of, FOR INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL PAIN MAN OR BEAST. NONE OTHER EXCELLS. P.Q.MEDICINE CO. ST.PAUL.MINN. ^>' Q *NTS *** TVWV HON. J. A. JOHNSON £ HON. J. A. JOHNSON A PARTIAL COPY OF HIS LETTERS, TRAVELS AND ADDRESSES ^aJLnAMJLnA, ALICE E^ CHESTER /AND LAURA A. JOHNSON FARGO, N. D. PRIVATELY PRINTED iqo8 ■ Copyrighted by LAURA A. JOHNSON 1008 \ (=> & &> r~? • ffl)t Uaiusitu ))ittb R. DONNKLLHY * SONS COMPANY CHICAGO DEDICATED TO <©ia Jflnitjfr IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR FATHER THIS PARTIAL COPY OF HIP TRAVELS. LETTERS AND ADDRESSES CONTENTS Biographical Sketch Travels Writings and Addresses Words of Appreciation Resolutions and Tributes 3 13 99 219 245 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS J. A. Johnson . . .... Frontispiece J. A. Johnson at Age of 23 . . . .8 The J. A. Johnson Residence, Fargo, N. D. . .14 The Fargo Freak — Will Wonders Never Cease? . 32 No, He Isn't Crazy — Fargo Merely Thought of Something She Would Like, and He is Going After It . . .56 Each to Himself — "Now, That's Meant for a 'Josh' on One of Us — But Which One, I Wonder!" . . .100 Undoubtedly a Coming Man 150 The Little One — "Hi, There! Get Out of the Road or I'll Run Over You!" 170 They Will See a City — Mayor Dimie Will Entertain the Rural Mayors To-day, and Show Them What the Word "Metropolitan" Means 184 The Uncertainty of Flirtation — The W. C. T. U. Dele- gates Go Back on Their Promise to Grand Forks, and Will Sunday at Fargo ...... 206 The Elder One — "Now, Sonny, if You Want Anything More Just Name It" 220 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH J. A. Johnson was born in Vexio, Sweden, April 24, 1842. He came to this country with his parents in October, 1853, and settled in Marine Mill, Minnesota. During his boyhood he at- tended the public schools in Stillwater, Minnesota, and Dubuque, Iowa, also the Epworth Seminary at Epworth, Iowa. At the beginning of the war he was in Texas, where he had gone to embark in cattle-raising, stayed too long after secession began, was given the choice of volunteering into the Confederate Army or hanging. He volunteered and became a Texas Ranger, serving under General Cabel. He was in four battles, and was wounded in the cavalry charge when General Ben McColluch was killed at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. He was at Corinth, Mississippi, and later with J. Kerby Smith in Kentucky. He became an officer in the Confederate Army, and served on the staff of General Daniels of Georgia. The time he had agreed to serve expired while at Corinth, Mississippi, May 29, 1862 ; he then felt he was under no legal or moral obligations to stay, so went to Seymour, Indiana, October 13, 1862, at the evacuation of Camp Robinson, Ken- tucky. In Seymour he went railroading, and was promoted rapidly; became an engineer in fourteen months, then went South for the Government, the youngest man in the service holding such a responsible position; he went over the same ground where he had been as a Confederate officer and soldier. He was mustered out at the close of the war with the rank of Major. At the close of the war, he went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he married Miss Agnes A. Coler, who is still living. They had six children; viz., Alice E., J. Chester, Clarence F., L. Ward (dead), Laura A., Lawrence E. 3 4 J. A. JOHNSON Mr. Johnson engaged in the farming and lumbering business in Marine Mills, Minnesota, where in 1872 he was elected town clerk. In 1873 he was elected Sheriff of Washington County, being re-elected in 1875 and 1877. At each re-election he received every vote cast in the county, a distinction never accorded any other man before or since. In 1879 he was again offered the Republican nomination for Sheriff, with the indorsement of other political organizations, but he declined, and that fall he came to Fargo to look the ground over; in March, 1880, he again came to Fargo, and established the first branch machinery house in the interests of Seymour, Sabin & Co., in which corporation he was a large stockholder. From that branch house, established by him in 1880, has grown the implement distributing business in Fargo, until Fargo to-day ranks second as a distributing point in values. While Sheriff of Washington County, Minnesota, he studied law in the office of Judge William McClure, and was admitted to practice in all the courts of Minnesota and Dakota, although after coming to Fargo he only used his knowledge of law for his own business. He was always a Republican; he cast his first vote for Levi P. Morton for Governor of Indiana, and his second vote for Abraham Lincoln for President. He was honored in many ways, he was elected to the City Council in Fargo for two years, but after serving one year he resigned and was at once elected to the Board of Education. In 1883 he was elected a member of the American Committee of the Statue of Liberty. Was elected Mayor of Fargo in 1885, defeating Charles R. Redick by the largest majority ever given a candidate. Since then he has been elected four times, defeating his opponent by the largest majority ever given a mayoralty candidate. He was serving his fifth term at the time of his demise. In 1884 he was nominated as the citizens' candidate for the territorial council in opposition to Hon. D. H. Twomey, one BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 5 of the most prominent lawyers of that time, and also a resident of Fargo. The result in Fargo was just three votes for Mr. Johnson to one for Mr. Twomey, and in the county of Cass Mr. Johnson's majority was over 1,300. In 1890 he went to Caracas, Venezuela, where he assumed the duties of general manager for the Caracas and Venezuela Street Railway, Telephone, Electric Light, and Paper Mills, in which corporations he was a heavy stockholder; but owing to ill-health, he was compelled to return to the United States sooner than he intended. In 1895, when he assumed the office of mayor for the second time, he found that the large tracts of land belonging to different railroads that center in Fargo had not been assessed for taxation as required by law. He at once had them assessed, and re-assessed in 1897, an d at tne convening of the North Dakota Legislature that year he was before that body with a law permitting the going back to statehood and assessed the property that had not been assessed. He met the railroad lobby, defeating it and securing the passage of the act by a more than two-thirds vote, and having the Governor approve it, and it is now a law. When the retroac- tive assessment was made by the County Commissioners, he did not think it was a just assessment and requested the board to raise it, but they refused to do so. He then went before the State Board of Equalization and again met the railroad attorneys, but secured a raise of twenty-five per cent over the assessment as made by the County Commissioners. He was one of the organizers of the League of American Municipalities, an international organization of municipal offi- cers. The first meeting took place at Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Johnson was given a very prominent part by having a new issue to discuss; that of "Uniformity of State Laws Pertaining to City Government." He presided at the session where the constitution was adopted and at the election of the first officers; and had the honor of introducing Hon. John Mac Vicar, the first President ; 6 J. A. JOHNSON at this meeting he was made Vice-President for North Dakota. Out of 600 municipal officers present, he was selected to make the presentation speech on a set of books on "Municipal Owner- ship," to Mayor Black of Columbus. Since this meeting he has served as Director, Vice-President, and later as President of the organization — being unanimously elected to the position at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1900. At Jamestown, New York, he was greatly honored by having the Presidency of the League offered to him the second time, an honor never accorded any other President; but Mr. Johnson refused, giving as his reason that there were many mayors in the League — both representing cities of greater habitation and years older than himself — and he felt some of these should have the honor of this office. Before the League he delivered addresses at Columbus, Ohio ; Detroit, Michigan; Syracuse, New York; Charleston, South Carolina and Jamestown, New York. He was invited to address, the League at East St. Louis in 1903, while he was ex-mayor, but illness would not permit him to accept. He was invited to and delivered addresses on various sub- jects in many cities in the Union. He was one of the six mayors invited to deliver, and did deliver, an address on Municipal Day, August 26, 1901, at the Pan- American Exposition, Buffalo, New York. The Directors of the Exposition gave a dinner for the six mayors selected to deliver addresses. During this trip he delivered addresses at Chautauqua and Long Point, New York. He had many honorary appointments given him — such as Colonel on the staffs of Governors Pierce and Fancher, Governor Fancher also appointed him a North Dakota delegate to the Farmers National Congress, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Gover- nor Sarles appointed him as delegate to the National Immigra- tion Convention in New York and to the National Irrigation Convention in Portland, Oregon. He, with Budd Reeve of Buxton, North Dakota, organized BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 7 the Tri-State Grain-growers Convention, which brings thou- sands of visitors to Fargo ; he was made the first President of this organization and served in that capacity until he refused to longer hold the office, when he was unanimously elected Secretary, which position he held until the meeting in 1906, when sickness compelled him to decline the honor of the office again. For every meeting of the Tri-State Grain-growers, he alone secured the railroad rates, the money for the Convention and to publish the proceedings sending the books to the farmers free, until four years ago, when the Commercial Club of Fargo secured the money to pay for the Opera House, music, stenographer and incidental expenses, Mr. Johnson still secured the money for the publication of the books, except one year the State pub- lished the book and last year, when sickness would not permit him and the book was not published. During a meeting of the Tri-State Grain-growers Convention, Mr. Johnson prevailed upon Mr. James J. Hill to bring delega- tions of farmers, during the summer, to visit the Agricultural College. Mr. Hill, always glad to help the farmers, agreed to Mr. Johnson's proposition, and continues bringing the farmers each year to Fargo free. He, with Congressman Spalding, secured the Carnegie appro- priation for the "Public Library" Fargo, he was also instru- mental in securing the site for the library, and it was through his efforts that John F. Reynolds Post, G. A. R., now have a hall of their own in the Public Library, without his help this could not have been secured. When Company " B " were on their way home from the Philip- pines, the committee decided to sell badges and so raise money to bring the "boys" home from San Francisco, free. Mr. Johnson put his shoulder to the wheel and succeeded in selling more badges than any one else. He also secured the "Spanish Can- non," from the Battleship Castile, the cannon now stands in Northern Pacific Park in Fargo. 