St. Paul daily globe. [volume], June 08, 1893, Special Edition, Hill Celebration, Page 8, Image 8

About St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896

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8
MINNESOTA STAIE HOUSES.
Historical and Reminiscent Review of the Selection
of Site and Building of the First
State Capitol.
Forensic Fights of Early Days, Parliamentary
Maneuvering and Selfish Scheming Re
-1 counted in Graphic Style.
Burning of .the Old Capitol Recalled, and Recital
of the Exciting Incidents That Re
sulted Therefrom.
Hon. Joseph Rolette's Famous Coup in Favor of
St. Paul as Viewed by a Legislator
)f Early Days.
By the terms of Rn act to provide a
flew capitol for the state of Minnesota.
approved April 7, 1898, it would seem
that the people of the state have at last
realized that a state so grand in her
growth, \vi-aith, population and pros
perity, some of whose founders are still
alive and active in the state's future de
velopment, ought to have a state house
equal at least to the wants and needs of
the people ot the state, and not an old
rattle-trap building, hardly fit for a
country school house. This being true,
it would appear not improper to write
something of the old capitols— for we
have had two.
lv the act of congress organizing the
territory ot Minnesota It was provided,
"That the legislative assembly of the
3 Jm^fi^T^f^w
HON. JOSEPH ROLETTE,
Now Published for the First 'time.
territory of Minnesota shall hold its
first session at St. Paul, and at said lirst
6ession the governor and legislative as
sembly shall locate and establish a tem
porary seat of government for said ter
ritory at such place as they may deem
eligible, and shall at such time as they
shall see proper prescribe by law the
niiinncr of locating the permanent seat
of government of said territory by a
vole of the people."
The first session of the legislative as
sembly of the territory of Minnesota
met on the 3d day of September, 1849, in
the old Central house, which stood on
tlie lot now occupied by the Mannhei
nier building, on Third street, fronting,
however, towards the Mississippi river
on Second street.
It may be said that, among the mem
bers of the first session of the legislative
assembly of the territory of Minnesota,
were quite a number of brainy and ag
gressive young fellows, who had not
come West for their health, among
whom were ex-Senator Wilkinson, ex-
Gov. Marshall, Hon. Henry A. Setzer,
Hon. Benjamin VV. Brunson and P. K.
Johnson.
The legislative assembly had hardly
got fairly to work before Mr. Johnson,
of the house, from St. Paul, introduced
a "bill to locate the temporary seat of
government mr the territory of Minne
sota." This bill provided for the loca
tion at St. Paul. St. Paul, St. Anthony
and Stillwater were in those days rival
towns. The census of the June preced
ing gave St. Paul a population of S4O,
Stillwater COO and St. Anthony 571. Ex-
Goveruor Marshall, representing the
little village at the falls, was of the im
pression that lightning might strike,
and that the capitol, by a litt« cunning
wire work, would finally be located at
Snantheny, as old settlers used to call
the Falls.
Senator Wilkinson,
who had located at Stillwater under the
belief that it was eoiugto be the largest
eiiy westof New York" ( Chicago in those
days was but a country village) was of
the opinion that the oldest town in the
territory bad some rights that carpet
baggers ought to respect— heuce they
were opposed to the passage of a bill 1 o
THE FIRST CAPITOL.
Destroyed by Fire March 1, 1881.
eating even temporarily the capitol in
St. Paul, and in their boyish glee they
dreamed no doubt or the time when
their village homes would become great
metropolitan cities in the new world.
Within a few days after the introduc
tion of the bill in the housa, one was in
troduced In the council which provided
for a submission of the question to the
ppople as to where the capitol should be
located. These two bills were consid
ered and reconsidered, amended and
recommitted from time to time during
the session, when, at last it
was found the opposition was too
strong. St. Anthony and Stlllwator with
an o:cas'O'ialHft fromSauk Rapids won
the day, and the fight for the session
was abandoned and the bills, went where
the woodbine twinetb, and tlia secretary'
of the territory was instructed to secure
rooms for the next session of the terri
torial legislature in St. Paul. Another
year crave St. Paul more population and
more power, yet a little lobbying had to
be done. The original understanding
was to locate the territorial prison at
Saux Rapids, but it became necessary to
do some trading to secure the capitol,
and the deal was made with Stillwater,
as St. Paul secured more votes for her
bill thereby.
The second session of the legislative
assembly convened on Jan. I, 1851, in
the Uice house, a building which stood
upon the present site of the Metropoli
tan hotel, on Jan. 1G Hon. Sylvanus
Trask, of Stillwater. introduced in the
house a bill to pro\ide for the erection
of public buildings in the territory of
Minnesota. This bill not only provided
for the erection of ttie capitol building,
out the territorial prison— the capitol at
St. Paul, the territorial prison at Still
water. It had plain sailing, as it was in
accordance with the ante nuptial con
tract, and after its several readings
from time to'tune passed the house on
Jan. 25. In favor of its passage, the
yeas were 10; the nays were 8: those
voting in the negative were Gilmau,
North, 01 uisted. Patch, Randall and
Sloan. This bill was transmitted to the
council, had itjs several readings,
passed— the only negative votes in the
council being Rollins, Olmsted and
Sturges — and was returned to the
house, enrolled and transmitted to the
governor, who approved the same on
Feb. 7.
Old Settlers Mistaken.
