The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-04-28
BY A DIRE AN z K.

IefChanre
A slamherng thought, is capable Of Years,
And curJles = long life into one hour.
byron.
l was seated within my study during late cold
and stormy afternoon, in that melancholy portion OF
the year---N ovemler. The blazing FIRE leaped and
cracked j,yoasly upon my hearth in pleasing contrast
with the raging storm without. Sitting in my old
arm cha | watched the d,scentin, snow flakes;
and tn: rapid hurrying to and fro of the many dash
ing sl"i,hs aad other equpayes; mnsing the while
upon the many Of life thus constantly presented
to my eyes, aad ,rali1a, upon the hopes the fars
and the future Of tn; busy thrang that Hpatcd by
rapidly. From musu3, soon fell, ''as is my custom
Of an afternoon" into pleasing sumber, silent and
un disturbed Gr hours And now, while sleeping in
that comfortable old arm chair, all of sudden my
fancy portrayed the following ".sisn.''
| Meihought that time had shot his arrow suddenly
forward some twenty years and odd, and in manhood's
prime, and life and health, I stood upon the lofty
bluffs overlooking the great and populous city Of ST.
Paul. Beneath AMI around me, on every side, a
hundred lofty spires glitter ed in the morning sunlight,
while still farther in the distance countless habiiations
OF humble precnsions, suhu. ban cottages and lovely
gardens secme, veing in common race to cover all
the plain, and from the grassy vale and shady nook
looked cheerngly up, from gentle hill slope, or
elm, ing to the sleeper sides Of the semi-crcular
bluffs, looked down and smiled. The submits Of the
butts were crowned with the residences Of the mer-
| chant princes of ST. Pau--ihc homes Of luxury,
taste, refinement, ease and elegance. Just below,
and almost at the doors Of these Merchant Princes,
hundred richly laden b,ats, from all parts Of the up
per and lower Mississippi, III, ST. Croix and Mime
sofa, lay proudly at the Ievee, loading AMI mi aiding
rei,h:s while the son, Of the aborer reached even
to the bluf whercon stood. Other steamers and
sailing craft of every size constantly arrvin,
and departing, passing to and fro, while ferry
boats crossing and abont in al! directions.
From opposite to Fort Sacln, away down to Car
vers Cave, the city stretched her snowy 'front.' and
then access the river to the south, and away off over
tn, bluffs to the north, Ear over tn plain as the
eye could reach, villages Of lesser no,c the rural pal
acc and the prince'y mansion. with here and there
single cottage, with lavish and bengnan hau.! were
stlewn along the vale. City, town and hamlet, the
hill, the valley, the bluffs, almost like mountains,
and the far of plain, with the mighty Mississippi
and the deep blie Of the far off Minaetonka were be-
/ f,r The sky above me was unobscured by Il
yapor.
| $50 coudess, clear and purely beautiful,
Ihat God, alone, IL be seen IN Heaven"
And fiom the crest of Minnetonkas wave, gopher
footsteps wandered my lips breeze refreshing
an sweet.
Ii WAS morning. The Sun had scarcely cleared the
horizon, and already every street all OF the
city crowded with joyous and excited pppula-
ton. Men, women and childrco in g,uly apparel;
the aged and the youthful, all classes, castles cond-
tons All compilations were ding in the utmost
confusion. Ani there was the passing to and fro IF
squads Of military in fu uniform; tremon in gay
shirts and caps; members Of b uevocn, and civic
societies, in rIc gala and Of thcr several
orders; officers Of III, army and navy, soldiers po-
hcemen with b,l ,es AMI mlccs; mashaIs on horse
back, m saudy sa>hes and rosetes; while squads Of
mounted cavalry and h1cers were charging hher
AMI sa,her. A thousand das> and banners Hoa.ch
ovcr the city AID from the boats along the icyce aa
tn flashing Of iusele Uniforms, Of b:voic,S. of
sword an lance, of fire engines and gay equpasa Of
every ki1! threw back the sunlight TDa c.a,el.ss
roll of DIT, ns an the elan yor Of martial music were
M 5eI with the roar of artillery. waith from early
drva hal ,i,,ei In peel tom en- Of the cts
- the other; AMI the river and from ST. Anthony
and Nenj,ti, an from where Fort Sieny used 10
stn.f-thc !"ty site now covered with a growing
tow n-,ann IN answered cannon and in tones Of thua-
DIR reverb rated Com b.ui to biuf-lrpm pa;a to
PLAIN AMI from shore To sh,rc--lyins OF at icas,h
towards Lake i'rpin to the south.
1t was III, Fourth Of Jlly. FL ,rtee, Hindicd and
Sesen'y->ix; AMI on that day Repre- scntatiycs from
thr several ol! Mississippi 'ale, States, fo Ne
bra-k nj til, other nar States aui Territories en-
tending westward t, the R,rkv Mountains; the peo.
pie from the North, too, from Pembi Il, nd the old
Se!kisk Settlement, fJrnary callrd-now the State
OF Assnb,ia, (p.olou,: ed ASST -i-bwaw) aud even
itom Old FL York, On llu lson Bay, toy .th,r with
the people nf Minnesota, ne,a,iiy, hal conJrcgatel
in ST. Pao', fr Ia. fold purpose Of celebrating
the Centennial Anniversary Of American Iudepeu-
deace. and to witness well the opening of the great
Atlantic aad Pacific Railway, from Boston, New
Yo,k ani Phila lei pha, via ST. Paul to Oregon and
California, its terminus being San F ancisco
II conlnc,io with al this, was the first despatch
to b. seat IN words OF living fire, upon that day. along
the wiies of the Great Britain Sub Marine, and
North American Telegraph Line, from London, via
the States TO San Francisco.
The full time for the consumnation Of a mighty
and glorious event had finally arrived, which for
~ years had been anxiousiy looke, for, hoped for,
sighed Tor, aye died o. Tn. hour was near at hand
in the which the most san.ninc expectations and
lon, cherished desires OF tn civilized world were
about be completely realized, AM great ''Naion-
al Highway" for travel an! commerce. As we'll As
tos thought and Intelligence, opened and established
from the rising to the setting More especially
was it a consu,nnation which MINES ,ia, since the
hour when her first Constitution had been given her.
the g Of March, 1919, h,l long devoully wished.
The ratification of the Sioux Treaties in 1852, and
the formation Of Other Treaties in 1856, which ex-
,neushe'l the Sioux AMI Chippewa titles to all the
land within her limits, from the Missouri on the West