The History of Louisville, from the Earliest Settlement till the Year 1852 Part 10

It is not for the historian to dwell at any length upon subjects kindred to this, agreeable as the theme may be. We must then revert again to the usual details of the year. The first of these was the reception here of the distinguished Mr. Webster, who was met some twelve miles from the city by a large number of citizens. On his arrival he was welcomed by the Mayor and invited to meet the citizens at a barbacue near the city. The season was one of great festivity, and nearly four thousand persons were present at the barbacue. Mr. Webster addressed the citizens in his usual felicitous manner.

An important event of the year was the addition of the town of Portland to the limits of the city. The building of the First Presbyterian, and of St.

Paul's (Episcopal) Church, and of the bank of Louisville, as well as the selection of this point as the site for the government hospital, and the incorporation of the Louisville Manufacturing Company, are among the events of this year. A paper called the Western Journal of Education, was also issued from the Journal office, under the editorship of the Rev. B.

O. Peers, but was soon discontinued for want of sufficient patronage.

For some time previous to this period the removal of the medical department of Transylvania University at Lexington to this city had occupied much attention, and had created some bitterness of feeling between the two cities. In this year this vexed question was finally decided by the Legislature against the removal; no less to the gratification of Lexington than to the serious annoyance of this city. The examination of the subject however brought to light an old charter, pa.s.sed in 1833 and amended in 1835, which sufficed to enable a new school of medicine to be established here. The city accordingly set apart four acres of ground and the sum of $50,000 in money for its use, and so organized a medical school here, of which Messrs. Caldwell, Cooke, Cobb, Flint, Yandell, Miller and Locke were the professors. In February of the next year, the corner stone of the building to be erected by the city for this use was laid, and soon after Dr. Flint, with the money appropriated for that purpose, visited Europe, and purchased a fine library and apparatus for the Inst.i.tution. Few, if any medical schools in the United States, have ever risen as rapidly in public favor, or as speedily attained as high position in public estimation as this. The first course of lectures was delivered to 80 students, the second to 120, the third to 205, the fifth to 262; and since that time the cla.s.ses have reached 400 pupils. It has attained the rank of the first school of medicine in the West, and is second to few in the country. There is now another medical school in this city, which will be noticed at the proper place.

The next year--1838--brings us to the opening of a railroad to Portland.

This road was intended to connect with the Lexington and Ohio railroad. It was kept in employ but a very short time, the citizens on Main Street below the depot at Sixth were violently opposed to the road, and used every effort to impair its usefulness. After the establishment of the Blind Asylum here, the profits of this road were transferred to that inst.i.tution; but it did not long enjoy the advantages so offered, for the road was discontinued by an application to court from some of the citizens, as offensive to some, and unprofitable to all.

A glance at the population of the city for this year will show, that in spite of the commercial difficulties of the time, the city still grew with astonishing rapidity. It had now reached a population of 27,000, showing a gain of 7,033 in three years.

The only other event worthy of remembrance was the robbery of the Savings Bank. This was effected in the daytime, by a man named Clarendon E. Dix, who entered the bank about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Soon after this time, Mr. Julien, the cashier of the bank, entered the establishment and found Dix, who had still in his hand the large bank hammer, with which he had killed the clerk whom he found there. Finding that he should be vanquished in the struggle with Mr. Julien, Dix drew a pistol and shot himself. He was believed to be insane.

The Literary Newsletter, a paper under the charge of Ed. Flagg, editor, was issued from the Journal office in December of this year. Its existence was limited to about thirty months. It was however eminently deserving of a much greater success than attended its issue.

The Kentucky Historical Society was also incorporated at this time, under the direction of Hon. J. Rowan, President; Hon. Geo. M. Bibb and Hon.

Henry Pirtle, Vice Presidents; D. C. Banks, Recording Secretary; and Edward Jarvis, Corresponding Secretary and Librarian. Its library which was ama.s.sed by the indefatigable zeal of Dr. Jarvis, is now incorporated with the Louisville Library. The Society itself is not now in active existence.