I havo given the negative vote on the
passage of the capitol bill of 1851 to con
vince some old settlers, who take every
thing second-hand, that they are mis
taken, and that there was no agreement
expressed or implied, at that celebrated
conference held in Stillwater in 184S as
to a deal in regard to the location of the
(apitol, territorial prison or the Uni
versity of Minnesota. The facts are that
at that conference the location of the
capitol was never mentioned, and as to
this university, it was not dreamed of
Men were too busy staking out claims
and securing daily bread to give thought
to a university or ti higher education
than that taught by Governor Slade's
schooliuarms. It will be seen that every
member, in both houses of the legisla
tive assembly, from St. Anthony and
north of there, voted against the passage
of the capitol bill. b
It may be said that the first that was
neard about a university was in the
message of Gov. Ramsey in 1851, when
he recommended the assembly to me
morialize congress for a grant of lands
to establish aim maintain a university
During the session of the legislative as
sembly of 1851 George L. Becker, a
young lawyer who had come to St Paul
some time previous- a graduate of the
Michigan university, and who was of
tue opinion that a university was as
necessary|to the growth and prosperity
of a new country as anything else
dratted a bill for n university charter
which was given to John W. North, a
me nber of the house frcm St. Anthony,
and chairman of the committee on
, schools, to introduce iv the house, as
he had been beaten 453. the oapltol ques
tion and wanted to satisfy his constitu
ents that he had tanen" some scalps.
As a favor he wanted St. Authouy Falls
designated as the location of the uni
versity. As there had been no appropria
tion or a grant of lauds for the building
or' a university, and the whole thing
seemed mythical, there were no ob
jections to his request, and the bill be
came a law.
In a day or two a memorial passed the
legislative assembly asking congress for
a grant of 100,000 acres of land to aid in
the erection of a university at Cha 'Falls
of St. Anthony. St. Paul and St. An
thony were the twins then. This was
before Minneapolis, the female twin,
was born. Before leaving the sub
ject of
The Triple Alliance
it may be said that David Olmsted,
who represented Benton county in the
territorial counoil, felt as if he had not
THE SAINT PAUL DAILY GLOBE: THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 8, 1893. —SIXTEEN PAGES*
been fairly dealt with, and as hl3 was
the only organized county in the terri
tory which had not been the beneficiary
of some of the appropriations made by
congress for the erection of public
buildings in the territory, it was agreed
tbat a memorial should be passed ask
ing congress to errant a township of land
for the erection of a court house, work
house and jail, especially a jail, as the
county was on the frontier of civiliza
tion, and as between the Indians and the
criminal classes a jail was absolutely
necessary to protect the settlors. The
memorial was passed, but congress
never honored the request.
Olmsted, however, must have been
mistaken as to the necessity of a "jail
to hive the criminal classes, as three
years later, upon the completion of the
territorial prison at Stillwater. the com
mission for its-erection reported to the
legislative assembly that it only ••con
tained two cells and was without work
shops," going to show that Gov. Ram
sey is correct in his statement that the
pioneers and old settlers of Minnesota
were all honest men, and that jails and
prisons were unnecessary.
By the terms of the act of the legis
lative assembly authorizing the erec
tion of the capitol at St. Paul, a board
of five commissioners was provided for—
four to be elected by the people, by dis
tricts, the governor ex-offlcio the fifth —
whose duty was to select a site in St.
Paul, procure plans, and to
Erect a Capitol Building.
The commissioners were Louis Rob
ert and D. F. Brawley, of St.
Paul; E. A. C. Hatch, of Benton
county, and I. McKusick, of Stillwater
The board organized on the PJth day of
May, 1851, and the next day commenced
receiving offers from property owners
of a site. No propositions were enter
tained unless without cost, a free gift to
the territoiy. There were three propo
sitions submitted to the board— one by
Louis Robert, of block 12 of Robert and
Randall's addition; one by Henry M.
Rice, of block 7 of Rice and Irvine's ad
dition and a bonus of §2,000. and one by
Charles Bazille, of block G ot Bazille and
Guorin's addition, which last proposition
was accepted. (Will the St. Paul cap
italists who are working up a boom for
the location of the new capitol on the
bluft be as liberal in their offer of a site,
or will they want about two prices?)
Four plans were submitted by differ
ent architects. The one by N. C. Pren
tiss was accepted and approved, for
which he received So'J in full compensa
tion.
The contract for the erection of the
building was awarded to Joseph Dan
iels, who rti those days was a carpenter
and a builder, but who eventually came
to the conclusion that he had mistaken
his calling, us he afterward read law,
and for many years past may be seen
gliding around the lobbies of congress
as a claim agent. The building was
completed during the summer of 1533,
and accepted by the legislative assembly
which convened on the 4th day of Jan
uary, 1854. Costing less, perhaps, than
what will be paid to tlio architect of the
new capitol, it answered all the pur
poses /or which it was erected. It was
the home ot all tue territorial officers,
and the territorial library— its council
chamber and representative hall satis
factory to the pioneer men who legis
lated wisely and well for the future of
Minnesota, and they can point with
pride to our public schools, our charita
ble institutions, our system of railroads'
and the economy of our earlier territor
ial and state governments as part of
their work, and which added much in
making Minnesota what she is today.
Scheming lor Kemoval.
Not long prior to the meeting of the
legislative assembly whlcli convened
on the 7th day o January, 1857, a num
ber of thrifty politicians, who had not
come West looking; for a sartHariiun,
aod a few Western statesmen had con
federated toother and unanimously
resolved that St. Paul was not the prop
er place for a capital, and that there
was money for the gang if they could
succeed in removing it.
