The weekly Minnesotian., 1856-07-12
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 10, 1856.
For the Minnesotian.
ST. PAUL AND A FOOL.

ST. PAUL AND FOOL.
Some Gone horse" land speculator from
the "big village" of Philadelphia, has been
venting his spleen in most unmannerly way,
in the Philadelphia Ledger of June 25th, in
pretending to give his opinion of st. Paul.
Had lie, however, been content to give lis
mere opinion of the place, lie would certainly
have been entitled to it :; and also to give it
as much publicity as he saw fit to do. But
he writes as though he had been here, and
attempts to convey the impression that what
he states are facts; when the truth is-every
statement he makes is downright malicious
falseh BOD of the most unmitigated stupidity.
We give his article entire. He commences
his description as foil VS.:
ST. PAUL's, MINNEsoTA.-This village is
situated on a bluff on the east bank of the
Missouri, 400 miles above Dubuque, Iowa.
1t is a rough place, with an extensive colec-
ton of rude wooden shops huddled together
chiefly in one thoroughfare, though they ex-
tend two blocks in another, forming an l..
This is perhaps nearer the truth than any
thing that can be found in the whole article
of Anthrax. He locates st. Paul on the
Missouri River, which is about five hundred
miles from where it is. He spells Paul with
an S and puts it in the possessive case, just
as though the Apostle of that name was the
Town proprietor.
Saint Paul, described above, is in fact a
young city of seven years growth of pop
ulation Of near ten thousand, and doing more
business than any city in the East Of double
its population. One Banking House in this
place does a business ofeight millions annual
ly, and they do about one fifth of the Bank
ing business of St. Paul.
At the foot of the town extends a wide
swamp, which at high water forms what
they call slOo of the main river. The as
cent from the river is prccipitous. Naviga-
ton is troublesome in the usual dry sea-
son for thirty miles below, and often for
much greater distance in late years this
evil increases.
St. Paul's has some louses of brick lately
finished, and few stone warehouses. The
bluff is full of springs. There arc two good
hotels, considering the rudcness of the
place and the scantiness of the markct.
Tie writer above has the asseninc stupid
ity to say that cat the foot of the town ex-
tends wide swamp, which at high water
forms What they call "sloo" Of the main
river" And in tLe very next paragraph
says the ascent from the liver is precipitous.
1t certainly is not very precipitous to the
"sloo" he speaks of. It has long been known
that the Mississippi Rapids at keokuk have
been difficult, and had it not been for such
dead heads as Anthrax, they would long
since have been improved, but it is exceed
inely stupid to say gin late years this evil
increases" There were Brick stores and
dwellings, erected in St. Paul as early as
1852, since when the number has increased
with truly astonishing rapdity.
A great deal of Philadelphia capital has
been sent there, by persons who never saw
the place, with discretion to invest in shaw
inc notes at four to six cents per month, and
in specializing in lots at Chestnut street
prices.
These Investments will bear looking after,
while they may yet be visible. A great
city there is talked of as some day sure, in
all the papers. But We were unable to see
the base of such hope. Nor could we find
any one to give Us one idea to justify it. The
only reply is, We are at the head of navi
CATION, and the Falls Of st. Anthony must
always keep lis so.' But the Falls are
chcaply cannaled around through fiat prai-
ric, with steamboat locks f; and a trifng ex-
pensc will make the navigation to the Fal S
as good as it is now to St. PauPs, ten miles
below. AT the Falls is water power of
great prospective value in that flat country !;
and the river is naviSablc for ninety miles
above, to fine timber country. If town
of any manufacturing and commercial i'm.
portance is to be sustained, it will not he at
St. PauFs, where there is not one thing to
Justify it, but at the Falls of St. Anthony.
There is quite a town at this latter place,
place, and the people coniidc in the future.
Their prices for lots show fifteen years. an
ticipati0n Of bills to mature ahead, while at
st. Paurs it struck Us that sixty days after
dooms'!ay would not honor the bills they
discount upon futurity. We locked in at
every shop there on q fine sunny Saturday
afternoon in May, and We found no business
doing. We inquired Of a Phila,lclphian who
had been year there with a stock of mcr-
chand;2c. lis story is one Of sorrow and
disappointment. Great fuss and no sales
For & rude s.!cll Of shop he pays 81 200
per anntin, and has not realized any such
sum since he has been there lie offers to
sell out at a heavy discount, but every one
else wants to do likewise.
The above paragraph is the most insult
ing of the whole stray of falsehood and ma
lignant representation. Philadelphia has too
nearly followed the narrow and contracted
policy Of Anthrax" and has sent TOO little
of rs surplus capital West, where money
we'll used, or properly invested las unver-
sally yielded such large profits. 1t is far
behind New York and Boston in this respect,
nor have they until lately offered to stretch
forth their hand to reap the rich commerce
Of the West, which is being rapidly absorbed
by tLeir morecntcrprising ncighbors. Were
they possessed of = few more such men as
John Grigg, there certainly could never have
been heard in one of her public Journals,
such a monument of malicious stupidity as,
"AnthraX"
Anthrax cautions his neighbors, who have
investments in ST. Paul, to look after them
whilethey are yet visible. Is thisagamc my
dear sir to cheat your neighbors out of their