Early in 1839, there was established a Ladies' Provident Society, for the benefit of the poor. This society was organized in the best possible manner, and was of very great value to the city. A depot for the reception of donations of food, clothing, &c., was established, where also work was provided for such indigent females as failed to find employment elsewhere.

The city was divided into wards, to each of which two female and one male visitor was apportioned, and the poor in each district were carefully and judiciously attended to. No better scheme for ameliorating the distress which is ever to be found in cities, could have been invented, and it is greatly to be regretted that this n.o.ble monument of charity no longer exists. The present form of provision for the dest.i.tute, though good, is far less effective than was this; and it is believed that if the Provident Society were now re-established, the increase both of wealth and population in the city would prevent its second failure. The Scotch Benevolent Society, which is an a.s.sociation of Scotchmen for the purpose of relieving any necessitous persons of their own countrymen who may be in Louisville, was also inst.i.tuted at this time, and is still in active operation.

The well remembered visit to this city of the beautiful and accomplished America, descendant of Amerigo Vespucci, the voyager whose name is so closely identified with the discovery of this continent, occurred during this year. It will be recollected that she was an exile, and in distress; and that she had visited this country with the hope of obtaining some aid from the government, which she solicited in view of her ancestor's name and services. A private subscription was commenced for her at the office of the Journal, which, however, she declined, saying: "A national boon will ever honor the memory and the descendant of Amerigo Vespucci, but America, even as an exile in the United States, cannot accept an individual favor, however courteous and delicate may be the manner in which it is proffered."

CHAPTER VIII.

This history now approaches a period so recent, that it will hardly be necessary to chronicle the events of the next decade with as much minuteness as has heretofore been attempted. The reader will doubtless long ago have perceived the difficulty of stringing together incidents, interesting in themselves, yet having so little bearing upon each other, as frequently to present more the dryness of a chronological table of events, than to offer the interest of a consecutive history. It is believed however, that in preparing a book of this character, this difficulty could not well be avoided, especially if intended, as this is, to be used as a work of general reference. The events of the next ten years are however so entirely within the memory of all, that the same attention to minutiae need not be preserved, such things possessing interest less from their inherent value, than from the period of their occurrence. It will, however, be still necessary to notice all that pertains absolutely to the interests or prosperity of the city.

Commencing then with the year 1840, and keeping in view the fact that the effects of the disastrous crisis of 1837 were not yet pa.s.sed away, the first thing claiming notice, is some account of the state of the city as it then was. The census of the United States for this year a.s.signs to Louisville: 1 commercial, and 11 commission houses, [a somewhat indefinite phraseology,] in foreign trade, with a capital of $191,800; 270 retail stores, with a capital of $2,128,400; 3 lumber yards, with a capital of $52,000; 2 flouring mills; 2 tanneries; 2 breweries; 1 gla.s.s cutting works; 1 pottery; 2 ropewalks; 7 printing offices; 2 binderies; 5 daily, 7 weekly, and 3 semi-weekly newspapers; and 1 periodical; total capital employed in manufactures, $713,675. One college, 80 students; 10 academies, 269 students; 14 schools, 388 scholars. The aggregate of population by this census was 21,210; of which 9,282 white males, 7,889 white females; 609 free colored persons, and 3,420 slaves. This census is not considered authentic, as many transparent errors were found in various parts of it. Other computations made from reliable data at the same period, give to the city 23,000 to 24,000 inhabitants. As the former number, however, has received official sanction, it would be idle to dispute its correctness.

