St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-05
so-called "Liberal- Republican, party

so-called neutrality-suspicious. party
while that organization existed.
He was, however. elected to the state
senate In 1874 from Mankato. succeed
ing j. f. Meagher Dem.). and served
for four years, after which time he
formally allied himself with the DEM
ocratic party. After removing 10
Wells he was elected county attorney,
and i'll 1890 was the Democratic nominee
for congress in the Second district, but
withdrew prior to the election.
Soon after his retirement from the
United States senate in 1865, he removed
from st. Paul to Mankato, where he
resided until after the death of his wife,
when he again changed his residence as
already explained. He, however, always
kept up his interest in and old acquaint-
ance with ST. Paul, and though of late
years his visits have been somewhat
infrequent, there was always a cordial
and heartfelt greeting for "Wilk" when
he came to this city. To the older set
tiers here his death adds one more to
the numerous personal bereavements
which have so recently befallen us.
JUDGE FLANDRAU's REMINIsCENCE.
The GLOBE called on Judge Flandrau
at his residence last evening for some
recolleculons concerning Morton s. Will
kinsoD. The judge said:
One of the first members of the bar
OF Minnesota whose acquaintance
made on coming to the territory in 1858
was Mr.. Wilkinson. If l remember
correctly, he Was then a member of the
firm of Wilkinson & Babcock, and re-
sided on Fifth street, between jackson
and Robert streets, in little white
frame house. that was only removed a
few months ago. The first legal bust
ness had after my arrival was motion
which Mr.. Wilkinson placed in my
hands to attend to for him at Sauk
Rapids. 1t took two full days to drive
from here to that place; Judge Cooper,
Col. Dustin, then United States district
attorney; Col. Irwin, the United Sta tes
marshal, and myself drove up toge ther.
Judge Sherburne held the term. The
firm afterwards became Wilkinson,
Babcock & Brisbn.
Before coming to st. PaulaMr W IL
klnson lived i'll Saltwater, when that
town was in st. CroIx county, Wis. and
as that state was admitted into the
Union with the st. Croix river as its
west boundary, st. Croix county was
left out and had no governme Mt, unless
it was remnant of Wisconsin territory.
The people who Inhabited it so decided;
Secretary Coffin removed to Saltwater,
proclaimed the territory, called con
vention TO elect delegate to congress.
Henry 81. Sibley was chosen. and ad-
mitted to a seat. He procured the
passage of the act of congress
which organized the territory
of Minnesota. Wilkinson took
very prominent part in all these move
ments. After the organization of the
territory he came to St. Paul. He was
frequently elected to the legislature.
He prepared the revised statutes of
1851. He was once register of deeds of
Ramsey county, l think. He was elect
ed to congress and the United States
senate from Minnesota. All this time
he was strong Republican. and, dur
ing the war, was very close friend and
adviser of President Lincoln. Some
time after he affiliated with the Demo-
cratic party, and up to the time of his
death was very active member of that
organization.
Mr. Wilkinson was a man Of delight
full social habits and manners, a grace
full conversationalist. and genial gen.
teman. He was a good lawyer, and an
advocate of unusual power. He never
accumulated property. He lived we'll,
did not work very hard, and died poor.
His houor as a public servant or pri-
vate gentleman was never questioned.
For many of the latter years of his life
he lived in Wells, in the southern part
OF the state. He made frequent visits
to ST. Paul on business and for pleasure,
ana was always welcomed heartily by
the old settlers. So fond was he of his
old st. Paul friends that ne not infre-
quently came with the intention Of re-
turning the next day, and would remain
two or three weeks to the delight of US
all. He left his i'm press on the laws and
policy of his country, and lived to a
good old age. As was our custom always
to greet him as "Wilk," il now becomes
our painful duty to say farewell with
the same endearing term.
A TALK WITH EX-Gov. RAMSEY.
Ex-Gov. Ramsey yesterday spoke
briefly of the deceased:
II came to st. Paul in May, 1S49."
said the governor, land Mort Wilkinson
was then a resident of Saltwater. /
think he had lived there something over
a year. He was one of the prominent
men of this section, and was delegate
TO the Saltwater territorial convention
which was held Aug. 6, 1913. I was the
first territorial governor. and Will
kinson was member of the
second and third territorial iegIs-
latures, the sessions of which were
in 1851 and 1858. He was amoug those
present at every prominent occasion as
a participant. The late Rev. E. d.
Neill brought into existence in 1858 the
Baldwin school, upon which Manchester
college was afterward founded. This
WIS located where the new postoffiee is
now being erected. 1t was dedicated in
November. 1858, and Mr.. Wilkinson
was one of the leading speakers
at the banquet. My memory is
SO much dImmed that l can-
not recall all the career of
Mr.. Wilkinson in those early times. He
removed from Saltwater TO st. Paul, but
in what year | cannot recall, nor can |
remember when he moved away from
st. Paul. The matter l remember the
most distinctly about him is that he was
an exceedingly warm supporter of the
cause of the North during the war, and
devout believer in Abraham Lincoln.
He was my cotemporarY in the United
States senate during short part
of my twelve years service in
that body, but though both warm Re-
publicans and friends. we were not
thrown together much. so can recall
little of his career in the senate. He
was good speaker, and his command
ing presence and happy thoughts always