident should happen, the company will not warrant the water to be pure, because it cannot go through the
599
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
purifying process in the settling basins. At all other times, the water is warranted clear and pure.
Waste pipes are attached to the reservoirs for draining purposes, which can be readily used at any time.
Reservoir Hill is 330 feet above high water mark, and it is 122 feet higher than any point in St. Joseph. In the business portion of the city the pressure has been, since the works were in operation, 120 pounds to the square inch.
In testing the capacity of the street hydrants it has been demon- strated that in the business portion of the city a stream can be thrown through hose, with a proper nozzle attached, to the height of about IIO feet, while at the corner of Nineteenth and Francis Streets, one of the highest points within the eastern corporate limits, a distance of 65 feet has been shown to be the extreme limit of elevation. From the above facts it will be seen that in a majority of cases the hydrants can be util- ized in place of steam fire engines now used in connection with the fire . department, thus proving a source of economy as well as safety to every citizen.
At first the contract only called for sixteen miles of piping, and 240 fire hydrants, but it has been necessary since then to increase the num- ber of miles from sixteen to twenty-six.
At the present writing, something over twenty miles of main pipe has been laid in place and one hundred and eighty-two hydrants placed at proper locations and in working order. At the junction of the prin- cipal streets, and at other suitable points, stop gates or valves have been inserted in the water mains for shutting off the water in cases of neces- sity or convenience from any of the lines of pipe.
The large supply pipe enters the city at the corner of Third and Middleton Streets, and from there a sixteen-inch pipe runs to Sixth Street, and a twelve-inch pipe to Third. From these points the pipes run in every direction, making the water course every way during day and night.
Anticipating that South St. Joseph is likely to become an important manufacturing point, the water company has run pipes all through that section of the city.
The preparation for drainage in the city are complete. The com- pany has already placed a number of pipes in the lowest parts of the city for that purpose. These pipes are to be kept perfectly clean all the time, so the people can have fresh and pure water constantly.
The works were to cost at first, $300,000, but the company kept adding to the original estimate until the works complete have cost $700,- 000, instead of amount first estimated.
In building the works, the company took into consideration the fact that St. Joseph is likely to grow much larger in the near future, and
600
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
ample arrangements have been made to supply a city of several times the size of St. Joseph, if it becomes necessary, and it is believed that the time is not very far in the future when the company will have occasion to test the capacity of their works to the utmost extent.
The popularity of the works is evidenced by the fact that nearly two hundred and fifty applications have been made since their completion for water supply for private residences, stores, hotels, factories, mills, etc. This even exceeds the most sanguine expectations of the company and is a gratifying assurance of liberal patronage in the near future.
The officers of the company are: W. Scott Fitz, President; T. J. Chew, Jr., Secretary ; J. W. Rutherfoord, Chief Engineer ; H. F. Juengst, Ass't Engineer ; Theo. W. Davis, Superintendent of the Works. The company keeps from thirty-five to forty hands constantly employed.
The building of such immense water works is an undertaking that requires great engineering and mechanical skill, and Major Rutherfoord . has demonstrated his capacity as an engineer by so successfully com- . pleting the work.
Such is the description of the St. Joseph water works, which are destined to be of so much value and pleasure to the people of St. Joseph, and which constitute one of the grandest enterprises that have been completed in the city in 1880.
ST. JOSEPH CLEARING HOUSE.
The St. Joseph Clearing House was organized in February, 1877, with A. Beattie, as President and E. O. Sayle, Manager. After the death of Mr. Beattie, in 1878, Mr. John Colhoun was elected to the position of President, and the present officers are: John Colhoun, President ; E. O. Sayle, Manager ; C. B. France, Geo. C. Hull and Thos. W. Evans, Man- aging Committee.
The clearings of a city are sometimes supposed to be a fair index. to its business transactions, yet this is a fallacy, and, for obvious reasons, this fact can be easily demonstrated. For illustration : if but one bank did the business of a city there could be no clearings at all ; while if two banks only existed there could be clearings, but they would not show as large transactions as if there were ten banks doing exactly the same amount of business as the two. The reason is, that if A, B, C. and D, are all depositors in one bank, though they may have transac- tions amounting to millions of dollars between each other, yet their checks never go through the clearing house ; while if these same parties, A, B, C and D, were depositors in four different banks their full trans- actions would pass through clearing house books. From this cause the clearings of St. Joseph do not approximate the figures which would be shown did eight banks do the same business that four are now doing
601
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
yet the figures are creditable and will be found below, given in detail, from 1877, by months, up to January 1, 1881 :
MONTH.
