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.
IL
The stairs are of cold, hard stone, and the
n incandescent light at the bottom only
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. filled with the sort of books II
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 pever sees anywhere else. There
are fire-proof vaults at one side. n 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,
1s4y, and from ii 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 easy-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 q genuine pit of hoe cake from Ander-
~sonville. Hoe is palatable only when one is
in a good humor, but even Marshall P. Will
der couldn't enjoy this particular culinary
curiosity,
IT.
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 confabs over old
times with the postolice which supplied st.
Paurs needs from 1912 till 1919. 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 ghastly
arm bones and scalp of Little Crow. The Indian
method of taSinsa pleasurable souvenir of
a skirmish may be questionable, bat even an
Indian couldn't have peeled a skull wit h
greater precision. Indian relies of all kinds
fill the case. with here and there an official
state memento. such as a seal or gayel. Then
there is the first inner bell used in st. Paul.
In the early times people ven to dinner by
intuition. just as their inner monitors adj
vised them so to do: but in 1872 Mrs. Jack-i
sons dinner bell relieveu 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 emancipa-f
ton proclamation written i'll microscopicI
letters. with an excellent portrait of the
martyred president formed by heavier strokes
here and there. II is a marvellous piece Of
work. The first electoral vote ever gwen in
the state for president. 1t IS n plain white
card on which is written. For president, J
Abraham Lincoln. of Illinois" st. Anthony
Falls and Fort Smelling figure on several piet-
u-es. One engraving of the falls is n mars
velows affair. considering the fact that ii is
entirely from the Vivid Imagination of the
artist. Of especial interest is il painting OF
the building from which 81. Paul is named.
II is a little log chapel dedicated on
Noy. l. 1871, TO st. Paul, the apostle
to the nations. b. Father Lltcien Gaultier.
W ashington's lib airy chair, a terribly nn-
comfortable-look:ng arrangement of leather
and mahogany. stands in Al great glass case.
guarded by Il heavy set of ei'ailetteS ON
the war of i>i1. The settee - J wairh scn!y-
lar Colfax died stand under portraits OF ic.
palace officers aal a pie.a,s Of II. plllce
itself.
There are state portraits and 'ipc imcnts
and quaint p%tintinss AMI H'o1' ana relies =
all kinds, veary-i ,,AiI.. EN- ti.m vs,e-+
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