The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-18
SHOE AND LEATHER
DEALERS BANQUET
Mayors Haynes of Minneapolis,
Smith of St. Paul and Gov.
Van SAINT Make Speeches.

~
Minneapolis at banquet of the North
western Shoe and Leather association
at the Commercial club last night.
The GOODNESS between the two cities
has now almost entirely disappeared,
and though there still remains spirit
of friendly emulation and rivalry, moth
ing Of that jealousy that formerly pre-
vailed now exists.
If bank clearings. financial statis-
tics and, above all, population could be
combined. the result would be that the
aggregate volume of business of the
two cities would be increased 20 per
cent as soon as it was done Our dis
bursements might be no. greater, but
the total population of the cities would
present these cities as the sixth city in
size in the United States, and this
would have great moral influence.
There have been many examples of
consolidation. and it is now no longer
an experiment. 1t has always been
found satisfactory and when it is ac-
compl1shed here the people will Won
der why 1t was not done before"
Discusses River Improvement.
"The Mississippi river is entering
upon new era, and the time will come
When you will see great steamers with
large bargeS carrying the products of
the NorthW est down to New Orleans"
declared Gov. S. r. Van SAINT. 1.-The
boats loaded with flour will deliver
their cargoes at the wharves of the
Louisiana port, which is destined to
become the greatest shipping point in
the world, and the products of the
great Mississippi valley will be trans
ported through the iSthmian canal and
across the Pacific to the Orient and
across the Atlantic to Europe. But in
order to utilize this means Of Transport
tatlon the river bed should be deepened
ana W1dened. While we are building
the Panama canal We should be i'm
proving the river"
Mayor Smith Tells of Early DAYS.
Mayor Smith was on the list for early
day "reminiscences. He said:
1t is a great pleasure to me to meet
you all on a social occasion like the
preSent-alWays barring your demand for
Speechmaklng. Many of you have long
KnoWn ana esteemed as personal friends
Most OF you l have known as the arbiters
OF your own fortunes, commencing bust
ness life at the lowest round of the lad
DER ana, by honesty, fair dealing and far
seeing business sagacity reaching the ton
most round-a credit to the state and a
SHINING example to the coming young
business men of all trades and profess
1t is expected Of me to say something
IN relation to the early days of this CITY,
In looking over the present city, with her
network OF railroads, her splendid sewer
system, her water supply, schools col
leges, great public buildings beautiful
parks and great industries | can hardly
conceive that fifty years ago we had none
2! tnese distinctive products of advancing
civilization I dislike to speak of the
early days of st. Paul, for the reason that
l cannot treat the subject without mixing
In it somewhat my own personality for Il
has happened that hardly any public en-
terprise for the upbuilding Of this CITY
was started in the early days that / was
tent at least, in the push
A little over fifty years ago I reached
81. Paul and found a village with strug-
cling settlements reaching from Dayton's
pIuH TO what IS now known as Schmidt's
brewery, on West Seventh street. This
scant sprinkling of settlers was almost
entirely confined to the second plateau.
toIhQ4Wlng the meandering of the river.
Al mat time st. Anthony, now known as
East Minneapolis, was in this county. On
our arrival nearly all the inhabitants of
i the settlement turned out on the lower
levee to meet the new governor of the
territory, the Hon. w. A. German. 7 had
the honor to serve as his private secretary
and as territorial librarian The library
was located on Third street, between Ce-
oar ana Wabasha Streets and the gov
ernor once was on Third street, near
Seven corners. The building in which If
was located is still standing The people
disposition, all having great faith in the
future Of the embryo city. Their de-
pendence for the citys future prosperity
rss !t largeiy II not entirely, on the fact
OF lts being the head Of navigation of the
Great Father of Waters In fact In INV
Judgment, too much faith was placed IN
that Idea, and it operated as a check on
city. y INC future
=, Railroads at that early date were not
tnought OF as rivals to the river. In fact
no rallroad reached the Mississippi at any
point between st. Louis and St Paul. The
nearest was the Chicago & Galena road
coa1 III, THINK, in the spring of 1856
Inc new capitol, located on the present
ste OF the old capitol, was completed in
the 1ali Of 1858, and the territorial offices
We're all located in the new building. Al
q! tne session OF the territorial legislature,
~ Ia too2-4' pllI was introduced by DR..
from ST. Paul. to incorporate the CITY of
st. Paul. The act was duly passed and
approved by the governor had the hon
or TO state to the house personally that
the governor had approved the bill in
cooperating the city of St Paul in the
territory OF Minnesota" Under that act
OF incorporation. in May 1854 David Ohm
stead was elected the first mayor of st.
raul and fifty years thereafter st. Paul
mad another mayor whom you all know.
1t was the custom among many, if not
all. or the Sioux tribes of Indians to
place the bodies of their dead upon scat
folds erected for that purpose; and in 1853
many OF their dead were so placed on
the. bluff, near where the high bridge is
now located. In the meantime the rush
OF settlers in Dakota county was so great
and the complaints of the settlers so
many of the stencil resulting from the ex-
posture of the dead bodies that the gov
ernor ordered their burial The Indians
were removed peaceably in 1853 to their
agency, at Redwood. and great sagacity
was displayed in my opinion on the part
or the governor, who was ex-officio SUI
per1ntendent of Indian affairs. 1t was
generally understood that the Indians
when well fed are usually peaceful. Know
Ing that fact, the governor caused droyes
OF cattle to be purchased, which were
driven along with the moving Indians and
continually slaughtered to appease the an
petite Of the noble red man. American
flags also were literally distributed among
the nations wards on that occasion Of
course to arouse their patriotism while
the use of the drum and fife appealed no
doubt, to their strong musical disposition
Anyway, they were landed in Redwood
| In the best Of both temper and condition.
and in the most peaceable disposition.
Notwithstanding that seven years after
| wards occurred the terrible massacre Of
the frontier settlers.
Bitter Sectional Fight.
For years in the early life Of the city
there prevailed a bitter fight between Gas
| town. Wabasha street was the dividing
| line, and the bloody issue to be settled was
| the local business status and the social
| standing of the two localities. Lower
| town. by its earlier settlement secured
tha hanks and largely fhe hISinerS