River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-01-03
A MILD CLIMATE.
December Steamboat Excursions ON IN
Upper Mississippi.


December Steampoat Excursions ON the
Upper Mississippi
The mild weather this winter is being
improved by the citizens of st. Paul, and
steamboat excursions have been frequent
during the past week There were two
large excursions on Christmas day and on
the day following Christmas, still larger
affair for the benefit of the Orphan Asy-
Ium of the city. The fine steamer Mag
gle Reaney was secured and the party
steamed up to Fort Smelling. 4 meeting
was organized on board the boat during
the trip, with exGov. Ramsey as presid
ing officer After brief speeches by ex-
Gov. Ramsey and Gen. r. w. johnson,
Col. Hewitt spoke at considerable length.
The following is an extract from his
speech.
thank YOU gentlemen who got up this
pleasant Christmas excursion. / have never
missed any of these delightful annual Decem-
Der steamboat excursions, nor do wish to
miss any Of the half dozen projected for these
holidays. This is the third one in four days
and that for next Tuesday will beat them ALL
for all want good time on the river on New
Years day, and | expect some skeezicks wiki
call on me for speech then. / don't think
you should be mean with me if should have
to wiring in one OF my old ones either then or
now voice, 'Suit yourself'). That's liberal
You know that two fresh speeches in one
week would wrench man at my time Of lifei
(Applause) Bat need ask why YOU gentle
men crowd this boat to-day You come to
aid the orphans and to have a good holiday
and TO testify in this cheerful, rational man
ner your gratitude to the God of our fathers
for having cast your lives in such pleasant
places. That your homes are in Minnesota
l know what's the matter with Beecher. He
was out here-he saw our glorious State. He
considers Minnesota the heaven of the world
and he knows New York is the-other placel
(Appiaase.) Gratitude that you live in State
that raised forty million bushels of wheat this
year; as good wheat as the world ever saw,and
out of which our Thousand mills make the
best Hour in the World A young State but
millions of bushels ahead of any State in the
Unionl a State that built two hundred and
, forty miles of railroad this year, and has
! twenty five hundred miles of completed rail-
way, and work arranged on nearly dozen
roads for the incoming year, thus bringing a
market to the door of our seven
hundred thousand people. Gratitude
for the best common school system in the
Union. and school fund Of over three and
half million dollars and school lands enough
set apart to bring eighteen million dollars.
Millions of acres of government lands
and railroad lands at almost nominal
| prices, on which from twenty to thirty
| bushels of wheat per acre can be rails
| ed. Gratitude fer humane pro-
| vision in our homestead laws that
secures to each family a dwelling
or farm, without limit as TO value that shall
be theirs to renain the shelter, the castle, the
| home. of the family, to cluster around its
| hearthstone in the hour of gloom and disaster,
| as secure as they were won't to do ia the sum
shine of prosperity. Applause A country
| UNSURPASSED for health, and whose climate IS
| buttoo little understood In portions of our
| Gnon, where they need to be told that thous-
! ands of farmers who have lived fer Years in
| Iowa, Wisconsin, and southern Minnesota,
| where they have sold their farms on which
| they have done well, and are removing three
aud four hundred miles further north into
| upper Minnesota. Gratitude for a State where
| law and order prevail, not surpassed in this
| respect by any State, old or new in our Union
| "a State almost without revolver Or a
| bowie knife, and where q man who would
carry either would be hooked upon as cow
ard and a blsckguafd State without one
| deed of violence, where some States / could
name count a thousand; State, into which,
| red handed cut throats raid to carry away
our money in sacks, but never leave vur hor-
| ders alive Applause Do | wonder that
/ gratitude fills your hearts these Chrstmas
/ times, and that these boats are filed these
! joyous Christmas times, with crowds made of
1 evey nation, kindred, tongue and peosle under
| heaven. BY the way, that's one among the
| thousand reasons why love Minnesota above
| and beyond any spot of EARTH, and have lived
| North and South, East and West. 1t is be-
| cause we have people here from everywhere.
| We have in Minnesota and in st. Paul people
| from every part, nook and corner q all the
| heritage Of God But went recall any more
/ Of the blessings and benefits for which you
| should be grateful or if you are not you
may land in country where river excursions
| are novelty nomatter what Beecher thinks.
Seven years ago, on one four annual Decem.
| Der steamboat excursions, | read you from the
| census returns in 1870 that St. Paul was the
! lowest on the list of cities over twenty thohs-
| aud population; we lust eRrap,d being left !;
| we had twenty thousand and a bakers dozen.
| | then said intik where st. Paul will be in
| ten years. Sec how many of those cities now
ahead of her will be overtaken and beaten by
| our city. Five of the seven years passed have
| been hard ones on us, but our forty thousand
people to-day and the big push we have now
entered upon will cause Soh TO recall and re-
count with pride what our young city has
! done and can do Go out on the line of our
dozen railroads this 26th December day, and
! see them blowing for the crop of 1878. See
| the incoming tide of people that are going to
do more to develop our State in the ,e%t i've
| years than has ever been aons aince the In
dams had possession. Gro, and you viii see
| what future there is for st. Paul if we are
| only true to ourselves.
| r. A. Orbison, ESQ, was next called for. Mr..
| Orbison stated that he came from Pennsylya-
MIA last summer, mainly by the influence OF
| Col. Hewitt. He came an invalid anti found
| the climate of Minnesota haa restored him
and he had settled IN st. faul. He believed
that Minnesota offered more advantages to
| those seeking homes than any State in the
Union. Her forty million bushels of wheat
and her healthy climate was fast extending
| her reputation, and he believed the tide of m-
| migration that we would see coming here
from the Eastern States would very far sur
| pass anything we had ever had before. This
| State had been too little understood and the
| people everywhere should be made acquainted
| with its true worth. He said he had already
| begun to do his part and he knew of others
| from the same section who have come here
recently, and were doing their part. He be-
| lieved there would be diversion iii our favor
| from the route Immigration had heretofore ia
ken IRON Pennsylvania, Many would come to
| Minnesota,
Gov. Ramsey Let them come; they are
| good people.
After other speeches a series of resolu
tions were passed concluding with
| pledge to attend the mammoth excursion
being arranged for New Years day. The
wholc affair was greatly enjoyed by all