Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-04
THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL
g F- OF THE
OLD q SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.


OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.
| .~T2r' The Toasts, Speeches, See. r1
goodly number of the Old Settlers of our
State with their wives, assembled, as we
orleny noted yesterday, at the Merchants Hotel
on the evening of June 1st, to partake of the
annual supper. The Merchants Hotel, be it
known to late comers, was the first Hotel
quilt In the city, and even State, and part of
the original structure relic of the primitive
days-yet remains as portion of the present
hne building, now under the management of
Col. Belote, under whose able supervision its
lame has not waned shadow from the repu-
| tatlon the original had in the early days of
our goodly city, then frontier settlement
1t must have been such "reminiscences as this
that woke up the memory of Olden Times in
the minds of the guests present, for such bud
gets of funny incidents of those days-items
that no historian has ever recorded, or could
record, without marring the narration--as
were opened, could not have been brought
forth except on such peculiar occasion as
this.
After some time had been spent in conyi-
vial intercourse of this kind, the Old Settlers
and their guests were summoned to a BANQUET
more solid, and quite as pleasant,--for we
must say, that the supper in all respects has
never been excelled, perhaps not equaled, in
the city. [Col. Belote should nail the antlers
over his dining room door,
Quite sufficient time was spent in enjoy
ing the feast, and mixing discussion of the
tempting edibles with the discussion of var
rious subjects, old and new, which was finally
cut short by the President, Hon. H. H. Sibley,
announcing the first, and only Regular Toast
:" The OldSettlers Of ofNianesota-Well remember
ed by the early adventurers in the Northwest-"A
hardy race fearing and fattering none they
nave iald the foundation of an empire broad and
deep-let their memory be cherished by the de-
scenoants OF these pioneers, when time shall have
made the land of their adoption ancient and onu-
ientTwhen the wild rose shall have yielded to that
OF Snaron|and when all recollection of the lodge
OF the red man shall be lost in admiration of the
cloud cap'd towers and gorgeous palaces" of the
white man-let their tombs be inscribed"
Response by Judge Goodrich, Secretary of
the Association. The Judge made very in
teresting speech. The occasion, he said, was
the celebration Of the completion of the first
Decade of our existence, and hence, the re-
union on this anniversary, to talk over our
early history. All early histories are fraught
with interest The history of the "May-
flower" and the Pilgrims is an instance of
this, and the rock they landed on-if they
could land on rocks worshipped at this
day. Every schoolboy knows the line
"The breaking waves dashed high,
on a stern and rock-bound coast" &c
Our early settlers, too, he said, are passing
away. We remember them from their acts.
We have had our wars. There was the Dodd
War! The Sunrise Expedition! &c. And
the Judge went off into lengthy and poeti-
cal disquisition on various matters, Minnesota
scenery, the necessity of the preparation of
correct annals of the early days and early
settlers OF the State, &c. He said he hoped
that every member of the Association would
write out his "reminiscences and he himself
had IN preparation some annals of the davs
we celebrate. 1t was true that from the Gre
alton of the word down to the advent of Fa
ther Hennepin into what is now Minnesota,
we had but little recorded history, but what
we can collect should be preserved. He con-
cluded by hoping that there would be many
reuions in coming years, and that the "Old
Settler" would each of them live to see four
score years, hale and vigorous as they are
now.
The way having been opened for volunteer
toasts, Ex-Gov. Ramsey offered
"The Day we Celebrate"
but was himself called out by the audience
as being the most appropriate person to re-
spond to it. He made very fecitous and
jovial speech, commencing with good anec-
dote about Judge Goodrich having told him
once, shortly after his arrival about going up
to the cave, and finding, as he said, "two cords
of snakes" and finding the Judge very ner-
vous about snaix he could make him Jump
rod any time, by exclaiming-" snake!',
"snake! " as if there really had been one in
the green sward the Judge had talked so po-
etically about.
j. p. Owens, Esq, gave
"The State of Minnesota"
Response by the acting President of the
society, Ii. ii. Sibley. He mentioned the un-
exampled rise and progress of our State, and
its present position and standing which would
compare favorably with States which had been
in existence years before ours was organized
into territory. He closed by offering the
sentiment
"Our Host Col. BELorE May we Old Settlers
assemble here again in 1850, to partakc of his hos.
pitalities."
Responded to by W. r. Marshall, ESQ.,, who
made very fine speech, looking to the future,
rather than the past which the others had
spoken of, and drew touching and interest
ing picture of some coming anniversary when
the old Settlers would have all been laid be-
meath the green sward and flowers of our
State, and 1.-THE Last Man THE sole survl-
vor of the Pioneers-should celebrate it alone
and drink in solemn silence to the memory of
those who had passed away one by one.
The Chairman gave
"Ptilander Prescott, Esq-The Oldest Settler in
the State who is present"
Mr.. Prescott, one of the Vice Presidents
a venerable old man, responded to this toast
He said he had come to what is now Mime
sofa, about the year 1919, or 1920. His ad-
ventures during these forty years would fill
volumes, but he would not attempt to narrate
any of them now. He claimed true American
nativity and descent, his ancestors having been
among the Mayfower pilgrims, and his grand