Minneapolis City (part 36 of 80)

At the expiration of Col. King's ser¬ vice as postmaster of the house of repre¬ sentatives, he was elected a member of the Forty-fourth Congress from the Fourth district of Minnesota. He entered upon his term with l)rilliant prestige. His enthusiasm for Minnesota and devotion to her people, his knowledge of the needs and situation of the entii'e west; his ability and intelligence; his wide ac¬ quaintance with public men and famil¬ iarity with the course of business in con¬ gress, were rare qualifications for the exalted position of representative. But he was not allowed to serve out his term in tranquility. He became the object of calumny and misrepresentation. Soon after taking his seat an investigation was ordered by the House, of transac¬ tions in procuring a subsidy for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, at a previous congress. Charges of bribery were wildly brought against prominent men in congress, and other branches of the public service. Col. King, from his position in the House and intimacy with many of the actors in the transactions, was thought to know something which might implicate others, and a subpoena was issued for him to appear before the committee of investigation. His gener¬ ous nature revolted at being made the occasion of bringing unmerited obliqy upon others, and he placed himself be\"ond the reach of the inquisitorial process. The act brought upon him a storm of calumny and misrepi'esentation. His motives were not appreciated, but instead his guilty knowledge of corrup¬ tion was assumed. The democratic newspapers, ever ready to take up a reproach against an opponent, were wild in their aspersions of his conduct. The state legislature joined in the outcry agcunst him and adopted a resolution calling for his resignation . This brought from his retreat a prompt letter ad¬ dressed to the legislature. In it he de¬ fended, as far as he was then able to dis¬ close the facts, his conduct, asserted his personal innocence of any corrupt rela¬ tion, and hurled at the legislature a \yithering rebuke of its impertinence. He added facts which brought some of their own number into like condemnation. This letter will remain as a model among the compositions of modern times, for scornful sarcasm and biting irony. Not Junius, in his inimitable arraignment of the corruptions of the Grafton ministry, pointed a keener shaft of ridicide and contempt. The publication of the letter produced a revulsion of sentiment, and the public soon concluded what has since become a settled conviction, that Col. King's retreat was prompted iDy feelings of generosity, and that he sacrificed his own present reputation rather than ex¬ pose to unmerited censure others whose confidence and friend.ship he enjoyed.

The committee of investigation excidpated Col. King from any improper act or connection with the passage of the measure investigated, but excepted to his refusal to testify as to others who were thought to be implicated. The resolu¬ tions referred to as being passed by the legislature censuring Col. King for not appearing before the committee of in¬ vestigation were, upon a better under¬ standing of the facts, expunged from the records of the journals by unanimous vote of both branches of the legislature.

Agriculture is the basis of human industr3^ Ambition tempts many a boy from the paternal acres, to mingle in the wild struggle for business success or pol¬ itical honors, or for professional achieve¬ ments, who, when a measure of success has been achieved, feels the love of the old sod revive, and returns to a more liberal, if less iDrofitable cultivation of the soil. Col. King had a rural ideal, and towards the close of his life in Wash¬ ington began to acquire farms lying around thelakes. First the Deacon Mann pre-emption at Lake Harriet was secured, then the Father Gear claim at Calhoun was acquired ; to these were added the Manwaring tract, on the west side of

Harriet, and other pieces of land, so that a tract of fourteen hundred acres was obtained, ^dng in a compact body. To this tract he gave the name of " Lyndale Farm." Spacious barns were l)uilt, and a large farm house. Here he gathered the choicest animals of leading breeds of cattle - the ponderous Short-horn, the shapely Ayreshire, and the fawn-like Jer¬ sey. Among these he walked like a pa¬ triarch among his herds, calling them by pet names and patting their sleek and submissive heads. Annual sales were held, and the Lyndale herd became fam¬ ous throughout thecountry. The crown¬ ing honor was won when a lordly repre¬ sentative of the "Bates" strain of Short¬ horns was purchased at auction for the sum of $14,000, and returned to Eng¬ land to recruit the blood of princely herds. In his enthusiasm the proprietor of Lyn¬ dale farm had allowed his expenditures to outrun his income, and he was forced to dispose of his cattle, and made a deed of the farm to an eastern friend, Mr. Philo Remington, who, in return for a similar favor, which Col. King had done for him in former da3's, undertook to make advances on the property b\' wa\" of clearing off the claims against it.

As time went on the relations of the parties became estranged through the machinations of an agent. Mr. Reming¬ ton's own affairs needed a return of the advances, which Col. King was unable to respond to, and the property' was sold to other parties. In the meantime the growth of the city had encroached upon the adjacent farms, so that the land be¬ came desirable to cut up into cit\" lots. Calhoun Park, the various Remington additions and other plats were laid out, and manv lots were sold. Streets were opened and stakes driven where the cows had grazed in undisturbed repose.

grantees for an accounting and return of the remaining lands. This was the most notable law-sitit which had ever come to issue in Hennepin county'. The ablest members of the local bar, re-inforced by eminent counsel from New York , were engaged on either side. The Court found in favor of Col. King, and its decree was confirmed by the Supreme Court. On a settlement, securities and Xjroperty were turned over to the suc¬ cessful litigant to the value of nearl}" two million dollars.

Col. King rewarded his faithful attornev's with munificent fees. He settled his obligations, and opened his generous heart with free hand to the importuni¬ ties of friendship and the appeals of char¬ ity. He embarked in new enterprises with moi'e zeal than prudence. His old haunts were revisited, old friendships re¬ newed, and everywhere the jolh^ Colonel seemed onl\^ happy when he could share his good fortune with others. This is not the way the sordid sons of wealth increase their store. It was no surinfise to his friends that a few ^^ears enforced the lesson of econom^q and found him richer onUTn the happiness his liberalitv had given to others.

Col. King has been twice married. His first wife was Mary Elizabeth Stevens, of Ilion, New York. The present Mrs. King was Miss Caroline M. Arnold, also of Ilion. His only son, Preston King, after graduating at Yale college, settled in Minneapolis, where he is interested in the extensive manufacturing corpora¬ tion of the North Star Boot and Shoe Company. A daughter, with her two children, is a member of his household.

While inheriting the liberal jjolitical views of his father, he departed from the stifict theological training of his infanew, and became a most decided libei'al. He is a member of the congregation of the Church of the Redeemer, and a last and

Col. King is a public speaker of no mean ability, but his strongest point is his pen. The press is often enriched with his eontributions. When aroused, his discussion of public questions is forcible and exhaustive. His style is direct, pointed and foreible. He indulges spar¬ ingly in flights of fanc\q makes very few exeursions for rhetorieal effect, but bristles with strong expressions. In

His manner is cordial, his conversa¬ tion spirited and his enthusiasm spon¬ taneous. No mpn has a following of more appreciative friends. Always fore¬ most in every work undertaken for the public good ; loyally devoted to the up- Ijuilding of Minneapolis, his name is in¬ dissolubly conneeted in the thought and estimation of his fellow citizens with her prosperity and glory. - R. J. Baldwin.

Parks, Streets And Parkways

P'ranklin Steele. Among the most prominent and honored names eoniiected with the history of Minneapolis, from its very first beginning down to as late as 1880, is that of Franklin Steele. He was the leading spirit in the fovmding of the cit\" for maiw of its earliest years, and was elosely identified with all of its important enterprises to the very time of his death. The testimonials to his public spirit, generosity and wise fore¬ sight, are to be seen on every hand, in the churches, schools, bridges, railroads, parks and public buildings ; in building which he took so prominent a part in his life time, and which have since grown to such magnificent proportions. The older settlers well know the value of his pidjlic labors during the earlier years of the histor\^ of the city, and it is eminently fitting that some memorial of them should be preserved for the generations which follow later. We are indebted to Niell's history of Minnesota cind Henne¬ pin Count}- for some of the facts of this sketch.

Franklin Steele was a native of Ches¬ ter County, Penns^'lvania, and was the fourth son of James Steele, inspector general of Pennsylvania during the last war with Great Britain, and was born Ala}' 12th, 1813. In April, 1843, he was married in Baltimore by the Rev. Dr. Wyatt, to Anna, daughter of W. C. Barney, and grandchild of Commodore Barney of the United States navy, and also by her mother, of Samuel Chase, one of the Alaryland signers of the Declaration of Independence.

When a youth he was advised by An¬ drew Jackson, then President of the United States, to identify himself with the West. In the year 1838 he received under President Van Buren the appoint¬ ment of sutler at the frontier post at Fort Snelling, and accepted.

The position of sutler in the army was then quite different from w hat the popular idea attaches to it at the present time. It was not sought mei'cly, if at all, from motives of pecuniary profit, but as a temporary aid to the enterprise and energy of the incumbent in the far more important openings offered in the development of a new country. The social position of a sutlcr was in all res])ects the same as that of other officers attached to the army. Air. Steele occupied officer's cpiartcrs for sev¬ eral years after his marriage. He after-

It required no small degree of enter¬ prise, energy and self-denial in 1843, on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Steele to sever their social relations and prospects in the East and venture their all and make their home in what was then, absolutely a savage wilderness. Civil government even had not then been here established. No forecast could then be made of the marvelous development which has since occurred. The bouyancy of youth and an indominitable will and energy were the Forces on which they relied to achieve success.

The Territory of Minnesota was organized in March, 1849. The first im¬ portant public service (though rendered in private capacity) by Mr. Steele was in connection with the passage of the organic act. A considerable part of the preceding winter he spent in Washington and in conjunction with delegate Sibley and the Hon. H. M. Rice, labored indefatigably to procure the passage of the act, in which they were successful. The result was to open a wide field for the exercise of the business talent and capac¬ ity of Mr. Steele, which had not pre¬ viously existed.