1877.
I878.
1879.
1880.
January .
$
$ 2,820,000 $ 2, 104,000
$ 2,762,000
February
312,000
1,678,000
1,786,000
2,462,000
March .
1.920,000
1,758,000
1,966,000
2,842,000
April .
2,094,000
1,974,000
1,784,000
2,464,000
May .
2,070,000
2,372,000
2,010,000
2,226,000
June
2,080,000
1,998,000
1,706,000
2,810,000
July
1,937,000
1,984,000
1,850,000
2,170,000
August
2,000,000
1,620,000
1,868,000
2,680,000
September
2,134,000
I 590,000
2,120,000
2,758,000
October
2.704,000
1,926,000
2 450,000
3,192,000
November .
2,570,000
1,678,000
2,332,000
3,674,000
December
3,118,000
1,630,000
2,836 000
3,678,000
Total
$22,939,000
$23,028,000 $24,812,000|$33,718,000
The Union Stock Yards Company was organized several years ago, but owing to the fact that the railroads have not endeavored to create a stock market in this city, the transactions are consequently small in comparison to what they should be were shippers required to unload here as is done in Kansas City. Hundreds of cars of stock go through the city annually which are not permitted to pass through the stock yards. But the prospect of new and rival lines of road will soon remedy this discrimination, and when St. Joseph gets a favorable arrangement in this direction she will soon become a great stock market.
The transactions of the stock yards for the past three years are as follows :
KIND OF STOCK.
1878.
I879.
ISSO.
Head of hogs
69,710
99.513
102,150
Head of cattle.
5,992
15.005
20,592
Head of horses and mules .
1,842
3,179
3,505
Head of sheep .
3,564
2,293
5,990
The capacity of the yards is limited, at present, to fifty pens, which will accommodate 2,500 head of cattle and 3,000 head of hogs.
LIVE STOCK.
During the year 1880, nearly 10,000 head of cattle were marketed in St. Joseph, which amounted to an aggregate value of about $300,000.
This is becoming a large market for horses and mules, and is now the chief source from which the Government secures supplies for the
37
UNION STOCK VARDS.
602
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
cavalry and frontier service. There were about 4,000 horses and mules sold in this market in 1880, of a total value of $350,000. A great por- tion of this number were shipped out to Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, 1 Kansas, Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana and South Carolina.
There were 140,000 head of hogs sold in this city in 1880, of a value of $2,000,000, making the total sales of live stock $2,650,000. This does not include over 200,000 head of hogs bought in this county at the great packing house of Fowler Bros.
.
PACKING HOUSES.
The geographical position which this city occupies as a center of a large agricultural section, whose products naturally seek this point for a market, brings the city into great prominence as an advantageous point for pork packing. The tendency of this trade is westward, where hogs can be got cheaply and handled at little expense. St. Joseph is steadily growing in importance as a packing point, from the fact that she is sur- rounded by a section of country producing hogs in marvelous abundance that seek a market here.
Kansas City, which is growing to be a great packing point, depends largely upon this section for material. The additional cost of transpor- tation to that city is a telling advantage in favor of St. Joseph packers. Barrels, fuel and labor are obtained here as cheap as at any point in the west. The total number of hogs packed in the city during the season of 1880-1, to March Ist, was 120,000.
In the Gazette of January 30, 1846, we find the following :
" We are informed that there have been upwards of 5,000 hogs and about 200 beef cattle slaughtered in this place, besides near 2,000 which have been brought here slaughtered. Averaging the hogs at 175 pounds, and the beef cattle at 600, which is a very low estimate, we have ready for shipment 1,225,000 pounds of pork, and 120,000 pounds of beef, besides upwards of 600 barrels of lard and tallow. From differ- ent statements we have seen there have been more hogs slaughtered in this place than any other of its size in the state, and more than in towns of twice its population. When it is taken into consideration that this is the first season anything of the kind has been attempted, what may we not expect in a few years. Arrangements will be made to carry on extensively next season."
From this we would infer that, in an early day, it was believed that St. Joseph was destined to become a great pork and beef packing center. This anticipation has not, however, been realized. The result is due to natural causes, however, and it is no reflection on the enterprise of the people of Buchanan County that so large a portion of her annual yield of cattle and hogs is shipped abroad alive.
