St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-16
THE CITY'S INTERESTS.
How They Are Carefully Watched and
Vigilantly Guarded By the Cham
Der of Commerce.
Sketch of the History of the Body From
Its Birth More Than Thirty
Years Ago.
Some OF the Notable Ends It Has Ac-
complished for the Good
OF the City.

Oh SAl1s
The moving of the ST. Paul chamber of
commerce from the old rooms on the corner
or Third and Robert streets TO the magniii-
cent new building diagOnally opposite the
Hotel Ryan makes timely a short review of
the history and object of this institution
which has so signally aided the progress of
81 Paul. 1t is matter of universal COM
ment 20 the rest of the world how coherent
ST. Paul business is. how closely il hangs
together. 1t is recognized that the business
prosperity and commercial supremacy of
the city are secured and strengthened
by yiglance-that in the pros
perlty of any one branch OF
business the veal of all is concerned, con-
sequently the business of ST. Paul Is con-
Quoted on the family principle, the members
sympathiZing in each others, pain and wei
fare, and by united effort striving for each
others well being. The organizations
through which these ends are effected are
two: The chamber of commerce and the
Jobbers' union. OF these the former is by far
the more comprehensive in its purposes and
ends. and is the body in which have been
originated a great many of the great enter
priseS which have placed the city on the
commanding eminence it now occupies
among the cities of the country.
THE FIRST MOVE
towards an organization which seventeen
years afterwards resulted in what is now
known as the st. Paul chamber of COM
merce was made Nov. 2S, 1854, and the
next morning. Nov. 90, the following notice
was published. calling a meeting to be held
to organize board of trade:
We, the undersigned merchants of st. Paul,
seeing the necessity of making some Organiza-
ton by which TO relieve ourselves, as well as
the mechanic, the farmer and laboring man
from the monetary and other difficulties I'M
der which we now labor, have concluded 10
hold meeting for that object on Wednesday
evening next, AT O'Clock. at MaZourka hail.
Henry Z. BCel, r. Galloway, ID. Day. b.
Presley, Il. Weide, William Spencer, C.. Wool
bridge, l.. C. Dunn, Jeremiah Smith, L. b.
wait Co. Chamblin * Morgan, ID. Michaud,
Winnie Cooley, Cathcart & Co, y. Z. Tyson,
Marshall x Co.. W. s. Combs. Bond x Kel-
Iogg, Aarkley * Kern, l. X c. H. Mix, J. L.
Farwell n Co, Culver & Harrington, Culver
* EonSeca, Edward Heenan, J VI. Byers. c.
T. Mayo & Co, Louis Rrieger, +. +. Collins,
Stees Hunt. G. G.. Grisw old, Wood x Morse,
Il. Howitz & Co., McClouds & Walker, Abram
Elicit, j. Fullerton. Ritchie & Co.. Marshall &
Co. a. F. Spoffard, p. I. Bradley, Lewis
Hyneman, Charles d. Elfelt, J. Frost.
Tins. over thirty years ago, was the frs
step taken 10 form an organization which
has now taken the name of the St. Paul
chamber of commerce. OF those fifty-One
men who signed this call most are dead. and
others have moved away, leaving but seven
or eight now in the city. where they took
such an important step more than
a quarter of century ago. This
initiatory step was, in due time.
followed by the completion of the organi-
cation, W. Il. Marshall being chosen preSi-
dent and ). w. Walker secretary. At that
time, and long before, the people of the
territory had been and were then suffering
grieyOusly by reason of having no mail
service. One of the first matters taken up
by the new board was that of endeavoring
10 secure mail service. The board prepared
and forwarded TO Hon. James Campbell,
postmaster general. a memorial, in which i,
was set forth that Minnesota was isolated.
sparsely settled. and that the people here
bad no telegraphic communication with the
states, and were wholly dependent on the
mails for intelligence, and that the COM
mercial, political and social wants of our
territory demand, in strict justice from the
government, at least a tri-weekly mail"
The memorial further stated that the
proprietOrs on the stage line between this
city and Dubuque are performing with
their four-hOrSe pOst-cOaches a regular tri-
weekly service. sometimes Oftener than tri-
weekly, and could therefore perform the
additional mail service at less proper
tional rate than the weekly. We there
fore earnestly pray you to order and az
range for a tri-weekly mail"
ORGANIZING THE CHAMBER PROPER.
This board of trade fingered along for
about five years. but did not do much. 1t
occasionally held meetings whenever any
thing happened that called for special
notice. but these meetings We're we're in
frequent. and finally it came to be almost
forgotten that such an organization existed.
The people in 1857, about five years after
the organization of the board of trade. con-
cluded that il was time that the city had
live, active organization that would look
after Its interests and attend to such mat
tiers as usually come within the scope of
such bodies. Accordingly, on the 18th of
January, 1859, the chamber of commerce
was formed. In speaking the next day of
this the Pioneer and Democrat said:
The comprehensive public spirit and bus
ineSs enterprise OF the citizens of st. Paul
have heretofore been remaining at loose ends
cooperating i'm idle talk or boiling over in
occasional public meetings. Not till yeSter-
day were these loose and aimleSs activities
gathered up and adjusted and put in motion
AoNdruS ueunlte end yesterday cnafnDer
OF commerce was organized at the Office of
William X. Marshall. Esq, upon the broad
platform laid down by the Pioneer and Dem
ocTat. The meeting was called ostensibly
for the purpose of organizing the old board
of trade. which, for want of anything to do
within the narrow scope of its professed OBJ
jects, had almost fallen into oblivion. Adopt
ing our suggestion, however, the defunct
board was buried and new body. with the
more metropolitan title above given, was Or
gained upon the grave of its impotent pred
ccesSor.
The same paper, in giving an account of
this important meeting which started into
existence an organization that has been of
millions of advantage to the city of St.
Paul, said that "a large number of the
very cream of the intelligent business men
Of ST. Paul, crOwding the room of meeting
almost TO suffocatiOn, participated in the
proceedings with a generous enthusiasm,
which argued well for the spirit which is TO
animate their future cooperation" Mr.. G.
Z. Mayo was made chairman of the meet
ing and Isaac Markley secretary. Gov.
MarshalIS remarks on that occasion show
that the new organization was 10 be a sort
of reorganization of the old board of trade
with larger powers and more energy. In
explaining to those present on that Occa-
sion the objects and purposes in view in
holding the meeting. Gov. Marshall said
they were not so much for the purpose of
reviving the old organization of the board
of trade rs to effect a new organi-
ZatiOn of the business energy of
St Paul upon broader principles,
which should comprehend the whole
scope of the commercial future which be-
lOnged naturally TO the geographical posi-