Two events belong also to this year which were of vital importance. Of these, the first was the lighting of the city with gas. This was done by a corporate company, established by charter in 1839, having a capital of $1,200,000, with power also to erect water-works and with banking privileges, except the issue of bills. The city is better supplied with gas, and better lighted than any in the United States, if not in the world; most of the wealthier citizens use it in their dwellings, and all the shops are lighted with gas. The perspective view of the miles of brilliant lamps stretching away in the distance is very beautiful, and very attractive to strangers. Before the introduction of this sort of light, the city had been for two or three years greatly infested by robbers, who favored by the darkness, made nightly attacks upon pa.s.sengers through the streets, striking and disabling them with colts, and in no few instances murdering them outright. Residents were seldom attacked by these banditti, but the streets were considered unsafe for strangers. Finding it impossible to pursue their avocation where every street was brilliantly illuminated, these gentry changed their place of operations immediately on the lighting of the town, much to the relief of the citizens as well as the re-establishment of the fair fame of the city.

The second of the events above alluded to was the conflagration which will be long known as the Great Fire in Louisville. It originated about midnight, on Third Street, between Main and Market, in the chair factory of John Hawkins, and burned south within one door of the Post Office, (then at the corner of Market and Third Streets,) and north to Main Street. It then took a westwardly direction down Main Street, destroying all the houses to within two doors of the Bank of Louisville. Its further progress having been arrested here, the flames crossed the street, and coming back upon their course destroyed nine large stores and one boarding house on the north side of Main, east of the middle of the square. Upwards of thirty houses were consumed, and the loss was estimated at more than $300,000. The houses destroyed were chiefly large importing and commercial stores; many of the goods were saved, but all the buildings were entirely destroyed. This conflagration however, proved in the end rather a gain than a loss to the city in general, as the site of the fire was speedily rebuilt in a much better style than before.

The friends of the city were at this time urging the propriety of establishing manufactures here, a want not felt less at that time than now. In an article upon this subject in one of the daily papers, the following statistics of the sale of cotton goods were elicited, in which reference is had to the year 1841. "At this time there were sold, brown cottons to the value of $276,095; prints amounting to $249,824; cotton yarns to $224,819; bleached cottons $89,589, and checks and tickings $68,180, making a total of $908,772 taken from the city, which, it was urged, could have been easily and profitably furnished on the spot." It was then said and may be now repeated that too little attention is paid to the vast advantages to be derived from the establishment of manufactures, especially at this point where the necessary power could and can be so easily and so cheaply attained. It is somewhat remarkable that this population has depended and still depends so entirely upon commerce as a means of gain. No other city perhaps in the world has so large a commercial business in proportion to its population. This is probably accounted for in the fact that the increase of commerce has been so rapid and the difficulty of overdoing the business so apparently impossible that every temptation has been offered to the capitalist to prefer this mode of investment. The time, however, cannot be far distant when the advantages offered to the manufacturer will be acknowledged and embraced. Indeed the commencement of what must before long become a very large branch of prosperity here was already established, but it has not grown with a rapidity commensurate with the increase of other departments of trade. A few foundries and manufactories of bagging and rope were established about this period. These, with the addition of a lard oil factory, begun by C.

C. P. Crosby, in 1842, may be said to embrace the whole manufacturing business of the city in that year. Future statistics will show how it has increased, and will demonstrate the value of this addition to the trade; and to these we will now turn.

