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 pass 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.
| CHURCHES. | Congregations. | Communications. | Number in Congregation. (Attendance.) | Church Accomodations for | Value of 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 classified 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 principal 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 class 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 passing 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 sexes are placed under the care of competent instructors, and educated in all the ordinary branches of learning without any charge to the pupil. The sexes are kept separate and male and female teachers are employed. The standard of study is as high as in other unclassical 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 passed 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.