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ARRIVAL IN MISSOURI

In the month of February, 1852, Mr. Boomer arrived at the city of St. Louis.

He describes the morning of his arrival there as dark and gloomy. He was weary with a long journey, having traveled by way of Cincinnati and Louisville, and met with several detentions on the way.

He was emphatically a stranger, with a single letter of introduction, - a stranger to his new duties, which imposed upon him responsibilities far beyond his years, - and with the burden of his disappointment still upon his heart. These circumstances made the issue of his unsolved problem doubtful.

Of his journey to his new home, he says: -

"My anticipations concerning the West have not been disappointed, neither have they been precisely realized; in fact, it is different from what I have supposed, without being worse."

"The thriving and fresh appearance which all Western towns are supposed to possess is in many instances sadly wanting, I assure you, and , in some cases, not only the appearance, but the essence of business is deficient. This is particularly the case with the river towns, many of which, both on the Ohio and Mississippi, have been laid out on a

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supposition that they were to become places of great importance, and failing that, have very decidedly an old and dilapidated look. The river towns of Indiana, Southern Illinois, Missouri, and some of the Kentucky towns, are of this class, with a few exceptions, of course."

"The general appearance of the land, or the scenery, on the Ohio, after leaving Louisville, is very monotonous, as is the case for about two-thirds the distance between Cincinnati and the latter place. The land in not always low, but always in tables of flats, and invariably covered with an old and luxuriant looking growth of wood, commonly water oak."

"The scenery on the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Ohio four hundred miles south, as that is all I could vouch for, is alternately bluff and flats, and is rather agreeable, that is, when the weather is such that you can view it from the deck of a boat. The flats are extremely low, and, in high water, flooded; but you will, in almost all instances, find opposite these the bluffs. In going up the river, some time since, I had the good fortune to descry a large fire on one of these, extending nearly a mile on the river, and it was truly a magnificent sight. Viewed from a distance it appeared like some vast fireworks."

After a few days Mr. Boomer located himself at the Planter’s House, fixing his place of business directly opposite. This first step being accomplished, the next thing for him to decide was his place of public worship, which was the Second Baptist Church.

This step brought him into contact with William M. McPherson, Esq., who took at once a great interest in the young stranger; and occupying, as he did, a prominent position in the city, both in business and social relations, he

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offered him such kindness and attention as to forever fill Mr. B’s heart with gratitude and love.

The following letters will give some idea of his first impressions of Missouri, and also of the manner in which his time was spent: -

"St. Louis, March 9, 1852.
"Dear Sister: This morning I came in from the country, where I had been into the interior of the State one hundred and twenty-five miles. My journey was not altogether pleasant, although, to a person disposed to take it so, there was plenty of romance; but for my part I was disposed to make a reality of living on what the natives call ‘hog and corn,’ sleeping six or eight in a room, getting lost in the woods twice in a day, and going without clean clothing for a fortnight. The beauties of the country are said to be inconceivable; they were to me, as I dared not look about very much, for fear I should fall off my horse; therefore I am unable to describe anything which would interest you."

"Since my return to the city we have had snow, which fell last Sabbath and remained till Wednesday. Since then it has been as warm and pleasant as September, and the frost is nearly out of the ground. I think we are exactly at the point where the warm and cold climates are contending for the supremacy; and we have abundant evidence that neither obtains it for a long time. Nevertheless, climate aside, St. Louis is a fine city. There is a tone of health, vigor, and enterprise about it that I did not expect to find; and order and propriety about all the customs of business, etc., which it is charming to see."

"I am very well, except a something like bronchitis, that prevents me from singing. In fact I have been obliged to

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stop altogether, as the least effort affects me very sensibly. I regret it, for I was flattering myself on a great improvement in that way. At least ‘one more unfortunate’ – bad eyes, bad throat."

"You speak truly of the passion with which many are carried away, that is, money making, and I shall be obliged to confess that I have some of it myself; but I can assure you that, although it is in some cases a sad failing, it is a vary easy one to fall into. I can say, however, that it is not my only ambition to make money; and, in fact, I have not much of any sort, and certainly would not desire much ambition to destroy anything which contributed to the enjoyments of true life.’

