St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-03
TOPICAL TALK.

Through the kindness of Maj. Newson lam
made the happy possessor of copy OF the
first city directory of st. Paul, and probably
the only copy extant 1t was published in
1858, and at the time its publication was
considered wonderful feat of enterprise.
So it was. for the facilities for getting up
directory at that time were meager in COM
parison with what they are at this date. The
directory contains 2,640 names. which. &C.
cording TO the liberal calc ulation made by
the publishers in the preface to their book.
gave ST. Paul population Of $4,000. We
observed that they talked in those days good
deal as we talk now. Then as now the spirit
of prophecy was upon the people, and lifting
the veil of futurity they saw ahead of themthe
marvellous things that were to be. Then. as
now. they were boastful of what had been
achieved, and rightfully so. I quote few
passages from the preface to the directory:
"In 1S49-50 and 81 emigration set IN
toward the land of the sky-tinted winter;
and during these years st. Paul increased
both in people and wealth at an ratio un-
known before in the history Of the West.
Capital sought investment; men OF enter
prise and shrewdness left the East for the
broader and more enticing fields OF specula.
ton; costly stores and dwellings and ware
houses were erected by those who had faith
in the future of st. Paul, so that in the year
1854, the city began to attract the attention
of those who. unacquainted with the growth
of the West, had predicted its downfall.
Emerging from an Indian trading post in
1S49, its growth was rapid until in
1854 we find it with a population
of 5000. From this time forward no city in
the Union except San Francisco Increased
with greater rapidjty than ST. Paul. 1t how
numbers Is, 900 inhabitants, and has all the
elements of a thriving, populous and COM
mercial city And then, with the eye OF
prophecy wide open. the prediction is made
that 'St. Paul bids fair at no remote period
to rival st. Louis or New Orleans in popula-
ton and commercial importance" The old
editor who made what doubtless was
thought to be wild prediction, has lived to
see the fulfillment of his prophecy.
TIT
CHANGING further along into this old di-
rectory find that the progress OF the city
was noted by the increase in steamboat
arrivals. In 1851 find that there were 1l9
steamboat arrivals at st. Paul. In 1852 there
were III, and in 1858 more than one thou
sand. The number of boats engaged in trade
ON the upper Mississippi had grown from
seven IN 1850 to 100 in 1858. The claim is
boldly made that within the next generation
st. Paul will grow to city of 100000 popu-
lation for 1.-THE various lines of railway which
will soon intersect the city, cannot but make
her the depot for the trade Of the entire
Northwestern country beyond" All those
old men prophesied and builded better than
they knew.
TFT
The directory gives the names OF the mem
bers of the city government in 1858. A few
Of them still survive, but the most OF them
have joined the silent majority beyond the
flood. Norman ". Kittson was mayor;
Charles M. Emerson. president Of the town
council; Orlando Simons was the single
justice of the peace; Daniel Rohrer was
treasurer; #. NJ Metcalf, comptroller; A. j.
Whitney, clerk; Henry J. Horn.city attorney;
j. ". Crosby, chief OF police; and j. V.
Wren. city physician. The board OF alder
men consisted of G. H. Schumacher. Luke
Marvin. William Branch, Patrick O'Gorman,
A. L. Larpenteur. William B. McGratz.
Nicholas Gross, William Fl. Wolff. Thomas
Grace, H. NJ Dodge and H. j. Taylor.
Eighteen men composed the entire police
force Of the city. They were Chief Crosby,
Assistant George Morton and Policemen
Kilroy, Parker, Calvin, Bresett. Gooding,
Rineyer, Gibbs, Branch. Moore, Waters,
Church, Fitzgerald, Golfer, Duffort, Wick
wine and Connors. There were three
public schools, the Adams. Jefferson and
Washington, Benjamin Drew was principal
of the public schools, and the teachers were
j. Fl. Gates, Henry S. Starbuck, G. S. Hesel-
tine, Miss Ella Brooks, Miss Moseley, Mrs.
Parry, Miss Bessie Lynch. Miss Frances Nell
son, Miss Maria Brack, Miss Anna Burritt and
Miss Elizabeth Thorne. E. G. Palmer was
county Judge and I. V. D. Heard county at
torney, j. G. Caldwell was sheriff, Alexander
Buchanan auditor, and E. Heenan register of
deeds. Judge Nelson presided over the
United States district court. Charles ). Cave
was postmaster, Charles FL. Williams was
chief of the fire department with two engine
com panies and one hook and ladder com
pany unoer his command. The Minnesota
& Pacific Railroad company, OF which Ed
mund Rice was president, had an office in the
city but no road.
Among the advertisements II the directory,
find one of the Red Coach line, owned by
Allen Il Chase, who announce that ''stages
leave daily for Anoka, Monticello, st. Cloud,
Sank Rapids, Little Falls, Fort Ripley. and
Crow Wing, and that stages for St. Anthony
and Minneapolis are at the levee at all times
on the arrival Of boats" M. N. Kellogg's
wholesale and retail variety store has in
stock ga full lot Of Havana segars." Henry
s Fairchlld has display card announcing
himself real estate and money loan broker
The Fuller house, corner OF Seventh and
Jackson, with Stephen Long proprietor, is
the tony hotel. and will not accommodate
guests for less than 81 day.
TfT
There is O bill before the state legislature
recurring those who have females in their
employment to provide seats for them when
not engaged at work. prescribing penalty
for failure to do so. The bill is designed par
ticularly for the benefit of shop girls and
women who work in factories The wisdom
and Justice Of such law can not be denied
for while the majority of those who employ
females are humane enough to look after the
comfort of their employees, there are some
who are not. My attention has recently been
called to the unnecessarily strict discipline
enforced i'll certain instances by those who
employ girls Take the telephone exchange,
for instance, where system of imposing
fines has been adopted. The girls.
whose ears are so often RECALLED with
the cry Hello, central" have q tougher
time than the outside public imagine. Five
hours at the desk at stretch, answering all
co,,c of ouactionS from all sorts of raonle