St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-29
FEDERAL CITY.
Review of the Pamphlet on the
Booming Twins.

Review of the Pamphlet on the
Booming Twins.
Under this title there has just been
published in ST. Paul book, a pamphlet,
which is likely to be generally read.
1t calls itself "Reminiscences of the
Time Before st. Paul and Minneapolis
were United" and bears the date,
Federal City, Mimi, March Is. A. d.
1916" From this point the wrter-who
is known only as IAN Optimist'
looks back to these days of 1891 when
what is now called East Federal City
was st. Paul and West Federal was Min
neapois." He tells how the first
formal step in the direction of
union was taken by the Mime
apOlis board of trade, and how the
st. Paul chamber of commerce took the
second: how after much controversy in
the daily press the matter was submit
ted to popular vote III both cities, and
how it was carried in each-in Mime
apOliS by narrow majority of 2,700
votes in total vote cast of $4,000, and
in st. Paul overwhelmingly by vote of
two to one. Then, joint committee
having drafted a charter for the new
municipality, the legislature took a
hand. We are told what the country
members said i'll opposition, prompted
by the jealousy of smaller towns of the
already overshadowing influence of the
Twins" But it was opposing the in
evitable; for" says the author, ut was
foreordained by nature when the earth
was a-making that the city-whether
one city or two situated OH the falls of
the Mississippi should dominate the
Northwestern territory"
SO the bill granting the charter to
Federal City went through and union
became fact. BY the year 1916 the
population of the city had increased to
100000 souls and 1.-The tide has hardly
begun to flow" Many causes combined
to hasten the growth of the newly
welded pair-the sudden development
of the methods of transportation, until
rapid transit" had become VIRTUALLY
lnstantaneOus"-the accession of Can
ada to the United States-the rush of
immigration following the close of the
greatest of the factors which insure
the future of Federal City is 1.-The
stupendous engineering work now
in progress by which we are to
become almost maritime city;
by which the vessels of the great
lakes will be enabled to come to our
doors. The work will be finished in
three years. Then the waters of the
Mississippi and Lake Superior will
meet; and here. enthroned at the head
of navigation from the South and the
East, receiving in tribute the commerce
of the st. Lawrence and the Gulf of
Mexico, Federal City will have an in
duStrial empire greater than has ever
been subject to one city since the days
of imperial Rome.'
Union is hardly at present live issue
in either st. Paul or Minneapolis; out
it must be confessed that the scheme, as
seen through the eyes of ian optimist."
is fascinating. In the center OF the city,
in what twenty years ago was the in
terurban district" q space is reserved,
known as the mile area" from which
all business blocks and residences are
excluded. Here are grouped the cap
itol, the city hall, the poStoffice, tue Great
Central railroad depot, the library. the
museum. the art institute, the hospitals
and the Labor temple, and similar build
ings ''of public utility" with broad
avenues and open spaces of park be-
tween. From Summit avenue east, by
the mile area and along the river bank
with its handsome residences, by the
Central boulevard to Lakes Harriet and
Mendoza is drive more beautiful than
can be found i'll any other city in the
world-'even in the sumptuous cities of
Australia"
In rough outline the plan of govern