Long previous to this, however, he was forming plans and laying founda¬ tions on which to build when the favor¬ able time should come. With his keen business foresight and sagacity he was not slow to perceive that the magnificent water power, at the falls of St. Anthony, so easily to be utilized, must eventually render that point one of sttpreme import¬ ance. On his first arrival, the land adjoining the Falls onthesouth sidewas occupied by the government as a military I'eservation; on the north side it belonged to the Chippewa Indians. The treaty between the government and these Indians for the cession of these lands between the St. Croix and Mississippi was concluded in 1838. This opened the first opportunity to the whites to obtain a foothold on land near the Falls. The official information did not reach here till July following.

Of course, Mr. Steele was not the only one who recognized the great importance of securing land adjoining the water power. In those days, the first actual occupant was conceded to have the best right. No sooner was the expected news received than Mr. Steele and Capt. L. Scott, of the 5th U. S. infantry, both set out in haste to secure the coveted prize, and probably both aware of the other's intentions. But they took different routes, and by superior promptness and energy and previous arrangements, Mr. Steele arrived on the ground some time in advance, and had the frame of his building up and his claim staked out before the Captain had put in an appear¬ ance. He secured the prize. The incident is mentioned as illustrative of a marked quality in the eharacter of Mr. Steele, which conduced largely to his business suceess in after life.

This land was not then surveyed. The government title was not obtained till some years later. Meantime Mr. Steele retained his possession through various parties and at no small expense, until the land could be properly entered at the United States land office in 1847. Then only did he feel seeure in his possession. The same year he also purchased of the government Nieollet island.

Then commenced the real work of building the future city; a work to which Mr. Steele devoted unremittingly the best 30 years of his life. The very first neeessity was the erection of a dam and saw mill, still a venture of faith, justified only by his unerring foresight of the future. There were as 3'et no people to buy the lumber when produced - there were indeed no men here to build the mill, but were to be sent for to Maine, then a month's journe\" distant. But all obstacles were overcome, and in 1848 Mr. Steele had the first mill running. It aided greatly in the first start of the village.

But other obstacles were yet to be overcome. Mr. Steele perceiving that more capital was needed for the develop¬ ment of the resout'ces of the town, was induced to sell one-half his valuable site to Arnold Taylor, of Massachusetts, for $20,000. The result proved unfortunate in ever3' respect. The main object of the sale was entireh' thwarted. Mr. Steele in disposing of lots was actuated b3' the most broad and liberal views and mo¬ tives. His policy was to sell lots at the lowest price and on the most favorable terms of pa3mient to actual settlers, who woidd make improvements, and to do¬ nate lots, without price, for schools and churches. His partner's views were exactl3' the opposite. Of course these op¬ posing policies coidd not long continue. Litigation soon resulted and continued for some two 3'ears, much embarrassing titles and greatU' retarding the growth of the town. Mr. Steele finallv suc¬ ceeded in bu3dng out Mr. Ta3dor, and thus relieving the village of an incubus, which he had unwillinglv placed upon it. The growth of St. Anthony was there, after stead3' and uninterrupted.

In 1851, Mr. Steele was elected b3'the legislature as one of the first Board of Regents of the Universit3- of Minnesota. He discharged the duties of this office forseveral 3'earswith the most unswerv¬ ing fidelit3', and the institution never had a truer or more devoted friend. In 1852, he donated the most valuable block in St. Anthoiu' (immediatelv in the rear of where now stands the Exposition build¬ ing) as a site for the preparatory depart¬ ment, and contributed liberalh- towards the erection of a building thereon. And later, when the institution was strug¬ gling with pecuniary difficvtl ties, owing to the financial crash of 1857, he repeatedly advanced it mone3', without chai'ge, to tide it over its embarrassments.

A great enterprise (for that da 3') which Mr. Steele undertook in 1854, was the building of the first suspension bridge across the Mississii)pi. LikemaiU' other of his undertakings, this was char¬ acterized 1)3" extraordinar3' boldness and sagacit3". For, it is to be remembered, there were less than 2,000 people on the east side of the river, and the title to the land from the government not even then obtained on the west side. He carried it to successful completion within a 3'ear. But, unfortunateh", just before it was readv for use, a hurricane completelv wrecked a large part of the beautifid structure. Nothing daunted, he instanth' set to work to rebuild, and within a few months it was opened for travel. The building of that bridge, undord)tedl3', settled for all time the business center of Minnea])olis.

None but old settlers could know and feel the deep debt of gratitude due to Mr. Steele for his persistent and unceas¬ ing efforts in 1855 to bifing the lands on the west side of the river into market. It was a critical time in the histoiw of Minneapolis. Failure meant ruin to the future cit3' - at least a dela3', which was equivalent to ruin to that generjition. Man3" had invested there their all, and the3" waited with the most intense and painful anxiet3' the action of Congress. Mr. Steele spent the most of that winter in Washington. His large acfiuaintanee with leading politicians in the East, of the dominant partv ; his lavish hospitalit3", combined with the most ])olished and affable address, were most ])otent factors in achieving the sueeessfnl result. In FelDruary, 1855, the aet passed Con¬ gress, extending the preemption laws over a large part of the Fort Snelling reservation.

Mr. Steele, naturally, beearae largely interested in desirable business propert\^ on the west side of the river, and with his aeeustonied energy devoted himself to the development of the town. The same liberal poliey whieh he adopted in St. Anthony was pursued in Minneapolis. Lots w'ere disposed of at a nominal priee for business purposes, and for ehurehes and sehools without eharge. To all publie improvements he was a liberal donor.

The limits of this artiele only permit a referenee to the great number of publie and private enterprises in which Mr. Steele was aetively engaged in the early history of the territory and state. Some idea of the extent and variety of these may be gained by eonsulting the legisla¬ tive annals of the state from 1849 to 1870. They embraee raih'oads, bridges, booms, fei'ries, sehools, historieal soeieties, seminaries, banks, benevolent socie¬ ties, in nearly all of whieh his name is found as an incorporator or director, and affording the most conelusive evidenee of his deep interest in every thing ealeulated to promote the gi'eat interest of the eity and state of his adoption. At the time of his death he was eh airman of the Department of American Histoi'y of the Minnesota Historieal Soeiety.

In polities, Mr. Steele was a demoerat, but never held politieal offiee. His influ¬ ence, however, in shaj)ing politieal affairs was probablj^ not seeond to that of any man of his party in the state. His adviee on political affairs was always eagerly sought and listened to with the utmost deferenee. Had he eonsented to the use of his name he could at any time have been named as the standard l:)earer of his party for the highest offices in the gift of the people. But he eould never eonsent to saerifiee the eharm and hap¬ piness of private life for the turmoil of politieal stidfe and the unsatisfactory rewards of the highest station.

The life of Mr. Steele in his domestie relations was exeeptionally fortunate and happy. Mrs. Steele was one of the most beautiful and aeeomplished women of her native state, whieh is perhaps more famous than any other for beauti¬ ful women. There were born to them ten ehildren, seven daughters and three sons. Alary Chase, the eldest daughter, married Geoi'ge U. Morris, eaptain in the United States nav^^, who won a national reputation in his gallant de¬ fense of the Cumberland in the battle with the Merrimac. He died of con¬ sumption in 1875. Sarah married Cap¬ tain Gilbert C. Wiltse, now in command of the Boston of the squadron of the Evolution. Fannie married Lieutenant Edward MeCauley, of the United States Marine eorps. W. E. Steele, the young¬ est, has identified himself with the inter¬ ests of Minneapolis, is a sueeessfnl banker and has taken a leading part in all prominent enterprises ealeulated to advance the interests of the eity. The elder son, Franklin Steele, lives in Wash¬ ington. Mr. Steele was a successful busi¬ ness man. He had higher aims than to make the aequisition of money the ehief objeet of life; had he done so he doubt¬ less could have left a large fortune, even as fortunes are estimated to-da3\ But he left an ample competence to his large family, and what is of far more value, an unsullied name and an honored reeord, revered not only by his own family, but the state at large.

Air. Steele died on the 10th of Septem¬ ber, 1880. His illness was very brief On the day previous, in his usual health, he was driving in Minneapolis with a single attendant, when he was sucldenh' siezed with dizziness and was carried to the office of a phy-sician. He soon be¬ came nnconscions, from which he did not recover, and early on the morning of the loth peacefull3' passed awa3^ in the ])resence of a brother and son and a few friends. The time was too short to have his loving famih" all aronnd him.

From this brief and imperfect sketch of the life of Mr. Steele it is hardH pos¬ sible for those who have not personal]3'- known him to form a just estimate of his character. It is not overstepping the limits of truth to sa3' that physical^ he was the ideal of perfect manhood and beaut3'. In an3' large assemblage or in jiassing through crowded streets, all e3'es would instinctiv.el3'turn to him. But an intimate acciuaintance onh- could reveal the true nobility of his character. In¬ flexibly just in all his business relations he made the golden rule the guide of his life, and came as near living up to it as an3' one I ever knew. Eveiwwhere and always he was a gentleman in the high¬ est and truest sense of the term. No one, high or low, could have intei'course with him without recognizing the fact. The character was never assumed - it was innate, born with him, he could not be otherwise. Hardh' less striking was his great modest3', never assuming superiorit3' over others, or even claiming the ])recedence which was his due. His life was peculiarl3' unselfish, and largelv de¬ voted to the prosecution of public meas¬ ures, of which others have chiefly reaped the benefits. In short his life and death forcibU^ illustrate the truth of the senti¬ ment that, contributed more to its growth, not onh' in material things, but also in wholesome, moral and religious char¬ acter, than H. T. Welles. He was of an old New England famih' of Puritan stock, born at the town of Glostenbur3', Hartford Cotint3", Connecticut, on the third da3' of April, 1821.

