Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/493

* SAINT JOHNS EVE. 451 SAINT JOSEPH. young people leaped over the flames, or threw flowers ami f;arlaiuls into thein, with merrj' shoutings: soiif^s and dances were also a frequent accompaniment. The kindlinj,' of the lire, the leaping over or throngh tlio flames, and the flower-garlands render plausilile the theory that these rites are essentially of heathen origin, and of a sacrificial character, possibly connected with the worship of the sun. SAINT JOHN'S BIVEB. The principal river of Florida. It rises in the swamps of Brevard and Osceola comities, and flows north- ward, roughly parallel with, and 20 miles from, the Atlantic' coast (Jlap: Florida, G 1). It empties into the Atlantic Ocean 25 miles south of the Georgia boundary. It is a sluggish stream passing tlirough a low and level country and bordered by luxuriant semi-tropical vegetation. From its source downward it passes through a chain of lakes, the largest of which is Lake George. From that lake to its mouth, about 200 miles, the river expands into the form of a lagoon from one to five miles wide. A channel is kept open by means of jetties through the bar at the mouth, and the river has been dredged to a depth of 18 feet to Jacksonville, about 20 miles. There is a depth of eiglit feet as far as Lake George, while small steamers ply regularly as far as Enterprise, 230 miles, and may ascend some distance beyond. SAINT JOSEPH. A river of southwestern Michigan. After making a detour into Indiana it flows northwest into Lake Jlichigan at the town Saint Joseph (Map: Michigan, H 7). It is 250 miles long and navigable about 100 miles for small steamers. SAINT JOSEPH. A city and the county- seat of Berrien County, ilich., 60 miles by water east of Chicago, 111.; at the mouth of the Saint Joseph River, on Lake Michigan, and on the Pere Marquette, the Lake Sliore and Michigan Southern, and other railroads (!Map: Michigan, G 6). A daily line of passenger and freight steamboats connects with Chicago. Saint Joseph is a popular summer resort. Among its features are the Carnegie Library, Lake Front Park, and Battery Beach. The surrounding district is chiefly interested in fruit-growing, and for this industry the city is an important centre. There are also iron works, paper mills, lumber mills, knitting mills, and manufactories of boats, fruit baskets and packages, motor bicycles, and flour. The gov- ernment is administered by a mayor, elected an- nually, and a unicameral council. The city owns and operates the water-works and the electric light plant. First settled in 1829, Saint Joseph was incorporated as a village in 1836. and re- ceived a city charter in 1892. Population, in 1890, 3733; in 1900, 5155. SAINT JOSEPH. The third city of Mis- souri and the county-seat of Buchanan County, on the ^Missouri River, 62 miles north of Kansas City and 132 miles south of Omaha, Neb. (ilap,: Missouri, B 2). Nine railroads give the city excellent transportation facilities. They are the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe ; the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific; the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; the Kansas City, Saint Joseph and Council Blufl^s: the Hannibal and Saint .Joseph; the Burlington and Missouri River; the Chicago Great Western; the Saint Joseph and Cirand Island; and the Missouri Pacific. A steel bridge connects the city with its Kansas suburb, EI- wood. Saint Joseph is nine and a half square miles in area, and, being built along the blulTs which lie close to the Missouri River, has an unsurpassed drainage system. The city has a river front of three miles. Tlicre are 280 miles of streets, of which fifty miles arc paved. X'itrified brick is the most iwipular paving material, but as]ihaltum, macadam, and granite blocks are used where the service requires them. There are 85 miles of water mains and 52 miles of gas mains in the city. Among the prominent buildings are the coirt- house, the new public library, live-stock ex- change, high scliool, Carnegie Library, post ollice, and city hall. State Hosjiital for Insane, No. 2, is located here, as is also the State J'"ish Hatch- ery. Other features are the Sacred Heart Acad- emy, Home for Little Wanderers. MeiiKjrial Home for Aged People, Saint .Joseph's Hospital, Ensworth Hospital, Benton Club, and the Com- mercial Club. JMount ilora Cemetery is of inter- est. There are two medical colleges, and a large number of private schools: and thirty public and four parochial schools, with an enrollment (1903) of 31,764 pupils. There are more than forty miles of track in the street railway system, at the north end of which is Krug Park, and at the south Lake Contrary. The stock yards have a daily capacity of 20.000 cattle, 30,00 hogs, 15,000 sheep, and 2000 horses and mules. The packing houses do a business of .$50,000,000 annually, exclusive of poultry, which is valued at $1,000,000. Saint Joseph has also very large shirt and overall factories, which with other manufacturing establishments give employ- ment to nearly 20,000 persons. The value of the manufactured products is $35,000,000 a year, and the jobbing trade amounts to $75,000,000. There are also harness, collar, saddle, trunk, plow, glue, candy, furniture, shoe, and cracker factories, flour, hominy, and woolen mills, machine shops, foundries, etc. The mayor and council are elected for two years and the president of the council for four years. The city's revenue is $413,800. Some of the principal expenditures are: Fire department, $72,000; police department, $68,400: streets, sewers, and bridges. $51,000; water service. $33,- 000; and street lighting, $33,000. The city owns its lighting plant. The assessed valuation is $30,000,000; and the municipal debt, $1,108,000. Saint Joseph dates from 1820, when Joseph Eobidoux, an Indian trader and trapper, opened a trading post a short distance above the present site of the city, at Roy's Branch. In 1830 he moved to the lilacksnake Hills, now in the heart of the city. The first post office was established in 1840, and in 1843 -Blacksnake Hills' bad a population of 500. The plats of Saint Joseph were recorded .July 20, 1843. when the change in name took place. Saint Joseph became the per- manent county-seat in 1846. and in 1853 it was chartered as a city. During the excitement over the discovery of gold in California in 1840. the city was a prominent outfitting and starting point for miners. The first census of Saint Joseph, taken in December, 1840, showed a popu- lation of 936. Its growth since the Civil War has been very rapid, the population in 1870 being