St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-10
[Copyrighted.l
PEN PICTURES.
fhe Early Days of st. Paul With Biogra-
phies and Anecdotes of Old
Settlers.
How Gates A. johnson Completed Job
of Surveying-Real Estate
Speculations.
The Successful Career of Peter A.
Berkey-Offices and Business
Enterprises.

John B. Cooks Early Ventures-The
Work of Edward A. Boyd
Albert Knight.
The excitement in real estate in the early
part of 1855 was simply astonishing. Men
became wild over their successes; new
towns sprang into existence and new cities
Oh paper multiplied faster than the Wlla
locust of Egypt. City lots jumped so high
over night that the talleSt ladder could not
reach them in the morning, and the spirits
of the dealers in real estate were kept up
by pouring spirits down. 1t was land for
breakfast, land for dinner and land for sup
per! The man who hadn't a corner lot was
a nonentity and men who had corner lots
were millionaires. And such cheek! Paper
towns and swamp lots were offered for
500 apiece-worth 10 centsi Strangers
looked at these land spectators in wonder
menti Such perfect Self-cOmplaceney!
Such utter abnegation of money!
Such cool equanimity and presumption!
Such cheek! We have never seen it
eQualed.
And so real estate people grew rich while
the writer piled his pen serenely and
thought as the boy did who went through
the kitchen. and seeing lot of cake on the
shelf exclaimed:
Mother, mother. there's lot of ginger
bread on the Shelf" and then growing sud
denly Sedate and thoughtful, he continued,
''but l suppose that's nothing to me" and
so the writer thought it was nothing to him
and kept on the even tenor of his way.
JOHN B. COOK.
Mr.. Cook is native of New York, born
in 1918; moved to Pennsylvania in 1928,
where for several years he carried on
merchandising: came to st. Paul in 1855; in
1864 purchased over two hundred feet on
Third street opposite the Merchants hotel
and opened a livery stable: in 1868 started
his omnibus line; in 1871 erected large
stone barn on Fourth street, now known as
the Greve block, which was three
stories high. and since then he has
greatly enlarged his omnibus bus
mess until it is now the only
line of any magnitude in the state. Four
teen years ago when Mr.. Cook built on
Fourth street that street was then not open
to Rosabel, and he graded from Jackson on
Fourth to little way beyond his barn;
now that street below this point is solid
mass of wholesale business houses. About
two years ago Mr.. Cook sold his property
VII HOuIblI SIiSC6 duu pulCHttoCu VI Ooil-
STAINS on the upper part of Jackson street,
a good piece of real estate upon which he
erected large and commodiOuS buildings for
his business. He married Miss Ellen E.,
daughter of Commodore Champlin OF the
United States navy, in 1858, and has lived
in ST. Paul thirty years.
AS 1 SEE HIM.
Mr.. Cook is prompt, energetic, stirring
business man; of ordinary size; somewhat
slender. and yet capable Of great endurance.
He is very much devoted to his business,
and very few men have labored more
faithfully than he to accomplish the good
results he has achieved. He has one son
who is in business with him. and the firm
ranks among the best in the city. He is a
quiet, undemonStrative, excellent citizen.
GATES A. JOHNSON.
Born in New York in 1926, Mr.. johnson
received a common school education, and
his father dying when young he was obliged
to take care of himself and his mother, and
so at al early age he commenced his chosen
calling, that of civil engineer. In this
capacity he was engaged on the Ogdens-
burg, \. Y, road as an aXeman, and was
promoted By the death of two officers ahead
of him to the position finally of chief engin
eer. He was also employed on the Great
Western road Of Canada; came to ST. Paul
in 1855; was soon after engaged in the pre-
liminary survey of the Hastings & Dakota
railroad; became chief engineer of the Lake
Superior Il Mississippi railroad; completed
this important line and the immense bridges
upon its route which have stood fourteen
years of travel were planned by Mr.. john
son: was superintendent of the same road
for two years; was chief engineer OF the
White Bear & Saltwater road; was city en-
gineer in 1860 for one year; was alderman
from 1871 to 1876; was county surveyor
from 1864 to 1856; was elected alderman in
1888, reelected and served one term; and is
now alderman and building inspector of the
city, having been appointed to the latter
Office in January, 1884.
REAL ESTATE.
In 1867 Mr.. johnson purchased one
block Of twelve lots in Rondos addition.
facing Nelson avenue, for 81, 900; worth
now $40. 900; two lots fronting on Nelson
avenue, for $500 each; worth $4,000 each;
four acres on University avenue, for 81, 900;
worth $S21 900: lot, corner of Fourth and
John streets, for 5000; worth $40, 900; one
third Of a lot near the capitol cost $500;
worth SO, 600. This was in 1866 and in
1867.
AN INTERESTING INCIDENT.
Just before the war when times were
very hard, in the winter of 1860, MI. john
son applied to W. W. Washburn, the sur
veyOr general, for work and fortunately Sc
cured a contract of $50. 900 to survey some
land away up on the Mississippi river. Mr..
Johnson had partner from Houston county,
but both were poor, and how to OBJ
tain money to start with was a serious
question. Finally, Johnson mustered up
courage enough to call upon the Thompsons
of the Second National bank, and laid his
case before them, stating that he could only
give them the word of a gentleman that the
amount would be paid: they thought that
was thin security" but consented to ad-
vance him $4,000 without any security. or
even his note. So he procured his outfit and
started in on the contract. The winter was
very severe, when, just as the parties had
got fully under way, up came the United
States marshal conveying the gratifying in
telligence that NIr. Johnson's partner had
been drafted, and through his father this
partner had to raise $500, which he did and
the two contractors again went ahead with
their job. 1t was not long before the mar
shall made his appearance the second time
with the news that Johnson's partner had
again been drafted. and this time he could
not pay $500, but was obliged to either go
himself OF procure substitute. and this
cost him just 81, 900. Then they soon after
exhausted the 50, 900 advanced to them by
the bank. and were forced to go to their
moneyed friend again for more, and they re-
ceived $4,000 additional from the bank,
and at the expiration Of year completed
their contract and divided the profits of
about $500 apiece, out Of their old broken
down outfit, not receiving a single penny in
money for their years work.
NINETY-FOUR YEARS OF AGE.
The mother of Mr.. Johnson is descend
ant of the Puritans. and is still living with