Mr. Welles is a lineal descendant of Gov. Thomas Welles, who was born in Northamtonshire, Phigland, in the 3'ear 1598, and being prescribed as a recusant emigrated to New England in 1630. He was governor of Connecticut in 1656 and 1658, and held other important public offices. One line of descent from him is :

Jonathan Welles, the grandfather, was a graduate of Yale College, and re¬ mained as a tutor there. He married Catherine Saltonstall, grand-daughter of Gurdon Saltonstall, gov'ernor of Con¬ necticut in 1707-1 72-t, and who died in office.

The family is supposed to be of Nor¬ man origin. One of the names iiivScribed on the roll of Rattle Abbey was "K de Enille," who is thought to be the ances¬ tor of the English Welles, the word hav¬ ing the same meaning. This famih' is traced in Normand3' to the latter part of the eightli centuiw, from which time the3' held the highest rank, jiersonallv and by ro3'al intermarriages.

The 3'cars of infancy and bo3diood wei'e passed on the paternal farm and in academic studies until he entered Trinit3' College, Hartford, from which he grad¬ uated in 1843. The next ten years were spent in his native town and uipon the farm, though not in the stress of hard labor, for his father was, it not wealtlu'.

During these years, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected to represent his town in the legislature, affiliating with the Whig party. Having already married he moved to St. Anthony in 1853, and engaged at once in active business. The lumber business, at that period the most attractive which pre¬ sented, engaged his attention, and he in¬ vested a large part of the liberal capital which he brought with him, operating seven of the eight sets of saws then at St. Anthony. The market for lumber was precarious and did not prove suf¬ ficiently remunerative, or to his taste, and he soon gave it up, and invested a considerable sum in real estate, acc^uiring among other properties a share in the claim which Col. John H. Stevens had entered on the west side of the river, to which he removed in 1856. This property I'etained and improved, and administered with care, but with liber¬ ality, became the foundation of one of the amplest foi'tunes of the city.

The ability of Mr. Welles was early recognized by the citizens Iw repeatedly choosing him to represent their interests in Washington. In their interest he co¬ operated in the winter of 1854-5 with Franklin Steele and Dr. A. E. Ames, who succeeded in reducing the military reser¬ vation and opening the lands on the west side of the river to settlement and purchase.

He was ealled to Washington in the winter of 1856-7 in comi^an}^ with Rich¬ ard Chute to aid Delegate Henry M. Rice in procuring the passage of the land grant act of that year. On his return a public dinner was tendered him in recognition of his services in aiding the passage of the bill, and in making Min¬ neapolis and St. Anthony centei's in the

Upon the incorporation of the city of St. Anthony in March, 1855, he was elected its first mayor, defeating Capt. John Rollins, who was an opposing can¬ didate, by a small majorit^^ Party spirit ran so high that the sucessful party celebrated their victory by a ban¬ quet, at which the choicest vintage of France flowed.

Holy Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in 1855, and Mr. Welles was chosen one of the wardens. He was also chosen warden of Gethsemane Church upon its organization in the following year. A New England Society was organized in 1857, and Mr. Wells was one of its vice-presidents. At the first Minneapolis town election in 1858 he was chosen president of the corpora¬ tion, and in the same year was chosen president of the school board.

A brisk competition existed in the earl}^ years between the partisans of up¬ per and lower town, or Nicollet avenue and Cataract street. In 1858 a hotel was built on the corner of Washington avenue and Cataract street by such en¬ terprising men as F. R. E. Cornell, Dr. Ames, R. P. Russell and Charles Clai'k. Messrs. Welles and Steele had already with unwonted enterprise, procured the building of the suspension bridge leading to Nicollet avenue, where their interests chiefly lay, and now set apart a fine lot at the corner of Nicollet and Washing¬ ton avenues, and with a bonus raised by themselves and others, pi'ocured the erec¬ tion of the Nicollet House. At its open¬ ing, in 1858, a banquet and celebration were held, in which Mr. Welles made one of the speeches, in which, with graphic clearness, he sketched the bi'ight pros¬ pects, and anticipated the magnificent future of the infant city.

In 1859 the salaries of the public school teachers were in arrears and all sent in their resignations. Mr. Welles, with the aid of others, procured funds to pay up the debts and the schools were resumed.

At a union gatheiing held in Minne¬ apolis that year, at which the gifted Martin MacLeod presided, the principal speech was made 1)3" Air. Welles, who, though making no pretensions to oratoiw, was alwa3'S on social occasions an acceptable speaker.

A serious effort was made in 1860 to unite the two municipal corporations, and Air. Welles was appointed on a com¬ mittee to draw up a charter, but the effort failed for the time, the citizens of each town being too strenuous each to retain its own name.

Never an aspirant for public office, and declining it when practicable to do so, nevertheless the Democratic nomina¬ tion for governor was thrust upon him in 1863, and although the election of an}" candidate for state office by that part}' was hopeless he made the run, and reduced the majority of his opponent. Gov. Stephen A. Aliller, in such a meas¬ ure as to show his popularity and in¬ fluence in the state.

Probably the most significant act of this busy life, at least that which has contributed in the greatest degree to the ])rosperity of the city, was his concep¬ tion of and co-operation in building the Alinneapolis and Duluth, and Alinneapolis and St. Louis Railways. In the land grant act the line of railroad provided for the Minnesota Valley, had two term¬ inal lines diverging from a point of junc¬ tion near Shakopee, the one terminating at St. Paul and the other at St. Anthony. The public lands granted for the line were equally applicable to each branch, but the control of the road fell into the hands of the St. Paul and Sioux City

Railroad Company, the managing and controlling owners of which were resi¬ dents of St. Paul. The line was built from St. Paul, and the St. Anthony branch neglected, although lands equit¬ ably belonging to it, were appropriated.

Air. Welles deliberately determined that with or without public lands the line should be built. Calling upon the president of the St. Paul and Sioux City road he was informed that his company had no purpose to build the line to St. Anthony and would not do so. He was informed that in that event the people of Alinneapolis would build it, and if not allowed a co-operating road they would provide a rival one. The derisive smile with which President Drake received this announcement showed how futile he re¬ garded the attem])t. The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad was organized, Air. Welles being one of its directors and its first president. With the cordial co¬ operation of the people of Alinneapolis, and ably seconded by his co-directors, among whom were General and Senator Washburn, Messrs. Sidle, Langdon, Alartin, AIcNair, Atwater and others, the construction of the line was undertaken and soon opened from White Bear Lake to St. Anthony, and from Alinneapolis to the junction with the St. Paul and Sioux City road, and crossing that line was extended southerly to the state line, and on into the state of Iowa, and west¬ ward into Dakota. Not only this but in process of time the line from St. Paul to the point of junction was abandoned for through traffic, and the derided St. Anthony line became the main line of the St. Paul road. By this magnificent en¬ terprise the prestige of Alinneapolis was preserved, and her lumber and milling in¬ dustries facilitated; and instead of sink¬ ing to a sid)ordinate ])osition she sof)n outstri])pcd her rival city in ])opulation tion and business.

At the organization of the park com¬ mission Mr. Welles was appointed one of the board of park commissioners, but after the act had been snbmitted and rati¬ fied by the people, and safely launched on its beneficent career, he resigned.

For many years Mr. Welles was presi¬ dent of the Northwestern National Bank, and is still on its board of directors, an institution among the soundest and most popular of the Minneapolis banks.

His residence, for many years an un¬ pretentious one on Eighth street - when built far out of the built up -part of the city - has for several j^ears been a beau¬ tiful villa, at the intersection of Henne¬ pin and Lyndale avenues overlooking Loring Park. He has retired from active business, but by no means from the over¬ sight of his large interests, nor from an active participation in the religions edu¬ cational and material growth of the city and state. His appearance upon the street, upright, dignified and robust, at¬ tracts the attention of even strangers as one pre-eminently a leader among men. He has always been noted for his dom¬ inating influence upon other men. With a tenacious memory, a method of clear¬ ness of statement, and conciliating and winning manner, he seldom fails to im¬ press his ideas upon others and influence them to actin confoi'mity with his views.

This sketch of the life of Mr. Welles, made by one who has known him long, but without suggestion from him, deals onh^ with his public and best known acts. It leaves out of view the number¬ less more private deeds of usefulness and beneflcience which have made his life a benediction to his famih^to his city, and to his kind.

*The park idea seems to have sug¬ gested itself to Minneapolis so early that it is almost impossilfle to tell just when the first proposition was formulated.

Air. C. M. Loring, who probabl^^ in the minds of ourpeople here stands most full}' as the representative of our park development, tells the writer that the first public meeting he recollects at¬ tending in Alinneapolis was one held for the purpose of securing twent3" acres of land for park purposes, just south of the present High School building, embracing the lands upon which the Central Bap¬ tist Church is now located. The price asked for these lands was about three hundred dollars an acre. This jjroject, however, was never consummated.

