Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-31


An outlook of the future upon the contrast.
The GLOBE accordingly invited Gen. Sibley
to contribute to the annual review and hiss
the pleasure of printing the following ad-
mirable sketch from his pen:
Historical st. Paul.
There is a singular analogy between the
growth of the Queen City of the North
west, Chicago, and st. Paul, the Queen City
of the empire of the New Northwest. In
very interesting lecture delivered by Hon.
Emory A. Storrs, of Chicago, in aid of the
Historical society of that municipality
there are many passages descriptive of
the marvellous growth of the city which
are but reflex of the development of St.
Paul within much shorter period. We
quote literally therefrom to show the ap-
positeness of his remarks to our own local
ity.
Historical Chicago" Mr.. Storrs sold, is
the rude village of 1883, it is that growth
which carried the village forward to q
pushing and ambitious little city in 1887.
1t is the outgrowth of the same resolute
spirit which made it in 1910, at the head of
the great chain of lakes, SO conspicuous
that national river and harbor conven-
ton was held in it, Historical Chicago"
he continued, sis that energy and forecast
which from small beginnings made it the
local point for great railroad enterprises.
Its fame extended because the mon of Chi
cago noised its fame abroad. Historical
Chicago was never greater than during the
war of the rebellion. The dauntlsss,
matchless energy of its people stirred the
whole Northwest It has Witnessed events
that have gone down in the history of the
world. Through all the events of which it
has been the theater, it has drawn within
its gates the driving and ambitious from
every quarter of the globe"
Historical Chicago has from the begin
ming been and still is thoroughly typical
and representative city. The spirit which
it embodies is the spirit of thu entire
Northwest It represents the thrift and
sagacity of New England, the broad COM
mercial character of the Empire state, of
the industrial energies of the old keystone
and the personal and indi vidual independ-
ence of the South. It is, perhaps, the
only city in the world where leisure is not
quite creditable. But it has, besides its
material growth, made magnificent char
acter for sterling and masculine probity."
With but a change of dates st. Paul might
be substituted for Chicago and the fole-
going remarks of Mr.. Sterrs would apply
with wonderful exactitude. A mere rude
hamlet in 1916, st. Paul grew into village
of less than thousand Inhabitants when
Minnesota territory was organized in
1S49, and the lifetime of single gener-
alton has witnessed its Transformation into
a city with a population of $4,000 and an
almost limitless increase in prospect.
st. Paul has undergone, in common with
other cities, many vicissitudes of fortune, but
there has been manifested through all of
them stern determination to maintain,
not only its own financial credit, but that
of the stats of which it is the commercial
and political capital. In the submission
to the people of the state through sue
cessive years of legislation for the pay
ment Of the old railroad bonds, st. Paul
never wavered in its loyalty to justice and
right. decided majority of lis votes te-
ing invariably cast in favor of an equita.
BILE settlement of these state obligations.
When Chicago was devastated 10y fire in
1871, ST. Paul from its meager treasury
generously voted the sum of twenty thou
sand dollars, which was promptly paid for
the relief of the homeless sufferers, and
when our own people in the frontier coun-
ties have been impoverished by vista
tons of the plague of grasshoppers for
successive seasons, or by cyclones, or other
calamities, our noble city has
always been among the first
to contribute to the necessities of
its fellow citizens with an unsparing hand.
Historical st. Paul can point with par
donable pride to its churches, its magnifi-
cent public schools, its merchant princes,
its established commercial and financial
credit, its manufactures, its works of inter-
nal improvements charitable institutions
and the character generally of its popula-
tion There is not city of its size in tho
Union, where life and property are more
secure, or crimes of magnitude less fire.
quently committed, than in st. Paul.
There are, unfortunately, but few of the
old settlers left, who have personally wit
messed the changes which thirty five years
have wrought in this metropolitan city,
and who can recall to mind the few insig-
niicant log huts, which, bat comparatively
few years since, constituted all that there
was of ST. Paul. The survivors may we'll
look with moist eyes and swelling breasts
at the results which have been achieved,
and to which the old settlers themselves