St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-16
MINNEAPOLIS.
A NORTHERN METROPOLIS.
Winnipeg as She Is at the Present
1Day.

"A NORTHERN METROPOLIS.
Winnipeg as She Is at the Present
tDay.
The average Minneapolitan is aware
that somewhere in the far North guard
ed by the crimson flag of her majesty
V. R.,slapped down upon its bed of mud,
there lies collection of houses and In
discriminate buildings that is known to
the world under the nondescript name
of Winnipeg. Some few dealers in
select sections of dirt also may remem-
Der that there was time in the dim
past when fabulous fortunes were to be
made-and cOSt-in cubic and square feet
of Winnipeg mud, but there are few who
even inquire what the citizens of
Winnipeg have to bear, even during the
mild and beautiful summers which are
habitual in the land of ManitOu.
To begin with, the city boasts of a
splendid city hall and a magnificent
pOstoffice, also a grand general store
owned by the Hudson's Bay company.
A palatial s1,500,000 hotel is also in
course OF construction, and there you
are. Memory pauses for another kind
word. There is one long street, called,
as it is, Main street. This street stands
alone, and extends from the depot two
miles to the resident portion of the
town. There are some few fine build
ings, with much accent on the fine. The
city is filled with so-called hotels, the
rooms to which are so small that the
travellers trunk must OF necessity re-
main out in the hall.
If by force of circumstances resident
of Minneapolis should be punished by a
trip to the Canadian city, provisions
should be taken for the length of the
stay, otherwise he will die OF process
of slow starvation. Cigars should also
be taken along. for there are none IN
Winnipeg except those that have I'M
dergone thorough drying process for
two years, and the flavor has long since
been waited to the confines of Hudson's
bay. A Winnipeg tobaccOnist will tell
you with much pride that he has a
special box of La Cubas that have been
in stock for sixteen years. The prices of
these range from Is TO so cents, and the
cheroOtS which sell in Minneapolis for
five for 10 cents retail in the great
northern mud hole at three for 25 cents.
AS a sanitary measure the soul destroy
ing cigarette is retailed at 40 cents
package. Beer is 10 cents glass and
whisky the same, and such whisky!
Connoisseurs state that it is the essence
of heaven boiled down. 1t is served in
large tumbler in which reposes a
chunk of ice, and one is expected to take
about half pint at a dose. There turks
good, large American drunk in two
glasses, but the phlegmatic Canadian
seems TO have secret understanding
with it, and is correspondence familiar
with no serious results.
10 CT !, to,J y,f nf
opposite the city hall, and smells like a
back-number cellar. Whatever you or
der is served, no more nor no less. One
is obliged to call for napkin, a spoon,
glass of water, and so on, and there is
charge for each. The butter must be
called for several times, OF should be
tied to ones person with stout cord.
The coffee is to look at, for SeaSickneSs
turks in its depths. For the honor of
Winnipeg, let it be stated that there is
one place where things are served, at
least clean, and without danger of nau-
sea, though it is out of the way and
hard to find. The managers of the Clar-
endon have unwittingly saved many an
American from actual starvation.
That Winnipeggers are utterly devoid
of any sense OF humOr may be seen from
the fact that one of the queens soldiers
may promenade the streets without
provoking smile, while an American
will be compelled to take a reserved
seat on the curbStOne and enjoy the
comedy. Imagine. if you can, tall,
heavy man, with face as red as a
boiled lobster, on the extreme side of
whose head perches a red turban about
the size of silver dollar, held in place
by thick strap buckeled just beneath
the mouth. A tight-fitting monkey
jacket of red, so tight that the seams
are ready to burst pair of tight black
pants, top boots, also tight, and a pair
of spurs fastened about halfway up the
leg. This being usually brandishes a
heavy cane. See him mounted and you
will never survive. His antics bring to
mind the monkey on stick of child
hoods days, with more amusement than
of yore.
Wages for tirst-claSs clerks are from
$500 to $500 per year. Out OF this they
must pay for board S. per week, and
higher price for clothing by 25 pei
cent than in Minneapolis. His prin-
| cipal bill will be run with his laundry.
Shirts Is cents. collars 10 cents, cuffs 10
cents, and so on down the line. What
he has left can go in the bank, OF which
/ there are several.
! The principal manner of locomOtiOn
| is by oxen, although there some SPLEEN
| did specimens of horseflesh. The Red
river carts are made of a crate noun ted
on two huge wooden wheels, with par
| allel two-b -fours for shafts, between
| which is fastened huge superanuated
OK, usually with one crooked horn. All
the hauling is done with these animals.
On Sundays everything is closed up,
| and the street cars, which are not
hauled by oxen now, are stopped, the
streets are deserted and the people Sc
crete themselves until Monday. What
strikes visitor on the first day is what
/ visible means Of support the inhabitants
have. Still they live and seem to enjoy
life, although as they never allow any
expression to come into their faces it is
hard to tell whether they do or not.
Winnipeg ladies are not noted for
good looks, and a pretty woman is only
rated by comparison. Perhaps in about
seven generations they may overcome
their facial deformities, but hardly
earlier. In weeks visit, the writer
saw two women, one of them pretty and
the other absolutely beautiful, with
| large, deep, expressive hazel eyes, light
ashen brown hair, the most eXqulsltely
nodded features, but also she was found
to have come from Montreal. The men
are not handsome. There is one gentle
man in the town who dishes out soda
| water who is rather fine looking, but is
| like casting pearls before swine. He
will probably move before winter, back
to the states.
On thd whole, the happiest day spent