St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-11
Narrow Escape of Four Firemen at the
Burning of the Old st. Paul
Gymnasium.
st. Vfncent's New ColIector--Board
of Public Works Recon-
mendations.
The Boom Company Again--Shoot1ng
at Snelling--Fire Inspectors
General Local.
In THE NEW CHAMBER.
President sanbOrn Makes a Fitting
Address.


and after the reading of the minutes and
the disposal of the usual preliminary bust
ness the president delivered the following
address. which was received with applause:
THE PRESIDENTS REMARKS.
Gentlemen of the Board of Directors: 1t
would be considered an inexcusable neglect
if. on this occasion, the presiding ofhcer OF
this body should make no reference 10 TINS
new order of things. We meet for the first
time in a large, attractive hall in building
which has been erected by your energy and
Gberality which is credit to the city and
monument of your zeal and public spirit.
But little less than five years have passed since
/ was first elected your presiding oncer- me
vacancy l was elected to fill was occasioned by
the resignation of Gen. II. H. Sibley, who
felt that the inirmities OF his health ana ms
declining years rendered it improper Tor him
longer 10 serve in that capacity. The cham
her had previously done great good, but was
weak compared with to-day. 1t had no as
sets and quite debt. To-day its assets are
worth Sl50.O0O, and its liabilities, outside Of
those to its own members, are $4,000 only.
Its influence and power for good
have immeasurably increased, and its
future is glowing with promise.
During the period OF my presidency the
board of directors have been most active and
jealous in all matters pertaining TO the growth
and prosperity of the city, and their zeal and
labor have been amply rewarded, and the
changes ana improvements in the city which
have resulted largely therefrom are almost
incredible. in November, 1850, when was
first elected, our population, as shown 10y the
official census but just taken, was IL, 1873; at
this time. the ohicia. census row just taken,
shows our population 40 lee more than 100000,
an increase grcutcr rhan there had been in
the previous thirty-twOy years. The valuation
of personal property at the time in the city
was SS,759, $40, and real estate 81, 1926;
while now the assessed valuation of personal
e and rnQ OSf at -
$40. 1856. During this brief period the larger
proportion of our most prominent public
buildings have been constructed. The follow
ing railroad companies have erected buildings
for their offices, viz: The North
ern Pacific, the St. Paul, Mime
apolis s. Manitoba, the Chicago, St. Paul, Min
neapolis & Omaha, and all of said companies
have built or are now engaged in building
large shops for the construction and repair Of
cars. engines and material used on their re-
spectfve roads. The opera house, the union
depot, the high school building, the q. S.
army depot building, the First National bank
and the National German-American bank
building. the chamber of commerce and the
Ryan hotel, with nearly all
OTHER LARGE BUILDINGS,
have been erected during these five years.
The foundations for the new court house are
already laid and work is progressing with as
much rapidity as safe construction will adj
NIT. New lines of railroad have been COM
pleted during this period to the city, which
add immensely to the amount of business and
facility of transacting the same. Among
these. the Northern Pacific railroad, the Mil
waukee 81 st. Paul Short line, the st. Paul.
Minneapolis s. Manitoba Short line, the st.
Paul g. Northern Pacific now about to be
opened, the Minnesota 81 Northwestern and
the Wisconsin Central are completed, while
other lines Of road are advancing rapidly TO
this as the principal place of business and
terminus. We have seen our commerce eX-
tended in every direction on all these high
ways reaching even TO cities in Montana and
the agricultural districts of the Pacific slope.
We have seen the tide of commerce which
has been flowing for more than three thousand
years in a westward direction from Japan and
China, turn and flow east instead OF west, and
seen the trade Of our city with those hitherto
remote countries auspiciouSly opened.
Everything in the city has kept pace with our
rapid growth except the city and county in
debtedness. The wholesale trade which In
1880 was $45 0C0, 900, will this year exceed
$50, 000, 900; manufactures, which in 1880
amounted TO Sl2.212, l48, will this year reach
S30.000000; the banking capital of the city,
which in 1880 was S3,000,000, is now about
$4,000, 00G, while the city Indebtedness, which ]
on the lst of January, 1850, was $l,5l9, 310.71,
was on the LIST Of January, 1855, S2,977, 940.7I,
OF which 81, 800 600 had been created by the
purchase and expenditures for water works
alone, which of itself provides the interest
and sinking fund for the liquidation of the
debt, so that the city debt proper has de-
creased during this period, instead of in
creased. With the construction of the new
bridge across the Mississippi river, and the
new court house. ard the completion of the
water works, we should expect a public in
debtedness of from $4,000, 600 to S., 600, 600;
with the vast
INCREASE OF POPULATION
and OF the value of real estate and personal
property in the city, the indebtedness could
safely extend to S5,000000, but should not be
permitted to exceed that sum. It is unneces-
sary for me to state that it is a source of the |
utmost qualification to me to have presided
over this body during Il period of so much |
growth and prosperity, and it should be q
badge of honor to every one OF you TO have
devoted so much time and attention to public |
affairs, and to have contributed so much to |
the growth and prosperity Of your city, which |
has added vastly TO the wealth and happiness
of more than one hundred thousand
OF its people. 1t is essential that the |
same spirit which has prompted
you to give time and money to |
the promotion of these public interests shall |
continue TO actuate fair percentage of orr |
population if our growth and prosperity are |
to continue. Having presided over this body |
ana taken an active part in the affairs for so /
long time, am compelled to state that |
cannot accept the position for a longer pc |
FiOd, and il the election of the new board of |
directors is postponed for a short time TO en-
able you to ill up the entire list Of perpetual
members, must ask you to excuse me |
from attending your meetings during the ex- |
tended period, rs have duties to perform |
which are wholly incompatible with the SER |
vice required 10y the chamber My interest !
in its prosperity VIII always continue I'M |
abated, and l shall always cheerfully render |
4 al cid and support in my power.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The circular from the New York produce
exchange, asking the cooperation of the
chamber in securing the adoption of GER
tain kind Of bill of lading, was referred TO
the mercantile committee.
Mr.. Oliver Gibbs. Jr.. the commissioner
of Minnesota at the New Orleans eXposi-
ton, appeared before the board and made
a lengthy statement in regard to continu-
ing the exposition and renewing the Mime
sofa exhibit He explained why the expo
sitiOn did not prove more successful, and
said the Southern people had learned
great deal about making such a display.
and that the next one. if one should be
given, would be much more likely to be
successful. He had great confidence that
it would, and was anxious to have Mime
sofa aid From the LIST of February to
the LIST of June the exposition paid.
Before the commissioners of the diff
ferent states departed from New
Orleans they were called together and con-
suited as to the continuance of the EXPOSE
ton, and they all promised TO lay the mat
ter before their respective states and do
what they could in the matter. Heihought
it would not cost more than half as much
to continue the state exhibit as it cost last
year.
President Sanb0ln expressed the opinion
that if it was thought best to continue the
exhibit. the money could be raised to pay
ffaa a,1aanca of tho Minnesota dicnlox-