CHAPTER XXIV.

EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1854.

INCORPORATION OF THE CITY-THE FIRST CITY ELECTION-E. S. GOODRICH PURCHASES THE "PIONEER"-THE GREAT RAILROAD EXCURSION-BALL AND FESTIVITIES AT THE CAPITOL-BURNING OF THE SINTOMINE HOTEL-EXTRAORDINARY BUFFALO HUNT-EXECUTION OF YU-HA-ZEE FOR MURDER.

THE

HE fifth session of the Minnesota Legislature assembled in the new Capitol for the first time. The year 1854 witnessed entirely new coalitions. Ramsey county was represented this year by Wм. P. MURRAY* and ISAAC VAN ETTEN,† in the Council; and WM. NOOт, WM. A. DAVIS, Louis BARTLETT, JOHN H. DAY, and LEVI SLOAN, in the House.

LEGISLATION AFFECTING SAINT PAUL.

Not much private legislation affecting Saint Paul was made during this session. Among the acts we notice the following: To incorporate the German Reading Society. Approved, February 23.

*Hon. WM. P. MURRAY was born in Hamilton, Ohio, June 21, 1827. He attended the law school of Indiana University, and graduated in 1849, having also previously studied for that profession. He came to Saint Paul in December, 1849, and is now one of the oldest lawyers in Minnesota. He has also filled a number of official positions. He was a member of the Territorial House of 1852 and 1853, Council in 1854 and 1855, (the latter year President) of the House of 1857, and Constitutional Convention the same year, member of the House in 1863, Senate in 1866 and 1867, House in 1868, and Senate again in 1875 and 1876-eleven sessions in all. He has also been a County Commissioner, and member of the City Council continuously since 1859, except about 18 months, while he was absent in South America. No man in our county has been so honored with positions of this kind as Mr. MURRAY, and, it may be said, no man has been more faithful, attentive and hard-working as a legislator or alderman, than he, and fully deserves his remarkable popularity. In 1857, the now flourishing county of Murray was named for him.

ISAAC VAN ETTEN was a native of Orange county, New York, and studied law with Judge WILKIN, father of Hon. W. WILKIN. He was admitted to the bar in 1851, and at once came to Minnesota. He was Adjutant General of the Territory from 1852 to 1858-a member of the Territorial Council 1853 and 1854, and State Senate 1857-8. He was a law partner for some time of Col. ALEX. WILKIN, and afterwards of MICHAEL E. AMES, and Capt. HARVEY OFFICER, until 1865, and subsequently of Judge L. EMMETT in 1872. He died December 29, 1873, aged 45 years.

To incorporate a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in Saint Paul. Approved, March 3.

To incorporate the Saint Paul Bridge Company. Approved, March 4. But the most important law concerning our city was the

ACT OF INCORPORATION

of the City of Saint Paul," approved March 4, 1854. The territory embraced in the corporate limits was but a small fraction of that ample territory to which it is now grown, being not over 2,400 acres in all. Three wards were created, and much the same officers and general regulations that our present city charter provides for.

THE FIRST CITY ELECTION

under the new charter was held on April 4. was the result:

Democrat.

The following

Whig.

For Mayor......David Olmsted......269 W. R. Marshall..
City Marshal.. W. R. Miller.

......

.238

241

.271

.248

.262 A. H. Cavender..

Aldermen elected.-First Ward, R. C. Knox, 2 years; A. T. Chamb lin. and R. Marvin, 1 year. Second Ward, A. L. Larpenteur, 2 years;

T. Fanning and C. S. Cave, 1 year. Third Ward, Geo. L. Becker, 2 years; Jno. R. Irvine and J. M. Stone, 1 year.

Justices of Peace elected.-First Ward, W. H. Tinker; Second Ward, Joseph Lemay; Third Ward, J. M. Winslow.

Assessors elected.-First Ward, W. H. Tinker; Second Ward, W. H. Stillman; Third Ward, H. Stillwell.

On Tuesday, April 11, the City Council organized. They elected officers as follows: President, GEO. L. BECKER; Clerk, SHERWOOD HOUGH; Comptroller, FINDLEY MCCORMICK; Surveyor, S. P. FOLSOM; Attorney, D. C. COOLEY.

