St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-14
LEFT WITH DOWNS.
Mayor Pratt and Other Min
neapolitans Arrive With
Their "ORer."
RETURN SADDER AND WISER.
A Cold Indifference Marks
Their Reception in the
Capitol
SITE LEFT WITH Mr.. DOWNS.
One legislators Timely Sug-
gestfon--A Peculiar Doc
uments

Like the famous soldiers who
marched up the hill and then
marched down again, the few men
composing John Goodnow's capitol
site brigade marched UP the various
flights of stairs in the capitol build
ing yesterday-and then marched
down again.
When they went up they were full
of March zephyrs and hope. When
they went down the string attached
to the sham balloon that had buoyed
them up was cut. And it had not
been severed by the sharp knife of
the Ramsey county delegation; but
it was none the less completely cut,
and, as the committee had no new
balloon ready, they were long Oh
ozone and short on solid ballast. 1t
happened this way:
When the committee reached the
capitol they had decided that
under all the depressing circumstan-
ceS, it would need a man of nerve to
try the temper of the house by in
Producing a frivolous subject at a
time when the legitimate business Of
the body is in an almost hopeless
state of swamp" So that veteran
raconteur and generally likeable
man, Hon. Tom Downs, was selected
as the proper person to present the
formidable document. Mr.. Robbins
has dismissed the matter from his
mind as unworthy of serious con-
slderation; Mr.. Dingman would not
touch it with an extended pair of
tongs; leVel-headed Alpheus Dale
takes life too seriously to engage in
any monkey business; Mr.. O'Reilly.
as Democrat, believes in fair plav
TOO sincerely to encourage anything
savofing of piracy; Mr. Dahl, while
willing, was not thought to possess
sufficient dignity to maintain. his
composure while making so hollow a
proposition; and, for one reason or
another, the other delegates from
the sister city were not available
But Mr.. Downs, while one of the
pest men on earth and deservedly
popular, Is
CONFIRMED JOKER
and never happier than when String
ing" an individual or a party of indi-
Vlduals. So he was decided on as the
pest man to have the custody of Lor-
ing park for the time being.
Then a few of the most prominent
men who had conveyed Mayor Pratt
and "offer" retired to a committee
room to smoke off the effects of their
chilly experience among the house
members. While in this room a nrom-
lnent representative from a country
district expressed himself in about
these words:
The state of Minnesota is not ask
ing tenders of a site for a. new canitol
nor are We asking donations Of money
Tor any purpose. But if Minneapolis
mas land to spare and money to give
away, 1t might be a holy and whole
some thing to sell the land and then
distribute all the money among the
thousands who suffered by the gigan-
TIC losses sustained in the failure of
the Guaranty Loan association"
rms was spoken in the hearing Of
the Minneapolis. men, and met with
such hearty Endorsement that thew
quickly realized the sure failure that
would attend their mission. In addi-
ton, a second member remarked that
Minneapolis had got all the advertis-
ing she deserved out Of the alleged
offer, and should be satisfied.
THE OFFER"
was not sent to the speakers desk
yesterday, although Mr.. Downs is
supposed to have had it in his possess
sion all day, after the committee ar
rived. In the wording of the docu-
ment there are peculiarities that. will
strike any one given to ANALYSIS of
language. Mayor Pratt opens his pa
per by stating he has 1.-The honor to
transmit ''the formal resolution of the
board OF park commissioners of the
city Of Minneapolis, rendering to the
state Of Minnesota Loring park. in
said city, as a site for the state capitoI
building and grounds, and also the
resolutions of the city council of the
city of Minneapolis, passed March 8.
1885, and approved March 9, 1895. for
mally ratifying the said act of the
board of park commissioners of the
city of Minneapolis Both documents
are certified to and formally sealed.
respectively with the seal of the board
OF park commissioners and the seal of
the city of Minneapolis.
He then goes on to state that the
park is beautifully improved and
"eonservatively estimated as worth at
least S2,000.000." Further language is
used which would lead stranger to
suppose Minnesota wants a state park
and Minneapolis is willing to give her
one. The document says: 'It is per-
feet in every way and ready for the
use and benefit of the people of the
state without the necessity of expend-
ing one dollar on it in any way 1t
is also stated that, if the legislature
desires, a committee will show the
park at any time. This is a possible
junket that none of the legislators
will be very anxious to take.
The delegation from Minneapolis
consisted of Mayor Pratt, Vice Presi-
dent Stoft and Commissioner Love.
of the park board; Aid. McAllister.
City Attorney Simpson, G. H. Warren,
of the board of trade; F. G. Winston,
H. C. Akeley and w. NJ. Regan. A
consultation was held with members
of the Hennepin delegation, and the
result of this conference was that the
Minneapolis visitors lost great deal
Of their ''peartness." They not only
found the sentiment for a possible re-
moval
VERY FLAT AND COLD,
but it was also discovered that the
plans to make the offer were defective