The Louisville Directory for 1844-1845, compiled by N. Peabody Poor, and the best directory ever published here, gives a very complete and interesting view of the city for that year. As no events in any degree connected with the public interests, or of any especial political value, are referable to the period between this year and 1840, it will be as well to pa.s.s on at once to a notice of the results of these five years of steady progress. Beginning then with the population, which, it will be remembered, amounted in 1840 to 21,210, we find that in September, 1845, an actual census shows it to have reached 37,218 souls. Of these 32,602 were whites, 560 free blacks, and 4,056 slaves. The increase of five years is thus shown to amount to 16,008. Nor was it alone in the matter of population that such rapid progress had been made. The number of houses engaged in the wholesale and retail trade had increased from 270 to upwards of 500, and in addition to these purely commercial houses, there were then "12 large foundries for the construction of steam machinery; 1 large rolling and slitting mill; 2 extensive steam bagging factories, capable of producing about 2,000,000 of yards annually; 6 cordage and rope factories, some of which produced 900,000 pounds of bale rope annually, beside which there were several smaller rope walks for the making of sash cord, twine, &c.; 1 cotton factory; 1 woolen factory; 4 flouring mills, producing about 400 barrels daily; 4 lard oil factories; 1 white lead factory; 3 potteries; 6 extensive tobacco stemmeries, employing a large capital, where the leaf is stripped from the stem and re-packed for the English market; several tobacco manufactories; 2 gla.s.s cutting establishments; a large oil cloth factory; 2 surgical instrument makers; 2 lithographic presses; 1 paper mill; 1 star candle factory; 4 pork houses, which will slaughter and pack about 70,000 hogs annually; 3 piano forte manufactories; 3 breweries; 8 brick yards; 1 ivory black maker; 6 tanneries; 2 tallow rendering houses, rendering about 1,000,000 pounds annually; 8 soap and candle factories; 3 planing machines; 2 scale factories; 2 glue factories; 3 large ship yards, at which have been built some of the fastest running boats on the river; besides several factories of less note."[16] The simple statement of these facts furnishes a more convincing demonstration of the rapid and healthy progress of the city, than whole volumes of argument could afford.

Another event bearing directly upon the prosperity of the city during the rest of this decade was the opening of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad. The subject of this road had for a long time agitated the city; many surveys had been made, and indeed the work had at one time progressed to the actual digging and embankment of several miles of the track. The opening of the road was finally effected by the subscription of one million of dollars by the city herself, which was paid by a tax of one per cent, for four years on all real estate within her limits, and this tax was re-paid to the owners in shares of stock. Although sanctioned by the vote of a very large majority of the citizens, this measure was for a while a very unpopular one; but the malcontents have lately found that the present loss was to them in the end a gain, and they are ready once more to submit to similar taxation, if by so doing other roads can be constructed. Indeed the subject of railroads was now eagerly taken up, and a just and most effective feeling in their favor was taking the place of the former apathy and indifference. The Louisville and Lexington Railroad had opened so many new sources of wealth and developed such advantages before unthought of, that the policy of stretching out iron arms to embrace in their circle all possible resources was no longer doubted.

Acting upon this feeling, the people of Louisville united with those of Jeffersonville in building a road from that point to Columbus, and with those of New Albany in uniting that growing city with Salem. The purpose had in view in the construction of these roads is the ultimate and not very distant connection of Louisville, Jeffersonville and New Albany with Lake Erie, St. Louis and Lake Michigan. The entire line of the first of these roads is now in progress of construction, and the greater part of the other is under contract. Beside these, a railroad hence to Nashville, Tenn., is now being surveyed, which will unite with roads already partly under operation leading to some point on the Atlantic coast, near Charleston, S. C. The Louisville and Nashville end of this route will be put under contract as soon as proper surveys can be established. Other roads are had in contemplation, but nothing has yet been done toward their construction. The effect of these improvements will be the subject of notice in another chapter.

With the opening of the year 1850, was commenced the first of a series of movements which led to the formation of a new charter for the city. This doc.u.ment makes all city officers elective by the people, and places the government in the hands of a Mayor, a Board of Common Council, and a Board of Aldermen. Many of the provisions of this charter are found healthful and wise in their operation, while many others are incomprehensible or impracticable. The first Mayor under this new charter felt himself obliged to resign his office, on the plea of incompetence to perform the duties a.s.signed to him by the instrument. The Council, however, unwilling to dispense with so efficient an officer as he had proved himself, continued him in place as "_Mayor pro tem._," until the end of his term. Experience and the necessities of the city government will doubtless, as time progresses, so modify this instrument as to make its provisions work well and harmoniously.

The annals of the city up to the year 1852 having now been presented to the reader, it only remains to offer a view of its present state in regard to population, commerce, manufactures and social position; which, together with a chapter on its future destiny, will conclude this history. It is not the intention of this work purposely to mislead any, as to the actual position of the city, and therefore, instead of embracing with the statistics of Louisville those of all the suburban villages and cities in the vicinity, as has universally been done by other western places, we purpose to give such statistics as belong exclusively to this city. If, however, it is ever honest for a city to aggrandize to itself all the prosperity of its suburban neighbors, it is eminently so with Louisville.

