The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-16
BANQUET OF
THE PIONEERS
THREE HUNDRED GATHER FOR
THE MID-WINTER MEETING.
The Dinner, Dancing and Reminds
cences Take Up the Evening-Many
Who Have Been Prominent in the
Affairs of the State Were Present
Addresses by CONSIDERS

1t the ladies and gentlemen who
came to this state in territorial days
are beginning to feel the effects of adj
vancing years. they absolutely refused
to show it at the sixth annual ban
quet Of the Minnesota Territorial Pho
neers, held at the Nicollet house last
night.
Attic there was in waiting a long
program of dances to follow the ban
quet, the early corners, who began to
arrive about o'clock. were not con-
tent to wait until the appointed hour,
put, Selling upon occasion, went thru
the sprightly steps Of "Old Dan Tuck
er, Money Musk Turkey in the
Straw, !" The Devils Dream "Old
Zip Coon" and other classics Of the
ballroom, while the tables were being
spread in the main dining-room.
After the banquet they went at it
again and kept the dancing going I'M
I'll the small hours of the night.
Three Outsiders Speak.
Only three frank outsiders were
permitted to address the flower and
strength str of this, land in the early days,
when the three hundred were thru
with the menu. The favored ones were
Mayor J. G. Haynes, President North
rop of the state university and Judge
E. w. Bazille of st. Paul. Mayor
Haynes address was one purely of
Welcome; DR.. Northrop expressed
amazement that the young men and
women about him were of the state
before it was admitted to the union
and paid eloquent tribute to the hardy
virtues which had entered into the
making Of the commonwealth; Judge
Bazllle was amusingly reminiscent Of
| the days gone by.
President Edward w. Durant Of
| Saltwater, who acted as POSTMASTER,
| nrnnd1V Sr1nEo M no \, io1,
| most of those at the banquet had
spent in the territory, and of the ex-
| cellent foundation their early coming
| had given the state.
Some of us have been here over
half a century, and, as we look back,
| it does not seem long" said Mr.. Dur
| ant. But in this brief time many
things have happened. In all these
| thrilling times sons of Minnesota have
taken part. You found the pioneers
! in the civil war, and their sons in
! the Spanish-American.
The women of the territorial pio-
neers laid the foundation for the edu-
cation in the state, and are deserving
Of more praise than simply uphold
! ing the hands CT their husbands
Paper on Territorial Days.
An excellent paper OH territorial
days and a general word of praise
for the pioneers pluck was read by
Leon Merritt of Duluth, and H. R.
/ Wells of Preston dwelt on the con
l.glomerate' legislation of the early
days.
During the more informal hours of
/. the evening, Old-timers delighted in
the exchange of "reminiscences. Major
c.. B. Heffelfinger, Johnnie" Pride
and Gus" Plummer snapped stories
| of the old First Minnesota, the heroes
Of Gettysburg and many other battles.
The great boom year of 1856 and
| the hard, lean years which followed
were recalled in detail by Al. Clark,
| r. Carpenter and w. M. Nash. A. L.
Larpenteur, the first merchant of ST.
Paul; Frank Ford, who was born at
| Red Rock in 1874, and A. D. Libb
who walked up the river road from
| Dubuque i'll 1856, because something
| had happened to the works of the
| boat, hobnobbed together.
TO Pixies Peak By Schooner.
| Mrs. l.. A. Gilmore of the early
ffties told Of her journey by prairie
schooner out to Pixies Peak, her cap
ture by and escape from the Indians,
| and other characteristic experiences
of the days before statehood came.
John Taper, in charge of the original
| tollgate at the old suspension bridge
before Andrew Lawrence took the job,
was on hand, as was S. w. Pond,
!
! Shakopee in 1850. MI. Ponds sis
/ ter, Mrs. w. J. Dean, who came here
| in 1874, was also present.
! James F.. Smith told how he deci-
mated whole tribes by introducing
! lobster a la Newburg after he had
, come into the country on the deck of
I the War Eagle in 1856, and r. j. Men
denhall, whose motto is, "a mans as
old as he acts told how he could
find no horse and buggy in st. An
! thony in that same year and so char
tered a wheelbarrow as a conveyance
/ for his trunk.
Altogether the banquet was one of
the most enjoyable the pioneers have
/ had, and they are looking forward
to the next one, in st. Paul, May II
of next year.
The following resolution was
| adopted:
i Resolved, That the press Of our state fol
the sake of Aud Lang Syne, have placed
/ the Territorial Pioneers of Minnesota un-
der many obligations to them for the yer,
liberal manner in which they have con
tributed to the success and pleasure OF
this our midwinter gathering and banquet
May the proprietors rival Croesus II
wealth. and each reporter reach the fame
of the illustrious Mark Twain.
STATE CAPITOL.