Daily globe. [volume], December 31, 1882, Page 9, Image 9

About Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
HISTOEICAUT. PAE.
A Glance at what ire Were and Are and
Are to Be.
THE INFANCY OF A GRAND CITY.
Toward which the Feet of Untold Mil
lions Tend Their Way.
THE CAPITAL OF A GREAT STATE.
Its Destruction by Fire and Rebuild
ing at a Cost of $300,000.
THE ERA OF ADVANCEMENT.
Receives Additional Momentum by Gas
and Electric Light Extensions.
In reviewing the growth and progress
of St. Paul nothing could be more fitting
than that one of the most eminent gentle
men in the state,who came here before St.
Paul existed, should contribute a compar
ison of the past with the present, and base
an outlook of the future upon the contrast.
The Globe accordingly invited Gen. Sibley
to contribute to the annual review and has
the pleasure of printing the following ad
mirable sketch from his pen:
Historical St. Paul.
There is a singular analogy between the
growth of the Queen City of the North
west, Chicago, and St. Paul, the Queen City
of the empire of the New Northwest. In
a very interesting lecture delivered by Hon.
Emory A. Storr=, of Chicago, in aid of the
Historical society of that municipality
there are many passages descriptive of
the marvelous growth of the city which
are but a reflex of the development of St.
Paul •within a much shorter period. We
quote liberally therefrom to show the ap
positeness of his remarks to our own local
ity.
"Historical Chicago." Mr. Storrs said,' ig
the rade village of 18.J3, it is that growth
which carried the village forward to a
pushing and ambitious little city in 1837.
It is the outgrowth of the same resolute
spirit which made it in 1840, at the head of
the great chain of lakes, so conspicuous
that a national river and harbor conven
tion was held in it." "Historical Chicago,"
he continued, '"is that energy and forecast
which from small beginnings made it the
local point for great railroad enterprises.
Its fame extended because the men of Chi
cago noised its fame abroad. Historical
Chicago was never greater than daring the
war of the rebellion. The dauntless,
matchless energy of its people ctirred the
whole Northwest. It has witnessed events
that have gone down in the history of the
world. Through all the events of which it
has been the theater, it has drawn within
its gates the driving and ambitious from
every quarter of the globe."
'^Historical Chicago has from the begin
ning been and still is a thoroughly typical
and representative city. The spirit which
it embodies is the spirit of th^ entire
Northwest. It represents the thrift and
sagacity of New England, the broad com
mercial character of the Empire stite, of
the industrial energies of the old Keystone
and the personal and iudi vidual independ
ence of the South. It is, perhaps, tbe
only city in the world where leisure is not
quite creditable. But it has, besides its
material growth, made a magnificent char
acter for sterling and masculine probity."
With but a change of dates St. Paul might
be substituted for Chicago and the foie
going remarks of Mr. Starrs would apply
with a wonderful exactitude. A mere rude
hamlet iv 1845, St. Paul grew into a village
of less than a thousand inhabitants when
Minnesota territory was organized in
1849, and the lifetime of a single gener
ation has witnessed its transformation into
h city with a population of 75,000 and an
almost limitless increase in prospect.
St. Paul has undergone, in common with
other cities.many vicissitudes of fortune,but
there has been manifested through all of
thorn a stem determination to maintain,
not only its own financial credit, but that
of the stat-j of which it is the commercial
and political capital. In the submission
to the people of the state through suc
cessive years of legislation for the pay
ment of the old railroad bonds, St. Paul
never wavered iv its loyalty to justice and
right, a decided majority of its votes be
ing invariably cast iv favor of j>n equita
ble settlement of thess state obligations.
When Chicago was devastated by firs in
IS7I, St. Paul from its meager treasury
generously voted the sum of twenty thou
sand dollar.-, which was promptly paid for
the relief of the homeless sufferers, and
when our own people in the frontier coun
ties have been impoverished by visita
tions of the plague of grasshoppers for
successive seasons, or by cyclones,or other
calamities, our noble city has
always been among the first
to - contribute to the necessities of
its fellow citizens with an unsparing hand.
Historical St. Paul can point with par
donable pride to its churches, its magnifi
cent public schools, its merchant princes,
its established commerciel and financial
credit, its manufactures, its works of inter
nal improvement,its charitable institutions
and the character generally of its popula
tion There is not a city of its size in the
Union, where life and property are more
secure, or crimes of magnitude less fre
quently committed, than in St. Paul.
