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

WIZ fOOAAS OuoAACSo ACout1Alc.
Ex-Gov. Marshall, in his address before
the old settlers of Hennepln county, Feb.
%, 1871, says, regarding the contest for the
seat Of government:
The original act made ST. Paul the
temporary capital, but provided that the
legislature might determine the permanent
capital. bill was introduced by the st.
Paul delegation to fix the permanent capi-
tai there. Iopposed it, endeavoring to
have st. Anthony made the seat of govern
ment. We succeeded in defeating the
bill which sought to make st. Paul
the permanent capital, but we could
not get through the bill fixing it at Saint
Anthony. So the question remained open
in regard to the permanent capital until
the next session, in 1851, when a compro-
mise was effected, by which the capital was
to be at Saint Paul, the state university at
Saint Anthony, and the penitentiary at
Saltwater.
sat that early day, as we'll as now, carl
catures and burlesques were in vogue.
Young VIM. Randall, OF Saiut Paul, now
deceased, who had some talent in the
graphic line, drew picture of the efforts
at capital removal. It was building on
wheels, with ropes attached, at which was
pictured Juggling, while Brunson, jackson
and the other Saint Paul members were
holding and checking the wheels to prevent
my moving it, with humorous and appro-
PIRATE speeches proceeding from the
mouths of the parties to tho contest. The
caricature was quite good one, and served
to amuse the people of Saint Paul for
some days.
*Gov. Marshall then represented St.
Anthony, at which wlace he lived.
The second session assembled Jan. 2,
1851, in brick building, since burned,
which occupied the site of the Third street
front of the Metropolitan Hotel. At this
session the seat of government
WAS FIXED AT ST. PAUL
as above noted. D. F. Brawley, Jonathan
McKusick, Louis Robert and E. A. G..
Hatch were elected building commission
ers. Charles Bazille, pioneer resident
and large property owner of St. Paul, do
mated to the government the block of
ground since known as ''Capltol square,"
and plans drawn by N. G. Prontiss were
adopted. The contract was let to Joseph
Daniels for $50, 1000, but the building
finally cost over $4,000. 1t was com
menced at once, but not completed until
the summer of 1858. The third and fourth
sessions of tho legislature were compelled
therefore to meet in rented buildings
That of 1852 assembled in Goodrich
block on Third street below Jackson, and
that of 1853, in two story brick row on
Third street, where the front of the
Mannheimer block now is.
On July 81, 1853. the governor, w. A.
German, first occupied the executive
chamber of the new capitol. The original
building was in the form Of
a 'T,'' and so many were the
alterations and repairs, that but little
of it, except the walls, remained
when it was burned in 1881. For some
years it amply Accommodated all the state
business, and its interior furnishing and
equipments were as plain as the exterior.
Up to 1866, when gas was put in, the leg
islative halls were lighted during the night
sessions with candles; and, up to 1871,
the building was heated with wood stoves,
and all the water used in it was sup
piled by carts. That year the steam heat
ing apparatus and water supply were Or
dered by the legislature, and the building
slogan to have some of the comforts of
OA'AAAH0A AAAC, 90 q W1Gty AAOAAOOI CAPICSS-
ed it in one of his speeches.; but it had
meantime grown too limited for the rapid
ly extending business of state which had
increased in population eight fold since the
building was erected. After the increased
representation commencing in 1872, more
room was imperative. Next session the
ordered, costing $4,000, while the changes
in the assembly rooms, roof, cupola, etc.,
cost $4,000 more. This gave relief for
several years, but at every session of the
legislature, the members of the house suf-
ferred from the crowded condition of their
hall, bad air, etc., SO much that larger
hall was absolutely demanded. The session
of 1878, therefore, ordered the erection of
a new wing fronting on Wabashaw street,
capable of accommodating the house of
representatives properly, and giving more
space to other departments. That wing
was completed in December, 1873, at a cost
of $4,000, and for over two years was
used. The representatives hall was 9614S
in the clear. The building,
with these additions, was not of very
symmetrical shape, but was commodious
and comfortable, having an extreme
length of 2O4 feet, and width of $50 feet,
and contained about fifty apartments. Its
total cost, from first to last, was about
$IOS,OOO.
AFTER THE FIRE.
Before the fire in tho old capitol had
died out, because of nothing more upon
which to feed, Gov. Pillsbury had begun to
consider temporary location, which could
be occupied at once, the fact that but two
days remained of the legislative session,
and with many of the most important
measures of the session yet remaining to
be acted, making it absolutely necessary
that no time should be lost. Fortunately,
the city of St. Paul had just completed a
new market house, spacious structure,
the use of which was promptly rendered
the state and as promptly accepted, and
while the ruins were still smouldering the
work of removing thither the saved furni-
ture, records, etc., was commenced,
and so vigorously prosecuted that
at 8 O'Clock the next morning, the different
state offices and the two houses of the leg
is,ature were located and at work in their
new quarters.
Among the first acts of Gov. Pillsbury in
his new quarters was to invite proposals
for rebuilding the burned edifce, upon the
same general ground plan and utilizing