The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
AND EARNED THE TITLE THE
THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF
FIRST CORINTHIANS.
DELEGATES SURPRISED THAT
St. Paul Should Send a Man to Say
Kind Things About the Other
Twin.

convention in seconding the nomlna-
ton Of Minneapolis. He turned loose
a torrent Of eloquence and humor that
captured the delegates and won the
prize for the town up the river. Full
Of his characteristic fire, Mr.. Wilkes
pleaded for Minneapolis as follows:
Mr. L. D. Wilkes-Mr. President and gen.
| tlemen, upon the button 1t says "St Paul,
the Center of North America" 1 DESIRE on
behalf of the Minnesota delegation, if it is
the center Of North America, to second my
| friends of Minneapolis and ask you to choose
that city as the place. Of holding the next
annual convention. l think 1t is fitting that
man from ST. Paul should talk about Min
| neapols; because if anybody knows about
Minneapolis the St. Paul people do laugh
ter.) l was at dinner the other night where
seem to be changing coachmen." Why"
she says, 'you shouldn't talk about your
neighbors." "Well,' he says I'VE have got
to talk about somebody, so I have got to
talk about them Now it seems to me
great deal of stress has been laid on what
the convention will do for the city where it
goes. May l be permitted to say what the
city of Minneapolis can do for the conven-
ton? 1t is easy to say nice things, but much
easier to say nice things when these nice
things are true Minneapolis, with due re-
biggest brewery in the world, but she
! show you one flour mill whose production
will feed daily the entire city of New York,
it now stands (applause); and the com
bined forces of the mills, which lined
with golden grain, can feed the entire city of
Greater New York and London combined
for one year, If their products went there.
No doubt many Of you have been in Ire
land Qaughter), and those Of you who have
not have heard the praises Of her green
turf. You come with me along the beautiful
boulevarded streets Of Minneapolis and l
will show you a turf that will make every
Irishman green with envy. Qaughter) You
You come with me to Calhoun, Harriet and
Minnetonka, and then If you are not salts
fed we will give you the Mime" "ha-ha."
oa ed Yna oa WhG hge for Apba a
come with me to the eastern shore of the
Mississippi and 1 will show you the Univer
sty Of Minnesota, which contains as many
toned, that we educating to send out
over the fair land Of this broad world.
llApplause;l I'VE are not SO slow up in
myself and l know what it is. Uaughter)
tell you another thing: Supposing you
bring along your wheel-not the one in
boulevards that you may take all that
you have ever seen for natural roads,
when you talk about climate, gentlemen,
why, what we have brought up here this
afternoon Is just sample, the faintest scin-
tilla, Of what the Minneapolis climate is.
Why there is cocktail in a mile walk in
that climate. If you are at all inclined to
spooning we can give you moonlight that
will even pale .Luna's best ray in It; the soft.
flows for ten miles through the city OF Min
neapolis; and besides the mills, which grind
out the golden grain, giving the staff OF life
to this country, you will find there cut into
lengths the TALL nodding pine, which but
few weeks before even almost kissed the
clouds with its topmost branches. Why, we
don't need much lumber In Minnesota We
have 1t for the animals, because OF the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals; but for US the climate is so de-
material, is needed for habitation. young
man once said 10 me in Omaha-and he was
judge-"You come with me to church to-
morrow and I will show you the finest church
for the display of millinery in the whole
state of Nebraska You come with me to
Minneapolis and I say, without contradic-
street that this world has got. challenge
anybody who has even seen Nicollet avenue
to say that there is another such shop
ping street on the whole face of this coun-
try.
A Delegate-st. Paul don't say SO,
Mr.. Wilkes-That doesn't make any diff
ference: st. Paul is talking now. will take
care Of st. Paul all right.
Now, these people have talked to you about
what the convention can do. Do you want
us to do any more for the convention? Now
seen all these beautiful electric cars and ev
erything of that kind. When they get through
with you in Minneapolis, and want to do
little something on the side after business is
all over and will take you on the finest
electric system, and bring you over to the
city where 1 have the honor to reside, and
ting this convention Applause.) About the
first thing which you will see when you come
down into our city will be magnificent,
grand structure Its basement Is composed
superstructure is composed, or will be, OF
Georgia marble; thus forming an everlast-
ing example of the cementing Of the North
and South and perpetual to our children and
our children's children for future generations.
(Applause.) AS 1 said. they have the finest
business street, but they will take you along
Summit avenue" which I say, without
doubt, is the finest residence street America
has had. or ever will have.
Just say these things on the side, but
want to impress upon you gentlemen that
this convention can have no better time to
do good work, as far as the convention goes
return she can do no better for herself than
to come to the tireless, resistless, sleepless
milling center Of the great Northwest.
Commenting later on this speech,
Young E. Allison, editor Of the Louis
vile Insurance Herald, wrote:
Mr.. Wilkes seconded the nomination OF
Minneapolis in a short speech so full Of care
fully expressed and discriminatory modest
tion wild with delight. Mr.. Wilkes appear
ance of conscientious conviction OF the &C
curacy of his promises concerning the natural
and acquired advantages OF Minneapolis did
the business. It is said that a delegate leaned
over to another delesate--probably to Mr.
Shideler, of Indianapolis the closing
pulsations of Mr.Wilkes' rhetoric and inquired
in hoarse whisper:
''Do YOU really think all he's a-saying can
be true?'
well, if he amt" replied the other
cents OF rising scorn, "he'd better d-m
sight quit life Insurance and commence pray
ing for If they are all slies-and I half be-
lieve they must bet doesn't seem to me that
this present age will give him more than
about thirty years time to clean sin off his
soul. And if | had the job to do. 1t would
seem to me that thirty years would have
to be spread out highly thin to cover 'em
up-if they are lies, thta is
There is another story-probably not more
than 76 per cent true-that "a delegate, full
of admiration for the scorn with which Mr..
firma of irrelevant facts, approached him and
asked him what business he was in in st,
Paul. en-
why" said Mr.. Wilkes. .! am the man
ager there for the Equitable.
''I didn't notice your name on the list of
delegates" explained the stranger, "and SO
thought perhaps the Minneapolis folks hired
you to go around and help hustle for con-
Nov what made you think that?" de-
manded Mr.. Wilkes. who is as amiable as a
''Well." said the stranger, ''to be right
frank with you, can't exactly understand
how a man could get up in public the way
you did and say things for true that you said
about Minneapolis in-a-er-purely voluntary
way But 1 can see how he might say EN-
If he was paid big price to do it,
Sa aeng shs fear th
is a fatal blow: and to think, too; that 1 was
only talking for Minneapolis. What would he