MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVI EW CONTENTS When Cleveland Came to St. Louis Walter B. Stevens Pioneer Life in Callaway County Ovid Bell A Study in Missouri Politics, 1840-1870 Raymond D. Thomas David Nelson and Marion College George A. Mahari Campaigning With Mark Twain Absalom Grimes Cape Girardeau Historical Society R. B. Oliver Daniel Boone Floyd C. Shoemaker The Missouri River and Its Victims W. J. McDonald * Personal Recollections of Distinguished Missourians— John B. Clark, Sr. Daniel M. Grissom Historical Notes and Comments Missouri History Not Found in Textbooks k Historical Articles in Missouri Newspapersr^MI 1 , I • • • » * • . • STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of M IS S OU RI VOL. XXI JANUARY, 1927 THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW VOL. XXI JANUARY, 1927 NO. 2 CONTENTS When Cleveland Came to St. Louis 145 WALTER B. STEVENS Pioneer Life in Callaway County 156 OVID BELL A Study in Missouri Politics, 1840-1870 166 RAYMOND D. THOMAS David Nelson and Marion College 185 GEORGE A. MAHAN Campaigning With Mark Twain 188 ABSALOM GRIMES Cape Girardeau Historical Society 202 R. B. OLIVER Daniel Boone 208 FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER The Missouri River and Its Victims 215 W. J. MCDONALD Personal Recollections of Distinguished Missourians—John B. Clark, Sr 243 DANIEL M. GRISSOM Historical Notes and Comments 251 Missouri History Not Found in Textbooks 271 Historical Articles in Missouri Newspapers 296 FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER, Editor The Missouri Historical Review is published quarterly. The sub­ scription price is $1.00 a year. A complete set of the REVIEW is still obtainable—Vols. 1-20, bound $60.00; unbound $28.00. Prices of separate volumes given on request. All communications should be ad­ dressed to Floyd C. Shoemaker, The State Historical Society of Missouri. "Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice at Columbia, Mis­ souri, under act of Congress, October S, 1917, Sec. hh2." CONTRIBUTORS WALTER B. STEVENS, author and journalist, has over a score of books to his credit and in 1921 published a "Centennial History of Missouri." He has held a number of important public positions, including the secretaryship of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis. He is a former president of the State Historical Society. His home is in St. Louis. OVID BELL, journalist and historian, is editor of the Fulton Gazette. He has written a number of valuable articles relating to the history of Callaway county. RAYMOND D. THOMAS, native Missourian, is professor of economics in the Southwest Missouri State Teachers College at Springfield. He received his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin, specializing in Missouri history and politics. His doctoral thesis was written for the department of economics. GEORGE A. MAHAN, lawyer, is president of the State Historical Society. He is widely known for his work in preserving the boyhood home of Mark Twain and for his more recent donation to the city of Hannibal of the statue of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His home is in Hannibal. ABSALOM GRIMES was one of the most noted Confederate mail carriers during the Civil War. His home was in St. Louis. R. B. OLIVER, lawyer and legislator, is president of the Cape Girardeau Historical Society. His home is in Cape Girardeau. FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER is secretary of the State Historical Society. W. J. MCDONALD, marine engineer, is supervising inspector in the U. S. steamboat inspection service with headquarters at St. Louis. He was a major in the World War. He resides in Maplewood. DANIEL M. GRISSOM, a native of Kentucky, came to Missouri in 1853. From that year to 1888 he engaged in journalistic work on the St. Louis city newspapers. His historical articles on Missouri have received wide circulation. His home is in Kirkwood. WHEN CLEVELAND CAME TO ST. LOUIS* BY WALTER B. STEVENS To bring about President Cleveland's first visit to the West, Mayor David R. Francis, of St. Louis, journeyed five times to Washington in 1887. It was after one of these visits that the President remarked to Senator Vest: 'That mayor of St. Louis is a bright young man." These successive trips were not made necessary by any indisposition on the part of President Cleveland to see what the United States, west of Buffalo, looked like. But it was to untangle an amazing snarl in municipal hospitality that Mayor Francis found his natural gift of diplomacy put to the test. As early as February, St. Louis began preparations to entertain the Grand Army of the Republic—the national encampment to be held the last part of September. An ex­ ecutive committee composed of local Grand Army officials and citizens was formed. This committee delegated to Mayor Francis, President Gaiennie of the Merchants Exchange and General John W. Noble of Frank P. Blair Post, G. A. R., the authority to invite President Cleveland to visit St. Louis at the time of the national encampment. The proposition met with much local enthusiasm which swelled when this encouraging response was received. Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C, March 29, 1887. Hon. David R. Francis, Mayor, St. Louis. My dear sir: The President is in receipt of the communication dated February 26 and signed by Frank Gaiennie, President of the Merchants Exchange, John W. Noble of the G. A. R. and your­ self, inviting him to visit St. Louis and accept its hospitalities •From the MSS. of David R. Francis, His Recollections and Letters, by Walter B. Stevens. (145) 146 MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW during the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic in September next. At this time, so far in advance of the event, the President feels that he cannot do more than express his appreciation of the invitation, and to say that he will be glad if he finds his way clear to its acceptance. After he has given further consideration to the question of the disposition of his time during the summer and fall, and is able to determine what his official duties will permit him to do, he will advise you, as early as possible, of his de­ cision in the matter. Very respectfully, D. S. Lamont, Private Secretary. Under the supervision of Festus J. Wade, then connected with the publishing house of August Gast & Co., the creation of an elaborate, formal invitation was undertaken. This in­ vitation took the form of a massive book in costly binding. The covers were of red oak with a picture of the famous Eads bridge, the skyline of the city in the distance. Above the picture was the inscription "To President Cleveland and Wife." Within the covers the lining was of white moire antique. The invitation was set forth: To the President: The citizens of St. Louis with great unanimity hereby supplement the invitation already extended to you and your estimable wife by the Grand Army of the Republic to attend its national encampment to be held the 26th to the 30th of September. Merchants Exchange Clubs and Societies, Real Estate Exchange Corporations, Mechanics Exchange The Press, Cotton Exchange Citizens. More than twenty thousand signatures followed. While this elaborate invitation was in course of prepara­ tion, further indication of the President's inclination came from Washington in the following message: 'The President has definitely concluded to accept the invitation to visit St. Louis in September. In reply to a WHEN CLEVELAND CAME TO ST. LOUIS 147 question he said: 'Yes, I think I shall go/ The President spoke of the fact that some suggestion had come to him that he might dislike to meet members of the G. A. R. in view of the course he had found it wise to pursue in respect to pension legislation. He said he had thought of that, but it did not seem to him there was any reason why he should not attend the encampment. He appeared to believe that his presence would be gratifying to the old veterans and prove a pleasant incident to himself." The President had vetoed a dependent parents' pension bill a few months previously. He had also expressed his disapproval on a number of individual pension cases. Mayor Francis now appointed a committee of twenty- five St. Louisans to go to Washington to present the formal invitation and headed the party. It was deemed important at the same time to have an understanding as to details of the entertainment which would be acceptable to the President. In reply to this committee the President reiterated his ac­ ceptance and said to Mayor Francis: "It is hard for me to make a promise, but when I do, I try to keep it." Secretary Lamont told Mayor Francis that the President would like a public reception at which every one could have a chance to see him and shake hands with him. In Boston, Mr. Lamont said, they had given what they called a card reception, and the President did not like that. The President understood that this invitation was from the people, and he wanted the people to see him, and, as many as could, to shake hands with him. As far as the rest of the entertainment was concerned, he did not care of what character it was. There had been scattered protests from Grand Army posts but the storm did not burst in fury until June. Then General James M. Tuttle, commander of the department of Iowa, came down to tell in profane words what a mistake St. Louis had made. General Noble tried to pacify him, saying: "This is not an attempt to boom Cleveland. We thought it would be a good thing for the city and for the Grand Army to get him here." 148 MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW "I know the feeling of the men," said Tuttle, "and if Cleve­ land comes here they will insult him." "I am a Grand Army man," retorted Noble, "But if the Grand Army came here and insulted the President and through him the people of St.