The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-11-14
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken From St. Paul Papers
of Forty Years Ago.

Editor Wheelock makes a final
appeal to the voters once more we
appeal to every citizen of Mime
sofa, by the love he bears his coun-
try, as his first and highest duty, to
vote next Tuesday. The meanest
copperhead that crawls to the polls
and splits his poison into the ballot
box, is an archangel in comparison
to that recreant Republican, who,
from idleness or disaffection, or any
cause short Of utter physical in
ability to reach the polls, refuses or
neglects to vote on the tremendous
issues involved. The Republican
who will not vote Tuesday should be
forever disfranchised for mental and
moral disqualification to exercise
the right of suffrage.
Republicans, we implore you, if it
is the last act you perform on earth,
to go not out of the world with the
terrible sin upon your soul that you
refused to cast your vote to make
equal rights and equal laws and
equal representation the supreme
law of the American Republic, and
the solid foundation Of a recon-
structed Union.
Go then, if you have to creep up
on your hands and knees and spend
your last breath in recording yonr
las; vote for liberty and justice.
Vote for the right, and die happy in
the consciousness that you have con-
tributed to it's trump.
Messrs. Borup and Champlin yes
terday shipped to New York, 17,120
pounds of ginseng. 1t was prepared
and put up in about fifty packages,
ready for shipment to China.
The old Northwestern Express
company will have ceased to exist
after the 18th inst, when all routes,
property, business and goods will be
transferred to the American Express
company. We cannot permit this
time-honored institution to pass
without a short sketch of its story,
identified, as it is, with the rise and
growth of our city and state. The
original company was founded in
1851, by J. C. Burbank. Mr.. Bur
bank had been in the stage and
express business in New York, and
on removing to St. Paul in 1850,
determined to start a line from st.
Paul to Galena. He continued run
ming all the season on the Nominee,
and during the long winters made
trips by stage. The winter route in
those days was via Hudson, Black
River Falls and Prairie du Chen,
and sometimes it required nine days
to make the trip from St. Paul to
Galena, as there were almost no
roads or bridges on the route. For
the first two or three years Mr..
Burbank scarcely made a living.
There was no express business prop
er to do, and his profits were chiefly
drawn from trading and specializing
in goods and merchandise.
His trips in the winter were made
at clear loss. During the first few
years we made only about 1000
each season. This was not very
encouraging but Mr. Burbank was
not the one to give up an enterprise
after having entered into it. He
foresaw the future magnitude Of
the business, and determined to
stick to it.
His winter journeys were full Of
great hardships. There were long
stretches of unsettled country, and
to travel over this in the deep snow
was severe and trying. Two nights
of the trip at least had to be spent
in the open air, with such camp on
the snow as could be rugged up. On
one of these trips Mr.. Burbank took
down $4,000 in gold, sent by a
land officer here to the United
States treasury. He frequently had
large sums in charge. There was no
fear of robbers. Robbers could not
have lived in such a country in
winter.