In 1865 there seems to have been a very earnest desire upon the part of the people on the west side of the river to secure Nicollet Island for a park. The property belonged at that time to W. W. Eastman who offered it for this pui'pose for the sum of twenty-eight thousand dol¬ lars. This sentiment cystalized so that the city council, in the spring of 1866, submitted the proposition to a vote of the people of Minneapolis, with the un¬ derstanding that if carried, it was to be voted upon by the people of St. Anthoin' at an election to be called for this pur¬ pose. This magnificent property was, however, to the lasting misfortune of our cit\% lost to the people b}" only sixt\"- six votes. Two j^ears after wai'ds Air. George A. Brackett, always foremost in ever3^ effort towards the up-building of the cit3" and the advancement of the park system, secured forty acres of land lying south of Eranklin avenue and bounded b3^ Nicollet and Third avenues south. This propert3" he offered the ciH' at cost, namel3', sixteen thousand dollars, and was joined later in the enterprise b3' Dorllus Alorrison,W. D. Washburn, and R. J. Alendenhall. The3^ carried this prop¬ erty for several 3'ears, offering it to the cit3' at cost and seven per cent, interest

Tlie writer. Mr. A. .7. Boardmnii, desires to exitress liis api'rec'iatioii of tlie aid received in the preparation of this article to the present efficient secretary of the hoard, W. G. Nye.

on a term of twenty years ; but the cynie was abroad then as now and saw a job in it ; so this magnificent property , a por¬ tion of which is embraced in the home¬ stead of W. D. Washburn, worth to-day more than a million dollars, was lost by only one vote in the city council, al¬ though the opponents of the measure, with the hope of defeating it, tacked on as a rider Murphy's and Oak Lake Addi¬ tions as well. It is possible, however, that the opponents of these measures builded better than they knew ; had these magnificent tracts been secured at that time, the friends of the park idea might have rested on their oars and the organization of the commission in 1883, which has given us our unrivalled system of parks and parkways which have since been secured, might have been delaj^ed until so late a period that we should have been unable to have reaped the grander results which came from later efforts.

The city had, however, secured by gift, prior to the organization of the commission, a block of land in the Sixth ward at the intersection of Eighth street south, between Twenty-second and Twenty-third avenues south, which had been dedicated to the public use as a park b}" the late Edward Murphy, and which has since been designated " Murph}' Scprare," in memory of the donor, who was among the most en¬ terprising and public spirited of the early settlers. It had also received one block in the Fifth ward between Port¬ land and Fifth avenues south and Six¬ teenth and Seventeenth streets, donated to the city by Mary C. Morris, Catherine B. Steele and Caroline H. Addison, daughters of the late Franklin Steele, and which in memory of that most worthy and honorable citizen, had been named Franklin Steele Square.

Edward Murphy. Captain Murphy, as he was always called in Minneapolis, was a native of New Jersey, where, at the city of New Brunswick, he was born Oct. 18, 1828. His father was a native of Ireland, though living in this country from a, boy. He was captain in the war of 1812. While Edward was still a small boy he removed to Quincy, Illinois, where the son grew to manhood. Edward fol¬ lowed his brother. Dr. John H. Mur¬ phy, to Minneapolis, where he set¬ tled in 1850. Soon after his arrival he obtained a permit from the military au¬ thorities at Fort Snelling to occupy a a quarter section of land adjoining the claim of John P. Miller, and took posses¬ sion of it in May, 1852. There he built a small house on the high river bank and improved a portion of his land. He had one field prepared for a nursery and orch¬ ard, in which he planted apple and other fruit trees, but after a few years of trial his trees died, and he reluctantly aban¬ doned the attempt to raise fruit trees. He also brought a small herd of cattle from Illinois, which grazed on the rich unfenced pi'airie, and became the occas¬ ion of the first law suit that was ever tried in the county. The cattle destroj^ed a growing crop of corn, planted by Hiram Burlingham, and the suit was brought for the damages. Judge Chatfield, who presided at the trial, held that in the ab¬ sence of any law prescribing fences, the owner of the cattle was liable, though neither pasture nor cornfield was fenced. Captain Murplij^'s title to eighty acres of his claim was contested before the land office by Silas Bigelow, who pre¬ vailed in the contest.

From the time of his arrival in Minne¬ apolis, Captain Murphy took an active interest in public affairs. He had strong faith in the future importance of the lit¬ tle settlement, and contributed liberally l)oth of time and mone^' to forward its interests. He was a clear headed and fair minded man. He was strongly at¬ tached to the Democratic party, 3'et he was elected repeatedh" to the earl_v town council, and in non-partisan or¬ ganizations his name was always prom¬ inent. Thus as early as 1852 his name is found upon a committee charged with the dvity of organizing a Territorial Temperance Society. About the same time he was among the founders of Hen¬ nepin Lodge U. D., of which he was the first Senior Deacon. He was also a del¬ egate at the formation of the Territorial Agriculture Society. A friend of educa¬ tion, though having received but a mea¬ gre opportunity to acquire it himself, he was, with Dr. A. E. Ames and John H. Stevens, trustee of the first school district formed on the west side of the Missis¬ sippi river. It comprised the whole county west of the river. Miss Mary E. Miller was the gifted teacher, and about twenty scholars were in attendance. At a later period, when the teachers all re¬ signed for failure to receive their pay, he interested himself in raising funds by sub¬ scription and kept the schools in opera¬ tion

In 1853 Captain Murphy established a ferry at the foot of the rapids below the falls, and two or three years later joined with other liberal citizens of lower town, in obtaining a charter and erect¬ ing a bridge across the river. It was a fine strvicture, and was a great public convenience, until the high water of the spring of 1858, carried it away, to the serious loss of its stockholders.

In the winter of 1854 he was sent by the citizens, with Franklin Steele and Dr. A. E. Ames to Washington to secure the passage of an act by Congress to extend to the settlers on the reservation the right of pre-emption . Their mission was successful, and upon their return the

The same year a steamboat comi)any was organized to build a line of boats to run from the lower ])orts on the river to the Falls of St. Anthony. Captain Murphy was secretary of the meeting called for the purpose, at which $15,000 was subscribed, and the full capital stock of $30,000 was soon raised. He w£is made a director of the company. The first result of the effort was the building of the steamboat "Falls City,'' which for several years made regular trips to Minneapolis and St. Anthony, as the head of navigation. For a time Capt. Murphy was master of the boat, and in that service earned his title. To accom¬ modate the trade he built a warehouse on the river bank, below the site of the brewery. About this time a union board of trade was organized, of which he was a director, continuing to hold the posi¬ tion as late as 1861. Upon the organiz¬ ation of a town government, he was chosen one of the supervisors. A pre¬ mature effort was made in 1860 to vinite St. Anthony and Minneapolis in one mtinicipal government, in which Capt. Alurphy was active, but the effort failed through the tenacity of the citizens of either town in favor of their own name.

Soon after the plat of the town of Alinneapolis was filed, Capt. Murphy laid out his eighty acres, as Alurphy's Addition to Minneapolis. He was the only one of the original proprietors who had the liberality and foresight to dedi¬ cate a square for public use cis a park. This was uncared for and a rather for¬ lorn tract until the i)ark commission was organized : when it was graded and planted, and now, as Murphy Park, is one of the beauty-spots of the city. Cap¬ tain Murphy built £i fine residence u])on the bank of the river, just above the en¬ trance to the present Riverside Park, where he resided during the remainder of his life. The homestead, after his death, passed into the possession of the Sisters of Mercy, who converted it into a hospital.

Captain Murphy married Harriet W. Freeborn before he settled in Minnea¬ polis. His widow still survives, to¬ gether with the two children, Ira F. Murphy, of Minneapolis, and Mrs. Bazil Armstrong, of St. Paul.

In a trip to the south in 1865, Cap¬ tain Murphy contracted a malarious disease, which proved fatal. His death was greatly deplored in Minneapolis, where he was held in high esteem, and which he loved most ardently.

The present Park Commission had its birth and origin during the winter of 1882-'83 in the Board of Trade, from which institution the inception of nearlj^ all of our magnificent public enterprises have had their origin. The first draft of the Act was presented to the board by C. A. Nimocks,was drawn by R. J. Baldwin afterward, for years the efficient secretary of the board; the legal features were sub¬ mitted to W. W. McNair and R. C. Ben¬ ton, and the faithfulness with which they attended to their duties may perhaps be best attested by the fact that, although its legality has several times been tested in the Supreme Court, it has uniformly been pronounced " waterproof." It was entitled "An Act Pi'oviding for the Desig¬ nation, Acquisition, Laying Out and Im¬ provement of Lands in the City of Min¬ neapolis for a System of Public Parks and Parkways, and for the Care and Gov¬ ernment thereof," and was approved Feb¬ ruary 27th, 1883. In order to allay any opposition which might come from the Hennepin County members of legisla¬ ture, it was provided that this Act should be submitted to a vote of the people at the next municipal election ; and further, in order that it might meet as little opposition as possible at this election, it was determined to name twelve of our most prominent citizens and largest tax-payers as the Board of Commissioners, six of whom should be selected from the Democratic and the re¬ maining six from the Republican party. In order to make it non-partisan; and so that there might be no conflict be¬ tween this board and the city council it was determined to have as ex-officio members of the board, the acting mayor and chairmen of the committees on Pub¬ lic Grounds and Buildings, and Roads and Bridges. Notwithstanding these efforts to harmonize the legislature, the council and the voters, there were a large number of very influential citizens who thought they foresaw danger to the rights of the people in the large powers of eminent domain and assessment for betterments which might come from too rigorous an enforcement of these privi¬ leges in the hands of the commission; and they argued that while the rights of the citizen might be sacred in the hands of the commission that had just been organized, in the ceaseless mutations of politics, a future commission might be selected which might be less considerate in their methods of enforcing the privi¬ leges of the Act. The advocates of the park scheme were none the less alert than the opponents. A committee of four gentlemen composed of W. S. King, Hon. J. C. Oswald, John T. West and the writer, were selected to organize the precincts throughout the city in the interest of the Act, and a meeting was held at the Nicollet House the Sundaj^ prior to election, when arrangements were made looking toward the securing of as full a vote as possible for the measure. Meetings had been held in the various wards at which the subject was discussed in its various phases ; the friends of the measure elaiming that the parks were the gardens of tlie poor; that the opposition came almost entirely from the wealth}^ who were able to go abroad and enjoy the results of parks in other cities ; that in no other direction wovdd the expenditure of money be so largely absorbed at home by the labor¬ ing classes, as after the jiccpiisition of the land there is little if anx^thing except labor needed to complete a pai'k, about the only implements in use being the cart, the scraper and the shovel. The issue was rendered all the moi'e uncer¬ tain since the Democratic party in its convention had voted to put " no " upon their tickets, signifying their disapproval of the Act, while the Republican party were not by any means united in its favor. The adoption of this Act per¬ mitted the increase of one mill in our general tax, and allowed the issue of bonds, the interest of which shoidd not exceed $25,000. This fact was dwelt upon b\' the opposition. The commis¬ sion, as constituted by the Act, consisted of Charles M.Loring, Dorilus Morrison, John S. Pillsbur}', Henry T. Welles, O. C. Merriman, John C. Oswald, William W. Eastman, George A. Brackett, Judson N. Cross, Daniel Bassett, A. C. Austin, An¬ drew C. Haugan. The good judgment evinced in the selection of these gentlemen was manifested in the confidence shown by the people in a majority' vote of 1315 in favor of the accei^tance of the provis¬ ions of the Act. H. T. Welles and O. C. Alerriman declining to serve, Eugene AI. Wilson and Samuel H. Chute were ap¬ pointed in their ])laces. The favor with which the commission was received was almost immediately exemplified in the gifts of lauds presented in various ])arts of the city, and of which the cnfoi'ccd lim¬ its of this article will only permit brief mention, and that this good opinion has been maintained is best evidenced in the increasing number and greater value of the donations of park area during 1890. The magnificent gifts made during 1890 of Col. W. S. King and the Lakewood Cemetery people, being worth over a cpiarter of a million dollars.