There are, unfortunately, but few of the
old settlers left, who have personally wit
nessed the changes which thirty-five years
have wrought in this metropolitan city,
and who can recall to mind the few insig
nificant log huts, which, bat comparatively
a few years since, constituted all that there
was of St. Paul. The survivors may well
look with moist eyes and swelling breasts
at the results which hnve been achieved,
and to widen the old settlers themselves
so largely contributed.
In the words of Mr. Storrs as applied to
Chicago, we ask, "What shall the future
i
of St. Paul be? In no particular less than
the St. Paul of to-day; in many worthy
particulars infinitely greater. What the
St. Paul of the next generation shall be it
is for the St. Paul of to-day to determine.
Into the future shall be projected all the
nobility, all the heroism, all the self sacri
ficing hard work, all the zeal, all the rug
ged, practical good sense of the St. Paul
of all the days that are past. We do not
look far into the future, but we hear the
tramp of millions of feet coming hither
ward, to fill up and occupy the fields of the
fruitful Northwest. They come to us, and
we must be prepared to receive them. We
see a great city stretching its arms across
the prairic,with its streets thronged aud pro
sperous, with its thousands and tens of thou
sands of contented homes, with its shops
filled with busy and prosperous artisans,
with its schools giving the benefit of a lib
eral and free education to all who may de
sire it, its business centers inspired by the
highest commercial probity, its manu
facturers sending their products all round
the globe; we see it the center of sound po
litical thought and action,and we shall see,
rising in the presence and by the very side
of warehouses and great business struc
tures, fitting homes for music, the drama,
and all the arts."
THE OLD AND SEW STATE CAPITOL.
At 9 o'clock in the evening of March 1,
1881, while both houses of the legislature
were in session and all the halls and apart
ments crowded with visitors, as usual dur
ing the last few days of a session—there
then being but two more days to the sine
die adjournment—the dome of the build
ing was found to be on fire. The an
nouncement had scarcely been made in
the two houses ere the apartments were
filled with blinding smoke, followed upon
opening the doors into the hallway by a
mass of flames. The scene of confusion
that ensued does not need to be repeated.
For a brief 6pace of time many of the cool
est members lost their heads, but as the
fire progressed and created a draught, the
blinding smoke lifted somewhat, and with
it a certain degree of calmness raturned,
and a comparatively orderly exit was made
by members and visitors from the
burning pile, most of the members having
thoughtfulness to hastily pick up and car
ry out with them the documents with which
t.ieir respective desks were supplied, while
many members at the first alarm, followed
by the dense smoke, rushed to the windows
for escape, some going so far as to crawl
outside, and call for ladders from below.
It is recorded that only one, Representative
Schmidt, actually took
"THE LEAP FOB IiIFE,"
from the window to the ground, thirty feet
below, escaping most luckily without any
serious injury. In the meantime a great
crowd of citizens had been attracted to the
spot by the oft repeated fire alarm, and
the grand illuminnticgi as the rapidly
spreading flames, without a fire wall to
hinder or delay their progress, burst
through the roof almost simultaneously at
all points, and seized the cupola in its
LUIiTD EMBBACE.
In the meantime hundreds of willing
hands had been faithfully en
gaged in rescuing] records, books,
papers from the flams, with such success
that most of the f urnitare and all of the
records, etc., on the first floor and in the
basement, including those of the secretary
of state, treasurer, auditor, supreme court,
insurance commissioner, superintendent
of public instruction, and the adjutant
general, among the effects of the latter of
fice, being the old battle
flags and other mementoes of
the late war. The library, located
on the second floor in the east wing, did
not fare so weM, only about one-third of
the books and a small part of the f arni
ture being saved. The books and papers
of the State Historical society, located in
the basement, were all removed, though
many were damaged by water, as were
also many of the record books in the sev
eral state offices. At] midnight, or three
hours after the flames were discover
ed, they had done their
work, and nothing but ragged
and broken, blackened walls marked tbe
spot where had stood Minnesota's capital,
during which brief time the state had suf
fered a loss of about $200,000.
HISTOBiCAL.
