St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-11
Rogers, R. B. Wheeler, Ed Whitaker,
William Bickel, Mr.. Robinson. C.. w
Hackett and A. III. Cathcart.

Hackett and A. Ii. Cathcart.
THE BANQUET.
At the center of the head table sat
President Blakeley, with Gen. SanbOrn
at his right and Bishop Ireland at his
left. The others at this table were ex-
Gov. Ramsey, ID. W. IngersOll, Z. +.
Drake, DR.. j. II. Murphy, Judge j. A.
Chandler, Hon. E. W. Durant, of Still
water; Judge Flandrau, Peter Berkey,
A. III. Wilder, Bruno Beaupre, William
Dawson, Fred Driscoll, DIR. David Day,
w. z. Murray and A. II. Cathcart.
SO far as the bill of fare was con-
cerned, there was nothing to indicate
that the delegation of ladies from the
w. Z. L. u. to the last regular meeting
of the chamber had been successful.
There was no hint of any wine on
the bill, though beside each plate
was champagne glass, which led one
to infer that the committee to whom the
matter had been referred had not
rubbed out its first action. The bill was
PLAIN and undecOrated. In corners On
the outside covers were the figures
''1S67'' and Jan. 10, 1888. Then came
cut of the present building. and under
this the resolution of the chamber
which provided for last evenings cele-
bration. The menu went from blue
points to coffee at about five jumps, the
courses including substantial dishes
with delicacies enough to lend tone to
the framework. Seibert's orchestra was
at the end of the hall, and made music
while the old timers discussed business
topics, past and present, and the menu.
THE SPEECHMAKING.
1t was early in the evening. about
10:30, when President Blakeley raped
Oh the table and Secretary Tallmadge
read a letter from Hon. Henry NJ. Rice,
in which that gentleman expressed re-
grets that ill health prevented his
attendance. The distinguished man
said to President Blakely, to whom the
note was addressed, ''The occasion must
be proud and happy one for you.
You were present at the birth of the
chamber. and you have watched its
growth with the same pride that a
father takes in seeing his child develop
into useful and honorable manhOOd.''
The letter was received with applause.
Mr.. Tallmadge said he had called on C.
ID. Strong during the afternoon, and
the fact that he was i'll had kept him
from attending the banquet.
President Blakeley. then made a short
address, referring to the beginnings of
the chamber. Mr.. BIakeley. it is re-
membered, drew the original call for the
chamber. After twenty-One years of ac-
quaintance with the chamber he spoke
his personal knowledge of the subject.
After alluding to the peculiar circum-
stances i'll the growth of st. Paul which
made such an organization necessary,
Mr.Blakeiey read the original resolution
organizing the chamber. 1t was not
strictly business organization, he said.
1t was sometimes called useless. and
people were apt to ask who were the
men who were running the chamber of
commerce. But look at what had been
accomplished by the men whose names
are on the list of members. Mr.. Blake
ley sail that to be an active member of
the chamber had been no sinecure, and
he felt that it had been a great help to
the business interests. He alluded to
the high standing in the business world
OF the men whose names were on the
list OF membership, and he said it would
be mutually advantageous if the cham
Der could feel that it had the support of
the business men.
Judge Flandrau introd uced Gen.
John b. Sanb0rn who spoke on '"Fhe
Chamber of Commerce in its Minority"
Gen. SanbOrn read a speech, which was
somewhat lengthy and was frequently
applauded:
GEN. sANBoRN's SPEECH.
Mr.. President and Fellow Citizens:
A meeting of the solid business men of
commercial city on any occasion and
for any purpose is of extraordinary in
terest. 1t is an assembly of those who
represent that power and exert
that influence which builds up and
SuStainS cities, states and governments,
If l understand correctly the Signifi-
canoe of this assemblage it is an excep-
ton to the general rule; it is halt
called by these progressive and advanc-
ing interests, and general order to all
to roll back the tide of time for quar-
ter of century and crafty themselves
for few moments in the indulgence
of refreshing remembrances of the
paSt:" to retrace the steps by which this
chamber of commerce and the city Of
st. Paul have advanced from weakness
and ObScurity to strength and grandeur
in the short period of twenty-One years,
and draw therefrOm such inspiration
and faith in the future as may be neceS-
Sary to enable all to confidently meet
and overcome such obstacles to our
growth and progress as the future may
have in store.
The city of st. Paul was born for COM
merce. Her infant cradle was rocked
by the waters of that river upon whose
banks it was placed, troubled gently by
those transports which even then
moved OH their surface commerce of
many states, and whose shrieking
whistles and ringing bells were her sole
infant lullabieS. During the war and
until 1866 her business was but
little different from that of a
great depot of military supplies in
time of war, and during all this period
she was without commercial rival; in
the Northwest she held undisputed con-
troll of the transportation and CONNER
cial interests of the upper Mississippi.
The year 1866 brought new conditions.
The Indian occupation of the western
portion of the state had ceased. A
desOlate and vacant frontier was opened
for settlement. Railroad enterprises
were on foot, promising new lines of
communication to the East, West.
North and South, so that the river could
not longer control the direction of trgde
or fix with certainty the place where
the Northwest should be located.
At no time after her birth did
the iufant city so much need guiding
and directing hand, when those men,
who have always considered and treated
their private interests as secondary to
those of the public-Russell Blakeley,
Horace Thompson, A. ii. Cathcart, G.
ID. Strong, ID. w. IngersOll and Girard
Hewitt-came forward and organized
the chamber of commerce. The cham
ber of commerce and its members with
unremitting care have for the long
period of twenty-One years applied
their time, their best judgment and en-
ergies to the Inauguration of policies
and the achievement of results in which
none of them had any special
interests. or any interests which
were not common to all the resi-
dents of the city present and future.
Statistics are dry and unintereSting OH
all occasions, and are especially out of
place at banquets, With those pertain
ing to our business growth all men
ordinarily well informed are familiar,
l may be permitted to state what you all
know that the general results of fyventv