St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-23

,erS lay all prone ana imp upon TIT :
ground, as though they had been par
boiled, but as the sun asserted its power
they gradually raised their depressed
heads till they stood bravely up. flower
and vegetable alike, as stiff and crisp
and fresh as though no frost had been.
From that time Oh wet days have been
really wet days since, although rain has
fallen slightly upon several others. Out
OF the whole seventy days during which
[ have been here rain has actually fallen
on seventeen, but in many instances
only a few drops. There has been frost.
on several occasions, and very sharp
frost, too, sometimes, but none sufti-
GENTLY severe to kill vegetation or cut
the blooming flowers. For all the ten
weeks daisies and pansies have been III
bloom, and now SnOWdropS and GRO
cuseS of the most golden yellow have
Joined the daisies in beSpangling the
greensward with their lovely blooms.
There is one growth, however, which
is not quite SO beneffeial-that of the
fungus real estate shark, which has be-
come SO rank that it bids far to choke
every other interest in the city. But
what is disturbing the public mind just
now is the strange position taken by
one of the morning papers, the Ledger.
For some time past the Ledger has de-
voted the greater part OF its space TO
sensational articles which would lead
outside readers to believe that Tacoma
is about the hardest place outside of
school; that the city is run by gamblers,
pimpS, swindlers and thugs: that $50
ciety" is led by the demi-monde, and
that anarchy reigns supreme, and that
every crime and calamity Detailing Oh
the Western coast, and in fact every
where, is traceable to this yeritable pan
demonium of vice and iniquity, and that
the arch-fiend who inStigateS it all is
one Harry Morgan. The Ledger has ac-
cused Morgan of well nigh every crime
that is possible in the most abandoned
and lawless Gomorrah, including
seduction, debauchery, robbery, and
even murder. All this was borne with
"Chrstian fortitude'' by Mr.. Morgan
till the religious element. stirred by the
Ledger's attacks. believing, good souls,
that they needs must be true, as they
were uncontradicted, took up the mat
ter, and with the cry of guerre Outrance
appealed to the city council to revose
Morgan's license. This reused the pug
proprietor OF the Ledger, arrested three
times Oh one day on three different
charges of libel; and so for the past
three weeks the courts, as well as the
papers. have been full of the Ledger
nastineSs. Now as to the facts. Harry
Morgan has saloon. Harry Morgan has
theater; and lastly, but by no means
the least offense in the eyes of the
Ledger, Harry Morgan has newspa-
per, which is very successful rival of
the Ledger. 1t appears that in the early
days, when Seattle was big. bustIing
place and Tacoma was comparatively
nowhere in the race for supremacy,
seafaring men. railroad men, log
gers and mill men were in the habit
of going up to Seattle on Saturday to
spend their money, remaining over till
Monday. This made Seattle very lively
and iabilant, while the merchants of
Tacoma locked on with gruesome
countenances, and walked their empty
stores in deep meditation. They at
length hit upon plan. They went to
Harry Morgan almost in a body and
was willing. but did not think it would
pay. The anxious propretors of we'll
stocked stores, however, guaranteed
that he should sustain no loss, and sub
scribed their names for sums varying
from S. to 500: and so Morgan's theater
was opened, and so successful was it
that the merchants were not called
upon for their subscriptions. From
that time Oh Tacoma commenced to
flourish. till it now claims not only to
be Dutstripping Seattle. but bids fair to
leave Portland ere long in the far off
distance. Morgan's offense is that for
some time back he has discontinued his
advertising patronage to the Ledger. and
that lately he started a comparatively
lively and newSy morning paper named
after the great journal of Minnesota,
the GLOBE. Morgan's theater is as
orderly and as well conducted thence
its success) as any other variety theater
in the state, with a very much better
bill of fare than almost any other. st.
Paul has her Olympic and Minneapolis
her Theatre COmiQue. but neither of
these show anything like so good pro-
gramme as Morgan's. That the buSi
ness men of Tacoma appreciate Nor
CAMS efforts to give entertainment to
the floating population and the efforts
he has in the past made to build up the
city, was shown in their pettioning the
council to renew his license. which was
done last week. That Morgan is a
pretty generous fellow is often shown,
but not more forcibiy than on two Occa-
sions lately. There is here in Tacoma
a very clever fellow, fair type of the
Bohemian. He had no home, but being
engaged upon Morgan's paper. he went
to him and stated that there was a
house for sale that he would like to pur-
chase-renting houses was out of the
question. He asked Morgan to buy the
house and he would repay him by
weekly nstallments. Morgan con-
scented, but when the property was pur-
chased he generously decided it over to
his smart and versatile writer. Another
employee on the Globe was desilouS of
getting his family (hen in st. Paul. out
here. He could not get d pass for them.
but Morgan generously secured tickets
for them, and refused to be refunded
their cost But enough of the Ledger
and Morgan fight. 1t has made the city
tired, and brought the Ledger into very
poor repute with the citizens. There
are, however, few very serious draw
backs to the city's continued growth
and prosperity, which | will ailude to
at anUtherstime. rather than draw this
letter out to an unwarrantable length.
GRIFF GRIBBLE.