The combine sent out their agents to
look up a site for a new capital, «and,
after some time, they returned and re
ported that they had selected a lovely
site next west adjoining Traverse de
Sioux. A purchase of some 300 or 400
acres was wade, aud the land platted.
The next thought was to give the place
a popular name. In those days every
body was for Saints. It was thought
that a town that was not named
after some saint would never
amount to m>ich. The name of
St. Gorman or St. Dodd— two
prominent citizens— it was believed
• ■'•'I
i^^^^^^J^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^3fca^s^^^^^
— — - — r^-=^ •-. - vi
THE PRESENT CAPITOL.
would sound well for a name, but on
consultation with Father Ravoux the
name of no such saint could be found
in the calendar of saints, and. to take
no chances on the doubtful saint, it was
finally agreed to call the village St.
Peter.
The site having been selected, the
child christened, the combine com
menced manipulating the legislature,
and by the 6th of February the work:
had been done, for ou that day W. D.
Lowry, a member of the couucil.opeued
the fieht by the introduction of a bill
for the removal of the capital from St.
Paul to St. Peter. vVhile the friends of
St. Paul fousrht the bill at every stage,
they were powerless, for by the 27th it
had passed both houses and sent to the
enrolling committee to be compared
with the original bill.
Joseph Rolette,
of Pembina, was chairmant>f the com
mittee. Satisfied that the other fellows
had been having all the fun, he thought
it was time for his side to strike up the
music with a full band. So after having
had the bill placed in his hands he
quietly put on his coat, placed the bill
in his pocket and walked down to the
banking house of Truman M. Smith, on
the corner of Seventh and Jackson
streets. He said to Mr. Smith that he
had just received some valuable papers
from Prairie dv Chieu which he wished
he would place in his safe until
he was ready to go tioiqf. whlgh
was done. Joe then disappeared.
The next day when the council
met, the St. Peterltes began to realize
that there was a toad-sized darkv in the
woodpile, so A. D. Balconies ot Winona,
(a gentleman who afterwards made a
speech of over one hour to demonstrate
that nLue was two-thirds of five), offered
a resolution requiring Kolette to report
the capital bill back forthwith, and, if
he failed to do so, that the next member
on the committee (Mr. Wales, of St.
Anthony) be ordered to procure one and
report the same, and moved the previous
question,
Hon. H. N. Setzer (now of Stlllwater)
moved a call of the council. A motioa
was made at once to suspend the call,
on which motion tl.e yeas were 9. the
nays* 5. At that time it required a two
third vote to suspend a call, so the mo
tion was declared lost
From that time for the next five days,
and until the close of the session, the
council remained under the call, eating,
drinking and sleeping in the council
chamber.
The sergeant-at-arms, John Lamb,
was instructed every morning that it
was his duty to report Rolette in his
seat
Either Dead or Alive.
The fact was, however, that Lamb
was near-sighted, and perhaps would
not have been able to recognize Kolette
across a card table. The air was full
of rumors as to what had become of
Joe. A Red river courier stalked one
morning into the central house and
stated that on his way to St. Paul from
l'embina lie had passed Joe at Sauk
Rapids going north, with a double team
of dogs hitched to his sled. A half
breed from Wabashaw said that Joe had
passed thati place in the night on his
way to Wisconsin. It was hard to tell
whether Joe was going north or south.
The fact iyas, however, that after Joe
had seen the capital bill in a place of
safety he stepped into the Fuller house
and told the proprietors, the Long Bros.,
that his health required him to retire
from public life for a few days, and that
he wanted a room where no "unfriendly
cuss" would be able to find him. Long,
who understood the situation of affairs,
provided rooms on the top floor for his
distinguished guest— where for the next
five days he held high revelry— by day
recounting wondrous stories to the
chambermaids of life on the frontier—
at night playing poKer and pinochle
with the boys.
On the last night of the session the
president had hardly declared the coun
cil adjourned sine die, when Joe ,
CTarcked Into the Council Chamber
with as much indifference and careless
ness as if he had not been absent te
minutes, ready to report the bill as corn
rectly enrolled. But he was too late.
While Joe was in retirement the friends
of the capitol bill had due enrolled from
a copy, to which Hon. John B. Brisbin,
president, and Hon. Mr. Furber. speaker
of the house, refused to attach their of
ficial signatures. The bill was approved
by the governor, however, and published
as one of the laws passed by the legisla
ture.
The St. Peter company, being of the
opinion that the law was valid, erected
v small frame building at St. Peter for
a capitol building, and then applied to
Judge K. R. Nelson for a writ of man
damus to compel the territorial officers
to remove their several offices to St.
Peter. Judge Nelson, in a lengthy
opinion, after reviewing all the facts,
held that in his opinion there had been
no law passed by the legislative power
of the t&rritory removing the capital
from St. Paul" to St. Peter. And thus
the curtain was rung down upon a legis
lative strueele which, at the time, led
to a great deal of ill feeling.
Unique Records.
It maybe further said that in the
office of the register of deeds of Nicollet
county may be found the marketable
value of nearly every member of the
legislature who voted for the bill. Some
of the members received two lots, others
three, four, five or six. as the case might
be; first-class hustlers received a block,
and in two cases five acres of suburban
proDerty is added.
