The Sauk Centre herald., 1895-08-08
RETROSPECTIVE.

Sixteen years ago to-day-it doesn't
seem great while-the writer arrived
in Sauk Centre with his Lares and
Penates. and assumed control of the
HERALD, purchasing 1T from Joseph H.
and Sam Simonton, who had been it's
owners and publishers tor ZEN years.
At that time the paper was seven col
umn folio, only a little more than half as
large as the present HERALD, was
printed in large type on hand press,
with so-called patent outside pur-
chased ready printed IN Milwaukee. It's
subscription price was then $500 a
year.
At that time Sauk Centre was a pros
porous village of about 100 people-a
little more than halt its present size,
filled as now with good people, some
OF whom have gone to their eternal rest,
some of them living useful lives else
where, and many of them still among
the influential and prosperous men of
present affairs
But many and great changes, most of
of them so gradual as hardly to be OBJ
served as they occurred, haye ewept
over the community. Then there were
but three brick buildings in the city
the one in which the HERALD is now
located, owned then as now by Andrew
J. smith, and occupied by HIM with a
large stock of dry goods and groceries;
one owned by S. Pendergast containing
the two stores now occupied by the
Boston Clothing and Boot and Shoe
stocks .one by Pendergast and Willie with
stock of hardware. and by Capt. E.
Oaktord with drugs; the third is the
store now occupied by Hanson & EN-.
erson, then the home Of the Citizens
Bank, Andrew ]. Smith being its sole
proprietor, as he has been ever since.
There was another. brick structure
the library building. then used by
Esquire Carr as Justices office, but it
scarcelv rises to the dignity of a
building.
There was pr actically no sidewalk ex-
cept through the business parts of
Third and Main-sts.. no water works;
no fire department. no street lights.
The st. Paul, Minneapolis and Mani.
toba railroad was the only public
thoroughtare, other than the stage
lines leading to Long Prairie, to Grove
Lake, and to North Fork. and it ended
at Alexandria. There were two trains
each way daily-a mixed freight and
passenger to St. Cloud, where the pas
senger car was attached to the Norther
Pacific train for the cities, and pas
senger train OF one coach, which went
through both ways, in the night. 1t re-
qulred about seven hours to make the
trip to and from St. Paul.
And yet this was a happy and pros.
porous town, second to none il: the
state northwest of St. Paul. From that
time to the present it has never been
quicksned by boom nor retarded by
disaster nor dullness. It's ma, ch has
been steady and strong, and save DUR
ing the one year, 1882, when the Little
Falls and Dakota road was completed,
its growth has beenimperceptiDle. That
year there was activity in building, and
ten or dozen brick stores were erected,
none OF them have eyer been vacant for
any length of time since.
In those days country roads were not
fretted and distorted by section lines
and farm corners, but one went as
straight as the crow flies to his destina-
tion across prairies and through timber.
Acre after acre of unbroken prairie
hemmed in the village to the south, and
west, and the forests on the east and
north were almost primeyal. And what
of the people? Referring to the first
paper under the then new management
some curious "reminiscences are aroused.
A state campaign was just opening, and
Esquire L. l.. West had call for re-
publican caucus to meet in his office to
elect four delegates to the county con-
vention to be held in St. Cloud, and it
was hot convention, too. Charlie
Gilman was a candidate tor the nomi-
nation for Lieutenant Governor and u. b.
Searle for Attorney General, and both
warted the delegation OF their own
county. Searle carried the convention
an5 Gilman bolted. held convention OF
his own on special train en- route for
ST. Paul, and although his delegation
failed OF getting their seats, yet Mr..
Gilman succeed in securing che coveted
nomination.
The local convention for representa-
tive was equally warm, and one of the
largest caucuses ever held in Sauk Cen
tire before or since, sent Delegates to the
district convention instructed for Alex
.lnder Moore for the legislature, he de-
feating Frank Searle for the nomination.
All the old settlers will recall that cam
paign. 1t was hot from start to finish.
That paper has an editorial advocating
the claims OF John S. Pillsbury for a
nomination tor third term-the only
governor ever so honored by Minnesota.
There is little item copied from the
Todd County Argus, which tauntinglv
says: evidently the Sauk Centre
HERALD has lost faith IN the Little
Falls and Dakota railroad" to which
th.. ren1v is made. .sNOt u1ite sf, fact