The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-11-30

Away back in 1887, the Duluth
Sunday Morning Sun was published
in Duluth by the Sun Printing Co.
the late Samuel A. Phillips serving as
manager. The Sun was live, pro-
gressive publication, usually printing
at least IL pages, therefore it was
only natural that an annual boom
edition should be issued for sale to
the boomsters and distribution to
those seeking investment, locations
or mere information in and of the
City of Destiny, as the old timers
loved 20 cali ii.
In April, 1887, nearly 80 years
ago. The Sun Printing Co. issued a
booklet entitled, 1.-THE City of Du-
luth, With Review of It's Trade,
Commerce and Industries, and a
Erief Description of the Empire
Lying Tributary to this Lake Port.
Illustrated" One W. E. Downing
was credited on the title page with
having general supervision of the
work.
PREDATORY statistical and reading
matter was prepared by Capt. w. H.
Smallwood, now occupant of a seat
on the municipal bench. Capt.
Smallwood had been a printer, edi-
tor, soldier, politician, lawyer, land
expert and various other things,
therefore he was we'll fitted to do
justice to those boomy, hopeful
times.
"Ours is nation of sixty millions
people, declared the boomster.
"The Girards and Astors of the olden
time have mu tiplied into the thou,
sands. Today, millionaires are to
be found in every community
The gifted writer next pointed out
the boundless resources, magnificent
possibilities and colossal private for
tunes in this great nation. He showed
how barter and sale were due to a
natural and economic law of affinity.
1T has been said," wrote the Cap
tain, 'tthat God makes the country
and man makes the town. Expert
ence and observation teach US that
when God has made the country,
man either has made or will make
the town.
"a glance at the map, knowl-
edge of productive statistics and a
study Of the history of the great
cities of the world, must convince
any person Of ordinary sagacity that,
if nature ever designated any place
as great commercial metropolis,
that place is Duluth, Minnesota"
The writer then talked sketchily
of Pekin, London, Paris, Berlin and
Chicago, as being among the great
inland cities of the world. San
Francisco, Minneapolis, st. Paul,
Kansas City, Omaha and Denver
were represented as having grown
las if by magic" yet not one OF them
possessed the great natural advan-
tages enjoyed by the City of Duluth
natural advantages that are fast
securing to her all the artificial ap-
pliances which are required to draw
together a dense and thrifty popula-
tion."
The chief scribe of the Duluth
Suns boom booklet then quoted the
prophets, as follows, viz:
Duluth, the county seat OF st.
Louis county, is situated a little
north of the center of the Eastern
boundary of Minnesota, and at the
extreme west end of Lake, Superior.
It was prophesied by Thaddeus Ste
vens that, at the western extremity
of Lake Superior, would grow one
of the largest, if not the largest city
nm the continent. He has shrewdly
observed that, while exterior, seaport
cities lead the column in young
nation. vet inland cities always sur
PASS them as the nation advances in
population and wealth.
"Hon. Proctor Knott, now gov
ernor of Kentucky, subsequently
took issue with Mr.. Stevens on his
prediction and, in humorous ana
eloquent speech in congress-, rid1-
culed the modest claims of the found
ers of Duluth. The speech gave
widespread notriety, both to its au-
thor and the then unpretentious
town which was the butt of his jest.
"The name Of the rascal who
burned the temple OF Diana at
Ephesus was preserved only by the
law that was passed forbidding his
name to be spoken.
The history of the future great
city of Duluth may. alone, rescue
the name of Proctor Knott from OBJ
livion.
Before the time of Robert Full
ton, John Fitch was stoned and i'm
prisoned for applying steam as q
propelling power in navigation. The
most enlightened British statesmen
and members of parliament laughed
at George Stephenson and his first
locomotive. Senators Benton and
Houston ridiculed the idea of the
telegraph and denounced Professor
Morse as crazy man.
"The laugh at Duluth, provoked
by the witticisms of Proctor Knott,
has hardly subsidized to smile and,
already, Duluth is a city of thirty
thousand people, people possessed
Of the best blood, brain and muscle
that free country can produce; a
people of restless activity ,enterpris-
ing spirit and dauntless purpose, q
people through whose wisdom and
forethought the foundations of q
great city have been laid here,