8 J. A. JOHNSON He was always the friend of the laboring man, and his friend- ship was returned, he was always keenly interested in anything to help Fargo, anything which would benefit the "Biggest Little City In The World" a phrase he coined years ago, in describing the city he loved, "Fargo." In 1897 ne was appointed to the Consulship to Gothenberg, Sweden, but felt compelled to decline; this earned for him the title of "The Fargo Freak" and was cartooned as such in the newspapers in Minnesota and North Dakota. This appointment was offered Mr. Johnson without solicitation on his part and there were more than forty applicants at the time. He was twice offered the position of Deputy-Auditor of the Post Office Department of Washington, D. C, and in each case felt compelled to refuse the offer. He more than once refused the Secretaryship of the Commercial Club of Fargo and refused the appointment of Receiver of the Land Office in the western part of the country. At the time of his death he was serving as President of the Municipal League of North Dakota, an organization in which he was greatly interested, his associates being all broad-minded, progressive men. He travelled extensively, having crossed the ocean twelve times, had visited South America twice; the West Indies, four times; Central America, two times; and innumerable times to Mexico, he had travelled throughout Canada, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Alaska and every state in the United States. On his last trip in Europe in 1900-01, where he went in the interests of Sault Sainte Marie Railway, while in London, he was invited to attend Installation banquet in the Hotel Cecil, of the Jubilee Masters lodge No. 2712, to be the guest of honor, and to speak at the banquet. Also during this trip he was invited to a "Con- versazione," "to meet the Lord Mayor of London." Mr. Johnson was a member of the various Masonic bodies, including the Knights Templar and Mystic Shrine. He was J. A. JOHNSON AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 9 one of the charter members of the Knights Templar of Fargo; before coming to Fargo he was a member of Bayard Commandery of Stillwater, Minnesota, and an officer in the order. He was a member of B. P. O. E. and U. C. T., the I. O. O. F., having held the position of Deputy Grand Master of Minnesota. He was also a member of the Minnesota Pioneers, and North Dakota and Cass County Old Settlers Associations, an honorary member of the Continental Hose Company of Fargo, and was one of the charter members of the Locomotive Engineers Association of Indiana. A member of the Volunteer Firemen of Seymour, Indiana. Although Mr. Johnson had always fought the railroads in the interests of the people, it may be interesting to note, that the first trip he made to Fargo he came on a pass, and for the more than twenty-seven years he was a resident of Fargo he carried an "annual" whether he was an official or not; before the Inter- State Commerce Law, they were over the system; after that for the state; but the railway officials never forgot their New Year's gift. On June 14, 1907, at 8:00 a. m., he died at his home in Fargo of Bright's disease, having been afflicted with it for eighteen years. From 12:00 to 3:00 o'clock on Sunday, June 16th, he lay in state for the public. At 3 :oo o'clock Reverend R. A. Beard took charge of the services, which were private, as Mr. Johnson always disliked display at such a time, believing all should be as quiet as possible. At 4:00 o'clock the Knights Templar read their beautiful service and "kept watch" over him, till the departure of the Great Northern train at 10:30 p. m. Mr. Johnson was interred at Marine Mills, Minnesota, June 17th, under the auspices of Bayard Commandery of Stillwater. TRAVELS TRAVELS Only a few of the travels of Mr. Johnson are published, it would be impossible to publish all in this volume as he has written them. He crossed the ocean twelve times, visited the West Indies four times, took two trips to Central America also two to South America, was four times to Mexico, visited in every state in the Union, and through Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia — he also made very many interesting short trips. He always kept a strict account of all, and made interesting notes of what he saw. NEW ORLEANS My family and I left Fargo for New Orleans. Our first stop was St. Paul, then Chicago and St. Louis. The morning after we left St. Louis I woke up at Belmont, Missouri, where the battle of Belmont was fought in November, 1861, between Generals Grant, McClellan, and Logan of the Union troops, and General Leonidas Polk of the Confederate troops. Crossing the Mississippi River on the transfer steamer St. Louis to Columbus, Kentucky, we saw some of the fortifications erected by the Confederates under General Polk to prevent the Union forces from passing down the Mississippi. This place was supposed to be, by the Confederates, impregnable, but Generals Grant, Foote, and Porter did not agree with them. At this place, we found about three inches of snow. We saw snow as far South as Corinth, Mississippi. We arrived in New Orleans three hours late, caused by the wreck of a train on another road. l 3 i 4 J. A. JOHNSON Next day we visited the United States Man-o'-War, "Ten- nessee" one of the largest vessels in the United States Navy. She carries a crew of 476 men. The United States Ships "Alliance" and "Yantic" are also here, the "Yantic" was one of the vessels on the Greeley relief expedition. We also visited the French Market, one of the sights of New Orleans. Here you will find every conceivable thing for sale and men of all nationalities under the sun, almost. We next went to the United States Mint. Here we saw silver bricks to the value of $800,000, ready to be coined into silver dollars. We saw the various processes of the coining of silver from when it goes into the furnace till they turn out the shining dollars. The last process is the dye or stamp, that has a pressure of eighty tons and turns out $80 per minute. We next went to the Jackson Square. Here we saw the bronze statue of the hero of New Orleans mounted on a large horse, standing on its hind legs. The statue is a remarkable good one, as it even shows the stitches in the seams of his boots and the nails in the horse shoes, sword, spurs, etc. On the granite base are the words, "The Union must and shall be preserved." We also saw Live Oaks, magnolia, orange trees and oranges on them; banana trees and shrubs and flowers of every kind. Next we went to the French Cathedral, this is one of the hand- somest church edifices in the United States as well as one of the oldest. In the church the paintings, statuary and scenes are exceedingly fine. Among the paintings is one representing "The Lord's Supper." The rocks sundered in twain, and the Lord coming forth to meet Mary Magdalene. We then visited the statue of Henry Clay on Cannal Street. This is a bronze statue, he stands in full dress with a roll of manu- script in his hands as though he were about to make a speech. Then came the Robert Lee statue, this also is bronze, standing on a tall white shaft. The shaft stands on a granite base. There is not a letter of any kind on either monument or base. From o o Pi < W u w p w Pi O o TRAVELS 15 here we started for the Battle-field of New Orleans on the steamer Isabel. We saw the United States National Cemetery, of 14 acres of ground, in which there are 13,000 Union soldiers buried, A quarter of a mile north, and up the river from this place is where General Jackson had his headquarters and where the Americans had their fortifications, some of which are still to be seen. While about 300 yards down the river was Lord Park- house headquarters, with four Live Oak trees and the British line, Lord Parkhouse was killed under these trees and his en- trails are buried there. In one of the trees you can still see and put your hands on two cannon balls that are imbedded in it. Then came Spanish Fort, the old Fort said to have been built by the Spaniards when they owned the country. We also saw here six of the largest alligators on the trip. We heard the Mexican band of 40 pieces, which gave a concert in the afternoon. You will find many summer hotels at this place. We now took a sail boat for Lake Ponchatrain (part of the Gulf of Mexico), here, like at Spanish Fort, there are large alligators, summer hotels, nice walks, shrubbery and flowers in profusion. They have also a puzzle garden arranged in the walk, wherein you are liable to have to retrace your steps a half dozen times before you get through. In this garden are statuary, in marble and bronze of various kinds, grottos, fish ponds, etc. This place and Spanish Fort are as nice as any places we have ever seen in the South. We took the train for the Cannal Street Cemetery, where we saw marble busts of Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Polk and A. S. Johnson, with a Confederate soldier done in marble also, standing in full uniform on the top of the monument. This was erected in 1874 by the "Ladies Benevolent Society of Louisiana." The tombs are all built on top of the ground, as the soil is so soft and wet that you cannot bury in it. We saw one of the relics of the Civil War in the shape of a torpedo boat, made something like a fish with a propeller wheel which was intended to be used with compressedfair. It was 16 J. A. JOHNSON to go on top or under the water, as it might be needed. This boat was tried several times in Lake Ponchatrain and several men were killed in the experiments before the Confederates gave it up as a failure. We took boat and went to the Customs station, Forts Eads, Jackson and Philipps and the quarantine station, then we returned to the city. Before leaving we saw the Mardi Gras procession. It was a grand and beautiful sight, we spent a day and evening at this and then left for Mobile where we stayed several days, then to Memphis and Nashville and from there we started on a trip to all the old Southern battle-fields, to describe it all at this time would be too tiresome for you to- read. After spending some time in the South we left for Fargo, arriving there a warm spring day, to find that the man we left in our home had let the water pipes burst, and the greeting we received was plasterless ceilings on the lower floor of the house. CENTRAL AMERICAN TRIP Left Fargo for Central America on January, arriving in St. Paul next morning where I was joined by Mr. Joseph Schupp of Stillwater. We then went on to Chicago, where I called on an old Seymoure friend, W. R. Woodward, Gen. Supt. Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Ry. Our next stop was at Seymoure, Indiana, where I met many old-time friends, among them being C. B. Cole, Supt. O. &. M. Ry., Andy Ross, Master Mechanic, George and Isaac Apgar, and others. From here we went to Chattanooga, where we spent the day visiting Fort Wood, the point from which Generals Grant, Thomas, Sheridan and others watched the Union troops as they ascended Mission Ridge in the face of General Braggs Command. We also visited the National Ceme- tery where repose 12,976 Union soldiers, representing every state in the Union with Ohio in the lead, having 1,847 an d Maine only one and Minnesota 107. Our next stop was at Memphis. I went to the Overton Hospital (now used as the court-house,) and found TRAVELS 17 the room which I had occupied while I was sick in 1862. The old place had a very familiar look to me. Left here for New Orleans where we arrived and called on Mayor E. A. Burke of the Times-Democrat. He is very much interested in Central America, and gave me letters of introduction to the various U. S. Consuls and prominent men, including the President and Com- manding General of Honduras. After spending several days in New Orleans, we then boarded the Steamship, Wanderer for the South. The steamship did not leave in time, not being able to start until 2:15 p. m. and steamed down the Mississippi past the Chalmette, the battlefield of New Orleans. The sugar and orange plantations showed the effect of the recent cold snap they had, looking seared and yellow. At 7 -.30 the fog raised so we cast anchor near the west shore, where we stayed all night. Next morning at 7 130 A. m. we weighed anchor and went on down the Mississippi for an hour and a half, when the fog again rose, and we again cast anchor, and in doing so came very near be- ing run into by the steamship, Louisiana, a large iron steamer she loomed up in the fog, going up the river. Had not our pilot as well as hers, not acted promptly, she would have cut us in two. As it was, she did not pass over ten feet from us. At 10 o'clock we again proceeded down the river. We passed the quarantine station, where all vessels going up must stop and get a clean bill of health. We also passed Fort Jackson and St. Philipps, now practi- cally abandoned. It was at these forts the Union Fleet made such a heroic fight in the Spring of 1862 under Admirals Faragut and Porter, taking both forts and passing through the net-work of torpedos so as to capture New Orleans. We passed the jetties into the Gulf of Mexico at 1 115 p. m. Here we found the differ- ence between the river and the sea. The temperature was warmer. The sea itself is just rough enough to give the vessel a delightful motion. The sun set under a bank of clouds making it a most beautiful sight. 