The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-08-22
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken from St. Paul Papers of
Forty Years Ago.

Old Bets Tor Madame Elizabeth,
as we should perhaps now call her,
since she has become Christian is
paying St. Paul one of her periodical
visits. She was resident here
abouts long before this city was
even dreamed of antedates, some
historians say, even Bob Smith
debut as an oficeholder in these
classic wilds- and knows every old
settler intimately. Immediately on
seeing one of them she waddles af-
ter him, and after her broken salu-
tation of "How-do?" invariably re-
quests in the next breath "Kosh-
pop-pee," nor does she ever ask in
vain. We never knew an old settler
to refuse her; nor does she ever for
get these small donations. Her
principle is, lone good turn deserves
another" and one donation is made
warrant for asking more.
Old Bets is a historical character,
truly. Old Indians who died so long
ago as 1910, very aged, declared
that Old Bets was a woman grown
when they were children. Her por-
trait has been published oftener, we
venture to say, than any other
savage who ever lived. Whitney
says he has sold tens of thousands of
carte de visites of her the past dozen
years. They can be found in col
lections and albums all over the
United States and even in Europe.
Her portrait has also been engraved
in half a dozen different works. We
hope her benevolent, good-natured
face will be seen on our streets for
many years to come.
~
Minneapolis people are anXiously
considering the question that if it
takes fire engines and hundreds of
hogsheads of water to put out a
fire occurring in stone or brick
building and prevent it spreading to
stone or brick buildings adjoining,
how will the town escape the flames,
supposing fire should break out in
any one of the fre-proof buildings
on the square? There is not a fire
engine in town, and the whole
square boasts only one pump.
The city council committee favors
the giving of bonus of $780, 900 to
the Lake Superior & Mississippi
Railway company under the follow
ing conditions. An insurance of
100000 Of city bonds to the COM
pany on the completion of twenty
miles of road not later than July 4,
1868, another 100000 to be given
on the completion of twenty miles
more one year later. A further pro-
vision is made that the entire road
be finished in five years. A bonus
of $4,000 is also to be given to the
St. Paul & Pacific (Winona division)
on the completion of ten miles of
road.
The machinery and fixtures of the
city mill, in upper town, were yes
terday placed on barges to be con-
veyed up the Minnesota river to
Carver, where John R. Irvine has
just completed the erection of
first-class flour mill. The machinery
is in excellent condition, and is said
to equal anything in the state.
Measures are being taken to pre-
vent the rapid breaking up of the
Falls of St. Anthony by placing
aprons upon them, which will con-
duct the water down an inclined |
plane and prevent the wearing away
of the quicksand beneath the rocks.
The falls will soon disappear before
the genius of engineering and exist
only in name. Aprons will also be
placed on the rocks beneath the
mills. During the past six years the
falls have moved over seventy feet
up the stream, owing to the break
ing away of the limestone rocks.
The sand beneath the rocks is washed
away in the course Of time, and be-
ing left without support, a break
ensues from the constant wearing
away by the water. Thus, tons of
stone fall away. Mr.. Franklin Cook
has charge of the engineering oper-