The earlier members of the legis
latiH-e were simple-minded fellows who
did not hesitate to take deeds of town
lots, railroad stock or checks— our gen
eration is more wide-awake. Nothing
will go now but bankable funds in
sealed envelopes, and even thos« in
some cases have to be placed uuder a
stone.
Porhap3 it may not ba amiss to say
that it was on the front portico of the
old territorial capitol that Gov. W. H.
Seward in addressing the people of St.
Paul in 1800 said: "I find myself now
for the first time upon the highlands m
the center of tne continent of North
America, equidistant from the waters
of Hudsonls bay aiul the Gulf of Mex
ico, from the Atlantic ocean to the
ocean in which the sun sets;" and he
might have added that within a third of
a century the seat of empire of the great
Northwest.
Several years had passed after the
attempt of the St. Peter Land company
to kidnap the capital. Senators and
representatives came to aud went from
the sessions of the legislatures, satisfied
that the quaint old capitol would answer
every purpose until Minnesota would
become more wealthy, and the people in
a better condition to pay taxes. Duriug
the winter of 1868-9, the legislature of
Wisconsin invited the legislature •of
Minnesota to visit Madison— the legis
lature of Wisconsin then being in ses
sion — which invitation was accepted.
The new capitol of Wisconsin had
just been completed, so much larger,
better adapted to the wants of a state
as a capitol than. ours, with all modern
"conveniency," as my friend James
Dillon would say, that; the Minnesota
Solons became infatuated with having ■.••;•
: A New Capitol.
A member of the : house from Minne
apolis, having acquired a large holding
of real estate In Kandiyohi county by
marriage, which land ..adjoined •some
six sections which some yerrs previous
had ■ been granted by congress to the
state of Minnesota for state purposes,
came to the conclusion that there "were
millions in it," and, taking advantage
of a general feeling for a new capitol,
commenced agitating the question of the
removal of the capitol from St. Paul and
the erection of a new. one on the state
lands . in Kandiyohi county, claiming
that part of the lands could be platted
and sold for a sufficient sum to erect
a capitol, a state institution or two—be
sides—and that by a little manipulation
making every member of - the syndicate
"a quasi -millionaire. A further .: induce
ment was held out, that St. Paul was a
wicked place, and that country members'
were 1 susceptible ' of being : led astray
from the paths : of virtue and, morality.
In the wilds of Kandiyohi oounty there
W'ia no opportunity. -,: .
The necessary 'vote having been
pledged to secure ;• its passage,- Hon.
Cnafles H. Clarke introduced a bill Into
the J house on the 4th day of February.
1869, for an act to relocate the seat or
government and 'to ■" pfSviqe for the
orectioii of public buildings mereat. - '- .
The bijl wen! tliifounh the two houses
{ike ft dose of salts. When, however,
it reached his excellency William R.
Marshall, then governor, the pet bant
ling '■.-•'■■;..... •/..
Struck a Snag. . ..
The governor doubted the propriety
of •; locating the .capital in the wilder
ness, L " where : the members s could -!- not
have the benefit of the stated preach
ins of the gospel, and where it would
&z&gßßßsSas3B&gg?z:. ■"■■■ ~:.: ■■.■■: : 'ssaaeak
not be as central to civilization and
population as at St. Paul; and, as the
question of removal of the capital had
not been discussed at the preceding
election, it was one of the matters that
would not suffer by lying over until the
next session, as the land would hardly
get away. He thereupon returned the
bill without his approval. This ended
the second attempt to relocate.
I From this time on the old capitol was
as before, the trysting place of legis
lators, politicians and statesmen. Every
now and then thero was some kicking
and growling among members of the
legislature and state officers, who said
it had to go— referring to the erection of
a new capitol building— and it did go.
Ou the night of the Ist of March, 1881,
withia three days of the close of the
session, about 9 o'clock at night, while
both houses were in session, the alarm
of tire was given and in a few minutes
The Old Capitol Was Gone.
It is no part of my purpose to describe
the scenes and incidents connected
with the fire. It is enough to say that
it was laughable to see grave and digni
fied senators playing the athlete by
trying to jump out of the windows with
their arms full of legislative plunder,
acting just-as other fellows would have
done under like circumstances, while
the fire was still in progress and the
fire engines were playing here and
there on the doomed structure.
The writer ot this article met Hon.
William Dawsou, then mayor of St.
Paul, and suggested to him that we
tender the use of the new market house
to the state for the meeting of the legis
lature the next day.
"Have we the authority?" was his
reply?"
"Authority be d d. We will exer
cise it and take our chances."
Whether it was the profanity or the
gravity of the occasion which startled
him is not known. His reply came with
some deliberation, as if he was dis
counting a note:
"Yes, You Are Right."
A moment later we were being driven
rapidly to the Metropolitan hotel, from
which the mayor telegraphed Gov. John
8. Pillsbuiy, at Minneapolis, that the
city of St. Paul tendered the use
of the market house to the state
for the meeting of the legislature
tomorrow. This telegraph messago
from the mayor was the first intimation
the governor had of the destruction of
the capitol. If is said by some wag at
Minneapolis that when the governor
first received the message that he was
of the opinion the use of the market
house was for a prize fight.
Quick Work This.
When the governor understood the
situation he accepted the offer with
pleasure. It then became necessary to
prepare the building for the meeting
the next day. Going at once to the
Merchants' hotel, as its proprietor,
Hon. A. Allen, was a member of the
common council and chairman of the
committee of public buildings, and iv
charge of the erection and completion
of the market house.