On the 14th day of Alareh, 1883, the several persons named as Park Commis¬ sioners in the Act, having been requested to meet for the purpose of organization by the mayor of the citx', and a majoritx' having qualified as required by the Park Act,eonvened at the max'or's office and or¬ ganized the board Iw designating Charles AI. Loifing as president - which office he has held, to the credit of the board and the advancement of its interests in this department, continuously to the x^ear 1892 - Albert A. Ames,xfice-president, and Rufus J. Baldxvin, secretary. Andrexv C. Haugan hax'ing sid^sequently resigned, and Benjamin F. Nelson haxdng ceased to be an ex-officio commissioner. Air. Nelson xx'as appointed to fill the'xmcancx' and Nathan H. Roberts qualified as his ex-officio successor. Having completed its organization, the board adjourned to axx'ait the action of the legal voters of the city upon the acceptance of the Act, xx'hich, under the fifteenth section, xx'as sidnnitted to them at the regular city election on the first Tuesday in April.

All the poxx^ers granted in the Act having thus been confirmed by the x'ote of the people, the board again met on the 18th of April, and, haxfing adopted rules for the conduct of its business, pro¬ ceeded, through the action of commit¬ tees and 1)3" stated xveeklx" meetings, to execute the trust confided to it.

The Citx' Council, bx' a resolution adopted April 27th, turned ox'cr all the public parks of the citx" to this board for care. These tracts consisted, in addition to Alurphx' and Franklin Steele Squares, alrcad v mentioned, of a triangular l)loek in the fourth xvard, bounded bx' Linden and Hawthorne avennes and Thirteenth street north, obtained during the pre¬ vious year by condemnation, at a cost of $15,503.50 (of which sum $6,737.50 was contributed - by citizens who were interested in the improvement) and which had been named Hawthorne Park, but which the board has since named Wilson Park, in honor of its most effi¬ cient member, the late Hon. E. M. Wil¬ son ; and also a tract consisting of 21 subdivided lots of block 39, St. Anthony Falls, situated in the second ward, be¬ tween Second and Ortman streets, which had been conveyed to the city of St. An¬ thony in 1869 by the St. Anthony Falls Water Power Compan3% in exchange for bonds of said city, issued to aid in the preservation of the Falls of St. Anthony, and which had been named Market Square. These lands composed what is now a portion of the site of the Exposi¬ tion building.

Soon after the organization of the board. Dr. Jacob S. Elliot, a former res¬ ident of the city, but then living at Santa Monica, California, proffered, as a dona¬ tion, that valuable block in the Fifth ward, bounded by Ninth and Tenth streets south, and by Ninth and Tenth avenues south, which had been known as Elliot Gardens, tipon the condition that it should be graded and improved, and forever maintained by the citr- as a public park, and to be kept in proper condition and order as such, for the ben¬ efit of the public. The donation having been accepted by the board on the 14th day of Jidjq 1883, the park thus acquired was named "Elliot Park.'' A subse¬ quent enlargement was made to this property Iw the purchase of the adjoin¬ ing fractional block 7, of Nelson's Addi¬ tion, owned by the Homeoepathic Hos¬ pital, which was transferred to the cit^^ for a consideration of $20,000 ; and by this purchase the northerly limits of the

Jacob Smith Elliot. - John Elliot, who translated the bible into the Indian language, and whose fame as the "Apostle to the Indians'' is world wide, was ac¬ companied to America in 1631 by sev¬ eral brothers, one of whom settled in New Hampshire, and is supposed to be the ancestor of Dr. J. S. Elliot. His grandfather was Jonathan Elliot, of Epping, N. H., afterwards of Pembroke. He served in the Revolutionary war in the early expedition against Canada, in the regiment of Col. Daniel Moores. He was honorably discharged July 22, 1776. His name is prominently mentioned in the records of the town. He had a son, John, born at Epping, N. H., November 11, 1764. He was a farmer, living at Northwood, N. H., and had a familj^ of seven sons, of whom Dr. J. S. Elliot was the youngest. He was born August 10, 1808. When four years old the famiE removed to Coriana, Maine, where Dr. Elliot grew to manhood and resided for forty-three years, and until his removal to Minneapolis. Coriana was, at the time the family took up a residence there, thirty miles in the woods. In such a new and isolated country school advant¬ ages were poor, and only a few weeks each year could he attend the neighbor¬ hood school ; but he had a strong desire for knowledge, and eagerly read ever\- book which could be borrowed in the community. The first book which he possessed was Webster's Dictionaiw, bought with money earned in binding shingles, at which he was an expert. In early manhood he started a small store, which was the gathering place of the people to discuss the events of the da}'. Soon he acquired an interest in a lumber mill. To dispose of the product he made trijis to Bangor with shingles, bringing

The country was new, and the peojjle laborious and hard pressed to get a liv¬ ing, and the conduct of a business which became extensive, recpiired great caution and skill. Dr. Elliot was so successfvd that he had accumulated a capital of $40,000 when he closed his business in Maine; which for that day and region was regarded as a rare achievement. The arduous labor and fatiguing jour¬ neys affected his health so that he be¬ came unable, for months together, to attend to business. The only ph3'sician in the region resided at a distance of several miles, so that Dr. Elliot was led to stud\' medicine, with a view to his own treatment. He read all the medi¬ cal books which he could obtain, and applied treatment to himself, with such advantage that within a \'ear his health was quite restored. The subject of medi¬ cine interested and fascinated him. Soon the neighbors called him in to attend their sick. It was not long before he was recognized as a skillful and success¬ ful practitioner. He adopted the Thomp¬ sonian school of medicine, and during all the 3'ears thereafter, until the time of his last illness, he was a faithful disciple of his chosen school.

In 1832 he was happily married to Miss Sarah Walker Moore. Seven chil¬ dren were born to them, all of whom are living, except a daughter, who died at the age of two \'ears.

His children, born in Maine, who ac¬ companied him to Minneapolis, were Wyman, Adolphus E., Jacob R., and Frank M.; and daughters, now Mrs. John M. Shaw and George W. Shuman.

was a conspicuous figure among its bus\' citizens. His name is indissolubh' con¬ nected with the eit3" in Elliot I'ark, the greater part of which was his gift. He arrived in Minneapolis wdth his famih^ in the spring of 1855, and purchased the pre-emption claim whieh had been made bj' Dr. Hezekiah Fletcher, and sold Inhim to John L. Tenne\'. Upon this he built a brick residence, which at the time was the finest in the town. When the growth of the city had reached this tract, it was platted and laid out as J. S. and W. Elliot's addition to Minneap¬ olis, and is now in the ver\' heart of the residence part of the city.

Dr. Elliot brought to his new home considerable capital, besides a ripe ex¬ perience in affairs. He invested freeh^ in various enterprises, among which was an interest in the water-power at the Falls, becoming an incorporator and one of the early directors of the Minne¬ apolis Mill Compan\\ He engaged in the practice of medicine, using chieff\' botanical remedies, and shared with Drs. A. E. Ames and Anderson in ministering to the sick of the city.

After the death of his wife, in 1875, his famih' having grown up and settled in life, he removed to the Pacific Coast. But he did not lose his interest in the city where his property was situated. Soon after the organization of the Park Board, he announced to a member of the commission his desire to bestow the tract of land in front of his residence, known as Elliot's Gardens, provided the city would receive and improve it, and main¬ tain it perpetualh' as a public park. This the board gladly accepted, and, with an addition of land purchased from the Homeopathic hospital, estab¬ lished the Elliot Park. It was the first donation of land whieh the Park Board had received, and, with the exception ot the square in the southern part of the city, dedicated by the late Edward Mur¬ phy, was the first park established in the city. It was at once improved by filling the low parts, excavating a large basin for a fountain, and jfianting trees. The beautiful and much resorted-to spot will remain as an enduring monument of the generosity and taste of one of our early settlers, and will perpetuate, perhajjs, when other monuments have crumbled into dust, the name of Elliot.

