Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-31
E,effer frDt.i WinncSOta.

l. -
when said, 10 my last letter, that tic Mlnne'
sofa State lair would open in ST. Paul Oh the
9Th progimo. The cod OF September Is the
daY the lals commences. 1t will continue
ycek. There is great rivalry just at this tine
between St. Paul AID Minneapolis in the mat,
ter Of fairs as both cities are expecting to hold
forth ct the same time. In the way OF stock
St. Paul seems 10 be ahead, inasmuch as Pfesi-
dent Hayes, Rarus and other noted horses urc
to be present
The republican Stale convention Hlceta hero
On tho 4!h proximo, and shortly thereafter the
democratic congressional convention Tor this
district will convene in this city. Prominent
among the candidates for tho nomination at the
hands of the latter convention is Gen. VIM.
Crooks, of st. Paul. | brought letter OF
introduction to this gentleman from Gen. L.
l.. Lomax, of Washington. | found him to
be whole souled, fine cut, genial gentleman
Of the olden school, q rara avis IN this ccun-
try, for | assure you, as a general thing, tour.
tcon carats IL tue standard. Yet would not
be understood to say there Is no society here
the man who would make that assertion must
have hairIin and On impure sou--ior among
the beat classes there is as much cultivation
and subdrod refinement as tbero Is East-blt
The best classes arc 50 lew and tar between.
| Con. Crooks resides in a palatia residence en-
Ninth avenue, in st. Paul, Gnd Is ono OF INC
money kings of the West. ilo keeps hloodHd
horses, graded cattle unu Thoroughbred dogs
lie cntcrtains on the most prlncrly FcaIe, anu
loves the southern people with passionate;
regard. They always lind large loltertu
welcome on his door mat, but hi3 hospitality,
unlike that OF many others, does not stop there.
II il continual and thorough, anu yet extended
with such cordially as to leave no oppressive
feelings Of obligation. There is nothing saudy
and patronizing about him. Ia the language
of tho Burnudian. when he has exhausted the
flowers of eulogy in praise of 2 MAD, and yet
desires 10 confer upon him still higher COM
pljmcnt, the General is On "onlon.' | am
Indebted to him Tor ono Of the most pleasant
DAYS | ever spcnt--a day rcpIcto with expert,
cnccs OF the kcencst enjoyment. Starting from
St. Paul, about ten o'clock yesterday morning.,
il the General carriage, Tu drove out to Lake
Gcuo-a small but beautiful body Of water,
about tlirco miles northeast of the city, and q
great Sunday resort Tor the toing thousands.
They como hero to this lake and spend the day
in music and song, fishing and dancing. There
is . free conscrt every Sunday, the music being
furnished by an organ obout the size oil the"Man
sion House. in Alexandria, ruin by steam and
possessing tbs power of two hundred marine
bands. From Lake Como We drove through o
marnifc,nt belt Of farming couotry, dotted
over with grazing herds and stacks OF earneret
:raiu, past the poor j house and Minnesota
ltniycr:ity, TO the Falls Of ST. Anthony. Iht
falls arc rather slick at this season OF tho year
but still present an appearance OF much natu
raj grandeur. We then proceeded to ChutG
cave, aud taking small boat, sailed out two
thousand yards under the earth. This cave !:
singular curiosity, if may indulge III 3 H.
descriptive 2 solec!sm; there arc no stalectltc5
40 coraEs, no c0ncretions nothing save clcal
tom shirinS with white pebbles, and the walls
I ana ceilars Of tbs GAYS composed Of saud
stone, 50 aolt and pliable IS 10 cTunblc at tho
slightest touch Ct the rqaisitve finger. L,av
ing the cave VT drove across the aaspe1s'0l
bridge to Minneapolis, aud alter inspecting the
narmouth flour mills with . capacity OF tive
thousand barrels per day, we took teui
through the ariStOcratlc portions OF the city
, Tie dwellings, are august, the streets superb,
, AID tho yards have 10 fences around them
The absence OF the universal iron railing ant
, ricket gives an appearance OF relieved beauty
TO these palaces which mus be seen to be ap
I prcoiaied. Il removes the mauacled, crampcd
|, prisuncG Ike presence OF the lawns and make
them smile and rcycl, US it we're, in uncorSctcl
luxury. At an elegant home on Sixth Avenue
wa found General +. l.. Rosser, and his &C
comp!ishrd wife, Nee Winston, OF Virginia
surrounded by quite family Of handsome ant
interesting boys and girls. Tie General is
strong man, and god,ikc in the grasp o
. pain" it rc4lircs to build railroad. ibis i
, evidenced by tho tenaciiy with which he ha
held Oh to The Northern Pacific Railroad, 0
which he is tho superintendent, and the pluck
with which he has fought the combined oppo
s;tiop Of adverse legislation and financial dis
, trcss General Rosser has a regular sand hi
in his craw; no has fought g good battle to
his road, and as usual 10 such entertainments
he will accept nothing but s1ccess. Alter ar
f. hour or two spent in delightful conversation
during which tho General himself invited me-
to make his house my headquarters during my
sriourn 10 Minnesota, we took our departure
for the Falls of Minnchahs. These Falls o.
the Laughing Waters, imul0rtaliZod by Long
fellow in his song OF tho Indian Chleitaln Hla
watha, arc more uplifting and suggestive ln
poctic inspiration than all the moonlight night!
, and elopements that poets ever rayed about.
Tho plaoo is too romantic to describe 10 prose-
standing below the falls and looking
Where from above tho silvcry sheets
Of water pour, and ere kissed
Oncc by the sunlight, ere they meet
The rocks below, in foam and mist
You feel like harp With thousand chords, OF
string band with its toeth on edge. and in
Voluntarily cxaaim "Oh Hannah, aren't i!
bully |"
From these falls, after dining on toast and
prairie chicken. we wended our way down to
Fort Smelling. whore regiment of United
States troops are quartercd, on the Mississippi
River. Workmen arc engaged at this noint il
building suspension bridge from tho Ramsay
county heights to Fort Smelling. The govern.
moot gave $lG5. 900 towards tho erection Of
this bridge. We crossed tho Mississippi 10 a
ferry boat. and then visited the place Of Gov.
crnor McGuthn, of Kentucky, who is here look.
ing after his large wheat interests. From the
observatory of Governor McGufin We enjoyed