The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1888-02-15
THE FIRE KING.
His Mighty Host Storms the So Paul
Ice Palace.
SIGHTS and Scenes Am Minnesota's Capital
Was i'm a Grind SteMe or Coffin Lid?
other ITEMS ssOf Interest.
Especial Correspondence River Press
ST. PAUL, February 3, 1888

The Fire King took am unfair advantage
of the of the Ice King yesterday. He be
gan In the morning and all day blew hot
vapor and a drizzling rain on his icy an
tagonist until old Borealis Rex was &C
weakened by excessive perspiration thai
he fell an easy victim In the evening
storming of his palace.
Thousands of people thronging the
streets, a eeaseless procession OF sleighs, q
misty rainy day, and an abundance of soft
coal smoke made ST. Paul a dirty, dark
and dingy city yesterday. The great
crowd made it lively, but wet mob can't
be as gay az dry one, no matter how
hard it may try.
In the evening mighty crowd, num-
bering thousands and thousands OF peo-
pie, paid their twenty-five cents each and
gathered within the grounds where the
ice palace is located. The palace sparkled
like a great diamond; its numerous cleo
trio lights in white and red globes made it
a fascinating and brilliant object to look
upon At about o'clock the storming
party arrived from Minneapolis; bands Of
music, torches, the Fire King, and every
one armed with sackful of Roman can
dies The Fire King, Mayor Ames Of
Minneapolis, rode in chariot built up Of
tier upon tier of red lanterns. He was
dressed in true Mephistophelian fashion
and looked fiery enough as he bowed to
the cheering crowd from within his cage
of red lights AS the bands played stir
ring music the storming party, from
thousands of belching Roman candles,
literally covered the castle with shower
Of fire, while from within candles and
bombs sent forth a fiery response. It was
beautiful sight, we'll worth going to
some trouble to witness; but-there is al
ways but-the magnificent bombs burst
and showered out their thousands Of brill
liant stars in the fog and smoke that hung
over the palace, and some of the best
pieces of the fire works failed to go of,
we are told because they were wet 1t
must not be inferred. however, that it was
not splendid display, only it might have
been much better with more favorable
weather.
I suppose you know before this, all
about the purchase by the Manitoba of
the Montana Central and of the sale Of
100000 OF it's bonds at from $1O8.50 to
s112.25. This will be good news for the
people along these roads. Butte and Hell
ena will have now direct communication
with Fort Benton and the east without, 7
am told here, any more OF those terminal
and transfer absurdities of freight, ex-
pressage and passengers at Great Falls.
After all, the Mardi Gras, and the indus
trial, and all the other professions have
seen are not as interesting as the never
ending stream of people which go in and
come out of the elevator at the hotel. To
sit is a comfortable arm chair and watch
the tall and the short, the fat and the
slim, the pretty handsome and homely,
the stupid, intelligent and bright people
that the elevator boy shoots up and down
beats torch lights, masks and fireworks all
to pieces.
The gentlemen of Minneapolis and st. |
Paul have custom, which have not no
ticed elsewhere, of removing their hats
when in an elevator carrying ladies. To
a backwoodsman this looks like straining
at a pretty fine point. An elevator is as
public as street, a hotel corridor or a
street car, and much more public than a
railroad car One wonders if in kind
words and generous acts the women Of
Minnesota are more favored than
elsewhere, or if it is only in shallow forms
that the men of this section excel.
To-day it is still rain and fog, and am
afraid that the great procession of fine
when some elegant prizes are
to be won by the best turnouts, will have
of damper thrown upon it.
Il. w p