The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-18
Snap Shots In Milwaukee.

Mflwaukee's synonym the land over Is
"Beertown," an appellation loyal Milwau-
keeans resent with some acerbity. They
point a Saint Paulite to several objects
of municipal enterprise, and tauntingly ask
If we can match that, and insinuate that
until we can the less frequently we use the
obnoxious term "Beertown," the greater will
be the growth of our modesty. For one of
several Illustrations they will take you out
on their Grand avenue-reached, by the way,
over a stretch of outrageously dilapidated
block pavement that serves to Accumulate the
pleasure Of the asphalt between which 1t
lies and show you their new public library
building, now nearing completion, covering
nearly half a city block with its three stories
Of white sandstone, and ask you II st. Paul
can match that.
Another indication that Gambrinus Is not
the king absolute here met and surprised
me at Lake park, where Milwaukee is utiliz-
Ing woodland by the lakeside for park
Portions of 1t are yet in the raw state, and
men and seams were busy with scrapers and
plows raising mounds and scooping beds
for future lakes, but splendid roadways, over
which wheel runs as lightly the swal-
lows under the bank fit along the shores,
lead from the city, affordng contrast to
the drives to our Como that is not pleasant
to one loyal to the sanity town. But to re-
luI1l 10 my mutton. "A DlC weary WIN my
ride and more thirsty, 1 wheeled UP to one
Of the buildings in the park where conces-
sionaires furnish refreshments and babe the
buxom lass, Enthusiastically Teutonic in feature
and equally American in tongue, who came
to take my order. to bring me a glass of
beer. Root or ginger?" she asked. "Nei-
ther." Quoth I; "Pabst Schftz or any other
BREW "Oh,' she said, apologetically 1--WE
do not sell beer here; this is public park,
you know" and I admitted to myself that
If beer could not be sold in public park in
Milwaukee. we foreigners must cease call
ing the town Beertown.
Before Milwaukee had paused in the pur-
SUIT OF the almighty dollar to scrape &C
quaintance with the ethical. citizens who had
succeeded in that pursuit exceptionally had
bought lots along portions Of the lake front
and built their homes there. With singular
infelicity they. for the most part, gave the
lake view to their back doors and stables.
But the city woke soon enough to save
long stretch of front for itself and terraced
the slopes and dubbed 1t Juneau park in re-
membrance of Solomon Juneau, who landed
here back in the '20s from his canoes and
traded beads for pets and found 1t so profit
able that he stayed and lived and died here
And a firm that waxed rich by making
boots and shoes had made a bronze statue
of Solomon, heroic in stature, and presented it
to the city, which located it in this park
and fifty stationed Juneau facing and look
ing over the city he had founded. Farther
UP the park is statue of Left Eriksen, the
pedestal duly inscribed with his caveat to
priority of discovery Of this continent A. D.
1000, a statue presented by sons of Norway,
who have not lost in American citizenship
any Of their historic memories Supple of
Nof TaiP
hand shading his eyes, peering into the dis
lance. the attitude of the discoverer; but, with
an happiness that is surprising he is made
to face the city instead of the inland sea
whose waves dash upon the sands below him
The attitude Of the statue is Inconsistent
with either its present surroundings or the
forest primeval which met him when he
touched the coasts Of our continent Men
shade their eyes for a far look only when
scanning a horizon, never when fronting for
ests.
spent few hours at the National Soldiers
home, which lies in beautiful park of roll
ling ground some five miles out from the
shore line of the city. Some twenty-five
hundred wrecks Of battlefield, of hospitals
and Of industrial storm are housed here
fed, clothed, doctored when sick and buried
when dead, with the fife and drum playing
1.-THE Dead March From SAUL" and squad Of
veterans, with arms reversed to fire salute
over the grave. OF an afternoon a band plays
and the green grass Is dotted W tn the blue
suitings of the vets. who lie about and listen,
or sit back up against a tree and smoke,
or chat with some group of visitors from
the city. In one building Is library and
reading room, filled, when I went through it,
with gray heads showing above newspaper
files. Down stairs is card room, equally
we'll filled with men beguiling the hours Of
their dreariness. But the greater number
seemed to be wandering about the grounds
aimlessly, as purposeless their lives.
I was struck by the scarcity of faces in
dicating American nativity. For the greater