And right here before entering upon
what followed immediately after the fire,
with a description of the handsome new
structure which has risen from the ashes
of the burned building, a brief review of
the events culminating in the location of
the state capitol in S(. Paul, and the erec
tion of the structure destroyed, will be in
order:
By the organi3 act 'of Minnesota terri
tory §20,000 were appropriated for a capi
tol building. At the time the territory
was organized, however, (June 1,184J»,) the
permanent seat of government had not
been determined and the money was there
fore not available. The ''Central house"
in St. Paul, a log tavern weatherboarded,
sitaated on the corner of Bench and Min
nesota streets, where the rear of Mann
heimer block now is, was rented for the
public offices and legislative assemby. It
was, for some months, known as "the
Capitol." On the iower floor was the
secretary of state's office and the house of
representatives' chamber. On the second
floor was the council chamber and the ter
ritorial library. Neither of these legisla
tive halls was over sixteen or eighteen feet
square! The rest of the building was used
as an inn. The Union colors, floating
froin-a flag staff on the bank in front of
the building, was the only mark of its rank.
During his entire term of office Gov. Ram
sey kept the executive office in his private
residence, and the supreme court met in
rented chambers here and there.
On September 3,1849, the first session
of the legislature assembled at the above
temporary capitol. Governor Ramsey de
livered his message to the two houses in
joint convention, assembled in the hotel
dining room. The whole fitting of the as
sembly rooms was of the plainest descrip
tion.
PEBMANENT GOVEBNMENT.
Considerable discussion ensued during
the session on this subject, as to whether
the territory had a right to expend the
$20,000- appropriated in the original act,
for a Capitol building. The question hav
ing been submitted to Hon. W. M. Meredith,
secretary of the treasury, he replied that
the 'department cannot doubt that the
public buildings in question can only be
erected at the permanent seat of govern
ment, located as described. Of course, the
reply to your inquiry must be that nothing
can be expended from this appropriation
until after the location shall be duly made."
So the permanent location was not defi
nitely settled this session, however, but, at
the close of the legislature, it was a drawn
battle. St. Paul remained the temporary
seat of government, and the governor was
SAINT PAQL SUNDAY GLOBE, SOKDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 31,1882.
authorized to rent buildings to carry on
the public business meantime.
Ex-Gov. Marshall, in his address before
the old settlers of Hennepm county, Feb.
22,1871, sayp, regarding the contest for the
seat of government:
'•The original act made St. Paul the
temporary capital, but provided that the
legislature might determine the permanent
capital. A bill was introduced by the St.
Paul delegation to fix the permanent capi
tal there. I opposed it.* endeavoring to
have St. Anthony made the seat of govern
ment. We succeeded in defeating the
bill which sought to make St. Paul
the permanent capital, but we could
not get through the bill fixing it at Saint
Anthony. So the question remained open
in regard to the permanent capital until
the next session, in 1851, when a compro
mise was effected, by which the capital was
to be at Saint Paul, the state university at
Saint Anthony, and the penitentiary at
Stillwater.
"At that early day, as well as now, cari
catures and burlesques were in vogue.
Young Wm. Randall, or Saiut Paul, now
deceased, who had some talent in the
graphic line, drew a picture of the efforts
at capital removal. It was a building on
wheels, with ropes attached, at which I was
pictured tugging, while Branson, Jackson
and the other Saint Paul members were
holding and checking the wheels to prevent
my moving it, with humorous and appro
priate speeches proceeding from the
mouths of the parties to the contest. The
caricature was quite a good one, and served
to amuse the people of Saint Paul for*
some days.
*Gov. Marshall then represented St.
Anthony, at which wlace he lived.
The second session assembled Jan. 2,
1851, in a brick building, since burned,
which occupied the site of the Third street
front of the Metropolitan Hotel. At this
session the seat of government
WAB FIXED AT ST. PAUL
as above noted. D. F. Brawley, Jonathan
McKusick, Louis Robert and E. A. C.
Hatch were elected building commission
ers. Charles Bazille, a pioneer resident
and large property owner of St. Paul, do
nated to the government the block of
ground since known as "Capitol Bquare,"
and plans drawn by N. C. Prontiss were
adopted. The contract was let to Joseph
Daniels for $33,000, but the building
finp.lly cost over $40,000. It was com
menced at once, but not completed until
the summer of 1853. The third aud fourth
sessions of the legislature were compelled
therefore to meet in rented buildings.
That of 1852 assembled in Goodrich
block on Third Btreet below Jackson, and
that of 1853, in a two story brick row on
Third street, where the front of the
Mannheimer block now is.
On July 21,1853, the governor, W. A.
