Two original captions: "This is the city's famed Third and Washington loop as it appeared during the war with Spain. Building on the right is the old Perkinsand Herpel's Mercantile College. Beyond that is old Boatmen's Bank building, which housed Missouri Athletic Club." "Third and Washington in Spanish-American War times. At Taylor avenue car is starting to round the loop. The building on the north side of Washington between Third and Fourth housed Perkins & Herpel's Mercantile College which offered day and night school classes in all branches of commercial studies; the prospectus said that 'students may join at any time, as there are no vacations and no classes, each receiving personal attention from the seven professors who assist Messrs. Perkins & Herpel.' Behind it rises the ill-fated Boatmen's Bank building which housed the Missouri Athletic Club until the disastrous fire of 1914."