Col. Allen agreed with the mayor in
regard to having everything iv readi
ness by morning, and they at once went
to work. The heating plant had not
yet been completed, but one of the boil
ers being iv place, and, for fear that
would hot furnish the necessary haat,
stoves were secured and put uu; fur-*
niture stores were visited and desks
aud chairs were procured, and by morn
jng the two halls were properly heated,
the desks and chairs In place, and by
the hour of the meeting of tha legisla
ture the printed matter for the day
was upon the members' desks, and to
an outsider the two halls that had oeen
fitted had every appearance of having
been used all winter.
A Gloomy Outlook.
The second day of March, 1381, while
it was a bright, crisp day, to the people
of St. Paul was gloomy. The capital
was destroyed, and it seemed questiona
ble whether there was sufficient time
before the legislature adjourned to pass
a bill making an appropriation tor its
re-erection. On the earlier trains
quite a number of active fellows from a
neighboring town arrived in the city —
and later in the day from other villages
—to look at the ruins, but in fact to pre
vent any appropriation for a now one.
A member from Minneapolis, who is
now a member of congress, attempted
the fc?nt of riding two horses going dif
ferent ways. With tears in liis eys,
you would have thought the sorrow or. a
lifetime had struck him — but behind
closed doors he was advising country
' members to hold on, for if there were no
appropriation made then the governor
would be compelled to call an extra ses
sion which would give the country mem
; bers an opportunity to visit St. Paul
! along about the dogdays ana hare a
■! good time, and to those in sympathy
'■ with him he perhaps added, and in the
i meantime we may be able to improve
on the site and make something out of
it. There were some other members
who joined In the howl for delay and an
extra session.
Early In the day Hon. John S. Pills
bury, then governor, reached this city
from his home iv Minneapolis, and
within fifteen minutes after he had laid
aside his overcoat the old Roman, with
a determination to have no nonsense
about the matter, sent a messenger after
A. M. Radcliffe. architect, requesting
his presence. As soon as Mr. Kadcliffe
arrived the governor informed him that
he wanted, without any delay whatever,
an estimate of tne cost of rebuilding
the capitol, which was furnished during
the day.
Determined Action.
On the morning of the 3rd of March
he communicated to the legislature a
message recomme-nding the rebuilding
of the capitol, an estimate of the cost,
and referring to the absurdity of an
extra session, as an extra session
would cost more than the rebuilding
of the capitol. At a later hour
in the day, he supplemented his mes
sage by personal interviews with mem
bers, telling them in his bluff, old New
England way that there would be no
extra session^ and that they must take
the responsibility of a failure to make an
appropriation oefore the sun wentdown.
With but a few exceptions, the legis
lature passed a bill appropriating $75,000
for rebuilding the _capltol (which was in
creased by another appropriation of $75,
--000 in 1883). ♦ s-
The people of St. Paul owe a debt of
gratitude to Hon. John S. Pill§bury for
his heroic and manly action at that time.
A word from him would have defeated
any appropriation, and no one can say
what the outcome would have been if it
had failed. He forgot he was a Minne
apolis man and remembered only that
he was the governor of Minnesota. It
is to be hoped that the people of St. Paul
will not forget the stand he took to pro
tect her interests iv what he believed to
be right, and that his name ought to be
as dear to them as that of one of her
own'sons.
This article has already been spun out
to a greater langth than the writer iu
tended. In a future article we may write
of C he present apitol.
■ - ■" ■' -■ .......
1 Cutting Affray in the Court Room.
3 Bastbop, : Tex., June 7.— At Red
Rock, W. Wilson, under arrest, at
tempted to leave the justice court in
which he was being tried. - ' DeDuty
Sheriff Ed McClure >, attempted to 'stop
him, when Wilson tried to stab the
deputy. D. Harris, father-in-law or
Wilson, took a hand. On summing up
It was found that 1 Wilson .'• was cut to
death and Harrison : probably? fatally
stabbed. Deputy McClure was arrested
but released on a nominal bond.
mm
Chase indicted. -_
Kokomo, Ind., June 7.— The Howard
county grand '• jury made its report to
the criminal court ' this evening, and
among its bills '; are ; three Indictments
: against the Green town bank. -.: The. first
indictment is against John W. Paris, as
president of the • Farmers' bank, and
has ; five • counts. The ; second Indict
. ment is : against • ex-Gov. Ira J. Chase, a
director :of the Fanners' bank, with
three counts. Officers will go after
Goy. Chase and Paris at once.-- •
HOME OF THE HILLS.
The Regal Residence Just
Completed by the Rail
way Magnate.
A Magnificent Castle, With
Scarcely a Superior in
Existence.
Briefly Sketched Description
of the Summit Avenue
Mansion.
A Collection of Rare and
Valuable Paintings Fit
for a King-.
No one would think of pointing out
the beauties of St. Paul and omitting
the splendid and baronial mansion of
James J. Hill, In the aristocratic center
of Summit avenue, overlooking the
majestic sweep of the Mississippi river.
It Is not only the most magnificent resi
dence in St. Paul, having cost in the
neighborhood of a million dollars, but
is outranked by very few homes in the
country. It is of heavy, uncut brown
stone, and resembles a baronial castle
in its solidity and durability. In its
outward aspect it is surpassed by many
less pretentious homes, but its interior
magnificence is scarcely approached by
the residences of any of the bonanza
kings of America.