Gorman, first occupied the executive
chamber of the new capitol. The original
building was in the form of
a "T," and so many were the
alterations and repairs, that but little
of it, except the walls, remained
when it was burned in 1881. For some
years it amply accomodated all the state
business, and its interior furnishing and
equipments were as plain as the exterior.
Up to 1866, when gas was put in, the leg
islative halls were lighted during the night
cessions with candles; and, up to 1871,
the building was heated with wood stoves,
and all the water used in it was sup
plied by carts. That year the steam heat
ing apparatus and water supply were or
dered by the legislature, and the building
"began to have some of the comforts of
civilized life," as a witty member express
ed it in one of his speeches; but it had
meantime grown too limited for the rapid
ly extending business of a state which had
increased in population eight fold since the
building was erected. After the increased
representation commencing in 1872, more
room was imperative. Next session the
wing fronting on Exchange street was
ordered, costing $8,000, while the changes
in the assembly rooms, roof, cupola, etc.,
cost $G,OOO more. This gave relief for
several years, but at every session of the
legislature, the members of the house suf
ferred from the crowded condition of their
hall, bad air, etc., so much that a larger
hall was absolutely demanded. The session
of 1878, therefore, ordered the erection of
a new wing fronting on Wabashaw street,
capable of accommodating the house of
representatives properly, and giving more
space to other departments. That wing
was completed in December,lß7B, at a cost
of $16,000, and for over two years was
used. The representatives' hall was 96x48
in the clear. The building,
with these additions, was not of very
symmetrical shape, but was commodious
and comfortable, having an extreme
length of 204 feet, an* a width of 150 feet,
and contained about fifty apartments. Its
total cost, from first to last, was about
$ 108.000.
AFTEB THE FIBE.
Before the fire in the old capitol had
died oat, because of nothing more upon
which to feed, Gov. Pillsbury had began to
consider a temporary location, which could
be occupied at once, the fact that but two
days remained of the legislative session,
and with many of the most important
measures of the session yet remaining to
be acted, making it absolutely necessary
that no time should be lost. Fortunately,
the city of St. Paul had just completed a
new market house, a spacious structure,
the use of which was promptly tendered
the state and as promptly accepted, and
while the ruins were still smouldering the
work of removing thither the saved furni
ture, records, etc., was commenced,
and so vigorously prosecuted that
at i) o'olock the next morning, the different
state offices and the two houses of the leg
is'ature were located and at work in their
new quarters.
BEBDILDING.
Among the first acts of Gov. Pillsbury in
his new quarters was to invite proposals
for rebuilding the burned edifice, upon the
same general ground plan and utilizing
tbe old walls, which, it was then thought,
could largely be made serviceable. Upon
receiving three estimates a bill was pre
pared and rushed through both houses of
the legislature, appropriating $75,000
for that purpose, and work was commenced
at once. It wae soon demonstrated, how
ever, that the walls were not safe, aid new
plans had to be adopted involving the en
tire reconstruction of the builiing. Upon
this an additional appropriation of
$100,000 was secured at the extra ses
sion of the legislature, ap
proved Nov. 18,1881, to finish, famish, and
make the building as near fire proof as
possible, In addition to these two ap
propriations, aggregating $175,000, there
was available for the new structure two ap
propriations, passed before the old build
ing was burned, one of $7,000 for repairs
of the roof, and another of $2,000 for a
boiler room, making the entire appropri
ation $184,000. This sum was exhausted
in October last, and work
upon the new structure was
upon the point of being stopped
for the want of funds, when Gov. Hub
bard, appreciating the importance of
having it so far completed for the ap
proaching session of the legislature, ap
plied to certain of our public spirted cit
izens for aid, who placed in his hands dar
ing the months of October and November
the sum of £-10,000, a sum, it was then
thought would be sufficient to
put the building in shape for the
legislative meeting, and the occupancy, by
most of the state officers of the apartments
designed for them. But as the work pro
gressed, many of the architects' estimates
were found much too small, and in order
to get the building in readiness for the
legislative meeting, Governor Hubbard
has been compelled to draw largely upon
his own nwans* to continue the
work. The amount of the govenr
or's personal expenditures and liability
cannot be stated, niether can the exact
figures of the cost of the building
finished, now be given. At
the time of the laying of the
corner stone of the central tower a few
weeks since, in his speech Gov. Hubbard
estimated the cost, completed and fully
furnished, at $275,000, but it is now evi
dent this estimate was too low,
and that $300,000 will be little,
if any above the total cost.
