The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-09

bridge. The last proprietor of this mill
for it passed through many VlSclSSl-
tudes), was Mr.. H. P. Upham, who took
the mill in payment of a debt and oper-
ated it with that consummate business
skill that has always marked his career
as business man. Mr.. Upham at the
present time is president of the First
National Bank of St. Paul, one OF the
strongest financial institutions in the
Northwest He is pleasant gentleman,
a resident of st. Paul, and highly re-
speCted for his sterling character and ge-
NAL nature. About this time the Mime
sofa & West st. Paul Railroad company
was organized by w. r. Marshall, James
WinsloM, d. w. c. DunWell, Amos W.
Hall, Artemus Gale, D. a. Robertson and
G.. D. Gilfllan.
st. Paul to Mendoza. Surveys were made
and capital stock taken by the projectors,
but for some reason its construction was
abandoned. The same gentlemen-or
most of them-sOon after organized a
bridge company and built the old Wa
basha street bridge spanning the Missis-
SlDpi river and more intimately connect
ing the two cities, and greatly facilitating
and budding villages. 1t remained toll
bridge for many years; in fact until
West st. Paul was detached from Dakota
county and annexed to ST. Paul and
Ramsey county.
West St. Paul remained an independent
city, with many VicisSitudeS, financial
and otherwise, until March 2, 1862, when
the legislature revoked it's charter and it
came under the jurisdiction of the town.
ship government, and so continued until
attached to the city of st. Paul on Nov.
8, 1874.
Tbs first white child born in West St.
Paul was Charles Dakota Bell, son of ex-
Mayor Bell and brother of eX-Alderman
M. :. Bell. This birth occurred June q,
1858. MI. Bell is stAl a resident of the
Sixth ward and is entitled to be consid-
cred one of it's first settlers.
During it's career as city, West st.
Paul, following the wildcat tactics Pc
culiar to the times, issued it's bonds bear
ing interest at II per cent per annum for
all sorts of public improvements and utili-
ties. 1t also embarked in a semi-banking
business by creating a circulating me-
dunn, commonly known as scrip, paya-
bic to bearer, and drawing interest at
the rate of u per cent.
Viewing these operations from the rad
tcal standpoint Of the present with the
legal restrictions governing corporate is
Suance of bonds or certificates Of in
debtedneSS we are surprised that bank
ruptcy and ruin did not follow as a nat
ural sequence While the opportunity for
fraud was great, and the prodigality
greater, it does not appear that the city
authorities were ever guilty of wrong
doing, or even suspected of it,
which in itself is a high compliment to
the personal character of the gentlemen
filing the respective offices at the time
Results of Consolidation.
The wisdom of consolidating st. Paul
and West st. Paul became at once ap-
parent. West St. Paul promptly arose
from its lethargic existence. Property
advanced in value. The population rapid
ly increased and improved in quality.
Additional and better schools were es-
t&blished and better police and fire pro-
lection followed. When Mr. Stickney
built his railway line into the town and
established his yards and freight houses,
raising the grades above high-water
mark, and offered the city his gravel
trains at reasonable prices, thus making
it possible to grade the streets in the
low lands and build sewers and establish
water mains, and made the splendid man
ufacturing sites accessible to railway
transportation facilities, then and not till