Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-06-27
npowTH NJ ST. PAUL.


-anort of the St. Paul Chamber Of Com
merce for the year ending December 81,
1873. 1t is pamphlet of seventy-eight
nages and contains much valuable In
formation in regard to the wonderful
growth of that city and the development
Of the great Northwest. A population
of 10000 is claimed for the place, and
as it is growing rapidly in the direction
of Minneapolis, it is believed that the
two cities will one day want to be united
as one. The distance between st. Paul
and Minneapolis is some eight or ten
miles, and the prediction seems vision
ary, but there is no limit to the
energy of the people or their resources
and advantages of location. Such
a thing may occur before the pres
ent generation passes away. In
1850 st. Paul had a population of
$40; in 1855, 400; in 1860, 10000; in
1856, 1886; in 1870, 2O,OSO, and now in
1874, 4O,l99. This astonishing growth
is greatly owing to the tide of emigra-
ton which constantly flows from the
East and Europe to the Northwest.
Eastern capitalists have invested largely
in Minnesota lands, town property and
manufactures, and it is TO their interest
70 build up the country as rapidly as
possible. Therefore their newspapers,
their Congressman and their pious
preachers are all employed to inveigh
against the South, and if need be, they
would convert it into a bowling wilder
ness rather than allow the tide of emf.
grafton to set in toward this section.
They print books, and send agents to
Europe to prevent capital and labor
from coming to the South, but at the same
time hold out Aattering inducements
from the Northwest. Hence it is that
Minnesota, with an estimated popula-
ton now Of about $4,000, had in 1872
according to the census, 35,940 Norwe-
gians, 2O,9s7 Swedes, 2l62 Swiss, Al, 3c4
Germans, TAO Irish, 2l66 Bohemians,
2647 Austrians, 1855 Hollanders, l743
French and considerable sprinkling of
other nationalities. The colored popu-
lation of the State was only 759 st.
Paul is the natural metropolis as well
as capital of the State, and its prosperity
can be attributed more to the influx OF
immigration and money than anything
else. While the South is far more ia
Vored by nature in prolific soil, lrSu-
RANT productions and mineral deposits,
every commercial and industrial pursuit
languishes, and the people reel beneath
the burdens Of taxation. We cite
St. Paul and the tributary country
as an instance Of what might
be done in the South if we could be set
right in the eyes of the world and had a
reliable system of labor. But SO long
as Congress legislates in behalf Of a
certain class and leads its 1000, 900
wards to think they can live by politics
without much work, so long will we be
nj a disadvantage. St, Paul has
magnificent stone eustom.house, which
cost over half a million dollars. No
such a government building can be
found in all the South. Knoxville comes
nearest furnishing an exception. Ten
nessee has not been Africanized and
cannot be. We can build up and de-
velop our State even without Federal
patronage. There are many practical
conclusions to be drawn from the facts
which we have thrown together, which
we have not time at present to pursue.