The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-02-15

6SASAoA OAu WOulu nave DcCI
passed long before this, leaving tn.
location to some board or committee
to fix later. As the members of thu
house and senate normal school com
mittees had joined in an effort te
report on the location of the school
the speaker hoped careful investi
of the claims of the different town.
would be made. While the early
arrival of the guests had been sew
eral hours ahead of the schedule,
Bemidji had done her best to care
for the visitors, anyway. Mr.. Nc.
Donald closed his remarks by calling
upon P. J. Russell for an address OF
welcome.
Mr.. Russell stated that he had a
pleasant duty to perform in welcom.
ing the distinguished guests to this
giant city of the north country. The
welcome was extended by the people
living in every town and village as
far west as Fosston; as far north as
International Falls, on the Canadian
boundary as well as Spooner and
Baudette; as far south as Pine River;
and as far east even as Cass Lake.
Z Mr.. Russell extended a special
welcome to the gentlemen from the
southern part of the state; we have
been trying to get acquainted with
the people living in the southern
part of our state, because of the fact
that we have been misrepresented,
in many instances.
Tell the members of the commit
tee to whom you report that we have
a city of 5000 actual residents"
said Mr.. Russell. Tell them, when
you 60 back, that you have seen the
Minnesota & International Railway
company's depot within the limits
Of the city Of Bemidji, half block
from this hotel, instead of four miles
east of Bemidji, as the people of Cass
Lake have depicted on their map,
which is used in this contest for the
location of the proposed normal
school. Tell them that you have
seen city with cement sidewalks
extending for more than ten miles
within the corporate limits of the
town. Tell them, in all sincereity,
that you have seen the best town in
northern Minnesota"
Mr.. Russell closed his remarks
with the wish that the gentlemen
would all pass the "pearly gates
referred to in holy writ, as they un-
doubtedly would, and renewed his
words of hearty welcome.
Mr.. Mcdonald stated that he
believed the name Bemidji' for a
normal school would be just the
thing. Sounded better than Cass
Lake, Thief River Falls, Warren,
Red Lake Falls, ETC., and he would
call on Supt. Stewart to tell about
Bemidji.
Professor Stewart said that every
body had heard a great deal about
Bemidji, and it was embarrassing to
talk about the great little city.
Bemidji was pleasing name,
said Mr.. Stewart, and everyone here
would shed a tear too at the demise
Of the old gentlemen after whom
the city was named. Bemidji, the
good old chief, did not become the
enemy. of the white man when the
latter invaded his country. On the
contrary, the latch-string was al.
ways on the outside.
Many good things can be said
about all the other applicants for
the normal, but we could make
allowances for all and claim more.
Bemidji has phenomenal growth.
Nine years ago there were but
seven teachers in the Bemidji
schools; now there were twenty.
six. We have 5000 population.
Bemidji is 18o miles west OF
Duluth, $50 miles north of St.
Cloud, 1o7 miles south Of Inter
national Falls-the correct loca-
ton geographically for normal
school in northern Minnesota.
The railroad facilities of Bemidii
are the best in northern Mime
sofa. This is an agricultural dis
trict that will support population
for steady and permanent
growth; we are not surrounded by
conditions that will hamper our
growth.