St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-25
QUARRELS0ME TWINS
A Chapter Of History on the
Munich pal Contests Of st.
- Paul.
How She Once Downed Men,
dota in One Decisive
Round,
And Next Tackled First Still
water and Then ST.
Anthony.
Gradual Cessation OF the
Merry War With Min
neapolis.

With cities, as with individual per
sonalities, the line of evolution is al
ways along highway OF warfare. The
municipality. like the man. that fights
with the greatest strength and the keen
est weapons, gains the victory In the
end. Of course there is something in
location, something in physical sur
roundlngs. and something in that de-
ceptive and Elusive thing called luck;
but, after all. there is infinitely more N
the intellectual capacity, the will power
and the tireless enterprise of the people
who make up community that builds
great cities at certain points.
st. Paul has been peculiarly bless ed.
from the day of it's christening down to
the present time, with an active and
energetic class of business men, who,
firmly believing in its great municipal
destiny, have labored sleeplessly to
make their hope fruiti0n. First
missionary station Of the Catholic
church, then a trading post, where the
aborigine sold furs and purchased
whisky on the sly; then the head
of navigation on the greatest
TiVcE VI tuS COutiuCut. tHOh siO
entrepot and supply point for an army
of immigrants from all over the United
States and most OF the countries OF Eu-
rope, who sought new homes in the fer
tile Northwest. and finally the capital
and metropolis of one Of the greatest
and most progressive states in the
Understanding along this road. 1t has
called to itself the strongest class OF
citizens. and, while always nghtlng for
supremacy, has always conquered.
And to-day its future is assured.
1t may Seem laughably ridiculous
now, but the first municipal enemy
which St. Paul had to contend against
Was Mendoza. Fifty years ago this de-
serted now village was the most im-
portant point on the Mississippi river
north of St. Louis. 1t was the main
Northwestern depot of the American
Fur company. the Mecca of all the In
diaf, bands from Lake Superior TO the
Falls of .tha Missouri, and OF all the
army of white fur travellers and trap
perS who infested the virgin country.
Twice az least in each year-in the
spring and fall-business was very brisk
at Mendoza. And just across the river,
little more than O stones throw, was the
military establishment of the national
goyernment-Fort Smelling. When the
ERA OF STEAMBOATING
came. the cargoes of goods were carried
by the missionary station of st. Paul
and landed unbroken at Mendoza and
the Fort.
Henry Fl. Sibley was then the agent
of the great company which monopo-
lized the trade OF the upper Mississippi.
He was young. Intelligent, ambitions:
and had full possession of the ground
foor,' at Mendoza. In those days the
Northwest was not as prolific of great
men as 1t has since become, and gen.
tleman of the mental and physical
makeup of Gen. Sibiey welded very
much greater power than any single in
dividual could to-day. He had deter
mined that Mendoza should be the city
of the future, at the head of navigation
on the great river: and. as he sWapped
salt. sugar, etc. for beaver skins. he
dreamed of the time when the green
hills of Mendoza should blossom with
brick buildings, and the landing be hid
den by warehouses
In lS49 The territory was organized, and
the village Of st. Paul was made the
seat of gOyernment-to tell just how it
was done would cover too much space.
Gen. Sibley was elected delegate to con-
gress, but not until he had agreed to
forego his ambitious projects for his be-
loved MENDOZA, and become the stauncn
and true friend of st. Paul. Thus was
the first municipal rival to this city put
to sleep.
But there were two other ambitions
cities to be disposed Saltwater. the
metropolis of the ST. Croix lumber re-
gion, was very bright town, with
shreWd and energetic people; and st.
Anthony, ten miles above st. Paul, at
the falls OF the great river, had to be
conciiiaUed. There was nothing small
about st. Paul in those early days. She
did NOT want the earth. But she did
want the head OF navigation and the
capital: and, OF course, she got what
she wanted. She always does. Bow
ing politely 20 Saltwater, she delivered
to that city the penitentiary; and, turn
ing kindly to st. Anthony, handed over
the university.
Then for few brief years there was
perfect peace auo qujetnesS in Mime
sofa. But there was further warfare
gestating in the womb of the trOublOuS
future. In 1854 the reservation Oh the
western bank of the river. at the Falls
of st. Anthony, was thrown open to set
tiers, and the city of Minneapolis was
born. And with that birth came more
warfare for the capital city. The resi-
dents Of Minneapolis were ambitious;
they had the greatest water power on
the continent; they were going to have
the greatest manufacturing center in
the West; they would rob st. Paul of
the capital, and remove the head of
navigation right bang up TO the rapids
at the foot OF the falls. They would
have the national government expend
as many millions as might be necessary
to improve the navigation from st.
Paul, and steamboats, would come and
carry awey the cargOes of flour that were
to be ground in the Minneapolis mills
of the immediate future.
TINE MOVED FORWARD
ane st. Paul continued to grow and ey-
pand. Without special effort it became
the commercial as well as the political
center OF the commonwealth. In 1858
the territory of Minnesota became a
state-and the panic of the year pro-
vious had knocked business of all kinds
very crooked. There was but little ma
terial development anywhere in the
vicinity of st. Paul and Minneapolis, but
the weekly newspapers of the latter
city continued to howl at ST. Paul, and
the dailieS Of st. Paul jawed back mod
erateIy. st. Paul was not alarmed, and
was doing meantime what commercial
business there was t0be done.
Then came the war. and the capital
city took long step forward, while
Minneapolis remained nearly station
ary. Still the warfare continued, and
grew more and more uncompr0mising.
The contest entered into every political
campaign, divided business interests.
and even took social color at times.
Young men from st, Paul and Minis