But while there has been a shortage of
money Gov. Hubbard has been equal to
the occasion, and for weeks past a force of
some three hundred men, carpenters, plas
terers, painters, gas and steam fitters,
tilers, etc,, etc, have been at work day and
night, the latter working by the eleotrtc
light, manufactured by the power from the
engine house, and as a result the new
building, though far from completion, will
be in fair shape to receive the state officers
and the two legislative bodies the coming
week.
THE HEW BTJILDINO.
The ground plan of tho superstructure,
now so rapidly approaching completion,
and in which the legislature will meet a
week from Tuesday, is that of » Greek
cross, each wing being 150 feet in length,
three stories above the basement, with a
central dome rising 200 feet above the
ground. Tho foundation is of cat stone,
and is pronounced one of the best laid
and most substantial in the city. The
walls extend some six feet above the sur
face of the ground, so the basement is
light and airy, while protection from
moisture is secured by an . apron
wall outside arched up to the
bottom of the basement windows. The
walls of the superstructure are red pressed
brick, with Dresback stone trimmings, the
combination of colors thus secured strik
ing the eye very agreeably. The expanse of
roof is broken and relieved by pagodas on
the corners and four air and light flues,
and the central observatory, a square
structure, pierced on each side by three
rows of windows, and with its dome, (not
yet in place), reaching a height of some
sixty feet.
THE BASEMEKT.
The west and part of the tenth wing of
the basement is to be occupied by the
State Historical society, until the time
shall come when the aim so dear to the
secretary and others is accomplished, a
building of its own. The north wing base
ment will be used as supply rooms by the
secretary of state, while too south wing
will be divided off into bath room, barber
shop and toilet closets. The ceiling is
high and all the rooms are well lighted,
and every precaution, as mentioned above,
has been taken to preserve the walls from
moisture and to secure the best of ventila
tion.
TH> FIBST FLOOB.
The main entrance, oc front of tho
building, is from Wabashaw street. As
cending the broad stairway, and pass
ing through the double doorway, tho visi
tor steps into the main hall which is eight
een feet in width, th« four arms eighty
four feet in length meeting directly under
the central observatory or tower, the space
where the four come together being thirty
feet square. On the right of the hall, en
tering from Wabashaw street is tho
GOVBBNOB's i PABTMEMTS,
three rooms in suite, with toilet rooms.etc.,
occupying a surface of about 65x50 feet.
The rooms are finished in mahogany and
birds eye maple, and with their high ceil
ing, wide windows and rich j finish present
a very cheerful and inviting appearance.
A feature cf the main apartment will be
the memorial window, which will occupy
the space on the air and light court of
this wine. In this same wing, but entered
from the Ninth street hall by a small ball,
are two rooms in suite, 30x14, to be occu
pied by the attorney general, and a room
26x18, to be used for meetings as occasion
may require.
THB ATJDITOB.
On the opposite side of the hall oppo
site the governor's apartments, are the
four rooms to be occupied by the auditor,
18x18, 20x33, 20x30 and 16x12, respec live
ly, connected by a private passageway.
These rooms are finished in brown ash and
finished with counters and other conven
iences for business of the office.
THE TBEASUBEB.
Next the auditor, and occupying the
north or Tenth street wing, ate three rooms
in suite, to be occupied by the treasurer, of
nearly the same dimensions as those of tho
auditor, with which they are connected by
a private hallway. Cornering on tho hall
ways is a small room about fifteen feet
square to be occupied by the janitor.
SECBETABT OF STATB.
Passing to the east wing, on the left, or
opposite thoso of the treasurer, are the
rooms of the secretary of state, three in
number, of the same dimensions and gen
eral style of finish as those of the treasur
er. The corner small room facing that of
the janitor on the opposite side of the hall,
is for a cloak room aud lavatory. An iron
stairway connects the room with the sup
ply rooms in the basement.
THE BAILED\D COMMISSIONER
comes next, with two rooms about 15x20
each, t'.ie superintendent of public instruc
tion having the next and last two rcoms
north of the hall, in the east wing.
THE SOf'TH SIDE
of the 6ast wiu» is occupied by the clerk
of the supreme court, with two rooms, the
insurance commissioner two rooms, while
two rooms are set apart for the use of ai
torneys. All the room? nre wainscoted and
finished in brown ash,, earh suite having
its separate closets,lavatories, cloakrooms,
etc.