After removing to California, Dr. Elliot settled at Santa Monica, on the shore of the Pacific, when he again mar¬ ried, and surrounded himself with fruits and flowers, those solaces of declining life. In December of 1891 his children, with their children, visited him, to join in the commemoration of the Christmas festival. Soon after this happy re-union he sickened, and in the following April passed from life. His mortal remains were brought to Minneapolis and laid to rest in the charming Lakewood ceme¬ tery.

Impressed with the conviction that the intent and spirit of the Park Act charged the Board with providing a sys¬ tem of x)ublic parks and park-wa3'S, be¬ fore proceeding further than to perfect its organization it called to its aid Prof. H. W. S. Cleveland, a landscape archi¬ tect of long experience and great reputa¬ tion in his profession, who visited the city and, after a thorough examination of its topography and consideration of its present needs, as well as its futui'e re¬ quirements, predicated upon its rajrid growth and marvelous expansion, and after full conference with the board, em¬ bodied his conclusions in a paper enti¬ tled : "Suggestions for a System of

Parks and Parkway's for the City of Minneapolis," which was read at a meet¬ ing of the board on the 2()th of June, 1883, and was by the board published.

While the suggestions offered by Prof. Cleveland in his pamphlet have b\' neces¬ sity been mircli modified, and the sugges¬ tion as to the connection between our river-bank boulevards (which were then outlined by him) and a system about the lakes has been pushed back from Lake street to Minnehaha creek, j'et it seems to the writer, after a lapse of nearly seven years since this first ad¬ dress, that the mistakes of the board are largely attributable to the fact that the3^havenot sincefollowed more closeh' the outline of the plan which was then mapped out Iw him. It is certainh' a matter of deep I'egret, not onh^ to the residents of the east side, but to our whole cit3q that the project for securing a park on the east side of the river, just below the University, and skirting the river banks opposite Riverside Park, was not secured by the Board when this pro¬ ject was in contemplation; and the longer neglect to secure the greater portion of the river banks Iwthe two cities, so that the3' may come together upon park lines, and before their beauty has been marred by additional stone quarries and other unsightly features, will, I am sure, be re¬ garded as only less than criminal 1)3^ posterity.

We owe moi'e to Pi'of. Cleveland than is generally appreciated, because of his efforts in keeping our park development as close as possible to nature. He has insisted, from the first, that where nature has done so much in the embellishment of our landscape with natural lakes and wooded hills, with generous streams and winding glens, we should ap])roach these things with reverent hands.

The appreciation of benefits, which come to abutting propert3^ from the de¬ velopment of park areas, is perhaps best illusti'ated in the fact that of the twentv- nine parks now owned by the city, em¬ bracing a total area of 1,232 acres, six¬ teen of these parks, amounting to 870 acres, have been acquired by gift, only leaving 365 acres of purchased area. The value of lands given are estimated by the city appraiser at $1,775,000.00. Figuring our population on the basis of 170,000, this gives us only one acre of park area to ever3^ 149 persons ; and when we consider that of this area of 1,133 acres 466 acres is water, and that of the balance 240 acres have been secured within a year by the acquisition of lands at Minnehaha, Glenwood Park and elsewhere, and 174 acres of the bal¬ ance of the lands acquired by gift, we are certainl3aiot amenable to the accusation which has gone out in some directions against members of the Park Board that we are "park mad."

Contrasting our park area per capita with that of other American cities we find that Philadelphia has one acre of park to every 200 inhabitants ; Chicago has the same proportion; Washington, one acre to ever3^ 150 of its population ; St. Louis, one acre to every 167 ; Boston, a like area to every 190; Buffalo, to every 258, and San Francisco, to every 211 - while Paris pleads guilty to an acre of park to every 13 of its inhabitants.

Prof. Cleveland in an address delivered in this cit3" to the Minneapolis Societ3^of Fine Arts in the year 1888, and from which I shall take frequent opportunit3" to quote, charmingly sets forth the at¬ tractions of Paris, in terms so appropri¬ ate and forcible that I quote his language as the best illustration of m3' meaning :

"Not only that the scholar, the scien¬ tist, the artist, the investigator of what¬ ever branch of knowledge the mind may crave, will find in Paris such opportuni¬ ties and appliances for the prosecution of his studies or the indulgence of his tastes as are no where else so abundant.

or so easily accessible ; but the machiner3' of daily life in all its details is clothed in beauty, and relieved of the sense of jar¬ ring friction, which grinds the nerves, and rests the ' wear and tear' of body and soul.

"The annual increase to the winter population of Paris exceeds 100,000, and of course the larger portion are people of abundant means. If eaeh of these visitors expended only $500 it would add $50,000,000 to the city's annual income. If one cares for no higher object it is evident that on pecuniar3^ grounds alone it is desirable to make the cit3' at¬ tractive.

"An interesting illustration of the benefits derived, both to the general treasur3' and to the property specifically benefited 133' park improvements, is furn¬ ished b3' the Back Bay Improvement of the City of Boston, as reported by the commissioners in their report 1882 :

The assessor's valuation of the estate upon which betterments were assessed for the 3'earl877, not including buildings, was $11,143,751, and for the 3'ear 1882 the same property was assessed $20,847,500, making a total increase in assessed valuation of $9,703,749.

The amount of betterments assessed upon the lands contiguous to the improvements was $428,- 833.76, "suggesting," say the commissioners, "that the amount assessed was far below the ac¬ tual benefit derived from laying out the park.

Scknk In Fairview Park

This statement shows that nearly the whole eost of the park, ineltiding its improvement, was re-imbnrsed within five years from its inception.

The increase in the value of surrounding prop¬ erty b_v park improvements, even while they are in their inception, is illustrated by the facts developed in the operations of this board during the past season.

While the Minneapolis Board was deliberating ui)on the lands for Loring Park in the month of June, it made incpiiries respecting the price for which the Cole and Weeks re-arrangement of lots I and J of J. S. Johnson's addition could be ac¬ quired. It was ascertainea that the property would cost $25,000. The board did not deem that it would be justified in acquiring the tract at that cost, and did not include it in the designation of lands for the park.

Having determined to assess the entire cost o the Loring Park upon the lands especiallj" bene¬ fited by it, the assessors, appointed by the court, assessed upon the Cole and Weeks tract the sum of $2,295, as its proportion of benefits.

Plaving received petitions from a number of citizens interested in the locality asking to have the Cole and Weeks tract included in the park, the board in January appointed appraisers to ascer¬ tain its then value, who, .after examination and hearing testimony, submitted their report ap¬ praising the pro]3erty, exclusive of buildings, at the sum of $4-3,700, showing an increase in value within six months after the location of the park of seventj'-five per cent.

In view of these facts, a demand has recently been made by the committee of ways and means of the council, upon the city assessor, for the value of our public improvements ; and while it is not our purpose to make anj^ invidious com¬ parisons, yet, as a member of the Park Board for more than half the time it has been in operation, the writer feels a natural pride in the showing made by this department of the city government.

The cost and value of the parks, as furnished by the assessor, are as follows: Amount of Park bonds issued, $688,000; general tax collections, $291,984.45; from which has come the interest ac¬ count on bonds, fixed charges for care, and maintenance and salaries of employ¬ ees. Thus making an average for seven

And while the act provides that this Board shall be entitled to one mill per annum ; realizing the pressing needs of the other departments upon their re¬ sources, it has never called, with a single exception, for but one-half mill until the present y'^ear, which would make a differ¬ ence, on an average valuation of $100,- 000,000 for five years of $250,000 in its resources. But with the growing needs of the commission, and the constantly increasing scope of its work, and the ne¬ cessity of keeping faith in improving the areas which have been so liberally do¬ nated, and of improving other areas, for which large assessments for betterments have been made upon adjoining property in their acquisition, this ratio of taxation cannot, injustice, be longer maintained, and we shall have to demand for at least a brief term, the amount "nominated in the bond." This can possibly be avoided in the future to some extent by amending the law so that future deferred paj'- ments, which are now assessed in annual installments for ten years upon benefitted property, shall draw a small inter¬ est to provide in some measure for the 4V2 per cent, interest which the majority of the bonds issued by the park commis¬ sion already draw, and which interest account has to be provided for out of the resources of the board.

The principal acejuisitions of the first board were the purchase of Central (now Loring) Park, 33.50 acres, lying in the heart of the city; Prospect (now Fairview) Park, 20.52 acres embracing a beautiful wooded hill in what is now tlie Tenth ward of the cityq and upon the summit of which hill has since been erected a handsome stone tower, which overlooks almost the entire city; Riverside Park, in the Sixth ward, con- taining 19.78 acres, embracing the wooded banks of the river and a slop¬ ing terrace above, and which, though less resorted to by great numbers of our people living in the western part of the cit}", is In' far the most picturcsc(uc of all the tracts secured Iw the board at that time, and on the opposite side of the river, Washbuni Park, a tract of 10.8 acres, in what is now the Ninth ward.

Chari.es Morgridge Coring. The family' name of Loring is not uncommon in New England. It has been derived from Thomas Loring, an carl}' emigrant from England. Many of his descendants have been eminent in professional life, especially as ministers and teachers. The grandfather of C. M. Loring was a fa¬ mous teacher in Portland, Maine, where he was known as Master Loring. His son. Captain Horace Loring, was a sea¬ faring man, voyaging to the West In¬ dies. He married a daughter of James W3'lie, of Portland. Their son was born at Portland, Nov. 13, 1832, where his infancy and early boyhood was passed. His father took him while 3'et a lad on his vo3'agcs, and destined him to be a navigator. He became mate on his fath¬ er's ship, and spent some time in Cuba; but he did not like the ocean with its isolation and rough experiences, and, to the great disappointment of his friends, he rclincjuished that which was the height of ever}' Maine bo3''s ambition, the sure ju'ospect of becoming a sea cap¬ tain, for a life on land, and started for the West. He located at Chicago in 1856, and engaged in the wholesale bus¬ iness with the famous wheat speculator, B. P. Hutchinson.

