St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-10
The Chief OF CRANKS
George Francis Train, the
Dictator, Arrives in
st. Paul.
A Unique Roast on the City,
Followed by a Com
plant.
His Characteristic Lecture,
at Which ALI We're
Sociable.
A Running Sketch Of His Sat-
ire, Wit ana Balder-
dash.

~ ~
great world-renOwned crank, and who
is certainly the most eccentric OF men,
was at the Newmarket theater yester-
day afternoon in the role of his
let theme, "Raising H." Mr..
Tram is now on his way
to Tacoma to meet an appoint
ment to lecture prior to his departure
OH his fourth trip around the world. He
not only proposes to lower his previous
records, but that of Nellie Bly,, and
make the circuit in sixty days. He
sails from Vancouver March II on the
Abysslnia, which has been chartered
for him and his escort. Arrangements
for rapid transit have been made where
ever practicable. President Cakes, of
the Northern Pacific. was wired to for a
special train on tile home stretch, in
which it is proposed to run from Bos-
ton to Tacoma in three days." A guar
antee of $500 has been given for the
lecture at Tacoma on March Is.
There were but few people who knew
of the lecture by the noted man yeSter-
day, and as consequence the Newman
ket contained so small an audience that
MIR. Train was much surprised, and
commented freely upon the fact. His
eccentricity was noticeable when he
walked up side aisle, and taking a
position in front of the orchestra rail
with overcoat on and hat in hand, in
vited the people to take front seats
AND BE SOCIABLE.
He directed the curtain to be raised
and the lights turned on, so as TO give
pleasing background. Pulling off his
ulster and facing the people, he pre-
scented striking appearance. His
FIR 81
HAIR and short side whiskers. He wore
a blue-black, old-faShloned swallow
tailed dress coat with gold buttons. His
introduction began with the remark that
he ad no idea he was to talk to a ten
acre field. Said he: 1.-The most noted
crank in the world is here, and
the id old sleepy town don't
know it. Pardon me, ladies, |
never swear; / only use the word
TO punctnate my remarks. l was not
met at the station with brass band or
a carriage drawn by six immaculate
grays. No committee or delegation
waited on me. | walked up from the
station alone. and kept in the cutters.
because they were the cleaneSt place l
could find. do not find house full of
people like / am assured at Tacoma,
where $4,000 worth of tickets are
The last time | was there there was no
! one III the town but baid-headed eagle
and polecat. But it is live city now,
and knows who George Francis Train
is. l got twenty yards of Chicago
and Milwaukee newspaper notice"
Here he started down the aisle with two
strings of newspaper notices. The
lecturer rambled along for forty-fve
minutes as an introduction. in which he
electrified the audience and took the
ayes and noes on all questions sug-
gested. He frequently asked, ''HeW do
you like it as far as you have gone?'
The people laughed during the two
hours talk until perspiration Streamed
from their faces. The lecturer paced
across the theater and had frequent oc-
| caSions to mount the stage to get access
to a blackboard, on which he drew
characteristic illustrations. His reputa-
tiOn for putting the people
IN RIDICULOUS POST IONS.
when taking vote on his sentiments
was fully sustained. On one occasion
he was occurring on the policy of Chris
tlaniIy conSigning to perditiOn all who
We're not within the pale of the church,
including such men as Washington,
jefferson and Patrick Henry. "NoW,
l want to go to the same place they did
| when die" said he, "eyen if have to
go to HI to do SO. All you who are in
| FAVOR of going to HI with me say aye"
Of course the audience always aSSentS
unanimously.
He said that he got his residence in
Cell No. 10, Hotel Bradley, by reason Of
being sent to Jail for refusing 10 pay an
| old bill that had been settled eighteen
years before. He refused to pay it be-
| cause he never compromised fraud.
| He was told that he could avoid impris-
| onment by leaving the state, but de-
clined, as he feared neither God, man
nor the devil. He refused bail or to be
| let out on his own recogniZance, but in
sisted as he was put in jail by law, he
| should be discharged in the same way,
| as that was his only way of indicating
his ltegrity. He was surprised to find
! that all the inmates of the jail were
| honest people and the rascals were at
large. In the jail were six murdererS,
a number of thieves and twenty street
walkers. He was liberated because of
being 'too sane for debtors jail; and
| not insane enough for an asylum"
He spoke of his candidacy for the
| presidency when running against Grant
and Greedy in 1872. He was put in Jail
! again before that campaign closed for
|
| the only OffenSe of which he was guilty
being that of quoting three chapters of
the Bibe-verbatim. ct llteratum ct
punctuatum. He was released as being
| a harmless insane person. He dis
claimed any desire to be president in
the future. at is George Francis Train,
supreme dictator of the world, or moth
ing" said he. He spoke of his origi-
mating and setting on foot the first
plan to
BUILD THE UNION PACIFIC
raiiroad-the first transcontlnental rail-
road: his organization of all the towns
on the line west of Omaha and the dis
position OF his immense property in that
city.
II gave Tom Cakes. who was the first
| man to start that road, my check for
| 100000. | don't know whether he is in
this hall now or not. If ne is not he
| ought to be. l have mapped out the
Cakes plan for uniting the Twin Cities"
said he, drawing diagram on the black
board. Bond your towns-go into debt
subscribe $10o0,000, and unite and
you will soon have large CON-
mercial city of over million.
Your people are dead. Your papers are
dead, You need fifty funerals and a
live, independent paper that is not
afraid to speak out. All who agree
with me say aye. am a splendid man
to advertise place. How do you like
| the lecture as far as have gomez"
The audience said: s. plendidl"
| ''Good!" go ont" and appauded.
Mr.. Train said: 81 have only given you
the introduction; let us commence the
lecture" He then spoke Of having
gone to Astor, Vanderbilt and other
capitalists and asked cooperation in
building the Union Pacific, but they
refused and advised him to let it alone.
Said he: Il struck the first pick on
that road at Omaha in 1863. and on May
10. 1872, drove the golden spike at San
Francisco. ] can prove that [ have
built more railroads. been the biggest
| ship builder and been a bigger trader
10y ships than all Of the twenty two
| presidents of the United States. People
have perpetrated many 5okes on the
public, but one day determined to dis
count all efforts in tfiat line. | will as
| 1onisb the neOple. | will invent a word