THE BECOND FLOOR
is reached by two broad iron stairway*
with slate treads leading up from two sides
of the rotunda. From the rotunda land
ing on the second floor, hallways corr*
sponding to those on the first floor lead,ex
•pt in case of the north wing, in which
case entrance is made directly into the
ASSKMBIA CHAMBBB,
the largest, and in some respects one of
the finest and most cheerful rooms in the
structure. Its dimensions are 47x86 feet,
with a twenty-five foot ceiling. The pan
eling of gum wood and mahogany, has an
oil polish finish, giving it a rich and tasty
appearance. The desk for the speaker it
directly opposite the main entrance, the
floor being elevated about four feet. In
front, semi-circular in form, is the desk
for the clerks. The one apparent failure
is the contracted space given the speaker
and the clerks. The ceiling is ribbed and
divided into squares, with a large stained
glass skylight window forming the center.
Across the entire south side of the room
runs the gallery, the rail of which is hea
vily paneled, and finished to correspond
with the desk of the speaker and the pan
eling of the hall. Eight large windows
furnish an abundance of light during the
day, while two large chiindeliers with
seveutj-two burners each, with four elec
tric lights suspended from the four corners
of the skylight, will illuminate the room
most brilliantly at night.
THE SENATE CHAMBEE
is located in the Wabashaw street wing,
and is the cosiest and handson c -t room in
the building. In fact it is too co-y. the
space being too limited for a convenient
and pleasant dispatch of the business to
which it is to be devoted. It is 41x48 feet,
with a gallery extending all around the
four sides, reached by stairways
from the* 1 hall and also from the
chamber by a fair foot stairway in the
north side. The woodwork is of yellow
birch and birds eye maple, the paneling
of the room, as well as the design and
finish of tho gallery being elaborate and
strikingly attractive. A large stained glass
skylight and wine stained glass windows
in the gallery supply abundant light for
the day, while a seventy-five burner chan
delier and four electric lights suspended
from the skylight, as in the assembly
chamber, will light the room brilliantly at
night. Off the south side of the chamber
are three rooms for clerks, etc., while op
posite are cloak and lavatory rooms.
THI BUPBXm OOUBT BOOM
is located in the Exchange street wing of
the second floor, as in the burned building.
The court room is 26x40. It has a panel
ing and finish of cherry and Hungarian
ash. Opening out of the court room, and
tunning toward Wababhaw street are five
private rooms for the judges. Off from
it on the opposite side is a retiring .'and
consultation room for attorneys, from
which is also an opening into a pr*ra«e
hallway leading to the room of the libra
rian and the library itself, which is 21x98,
and extending nearly across the entire
front of the east wing and giving ample
space for the wants of the library. The
finish is in brown ash. ' •
TH« THIBI> TLOOB.
The space here is occupied largely by
the galleries of the senate and assembly
chamber and a large room 31x97 to be
used for caucuses, connecting with which
is a large committee room. In the two
upper floors there are in all twenty rooms
that can be used for committee purposes
when needed. ,
PKOTECTION AGAINST FIBE.
In the construction of this building the
paramount idea has been to make it as
near fireproof as possible. To gthis end
the engine and boiler rooms have been
located in the northeast corner of the
square. This is forty feet square, built of
red brick and trimmed in harmony with
the main building. From it a tunnel is
run to the basement of the main structure
through which the hot air is forced by a
thirty horse prwer engine into the pipes
which lead to the radiators in all parts of
the building and furnishing an abundance
of heat for the coldest weather. The radi
ator in the different rooms just under the
windows than tempering the cold air
upon its first entrance into the room. As
a further precaution against fire all the
floors and every partition and wall is pro
tected by a fireproof covering of slabs
made of ashes and cement, while the hall
ways are covered with tile laid in cement,
of which there are 20,000 feet. Thus the
stairways are of solid iron and slate so that
should a fire by any means be started in
any of the rooms it would be almost im
possible for it to communicate to others.
At in the means employed to prevent the
spread of fire, the best known means to
secure
PEBFKOT vArTILATIOM
have been employed. As ene means,
coupled with that of supplying light to
interior room?, four large shafts run from
the basement to the top of the building,
with which are connected the fire, heat and
cold air boxen, removing the foul air and
supply ins: fresh to every room. In the
wall of each room a register connects
through fonl-air ducts with four large
chimneys running to the top of the build
ing with which the traps of the closers
connect, thus promptly and thoroughly
carrying away all foul odors. In short the
HAW 6TBCCTTJBE
is in every way a credit to the state and an
ornament to the capital city, as well as a
monument to all who have b»en connected
with its contraction, good judgment, ex
cellent taste and honest work, being mani
fest in all the details, .The architect is L.
