Steamboats with headquar ters at Louisville, in spite of the interference of railroads, are yet seen upon the Ohio and other Western waters, and afford cheap rates of freight. There are not, however, so many floating palaces upon the Western rivers as there were before railroads came into use, but there are yet a few which prevent the Ohio and its glories of old from being forgotten.
Board of Trade and Commercial Club.— There is a board of trade which keeps an eye on the interests of Louisville, and a corn mercial club which helps in the work. Any enterprise which looks to the interests of the city can be brought before either or both of these associations and secure recognition and help if deemed worthy. Both of them have done valuable work in behalf of the city. , There are five daily news papers, three issued mornings and two even ings. Many weekly, semi-weekly, monthly and periodical sheets are also issued. The Courier Journal and Herald appear mornings and the Times and Post evenings.
Libraries.— The only public library in the city is the Louisville Free Public Library, suc cessor to the Polytechnic Library, which was in turn successor to the Public Library of Ken tucky. It has some 177,000 volumes on its shelves, and its present equipment is due to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has a valuable library at the corner of Sixth and Broadway, and there are several other smaller collections which have something of a public character. There are also several large li braries in the city which belong to private citizens, and one of these, which has upon its shelves some 50,000 volumes, is one of the largest private collection in the country.
The sewerage system of Louis ville is extensive. The early engineers were disposed to do all the draining of the city toward °Paddy's Run,* a probable survivor of the Ohio when its channel was farther to the south. This system, however, had to be aban doned when it was found that Paddy's Run would itself have to be drained as the city enlarged. The present sewerage system termi nates in the Ohio River, where it should have gone at first.
Fire The fire department of the city, under a chief, several assistants and firemen, has a modern equipment of steam engines, chemical engines and all the necessary accompaniments of water-towers, hooks and ladders, etc. It is kept up at an annual ex pense to the city of about $320,000.
Police.-- The police force is maintained at an annual cost of about $436,000. The mem
bers are arranged after somewhat of a mili tary grading, and consist of one chief with the rank of colonel, one assistant with the rank of major, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, cor porals, chief of detectives, detectives, special de tectives, district detectives, mounted men, sta tion-keepers, wagoners, patrolmen and a secre tary.
The parks of Louisville have only been established in recent years. The present system was organized in 1891, and lands pur chased for an eastern, a southern and a west ern park. There was no use for a northern park, as the river was on that side. The west ern, known as Shawnee Park, consists of com paratively level land and embraces 180 acres; the eastern, named Cherokee Park, has 409 acres of gently rolling land cut into picturesque ravines by Beargrass Creek; and the southern, called Iroquois Park, contains 676 acres of land, partly level, but mostly hilly, with some of its eminences nearly 300 feet into the air. The park commissioners purchased of the Dupont estate 18 acres known as Central Park, which, added to Baxter and Boone squares, will en large the intramural part of the system and meet the wants of those who cannot enjoy the suburban parks. The parks were named after the three Indian tribes who once asserted own ership over the land.
History.— In 1773 Dr. John Connolly lo cated 2,000 acres of land, to which he was en titled for military service in the French and Indian War, on the south side of the Ohio River, immediately opposite the falls. This land was surveyed for him by Capt. Thomas Bullitt, and on 10 Dec. 1773 Lord Dunmore executed a deed to him for it. Connolly then conveyed to Cob John Campbell one-half of this land, and the two undertook to establish a town thereon, which Bullitt had laid out in the original sur vey. In 1774 they advertised lots for sale, but Indian disturbances arose and no one came to buy the lots. To the Indian troubles difficulties between Great Britain and her colonies suc ceeded, and increased until actual war was on between them. Connolly, as an adherent of England, was arrested by the patriots and thrown into prison, and Campbell fell into the hands of hostile Indians on his way from the Falls to Fort Pitt. Under such adverse condi tions, with both proprietors in prison, the projected town at the Falls came to an end, and was probably forgotten by all except the unfortunate projectors.