The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-09-18


favorable Impression on the visitors.
Thursday afternoon we were given a,
automobile excursion throughout 81
l. Paul and her numerous boulevards an,
t. parks, over to Fort Smelling and out t,
d charming Minnehaha Falls, as pretty Al
ever and even more SO than Longfellov
# was capable of describing. Returning
i TO the city along the heights of the Mis-
g sissippi river and through a residence
q section as beautiful as ones eyes ever
;. gazed upon, we arrived in time to go al
: Sp. m. to the Auditorium the pride O,
0 st. Paul--where a vaudeville was given
In our honor in theatre seating $780,
and then, without leaving our seats, we
saw the proscenium arch disappear, the
boxes with their occupants swing back
to the side walls the scenery vanish
and great hall capable of seating
10000 people come into being. At one
end OF the vast auditorium tables for
over 800 guests had already been ar
ranged, and a splendid dinner was
faultlessly served, followed by dancing
on floor aggregating an acre or more
of space.
st. Paul simply did herself proud in
entertaining us. She is city of great
proportions and her possibilities are
unlimited.
The following Friday was set spart
as Minneapolis Day. and we were the
guests of the Commercial Club of that
superb city of over 100000 people for a
full day. Special trolley cars we're
provided and we were taken via Como
Park and Lake Harriet to Lake Mime
tonka where a picnic lunch was given US
at Big Island Park. Next we we're
given Lake excursion of several miles
by steamer, giving us an opportunity to
view the finish of the great yacht races
Of the summer season. Returning to
the trolley line we were taken back to
the city, where at Donaldsons great
tea rooms delicious dinner was served,
at which appropriate toasts we're given
and eloquent and witty responses made.
After enjoying the days genuine hos
pitality at the hands of the big hearted
people of Minneapolis we were con-
veyed by special trolley back to the
city of st. Paul.
Promptly at o'clock Saturday morn
-a.r, VI .s .r''st vUiCa sucdnIoI IoE d
trip of over fifty miles down the Misis-
sippi river to Red Wing, arriving there
at noon, where sumptuous dinner was
served at the Armory and then the for
NAL welcome and exercises took place
at the Sheldon Memorial Auditorium,
followed by the dedication of the new
Red Wing Printing Company's building.
Next the auto and carriage drives
over the city took up the time until the
hour of departure for st. Paul. Red
Wing is magnificent lite city and she
is destined to reach a much greater
population in the near future. The re-
ception committee decorated the guests
with beautiful "red wings which they
wore while there and brought away as
souvenirs of their delightful visit.
Sunday morning was devoted to rest
and the crowd needed it badly after
the weeks most strenuous and delight
full entertainment. Mrs. GILLESPIE and
We editor took time to attend the Sun
day morning service at the st. Paul
Central Presbyterian church.
Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock we left
st. Paul on our special chartered Pull
man cars our home for two weeks-for
Duluth, "the zenith of the unsalted
seas tho head of lake navigation,
"wbere rails and water meet" ArriV-
ing at Duluth in time for late dinner
the evening was spent taking in ice
cream paricrs and moving picture
shows. Duluth is a great city of COM
merce and manufacture, cheap electric
power, cheap coal, cheap gas, cheap
iron and unrivalled transportation facil-
tiles. Her annual tonnage Of freight is
greater than that of any other shipping
point in the world, and her future
grows brighter every day.
Monday morning at o'clock we were
taken by special steamer for trip
over the great harbor, and on up the
st. Louis river to Spirit Lake and to
Fon du Lac--the early stamping grounds
Of John Jacob Astor, where he begun
his career as fur dealer and eventu-
ally anassed fortune OF millions OF
dollars. Fon du Lac is the head OF
navigation on the st. Louis, and there
ia only the old Fort and a few anti
ouated little houses left there now.
Returning our boat stopped at Spirit
Lake for about two hours, where din
ner WAS served at the Duluth Boat
Club house, and then we returned to
the upper and lower harbors with their
great coal, merchandise and ore docks,
mammoth grain elevators and the noted
Aerial Bridge, under which our boat
passed through the government ship
canal out into Lake Superior far enough
to start some weak stomachs to won
deriue "what next" and then we re-
turned for one OF the finest and greatest
drives on the continent. The Aerial
Bridge il 304 feet long and lSo feet