S. Burlington, under whose personal super
vision the foundation, grouting and a ll the
wood interior finishing and decorating was
done by day work. Mr. James S. Burns
was the contractor for the brick work;
Wheaton Reynolds «fc Co. for the manuf
ur«d woodwork; Wiley <fc Carlson foi the
carpenter work; Eenney & Hudner for the
gas fitting; E. F. Osborne the steam fit
ting; Wilson & Rogers furnished the gas
fixtures; George Dempsey did the plumb
ing; Kingßbury & Draper furnished the
hardware; Christian & Hazzard did the
plastering; A. Warner & Co. the fireproof
ing; the ornamental stone work was furn
ished by the Frontenac Stone company
Noyes Bros. & Cutler furnished the plain
glass and MoCully & Miles the stained, and
rlerzog & Co. the iron and slate stairways.
The chairs were furnished by De Coster &
Clark; the desks and furniture by the St.
Paul Furniture company, and the carpets
by John Matheis, fAuerbach, Finch, Van
Sljck & Co. and Win. L. Anderson.
ST. PAUL GAS WORKS.
The St. Paul Gas Light company was
organized first in 1856, with Joseph Hoy,
Alexander Ramsey, Win. L. Canning, Ed
mund Rice and Charles H. Oakes as in
corporators. The capital stock was fixed
at $200,000, which was increased in 1866.
Work was commenced at once, and gas
was supplied to the city and private parties
for the first time in 1857, the company
having obtained an amendment to the or
iginal act extending the time for laying
the first one and a half miles of main pipe
until Dec. 1,1857. Since that time the
works have been extended to all parts of
the city, and to-day the company has
twenty-five miles of main pipe, over 1,000
consumers, and during the year 1882 man
ufactured some 30.000,000 feet of gas. To
do this it used 5,000 tons of coal and 1,500
bushels of lime, and gave employment to
fifty men.
During 1882 the company laid a little
over ten miles of main pipe, and during
1883 will continue to extend their lines as
fast as the rapidly growing needs the city
will demand, and will add largely to the
works, building a new retort and other im
provements and enlargements, amounting
in all to many tnousand dollars.
In January, 1867, the gas works passed
into the hands of the present management,
composed of Hon. H. H. Sibley, president,
Commodore N. W. Kittson, vice president,
and A. J. Goodrich, secretary and treasur
er, who have conducted its affairs ever
since that date.
The company now have 287 street lamps
which they light with gas, and these will
be largely added to during the year 1883.
The Electric Light.
In addition to the gas works, the same
company secured an amendment to their
charter enabling them to supply the city
and private individuals with the Fuller
electric light, and during the year 1882
they set sixty poles, strung fifteen miles of
wire and are now supplying 140 lights.
The company has already commenced
work on it new plant, located on Sixth
street, between Jackson and Sibley streets,
which, together with steam engine, boilers,
etc.. will require an*outlay of fully §60,
--000, if not more. The new works will be
completed early in the season. The first
electric light was brought into the city in
April, 1882.
WHOLESALE GBOCEBB.
Mercantile Comp'y,
Leading TVliolesale
Grocery House
IN THE NORTHWEST.
DIRECT IMPORTERS OF
Coffees and Teas
, Corner Third and Sibley Streets.
HOLL & PAAR,
Wholesale Grocers,
Importers and Dealers in
FANCY GEOCEEIES,
Corner Fourth and Sibley Streets,
St. Paul, Minn.
WHOLESALE BOOTS AND SHOES.
C. GOTZIAN & Co.
Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in
Boots
A_nd
SHoes,
189 and 191 E. Third Street, St Panl.
XACHHTEBY.
J. G. FREEMAN 00.
(Incorporated,) Carry in Stock
fan Engines and Boilers,
MILL SUPPLIES OF ALL KINDS.
The only stock in the State of the Boston Belting
Company's Belting and Hose, Single and
Double Leather Belt.
Engines and Boilers a Specialty.
173 and 175 East Third St., Merchants Hotel Block, St. Paul H
9