The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-12
PIONEERS WERE JOYOUS
Log CABIN AT THE STATE FAIR
GROUNDS DEDICATED
YESTERDAY
MEMORIES OF THE OLD DAYS
They Were Aroused by the Old
Fashioned Character of the Ex-
ercises Amid Appropriate
Surroundings.

Blocked out against sunny sky, its
interior redolent of the pines whose stur-
dy logs formed its walls, its deep brick
fireplace a memory-stirrer for every
white-haired man and woman that clus-
tered round its hearth, the log cabin de-
zVised and built by the Territorial Pho
neers of Minnesota, was yesterday Ell
Gated by them with appropriate ceremo
MES
The cabin, almost completed, stands on
tie state fair grounds to the left of the
horticultural building as one enters the
gate. The site is ar elevated one, and
q green lawn sweeps away from the cabin
to a coed distance on every side. AS ar
~ as $3.50 clock yesterday morning the
men and women who had heart interest
in the dedication of that log cabin began
to people the grounds The shoulders of
those early Corners were bsnt with aga,
their heads whitened with the SHOWS of
years, their eyes dull. They repre- sen eI
city and country, prominence and OBJ curl
~, riches and poverty. They had. how
ever, more than merely age in common
They had memories. AS the morning
waned the crowd grew larger and larger
and when the hour set for the exc: c.ses
drew near there were close upon a tn u
sand people surrounding the log cabin
All, however had not We arrived. Just
at H. with a great cracking Of the long
wicked-lOOlNng whip, with much col Iup-
ing to the four powerful horses, the
ratified down the road, just as it used 10
1HrbE it -;a1
passengers from st. Paul to St. Anthony
the old red and yellow stage coach. On
the box was Cyrus McCumb T. Fl ty
years ago he occupied that selfsAme seat
His coach was well filled, indeed, every
seat was booked both inside and out and
when, with a flourish, he d ew up in fine
style before the log cabin, this ut of
realism, that brought back so wildly tn
past, was hailed with delighted cheers
The way bill, made out Just as way b lis
were made out fifty years ago, shovel
that the coach hailed from the West no
tel, Minneapolis. and numbered among its
passengers eX-Gov. John S. Pillsbury,
Mrs S: w. Case, Mrs. Della NJ. Wco:-
ward, John NJ. Thompson, John Oswald.
c. b. Heffelhnger, Mrs. Eliza Bostwick,
John Durham, Warren II. Getchei, F.
G. 0sBrien, Mrs. Mary J. Cook, Edwin
Clark, John Taper, T. K. Danforth and
A. r. Murphy.
Prefacing the dedicatory exercises sew
enty-fiVe trees were planted by as many
pioneers on the ground back Of thu C t
tage. H. w. Hoyt, of st. Paul, the ig-
inator of the society, had the hon r of
planting the first tree. 1t is a coincidence
worthy of note that Mr. Hoyts d liar
was the first contribution received toward
the erection of the log cabin. The dedica-
lion had "a touch of poetry about it. In
=.
Ing painfully, hung the crane. With old
time flint and punk the fire was careful
ly kindled by A. l.. Larpenteur, and sool
a CHEEKY kettle piped up is jolly song.
William NJ. May, builder of the CABIN
formally presented 1t to Gov. Ramsey,
who in turn presented it to the as5ocia-
ton handing the latch string to Pref
dent f. w Durant, of Saltwater. Even
more impressive was the flying of the
American colors. Thoughtfully the p5opla
watched the flag move slowly up the st If,
its white no whittier than the heads tAat
clustered round 1t; its blue no trucr than
the faith of those VINO watched it; its
red no deeper than their courage or their
love. And when it reached the top there
were. hearty cheers.
Addresses at the eXerc' ses were made
by Edward w. Randall. who, on behalf
of the State Agricultural society, present.
ed the pioneers with the site of the cabin;
by f. w, Durant, who responded for the
pioneers, and by eX-Gov. Ramsey. Mrs.
John b.. Brimhall sang patriotic songs
Archbishop Ireland pronounced the invo-
catian.
Following the exercises a basket lunch
con was served in the horticultural build
ing, and many were the "reminiscences
exchanged by those who perhaps had not
met before In thirty or forty years.
The afternoon exercises were held in
Institute hall. An immense flag was
flung across the wall behind the plat
form, and on this platform were seated
a score of MinnesOta's noted pioneers
Among them We're: Ex-Gov. Ramsey
President Durant Edward Randall, Col
w. NJ. Liggett, Capt. Berkey, Archbishop
Ireland, II. L. Moss, A. L. Robinson w
II. HOyt, Edwin Clark, E. E. Hughson
eX-Gov. John S. Pillsbury and Rev. Mr.
Lathrop. Placed here and there about
the platform were many interesting relics
of pioneer days, loaned for the occasion
by their owners. Over in one corner stood
tha first piano that was brought into
Minnesota. During the afternoon Har-
riet R. Godfrey, for whom the piano was
brought to the then desOlate West play
ed a number of pieces on it. Its voice
quavered out the melodies a bit Of In
dian music, a rag time" piece-it SEEM
ed almost an indignity-and finally
Home Sweet Home" while voices as
broken as the instrument took up the
refrain. There was also on exhibition
cradle in which this same Harriet r.
Godfrey was rocked; a diploma, quantity
lettered, presented to Lydia A Wood
ward in September, 1860, by judging COM
mittee of the first agricultural fair, held
at Fort Smelling. The diploma testified to
the merits of Mistress Langdon's butter.
A collection examined by all the women
with curiosity was part of Grandma Sa-
vory's wedding outfit, prepared in 1927.
There was a pair of white silk stockings
of wonderful fineness. How they must
have aroused the envy of the brides
pioneer neighbors! Silk stockings and a
wilderness to wear them in! There were
pieces of snowy linen in the collection,
also, and standing near these relics of
f1nery was a stout, wooden cradle that
later saw practical service in the young
wifes home.
The speakers for the afternoon like
The historic articles grouped about them,
carried their audience back to a past
that had so many trials and tribulations,
but that must also have had its pleas