The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-14
by the I" mighty Mississippi"

At the present day, in the field Of litera-
ture, there is seemingly little more OF inter-
est to be said OF the settled portions OF this
continent Artists and authors famous in
this and other lands, have not disdained to
make bits of It's scenery, the customs and
habits of It's people food for brush and pen.
Nevertheless, as L have been requested
by friend to give some description Of trip
recently taken to the "doorways OF the
west wind" am not going to say as chill
dren often do, when sent for articles trifle
difficult to find, There is nothing left"
but instead, con over the many erratc frag-
me IL which interested me, and from among
them make my Offering
In journeying between Boston and st.
Paul via the Canadian Pacific and 500 lines
one hardly thinks of it as the number OF
hundreds Of miles 1t really is, but only as 80
many hours after parting with friends at
this end of the line, before meeting with
others at the objective point. Really you
are made 80 thoroughly comfortable in
| transit there is nothing left to be desired
but that the trip were longer.
In nearing the twin cities from the east
| you reach Minneapolis first, where the great
| grain elevators make you aware, II you ala
not already know, of its principal traffic in
| cereals. What l heard OF the past jeal-
ousies and chickering's of those twins remind
ed me forciby of two naughty children,
| each wishing to exterminate the other, but
| their wise mamma seats them side by side
and says, My little darlings sit right here
until you can truthfully say tnat you love
| each other"
Minneapolis and St. Paul are both beauti-
full cities, and under the chaperonage OF
wise Providence learn they are fast reach
ing the state OF mind coveted by the mother
for her little ones, and which Drummond
says "s the greatest thing in the world"
AT last we reach St. Paul where we meet
and greet our friends. In our long antici-
pated happiness days seem like hours.
However, the inquiring mind gradually be-
gins to note its surroundings and how much
q thoughtful glance tells onel Obtuse in
deed would be the person who could not
mete out to st. Paul its just measure OF In
telligence and culture by the many and i'm
posing church ediices which dot the land
| scape NV interest in the sanity name OF
the city elected from pioneer resident the
information that it had not always been
known as st. Paul, but was first called Pig g
Eye. The good citizen noting incredulity
on my countenance, told me where on the
pages OF history the facts could be found,
and read: 1.-THE place was first named
Pigs Eye in honor of an important citizen
with but one eye which bore fancied re-
semblance to the eye of that quadruped."
After the town was generally known as 81
Paul history states that Pigs Eye drifted
about two miles down the Mississippi" 1
was really too surprised to inquire whether
it was still there, or why the pleasing transit
from the ridiculous cognomen OF Pigs Eye
to the sublime name of st. Paul.
The city is beautifully located upon three
elevations, or plateaus overlooking the
Mississippi, the central plateau being prob
ably ninety feet higher than the others. No
doubt Nature had done much for the local
ity before the foot of man had ever trod
| upon it's soil. Since seeing the Capitol Of
the United States the Capitol of this beauti-
full State of Vermont, and with Minnesota,
and some few others, l am wondering II
Capitol cities, or the spots of earth upon
which they are builded were not fashioned
by the Creator in view of the honors await
ing them. L find the first settlement to at
tain Importance in the territory OF Mime
sofa was begun by Vermonter, one Orange
Walker, who in 1910, erected the Marine
Mill on the st. Croix River. While Mime
sofa was still territory, as early as April
IT, 1S49, the first newspaper was published
called the Minneapolis Pioneer, edited by
James M. Goodhue, who brought with him
from the states printing press. The en-
vironment Of both Minneapolis and St..
Paul 1 am sure must be deeply interesting
quainted with it. For instance the cave,
about thirty miles below ST. Anthony's
Falls, is quite remarkable. 1t is OF an
amazing depth. The Indians termed it
"Wakenteeb," that is. the dwelling place
cave is nearly fifteen feet high and thirty
feet broad. A short way from the entrance
begins a lake which extends to an, as yet,
unmeasured distance. If you throw a small
pebble in this lake 1t causes horrible sounds
to resound through the cave. At a little
distance from this dreary cavern was once
the burying place OF the Nondowerric In
dams, and it is said although these people
had no fixed residences, living in tents and
abiding but a few months in one place, yet
they always brought, like the Cinnamon to
China, the bones Of their dead here for
burial.
Out of much interesting Indian remines-
cence submit the following, the heroine Of
which, many years after its occurrence, was
my cherished friend. Among the first fam
| lilies Of refinement to arrive in the Territory
was gentleman by the name of Bishop, a
Baptist deacon with his wife and beautiful
daughter then in her teens, who, as young
as she was still was old enough to work for
the Master, for she established the first Sun
day-school in the Territory OF Minnesota.
The friendly Indians were made welcome
at their home, the mother and daughter de.
voting most of their time to teaching them
| both temporal and spiritual things. The
ladies felt confident that they were max
ing very good impression upon at least
One morning that Indian made his ap-
pearance accompanied by half breed in
| terpreter, and through him made formal
request for the daughters hand in mar
rage. He said his squaw had consumption
| and could only last few moons more, but
|
the manual labor, and that the new wife
should sit at the table with him-which the
Indians consider great honorable at his
side on hunting expeditions, etc. etc. When
| Mr.. Bishop made him understand that the
"pale face" as the brave called Miss Bish-
op, would, under no condition accept the
offered honor, he subdued for a time and
them begged OF the deacon dollar with
which to purchase some coveted piece of
wearing apparel. On departing he gave
them an object lesson of love turned to ha-
tired by visiting his displeasure on the do
nestle animals, numerically beating and
kicking the dog, and swinging the poor cat
by the tail, accompanying each swing with
blood curdling war whoop nearly fright
ening the ladies into nervous prostration.
A complaint had finally to be entered
against him before he would desist from
visiting the revenge caused by unrequited
love ON the household pets. In memory of
his dissatisfaction he took his squaw, with
all his belongings, and went as he termed
it, con long hunt" returning six years
later with this same squaw, seemingly no
further advanced consumptionly than on
their departure, but entirely won over to
her husbands way OF thinking in regard to
the good deacon's family, for they were