603
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPHI.
There are at present (1881) three packing houses in the city. The oldest of these was established by the present proprietor, David Pinger, in 1853. It was located at first on Blacksnake. It is now (1881) near the Francis Street Depot. About five hands are generally employed. Slaughtering here is principally done for the butchers.
Hax & Brother were established in 1868. Their packing house and office are on the corner of Fourth and Mary Streets. They employ in the winter season between sixty and eighty hands, and also pack to a limited extent in summer.
The packing house of H. Krug & Co. was established in the winter of 1877-78. H. Krug, President; James McCord, Vice-President and Treasurer ; George C. Hax, Secretary. The capital stock of the com- pany is $72,000. In the winter of 1879-80, this house packed between 60,000 and 65,000 hogs. In the summer, about 24,000 head were packed. In August, 1881, they slaughtered I,Soo hogs per week.
Connett Brothers, who packed in 1880, about 6,000 hogs, on their farm in the county, are now (1881) erecting a spacious brick structure south of the city limits, which will cost, when completed, about $25,000 or $30,000. Its packing capacity will be from 1,000 to 1,500 per day.
To Fowler Brothers' mammoth establishment, and to Smith, Farlow & Co.'s, at Winthrop, we have already referred.
ICE.
The past winter has afforded the best ice harvest ever before known in this city, and this fact was taken advantage of by all dealers and large consumers to lay in an abundant supply. The following statement shows the number of tons taken from the Missouri River and Lake Con- trary and stored for use :
Breweries . 40,000 tons
Packing companies 25,000
25,000 16 Ice dealers .
Private use
10,000
Total 100,000 tons
The average cost of storing ice last season was less than $1 per ton, while the average cost of imported ice the year previous was $4.50 per ton.
OPERA HOUSE.
No other city in the entire West can boast of so fine a temple devoted to the dramatic art, nor comparing in size and elegance of appointment, with the Opera House in this city.
The building was erected by Mr. Milton Tootle, in 1873, at a cost of $150,000. It is regarded by all as the finest theatre west of Chicago,
604
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH.
and was recently pronounced by John McCullough to be as well adapted to the presentation of the drama as any theatre in England or America.
The ground floor is fitted up with six fine stores with plate glass windows, designed for the retail line. The upper stories are for offices, the entrance to which is on Fifth Street. The grand entrance to the auditorium is on Francis Street, and has a width of sixteen feet. It is reached by an easy ascent of four short flights of stairs, which convey the spectators into an exceedingly handsome interior, fitted up with all the accessories of modern opera seats, elegant crystal chandelier and bracket lights, handsome galleries, artistic frescoes, and a proscenium, with its side boxes and drop curtains, that entrances one like a fairy scene. The auditorium is 66x69 feet, and 45 feet from pit to dome. The seating capacity is 1,400, which will be large enough for any growth of the city for ten years to come. The stage is 40x60 feet, with a prosce- nium arch of 32 feet. It is most perfect in its appointments, being sup- plied with all the modern machinery and twelve sets of scenery. In the rear of the stage are the green room and dressing rooms-apartments furnished with all the conveniences and comforts of home life ; an atten- tion to the well-being of theatrical performers scarcely ever displayed. which reflects the highest credit on the humanity of the public spirited proprietor.
THE CITY HALL.
This spacious, lofty and elegant three-story structure which occu- pies the area of Market Square, was erected in 1873. Stigers & Bættner were the architects, and R. K. Allen, builder. It fronts 70 feet on Felix, and 70 on Edmond, extending between these streets 140 feet, the side windows looking out on Second Street and on Market Square. The principal material used in the construction of this building is brick. The doors and windows are surmounted with semi-circular arches, trimmed like other parts of the building, with cut stone. The roof and tower- caps are of tin, tasefully painted in the South-Americo-Anaconda style. The altitude of the structure to the caves is 55 feet, and from the base to the top of the cupola is 92 feet.
The lower floor is used as a City Market House. The second story is occupied by city officials, lawyers and others. The third floor is an immense public hall, fitted up with gallery, ante-rooms, and all the appli- ances of modern conveniences properly pertaining to such places of public assembly. The upper floors are approached by four spacious and easy stairways, cach occupying a corner of the building, thus affording, under all circumstances, convenient egress and entrance.
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