Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-10-04

{. ~ - = 4s afIl !slt
4 About six years ago q gentleman Of slender
means, came to the city Of St. Paul (then place
Of but few houses) for the purpose Of carving
out his fortune. Unaided by rich and influential
relatives, be struck out boldly with determined
spirit that surprised others Of less ssgacity, and
ia three years from the time he landed on our
sh ores he had accumulated sufficient wealth BY
speculatons in real estate, to commence the erec-
ton OF large Hotel, the very idea Of which was
secuted by men Of more experience and of more
means. Nothing daunted, he pushed the enter
prize forward-and by the force Of his character
soon crushed every obstacle that was placed in his
way. Gradually the building began to assume
shape, when those who had hitherto given him
the cold shoulder, were forced to applaud his
foresight, and when the building was completed,
even his most inveterate enemies were loud in
his praise. At that early day in the history Of
our city, it was extremely difficult to procure
workmen, or building materials provisions were
high and money scarce--freights were exorbi-
tant, in fact, everything was in a crude, I'M
couth state, - and it required considerable
patience and much ingenuity to carry forward
successfully an enterprise involving so much
money. But it was completed, and the WNsLow
HOUSE stands to-day monument of the Industry
and Perseverance Of the gentleman whose name
it bears.
1t soon passed out of the hands Of its original
proprietor, at considerable advance over the
cost, and he became largely interested in West
st. Paul, where great portion Of his property
is now located. His success in the erection of
the WINSTON HOUSE in this city, was the cause of
numerous applications to build other houses in
various parts of the Territory, and soon after he
entered into contract with the St. Peter Com
pany, and the hotel at that place was erected by
him and bears his name. This was barely COM
pleted, when he was solicited to erect hotel at
St. Anthony, and after the subject had been duly
considered, he commenced that enterprise, which
will be successfully carried out and rebound
into contract to build the University at st. An
thony, and new hotel on the west side Of the
river, opposite st. Paul, and thus by his enter
pricing spirit and his sagacity, he has been and
will be the means of erecting public buildings
which will add greatly to the beauty and pros
perity of the places where they are located.
The poor man of six years ago, can now count
his $15O,0OO! which is constantly increasing.
His means have not been locked up, but they
have been scattered through the community, glad
dening the laborer and giving to desert places the
bloom of the Rose. Small enterprises do not
agitate the brain of JAMES NJ. WlNsLow. His
plans are expansive. He thinks as little of
erecting hotel worth 800, 900, as ordinary men
think Of erecting dwellings worth $4,000, and
we look forward to the time when he will out
strip all other competitors in the magnifcence of
his schemes and in the universal success of his
enterprises, and all this we can attribute to the
force of his character, his industry, his enter
prize and his perseverance.