The building is absolutely fireproof in
the largest sense of the word. The roof
is a mass of iron joists and beams, filled
between with terra cotta, and covered
with three-eighths of an inch of Monson
sawed slate, and all the floors and par
titions throughout the building are of
the same material, as to iron and terra
cotta. Competent judges pronounce the
heatinz and ventilation of the house
beyond anything in this country. The
heating is done by the indirect hot water
system leading from the basement,
while the ventilation comes from a
powerful exhaust fan in the atic, which
constantly forces delightful cool air
through every room in the house.
Imagine ten miles of wire to light a
house. Our grandfathers would have
said it was impossible, but this is the
exact length of copper turned into all
sorts of angles to feed the hundreds of
incandescent lights in the Hill house,
aud there is no other house in the world
that contains such perfect electric ap
pliances.
The wood finishing ot the house is
unique and elegant. The parlor and
music room are done in enamel over the
wood; the dining room and library in
mahogany; the hall, the art gallery and
breakfast room in oak, while the cham
bers are in oak and prayavera, or white
mahogany.
Who can describe such magnificence
fitly ? Each room with its different de
signs and massive furnishings, would
do grace to a palace. The rugs alone
cost §250,000— rugs of the finest texture
that the celebrated looms of Persia
could make, and of the most wonderful
patterns and. coloring. Hangings that
would do the
Eye of a Connoisseur
good, so fine is the texture, and so mag
niticent is the design. Take the brocha
tapestry between the hall and drawing
room— what could be more beautiful
than the soft ivory tones, with the rich
gold running through it? It was made
in Paris, and designed by the great
Philip de le Salle. But it is no grander
than the drawing room, which the
heavy silken draperies separate from
the great hallway. It is at once both
classic and unique, done in white and
gold, with a suggestion of Louis XVI.
What could be more exquisite in texture
and design than the brocha, Lyons
tapestry uelze? It is but thirty inches
wide, still it cost $75 a yard.
Then, too, the music room. What a
beautiful room it is— done in the Adams
style, with its paneling of pale sea green
and ivory satin, and furnishings that re
mind one of the crest of a sea wave, so
exquisite is the coloring;.
What a superb room the dining room
is for grand dinners, where beautiful
women, with costly array and sparkling
Jewels, and brilliant men, with their
flow of wit, gather around the festive
board, neath the glow of numerous in
candescent lights, making merry the
room, with Its ceiling of pure gold and
its magnificent walls of illuminated
blue.
Jjut the real grandeur of the bouse is
the magnificent hallway, 80x100 feet— as
large as an ordinary dwelling. What a
delightful place to linger. The broad
stairs and vaulted archway, fretted
and jeweled with renaissance terra
cotta work done in soft creams from end
to end; each doorway has its lacework,
each window its carved setting. And
yet the design of tne whole is so artistic
that no effect of the stateliness or
grandeur can be diminished through all
the costly furnishings or ornament.
Passing dnvn the hall through the
heavy tapestried portiers at the end,
one huds Himself in Mr. Hill's magnifi
cent art gallery, which is probably the
finest art collection in the West, and it
is safe to say there is no finer private
gallery in this country, unless it be Mr.
Charles A. Dana's or Dr. Cottier's gal
lery in New York.
What a magnificent room it is, large,
high-vaulted, well lighted, and finished
in richly carved antique oak. At one
end is a large pipe organ of antique
oaK and silver pipes, while at the other
end of the long gallery is an old Eng
lish fireplace, done in onyx and dull
ocher mosaic, surmounted by a high
mantel of dark, richly carved oak, over
which hangs Kibot's Ereat picture of
"Christ Taken from the Cross," which
covers the entire end of the gallery.
The Art Treasures.
Mr. Ilill is a connoisseur in art; in
fact, buying pictures is his pet hobby,
and there is not a liner art critic in this
country than Mr. Ilill. His collection
of French pictures is one of the largest
in this country. He owns, for instance,
two Duprez, four Millets, four Dau
bignys, six pictures by Diaz; three
Dalacroixs, including the small "Con
vulsionuaires da Tangier?," which
is well known in this country. He
owns Corot's "Ferryman," formerly in
the Defoer collection, and a tine nude
female figure, which Corot sometimes
painted, but rarely exhibited, aud sev
eral other Corots. He has Rousseau's
beautiful "Mont Jean de Paris," once
in the Morgan collection, aud other
Kousseauo, besides three by Decamps,
three Troyon and three of the great
Fromentins, three by Bonvin, Kibot,
Cazin, two by Puvis de Chavannes,
Harye, Henuer, Laurens and Jules
B.vton.
Mr. Hill's Diaz' are very fine. Diaz
Narcisse Vergile u« la I'ena, the child
of the Spanish refugees to France, born
in lboT, painted some rare pictures, and
none wera greater in coloring than his
canvas "The Gypsies In the Forest of
Fontatnbleu." Mr. Hill is very fortun
ate in possessing this picture. The
canvas shows Diaz' wonderful power in
producing gaudy Oriental coloring, in
quaint, somber effects. While adzing at
the picture you feel that it is too dusky
to see the gaudy, barbaric rob«s of the
women, yet you know they are there. It
is one of a series, the others of which
are owned by public galleries in Europe.
Ll>4az'« S'oi-ui.
But the greatest of Mr. Hill's groupe
of Diaz ;is "The Storm," which came
from the celebrated Strausberg' collec
tion, and is one of Diaz's best works.
