Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-05
FORT SMELLING BRIDGE.
THE OLD SETTLERS CELEBRATE us
COMPLETION.
a Pleasant Ride Across the Bridge to the
Fort -Reception and Entertainment at
Lieut. Johusan's cd Settlers Talk The
Bridge.

At about two o'clock yesterday afternoon
two of j. B. Cooks splendid great sleighs,
with four and six horse teams decorated
with flags, and the sleighs PILED with rich
warm robes, took on at the Merchants and
Metropolitan a party cf representative old
settlers OF Minnesota, and were driven out
Third and Fort streets with the six horse
team. handled by that famous driyor. Win
nebago Jack, taking the lead. The occasion
of this turn out WAS an invitation from \. S.
Elicit and j. b. Cook to celebrate the COM
pletion of the Fort Smelling bridge by drive
over ;hs bridge 10 the fort. While there
were many old settlers absent who ought to
have been on hand, and whose absence
exctes surprise that they have
lost The old-time instinct, which used to
bring them to every good thing going on,
yet tho party was representative one. The
traditional era was represented, for instance,
by 0. S. IL. NJ. Rice, O. S. Nathan Myrick,
aud others. The first historical period was
represented by o. S. IL. L. Moss, Of the first
territorial govovnment OILERS whom tho
GLOBE man recognized as genuine old set
Il rs,w9re Benj. Brdn son, A. l.. Larpeuteur,
Burt. Presley, John Ii. Murphy, II. W.
Johnson, H. T. Masterson, VIM. Il. Mar
sh Ill, Z. q. BeIote, Arson NJrthrop, lwin
Ball, S. Z. FJls.n Villa Wlllen. aa1 \.
s. Elicit There were several other old
time boys, who came iatD this country tIeu-
ty five to twenty-nino years ago, and repre-
ssntative5 of the city papers with, perhaps,
two or three of the real old settlers who
clms here in ante territorial times, who were
not recognized as sach by the writer.
THE RECEPTION.
Tho drive to the Fort wa9 short and pleas
ant AMI tao p. ssago over the
bridge-the first made by teams other than
those used in the br ridge building having
been made, Gen. johnson TO ok charge of The
party and directed the drivers to the resi-
dence of his SOD, Lieut.. A. b. Johnson, of
the Seventh infantry. Alighting here, the
guests were most Hospitality received and
generously entertained. A Seventh regiment
orchestra was in attendance. collation.
waI served which made more than one wish
that O. S. Alvaren Allen was present, since
only praise of tho feast from him, who has
served SO many, could have fifty honored the
ladies who provided this. Mrs. Gen. John
son and Mrs Lieut.. johnson, assisted by
Lieat. johnson ana some of his fellow OIL
Gers of tho Seventh, served the guests and,
with music, social intercourse and partak-
ing of the collation., time
sp3d rapidly, until some one suggested that
the afternoon was wanlng. Then .. >. FL
felt, asmaster of ceremonies, called upon
o. s. Rice for impromptu remarks:
HON. H. NJ. RICE's "REMINISCENCES.
When he first came here Fort Smelling was
more separated from civilization than Is
at this time any place i'll the United States.
The nearest settlement was at Fort Craw-
ford. In summer time there was an Occa
sonal boat. In the winter, after the ice was
strong enough, the journey to and from Fort
Crawford could be made on the river by
French train. The country east of here was
held by the Chippswas, and the country west
held by the Sioux. When they net they
were sure to have big light, and 1t WASH
safe for a white man to come between them
for they didn't care who they shot and
scalp3l. Mai Clinton, OF the Fifth regiment,
was commanding at Fort Smelling, the
headquarters of his regiment being at Fort
Crawford. He, Mr.. R;cs, thinks the winters
were longer and colder then than now. The
provisions at the fort then were scarcely
moro than pork and hard bread. They had
not then tie canned fruits and prepared del
icacies which arc now to be had at the most
remote of frontier posts. The change IN this
respect at Fort Smelling, as we had witnessed
to day, was very much for the better. He
was pleased to see SO many old settlers pres
ent, and he was glad to see the beautiful
bridge spanning the river and to know that
the old post is to be maintained and made
a credit to the country.
GOV. WIN. r. MARsuALIs "REMINISCENCES.
o. S. Marshall was next invited to speak
of his early experiences. When he came to
Minnesota, in 1917, lie first heard of St.
Paul at Saltwater, which was city long be-
fore St. Paul. Tie boat did not land at st.
Paul, but came on to Mondota and Fort
Smelling aud unloaded goods for Gen. Sib-
lev and for the post. At that time when
one wanted to come from the East
side to the fort he had to go round by st.
Anthony. The river bluff, opposite the FORT
was precipitious, and, though it was said
there was path winding up it by which a
mule might be led up, no horse could walk
down it. When the road was first made
down the bluff. that was considered a great
improvement What had been said about
the Indians reminded him OF his doing some
fast walking once, in returning from Black
River Falls to In Crosse, where (Nathan)
Myrick & Miller then had a trading post. Hs
had rode on pony With pack saddle from
above the falls to Douglases mills, and then
had twenty-six miles to go, and was glad that
he had to leave the pony aud pack saddle.
Douglas pat him across the river and be
started on foot at o'clock in the afternoon
Soon after he saw party of Winnebagoes
The sheriff of Crawford county had recently
b cen killed by Indians, aad he suspected
that these Winnebagoes, expecting him to
camp alone at night, might follow him. He
accordingly determined to 50 through, and
he did, swimming or wading La Crosse
river, four miles out, about sunset, and reach
ing Myricks house an hour or so after.