The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-11-28
Excerpts Taken From St. Paul Papers
!. c77 of Forty Years Ago.

tenafy Of Jonathan Carver's visit tt
St. Paul, or rather to the spot
fwhereon and around which oul
-goodly city is built. He served as
captain in the English army during
the wars against the French with
great distinction In 1853 the peace
of Versailles having been declared
Carver was discharged from the
army. It was then that he prepared
for and accomplished the journey
into the newly acquired province
His journey occupied two years and
seven months, during which timeshe
travelled 1000 miles. @l
Carver's cave, where he held the
famous council, with the Indians, is
still in existence, and within our
present city limits. It, is situated
under Dayton's bluff, near the edge
of the water, a few yards below
Drewry & Greig's brewery. The
opening to the main. cave is now
walled up by a beer cellar, to what
base uses must we Gomez. There
is another aperture to the cave a
few yards below this one, but it is
almost filled up with debris. It
would be a good thing if some
adventurous antiquary would ex-
plore and measure the cave and
make up a map of it. When the
second centenary of Carver's visit
comes around it will be interesting.
On Nov 18th, 1866, Capt. Carver
first visited the cave, which bears
his name. Of it he says: 1T is a
cave of an amazing depth. The In
dams call it Wakou Teepee that is,
the dwelling of the Great Spirit.
The entrance into it is about ten
feet wide and five feet high. The
arch within is nearly fifteen feet
high by thirty broad. The bottom
consists of fine, clear sand. About
twenty feet from the entrance be-
gins lake, the water of which is
and extends to an un-
searchable distance, for the dark
ness of the cave prevents all at
tempts to acquire knowledge of it.
| threw a small pebble towards the
parts of it with my utmost
| could hear it fill into
the water, and notwithstanding it
was Of so small a size it caused an
astonishing and horrible noise that
reverberated thru all those gloomy
regions. In this cave are many In
dian hieroglyphics which are very
as time has nearly covered
them with moss.
AT little distance from this
dreary cavern is the burving place
Of several bands of Indians (the
Indian mounds?) Though these peo-
pie have no fixed place of residence,
living in tents and abiding but a
few months in one spot, yet they
always bring the bones of their dead
bound up in buffalo skins to this
place, which they take the oppor-
tunity of doing when the chiefs
meet to hold their counsels and to
settle all public affairs for the en-
suing summer"
1t would appear from this that St.
Paul was the capitol of Minnesota
even a century ago, as the grand
council now represented by our
legislature met here annually. 1t
was here that the first real estate
transfer was made when the famous
deed of land was made to Carver,
which granted him and his heirs
forever several hundred square
miles. extending from St. Anthony
Falls on the east side of the Mis-
sissippi to the Chippewa river.
Mr.. Dillon O'Brien, in a recent
political address, remarked: "For
the future, l, for ore, will not
bulge one step outside of the con-
stitution." One of his hearers. who
differed with him on this point, said:
my good sir, we have grown too
big for the present constitution; we
must enlarge it. The pants you
wore when six years old would
scarcely fit you now. So with this
country-its giant limbs have out
grown the garments of its youth"
Mt