Too much praise cannot be given" this
picture, under, a: threatening sky,
through : - an opening .in ■ the ; : woods, a
hunter and h is dOg ar«» seen- hurrying
over the rough ground borne ward. The
yellowish light lingering upon the tree
in the extreme background, and the
rich, dark coloring in the foliage, make
the picture a rare value. Then. too.
there is "The Seraglio," rich In Span
ish skies and foilage, and "The Temple
of Love," all showing Diaz's wonderful
coloring.
One of the finest of Dupae's pictures
which Mr. Hill owns is "The Marshes."
and certainly merits what a great critic
said: "The picture ranks with Rous
seau as incontestably the greatest col
orist of the century." it is a magnifi
cent canvas. The cows stand iv the
marshy foreground over which the dusk
has fallen almost to night, while the
glorious golden sunset still lingers in
the sky of rich tropical crimsou.
Another fine picture in Mr. Hill's
gallery is Ardna's "Rehearsal," which
is rich in coloring and wonderful in cre
ation. One in looking at the picture
can easily imagine he is within the
splendid vaulted nail, rich with frescoes
and carving, and listening to the ener
getic bandmaster, who is so industri
ously conducting the rehearsal before
the cardinal, who sits with his
full red robe falling in stately
folds around him, among his
courtiers, with a smile of pleasure on
his face; autl they can see the fine text
ure of the director's changeable silk
coat, as he stands upon a low stool
brandishing both arms with such vigor,
or the bassoon player's great cheeks
from overdrinking of beer; look on the
face of the "first violin," as ho leans
forward to make 6ure of his score, so
real is the picture to life.
Mr. Hill possesses two very fine
D'Aublgneys. Oneiis a sketch from
which he painted one of his most cele
brated pictures, the one described in the
"Hundred Masterpieces of French Art."
It is an exquisite scene. It is almost
dark,a few light clouds are just touched
with pearly pink. One in looking at it
can almost feei that he is standing by
the pond beside the boy as he waters his
horse, and so real is the sott, still air, he
seems to breathe it. It is a wonderful
creation, and too much can not be said
in its praise. D'Aubigney'a pictures
hang in the Louvre, the Luxembourg
and the Tuilleries.
The Masterpiece.
But among all Mr. Hill's great pict
ures, there is none so great as his "Bib
lis," Corot'e great masterpiece. It is
the .jewel an* queen of his collection. It
is difficult to speak fittingly of the real
value of this great picture, "Biblis,"
the queen of the Corots. Mr. Hill is not
in the habit of telling the cost of the
picture* he buys, but as this canvas is
pronounced one of the very finest that
ever came from the master's easel, and
as it is ranked equal to the "Orpheus"
which hangs lv Cottier's New York
gallery, and which was rated as worth
$50,000 ten years ago, it is safe to say
that Mr. Hill* paid $75,000 for "Biblis,"
as is reported in art circles.
Many Corots have been seen in Amer
ica, and who is there that has seen a
Corot that has not placed him at once
as the greatest of landscape painters?
But out of the forty-three real Corots
there is none so great as the "Biblis."
and when looking at it one feels that
none but a Corot could produce such ti
. marvel of truthful Interpretation of
nature, of pictorial beauty and poetic
feeling.
"Bybhs" or "Biblis," as Corot gives
It, was the daughter of Miletus, who
wept herself into a fountain through
the love of her brother Caunus, and
Corot tells us about the nymph in the
only way that a true poet in painting
could. He shows us a prostrate figure
at a distance, and he puts a trickling
rivulet in the foreground, which. If we
choose, we can imagine connected with
the figure.
The great masterpiece was painted
the very last year of Corot's life, when
he was nearly eighty years old. He
painted It at the close of the Franco-
German war, dividing his time between
the administration to the wounded sol
diers and bis easel, and, if in the midst
of such scenes Carnot could give to the
world such a masterpiece as the "Bib
lis," he is indeed worthy of the greatest
honor that can be paid him.
For some time the painting hung
among the Secretau collection, where
Mr. Otlett, of Brussels, bought it. Re
cently his whole collection was pur
chased by the Koussod firm, and, upon
learning this fact. Mr. Hill, who had
seen the "Biblis" in Paris, at once pur
chased it. While Mr. Hill possesses
pictures of great value, no matter what
they are, the "Biblis" will be the jewel
and queen of the collection, for there is
but one Corot, one "Biblis."
Although an enthusiastic admirer of
art, Mr. Hill cares nothing for sculpture.
in all this magnificent collection there
is but one piece of statuary, and that is
"Othello." It is surprisingly atrange.too,
when be Is such an admirer of the
the beautiful, that he can not see any
thing worthy of his admiration in mar
ble.
OPENED AN EMPIRE.
Richards Gordon Kays That Is
What the Railroads Did for St.
Paul.
A retrospect of forty years spent In
St. Paul, embracing the period of active
progress, is somewhat kaleidescopic in
effect.9o great are the changes that have
transformed the former Indian trading
post into the prosperous city of today.
There still remain many of those who
then, with youth and high hopes, began
together in' St. Paul the battle of life,
which has since been waged, as always,
with varying degrees of success. To
such the event which we celebrato to
day will have peculiar significance,
mingling the varied memories of the
past with the realizations of the
present. Although -St. Paul owes its
pre-eminence primarily to its position
at the head of navigation on the Missis
'g\ •Summer Overcoats to onrsr, :;
il*s : From $20 to $6Q
. /f%\ Summer Suits to order.
