Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-07-27
GOSSIP BY THE wAYsIDE.
Letter from Travelling Scribe Eastward
Bound.
ON THE TRAIN FOR ST.. LOUIS,

July Il, loJO.
We parted company coming across
Minnesota. We now go down the
Mississippi via the famous scenic route
the C. B. s. N, or 90" system of
railroads. It's rolling, stock, tracks,
and service are probably the best in
the world. The employees are beauti-
fully uniformed and look better fed
and better kept than any railroad
men saw after leaving the Southern
Pacific. In fact, the management of
the two roads has much that is SINH
lar. Such well kept cars and fault
lessly careful service can be found on
very few railroads as one finds on the
90"
THE TWIN CITIES.
In st. Paul the roar and rumble
of a midsummer thunder storm lulle d
us to slumber at the well-appointed
Hotel Windsor. Rooms and meals
together are 81 to 81 a day. There is
but one better hotel, or at least higher
priced The Ryan. l noticed great
many empty stores at st. Paul. The
upper floors Of entire blocks are
empty. But the city is full of life, is
less raw and rushing than Minneapo-
lis, and compares to the latter about
as Tacoma to Seattle. There is still
2 strong provincial hostility between
ihc two towns. Neither can print a
newspaper good enough to be taken by
the people of the other town, though
they are good ten miles apart.
ABOUT ST, PAUL,
st. Paul has made great progress IN
streets. There are miles OF asphalt
tiat are washed and swept as clean as
parlor floor. DroppIngs Of horses
are promptly swept away. For ten
cents you can ride between the two
cities and get transfer TO any part
OF either. The Interurban cars are
hfty feet long and run as fast as ordi-
nary suburban trains. All the big
Touring mills and the water power at
": Anthony's falls Of the Mississippi
are now the property OF an English
syndicate, st. Paul is almost owned
by foreign capital, as are some of the.
newspapers, and gold standard senti. |
ment ls very strong among these
classes OF people. In Minneapolis OPP |
posite sentiment prevails, even some
large bankers being free coinage men.
g. = ONE OF M'KINLEY's MEN.
Al st. Paul Ex-Governor Merriam, of |
Minnesota, took the train for Chicago.
lie is the head of the Commercial
gstional bank, the largest cencern In
The city. His father left him a mil |
lion on his death recently, and he was
already worth twice that. Merriam is
one OF McKinley's campaign managers
and like Mark Hanna puts business
methods into politics, using money
freely In his campaigns. He is owner
q the Pianeer-Press, hacker Of Clough, |
VINO was lieltenant-governor, but is
now the Republican nominee for
governor, John Lind, an American,
born Scandinavian, win be the nomi-
nee OF the three silver parties aud is
likely to be elected. In gazing upon
1he splendid proportions OF Merriam Of
st' Paul, / was probably as close TO
one OF McKinley's cabinet as I shall
ever be- or he either for that matter.
POLITICAL APATHY.
talked with all kinds OF men about
tne stations and on the trains and |
ssereets. The scarcity OF Mckinley
buttons is appalling. Fhe whole
hutton business is tagging. No sales
OF any kind, the little Italians said.
a hewsy told me the first week after
Mckinley saa ,.,....s....oa ooarl,