The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-10-17
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken from st. Paul Papers of
Forty Years Ago.


The Toronto city authorities say
that the English government intends
to demand the suppression Of the
Fenian organization by the United
States, or they will aid the copper
heads in dividing the Union with
a few Armstrong guns. A member
of the Canadian cabinet states that
the troops sent there from England
were intended for more serious con-
tingencies than those presented by
the Fenian raids.
Hon. E. S. Goodrich and other
gentlemen have invested nearly
100000 in patents and machinery
for the manufacture of peat. Mr..
Goodrich, who owns the gas works
in St. Paul, has in view more espec-
tally the use of peat for illuminating
gas. The analysis of this fuel taken
from bed in this city gave three
cubic feet of Illuminating gas from
one pound of peat. The sample was
taken from bog and merely air
dried. Prof. Richard Eames, the
brother of the state geologist, has a
thoro acquaintance with the peat
beds and manufactures Of Europe,
and he pronounces the peat of Min
nesota equal to any in the world.
Other gentlemen thoroly competent
to Judge are equally assured. The
of peat has been begun
in St. Paul. Entire success has not
been met with in it's preparation for
commercial purposes, owing to i'm
perfect machinery, but the tests
fully demonstrate the quality of the
peat as fuel, and that it can be sue
cessfully manufactured. Excerpt
from Gov. Marshalls address at the
state fair at Rochester.
x*x
The existence of copper in the
Lake Superior region, it is claimed,
has been known for 200 years, and
English explorers a century ago at
tempted to open the copper veins in
that locality. The Minnesota mine,
to which the attention of it's present
workers was attracted in 1847,
showed, when they began to operate
it, long parallel lines of old trenches
for miles and the excava-
lions, when explored were found in
some cases to be 20 feet deen- I'M
mense quantities of ancient mining
tools were discovered, which had for
the most part been shaped out of
the trap rock. and which bore marks
of hard service. The Minnesota,
started in 1847. had produced by the
close of 1857 copper to the value of
So, 818,4 on a paid in capital of
$3.50, 900. From the commencement
of mining in 1915 to the close of 1857
the Lake Superior copper region
produced 16, 432 tons ingot, valued
at So, 216,OO0.
Business men and capitalists of
the city have agreed to take $50, 900
of the seven per cent. bonds of St.
Paul at 80 cents on the dollar for
the purpose of funding the floating
debt of the city. AS most of this
Indebtedness was about to fall due.
this will be a great relief to our
overburdened taxpayers, reducing
the taxes for the current year near
ly so per cent. This wipes out an
enormous debt on which we have for
years been paying IL per cent. The
conditions are a pledge of the reve-
nues of the city to meet the accruing
interest on the funded debt, and if
these are insufficient an annual levy
of tax is required sufficient to meet
the deficiency. Also a levy of one
mill is required to pay off the prin-
cipal, and that the city shall here
after create no further debt, except
in fulfillment of contracts already
made.
The announcement that Capt. C.
Davis and Mr.. l. V. D. Heard were
to address our citizens at Ingersoll's
hall last night drew out the largest
audience ever held indoors in this
city. Every available square inch
in the hall was packed with eager
listeners, among whom were many
Democrats. T. M. Metcalf. ESQ.