The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-07

whether it is one of those ethereal creations
of intellectual frost-work, more intangible
than the rose-tinted clouds Of summer
sunset; one of those airy exhalations Of
the spectators brain which | am told are
ever fitting in the form of towns and cities
along these lines of railroad built with gov
ernment subsidies, Turing the unwary set
tier as the mirage of tho desert lures the
famshing traveller on, and ever on, until it
fades away in the darkening horizon, or
whether it is real, bona tide, substantial
city, all "staked off," with the lots marked
with the owners names, like that proud
commercial metropolis recently discovered
on the desirable shores of San Domingo.
[Laughter.] But, however that may be,
/ am satisfied Duluth is there, or there
about, for l see it stated here on this map
that it is exactly thirty-nine hundred and
ninety miles from Liverpool [laughter]
though I have no doubt, for the sake of
convenience, it will be moved back ten
miles, so as to make the distance an even
four thousand. Renewed laughter
Then, sir, there is the climate of Duluth,
unquestionably the most salubrious and
delightful to be found anywhere on the
Lords EARTH Now, | have always been
under the impression, as | presume other
gentlemen have, that in the region around
Lake Superior it was cold enough for at
least nine months in the year to freeze the
smoke-stack off locomotive. [Great
laughter.1 But see it represented on
this map that Duluth is situated exactly
half way between the latitudes of Paris
and Venice, so that gentlemen who have
inhaled the exhilirating airs of the one, or
basked in the golden sunlight of the other
may see at glance that Duluth must be a
place of untold delight daughter a terres-
tial paradise, famed by the balmy zephyrs
of an eternal spring, clothed in the gorge
Gus sheen of ever blooming flowers, and
vocal with the silvery melody of natures
choicest sonSsters. Laughter In fact,
sir, since l have seen this map have no
doubt that Byron was vainly endeavoring
to convey some faint conception of the
delicious charms of Duluth when his poetic
soul gushed forth in the ripping strains of
that beautiful rhapsody.
'Know ye the land of the cedar and vine,
Where the flowers ever blossom, the beams ever
Where the light wings of Zephyr oppressed with
perfume.
Wax faint DER the gardens of Gul in her bloom;
Where the citron and olive are fairest of fruit,
And the voice of the nightingale never is mute
Where the tints of the earth and the hues of the
sky,
In color though varied, in beauty may vie2"
Laughter
AS to the commercial resources of Du-
luth, sir, they are simply illimitable and
inexhaustible, as is shown by this map. I
see it stated here that there is vast scope
of territory, embracing an area of over
two million square miles, rich in every
element of material wealth and CONNER
cial prosperity, all tributary to Duluth.
Look at it, sir, pointing to the map1
Here are inexhaustable mines of gold,
immeasurable veins of silver, impenetrabe
depths of boundless forest, vast coal mea-
sures, wids extended plains of richest pas
turage, all, all embraced in this vast terri
tory, which must, in the very nature of
things, empty the untold treasures of its
commerce into the lap of Duluth. Laugh
ter Look tit, sir, [pointing to the map,1
do not you see from these broad, brown
lines drawn around this immense territory
that the enterprising inhabitants of Du-
luth intend some day to inclose it all in
one vast corral, SO that its commerce will
be bound to go there whether it would or
not? [Great laughter ] And here, sir,
[stll pointing to the map,l find within
a convenient distance the Piegan Indians,
which, of all the many accessions to the
glory of Duluth, consider by far the most
inestimable. For, sir, have been told
that when the small pox breaks out among
the women and children of that famous
tribe, as it sometimes does, they afford the
finest subjects in the world for the strateg-
ical experiments of any enterprising mill
tary hero who desires to improve himself
in the noble art Of war, daughter j espe-
cially for any valiant lieutenant General
whose
"Trenchant blade, Toledo trusty
For want of fighting has grown rusty,
And eats into itself for lack
OF somebody to hew and hack"
[Great Laughter.1
And here, sir, recurring to this map. |
find iu the immediate vicinity of the Pie
gans ''vast herds of buffalo" and "i;nmense
fields Of rich wheat lands"
Here the hammer fell.
Many cries, go on p Ego on!"
The Speaker--Is there any objection to
the gentleman from Kentucky continuing
his remarks /? The Chair hears none.
The gentleman will proceed.
Mr.. Knott was remarking, sir, upon
these vast "wheat fields" represented on
this map, in the immediate neighborhcod
of the buffaloes and the Piegans, and was
about to say that the idea of there being
these immense wheat fields in the very
heart of wilderness, hundreds and hum
dreds Of miles beyond the utmost verge of
civilization, may appear TO some gentle
men rather inoongruous--as rather too
great strain upon the "blankets" of ve-
racity. But, to my mind, there is no diff
ficulty in the matter whatever The phe-
nomenon is very easily accounted for. 1t
is evident, sir, that the Piegans sowed that
wheat there and plowed it in with buffalo
bulls. Great laughter.l Now. sir, this
fortunate com animation OF buffaloes and Pi-
egans, considering their relative positions
to each other and to Duluth, as they are
arranged on this map satisfies me that Du-
uth is destined to be the beef market of
the world.
Here, you will observe pointing to the
man are the huffaIoas directly hatmaen