St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-10
TOPICAL TALK.

he held in his hand little yellow
backed book that looked for all the
world like McGuffey's First Reader. IL
was interested in what you said last
Sunday about that old st. Paul directory
published by NEwsoN & BARTON in
1858. When L had finished reading your
interesting talk on the subject, mem
Der of my family suggested that there
was copy Of that old directory in my
library. hunted it up, here it is, but
not the NEwsoN & BARTON directory.
This one was published in 1857 by Good
RICH & SoMERs. and says in the preface
that it is the first issue of st. Paul di-
rectory." Sure enough, it was just as
Mr.. BoRUP represented, the book con-
tanning most interesting Introduction
written by Rev. E. d. NEIL, and a
well-eXecuted map Of the city. The
claims made about the population
of the city are more modest than
what followed next year. The
exact number of inhabitants is set down
at 9,973, according to census taken
under the personal supervision of the
directory publishers. GEORGE l..
BECKER was mayor that year, and G. S.
CANE president of the council. A. w.
TALLIs was sheriff, LOUIS Nj. OLIVIER
register of deeds, A. G. JONES probate
judge, and ROBERT A. SMITH county
treasurer. [. V. D. HEARD was both
city and district attorney. EDMUND
RICE, ABRAM BENNETT and NATHAN
TEL MCLEAN were county commission
ers. WILLIS A. GoRMAN was territorial
governor, J. TRAVIS RossER secretary,
J. G.. LEONARD treasurer, and WILL
LAM SPRIGG HALL inspector Of schools.
Judge MOSES SHERBURNE presided over
the district court. NJ. W. IRWIN was
marshal and LAFAYETTE EMMETT at
torney general. There were three wards
in the city. and the total city assessment
for 1856, real and personal property in
cluded, amounted to S3,o26, 765.
fTT
In glancing over DIR. NEIL s historical
sketch in this old directory learn that
when Gov. RAMSEY arrived in June,
1S49, the gubernatorial residence was
established in the building on Third
known as the New England house. The
first territorial legislature convened the
following September in the building
known as the Central house, which was
used as capitol, and that before the
close of 1S40 there were about LOCO In
habitants. Hon. III. M. RICE was the
first to exhibit faith in the future Of st.
Paul by commencing substantial inn
pFovementS in 1S49. By his instru-
mentality the warehouses at the upper
landing, the American hotel, the dwell
Ing Oh st. Anthony, between Market
and Washington, were begun at a time
when no one else dared to venture. In
the fall of 1s49 the first brick dwelling
was completed at the corner of Wash
ingto n aud Main streets. At that time
there was forest of elm trees where
the old city hall and Rice park are now
situated, and it was beneath the shade
of these forest trees that the first cele-
bration of our national independence
was held. Judge B. B. MEEKEE deliv-
cred the Grafton, and a jolly good time
all around those old people had of it.
Upon the opening of navigation in 1850
CHARLES w. B0KUP built a warehouse
at the corner Of Third and jackson.
fff
Apropos to the present open winter,
the following statement of the opening
and closing of navigation OH the Mis-
sissinpi at st. Paul from 1914 to 1856 in
elusive will be of interest. In 1874 the
first boat landed April 6, and the river
closed Nov. 23. LII 1916. first boat April
6, river closed Nov. 90; 1916, first boat
March 81, river closed Dec. 5: 1S47, first
boat April T, river closed Nov. 80; 1913,
first boat April z. river closed Dee. 4;
1919. first boat April 9, river closed Dec.
Z; 1850. first boat April 9. river closed
Dec. 4; 1851, first boat April q, river
closed Nov. 2S; 1852, first boat April 16,
river closed Nov. Is; 1858, first boat
April IL, river closed Nov. 80; 1854, first
boat April S, river closed Nov. 81; 1876,
first boat April II, river closed Nov. 20;
1856, first boat April Is, river closed
Nov. 10.
fff
Mankind is not so throughIy selfish as
is sometimes painted, nor is politeneSS
so rare grace as we are apt to imagine.
[ was impressed with this thought The
other day by witnessing the civility of
some men belonging to the street force
working near the, top of Thiid street
hill. A wagon loaded with furniture
passed along, when bedstead dropped
out, unnoticed by the driver. Three of
the four men dropped their work and
ran to pick it up. They hallooed after
the driver until he stopped his team and
got his lost property. The furniture
man was stranger to them. and the
stead was of but little value. The men
did not even wait for thanks or tips, but
went back to their work quite as mat
ter of course.
TIT
Twas talking With Gen. r. w. JoHN-
son the other day about the variety of
forms the members of the human family
present. and called his attention to the
variety of short men and long men, fat
meE and lean men, straight men and
crooked men we see on our streets;
those who are we'll developed physically
and others with no development at all.
''That is all the result of habit" re-
piled the general;"a man may acquire
a good form by conforming to certain
plain and simple rules, and these lead
to health and activity, while a neglect
TO conform to them often leads to sick
ness and death before the man reaches
middle life. A careless, slouchy walk
produces hollow-chested men, and in
this case the lungs have not room
to perform their functions, and
decay and death come sooner than