St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-02
IN THE DEAD PAST.

The two long corridors of the capitol cross,
and at their intersection are flags in a glass
case-tattered, stained and faded flags, Union
and Confederate. You look at them, and war
songs, Marching Thro' Georgia. MARY
land. Bonnie Blue Flag" and all the rest
mix themselves up in your brain, till you
forget just which side your ante-bellum kin
favored. And are these all the war relics?
Not by any means. Such relics and the dry
bones of events are in the catacombs down
stairs.
+t+
The stairs are of cold, hard stone, and the
one incandescent light at the bottom emily
serves to make the gloom visible. You open
the door at the bottom, aud the gloom about
you is cleft in the distance by broad stream
ers of sunlight at the other end of
the room. This is the ~catacombs, where
the relics of dead times in Minnesota
are carefully stored away. 1t is the rooms Of
the historical society. There are bookcases
everywhere, filed with the sort of books one
is likely to find quite by accident after search
ing in vain. There are histories enough to
make ones head burst with dates, city direc-
tories, old books of explorations, genealogy,
ordinances. reports, pamphlets of every i'm
aginable kind, and, in short, all the kinds of
books one Dever sees anywhere else. There
are fire-proof vaults at one side. and in these
are stored complexities of nearly every pa
per ever published in the state-a collection
of volumes of incalculable value and inter
est. The first paper was published in St.
Paul by j. NJ. Goodhue on the 10th of April,
1919, and from it to the metropolitan dailies
is a wonderful advance.
AZ
In the most catacomby corner of the room
are two large glass cases. They are filled
with relics, and have relics stored on top of
them. On one is the first clock brought to
st. Paul.. 1t is a very ordinary affair with a
painted glass front, and to favor early clos
ing has stopped forever at thirteen minutes
past six. 1t arrived in St. Paul in 1913, and
was an e~asy-going clock for years, although
quite given to going on strikes. Next it is a
wooden mortar from the siege of Spanish
Fort, and in the case beneath are war relics.
A bit of wood from the Andersonville dead
line elbows a Revolutionary bayonet and a
revolver taken from the dead body of a des-
perado of the James-Younger gang. There
are some hideous shackles from a slave pen,
and a genuine Dit of hoe cake from Ander-
s~onville. Hoe is palatable only when one is
in a good humor. but even Marshall P. Viii
der couldn't enjoy this particular culinary
curiosity,
I'd
On the top of the case opposite, pathetic in
its dusty silence, sleeps the first bell that
ever called to prayer in Minnesota. That
was in 1913. Itholds long eonfabs over old
times with the postolice which supplied st.
Paur's needs from 1872 till 1S49. 1t is a plain
wooden box, divided into seventeen compart-
ments. Great oaks as the copybook used
TO saw. In the case beneath are the CHASTITY
arm bones and scalp of Little Crow. The Indian
method of taxing Al pIeasurable souvenir of
a skirmish may be questionable, but even an
Indian couldn't have peeled a skull wit h
greater precision. Indian relics of all kinds
fill the case, with here and there an official
state memento. such as a seal or gavel. Then
there is the first dinner bell used in ST. Paul. I
In the early times people went to dinner by
intuition, Just as their inner monitors adj
vised them so to do: but in 1872 Mrs. Jack-ll
sons dinner bell relieved the tasks of the
still small voice, much to the benefit of the
inner man.
Lincoln has an honored place among the
valued souvenirs. There is the em9ncipa- T;
ton proclamation written i'll microscopicI
letters. with an excellent portrait of the
martyred president formed by heavier strokes
here and there. 1t is a marvellous piece Of
work. The first electoral vote ever gwen in
the state for president. 1t is a plain white
card on which is written. "For president, D
Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois," ST. Anthony
Falls and Fort Smelling figure Oh several pict-
ures. One engraving of the falls is q mar
velous affair. esnsid erin; the fact that ii is I
entirely from the VIVID imagination of the
artist. of especial interest is Il painting OF 4
the building from which 81. Panl is named.
II is a little log chapel dedicated on
Noy / 1871. TO st. Paul. the apostle
to the nations. By Father LtTcien Gaultier
"a %ash;ngton's lib AIRY chair, Il terribly nm
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES arrangement of leather
and mahogany. stands in a great glass case.
gnarded by IL heavy set of eiraaleateS wofni1
the war of isla. The settee . : wairh >cnay-
Ter Colfax died sta nd unfer portraits OF ic.
palace officers AMI a pie.a.e Of the plliee
itself.
There are state portraits ana 'ioc lments
and quaint plintin5 > an s'oI- aai relies, Il
all kinds, ,veary-i aAil- EN- ii.m.i v=,e.
day. Bus OF Il ! .ht=,pn fGl. All II, Ys,f
a;mospher.nt tn piire 49, o., back !
thirty years II las. a: I:tii2h'll u II
bis III keep a silsi 49, u ar' ts a.
srui,5lical Of d,lI,>ps p.s- II no
arch of III p-uI..i.s.. I'"vtba:- s,lf.
CT III lass "a - -:
vii.l-aI -t.-~-a-l = 49, ~4-G
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