St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-12
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
The Man Whose Name for Forty
Years Was Associated With
Minnesota's History.
In the death OF Mr.. Rice, Minnesota
loses one the oldest names in its hon
ored list of fathers apd pioneerS-a
name that has been associated with st.
Paul from its earliest days-a name the
history of which is, TO a large extent,
the history of the community in which
he has lived for forty years past.
Edmund Rice was born Feb. Il, 1919,
at Waitsfeld. Vt. His father died when
he was scarcely eleven years old, and
as his parents were not very wealthy he
worked on the farm and otficiated as
clerk in a country store, devoting what
little time he could spare to attending
common school. When nineteen years
and started to read law in the office OF
Stuart d Miller. In 1912 he was adj
United TO the bar. During his residence
in Michigan he was master in chancery,
register of the court of chancery for the
Third circuit, and clerk Of the supreme
court When the Mexican war broke
out, he enlisted as a private, and
served as first lieutenant in Company
A. FIRST Michigan volunteers, from
1S47 till the close of the war. In
July. 1S49. Mi. Rice came to st. Paul.
Minnesota had just had the honor Of
statehood conferred upon her, and he
thought it a good opportunity to make
a new start. The law firm of Rice,
H0llingShead IL Becker became well
known throughout the state, and had
such a reputation in the East that large
sums of money were constantly placed
VeStment During this time he acted as
professional adviser and agent for many
prominent men i'll the East, and became
largely idedtfied with embryo railroad
projects. About the year 1855 his great
interest in railroad development in the
Northwest, combined with the urgency
of the demands made upon him by the
projectors of the infant roads, induced
him to partially abandon his large law
practice and devote his time almost
exclusively to railrOading. Since
that time his life was devoted
to the interests of developing
the great and growing territory to the
west and north of st. Louis by means Of
railroads. In 1857 Mr.. Rice became
president of the. Minnesota u Pacific
Railroad company, which afterwards
became the st. Paul d Pacific. Part of
the original scheme of this company,
which originated mainly in the brain of
Mr.. Rice was the construction of the
St. Paul. Minneapolis 81 Manitoba, the
river division of the Chicago. Milwaukee
u St. Paul and the st. Paul, Saltwater
& Taylor's Falls Railroad companies.
During his presidency these were all
carved out of the st. Paul d Pacific.
Besides being president he was also one
of the trustees of the first division OF
the st. Paul & Pacific, and was in
possession during the protracted litiga-
ton that ultimately led to the CONSOLE
dation of this division with the Mani
toba. Mr.. Rice'S plans were to some eX-
tent thWarted byadverSe influences, and
had he been able to have fuller sway
than he had, there iS-no doubt but that
much outside capital which was seeking
a channel of Investment in these early
projects, would have been so invested.
However, such capital became timOr-
Gus, and it was hard work to make these
roads a success. Mr.. Rice devoted his
whole time and energy 10 this end, sac
rificing what had become a. most lu-
cratiye practice, together with large
amounts of private means, to prevent
their failure. They were far ahead of
the country, whose terminating re-
sources were very insufficient for the
support OF such system of railroads.
He relied upon future profits to be made
out of the sale of the land concessions,
and by his indomitable energy sue
ceeded III keeping the companies
afloat. In 1862 he managed to get
the st. Paul & Pacific completed
to st. Anthony and in the following
IN A No Erc
read in the state. Between the years
1865 and 1872 the st. Paul & Chicago
Was built from st. Paul to La Crescent.
This was another creation of Mr.. Rice'S
brain, the object being to effect con-
nectiOn at as early date as possible
with the lines from Chicago Il MilWau-
kee and also to make a westerly con-
nectiOn with the Northern Pacific u
Canadian Pacific roads which were
then projected, but as yet only built in
the minds of the far-sighted men who
had projected them. Long before these
lines were built Mr.. Rice struggled in
their behalf, or rather in behalf of
etfecting the connections he desired.
For this purpose large amount OF
money was necessary and to raise
it he made four visits to England,
during the period of the American civil
hard thing to obtain for any North
American scheme. but through his rela-
ti0nS with the Hudson Bay company,
which he induced to come to his assist
ance, the money necessary was raised.
The Hudson Bay company realized the
importance and wisdom of his project
as soon as he laid it before the officers,
and obtained for him a partial credit of
5000 tons of rails. With the able as
Sistance of his brother, Hon. Ii. M.
Rice, who was, during large part of
this time,in congress, first as delegate
and then as United States senator, he
was able to get the acts passed granting
lands to aid the system of railroads. BY
this means the. roads were able
to make enough money TO pay
operating expenses, and so large an in
1luX of immigration took place Oh the
completion of the roads that an unex-
ampled era of prosperity set in. Mr..
Rice lived to see his hopes more than
realized. Though he foresaw a great
and glorious future for Minnesota, he
did not expect it to come so soon as it
has done, and it was with great salts
faction that he must have looked upon
the conSummation of the policy of HIM
self and his associates, the greater part
of which he was personally inStru-
mnpfa1 in hrinUiOU ohOut