St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-15
FROM OTHER CITIES.
Agents Of the Minneapolis
Business Union Make
Reports.
Every Form of Business
Touched Upon by the
Speakers.
Comparisons Drawn Between
Minneapolis and Other
Towns.
General Deductions Are That
This City Is "Out OF
Sight"

The drill room Oh the top floor of the
Masonic temple was well filled last
night with the representative business
men of Minneapolis. Although patent
medicine advertisers distributed cir
rulars and the lrrepressible c. j. Buell.
distributed single tax tracts at the door,
the business men would not be fright
ened away. EmiSSarieS of the Business
Mems union had been abroad through
but the whole Northwest, collecting
statistics and information concerning
other cities, competitors of Minneapolis.
Last night they reported to the public.
1t was nearly $50 when T. B. Walker
rallied for order, stated the object of the
meeting, and introduced by Mayor Win
StOn. In the beginning the mayor COM
plimented the B. NJ. U. on the work
which it is doing, and cast a promising
horoscope for the city. He continued
thus:
"Slnce 1 came to this city. which was
in 1872, we have witnessed wonderful
progress. Now let us see what head
way has been made in the short space
of time. Then Minneapolis was
comfortable village. True it had a
population of about $4,000, and
was blessed With a city council and
a mayor; but still it was a village,
To-day we are living in a magnificent
city, whose population has increased
seven fold. The widest dream of NOR
tai man would not have conceived
greater change in few short years. At
that time we had no parks. no public
library, no high schools. no telephones,
no pavementS, no sewers, no st0ekyardS
and, the worst of all, little money.
1t is not necessary to enumerate what
we have to-day in the way of public i'm
provements, but 1 will state that they
amount to SIS, 100000, now. Our bank
ing capital in 1872 was $500. GOO; now
E7,725, 900, and our bank clearances,
1903, 9l3, 900. Then our elevator capacity
was 100000 bushels. now 16,S07. 900.
Then the grain handled was 100000
bushels; now it is 1885, 900 bushels,
Then orr flour output was about 100000
barrels; now 1t is 6,771,9 barrels, and
our JObbing trade is about Sl29, 100000
per annum. Then our assessed valua-
ton of property, real and personal for
taxes was ST, 100000; now it is S137, &c.,,
O0O.'
He said he made those comparisons
merely as evidence of his still greater
faith in the future, for he believed that
the resources which have made Mime
hpolis what she is have been, as yet.
only half developed.
At the conclusion of the mayors re-
marks, Mr.. Walker stated that the union
had thought it advisable to learn some
thing of what other Western cities were
doing. Five members of the union
were therefore sent TO the Southwestern
cities, two went to Duluth and the Su-
perior cities, and one took look at Mil
Waukee. All we're ready to report. B.
+. Nelson came first with report on
Manufactures"
NEr. Nelson Oh Manufactures.
Mr.. Nelson quoted from the last cen
Gus to prove that increase i'll population
depends quite as much upon manufac-
turing as upon agriculture, as witness
the records of Maine. New Hampshire
and Vermont showing little gain, while
the contrary is the case with MasSa-
enusetts, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. From this his
deduction was that Minneapolis must
depend upon manufacturing for future
prosperity. Mr. Nelson pursued the
subject thus:
After a continuous ride of thirty-SiX
hours, we stopped in what was known
In 1860 as the center of the great Ameri-
can desert, but to-day 1t is the beauti-
tul city of Denver. The manufacturing
Industries of Denver consist of three
large smelling works, also stove works,
machine shops, wood working shops
and several other manufactures of mod
crate size, employing together quite q
large number of people. There is also
q WOODEN mill, cotton mill and paper
mill under way of construction. Real
estate and rents are very high. Wages
and the cost of living in Denver are
about % per cent higher than in Mime
RpOls.
..Horeoe C;4,, Sc 9, o;+,, ,,,oII I-,,o,,,,, -
the people of Minneapolis. The chief
industry Of Kansas City is the packing
houses. three being situated in Kansas
City, KaS., and one in Kansas City, Mo.
These are large industries and employ
large number of men. This city has
factories of different kinds employing
men, women and children, but not eX-
pansive in their number or character.
The general welfare OF the city is looked
after by their commercial club. The
wages paid mechanics and laborers are
about the same as paid III Minneapolis
Omaha being nearer to us, l spent
more time in looking over It's indus
tries. found quite number of man
ufactorieS. employing in all about 5000
men, women and children. As Mime
apOliS employs over $4,000 in the same
work, this is the faireSt way of making
ascOmparison. The packing houses in
Omaha, which, as in Kansas City, form
the chief industry, are not located with
in the city limits. The smelling and re-
filming works are especially worthy of
mention: also the Union Pacific
shops. The smaller industries con-
Eist of shoe factories, mattress fac
torres. saddlery and harness works,
soap factories, linseed oil works. foun-
dries, flour mills, cooper shops, broom
factories, boiler works, barbed WIRE
works, and others of less magnitude.
The only inducements that could learn
as offered manufacturers to locate there
were offered yreal estate men and land
syndicates in donations of land. Wages
ana the cost Of living are about the
same as in Kansas City.
'SiouX City, unlike Kansas City and
Omaha, has its packing houses located
within the city limits. There are three
of these packing houses, with capacity
OF 1900 hogs, 5000 cattle and 5000
sheep per day. There is about IS, 0OO. 600
invested in this industry, and they do
from $40, 100000 to S12, 900, 600 of business
annually. In Sioux City found three
strong real estate companies. or land
syndicates. whose object it is to get
manufacturers to locate there. and they
offer substantial inducements to manu-
facturers, the syndicate Offering the
most being the one usually 10 locate the
Industry. Minneapolis has but one
such syndicate, and others should be
organized"
Mr.. Nelson summed up his paper with
this comparison: