The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-04-09
Advance, Commercially.


Nothing will better partially illustrate the
steady and healthy advance OF St Paul as an
important mart of trade and commerce, than
the increase in the number of steamboat arri-
walls from year to year. The number of arri-
walls in 1878 was, rs near rs we can now come
at the true fgnrc. Al; in 1919, 13; in 1850, 104;
in 1851, 113: in 1852, III. But, as we have
remarked, although thi, is good illustration
of our steady increase. commercially, it is only
a partial one. Had we any means of getting
at the comparative increase in the amount of
freight which has been shipped to this port
from below during the past five years, we could
find therein nearer correct data. This we
have not. We will therefore state some Obser-
vations and incidents unsupported by figures.
When we arrived in st. Paul in the month of
May, 1919, the mercantile business consisted
of: l.. Roberts store at the Lower Landing:
Freeman, Larpenteur & Co.'S, same place; Hen
~ jackson. just closing out, in his old house at
the top of the bluff: III. Forbes, ST. Paul
Outfit, Bench, between jackson and Roberts
streets; J. w. Simpson, next door. and the
small Indian trading establishment of Olmsted
e. Rhodes, on Third street, in the old cabin
which was recently removed to give place to
the handsome new store of Mr.. Chamblin. This
completed the Lower Town. Then you tray
clcd over an extensive corn and potato field to
a little clunp of shantics and balloon frames
in the neighbOrhood of the American House.
Here was Levi Sloan. upon his present site,
with a small stock; and next above the Ameri-
can. were the Mcssrs. Fuller, with a somewhat
larger assortment. This was all. The capital
invested in merchandise in the entire town
could not have amounted to over 100000
That huge bugbear, the Fur Company how
so frequently used to frightcn refractory pOliti-
cians-did very limited business here at that
time Their center was at Mendoza, where both
Mr.. Siblcy and Mr.. Ricc-thc then prominent
members of the ChOutcau firm i'll this part OF
the countrv-rcsidcd and did business. The
frame of the American House was just up. In a
few weeks the room in the extreme cast end OF
the building was finished off for store. and
was stocked and opened by Mr.. Rice, who had
charge of that branch of the Fur COmpany's busl-
ness known as the 'WinnebagO and Chippewa
Outfits During the summer, DR.. Borup came
down from La Pointc, and signified his deter
mination of going into business in st. Paul. Be
fore his stock arrived Mr.. Rice had erected the
then extensive store and warehouse near the
Upper Landing, now occupied by the MeSsrs.
Fuller lie and the Doctor concocted part
nership, and the latter became a member of the
Company. When they opened. lin the month
of August, we think their shelves presented
much the largest stock ever previously seen in
st. Paul Many people rrophcsied there was
more goods in that establishment than would
be sold in ST. Paul in five years But their
business started off so briskly. or the prospects
of both to become rich suddenly were so appa-
rent or from some other cause, they did not
long agree, and Mr.. Rice left the Company. The
Doctor moved his establishment down town,
where it has remained ever since.
Late in the fall, the Messrs. Elicit arrived
from Philadelphia, with heavy stock OF goods
and opened in the place vacated by Mr. Kice
and DR.. Borup They were another eXempiiii-
cation of extreme verdancy in the minds OF I'M
movable croakers. But We have yet TO learn
they ever regretted the step they then TOOK
Other smaller establishments had risen ihto eN-
istencc during the summer and fall and at the