St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-16
By T. NJ. NEWsoN


Article xxx.
Back again and in the harness Four
children better ard Pen Pictures to be con-
dnued! So kind readerl-greeting!
CAPT. CHARLES j. sTEEs.
Capt. Stees was born in Philadelphia in
1884; came 10 st. Paul in 1851. He was three
weeks on the wsy from his native place to
tits city,swhiIs the trip can now be made in
less than three days. This year QS51,) the
river was high, the water co&ing up to VIM.
Constants warehouse steps.
INDIANS NOVEL SIGHT.
Hearing of the Indian treaty going on at
Mendoza, he rem aimed on the boat and
went up,there. Here thousands Of Dacotahs
or Sioux had assembled to make a treaty
with United States Commissioner Luke Lea
and GOV. Ramsey; the bluffs and surround
ing hills were covered with Indian tepees,
while chiefs, braves, warriors, squaws and
pappooses and dogs crowded around Sib-
ley's Trading post and young Stees' heart
beat with wonderous and admiring excite
ment, he being just from school and full of
Fennimore Cooper's romantic ideas of the
noble red man OF the forest, but subsequent
events served to changed his sentiments in
regard TO the Redskins, - for eleven years
later-during the Sioux massacre of 1862
he had opportunity to face these same
Redskins in battle and assisted in capturing
many OF them and recapturing a large num-
ber-of while women and children and one
white man, who were held as prisoners by
n fha a.
speeches, were very eloquent and graceful
in their oratory, and had very happy, don't
carativeness manner qtp speaking
some wholesome truths, which
the Commissioners were not
delighted to hear. The whole scene was a
picture never TO be forgotten.
GRASS AND HAZEL NUTS on THIRD STREET.
As boy, fresh from Philadelphia, Capt.
Stees was not favorably impressed with st.
Paul as village, with its board shanties and
less numerous frame houses. West St. Paul
was then forest of fine tall trees. the grass
was green along Third street, and he gath
cred hazel nuts corner Third and Minnesota.
An old log barn belonging to the Catholic
mission, stood where the Pioneer Press stands
now. The stable of the Central house stood
where Manufacturers block now is, and Bill
Taylor's barber shop and Bass postofIice oc-
cupied u one-story frame about where
Schleik's shoe store is. The Fremont house.
with its pet bear stood on a ''prettv bench''
overlooking a beautiful view of the river and
there was magnificent promenade along
the bluff facing the river. from Jackson TO
Wabashaw street. which Col Goodhue always
advocated should be reserved by the city as
boulevard. Had his wishes been carried
out st. Paul would possess to-day a front
which for a promenade and beauty of
scenery, would be unsurpassed on this con-
tinent. The writer earn estly advocated the
preservation of this same boulevard in 1854,
but cupidity OVERRIDE sagacity. and the OPP
portunity has now probably gone forever.
REMINIscENcEs
Across Third street, below Cedar, about
where Boeringer's store is, there was a ledge
of rocks, out of which constant oozing and
dripping of water came, making the walking
muddy and disagreeable for the ladies, SO
the McCloud Brothers furnished the neces-
sary lumber, in the shape of empty hardware
boxes, and Z. West McCloud, Ike Markley
and c. j. Stees laid the first Side,cdlk in st.
Paul, from Minnesota street on Third, TO the
foot of this ledge of rocks and the ladies
were thus enabled to pass dry shod over this
spot to the Rev. z. d. Neill's brick church.
corner Third and Market, where it was not
an unusual sight to see Indians march into
church their bells and trinkets iingling and
squat themselves down on the floor of the
aisle and listen to the religious discourse of
the minister. Baptist Hill also had its little
church-from which the hill derived its
name-and was well attended. Presley's
little candy store was a resort on Sundays,
especially by Indians, who would hang
around until Bart would come out and treat
them. He would give them peck of de-
cayed apples and they would invariably pick
out the rottelea as the gipeSt and enjoy them
most. Simpsons trading post, corner Third and
Robert, and old Creeks log cabin back of it
on the bluff, was also resort. The arrival
and opening of. Curran's worlds fair-dry
goods store-on the opposite corner, with his
daughters as lady clerks, was a social event
in St. Paul which set the young men in a
Sutter. Charlie Caves saloon on Third street,
with its walls painted full of Indian
scenes and Indian life, was considered some
thing very grand in those days. Signs out
1t night denoted keno as being PLAYED I'D
stairs, and gambling was in full blast open
and above board. On the bridge, corner
Fourth and Jackson streets, could always be
found a group of Siouxs intently watching
the building of brick culvert and disap-
pointed and astonished at not seeing the
brick fall in when the wooden supports were
taken out; they could not understand the
philosophy of the arch. Here was Lot MOI
ett,s first house, over which he built his castle.
he first floor of the latter commencing where
he roof of the former left off. Larpenteur's
store, corner Third and Jackson, was always