Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-22

Overland Mail Route Meeting...Wm
H. Marshall.
Fourth, on the list of Vice Presidents, ant
prominent among the speakers for clear ant
pithy expression of sound views and facts
was WIN. R. MARSHALL: gentleman who's
participation in the meeting recently held here
to forward the establishment of semi-week
ly stage line between st. Paul and Pugets
Sound, is an additional security for its good
faith, and of the eminent practicability of the
enterprise which its proceedings contemplate
No sounder head, no better judgment, en-
lightened by education and reading, and by
the experience obtained from an active par
ticipation in the business of life, does Saint
Paul contain amongst her citizens, than WIN.
R. MARSHALL.
He is one, amongst the few who have from
the beginning seen ST. Paul rise from nothing
into busy cityhood, and Minnesota grow from
wilderness into cultivated State, and all
in the short space of nine or ten years of
time.
When the writer of this notice first came
to Minnesota in the Spring of 1S49, Mr.. MAR
SHALL was here then, and had been for year
or two. His previous history up to that time,
we soon had occasion to learn: and from that
period until now, his career has been too note
worthy not to be well known to all the old set
tiers.
WV. r. MARSHALL was born in Boone
County, Missouri, on the 18th of October,
1925, and is consequently now about 30 years
of age Bred Surveyor, he removed in May
of 1917 into what is now Minnesota, though
it was then Wisconsin territory; but he set
tied finally at the Falls of the St. Croix, on
the present Wisconsin side, where he estab-
liShed the first independent mercantile store,
in opposition to the st. Croix Company.
Here he remained, store-keeping and sur
veying, for nearly two years.
While residing at st. Croix Falls he took
pretty prominent part in public affairs; and
was one of the leaders of the people Of this
section of Wisconsin, who struggled for long
time to limit the boundary of the newborn
ingState Of Wisconsin to the Chippeway river,
so as to leave the whole of the st. Croix
country and Valley, all together, in the
contemplated new territory of Minnesota.
The first State Constitution formed for Wis
consin extended the boundary line of that
State in this direction up the Mississippi as
far as and along Rum River; though the State
was finally admitted with the st. Croix as its
northwest boundary, line by the way of
compromise.
This event changed Mr. MARsHALL's pub
lie position somewhat. He had been elected
member of the Wisconsin legislature from the
st. Crox legislative district by the people of
the district when textended up to Rum river:
but the establishment of the st. Croix as the
boundary cutting off that region up to Rum
river in which he had obtained his maiorities,
caused the election of his opponent, JOSEPH
BowRoN of Hudson, who had majority of
the votes cast in the country below the St.
Croix
Early in the spring of 1S49, Immediately
prior to the creation of Minnesota Territory
by act of Congress, Mr.. MARSHALL removed
with his business to st. Anthony, there again
starting the first Independent store for the
sale of merchandise, in opposition to the pre-
vious monopoly of RANroUL & Co., who were,
at that time, the numbering company of the
Falls.
So highly was his character and ability
esteemed, that, Notwithstanding his compare
tive in youth, three or four months afterwards
the people of the st. Anthony district elected
him as one Of their representatives to the first
Territorial Legislature of Minnesota-which
was, by the way, the ablest body of that
kind, ever assembled within our borders.
While member of this body for only short
period, his integrity and talents induced Gov
ernor RAMSEY to tender to him the post of
Territorial Treasurer: which office, however,
he declined, on the ground that his sentiments
did not coincide so wholly with the Wing
Party as might be expected from person
holding prominent Office at its hands!
During the session of the Legislature, Mr.
MARSHALL had difficulty with, and was
compelled to knock over upon the floor of the
House, immediately after its adjournment
one of his fellow-members, HENRY JACKSON
of st. Paul, who had the temerity to give
him the lie by implication in regard to mat
ter touching the election contest between
"Bully" WELLS and HARLEY D. WHITE. We
mention this circumstance merely to show,
that which other instances might also he adj
duced to establish, that the calm, moderate,
equable temperament into which Mr. MAR
SHALL has disciplined himself, is not so much
the natural disposition of the man, as the
creditable result of mind and judgment and
conscience, controlling his physique.
The next public position in which we find
Mr.. MARSHALL figuring, was as Lecturer
before the Library Association of st. Antho.
ny, in an address which was mainly in refer.
ence to Minnesota matters; and in which, we
remember, he endeavored to establish for the
people of Minnesota the name of 'Bsauers''
as their fancy cognomen, the same as Bad
gers signify the Wisconsonians and Wolver-
ines designate the people of Michigan. The
name did not, however, take; so that acct.
dent is yet free to fix some designation of the
kind upon us.
1t was to Mr.. MARsHALL's exertions that
the first public library, except that belonging
to the Territory, was started in Minnesota
This was that owned by the Library Asso
citation before which, as we mentioned, he
lectured in March of 1850: Morton S. VIII
kinson, John w. North, Rev. Mr.. Gear O
Fort Smelling, Lieutenant johnson of the q
S. Army, P. p Bishop and others l;kav;s,