18 J. A. JOHNSON Last night, January 24th, the vessel tossed more than any time since we left land, and several of the passengers were quite sea-sick. Mr. Schupp and myself were fortunate in not being affected by the tossing of the ship. The sun rose bright, the wind had changed from south-east to west, and the vessel had her sails hoisted to assist her engines. We, this morning, saw flying-fish in schools. They stay over the water as long as their wings are wet ; as soon as dry, they take to the water again. They can fly as far as three hundred yards with the wind. At 2 :oo p. m. we crossed the bows of a large steamer apparently coming from some Mexican port and bound for Cuba. She carried all the sails she had in addition to her engines. She passed about one mile astern of us. The wind had become quite sharp and several more of the passengers were absent from the dinner table. At 4 :oo p. m. we saw a sail on our starboard bow going toward the Mexican coast. We saw large numbers of porpoises which follow the ship for some time, jumping in and out of the water like sheep or hogs jump over a fence. The porpoise looks very much like a hog as it jumped out of the water. I am told that their flesh looks and tastes like pork and that their liver cannot be told from hog's liver. Last night it was quite rough, the wind being on our starboard. The vessel lying in the trough of the sea rolled badly. About 12:00 the wind changed to the south-west and the sea became quieter so that after 3 :oo A. M. we had comparatively smooth water. During the night we passed the Mexican Capes Catchehe (pronounced Catchute) and Contoy, and the Islands of Mangeres (pronounced Mohara) and Cancu, called Cancan, and when we arose we could see the Island of Cozumal, with its cocoa groves, coffee plantations, etc., this island is about ten miles from the main coast of Yucatan and belongs to Mexico, is thirty-five miles long and fourteen miles wide. It raises bananas, plantains, cocoanut, coffee and other tropical products. We stopped at this island to land a passenger at the village, San Migeuel. He TRAVELS 19 goes there to look after a wrecked brig, loaded with mahogany. We followed the shore for about 20 miles, being all the way from one quarter of a mile to a mile from shore. We could distinguish the cocoa and other trees. After leaving Cozumal the wind went down and the Carribean Sea, that we had been in all day was as fine a sight as any one could wish to see. The sun went down in the west with a pros- pect of a quiet night. The only sails we saw to-day were fishing- boats off Cozumal and one of these was drawn on the beach as we passed it. At 12 :i5, at our request, the First Officer called us to see the Southern Cross, something none of us had seen before. It is a beautiful sight, four stars forming it. The sun rose next morning, bright and quite warm as we came on deck, we could see the Mexican shore on the starboard and could readily distinguish the cocoa groves. At 8:00 a. m. a Belize pilot boarded us and at 8:30 Maurgie Key on the port and English Key on the starboard, came in sight as well as the hills of British Honduras. We cast anchor at 12:20 and, as soon as possible, procured a boat and went on shore. The city of Belize is situated on a low point of sand on both sides of the Belize River. It contains a population of 7,000, composed principally of Caribs. These are a mixed race — negroes and Indians. The "niggers" are supposed to have been from some slave ship being stranded on the shores and the sur- vivors intermarrying with the Indians. They are a hardy and intelligent people. They form the laboring population ; speak a lingo of their own, it is neither English, Spanish, French or any- thing else, but seems to be a mixture of all, though they nearly all speak English. There are two companies of soldiers here in which the privates and non-commissioned officers are natives. In the Market House the women have a shed where they sit and squat with the scantiest of clothing, with babies from five years old, down, and 20 J. A. JOHNSON such a babble as they make. They sell all kinds^of tropical fruits, though plantains seem to be the favorite. This is in every sense of the word, a tropical city, everything goes to assure it. The shade trees here are nearly all cocoanut palms and the wealth of flowers is beyond description. We here saw oleanders so large that a man could climb upon most of them, and as for roses, foliage plants and all kinds of exotics, they are as common as weeds. The business here is mostly in the hands of a few Scotchmen, who have grown wealthy. They make most of their money out of the mahogany trade which they practically have a monopoly of. They do not want any one to come in here. They have a good thing and practically say to strangers "hands off." They are not progressive; are not connected with the outside world by telegraph or otherwise, nor do they want to be. There are no roads leading into the country and though rich in natural resources, they do not seem to care to develop these riches. They get their mahogany floated down stream and fruit from its banks and that is all they seem to care for. We visited various points of interest, including the barracks and also called upon Honorable A. E. Mortland the U. S. Consul here, and were very pleasantly entertained by him. One peculiarity of this place is, that all business houses close their doors promptly at 4:00 p. h., and another is, that there are no places of amusement. They have no theatre of any kind, and never had. We also visited one of their schools and found from 50 to 60 scholars with a man teacher in attendance. It seemed to be a primary school and I would like to have seen Professor Smith or any of our Fargo teachers go in there. I think you would smile, which I would enjoy to see. I will not make any comment on these schools but will simply say, that our children do not know when they are well off. We staid at the Union Hotel. At 9:00 p. m., the fire alarm sounded, and on going out we found one large and two small TRAVELS 21 frame buildings in flames. We inspected their fire department and found two old fashioned hand brake engines, such as were used in the United States 50 years ago. I fancy any city in the United States of 1,000 population would throw these fire engines in the harbor in less than 15 minutes. On Wednesday, in company with Mr. Mortland, we visited the Colonial Prison, where we found 70 prisoners, with one under sentence of death. The Prison is located on the shore of the harbor, is large and very clean and nice, with the cells hardwood floors and sides. It is a place that would not hold an ordinary American prisoner over night. We also visited the hospital and insane asylum. There are only nine patients in the hospital of which three were paupers; the rest pay 25 cents per day. Con- nected with the hospital is a public dispensary where people with- out money can get medicine. It was in charge of Mr. Egan, a colored man. There were 20 patients in the insane asylum. We also visited the Exposition, it was about over. They were boxing the goods, preparatory to sending them to London. In the afternoon we called upon his Excellency, Governor R. T. Goldworthy, where we were treated with all the courtesy it was possible for him to extend to us. We were invited to dine with him on our return. He showed us through his garden, which contains everything that man wants on his table. At 4:00 p. m. we got into a dorey and were taken back to the ship, and left Belize at 8:00 p. m., well pleased with our stay there. Thursday we landed at Livingston, Gautamala at 9 130 a. m. The steamer George Munsy came alongside to receive our cargo for the port, she also had on board cocoanuts, sarsaparilla, coffee and hides for the United States. Livingston is a port of considerable importance, at the mouth of the Rio Doad, a stream which is navigable by the steamer Muncy and other river boats for some distance. The town contains some 2,000 inhabitants of which about 22 J. A. JOHNSON 200 are white mostly Americans, the rest are Caribs and natives. Among the Americans that we met were Dr. Powlett, U. S. Consul of New Orleans and Mr. Ford of Louisiana, he has been here in the mahogany trade for the past 18 years. We did not land here to-day on account of our steamer not staying long enough for that purpose, but we will do so on our return. From here we can see British and Spanish Honduras and Gautamala with mountain ranges from 30 to 75 miles distant, in a semi-circle around the anchorage. We left Livingston for Santo Tom as and Puerto Barrios, two Gautamala ports. At Puerto Barrios there is a railway started for the Pacific coast about 250 miles distant, but on account of a "revolution" and lack of funds the project is for the present abandoned. It is graded 62 miles back. Santa Tomas is a village of some 1,500 people. Puerto Barrios is about three miles away. Santa Tomas has by all odds the best harbor of the two, it is an old Belgian settlement, having been settled in 1843. It is a very pretty place and has three navigable streams emptying into the bay close to the town. We went ashore here and found it like all other towns in Central America. We found a few white people who controlled the busi- ness, while the natives do the laboring. We here for the first time saw the native huts, they are built on poles, sit perpendicular and tied to horizontal poles with vines. The upright poles are about one half to two inches apart, so that you can see through, and see what people do in them as you pass in the street. The floor is the earth and in one corner is a sort of brick oven or fire on the floor, where they do their cooking without chimneys, the smoke escaping through the sides or ends between the poles. In one of these huts we saw a native woman prepare the supper, and grind the corn for Tortilla or corn dodgers. This is done by placing the corn in a shallow semi-circular stone dish, about 18 inches long and 10 inches wide, they then soften the corn with a little water after which they take a small stone 7x3 inches and rub the corn until it becomes a paste when it is made into TRAVELS 23 cakes^about 4 inches in diameter^and one half inch thick, they put this cake on a fiat piece of iron and bake it, without any seasoning. We left Santa Tomas at 11 p. m. arriving at Puerto Cortez. Here we called upon General E. Craft the U. S. Consul who paid us every attention, and Hon. J. Benjiman, U. S. Consul, he like all that we met, treated us well, and went with us to the Custom House where our baggage was inspected and passed without any difficulty and were taken to the American Hotel, where we found very comfortable quarters. In the afternoon, we strolled along the beach, picked up various kinds of shells. In the evening, we attended services in the Methodist Church; the only Protestant church in this part of Honduras, if not in the whole republic; the natives being nominally Catholics. The church has a mem- bership of 41. The services were performed in a creditable manner by a black man. In this bay are several towns and villages, the names being Puerto Cortez the principal place and Coro, Laguna, Cuguita, Tulian and Omoa. Each contains a population of about 4,000, lying in a semi-circle of about ten miles. Puerto Cortez is the port of entry, contains the Custom House, the headquarters of the Commanding General of the district, etc. Mornings and evenings we can see myriads of parrots, ma- caws and cockatoos flying to the banana and fruit plantations and returning to the coast to roost at night. We could also hear the baying of the baboon in the timber. This, we were informed, was a sure sign of approaching rain. To-day, Sunday, we accepted an invitation to dinner with Hon. J. Benjiman. He made it very pleasant for us indeed, show- ing us very many interesting things. He is engaged in stock-raising along with his Consular duties. Mr. Benjiman sent after and returned us in his dorey. This is a large canoe, thirty feet long and five feet wide, made of a single white mahogany sometimes called Adar. 24 J. A. JOHNSON After returning to Puerto Cortez in the evening, we spent about two hours at the home of John D. Morralies, formerly of New York. He has been here for eighteen years and, like all others who have been here for a long time, like it. We expected to leave Puerto Cortez on Monday, but unfor- tunately for us there was no train, so we were forced to stay here. The following day we left at 8:30 a. m. for San Pedro. Our first stop was at Laguna, about two miles from the place of starting. Here we stayed till 9:30 a. m. At 10:30 we were ten miles from the starting point. Here our engine was out of wood and we stopped to cut some, which took about thirty minutes. This I am told is an everyday occurrence. To provide fuel and run the engine requires seven men ; viz., one engineer, one fireman one passer, and four wood choppers, one brakeman and one conductor, With the train, next to the engine is a flat car, with low sides. On this, long sticks of wood are thrown. The engine starts and the wood choppers get to work to chop into the required length, which is about what would go into an ordinary cook stove. The road runs on the North shore of the Rio Chalmilian, while on the North side of the track we see mountain peaks running back from a few rods to one or two miles. Along the road we pass numerous banana and plantain and cocoanut