Owing to ill-health, Mr. Loring re¬ moved to Minneapolis, and, through the kindly aid of his friend Loren Fletcher, he secured a situation with 1). Morrison in his lumber business as manager of his supph' store; but in 1861 he joined Mr. Fletcher in the general merchandise busi¬ ness, under the firm name of L. Fletcher & Co., which firm is still in existence and the oldest in Minneapolis. The firm was prosperous and developed into about the heaviest in the cit}'.

In 1868, Messrs. Loring and Fletcher joined the late W. F. Cahill in the pur¬ chase of the Holl}^ mill, and, under the st3de of W. F. Cahill & Co. it was ope¬ rated b}' them vintil 1872, when W. H. and F. S. Hinkle bought them out. The firm then bought the Galaxy mill, of Ankeu}' Bros., and successfully operated it for a long time. In 1873, Messrs. Lor¬ ing and Fletcher also became the princi¬ pal owners of the Minnetonka mill, located near Lake Minnetonka. Since 1880 Mr. Loring has not given an}' special attention to his investments in the milling business, but has rather de¬ pended upon his son, A. C. Loring, to relieve him in this direction. However, it should not be inferred that he has led an inactive life during the intervening period, for nothing could be farther from the truth. He is a large owner of I'eal estate and other kindred property, to which it has been necessar}' to give con¬ siderable attention, and the various offi¬ cial positions which he has held have also drawn on his time. Mr. Loring's identification with the park system of Minneapolis constitutes his most con¬ spicuous, as it will be the most enduring, memento of his public service. His love of nature, his taste for rural embellish¬ ment, expressed in tree planting and in stirrounding several residences which he had erected with arboral beaut}', were well recognized characteristics ; so that when the first Board of Park Commis¬ sioners was selected, his name headed the list. Upon the organization of the Board, in 1883, although at the time absent in Europe, he was selected by his colleagues as President of the Commis¬ sion, and held the position by annual elections until his retirement in 1890. The position was without compensa¬ tion, but he gave to it his thought, and unstinted time. His labor was born of enthusiasm and love of rural art. In the seleetion of locations for the first parks, his views were far more compre¬ hensive than those of a majority of his colleagues, who have already realized in lost opportunities their own lack of ap¬ preciation. Most of the projeets which have given the city such a magnificent system of inter-connected parks and boulevards, were marked out by him. In full sympathy with the accomplished landscape arehitect. Prof. H.W.S. Cleve¬ land, and with the official park superintendant, Mr. Wm. M. Berrj", and cordi¬ ally seconded in his efforts by his col¬ leagues of the Park Board, Mr. Boring had the satisfaction of seeing, during his connection with the Board, the system so far perfected as to ensure it from fail¬ ure, and commanding the most complete approval of the people. Before his re¬ tirement the Board, in spite of hisremonstranee, gave his name to the central gem of the system ; and Boring Park will, through the years to come, perpet¬ uate the name and honorable service of the first president of the Park Commis¬ sion.

Mr. Boi'ing was also appointed one of the eommissioners of the State Park at Minnehaha, and was selected as pres¬ ident of the Board, and through his effi¬ cient aid the lands were selected and secured ; and the incomparable tract eventually beeame a part of the park system of Minneapolis.

Mr. Boring was one of the projectors of the North Ameriean Telegi'aph Companj^, and, since its organization in 1885, has continuoush^ held the office of president. In 1886, he was elected pres¬ ident of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, and was suecessively elected each year until 1890, when an unconditional refusal to serve again was all that prevented his re-eleetion for the fifth time. In recogni¬ tion of his services in behalf of the board, the members secured a fine portrait of Mr. Boring which they presented to the board of direetors with the request that it be hung in the direetors' room.

Previous to the organization of the Northwestern Consolidated Milling Co., Mr. Boring was part owner of the Gal¬ axy mill, having been thus interested for nearly twent}^ years, and on the consol¬ idation of this and five other mills under the one company, he was made a direc¬ tor of the same and still retains that office. He is director of the Syndicate Insuranee Co., the Minnesota Boan and Trust Co., the Minnesota Title Insur¬ ance Co., and is also offieially identified with various financial and other sub¬ stantial institutions of the eity.

Mr. Boi'ing is of a most sunny dispo¬ sition and is always genial, hearty and ready to extend a word of eneouragement and good eheer to all with whom he comes in eontact, whether of high or low position. It naturally follows that he is one of the most popular men in Minneapolis. Never of very rugged eonstitution, he has in late years found it desirable, owing to the severe weather of Minnesota, to spend his winters on the Pacifie coast, and at Riverside, Cal., he is"owner of an extensive fruit ranch. In the pursuit of health or recreation he has traveled much in Europe, as well as in his own countriq and wherever he goes it has been his habit to make obser¬ vations whieh can be made useful in add¬ ing beauty or utility to the eity of his home. With the methodical habits of the successful business man, he eombines an artistic sense, which has served to refine and soften his eharaeter. Positive in opinion, deeided in eonvietion, he is yet kindly and eourteous. His tastes are seholarly and he delights in good lit¬ erature. At the same time the social side of his character makes him a pleas¬ ant companion and an attached friend. In politics he is Republican, though by no means a bigoted partisan. In relig¬ ion he is liberal, reverant and tolerant.

Mr. Loring married in early life. His wife was Emily S. Grosman, of Port¬ land, Maine, who still shares with him in domestic life. Their only child is Al¬ bert C. Loi'ing, who is himself one of the enterprising 3^oung business men o the city.

The attempt was made at this time to secure an area about and embracing Lake Harriet, but this was temporarily abandoned because of the unreasonable valuations placed upon lands at that time by the owners. This project was, however, subsequentl3^ consumated ; all the land, except a very small tract, was donated to the Board, and is now consid¬ ered one of the finest features of our city. The board subsequently obtained a strip of land entirely encircling Lake of the Isles, connected by two systems of boulevards with Lake Calhoun, and along the east side of the lake, from Lake street to the county road, leading di¬ rectly from the termination of the Cal¬ houn boulevard to Lake Harriet boule¬ vard.

The year 1889 was perhaps the most prolific in the acquisition of pai'k lands. Realizing the necessit3^ for the completion of its system the Park Board secured the lands now owned by Joseph Dean and Judge Ueland, embracing all the lands lying between the county road mentioned and Lakewood Cemetery, and the Lakes Calhoun and Haridet. These lands are accessible by means of drives along the boulevards, and are inter¬ sected by the electric line before reaching the pavilion. These Idnds include about twenty -seven acres, and complete the system between the lakes. Principally through the agenc3" and good offices of George A. Brackett and C. M. Loring, a gift from the Lakewood Cemetery Asso¬ ciation has been secured, of all their lands Hing south of the present ceme¬ tery fence and between the two lakes. This tract has further been added to by a gift of forty acres by the Hon. W. S. King, who has always been foremost in the development of our public matters.

A tract of seventy odd acres, known as Glenwood Park, has been purchased by the Board under a new plan, of assess¬ ment bonds. The lands lie in the Fourth ward, between Cedar lake road and Western avenue, and consist of beauti¬ ful wooded glens and hillsides embracing a charming lake of about five acres in a rapidly developing portion of the cit3', and, from the contour of the land, spe¬ cially adapted for park purposes.

The acquisition, however, of Minne¬ haha Falls, and embracing 178 acres sur¬ rounding them, reaching from Minne¬ haha avenue on the west to the river bank, and Fort Snelling on the south to Forty-eighth street on the north, being the chief acquisition of our system up to this time, calls for a more extended discus¬ sion of how it came to be acquired. The historic and poetic interest which have been associated with this beautiful spot whose tuneful roar Father Henne¬ pin heard in the distance, as he ascended the Mississippi, is not all that this tract has to recommend it. A walk over its area reveals beauties at every step.

The thickl3" wooded groves ; the shad¬ ed lawns; the springs of pure water; the shaded glens^ with their rocky sides ; the laughing brook threading its way to the Father of Waters, all combine to make of the whole area an ideal park. No special plan for its improvement has yet been agreed upon, but it is safe to say in a general way, that with the ex¬ ception of a driveway along the west bank of the creek, and of the river to the southern boundr3^ of the park, and an¬ other winding along the glen to the Soldier's Home, the whole area will be reserved for pedestrians.

