The Saint Paul globe., 1898-07-27
ORKER STONE OF THE NEW 6APIT0L TO Be Ibid TODAY
Completed Event Which Will
Of tar

hon; w: II. Seward in 1854, on the east
| through the incidents of the Civil war
Mneh the capitol square was the OBJ
Ject!Ve point of all GATHERINGS and as
| seHlolases and public exercises to the
more recent gathering of the Minnasota.
troops called to arms to take part in
oiie cohiiict with the Spanish TO restore
! NTnFistlan government in fair Cuba. .
Inc address of Hon. W. H. Seward
on July day in 1854 was delivered
from the elevated position on the east
porch OF the capitol, which commanded
an excellent view of Dayton's buff and
/ poth sides of the Mississippi. in tie
presence of one Of the most distinguisA-
ed audiences ever assembled in Minne-
sofa before or since. The gathering
East, Who came to MINI sofa on an ex
carslon, including eminent statesmen.
Jurlsts, men great in science and di-
Vlnty IN fact, some Of the first men
OF the country were present.
In his address Mr.. Seward made a
predlct1on which found fulfillment but
a few years later. Commanding the
magnificent view of the virgin country
surrounding ST. Paul, Mr. Seward pre-
d1cted in another generation a railroad
would enter st. Paul from every di-
rection, and that ST. Paul would night
ly hear the roar of the river vessel of
commerce bringing to the state a trade
with the South and West which would
fast develop the country into a great
commonwealth whose resources were
yet unknown
DEED OF CAPITOL SQUARE.
In the vault Of the state treasurer's
Office is the original warranty deed for
grounds known as Capitol square, ex-
ecuted to the government of the Unit
ed States by Charles Bazille. The
grounds were decided to the United
States as the territory had not yet
been organized, although several meet
ings had been held and the country
was In falr way to be organized into
a territory.
The document has laid for years in
a little tin box and is very musty and
yellow with age, and is dated 1874, the
rest Of the date being quite indistinct.
The amount given in consideration for
the property is named as 81. Mr.. Ba-
zille purchased a claim in the early
40s of old Larrivier, one of the first
settlers. This was subsequently laid out
and plated into an addition to ST.
Paul, and the property became valu-
able. Mr.. Bazille had, however dis
posed of most of it before it had great
ly enhanced in price. The gift of the
Capitol square to the government by
Mr. Bazille was made with reckless
ness common to early land owners; he
also gave away a number of other
lots, worth probably 100000 at this
time, to other public enterprises, yet
in the evening of life he, like many
other pioneers, died with little of this
worlds goods left. Several years ago
the state did a munificent thing by
voting a material assistance to his
q md oil
her during the declining days Of her
life
After Wisconsin had held a consti-
tutional convention and was admitted
as state into the Union in 1S4S, it
was said that Minnesota was left out
In the cold with no government, unless,
fortunately, they inherited the discard
ed territorial government of the state
of Wisconsin. The question consider
ably agftated the people of the region
west of the ST. Croix and Mississippi
and after considerable talk it was
resolved by the st. Paul people to hold
a meeting and canvass the matter. The
meeting, which could not have been a
large one, was held at Jackson's car
avansary in July. This was undoubt-
edly the first public meeting on any
subject of public nature, and it was
strongly urged that measures be taken
to secure a territorial government for
the balance of Wisconsin then unpro-
tected by law.
On Aug. 5, 1S4S, meeting of the same
nature was held at Saltwater, and 1t
was resolved to circulate a call for a
general convention of all persons in
terested to assemble at Saltwater On
the 26th of that same month The call
was made, and at the time appointed
the meeting was held.
BIRTH OF THE TERRITORY.
It was at this meeting that the ter
ritory was born, and the sturdy pio-
neers were never ceasing in their eff
forts to build up from the forest and
plains of the the newly discovered
country a commonwealth of unusual
resource.
A memorial was drawn up and sign
ed by the following ST. Paul delegates
to the convention: Louis Robert, J. w.