The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-28

the reorganization of the company
after the failure of the roads financial
agents, Jay Cook & Co. The affairs
of the Northern Pacific road were at
such low ebb at the time of the compile
ton of the line to Bismarck, that no
money was forthcoming and the con-
struction company would have been in
bad way had not Mr.. Morrison taken
the interests of the other members of
the construction company off their
hands and accepted in full payment
from the Northern Pacific road large
amount of the company's land grant
lands in northern Minnesota This
deal was one Of the best Mr.. Morrison
ever made. Without doubt, Mr.. Nor
rison's knowledge of the lumber bust
ness, as we'll as his ample means at the
right time, are equally responsible for
this splendid business turn.
Mr.. Morrison was one of the gentle
men who in 1873 thought Minneapolis
could support a street car line. They
built the track down Washington
avenue to about Cedar avenue, but
the hard times came on and the scheme
was abandoned before 1t was tried.
Tw years afterwadr Thos. Lowry be-
came the active man in the street car
company, and with Mr. Morrison's
backing the venture was successful
one of the first stockholders of the
Tribune, although he has long been out
OF the newspaper business.
In 1872 one of the great banks of Min
neapoliS was oganized. 1t is the North
western National and of this Dorilus
Morrison was the first president He
was connected with the bank for long
time, but has had no active interest in
that institution for several years.
Another bushes venture which did
great deal to build up Minneapolis
was the Minneapolis Harvester works,
built in 1878. Mr.. Morrison went into
this venture largely as a matter of
local patriotism, but when it began to
lag behind he and his son, Clinton
Morrison, took the complete control of
its affairs and ran the institution for a
serious Of years, from 1876 to 1891, en-
ploying hundreds of men, and, to
very large extent, building UP South
Minneapolis.
Mr.. Morrison also had a hand in the
budding up of the flour milling bust
ness Of Minneapolis. In 1873 he built
the Excelsior mill, fronting the mill
company's canal, which was leased to
Charles A. Pillsbury & Co. This mill
was totally restroyed by fire Dec 4.
1881, and was Immediately rebuilt and
operated by Mr.. Morrison. In company
with E. V. White, he also built the
retired from the business a few years
after, its erection was. also operated by
MI. Morrison alone, until in 1889 a COM
pany was organized in which he was
the principal owner, although the ac-
tive management was placed in the
hands of Morse and Samnis, who had
operated the st. Anthony mill. This
company now operates these three
mills, and also the Union mill, operated
as q griSt mill.
These are some of the leading bust
ness enterprises which engrossed the
larger part Of Mr.. MOrrisOn's attention.
He was pre-eminently a business man,
and over and above all a MINNEAPOLIS
man His public career was one of
many honors, heeped upon him and
never sought, but he was not a man
VINO courted the public favor, and was
a citizen interested in the affairs of his
nation, his state and his city, rather
than partisan. He was not politi-
clan.
In 1863 Mr.. Morrison was elected to
the state senate from the Fifth sena-
torial district (Hennepin, WesD. John
). Plllsbury served at the same time
from the Fourth district GIennepin.
EaSO. They were elected for two years.
and served during the sessions of 1864
and 1865. But long before this he had
been connected with the municipal gov
eminent. He was one of the three
councillors of the council of the town of
Minneapolis, representing the First
ward, succeeding Isaac I. Lewis. who
was elected as the original member of
the first council This was in 1858
After his term in the state senate Mr.
Morrison was elected the first MAYOR of
the consolidated city of Minneapolis,
the election having been held Feb. 10,
1867, and his Inauguration Feb. 26. He
o. tnT,
having been elected in April, 1869, and
was succeeded by Dr. A. A. Ames in
1870
Mr.. Morrison was also a member Of
the first board Of park commissioners.
having been named in the act creating
the board in 1888. But nearly twenty
years before Mr.. Morrison had Joined
with others in attempting to establish
a park system. The matter went SO
lar as to reach proposition to the city
council involving the ground now occu-
pied by the residence of w D. Wash
burn and other desirable park areas.
but the public suspected that it was a
scheme to make somebody rich, and
there was strong opposition. 1t was
defeated in the city council by one
vote. Mr.. Morrison served only one
term on the park board, but that was
during the creative period and it linked
his name with the park system as one
of its founders.
In an educational way, too, Mr.. Nor
risOn had a career. He was a member
of the Minneapolis board of education
at the time of its consolidation. serv-
ing with such men as S. c. Gale, H. G.
Se!dle. Isaac AtWater, r. j. Menden-
hall and r. E. Grimshaw. The Central
high school was at that time develop
ing very rapidly and the schools made
great Roadway during the four years
of Mr.. MorrisOn's service, from 1871 to
1875. He declined a reelection after one
term. But in the meantime he had de-
voted considerable attention to the es-
Enlistment of what subsequently be-
came the Bennett School for Young La
dies, of which he was a trustee for
years.
AS if to round out his public career
it is noted that he was one of the
Presidents of the Athenaeum, the pre-
cursor of the present public library of
Minneapolis. He was elected in 1853
and two years later was succeeded bv
Paris Gibson. During this period the
efforts to secure proper library build
ing for the Athenaeum were meeting
with success.A building had been erect
ed and a lot purchased at a cost of
about $4,000.
Mr.. Morrison was also named as one
of the executors in the will of Gov. Cad
walader c. Washburn, the founder of
the Washburn Home for Orphans.
named in honor of his mother To
this work Mr. Morrison gave consider
able time and much interest while
the building was being erected
In a church way, too, Dorilus Nor
riSOn was a leader. In 1864 he was one
of small band of liberals who had
lied about DR.. Adolphus Skinner, Of
Utica. N V who came tO minnesota