A few weeks later he writes, -

"I am quite contented and happily situated; have just moved my room to one of the pleasantest localities of the city, - an office room and sleeping room connected. I have them finished with plain, good furniture, and you must imagine that their appointments do me much credit, especially my private sitting room, as a gentleman yesterday said that he knew I would be a '‘bachelor,'’ for the reason that I displayed so much taste and order in the arrangement of my rooms."

"Here I have my piano, which you may think a bit of extravagance, but it has this good moral answer, of amusing me evenings. I shall be more likely to stay at home, and as I cannot read, on account of my eyes, I must have something to keep me there during the long hours."

"I am also giving a part of every evening I am in town to

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learning French. There are fine opportunities of mastering the language here, and it is much spoken in the best society. You are aware that most of the original citizens of this place were French, and being proprietors of real estate at the time when the rapid growth of population and consequent rise of landed property commenced, they were immediately constituted the aristocracy of the place. Thus, in that society, French was, and is still, very common."

"I have not yet made many acquaintances, and do not intend to do so, as living with large circles of acquaintances is a great consumer of time, and necessarily expensive."

"My business goes on prosperously. It occupies me during the day; and in that I am content. In the evening I read a very little, think about it a good deal, play some, and, in fact, make the most use I can of my leisure hours."

Of the resources of his new home, either in city or country, Mr. Boomer said nothing for some time. This was a study, - a book which he was able to read at his own pleasure.

Whatever struggles he passed through during his early residence there, were known only to his own heart; but it soon became evident that he was determined to succeed in what he had undertaken, if by energy and perseverance he could accomplish it.

This being plunged into an entirely new atmosphere, coming into contact with a class of people whose customs and habits were strange to him, with the reputation of the new firm entrusted to his hands, as well as his own personal success to accomplish, without any one to lean upon, was, in the end, a great blessing. It drove him to his own resources, developed within him powers of which he had hitherto been

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unconscious, and trained him, by this sharp, healthy discipline, to energy, courage, decision, and self-confidence.

He says that there was enough in his business to absorb and interest, enough mental effort to plan and arrange, enough obstacles to overcome. The greatest difficulty to contend with was in gaining the confidence of the people. The habits of thought among the St. Louians were such as inclined them not to trust at once a young man of nineteen, and a stranger, with important business contracts. Mr. Boomer saw the justice of this, and felt that he must be guided by the strictest rules of honor, good sense, and propriety, and that time must develop his right to be trusted.

"The time will come," he said, "when, doubtless, I shall wish to turn the hand backward upon the dial of my life, and bid the years recede; but now, for my present convenience, I would like to put it forward."

"It is shocking for a man to be too young, and short too. Oh, combination of evils! I cannot impress upon the minds of these conservative people that I am the man who has in charge the building of bridges for the State of Missouri, although the are too well bred to say so; yet their countenances brand me with a significance that savors of Young Americanism."

"I am relieved, today, in having had the opportunity of boldly asserting my manhood. While writing at my desk, a fine looking gentleman bowed himself into the office, and asked, ‘Is Mr. Boomer in now?’ The clerk replied, ‘Yes, sir,’ when I accordingly stepped forward."

"After exchanging the commonplaces of the day, which, on his part, was done with rather a puzzled air, he said, '‘My business was with Mr. Boomer, sir,’ to which I replied that

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I should be most happy to serve him; but he persisted, ‘Are you not Mr. Boomer’s son?’ "Certainly, sir; my father’s name is Boomer, but as he is at this time probably engaged in some parish duty in one of the quiet towns of New England, your interview cannot be with him."

The first months of his life here were spent entirely in his new business; all his energies were absorbed in it; and, during that time, he wrote little of what he was thinking of doing.

One delightful feature of his life was the study of character. Some of its phases here were new, and necessity as well as pleasure prompted him to the task. On this subject, in after years, he said, "As man is God’s crowning work, as he possesses a spark of the divine, and as he has been placed to have dominion over all inferior creation, it seems to me that his character is the highest study of this earth."

Perhaps the first year of Mr. Boomer’s residence in St. Louis was the happiest one of his life; for in that time he had succeeded in establishing for himself a reputation far beyond his years, or even his most sanguine expectations, and which he owed entirely to his own merits. Under his faithful management the business grew rapidly, and in consequence he was admitted as a partner in the firm.