The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-12
MARBLE CITY God
GIVEN TO The CITY
Continued; From First Page.

Continued From First Page.
"Nothing could be more ideal than
plicity,' said Mr.. Herrick. "But let
us hope and pray that new postoffice
and new union station will soon efface
forever the long standing signs Of our
lethargy and lack Of public pride. -
The speaker earnestly besought the
people Of Minneapolis to join hands for
the promotion of civic beauty as there
was not only much to be done, but a
great deal could be accomplished with
comparatively little effort and cost.
Beauty in Minneapolis.
"You go to Europe he said, "and
rave over many other lovely cities Of
about this size, but do you realize that
that beauty is merely the result of jul
dicious combination Of the plastic arts
with landscape gardening; and do you
realize that God has given this city al
ready made a more beautiful setting
than that possessed by almost any city
Of Europe and that many Of the land
scapes effects Of European cities have
been made artifoially with centuries Of
toll and an endless amount Of moneys
In other words do you realize that we
have here the opportunity Of outstrip-
ping in mere generation many Of the
European cities, whose beauty is the re-
suit Of centuries of labor9
81 cannot refrain from discussing the
policy in vogue here at present and the
policy we hope for in the future. AS
an example Of the shortsighted penny
wise and pound foolish policy we are
pursuing, look at this building, Justly
a SOURCE Of pride to every citizen; a
magnificent building Of beautiful pro-
portions but, if you please, there is
only one point that have ever been
able to find from which it's beauty can
be justly appreciated and that is the
roof Of the Guaranty building. We
have put millions into this magnificent
building and then refused few hun
d dred thousands to purchase a half
Of those millions may be properly ap-
preciated and enjoyed.
1t is time for Minneapolis in her
prosperity to take another step forward,
to relegate it's ever rampant material
ism to the background and seek in an
environment of things beautiful the
refinement and influences that really
make life worth living. We have the
energy, the wealth, the intelligence;
we show our power in many directions,
but Is there not something lacking in
us that we cannot join forces effective
ly on on any other basis than that Of
commercialisma Let us begin along
new lines with new energy and fresh
enthusiasm to work for the title within
our reach Of the most beautiful city
in America ~.
"The donors of this statue believe
In the possibilities of our city along
| these lines and will feel their efforts
only half successful If they do not re-
| suit in an onward movement in NUM-
cipal adornment. Let us begin by start
ing popular crusade for the purpose
| Of giving this building its proper set
work for it; let every newspaper sup
| port the idea and every public man
who has the welfare Of this city at heart
| lend his aid.
"Don't wait; begin at once. There
| is an old saying that it is never too
| late to begin, but there is a new one
more applicable to our particular case,
! more lifting for vigorous, prosperous,
| rapidly, growing. community such as
this; an dthat is 1T is never too early
to Begin ''-;. 4 -. r. - -'..r@ :
DR.. Folwell's Address. !:
DR.. W. W. Folwell, a park commits
sioner and an enthusiast over outdoor
art, was introduced, and after a bit of
| pleasantly over his selection by the
donors as their agent to make the
formal presentation, paid a high com.
| pliment to Roy Herrick. Launching
into formal address, he said:
1--WE have not, we trust, made any
mistake in the choice Of our gift
whether as to its merit as a work Of
art, its fitness to decorate this splendid
vestibule, or symbolic the city's place,
origin and character.
"This half-recumbent statue has been
French author has said: 'The valley Of
the Mississippi is, upon the whole, the
most magnificent dwelling place, pre-
pared by God for man g abode To
reach It's most eastern limit you must
| travel in to western New York; it's
most western, to the farthest corner Of
Montana. and you will penetrate well
into New Mexico before you pass it's
southwestern border. There are a mil
lion and half square miles, all hab-
i fna ian and s.R .n1 ~ sboundng in
bt' great rive % for ard that s true
meaning Of ill-spelled Mississippi is
the central artery Of this domain. It
has 200 tributaries, among them more
than fifty large, navigable rivers. A
| thousand cities and villages, more or
less, lie upon their banks. In the spot
corresponding to the location Of the
heart of a human body stands our city
Of Minneapolis. She is here because
the great river invited her to como
and be born, promising to endow her
with gifts such as no enchanter's art
could ever. evoke.
The Cfty's Servant.
AS she grew, he made himself her
willing servant; he brought pines from
the forests and rived them into boards
oh in Il "a Loa hor