I' (§a \y From 820 to $693
f % cf Summer Pants, to order,
a'" : From $5 to $15*
Rp? ~ % We carry the largest lin© q£
I** I ' % Domestic and Imported Woolen^]
\ ; If in the Northwest. 1,000 patteftiji
V i E so seiect from. Every vatrnfyM
Yf \ f made in our own workshops fil
V ' r the city and under our pe£sdn!s
||>r / supervision. Fit and workma^k
ig&Jrh ship guaranteed. Call and eisS
amtne our e;oods before placard
"* your Summer order. ?^
, ~ n . mi m £&£& «#?&. , ..
VJWiVr#f # 7 ## r #M^^ J 4 l^^ SEVENTH^
ROBERT STS« L^atom, TAU&R p^t;.^ nOStHr STfy
QT PAUL ..•#n^«Jrt"*' < * _. .*••«*«,.«•». ST PAUL '•
■ 1..- , . ■ i Illllxilr. t tillmitlt. j 14» Hiccun kit ■
BSSSSS33«B?=SS«S3P« ■, /r H*«TFO ( »D »O»TtANO. OAK, LOS ANfIeLM, "' X ~' > '^W!^
l^-J. v..«« J .«..t., ; . Vl* ••_!MKr».»!i
slppl river, yet the most potent factor
in its growth and prosperity has been
the magnificent railroad systems which
have opened to her commerce an em
pire, the development of whose re
sources is scarcely more than begun,
and which can only fiud partial realiza
tion within the allotted time of those
who witnessed its inception. The prom
ise of the future is great and ijrand
onouzh to justify the highest anticipa
tioas, and it seems beyoud perad venture
that our beloved city, through the
energy and intelligent effort of her
sons, will surely and always maintain
her present proud distinction as the
commercial metropolis of the vast and
fertile region stretching westward to
the Pacific ocean.
In the event which we celebrate to
day, we are with one accord doing what
we can to honor the most conspicuous
example among us of success achieved
by intelligent foresight and eminent
ability — a succees In tho materal bene
fits of which wo all participate. The
completion of the Great Northern rail
way to the Pacific is a fitting subject for
rejoieuitr. Tho career of James J. Hill
in connection therewith is imblic prop
erty, and in honoring him today as its
creator, we congratulate ourselves, par
takers in no small degree or the rnae*
niticeut success which he has achieved*.
/\icX^^yrr/^^
AN OBJECT LESSON.
The President Desires tho Pull
Gravity of the Situation to Be
Presented to Congress.
Bonds Will Xot Bo Issued Until a
Lower Kate of IntoroHt Is
Authorized.
Washington-, Juno 7.-Tlir Star has
this: "President Cleveland's statement
as to the time when he proposes to call
congress together, ami the reasons
which will lead him to do so, is clearly
interpretable as indicating a determina
tion on liis part to continue tiding the
gold reserve to the extent necessary and
not to Issue bonds. As indicated yes
terday, he desires that the full gravity
of the situation should be apparent at
the time of the meeting of congress, so
that the legislative branch of the goy
eminent shall have the duty Dressing
upon them to correct laws protecting the
finances. It is claimed for the adminis
tration that there is no obligation to
issue bonds at once to make up the de
ficiency in tho gold reserve, and that
that reserve may bo used in the regular
course of business. It la said that,
should it run as low as twenty- five or
thirty millions before any financial leg
islation is had, there will be no issue of
bonds until expressly authorized by
congress, at a lower interest than can ba
issued under the present law. The pres
ident desires congress to be con
fronted when it meets with the prac tl«
cal demonstration of the depleting ef
fect of the silver purchases upon the
gold in the treasury. Unless the situa
tion should grow very much worse, re
sulting in a general panic, tlte president
does not desire any radical steps to be
taken until congress meets in heptem
ber, but if developments should require
prompter action, then congress would
be called together for it. The long list
of financial failures appearing in the
morning dispatches, it is believed, has
not affected the president's judgment as
to the policy to be pursued.
Mr. Carlisle reached Washington last
night, and was at the cabinet meeting
today, which assembled nt 11 o'clock.
Mr. Bissell also returned, and was at
the meeting. The only absentees wera
Messrs- Lsunont and Morton. The
financial situation and the outlook for
legislation tho coming session of conr
gress were the subjects of discussion.
It was not expected at the hour of
meeting that the discussion would lead
to any chansre from the line of action
Indicated above. Before the meeting
of the cabinet, the president had a tails
with four members of the ways' an<|
means committee of the last house, wh#
will certainly be on that committee if
the next congress. They were Wilsot,
Montgomery, Turner and McMillin.
Mobbed a Pest House.
Rockfoku, 111., June 7. — A mob of
twenty-five masked nien gathered at
midnight about the West end peifc
house, where three new small-pox
patients were tnken yesterday. Tho
leader warned Health Otticer Jioyd not
to keep the patients in the building*
The health officer addressed them, stat
ing that there was no danger of a spread
of the disease, as every precaution
would be taken. The crowd refused to
disperse, and threw rails at the chier of
police. A force of men then tired Into
the air, and the crowd dispersed. They
were armed with Winchesters. Trouble
is feared. The trouble is caused by the
fact that the pest house is in a thickly
populated part of the city.
$16.20— Faro to the Fair '-$8.00.
Now in effect via "Tlio Milwaukee."
Only electric-lighted trains.
Finest electric-lighted compartment
cars ever put into passenger service.
F. 11. Tnouv, City Ticket Agent,
365 Robert Street, Corner Fifth.