groves, out of which the owners make a good deal of money, and would make a good deal more if they took the least care or cultivation of the ground, but they will not do so, their manner of doing is to cut down the timber, let it lay till it dries, then burn it, then set out small shoots about 15 inches apart, then they are not touched till the fruit is ready to be cut down, which is 7 to 9 months according to the season. The fruit reproduces itself in the way of shoots like suckers on corn, and one stock will only produce one bunch, it is then cut down and one or more shoots takes its place, and that operation is repeated from year to year as long as the land will bear it, which is from five to fifteen years, according to the quality of the land. The land is then allowed TRAVELS 25 to grow up again and another place is cleared and the same opera- tion is again gone through with. Our passengers comprised all shades, the majority being white with several women who had been down to do their shopping, and to sell their fruit. They seem to buy bright enough things which are even gaudy and showed well regardless as to whether it became them or not. They nearly, if not all smoked all the way up. Among the passengers was one of the mail carriers. This man starts from San Pedro for Tegusalpa, the capital, a distance of some two hundred miles. This distance he makes on foot in five days, carrying a mail bag of not less than twenty-five pounds on his back with a strap across his forehead. For this service he receives $7.50 each way or $15.00 for the round trip out of which he must board and clothe himself. His name is Demadrio Cantirito, he has been in the service for six years. In addition to seeing the magnificent tropical foliage, which is the grandest sight that man can see, we have seen mahogany used as railroad ties as well as for fuel for the locomotive, and by the natives in building their huts. We arrived at San Pedro at 5 :o5 p. m. being eight and a half hours coming thirty-six miles, and we were told that this was remarkably good time. San Pedro is the nicest looking place we have yet seen. It is in a mountain valley, has pure springwater flowing in ditches through its streets. It has a population of about 3,000 among them being a number of Americans. Here are large stores and a saw mill, Dr. Mitchell tells me that $300,000 would not cover Martin Cabus' stock of goods which he carries in various departments. We left San Pedro at 4:30 p. m. with five mules, one burro and pack mule and Isadora Bardallas as guide to Santa Barbara. We forded the Chimilian River some seven miles south of San Pedro at sundown, then continued riding until 10 p. m. when we stopped at an Indian pueblo or village called Via Nieva twenty-four miles from San Pedro. Here we went into an adobe 26 J. A. JOHNSON house, hung up our hammocks with Messrs. Schupp, Perry and myself as well as our guide and the man and woman of the house all sleeping in the same room. We arose at 5 -.30, bought some eggs, cooked them, had some coffee and started at 7 a. m. The first three or four miles the country was level and heavily tim- bered, the same as it was last night, then we began to ascend mountain ranges and at 9 :3o we overtook a pack mule train near the top of one of the ranges. We continued to ascend and descend mountains till 11:15 when we came to a valley where we found water, here we camped for dinner and rested till 2 p. m. We started on our journey again, and when we got to the top of the mountain we found them heavily timbered with pine, while there was good grazing all the way with plenty of water for stock. The level and valleys are timbered with mahogany, rosewood, satinwood, royal palms and other tropical trees and vegetation. This forenoon we saw some very beautiful plumed birds, and one mountain cat crossed our trail about 300 feet in front of us. We met several pack mules going to the coast loaded with all sorts of tropical fruits. The scenery is indescribably grand, but some of our ascents and descents remind one of going up and down stairs. We next swam the Uola River, our baggage was taken over on a canoe, the river is very deep and swift but after we got over we all took a good swim. On one of the mountain tops we were above the clouds, and passed through a cloud about noon, at 2 145 we passed the Catholic Mission of Achinas, this is one of the mis- sions built three hundred years ago. Later we came to a pretty little town, Leamie, which was the cleanest native place we had yet seen. The place also contained one of the churches built at the time of the Conquest, but it is in ruins, having been shattered so as to be unsafe, the dome entirely fallen, all caused by an earthquake, some 20 years ago, no one seems to know exactly how long, as they are not clear as to years and not one in ten can tell you their age or the time of day by the clock. We next came TRAVELS 27 to a town called Wallalla. Here we met Carlos Vintry who could speak English and who agreed to go on to Santa Barbara with us, we took supper and breakfast with him and swung our hammocks in the public house, built to shelter travelers, and when it is not used for that purpose should judge the cows take shelter there. At Wallalla they have another of the old churches, built over 300 years ago. It is built of solid masonry with dome, towers, buttresses, etc., ornamental carvings and stucco work. It is in excellent state of preservation, and is still used to hold religious services in. Inside it has some images, crucifixion, fount and pulpit, but no pews; the people kneeling or sitting on the hard flags during service. The population of this place is 561. Leaving here, we arrived at Santa Barbara at 12. On our way between Santa Barbara and San Pedro, we saw many interesting things, we have met many men and women carrying large and apparently heavy loads on their backs. The men are generally dressed in only a pair of cotton pants, some wear a shirt, and the women wear cotton dresses without sleeves, all are barefoot and wear straw hats. Santa Barbara is one of the old Spanish Mission towns, it is the capital of Santa Barbara, the Governor and all the Depart- ment officers reside here. The church is a sort of cathedral church for this department. The town like all this Spanish- American country, has narrow and crooked streets, low dirty houses one story high. There is not a window with sash and glass in the town. At present the place is full of soldiers without uniforms or any apparent system, they are all barefooted and have old, poor arms to carry. I find that there is a college in this town where they teach English as one of the branches. We spent Sunday in Santa Barbara. We visited the cemetery which is very badly kept and has very few graves. We then went to the water power where there was formerly a saw mill, but that is only a ruin as there was not energy enoughtokeep it 28 J. A. JOHNSON up. This evening we saw a most beautiful sight. East of town is a very high mountain, part of a cloud covering the peak, rose, the sun shone on the green peak between the clouds, leaving part of the clouds above and part below the peak, making a sight worth going a long way to see. We also had the pleasure of witnessing a review of troops, stationed here, about 400 in number they passed in review before the Governor- General. After passing they formed in a hollow square, went through the manual of arms and saluted the flag as it was being hauled down in front of headquarters. I have seen a great many reviews but this one beats them all. The principal dress of the officers is a sword; all wear, as do the soldiers, light cotton shirts and pants, are barefooted and wear straw hats. No one attempted to keep step. There were several drums and bugles making as much noise as possible. We left here for Tegusagalpa, we sent Isadora back to San Pedro with "Samanthy" my mule, but we kept Carlos to act as guide and interpreter at $2 per day, he had to furnish his own mule and I had Isadora's which was better than "Samanthy." Carlos speaks English, Spanish, German and French, having been born on the island of St. Tomas and educated in Europe. We spent Monday night in camp on the banks of the Maisgual, our next stop was Pueblo of Sahcappa, where the Alcalde showed his little authority and we had to show our passports for the first time. Next we came to the village of San Jose, but traveled on till we came to a creek where we spent the night. This evening we had our first anxiety since starting. Mr. Schupp started on ahead and we were detained over an hour because of our pack mule, we not understanding loading, in the meantime Mr. Schupp went on and we became uneasy in not overtaking him, Mr. Perry then went on and waited for us at San Jose, not having found Mr. Schupp. Carlos then made inquiries and found that he had gone on ahead with a moro to the next town. We sent a native on with a note asking our friend to come back, which he TRAVELS 29 did, he in the meantime worrying for fear we had lost the road. Our troubles multiply; two of the mules strayed away and it took several hours to find them. When we were about to start, as we were passing a native Pueblo, the Alcalde came out and served a notice on Carlos, claiming a man in San Jose owned the animal Carlos rode, that it had been stolen. Carlos assured him that he had a bill of sale at home, but no argument prevailed and the result was, that Carlos had to return to San Jose. In the mean- time, Messrs. Schupp and Perry rode on while I stayed to see if Carlos could not be helped. This left us without either guide or interpreter. Of course I lost track of my companions, but con- tinued on my way as I discovered I was on the right road and they must have gotten off of it. I went on and stopped at Pueblo of Siguatepeque at 5:30 without seeing my friend. At 8:30 they appeared, having lost the trail, but in the meantime Mr. Schupp got a very badly sprained ankle. We stopped at a house where the people are white and they got us a good meal. Next morning the sprain was in a bad condition, but he insisted in going on and, about the time we were ready, Carlos rode in; he had lost his animal at San Jose, the other man proving the ownership, so Carlos got a small mule to finish the journey with. This morning we only passed over one mountain the rest of the way being undulating pine openings, but in the afternoon we ascended the longest and steepest mountain we have yet seen, but at the bottom on the other side, we found the bed of an old stream which we followed till we came to a native hut, we then crossed the River Chicito, which flows into the Pacific. We arrived at 11:30 P. M. at Commayagua, formerly the capital of Honduras, a city of 20,000 inhabitants. Some years ago the city was badly damaged in a battle which was fought by rival candidates for the presidency, and President Sota, who gained the day, moved the capital to Tegusagalpa. Commayagua, now has a population of about 5,000, it is the capital of the Department of the same name. There is a verv fine church here and in it we saw the first 30 J. A. JOHNSON window glass since leaving San Pedro. They have a very good Cabella or Court House, the upper floor is used for officers and the lower floor is the market. Here you can find men, women and children sitting, squatting and standing, selling all kinds of native and imported articles. We left here for San Antonia, twelve miles away, where we spent the night. We camped at the side of a brook in the spur of the mountains, then on up and down mountains till we arrived at the village of Protection; we left the mules outside the city as we did not dare take them in for fear we could not get food for them. We stopped in the House of Conception Carrios, whose daughter teaches school in the room where we swung our ham- mocks. I asked for some soap and was informed that they had none but would send to the neighbors and try to get me some, but none could be found. Wonder how they do their Monday's washing? We left here, arriving in Tegucegalpa at 9:30 A. M., where we found exceedingly comfortable quarters. We were served the first real meal we had since leaving the coast. We are now at the capital of Honduras, having arrived this morning after a journey of one hundred and seventy-five miles on mule-back. The country between here and Santa Barbara is nearly all mountainous, with deep gorges, and here and there a valley and plateau — all good grazing lands, with mineral deposits cropping out in all directions. This is an old town. It contains from twelve to fifteen thousand inhabitants. In the Plaza is bronze statue on a marble pedestal of Francisco Morazan, the great Central American liberator — the only man who ever suc- ceeded in keeping the now five republics in