The towns immediately around the falls are as ready to concede, as Louisville is to claim a perfect ident.i.ty of interests. The pre-eminence which it has already gained over the neighboring towns forbids all hope of rivalry on their part, and compels them to unite their interests with those of Louisville as a means of their own prosperity. In certain branches of trade, New Albany or Jeffersonville may and do successfully compete with this city, but it is idle to imagine that this partial success can benefit them in such a way as to afford them any superiority in point of fact. On the contrary, this very success is owing entirely to their proximity to Louisville. Those branches of manufacture or of trade in which they excel find encouragement just so far as they are part and parcel of the manufactures or commerce of Louisville; and they would find no market for such wares, and no sale for such manufactures, did they depend only on their own resources of trade. It is the immediate contiguity of the large city which is their stimulus to exertion, and their means of preservation or of prosperity. They cannot but be considered as identical in interest with their elder sister. Nor, on the other hand, can it be denied that these places are of immense advantage to Louisville. Firstly, because they are situated in a free state, and hence can offer freedom from the disadvantages of slavery; secondly, because, as smaller towns, they are cheaper residences for those whose means require attention to careful economy; thirdly, because they claim for Louisville the sympathy and encouragement of the State in which they are situated; and finally, because they extend the area of the trade and manufactures of the city. It is probable that if the same advantages which have made Louisville great had been offered to New Albany or to Jeffersonville, either of those places might have exceeded their more fortunate compeer. But now the supremacy once gained, cannot but be maintained; and the growth and prosperity, or the decay and adversity of Louisville, must either make or mar the fortunes of her sister towns.

Before entering upon the commercial statistics of Louisville, it may be well to consider its social position, and to endeavor to convey some idea of the advantages offered by this city as a place of residence, aside from its character as a commercial emporium. It is believed that there are few commercial cities on this continent which possess the same characteristics as this. The restlessness, the turmoil and the eagerness in the pursuit of wealth which is ever the characteristic of large commercial cities, has generally produced a littleness of feeling, and a selfishness of manner which does not at all tend to elevate the social position of those places, but rather causes them to lack that feature which in other countries is known and valued by the name "_tone_." In Louisville, this does not appear. Indeed it is difficult to reconcile the manner of pursuing traffic here with its results. As will be seen hereafter, the business of the city is of great extent, and yet the stranger in its midst would perceive nothing to indicate such prosperity. Business is pursued quietly and without ostentation; no efforts are made by any to convince others of their successes; no fact.i.tious means are employed to display the results of labor, no hurry or restlessness or confusion attends even the largest and most prosperous houses. Trade is pursued as a means of gain, but is not allowed to blind its votaries to every other pursuit of life: business closes with the close of the day, and is forgotten in other things, until it is revived on the morrow. While pursued, it is pursued with all the avidity that is consistent with the dignity of manhood; but it is never allowed to obtrude where it does not belong, nor is it permitted to make any forget that there are other duties than those of the merchant, and other pleasures than that of adding dollar to dollar. Yet it is believed that there is no city in the Union where the aggregate amount of sales in any one department of business, divided by the number of houses engaged in that business, will show so large a result. Doubtless this state of things is in a great measure caused by the peculiarities of character which belong to the Kentuckian, and which are so essential an element in the society of this city, which society comes now to be considered in its proper form.

There are certain traits in the Kentucky character which are everywhere spoken of with approbation. A manly independence, a generous frankness, and a careless but attractive freedom of manner, united with unbounded hospitality, and that true politeness and deference, which proceeds rather from natural instinct than from a knowledge of the rules of etiquette, are perhaps the chief of these characteristics. All these, and much more which will elude description, and which can be appreciated only by acquaintance, go to make up that praiseworthy trait of character which has always and everywhere distinguished the Kentuckian, as fully as the most elaborate description could do, we mean his _chivalry_.

