The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-09-02
(OBIrvARY BIZ An OLD CIrIzEs.)
COL. JAMES NJ. GOODHUE


The late editor OF the Pioneer no longer lives upor
earth. Since the las, issue of this paper, the high
hopes Of bis recovery th.n expressed, have been al
blasted.
The body that once encased his powerful mind, i:
no longer visible, bu, dwells in q narrow house, the
silent ana dreany grave.
Until JAMES NJ. GoopHUE ceased to breath,
his value to the community was not fully known.
In life, he was viewed chiefly in the aspec, Of ar
individual battin, for his own interests. In death
il is discovered that he the individual above al
others, who had promoted, the general welfare Of
Minnesota, and especially that Of the Capital
In April, 1919, he found ST. Paul, nothing more
than a frontier Indian trading settlement, known b,
the savages the place where they could obtain Min
ne Wakon, or whiskey, and wholly unknown to tn,
civilized world.
When he died, with the sword OF his pen, he hac
carved name aud reputation for ST. Paul, and h:
lived long enough to hear men think aloud and sa,
that the day coming when choo rvs would Learn
from their teachers. that the third city in commercial
importance the banks of the mighty Mississippi
was St. Paul.
His most bitter opponents were convinced, what
might be his towards them that he loved
Minnesota with all his heart, and all his might
The editor Of the Pioneer was unlike other men
Every action, and every line he wrote marked great
individuality. He could initiate no man in his man
ners, nor in his style, neither could any initiate him
Attempts were sometimes made, but the failure was
always very great.
tnPetuous as a whrlwind, with pcrceptive powers
that gave to his mind the eve of lynx, with vivid
imagination, that made the very stones Of Minnesota
speak her praise, with intellect as vigorous and
elastic as Damascenc blade, he penned editorial:
which The people OF this Territory never blot
out from memory.
His wit when it chas.cncd, caused ascctics to
laugh. His sarcasm upon the foibes Of society was
paraiysing and unequaled BY Macaulay in his review
OF the life of Barere. His Imagination produced a
tale Of fiction, called "Sriking Lead" which ha
already become part of the light literature of the
West
When IN the heat Of partizan warfare, all of the
qualities of his mind combined to defeat certain
Measures the columns Of his paper were Ike ter
rhc storm in midsummer amid the Alps. One SEN
sence would be like the dazzling arrowy lightning
peelIng IN a moment the mountain oak and irving
IRON the topnost branch to the deepest root the next
Ike crash Of awful thunder; and the next like the
stunning roar of torrent Of mary waters.
To employ the remark made in discourse at his
funeral,
"Whh the ingenuity Of Vulcan he would hammer
out thunder bolts On the anvil Of his mind and hur
them with the power and dexterty Of Jove."
The contrarietes Of his character often increased
his force.
Imagining his foes to be Cossacks, he often dashed
among them with all the rccklessness of Mmat
The fantastic magnihcence of his pen when in those
moods, appalling in its temerty as the white
ostrich feather, and gitteing gold band Of Napoleon
famed marshal.
As paragraphs, he was cquaod By few living
men.
His sentences SO leaped with life, that when the
dstan, reader peruscd his sheet he seemed 10 hear
the pulling brooks and see the agate pavements and
crystal waters of tae lakes Of Minnesota, and he
ionged 20 leave the sluggish steam, the deadly malta
ria, AMI worn out farms, and begin life anew in the
Territory Of the sky-rinied waters.
When the emigrant from week to week was dis
posed TO despond, and give way to the distress Of
home sickness, the hopeful sentences Of his paper in
relation TO the prosperous future chased that dismal
feeling away.
The deceased was born in Hebron, n. H., March
Slsi, iSlo Ills Panents possessed the strong faith
and stern virtue of the Puians and felt that an edu.
cation was the greatest treasure they could give their
children.
After passing through preparatory studies, he en-
tered Amherst College, where he listened to the lee
lures OF the distinguished Gcologist Hitchcock and
other devout men Of science
In the year 1882, he received diploma from that
Institution 1t his desire to have attended a
meeting Of his surviving classmates in the halls of his
"Aina Mater" which is just over; but another sum
mons came TO take "His chamber in the silent halls
of Death
short period before he was confined to his room.
he fell from his ferry boat into the river, and was
obliged to great exertion to keep from drowning
this, IN connection with mind oppressed by the cares
OF one SO active in life, supposed to have shortened
bis days on earth. Not long after he was On a bed
OF sickness, there seemed be the presentment that
his heart might have commenced ssbeatng lis funeral
march to the grave.''
Some days before he died, with great camness and
clearness Of mind, he conversed with the minister.
whose services he attended when in health.
In looking back upon his life, he saw much to re-
gret He Acknowledged his unworthiness in the sight
Of Heaven, and hoped that he had placed his trust in
his Redeemer. He DESTROYS live in order that
he might show to the world that he had determined
TO act upon resolutions. To the last he felt an
interest in Minnesota, and hoped the day would never
arrive, when majority Of citizens could be found at
the ballot-box. in favor Of repeal Of that law in our
Statute Book, which makes GROCERY public nuis-
snce. During his sickness, he was patient, and Eee
forsave ell his snsmiee.