Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-28
CORRESPONDENCE.
Minneapolis Re-yisited-The Growth
and Resources or the Great City
The Industrial Exposition.

The Industrial Exposition.
BRIDGEPoRT, Conn, Oct. 81.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
From Bridgeport to Minneapolis, and
back again, is about 5000 miles, or as
far as across the Atlantic; and We took
that long journey through pillows of
glorious October foliage. The calm uni
formity of summers green was trans
formed into an infinite diversity of strik
ing contrasts Trees robed in russet, or
in crimson; flaming naples and scarlet
lindens; rosy garlands of ampelopsis
adorning changeless evergreens; golden
avenues through the valleys, fiery fringes
of the hills-these were the glowing
features that greeted US at sunrise,
charmed us at midday, and still were
witnessed as sunset faded into solemn
night AS DIR. Storrs said, in addressing
the American Board, sit seemed as if
natures hands had been busy tying all
the forests into giant bouquets for our
especial delight"
1t is now nearly four years since we left
Minneapolis, about whose growth and re-
sources we used to write for the columns
of this journal Such conflicting reports
had meanwhile reached us that we were
prepared to note critically the signs of the
times. Our testimony is that We saw no
indications of waning prosperity, but on
the contrary beheld every indication of re-
markable progress. We arrived on Satur-
day morning and at once took carriage
for general drive. We found the streets
| paved with asphalt that used to be
mere dirt roads; sidewalks of elegant flag
| ging that used to be plank walks;
electric lights taking the place of gas
| lights; a magnificent system. of electric
tramways supplanting horse cars; broad
and shady boulevards where there used to
be but country roads; Queen Anne man
sions crowding out the palmer cottages;
spacious and costly churches instead of
unpretending chapels. Nothing seemed to
warrant the notion that "the houry city
had gone into mild decline, nor that the
crops had been failure. The proprietor
of the largest mill in the northwest, Roger
Munger, Esq, of Duluth, formerly in bust
moss on State street, New Haven,) told me
that while wheat had not done as well this
year as usual, all other crops had done SC
well as to warrant the boast that the gen.
eral average of Minnesota crops for 1896
exceeded that of any previous year. This
was confirmed by others. It also il
true that more factories have beer
started within the last thirty days thar
during the preceding thirty months. Sat
urday evening was tho closing display o.
the great industrial exposition and o.
course we-were on hand. Some fiftee1
thousand others were there too. Aftel
strolling through the arches and aisle
bordered with every kind of mechanics
invention and agricultural product, W,
took our seats and heard magnifcen
concert given by Strauss orchestra, hiret
at q cost of $12, 900 for six nights. Tim
remained but for hurried trip through
the extensive art gallery; but we wer
promised more prolonged and satisfac
tory visit, which we took on Monday il
company with Mr. H. Jay Smith TART direc
| tor) and w. G. Byron, Esq, who has lonJ
been the secretary and general manager O
the exposition, though recently withdrawing
from it in order to devote his whole tim
to the interests of the Interstate Building
and Loan association, of which he is tn
very efficient and popular president. Tn
art galleries surprised us; first, by thei
magnitude, nearly 1900 paintings an
Q statues, etc., being catalogued. And ou
3 next surprise was at the value of individ
v ual works of art, listed all the way fror
!, $100 to $50, 900, the price set on Bierstadt
sLast of the Buffaloes." And, by the wa.
v it was very amusing to hear the criticism
n made on this costly painting by the grou