Despising alike the narrow prejudices, the suspicious reserve, the silly dignity, the proud self-gratulation of the Yankee; and the pride of birth and of purse, the ostentation of manner and the foppish pretension of the Southerner, he takes from the first his respect for talent, his patriotism and his spirit of enterprise, and from the last his genial warmth of heart, his worship of the beautiful, his deference for the other s.e.x, and his manly independence of heart. Add to these a bold and reckless frankness, an easy confidence, a love of adventure, a scorn of oppression, a n.o.ble intolerance of even seeming insult, and an almost criminal indifference of life when duty or honor seems to call it into peril, and you have a fair picture of the true Kentuckian, of the character which forms the basis of the society now under consideration. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of this society is the readiness with which it receives and swallows up all those sectional differences which in other cities remain intact. Society here is generalized; the spirit of _cliqueism_ does not prevail, social distinctions are marked in broad, plain lines, but the highest cla.s.s is open to all who merit a place. The test of position is neither wealth, birth, nor pretension; _respectability_ as readily enters the higher circles, and receives as ready encouragement as either of these. In other cities, society divides into numerous little circles, each claiming superior position to the other, each ridiculing the pretension and refusing the a.s.sociation of the other. Here, all are honored in their respective spheres, and few claim a position to which they are not ent.i.tled.

Society here has also the power of generalization to the extent that sectional differences are lost by its members, and the Northern, Eastern or Southern man, as well as the native of another country, seems to lose all ident.i.ty of manner, and becomes only an integral part of one great circle. The fashionable world acts as if with one common impulse, while the other, the larger and better cla.s.s of respectable people, who do not aspire to this t.i.tle, but who could claim it by the mere exercise of their will, are neither led by the _beau monde_, on the one hand, nor, on the other, do they make a virtue of opposing this cla.s.s. Society is correct in its outline and harmonious in detail. Distinctions of cla.s.s, though plainly marked, are never offensively shown.

Perhaps the worst feature of society is its lack of a proper reverence for the intellectual, its tendency to frivolity. The amus.e.m.e.nts most prized by all cla.s.ses are of a frivolous character. The song, the play or the dance, are valued far above the lecture or the conversation. The pleasures of the intellect are considered dull and tame, when compared with those which excite but for a moment, and are then forgotten. That the power of the intellectual man is acknowledged is true, but the acknowledgment is not practical, it is merely theoretical. While a high respect is had for the man of letters, he does not command that _sympathy_ which should be accorded him. The great singer or actor receives far more at the hands of society than the profound philosopher or the elegant essayist. People of all ranks are bent upon attaining pleasure with the least possible intellectual exertion. Libraries are little patronized; public amus.e.m.e.nts of all sorts meet with unbounded success.

Another glaring defect of a certain part of society is found in a desire for notoriety, even if purchased at the expense of good taste. This feeling is one hardly deserving the name of ambition, for ambition has ever a laudable object in view, while this purposes to itself no more than merely having one's name coupled with some eccentric freak, or being pitied as the victim of _outre_ tastes in dress or manner. It has resulted from the thoughtless admission of very young persons into terms of social equality, and will doubtless be corrected as these grow mature or pa.s.s over the stage, and admit a new group to the places they have just yielded up.

The first of these defects is by far the worst in its general tendencies; for it reduces the educational standard, causing daughters to be educated merely with a view to shine in society, and leading young men to eschew pursuits which they find do not advantage them with their daily companions. It is in society that the young man first feels the promptings of ambition; and if excellence in the Redowa or the Mazourka gain for him more admiration than skill with the pen or the pallet; if genius in ball-room prattle make him more friends than learning or philosophy, it is easy to see that the Redowa and the ball-room will carry the day. Nor, on the other hand, can it be doubted that if young ladies were so educated as to show their appreciation of useful talent; if their tastes would lead them to smile on the endeavor of merit, and to frown on him who had neglected the graces of the mind to bestow his time and attention on those of the person, a very great social change would ensue. Men would then have a proper point for their ambition to aim at; the parlor or the ball-room would become a place of real and rational enjoyment, and society would take a rank far above that held by the ballet girls and singers of the conservatoire.

