The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-26

agreed upon a Mr.. Anton Rouse as
postmaster, at once wrote to MIR.
R1ce to give the new settlement a post
o11ce. 1t was not long before | re-
ce1Ved an answer, which contained the
postmaster's commission, his bond
Tor execution, key for the mail bags,
and all the requisites for a going post
office
The New Ulm people We're a very So
clal lot and my visits to the town al
ways included a good lot of fun. so I
conciuded to make a special event of
the establishment of the new post.
cthce, and as the weather was fine 7
invited half dozen friends to accom-
pany me IN drive to New Clm to mar
ticipate in the ceremonies of onepine
/ the new postoffice
one OF the earliest settlers at New
Olm was Francis Baasen. who be-
came Minnesota's first secretary OF
State, and was gallant officer In the
FIRST Minnesota regiment. so ceIebret
ed IN the War of the Rebellion, and has
recently been appointed by Gov. Lind
as assistant adjutant general Of the
state. He had claim about two miles
oeIoW the town, just where the ferry
crossed the Minnesota river at Rec
stone, and had erected a log shanty
there in which he lived. Of course W.
always called on Baasen on our waI
W ana also on our way back, wher
we visited New Ulm Baasen was 3
charming gentleman and, while his
shack was destitute of anv of thf
Injuries or elegancies Of life, there was
d door, or hatchWay, in the middle OF
the floor of the only room, which leC
to kind of cellar, the contents OF
which supplied all the deficiencies OF
the mouse and. favored with the gen
erous hospitality of the proprietor
made everybody happy.
On this occasion We stopped to take
oaaseh INTO the party, and while dis
cusslng the great event which brought
us up, L decided to add some new feat
ures to the inauguration of the new
postmaster. Baasen had been appoint
ca notary public and was provided
win large buslness-like envelopes and
formidable red seals, so 1 wrote LET
Ter to Mr.. Rouse in about the follow
ing language:
executive Mansion, Washington. D. C..
J ~ ~ 70 Ho5-Hon; Anton Rouse, Postmaster
at New Ulm, Territory of Minnesota-Sir: We
nave been Informed that a fourishing settle.
ment has been founded on the waters of the
upper Upper Minnesota river in Minnesota territory
Wnlcn mas been named New UIm and ths
tne inhabitants are sufficiently numerous and
intelligent to need a postofice 1t has a,so
oeen represented to us that you are a good
people for the office of postmaster II 10
therefore our duty and pleasure to appoint
you 10 that ONCE. 1t Is our desire that Won
IoCate the ONCE in a part of the town which
Will accommodate it's inhabitants and see
TO II tnat they always vote the Democratic
ticket at all elections. am yours very truly
Franklin Pierce
President of the United States of America.
(Seal) 'e"
l enclosed this letter in one of Raa-
sens large envelopes and we all drove
up to the house of Mr. Rouse and
called him out. I stood up in the
wagon and made him speech, inform
ing him of the creation Of the office
and that [ had his bond and commits
sion and letter to him from the pres
ldent of the United States, which
was instructed to deliver to him in
person, and 1 added that 1t was Gus.
tomary on all such important occa-
slons for the newly-appointed postmas-
ter to propose the health of the post.
master general
Rouse rushed into his house and an.
peared with a brown jug and a tir
cup, from which we all drank a bump
er to the health and prosperity of the
| postmaster general, the town of New
Ulm and its postmaster I then hand
ed him his credentials, including tn,
letter from the president, and the most
office at New Ulm was a reality.
| have never learned whether m,
friend Rouse caught onto the Joke o.
whether he has cherished the executiv,
letter as an heirloom for his poster
ity. Charles f. Flandfau.