The then secretarv of the Minneap¬ olis Park Board prepared a bill for the acquisition of a state park at Minne¬ haha Falls, which, having been sub¬ mitted to the Board of Trade of Minne¬ apolis and approved, was introduced in the house b3^ the Hon. O. J. Evans. It asked no appropriation except $1,000 for expenses, but authorized the selection of suitable lands for a park, surrounding Minnehaha Falls, the ascertainment of their value by appraisal, and a report of proceedings when completed for the fur¬ ther action of the legislature. The St. Paul delegation in the legislature being engaged in securing an act for the loca¬ tion of the state fair grounds within the limits of that cit3", while not pressing the park measure, refrained from oppos¬ ing it, and it passed with little opposi¬ tion. Commissioners were appointed, consisting of Charles M. Loring, presi¬ dent of the park board, as president; George A. Brackett; William Van Slyke, of St. Paul, and ex-Governor Yale, of Winona. These commissioners were authorized to select appraisers who should value these lands. The gentle¬ men selected for this purpose were Elwood S. Corser and W. A. Barnes, of Minneapolis, and Peter Berkey, of St. Paid - gentlemen whose long resi¬ dence and experience in real estate values specialh" qualified them for this impor¬ tant work. The property holders, how¬ ever, whose jiroperty it was contem¬ plated should be taken b3Hhis appraisal.

not being satisfied with the award, ap¬ pealed to the district court as provided in the act. The court finding no suffi¬ cient reasons for setting aside the awards made b3Hhe appraisers, confirmed them; thereupon an ajDpeal was taken to the supreme court, which body confirmed the decision of the lower court. This litigation was maintained during the session of the legislature of 1887, and the supreme court not having yet ren¬ dered its decision no report of the com¬ missioners was made at that session. The repoi't, however, with the award was given to the legislature of 1889. It was soon learned that the finances of the state were not in condition to war¬ rant the purchase of these lands at that time. The Park Board of Minneapolis, . however, feeling that it would be sacri¬ lege to have these lands again revert to their former use and occupation, and that this magnificent propert3' should be lost to the cit3' and state for park pur¬ poses, through the Hennepin Count3' members of the legislature made a prof¬ fer to the state to furnish the funds (amounting to $100,000) for the pa3'- ment of these lands - less a tract of 55 acres which had been selected b3' the commissioners appointed, for the loca¬ tion of the Soldiers' Home, and which had been taken from a portion of the lands previously designated b3'the state. This 55 acres spoken of had been pur¬ chased by the Cit3' of Minneapolis and given to the State of Minnesota for the location of the Soldier's Home; and Minneapolis, ever true to its promises, pledged to the commissioners appointed for the location of the home, that if the state did not see fit, or was not able to secure the balance of these lands desig¬ nated for park purposes, the city would do so. In confirmation of this promise such a proffer was made to the legisla¬ ture, and thereupon the city, through its nia^'or and the president of the cit\^ eoiineil, having deposited the $100,000 with the state treasurer to meet the neeessary appropriation for the payment of these lands, an act was passed accepting the award of the appraisers and turning the lands over to the city.

The value of this acquisition will im¬ press our people more fully when the in¬ creased facilities for reaching these grounds, which are now under way, are completed.

One factor which the writer is spec¬ ially' desirous of impressing upon our people is the difference in the distribu¬ tion of monies expended upon our park sy'stem and the erection of our public buildings, for instance. The secretary's books show that sevent\'-six per cent, of all our revenues go to labor account alone, which go into the hands of our merchants, manufacturers and banks, and remains at home; while in the erec¬ tion of a public building the expendi¬ tures are distributed about as follows : The money for structural iron goes to Pittsburgh ; glass to Pittsburgh or St. Louis ; lime to Red Wing or Sheboygan ; slate to Maine or Pennsydvania ; hair to Chicago ; bronze trimmings to New Haven or Ansonia, Conn. ; tiling to Ohio or Europe; tin roofing to Chicago, press brick to St. Louis or Philadelphia ; gas fittings to New York City or St. Louis; furniture to Grand Rapids, Mich.; car¬ pets to Hartford or Lowell; ornamental iron to Chicago; book racks to Louisville; radiators to Baltimore; linoleum to New England ; electric apparatus to New Jersey, while we simply stop a little toll on the construction,

The fact that the Board has met so little adverse criticism and such general approval is owing largely to the effi¬ ciency and skill of the superintendent, W. M. Berry', who came here in April, 1885, and the kindness and considera¬ tion with which their efforts to accom¬ plish much with small resources has been so frec[uently' acknowledged and considerately commented upon by' the public press. North and Southeast Min¬ neapolis should at once have procured for them a series of small parks connec¬ ted by' a line of boulevard, before values further increase.

While with the completion of Alinnehaha Boulevard from Lake Harriet to the Falls, the securing of a portion of the river bank and a drive from the State Park to Riverside, making a con¬ tinuous parkway from Loring Park, embracing the lakes, Minnehaha and the river banks of fifteen miles, thence north by theLyndale avenue connection to the city' water works. As the city' is well served must it not also contemplate fu¬ ture needs? Philadelphia was com¬ pelled to secure both banks of the Schuylkill for many' miles to protect its water supply' from contamination and thus secured her beavxtiful Riverside Park; must we not contemplate the same thing in the not distant future? And would it not be well for our health and water departments to consider this proposition and arrange with the pres¬ ent representatives in the legislature to negotiate with the Anoka County Rep¬ resentatives for legislation to secure the east river bank above the pumping station before improvements are made or nuisances created ? Should the pres¬ ent Congress conclude to park the 1,700 acres embraced in the Fort Snelling Reservation, for which a bill has been introduced and favorably' reeommended by' the Secretaiw of War, as the government has done with the Precidio in San Francisco, at Fort Levenworth, Rock Island, Buffalo, Governor's Island and other military' posts, it would nearly double our park area. Let us consider the completion of this outline. Over

4,000 acres of parks, embracing both banks of the "Father of Waters,'' as picturesque in reaehes as the historie Rhine, the poetic Minnehahabut a pleas¬ ing tributary. Skirting the Minnesota upon the south with its meadows and timbered bluffs, cireling the sparklingwaters of Harriet and Calhoun and climbing their wooded slopes, placing the most distant home of every resident of our eity within a mile of a park or parkway, meeting our sister cities upon the southeast and north upon park lines, and all this at an expenditure of less than two million dollars, seventy-five per cent, of whieh eost is recovered in special assessments for betterments.

No eity of the New or Old World would have at any eost a system so ex¬ tensive in natural features, varied beauty, historic or poetic interest.

The sites of St. Anthony and Minne¬ apolis presented few topographical diffi¬ culties in the laying out of streets. So far as the original town plats extended, the system adopted was simple and eomplete. Whatever ineongruities now exist have arisen from the additions which have not always been laid with due re¬ gard to uniformity of system or eontinuity of eonnection. Yet in almost every ease the jfiats have been laid by ehain and eompass of the surveyor, and not left, as in some old towns, to follow the eow paths or sheep trails.

The eity lies in a shallow basin, through which the Mississippi river flows with low banks until the Falls are reaehed ; then in a deeper ehannel, but with banks rising abruptly from the ehannel to the general level of the basin. From the river banks the land rises in searcelj^ pereeptible slopes to an en¬ circling line of Ijluffs from three to five miles apart from east to west. Through this basin flows the great river, entering the eity in a due south eourse, making a bend at Bassett's creek to the east, turning almost due east Ijelow the Falls and leaving the eity in a southeasterly eourse. The original town plats, the town of St. Anthony and St. Anthony City on the East Side, and the town of Minneapolis on the west, were surveyed for the pro]Drietors by William R. Mar¬ shall, and were laid out with a liberality and adaptation to a large growth, which betokens an almost prophetic spirit. The general eourse of the streets paralleled the ifiver, with intersecting streets starting from the river as a base at right angles. This arrangement r.endered an angle neeessary to follow the general eourse of the river, which was made at Central avenue on the East Side and Hennepin avenue on the west. This point was designated by the early eommunication aeross the river, first the rope ferry, and afterwards the suspen¬ sion bridge. From the west end of the bridge the old territorial road took a westerly covirse over the bluffs and aeross the intervening prairie to the nar¬ row passage between lakes Calhoun and Isles and Cedar, and thenee to Eden Prairie and Bloomington. This was adapted as the line of Hennepin avenue. In the original plats blocks were laid off eontaining ten quarter-acre lots,eaeh lot sixty-six by one hundred and sixtyfive feet. On the East side the prineipal streets were laid eighty feet in width, with others sixty -six and sixty feet. On the west side Hennepin and Washington avenues were g-iven a width of one hundred feet, while the others were made eighty feet. In the later additions. Park avenue was laid one hundred feet, while many streets are only sixty feet. The longest streets in a direct line are Lyndale avenue and Lake street. The former is a due north and south street, from Shingle ereek, north of the eity limits, to the Minnesota river south of them, over sixteen miles. The latter, which is numerically the thirtieth from the river at the Falls, runs from the west bank of the river due west to the north end of Lake Calhoun, a distance of five miles. Washington avenue has about the same lenth from Cedar avenue, its eastern terminus to the north limits of the cit\^ though its direction follows the general course of the river. Minnehaha avenue is a fine thoroughfare, running from Cedar avenue to the Minnehaha creek, one hundred feet in width, and straight except a single curve towards its eastern extremity.

On both sides of the river the streets running parallel to the river were desig¬ nated numerically, except Washington avenue, which intervened between Sec¬ ond and Third streets. Those running perpendicularly to the river were given arbitrary names. On the East Side, north of Central avenue, the streets bare the following names in succession : Lin¬ den, Ash, Market, Todd, Dana, Wood, St. Paul, St. Anthony, St. Peter, St. Martin, St. Genevive, Brewery, Lake, Vine, Madison, and Grape. South of Central avenue the names were Banks, Mill, Pine, Cedar, Spruce, Spring, Maple, Walnut, Ash, Birch, Willow and Elm.

On the west side, north of Hennepin avenue, the names were Utah, Kansas, Itasca, Dakota, Nebraska, Harrison, Cross, Laurel, Marcy, Benton, Fremont, Clayton, Brigham, Breckenridge, Cass, Douglas, Buchanan, Christmas, How¬ ard, Clay, Mary Anne and King.

South of Hennepin avenue were Nicol¬ let, Minnehaha, Hellen, Oregon, Cali¬ fornia, Marshall, Cataract, Russell, Ames, Rice, Smith, Pearl, Huy, Hanson, Lake, Vine, Clay, Avon, Cedar, Aspen, Oak, Walnut, Elm, Maple, Pine, Spruce, Willow, Birch and Orange.