But society here has its virtues as well as its defects. It is singularly free from absolute vice of all sorts. It discourages gaming, drunkenness and sensuality; its prevailing tone is virtuous and moral; and, while people are hedged in by few conventionalities, yet a character for respectability is imperatively demanded from all who knock at its portals for admission. No society could be more agreeable to the stranger than that of Louisville. Its unbounded hospitality, and generous, confiding frankness are characteristics which are to him a screen against any minor defects.

It is not to be argued from anything which has been previously said that this city can boast of no prominent intellectual men. On the contrary few cities of corresponding size in the country can show as many widely known and respected names connected with the world of letters. There are now living in Louisville eighteen authors who have each contributed one or more successful volumes to the literature of the day. But authorship and intellectual exertion, like business or physical labor, seems to form no part of the every day life of society.

The next subject which presents itself as connected with the social review of the city is a glance at the religious statistics of Louisville. This is offered to the reader in the following

TABLE OF CHURCHES.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- Congregations.

+-------------------------------------- Communications.

+----------------------------- Number in Congregation.

(Attendance.) +-------------------- Church Accomodations for +----------- Value of CHURCHES. Property.

------------------- --------- -------- -------- -------- ----------- BAPTIST 5 1,729 2,200 2,650 80,000 EPISCOPAL 3 431 1,425 2,150 76,000 METHODIST 17 3,036 5,900 8,250 109,000 PRESBYTERIAN 5 913 2,225 3,300 128,000 GERMAN EVANGELICAL 4 1,200 2,150 21,700 " LUTHERAN 1 100 100 " REFORMED 1 75 200 200 2,250 DISCIPLE 2 410 520 950 18,000 UNITARIAN 1 63 240 320 12,000 UNIVERSALIST 1 70 200 500 8,000 ROMAN CATHOLIC 4 5,000 5,000 3,540 125,000 JEWS 2 400 400 11,000 --------- -------- -------- -------- ----------- Total 46 11,727 19,610 24,510 590,900 --------------------------------------------------------------------

The tasteful and elegant structures which many of these churches have erected are great additions to the beauty of the city. Those most worthy of note are the Walnut Street Baptist, First Presbyterian, Catholic Cathedral, St. Paul's (Episcopal) and the Synagogue; the last mentioned of which is the most elegant building in the city, although it is probably less expensive than either of the others. The pulpit of Louisville is eminently well supplied. Some of the most distinguished divines of the country are among its members; and few, if any, of the clergy are men whose talents do not rank above mediocrity.