a confederation of states something like our states. After his death they got to quarrelling and the result is five weak republics instead of one strong one. The Plaza here is a beautiful flower garden. Facing it on one side stands the Cathedral, a very old and handsome building. The date of TRAVELS 31 its original erection I have not been able to ascertain. It was rebuilt (so the inscription says on the altar) in 1834. It is by all odds the finest building we have seen in Honduras. There are several other old churches here — all Catholic — and a few good buildings, several of which have glass windows in them. They have a public market house and it is worth going a long way to see. There you may buy almost anything you want, imported or domestic. Men, women, boys and girls stand, sit and squat here, offering their goods for sale. It reminds one of the oriental bazars. If you went to sleep in Constantinople and awoke here you would hardly note the difference. It is wonderful what a variety the people have managed to get in here, when you come to think that everything not raised here has been imported on the backs of mules. Their Schools are well advanced. They have a very good national college, in which English is taught as one of the branches, so that American travelers who come here a few years hence will find no difficulty in securing interpreters. The city is situated seemingly in the crater of an extinct volcano. You see every indication that at come remote period the whole country was a vast volcano. The people here are in one respect just the reverse of ours — they never hurry. They take their time on all occasions. One of their principal expressions is, Moniana, Senor (To-morrow, Mr.) If you want anything or want anyone to do something for you, the answer is almost invariably, "Moniana, Senor." Their motto is: "Never do to-day what can be put off till to-morrow." If you tell one of them to get feed ready for your mules at night ready for feeding early in the morning, the answer may be, "Si, Senor (Yes, Sir), but unless you watch him and get after him again, you will not get it. If you tell him to have your mules ready at six in the morning he will say, "Si, Senor." Unless you punch him up you are lucky if you get them by nine and so on through the calendar. 32 J. A. JOHNSON Recipes and Styles I can also give you a new recipe for your laundry work. In- stead of doing as you do, they have a much more simple way. A woman takes her washing to some stream, wades in to her knees, finds some convenient stone, rubs the clothes on it till she rubs holes in them, souses them in the water, hangs them on the bank till they are dry, takes them home again and the whole trouble is over. The women only wear a colored skirt and one garment without sleeves, cut low in the neck, and the men, principally a pair of cotton pants with once in a while, a cotton shirt. Since writing the above we have called on His Excellency, President Louis Bograu, a man of fine talents and commanding presence, a man who would be selected in any assembly, in any country. He is young, less than forty years, and is now serving his first term — and if what we hear of him is half true, he will be in power as long as he wishes to be. He treated us in the most cordial manner and gave us a great deal of valuable information and advice such as we could not obtain elsewhere. I don't know as I ever met a man who impressed me more favorably. Our business is now completed and we leave here on the morning of the 18th, for home. You will not get this till about March 12th. We also visited the church of Doloros, on the front of which are various emblems; viz., Jacob's Ladder, Sacred Heart, Open Hand and others. We also visited another church, on the cross in front it stated it was erected in 1783. Upon our return to the House we had a call from Don Jose Alvarada, the son of the Minister of Justice, he is reading law and will go to the United States next year to study medicine. From here we started on our return journey, over the route we came. After reaching the coast we boarded the steamer and went to Amoa, where we saw the old fort built by King Philipps, it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest fort in America. It is about The Fargo Freak — Will Wonders Never Cease? TRAVELS 33 600 feet long, 240 feet at one end and 360 feet at the other end, made in angles. The walls are 30 feet high, 30 feet thick, made of rock on the inside and faced with concrete blocks on the outside. The side next to the Bay shows numerous old scars, the effects of cannon balls. It does not look as though it had any repairs since it was built. It is used, in addition as a garrison, for holding political prisoners, one wing being built for that purpose, which is like a dungeon, no ventilation and the only light is what creeps through a low grating over the door, the water dripping in con- stantly. In this foul place men have been kept, one man now living in Belize, having been there ten years. If the history of this fort could be written it would make your blood run cold to read it. We were not permitted to go inside, for reasons of their own, perhaps they were worried we would carry some old shells away with us. It has a sentinel tower with one cannon on its rampart, with seven large guns lying on the ground at the foot of the wall next to the sea, they are marked "1776" and no doubt were big guns in their day. Some years ago the British and American Con- suls were imprisoned in this fort, a British man-of-war came along and gave them a broadside which scared the garrison out, and when they recovered their senses, they were compelled, by the man-of-war, to turn the guns down and forbade them remounting them again, release the two Consuls, salute the British and Amer- ican flags and pay $50,000 to the British Consul for having im- prisoned him. They tell a story about the fort as follows : When one of King Philipp's officers returned to Spain, the king took a spy-glass and invited him to go with him to one of the Palace towns, took out the glass and looked a long time, and finally said, "I don't see it." The officer asked the king what he was looking for and the king replied, "I was looking for Fort Amoa, it has cost so much money that it should be so high and plated with gold, that the reflection of its splendor should be reflected here." It is said if the cost of the fort was in silver dollars laid side by side that they would reach from here to Spain. From here we 34 J- A. JOHNSON went to Belize where we dined with His Excellency, Governor Goldworthy, we were royally entertained, and enjoyed ourselves so thoroughly that we almost missed our steamer. When we left Government House we got a boat to go to the ship, but it had already weighed anchor and had started for the United States, the Captain supposing we were on the ship. When he saw our signals he stopped the vessel and laid to till we reached her. Our next stop was at San Miguel, Mexico, where we saw the ruins of the first church built by Cortez after the conquest and in which it is said he was married. It is about a quarter of a mile from the village. It is in complete ruins about 10 feet of the walls are still standing. From these ruins where everything is overgrown with trees and brush, I procured two rosewood and two ebony canes. The church yard contains about forty acres and is enclosed by a stone wall and the ground is covered with almond, sepota, mangrove, cocoa and other tropical fruit trees, all growing in the greatest profusion. Inside the church ruins are several old tombs, some of them still sealed and remains in them, while some have been opened and the remains removed. Two had been opened quite recently, although I could not ascertain when. The remains of the coffins were still to be seen. Inside of the walls stands a cocoa tree and a native boy ran up like a squirrel and cut down some cocoanuts for us to eat. The shore is strewn with coral of all sizes and shapes as well as with various kinds of sea shells, of which the conch predominates. Colonel Francisco Becarra, the Commandante, presented me with two of the finest shells in his collection to be taken home to my wife. Cozumel is thirty-five miles long and from ten to fifteen wide ; has only 900 population. The land is nearly all Government land and can be had by paying for surveying fees and doing a certain amount of improvement on it. You can raise anything you may plant there, from potatoes up. From here we left for New Orleans and home. TRAVELS 35 A TRIP TO THE WEST INDIES This, my second trip to the West Indies, is a combination of business and pleasure, as your editor is aware, but at his request I promised to write an article for the paper, but will have to make it short. I left Fargo Sept. 25th, going to St. Paul, then on to Duluth where I at first intended to go on by boat, but other matters of business coming up decided me to go by rail. I took the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic to Sault Sainte Marie where I changed to the Canadian Pacific, passing through some of the poorest, country I have ever seen, the land consisting of sand barriers and swamps principally. We had passed through some fine mineral ranges in Northern Michigan, in and about Mar- quette. After reaching Pembrook, Canada, the land changed for the better along the Ottawa River. The city of Ottawa is a place of about 40,000 people and contains some fine buildings, both public and private. The finest view you can get of Ottawa is after crossing the Ottawa River, you can then see the Government buildings especially well. The next place I stopped was in Montreal, and to my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, built so many, many years ago, everything so different from the States, makes one think they are thousands of miles from the States while it is but a few hours ride, from the city of New York. Montreal, with its many handsome buildings, both public and private, before leaving the city I went up on Mount Royal, which commands such a splendid view of the city and the noted St. Lawrence River. Among other places visited in the city was the beautiful Cathedral of Notre Dame, an imposing edifice occupying two city blocks, which must be seen to be appre- ciated as it is as impossible to describe this as it is to describe the Niagara. The exterior of the building is immense, with its great doors always ready to open at a touch its magnificent windows. 36 J. A. JOHNSON But the interior, its paintings, its fresco, balcony, choir — and its altar — one of the largest and handsomest. I left Montreal for New York via the New York Central and Hudson River Ry., and in the early morning when I awoke the scenery I saw repaid me for that part of the trip. After attending to business in New York I found I would have to go on to Washington and Baltimore but hurried back from these cities as fast as possible and boarded the steamer at New York that noon, and that afternoon we left for the Islands, the pilot leaving us off Sandy Hook at 3 40. That night the weather was very bad and the next morning a waterspout passed within seeing distance of the steamer, toward evening it calmed down somewhat, and the ship quit rolling so much. A large number of passengers failed to appear at the table, that did not include myself as I was pretty well seasoned to sea life. We saw numerous flying-fish but it was so cloudy that observa- tions could be taken only by dead reckoning. The following morning the sun rose bright and clear and the Chief steward rapped at my state-room door and announced that we were in sight of Porto Rico; that island and Cuba is all that Spain has left now of the vast American possessions she controlled one hundred years ago to-day, and it is my humble opinion that it is an outrage that she owns them. European nations should not own a foot of land on either of the American continents. I shall make very short stays on the Islands. Porto Rico seems about all mountains, none very high, the highest being 3,600 feet above sea level, compared to our mountains these seem not much more than foot hills, although so many in such a com- paratively small space makes them seem higher than they really are. The principal staples are sugar and coffee of which I shall take back some; you also see many tobacco plantations where they raise as good tobacco as in Havana. Ponce, a city of about 38,000 people, is about three miles back from the coast. This city contains some fine buildings both public and private, they TRAVELS 37 have everything quite modern, such as gas, electric lighting, sewer and water systems; this city also has an Episcopal Church for the English inhabitants, of which there are many. This Island was discovered by Columbus in 1493, an d in 1510, Ponce de Leon founded another city, Puerto Viego (which means "old port"), and later founded San Juan Bautista, meaning Saint John the Baptist. It -is estimated that at the time of the discovery by the Spanish, that Porto Rico contained 6,000 people, but in a few decades they had entirely disappeared. Prior to 1873, slavery was permitted on the Island but at that time it was abolished by an order of the "Cortez of Spain" making all free. The climate of Porto Rico cannot b e excelled, and every variety of tropical plants and palms flourish in abundance. The natives are very similar to those of all these tropical countries — something like a circus, if you have seen one you have seen them all. When I leave this harbor I will run over and spend a few hours on the Island of Hayti, then stop at San Domingo before retracing my trip to go on to Curacao. Hayti and San Domingo I will not write of at this time, but will do so later when I can give the letter the time that it deserves in the descriptions of these Islands. ISLAND OF CURACAO I am now at Curacao in the Dutch West Indies, the right name is Wilhelmstadt, in honor of the King of the Indies, but few people know it by any other name than Curacao. It is a place of about 30,000 people, mostly Hollanders and Curacao negroes, though you will find people from nearly every country in the world there, and can see the customs of all nations on a miniature scale; it depends entirely on commerce for its existence. The island is very barren, three years having been known without any rain to speak of, to amount to anything. 38 J. A. JOHNSON It is the pathway of steamers plying between the United States and France, England, Holland as well as other countries, and all steamers touch and some unload their cargoes here, trans- ferring them to smaller vessels ; while some go direct to the South American countries. Nine of the large steamers go to the small ports either in Venezuela or the United States of Columbia; they confine themselves to ports like Porto Cabello, La Guayra, Cartagenia, etc., while for ports like Marracaibo, Curo, Madera, etc., they use the small transfer steamers referred to; one reason for this transfer is there are bars at the mouths of the harbors that prevent the larger class of steamers from entering. It is a quaint city and those who make their first visit to the tropics will be surprised at the change between it and the United States, and what they will see there, everything being different. To stop and tell you all or any of the peculiarities would take longer time than can be spared here. The harbor itself is one of nature's curiosities. You enter between two forts, through a space not much broader than the width of your vessel, steam up through the harbor, where it widens a little, and the largest steamers can tie up to the wharves, the harbor being almost bottomless. Looking up the harbor you see a bluff, or almost a mountain, that shuts out the view, but if you continue up the harbor you will see that there is an opening in the bluff, with water of sufficient depth and width to admit of the largest men-of-war. This pas- sage is about one fourth of a mile in length. You enter the inner harbor, or lagoon, as it is called, and find it is about one mile across and from two to three miles en- closed on all sides. It was in this lagoon where Captain Kidd and his associates, when hard pressed by men-of-war, would disappear from view and hence he was called "the wizzard" of the sea; he was supposed to be in league with the evil one who permitted him to disappear when hard pressed and to reappear again when a victim in the way of a rich merchantman, hove in sight. TRAVELS 39 By the courtesy of Captain E. B. Smith, Consul for the United States in Curacao, I took a ride with him and his family in his yacht, and among the other places of interest we visited, was the inner harbor. We saw riding at anchor, one of the largest men- of-war of the Dutch Navy, the Wilhelm Johan Fraisar, the flagship of Admiral Droonman, commandant of the Dutch India Squadron; we went on board and were handsomely entertained by the Admiral and his officers. After spending some time on the vessel we again boarded Captain Smith's yacht and returned to Curacao, where I spent some time transacting the business which called me here. The city of Curacao is divided into two parts by the narrow harbor I have referred to (that you go into as you leave the sea). All of the streets are quite narrow, at least they seem so to one just from our wide beautiful streets in the States. The port of Curacao being free or nearly so, so that most of the smuggling that is done to the South and Central America States has its headquarters at this port. I had almost forgotten to tell you one thing which impressed me was, as to the oddity of the looks of the city from the distance — the houses without any chimneys and all painted yellow with cream-colored trimmings, but when you come to the city this peculiarity seems not to be noticed. One thing I will say, is that the streets are kept clean and every- thing is in ship-shape order. I left Curacao on the steamer "Philadelphia" for La Guaira, the end of my sea voyage until my return. SOUTH AMERICAN TRIP [Parts of letters to the Pioneer Press, St Paul.] While the South American states were among the first settled after Columbus discovered America, very little is known either in the United States or Europe about the climate or resources. Business having called me to South America, I will, at the 40 J. A. JOHNSON request of your editor try to tell you of some of the things I saw and learned on this trip. On May ioth, I left New York, Pier No. 36, East River, on the iron steamship, Venezuela. It is needless to tell you of all that happened on the ship, only to say that part of the time, especially passing through Cape Hatteras and the Gulf Stream, it was quite rough and a good many of the passengers remained in their cabins for the first few days. I learned something about the Gulf Stream I did not know before, although I had crossed it often; the excutive officer informed me that they test the temperature of the water at stated intervals, and that he had seen the temperature twenty-three degrees warmer at the bow than at the stern at the same moment while crossing the stream. That shows how well defined are the walls of this stream, and accounts for the mild climate where its influence is felt. The first land we saw after leaving the States was a view of Hayti and San Domingo on our right and Porto Rico on our left. We made but short stops at these Islands but as I had visited them before they were not so interesting as they would have been otherwise. After landing passengers and cargo the steamer proceeded on to South America. On the morning of May 19th, we were tied up at the wharf at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and as soon as the custom and health officers had made their inspections, I went on shore. Puerto Cabello has one of the finest natural harbors in the world being almost entirely land-locked and of sufficient size for a port like New York or Philadelphia. The first thing that attracts your attention as you enter the harbor is the light house, and a very good one it is, yellow and red flashes can be seen a long way out at sea. But the most interesting sight is the old fort built by the Spaniards but now used as a prison ; this fort was captured from the Spaniards — so I was told — in a peculiar manner. One TRAVELS 41 dark night during the Venezuelan War for Independence, General Bolivar came down from the interior one night and swam his troops across from the Island to where the fort stands, about 500 yards, and surprised the garrison. The first intimation the Spanish officer had of Bolivar's presence was, that he and his entire command were prisoners. It is said that Bolivar did not lose a man in swimming them across, although the harbor is full of man eating sharks, and there is not a man who could swim across without the escort of a boat without being bit, and that he took the fort without firing a gun. The morning of our arrival at Puerto Cabello I took the cars for Valencia, the capital of the state of Carabobo, a place of about 30,000; it has many fine parks and public and private buildings. In Plaza Bolivar is a marble monolith said to be the finest to be found in either Americas; it is surmounted by a bronze statue of General Bolivar and was erected to commemorate the great victory obtained over the Spanish; it was in sight of this place that they made their last stand and met such a defeat that they never again rallied on American soil. The city is lighted by electricity and has a fine telephone exchange, these are controlled by Americans. It has water works, a system of sewers, and several very nice manufacturing establishments — the principal being a cotton factory that employs several hundred hands. My next stop was Caracas National capital of the United States of Venezuela. Popula- tion between 80,000 and 100,000. Seven miles across moun- tains to La Guaira, and 22 miles by rail. It is situated in a fertile valley about five miles wide and twenty miles long. The climate is the finest that could be desired, being so high up the air is pure and free from all fever or malaria as well as all extremes of either heat or cold. The average temperature there is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit; the thermometer seldom goes beyond 85 or below 60. 42 J. A. JOHNSON In over three years it has not been known to go over ioo degrees but once and has never got down to even a white frost. The most delicate plant or fruit can and does grow out of doors free from any artificial protection from the cold. The city is about 3,600 feet above sea level. In the valley surrounding it, are extensive sugar and coffee plantations. It is difficult to obtain a good room in a hotel in Caracas when you arrive there, at least that was my experience while there, and of others who came at the same time. As for renting a comfort- able house, it is simply out of the question except to wait for some one to move out or have a house built. The city has, in addition to the Capital building and Executive Mansion or "Yellow House," the National University, several colleges for both boys and girls, Public Schools, Academy of Arts and Sciences, Naval and Military schools, Polotecnic, and School of Telegraphy, Military and Civil hospitals. Has system of water works and street cars, on the latter they charge the same as we do, five cent fare. Two fine and commodi- ous markets, two theatres, one especially elegant, Masonic Temple and Commercial Club. The National University, which ranks among the best in the world, a diploma from which is the same as one from Yale or Harvard here. It has many fine parks and plazas, beautifully laid out, every variety of tropical trees and plants growing in them. In each plaza, is a statue in bronze of some prominent Venezuelian, except in Washington Plaza, where is the statue of Washington. The streets are laid out at right angles, and the houses are numbered, which is out of the ordinary in the South American cities. The streets are well paved and have either cement or flag side walks on each side. Among the industries are the Government Mint, tanneries, sugar refineries, foundries and machine shops, wagon, cart and carriage shops, the latter also turn out coaches, coupes, TRAVELS 43 Victorias, etc., cabinet and carpentry shops. Tile and brick yards, blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, etc., and paper mills. One railroad connects Caracas with La Guaira, and two are now building to connect this city with Victoria and Valencia. There are wagon roads in all directions. In the National Capital building, are life-sized paintings of all the men who have made their marks in Venezuela. In the dome of the building is a panoramic painting of the battle of Maricabo, where the Spaniards made their last stand and were defeated by the Venezuelians, assisted by some Americans and English, under Simon Bolivar. The painting begins with the scene in front of Plaza Bolivar where the students from the National University compelled the Spanish Vice-Roy to surrender his insignia of office and ends with the disastrous defeat of the Spaniards near Valencia. This painting shows the prominent generals and officers who participated in the struggle and drove the Spanish power from Venezuela. One in particular will attract one's attention; he is fair-haired, blue-eyed and full light beard; he was the Sheridan of the Venezuelian cavalry with this difference, neither he or his men asked or gave quarter; with him it was a war of extermination as far as the Spaniards were concerned. I refer to General Falcon. In the District of Federal building is a very handsome painting of the signing of the Venezuelian Independence. In the front of the painting stands an officer in full regimentals looking with stern eye and making mental note of anyone who hesitates in walking up to the Secretary's desk and affixing his signature to the paper, severing their connection with Spain and making Venezuela a free and independent nation. The officer referred to, I was told, was General Simon Bolivar. This painting is equal to, if not superior, to any work of art in that line to be found in the Capitol at Washington. The National Museum is located in the University building, here are relics of the great men of Venezuela, as well as national curiosities. Here you find the Bolivar sword and medals encrusted 44 J. A. JOHNSON with diamonds. They were presented to Bolivar by the Republic, and later purchased by the Government from the heirs. In the Panteon Nacional, are entered some one hundred and fifty Venezuelian generals and statesmen, including some for- eigners who fell in behalf of the Venezuelian cause. * The commercial interests of Caracas are immense. It is the distributing point and supply depot for not far from 1,000,000 people, including the city itself. The stocks of goods in all lines carried here are astonishing. Stocks running into the millions of dollars are not infrequent, and the trade is constantly increasing in volume. The people are very hospitable and do everything they can to make a stranger feel at home. They invite and entertain you in a royal manner in their fine mansions. But in commercial transactions they are as sharp as any Yankee can be, and are as fond of the almighty dollar as are any people in the world. In Plaza Bolivar, the National band of fifty pieces give open air concerts every Thursday and Sunday evenings, between eight and ten. There you see the elite of the city to the best advantage. Ladies in the latest Parisian fashions and gentlemen in full dress suits, promenading and enjoying the delightful even- ings out of doors. While the Caracians are very hospitable, they are very par- ticular as to whom they invite to their homes. No one who is not properly introduced will be invited to any private house or gathering. When once invited to a man's house you can call there any time as long as your standing in society is good. This, of course, does not include the peon or laboring classes. Caracas is the cradle of liberty of South America. It was here the first blow was struck and the first blood was spilled that drove the Spanish crown from the American continent. It was here that the University students headed by Manuel Maria Urbanza, met the Spanish Vice-Roy coming out of his palace and then and there compelled him to surrender his insignia. This is the TRAVELS 45 birthplace of many of the men who have made themselves dear to the hearts of every lover of liberty. Among and in fact, the leading name, is that of General Simon Bolivar, and his compatri- ots of a greater or less degree are Generals Paez, Falcon, Suarez, Guzman, Monango, and others. Both Boliver and Urbana were natives of Caracas and the houses they were born in are pointed out to strangers as sacred relics. From Caracas, the revolt against Spain spread to the other parts of South America, Central and North America, until the Spanish power was anni- hilated, never to be re-established on American soil, and all was accomplished in about four years by weak and struggling colonies against, at that time, one of the most powerful nations in the world. It had been the policy of Spain, as it now is in Cuba, to wring the life blood out of the American possessions. Keeping the spirit of manhood and independence down, by a large standing army, which they made the colonies pay for maintaining to keep them in subjection. The Americans subject to Great Britain, had ample cause to resist the British Crown, but they had not one- tenth what the Spanish Colonies had to endure from their oppres- sors. The strange part of it is, that it was not the natives who resisted the Spanish power, but the pure Spaniards or their direct descendants, who had come here as they had gone to North America to build homes for themselves. That is just the case in Cuba to-day, and sooner or later the Cubans will accomplish their independence as did the patriots of Venezuela in 1819-24. The matter of "revolution" in Venezuela, in fact in all the Spanish-American countries, is little understood. It is not by force as we understand it, in the use of arms, though in some cases arms have been used, but it is votes. The defeat at the poles of one political party, and accession to power of the opposi- tion to the party in power, they dignify here by the name of "revolution." Even local disturbances of a political nature, such as the defeat of local candidates who are striving for election, is called "revolution." 46 J. A. JOHNSON '*** " The Government of Venezuela is the most stable of any of the Governments in South America, and its finances are as sound as any in Europe. The Government is a republic like our own; has a congress consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives as we have ; the President has his cabinet as we have, and about the only difference I could see was that the President is elected for two years only and cannot serve two consecutive terms, also, that he is elected by Congress from its own membership. There is no Vice-President. In addition to the Cabinet the President has an Executive Council, consisting of two men from each state, sixteen men in all, as there are eight states which compose the United States of Venezuela. To this Council, all matters of im- portance, in the interim when Congress is not in session, are referred. On Thursday I had an audience, by appointment, with Presi- dent Palacio, and was received most courteously indeed. The President is a fine and intelligent gentleman, and if looks go for anything, the people of Venezuela have made no mistake in electing Dr. Andrigo Palacio, their President. He is fully up to the times and desires that his country shall be one of the leading nations of the world, as it is now the leading one of South America. I also met Nephtale Urdaneto, the Governor of the Federal District and one of the President's Cabinet. During my stay in Caracas I received many favors from Senor M. Porras E. a per- sonal and political friend of the President. Senor Porras is secre- tary of the Interior, a lawyer of prominence and the best English scholar of Venezuelians in Caracas, if not in Venezuela. He is a man of great wealth and influence among his people. Lives in a palatial residence like a prince, his servants are all in livery and everything is on a grand scale. The people of Caracas and in fact of Venezuela, are waking up to the fact and begin to realize, that they are in a measure, not up to the times, as we and other nations are, and are offering TRAVELS 47 every inducement to have foreign capital go in and assist in the development of the natural resources of the country. To show you how readily they take to modern inventions, I will simply tell you that in the city of Caracas to-day there are over 2,000 telephones in use, and more are ordered than can be supplied, so that the American Telephone Company are always behind in filling phone orders as fast as they are wanted. The streets are lighted by gas but an electric plant is now being constructed which will supply the city with both arc and incandescent lights, with sufficient capacity to light public build- ings and plazas as well as private residences and stores in Caracas, but also at La Guaira, Macuto, and Maquetie. The electric plant will start with 150 arc and 5,000 incandescent lights. The water and sewer system are as perfect as any you will find in any city of similar size in the United States. The water is conveyed in an open aqueduct for a distance of eighteen miles from where it gushes out of the mountain, a pure spring water as any you can find in any part of the world, to a reservoir on El Cavarie, about 500 feet above the city, from there it is distri- buted through pipes and mains to all parts of the city. The Government owns the water-works and I was told the rates are quite low. The peculiarity of the water there is, that while it is warm it is not insipid as water is here of the same temperature, but it quenches your thirst and you do not feel the need of ice in the water. Ice, by the way, can be had at about three cents per pound, being made by artificial means, by machinery imported from the United States. The reason the ice is so expensive, is that its use is as yet a new thing and very few people had to within the past five years, ever seen, much less used ice for any purpose ; in fact the majority of the people of Venezuela had never heard of or knew the meaning of the word "ice." A peculiar feature of the houses of Caracas or in fact of all houses in the Spanish-American countries, is the way they are The house is built flush to the street and most of them 48 J. A. JOHNSON with their ironbound windows look more like a jail than a resi- dence; but when you get inside instead of fulfilling your prison idea, you behold an open court or patio, filled with the rarest flowers and plants that it is possible for even the tropics to pro- duce. The rooms all open on this court, and here the family and friends sit to enjoy their rest, smoke their cigarettes, or sip their after-dinner coffee of an evening. I will mention one custom which prevails there which may not strike some of my readers favorably; if a young man wishes to visit a young lady he must do so in the family parlor in the presence of the entire family or at least with the father or mother being present, or he must stand on the sidewalk while she leans in an iron-bound window, on the Romeo and Juliet plan, talking to him. If he wishes to take her to the theater he must take some member of the family with them; there are no buggy-riding or ice-cream tete-a-tetes. In fact a young man and young woman are never permitted to be alone together until after the marriage ceremony has been performed. A young lady on the streets is always accompanied by a servant, sometimes you will see two or three together, without a servant, but this is rare indeed. This of course does not apply to the peons, only to the better class of people. The transportation question has taken great strides out of Caracas in the last six years. Since that time a railroad of 22 miles has been built between Caracas and La Guaira, it is perhaps the most crooked railroad in the world. In fourteen miles it rises to an altitude of 4,000 feet above sea level and in that distance there is not 500 feet of straight track in any one place. There are several places where you wind round innumerable curves for from two to four miles and in looking down, you will find you have only gained from 100 to 300 feet in actual distance but are several hundred feet above or below where you were two or three miles back. The first three miles of the road are nearly straight along the TRAVELS 49 shores of the Carribean Sea. In the next fifteen miles, it ascends about 4,000 feet and the last five miles it descends about 700 feet, to the valley Caracas is located in. The road has 346 curves that are noticeable while riding in the cars. I have been informed there are 22,000 rails laid, out of which there were 18,000 more or less bent. The road belongs to an English com- pany and was completed about five years ago with the expectation that it would carry all the freight and passenger traffic between the Capital and the principal seaport. While at first it was able to do so, it cannot begin to do so now. You can daily see hun- hundreds of donkeys with loads on their backs and mules hauling carts loaded with merchandise, going in both directions, that the merchants here and at La Guaira cannot wait for the railroad company to transport. The charges for freight and passengers are simply terrific. Freight runs from $8 per ton on coal to $20 per ton on some classes of merchandise and passenger rates are $2.50 first class and $1.60 second class, with cars that immigrants in the United States would not ride in, in the so-called first class. Of the two railroads building between Caracas and Valencia, a distance of about no miles, one is being built by English and the other with German capitalists. The German road is built and running trains for about thirty-six miles. It is called the "Great Venezuelian Railway." The English road is called the "Central Railroad of Venezuela" and has sixty-five miles com- pleted. On Sunday I took a ride on the latter road in company with U. S. Minister, Wm. L. Scruggs of Atlanta, Col. T. W. Tyrer of Washington, A. B. Cadot of Boston, and