THE SEASON OF 1854

was one of unprecedented prosperity for the young city, as well as for the entire Territory. Navigation opened on April 6 this year, and a heavy immigration poured in. The popu

lation and business of the city increased rapidly, and the county outside also received large accessions of population. Roads were opened; farms smiled in the wilderness; the squatter's cabin" was to be seen on every lake. Other portions of Minnesota were prospered as highly. Towns sprang up on every hand; mills clattered by the waterfall; the emigrant wagon whitened every road, and hardly had the yell of the retreating red man died away, ere the settler's axe echoed in its stead.

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E. S. GOODRICH PURCHASES THE PIONEER.' Journalism in Saint Paul took a high bound forward this year. In March, EARLE S. GOODRICH* purchased of JOSEPH R. BROWN, the Minnesota Pioneer, and became its editor and publisher.

Mr. GOODRICH had been engaged in journalism in Wiscousin, and, being in New York city in the latter part of February, 1854, fell in at the same hotel with Capt. ESTES, one of the pioneer steamboatmen of the Upper Mississippi. In the course of conversation, Capt. ESTES said he had just been up to Saint Paul, and had seen Jo. BROWN, who remarked he was anxious to sell out the Pioneer office, to go into some other business, and was then trying to find a suitable person to purchase, one who would edit an able paper, and build up the party in Minnesota. "There, GOODRICH," said Capt. E., "there is a good field for The Pioneer is doing well, and Saint Paul is

you.

*EARLE S. GOODRICH was born in Genesee county, New York, July 27, 1827. In early life he resolved to enter the editorial profession, and preliminary to that learned the printing business, and also studied law, being admitted to practice. He afterwards removed to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where, in 1848, he established a campaign paper, which ran for some months. He was also elected Clerk of the Court, but resigned and removed to Green Bay. He was County Clerk of Brown county from 1850 to 1854, and one year District Attorney. In March, 1854, he settled in Saint Paul, and published the Pioneer with great success for over 10 years, winning the reputation of being the most graceful, elegant, and caustic editorial writer we have ever had in Minnesota. In 1862, while in Washington, he was tendered a commission as Captain and Aid to General MCCLELLAN, which he accepted, but was, by a blunder of STANTON'S, sent, instead, to the Shenandoah Valley, where he served some time, and was then ordered to Saint Paul. A disagreement with Gen. POPE, then in command here, led him to resign his commission. In 1865, he purchased the Saint Paul Gas Company, which he controlled for two years. He soon after engaged in railroad construction, in which he has been interested most of the time since.

a prosperous place, bound to grow, as also the Territory. You ought to go up there and buy the concern." Capt. E. urged the matter so strongly that (although Mr. GOODRICH

had hardly spent a moment's thought on Saint Paul before that interview) he was quite in the notion of going. Hon. BEN. C. EASTMAN, a Member of Congress from Wisconsin, happened to arrive at the hotel the same time, and he, too, urged

Mr. GOODRICH to come, glowingly describing the prospects of success, and offering to give him letters of introduction to prominent men. The result was, that Mr. GOODRICH was en route for Saint Paul within 24 hours.

On arriving here, (March 4,) he at once called on JOSEPH R. BROWN, and found a letter, written by Mr. EASTMAN in advance, had already reached Major BROWN, and that the latter had his mind made up to sell the Pioneer to Mr. GoodRICH. The bargain was quickly closed, and Mr. G. left for New York next day, to secure material for a daily paper, to be issued on May 1.

The Democrat and the Minnesotian at once determined to follow suit, the former appearing on May 1, the same day as the Daily Pioneer, and the latter on May 12. On May 15, the Daily Times made its appearance, edited and published by THOMAS M. NEWSON, who had for a year or more been engaged as a writer on the Pioneer. With him was associated J. B. H. MITCHELL and M. J. CLUM. Mr. NEWson subsequently secured the interest of both these gentlemen, and continued the Times, with much success, until 1861, when it was purchased by Hon. W. R. MARSHALL, as more fully mentioned under that date.

THE GREAT RAILROAD EXCURSION.

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Perhaps the most notable event of 1854, was • the Great Railroad Excursion," as it was generally termed, to celebrate the completion of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad," the first road to reach the Mississippi River in the Northwest. Messrs. SHEFFIELD & FARNHAM, the contractors who built the road, to commemorate the opening of that line, prepared a monster excursion. Nearly one thousand guests were invited, mostly from the east. They rendezvoused at Chicago. about June 3d. and excursed westward over the new road to Rock Island, where five large steamers conveyed them to Saint Paul, arriving here on the 8th. The company proceeded to Saint Anthony, Minnehaha, &c., in such conveyances as they could find, and in the evening a grand reception was given at the Capitol.