Beside the churches above mentioned, Louisville has also many beautiful public and private buildings. The city is perhaps more thoroughly cla.s.sified and better arranged, both for business and for comfortable residence, than any other western place. The wholesale business of the city is entirely confined to Main Street, which is more than four miles long, is perfectly straight, and is built up on either side with good substantial brick buildings for more than half its entire length. The stores, taken as a whole, are the largest and finest ware-houses anywhere to be seen; having fronts of from twenty to thirty feet and running back from one hundred and ten to two hundred feet, and three to five stories in height. The houses thus referred to occupy the most central part of the business street and extend from First to Sixth cross streets, a distance of 5,040 feet in a direct line. On the north side of Main Street, throughout this whole extent, there are but two retail stores of any kind, and even these only sell their goods at retail because they are enabled to do so without interference with their wholesale trade. On the south side of the same street are about twenty of the fashionable shops side by side with many of the largest wholesale houses. Market Street is exclusively devoted to the retail business. It is on this street that the princ.i.p.al small transactions in country produce are made. With the exception of the squares bounded by Third and Fifth Streets, where most of the retail dry-goods business is done, the entire extent of this street is given up to the retail grocers, provision dealers and clothiers. Jefferson is recently beginning to be used as a fashionable street for the retailers, but yet contains many handsome residences. The streets south of Jefferson are all entirely occupied with dwelling houses. No business is done on any of them except an occasional family grocery or drug store. The fashionable shops are fitted up in a style of unexampled magnificence and contain the most beautiful products of human ingenuity. No city in the Union is better supplied with or finds more ready sale for the finest cla.s.s of articles of every description than Louisville. The city south of Jefferson Street is very beautiful. The streets are lined on either side with large and elegant shade trees, the houses are all provided with little green yards in front, and are cleanly kept, presenting a graceful and home-like appearance. An impression of elegant ease every where characterizes this part of the city. The houses seem to be more the places for retirement, comfort and enjoyment than, as is customary in most cities, either the ostentatious discomforts of display, or the hot, confined residences of those whose life of ease is sacrificed to the pursuit of gain. There is little appearance of poverty and little display of wealth; every house seems the abode of modest competence that knows how to enjoy a little with content, careless of producing a display of wealth to feast the eyes of a pa.s.sing idler. Even the more ambitious residences on Chestnut and Broadway Streets are constructed rather for the comfort of the inmates than to produce an impression on the stranger. This latter is the most beautiful street in the city. It is one hundred and twenty feet in width from front to front and is perfectly straight. The side-walks are twenty-five feet wide. The view up and down this street is extended and beautiful. It is destined to become the fashionable street for residence. Already many beautiful buildings are being erected upon it and the former less elegant houses are being removed to more remote situations.

The subject of Public Education comes now to claim its share of consideration. The free school system is the same in its outline here as in other cities. The city schools are under the direction of a Board of trustees, who are elected by the people, and are open to all those persons who are not able to pay for the tuition of their wards; children of all ages and of both s.e.xes are placed under the care of competent instructors, and educated in all the ordinary branches of learning without any charge to the pupil. The s.e.xes are kept separate and male and female teachers are employed. The standard of study is as high as in other uncla.s.sical schools, and every pupil has equal advantages of improvement. A high school is about to be established where all the branches of study usually employed in colleges will be taught to those pupils who have successfully pa.s.sed through the lower schools, also without any charge. By this magnificent educational scheme, the children even of the poorest and humblest member of society are afforded all the advantages which the wealthiest person could purchase. The attendance at the public schools of Louisville has not been so large as it should have been; firstly, because there are comparatively few parents who are not able to pay for the tuition of their children; and secondly, because of a foolish pride which prevents parents from accepting this education as a gratuity. The number of children taught in private schools as compared with those who embrace the free school privileges show that these reasons have immense weight with the people. It is probable, however, that the opening of the new high school will bring about a change in this regard. The advantages which will then be offered to the pupil will be so great as to overcome, in a great measure, the absurd prejudices which have existed in the city against the common school. There are twenty-four free schools in the city, having thirty-one female and twenty-five male teachers, whose salaries range from two hundred and fifty to seven hundred dollars. The number of pupils entered for the year reaches about three thousand, six hundred and fifty, while the number in attendance does not exceed one thousand, eight hundred and fifty. This affords an average of only thirty-three pupils to each teacher; so that all the pupils are able to receive every requisite attention.

The city also has control of a Medical and of a Law school, which are recognized as departments of the Louisville University. The first of these is one of the most distinguished schools of its cla.s.s in the United States. Something has been said of its history in a previous part of this volume. Three thousand, eight hundred and sixty-one young men have been attendants on this school since its commencement. The names of its Professors are well known in the medical world and afford a sure guarantee for its position. They are as follows:

Charles W. Short, M. D., Emeritus Professor of Materia Medica and Medical Botany.

[17]Jedediah Cobb, M. D., Professor of Descriptive and Surgical Anatomy.

Lunsford P. Yandell, M. D., Professor of Physiology and Pathalogical Anatomy.

Samuel D. Gross, M. D., Professor of the Principles and Practice of Surgery.

Henry Miller, M. D., Professor of Obstetric Medicine.

Lewis Rogers, M. D., Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics.