The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-02

Raul, read the paper or the DAY, anu
for perhaps an hour the diners listened
to the graphic recital of some of the
many events which recalled memories
Of the time gone by. At the sugges-
ton Of Gov. Ramsey the paper Will
be read at the next meeting Of the
state historical society. 1t was sub
stantially as follows:
Mr.. President and Fellow Members Of the
Old Settlers Association: 1t gives me great
pleasure to greet you once more on the annual
recurrence Of the day when Minnesota be-
came known to the world as an organized
government under the laws of the federal
union. The chairman of your executive COM
mittee, who, from the day that he assumed
to exercise authority over the new territory
forty eight years ago till the present time.
has ever been active in keeping alive men,
cries Of the days of our beginning and the
development Of the new territory and future
state. has asked me to present a brief review
Of the events which preceded the organiza-
ton Of the territory and Of the men who
were active in its perfection. 1t WILL I
think, not be considered out Of place for the
"old settlers Of Minnesota, at their annual
meeting to have memories revived and
freshed concerning those that were once their
associates and companions in the adventures
in early history in the struggles Of pioneer
life. Some OF them still remain with us,
while many others on the roll Of those
departed. What can be more appropriate than
to mingle in memory with those that are
charter members Of our organization, which
had it's foundation in the events of the year
1877 Among members are those that
were prominent and active in 1S47 in the
movement which resulted in laying the foun-
dations of future Minnesota. The events Of
that year intimately associated with
the eliminating period of 1S49, the year of
our territorial birth, that the purpose Of
this sketch would be incomplete record did
1t not refer to those who were prominent in
the first-named year.
The location of St. Paul was government
land, a rough. broken country. comprising
tamarac swamps, sand hills, rock ravines,
quagmires, trees and bushes and sloughs,
the abode of muskrats and other aquatic
animals. A portion of about ninety acres
was that part of the city lying between Sew
enth street to the river, extending from
Seven Corners to Sibley street. and was
occupied by squatters, who had law unto
themselves which recognized the rights and
claims Of settlers as sacred and effective
as under a patent from the United States
government Mr.. Moss, in referring to the
sturdy pioneers of those days. first mentioned
Henry Jackson. who found shelter in the
SANITY City with his family as far back as
June 80, 1912. Mr.. Moss told in interesting
fashion, of his building a rude log cabin on
the site of the present st. Paul Fire and
Marine building, where he traded with the
Indians and also kept tavern" Henry Jack
son was, in his day, a legislator, justice OF
the peace, merchant and hotel keeper. On
April Z, 1885, the postoffice of st. Paul was
tablished, and Mr. Jackson was made the
first postmaster. There were within the linn
its of the present state of Minnesota but two
postof1ces-at Point Douglas then called Lake
ST. Croix pcstoff1ce, and the other Saltwater
Jacob w. Bass was the next settler
referred to. He came from Vermont
and soon after his arrival in st. Paul
leased the building at Third and Jack
son streets, the history of which from
that to the present time is part OF
the history of ST. Paul. This is the Mer-
chants hotel In the early part of
1S47 Simeon p. Folsom bought the prop
erty and made some improvements on
the tavern till about November, when
he leased it to Mr.. Bass for a hotel at a
rental of $40 a month. 1t was called
the ST. Paul house, and conducted by
Mr.. Bass as a hotel till the spring Of
1852, he having for two years kept the
postoffice in it. He was made posi-
master in 1S49, and in March, 1853, was
succeeded by William H. Forbes. From
the time he left the Merchart IS hotel
until his death, Mr.. Bass was engaged
in active business and was prominent
in all matters pertaining to the growth
of the city. He died in 1889 and is sur
vived by Mrs. Bass. Mr. Moss, in his
record, next speaks of William H.
Forbes, who came to ST. Paul and took
charge Of the business Of the Ameri-
can Fur company under the name of
the ST. Paul Outfit, in 1897. For some
years he was a clerk for Gen. H. H
Sibley. He was one of the proprietors
of the original survey of the plat of
St Paul proper. He was member CT
the first,nterritorial. council. He was.
postmaster. of ST. Paul and later be-;
came associated with N. W. Kittson
in the fur trading business in the
Northwest He held prominent posi-
tons in the military service of the
government during the Sioux wars and
in the campaign of the Rebellion In
the same manner Mr.. Moss told, in 2
manner which thoroughly entertained
the old settlers, something of such
prominent early settlers as James M.
Boal, DR.. j. J. Dewey, William R.
Marshall, David Olmsted, Morton s.
Wilkinson, jeremiah Wilson, Sylvanius
Trask, Joseph N. Furber, James S. Nor
ris, Lorenzo A. Babcock, Gideon Fl.
Pond, David E. Loomis, Parsons K
Johnson, Benjamin W. Brunson. In
| referring to these last named gentle
men, Mr.. Moss explained that there
are only four old settlers living who
were members Of the first Legislature.
Two Of these were residents of St
Paul in 1847; Parsons K. Johnson, who
made his name memorable as being
an assistant in organizing the first
Sunday school in ST. Paul, being as.
sisted by Benjamin w. Brunson, an
other old settler. These two young
men, with kindly feelings and worthy
motives, rendered their services to Miss
Harriet E. Bishop, who had just ar
rived in ST. Paul, in her effort to start
Sunday schoolsfor the religious III
struction of the children of the en-
bryonic city. Seven children gathered
in small log cabin. Some spoke only
English, others understood only French
while the balance could only express
themselves in the Sioux. From this
modest beginning Miss Bishop main
tanned, until her death, a few years
ago, a faithful effort in the direction
of Sunday school work, and there has
resulted from the little log cabin OF
fifty years ago the Sunday school of
the First Baptist church, of this city.
The other two living members of the
legislature are Henry n. Setter who
came from the district composed of
Marine Mills and other precincts by the
st. CroiX river, and Mahlon Black.
from the Saltwater district. Mr.. Moss
disclaimed any intention to write ante
obituary stories Of these two men, and
left it for them to tell how they fought.
bled, but did not die, under the flag of
their country, but still survive as spec.
linens of the men who laid the founda-
ton for this prosperous state.
In conclusion. Mr. Moss, in his ren1in-
iscences, briefly noted some of the in
teresting characters who sat about the
festal board with him. His genial
friend, Simeon p. Folsom, he said, he
could consistently eulogize, were it not
for the fact that he still were alive.
He spoke Of the cheer and comfort
Mr.. Folsom had extended to the pion-
GERS Of AT and 49, and said there was
still an opportunity for him to add to
his illustrious record. 'It would be I'M
pardonable," he said, eff we fail to
mention the name Of William P. Muir
ray, the comedian Of the old settlers.
whose ability to make a good story
from nothing is unequaled by any of