E. C. White of New York. The road is well built in a substantial manner, good track and rolling stock, iron ties, bridges and tressels. We passed through a succession of sugar and coffee fields nearly the whole distance. Railroad matters, telephone and telegraph lines and all con- cessions are made by the Government to corporations and individ- uals. 5 o J. A. JOHNSON On June nth, was the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of General J. A. Paez, and Caracas celebrated two holidays or feast days as they call them here. The city was finely decorated with the Venezuelian colors with the flags of all nations in sight. The stars and stripes were conspicuous on all sides. At night the Plazas were ablaze with pyrotechnical displays, fireworks everywhere, while the whole was elegantly illuminated. The booming of cannons by day and the sound of fireworks at night reminded you of being in the midst of battle and that belief was strengthened when you saw on all sides soldiers in uniform march- ing and counter-marching, others on duty as sentries in the streets and squares. "The Paez Huzzars," a volunteer organization of the first young men of Caracas, made a fine display in their scarlet uniforms with white trimmings, patent leather boots, prancing horses and shining lances. Both in drill and appearance they were superior to the regular soldiers. I fortunately had every opportunity of seeing and enjoying all this as the guest of the Secretary of the Interior. There is something curious in celebrating the birth of General Paez. He was one of General Bolivar's lieutenants, being pro- moted from time to time by that great liberator, until Paez sup- planted Boliver, drove him out of the country into Colombia, where he died in poverty, while Paez assumed power that he car- ried with a high hand, until he in turn was driven from the country by General Falcon. Paez went to New York where he died, and his remains were removed to Caracas in 1888 and now rest in the PanteonlNacional. General Falcon was supplanted by Guzman Blanco, and he also was compelled to leave the country, although later he re- turned. His bones also rest in the same building that those of Generals Bolivar, Paez and other heroes do. From Caracas I went for a few days to La Guaira. The seaport of La Guaira is a place of about 8,000 people, is built at the foot of mountains rising two miles in height in some place. TRAVELS 5 i It is exceedingly warm there at times, the sun between n A. M. and 2 p. m. in the narrow streets is unbearable. The harbor, until the past few years, was a very hard and dangerous one. Being only a small indentation in the shore, with the swell of the Carribean Sea beating in there constantly. An English syndi- cate known as the "Break-water Company," constructed a substantial break-water or sea wall, behind which ships in a limited number can ride with safety and comfort and receive and dis- charge their cargo. Before the "Break-water" was built, it was very hard and at times dangerous for passengers to go on board or leave the ships. The swell of the sea making the boats rise and fall at various heights, according to the height of the waves, and passengers had to take their chances in jumping from the ladder into the boat and missing or falling overboard in doing so was not infrequent, more especially with ladies. La Guaira as a port of shipment is the most important in Venezuela. At this port one half the customs duties of the nation are collected, and through it half of all the exports and imports go, through it half the population of the nation buy their foreign goods and sell their coffee, hides, chocolates, etc. The town and harbor are guarded by an old Spanish fort perched on the side of a mountain overlooking the town and harbor. Twenty-four heavy Krupp cannons have, at a great cost, been hauled up there. A small garrison of soldiers only stay in it to keep and take care of it. From here, accompanied by Col. Tyrer and Messrs. Cabot and White, I went to Macuto, the "Long Branch" of Venezuela. At this place we found an excel- lent hotel and bathing. You can have your choice of hot or cold sulphur baths, or fine surf bathing, for a nominal sum. It is pret- tily situated on the coast about four miles from La Guaira, and is the fashionable seaside resort of Venezuela. All the society people of Caracas spend more or less time here each season, which usually opens December ist, and lasts two months. After some time spent' here, we returned to Caracas. 52 J. A. JOHNSON It would be impossible to tell of all that grows in this far Southern country — of all the tropical fruits and plants, many of which are so delicate that they cannot be shipped even a very little distance and are never exported. But there are three which are of interest to all, as we all use them. Coffee Through the courtesy of General Jose Antonia Masquaro, I was shown through his coffee plantation and works near the city of Caracas, and learned from him the following facts regard- ing coffee culture. In planting coffee, the bean in its natural state, is laid on rich soil, with a light covering of dirt and another covering of leaves. In about three weeks the plant comes through, and in about six weeks, two or three leaves show. Care must be taken at all times, to protect the plant from the rays of the sun. It is then taken up and set where it is to grow. Coffee trees if well protected and cultivated, live and bear up to sixty or seventy years or even longer, if in rich soil and proper temperature. Each tree will produce on an average, one pound of coffee per year. The trees grow to a height of about eight feet and are inclined to be bushy. The shading of the trees is necessary to protect it from the sun, and is usually done by planting it under a mango and other fruit trees that have a dense foliage, though it is some- times done with banana and plantains. When so done no atten- tion is paid to the fruit of the tree, as they are simply planted for the shade. The picking of coffee begins about Oct. ist, and ends about Jan. ist, in each year. General Masquara employs from 150 to 200 women as pickers on his estate. It is a very interesting thing to follow the coffee from the tree to the steamer. Each woman has a basket in front of her, tied with rope around her waist, that she drops the pods into. When the basket is full, the coffee is then carried in and piled on a TRAVELS 53 brick floor, where it looks very much like large cranberries both in size and color. It is next put through a cylinder, where the hulls are crushed, then pass into a vat where the coffee bean lays in water for about three hours. During this time the sugar the coffee is coated with when it comes out of the pod, leaves it and the water at the same time, assists in giving the bean the proper color. From this vat it is spread out on a large brick floor, in the sun to dry. There it is stirred frequently to prevent any part of it from mildewing. After it is dried, it is next put into a trough and large hardwood rollers pass over it, until the pod and other substances which may have adhered to the bean are removed. From there it is put through a fanning mill, where the pods and chaff are separated from the bean. From the fanning mill it goes to a long separating sieve, of cylindrical shape, where again it is subjected to another thorough cleaning and all small beans are dropped out. From this sieve it is put on tables, where it is hand-picked by women, and all black and bad beans are picked out. From these tables it goes into bags, thence to steamers on donkey-backs, in carts or by rail, as the means of transportation offer, thence to the consumer to all parts of the world. Five pounds of coffee in the pod as it is picked from the tree makes one pound. of merchantable coffee. Cacao The cacao (pronounced kaycou) raises the chocolate bean, grows from fifteen to twenty feet high and from three to eight inches in diameter. It requires a hot, damp ground and shaded so that no rays of the sun can penetrate to tree or fruit. It grows to bear at four years, at six years it is in its prime, and, if properly cared for, will bear fruit from twenty-five to thirty years. The cacao pod grows out from the body of the tree something like a fungus, and it looks, as far as shape is concerned, like a large cucumber, that has been allowed to ripen, and go to seed its color is very nearly maroon. 54 J. A. JOHNSON Senor Luis Ruis, the owner of the largest chocolate establish- ment in Caracas, kindly permitted me to go through it, and there I saw the process of chocolate making, from the time the bean entered the door to the time it went out in boxes ready for the table. After being hulled, the bean is roasted, next it is put into a separator, of cylinder shape, where the different grades are sorted out. The process of sorting the bean is similar to the one in use in our wheat elevators, to clean and separate the wheat. It goes from the separator to a crusher, and next to a fanning mill, where all chaff and foreign matter is blown out of it. From there to the grinder, where it is made into paste ; from the grinder it passes under two large rollers, where sugar and cinnamon is mixed with it, thence it passes between three stone rollers, similar to those used for making patent flour. That is what they call the fining process. From these large rollers it passes between another set of rollers, where it is further mixed and refined. Thence it goes to the worm, something like our sausage grinders, there it is cut off and weighed and cut into forms, put on an agitated table, that shakes and levels, or evens it. It is then set to one side when in twenty-four hours it is dry and ready for the market. The chocolate here when on the market, sells at 26, 32, 40 and 50 cents per pound according to the grade, it is all pure chocolate, the only difference being in the grade of bean used. Senor Anjel Quintoro, who has a cacao estate of 38,400 acres, near La Guaira, on which he has 25,000 trees, in addition to the cocoa-palm, lemon, orange trees, etc., says that there are different kinds of cacao, some sweet and some bitter. The sweet sells for $32 per fanago (no pounds.) The bitter sells for $12 per fanago. He also tells me that of the chocolate beans shipped out of this country, that the best goes to Spain as the Spaniards are willing to pay the price demanded, while the poorer grades go to Paris and New York. TRAVELS 55 Sugar The land which produces the best quality of sugar is a rich loam with good drainage, and in extremely dry weather, can be irrigated. If lands are not too rich, they raise a very large cane, but of an inferior quality as a sugar producer. I could not ascer- tain how much an acre would produce as they do not measure land that way. One "Tablone" of land, ioo square meters, near this city will produce 9,000 pounds of "Papelon" or raw sugar and 300 gallons of rum. The expense of cultivating each "Tablone" is reckoned at $30, cutting, etc., at $25. The lands in the valley of Caracas produces from 20 to 30 per cent more sugar per "Tablone" than any other part of Venezuela, hence are more valuable. It would be hard to buy any of the sugar estates, or in fact the coffee estates either, as General Mas- quara has repeatedly refused $500,000 for his coffee plantation, and $250 has been refused for a sugar estate, per "Tablone," where there was plenty of water for power and for irrigation purposes. Sugar sells in the market here from 10 to 20 cents per pound, according to its fineness. The finest grades obtainable here is about like our "Extra c" in color, but much better in quality. No grades like our granulated, cut-loaf or pulverized can be obtained here, and its importation is prohibited. The sugarcane is planted in rows, about eighteen inches apart, and is hoed until it shades itself. The last time it is hoed, it is hilled up, leaving a furrow for irrigating between the rows. In this country it takes eighteen months from the time the planting is done, and the cane is ready for the sugar mill. With the present price of sugar here and a law prohibiting its importation, the Sugar Trust can "see" the United States and give it several pointers which our "Sugar Kings" have never thought of. In addition to coffee, cocoa, and sugar, there are exported large 56 J. A. JOHNSON quantities of Tonke Beans, Vanilla, Indigo, Divi-Divi and other spices and articles of commerce which can only be produced in the tropics. There are also hides and goat skins shipped out every year. Venezuela has some of the richest gold mines in the world. There are a great many mountains and they are filled with miner- als of all kinds though only gold, silver, and precious stones have been sought for thus far. Inexhaustible beds of coal, iron and marble awaits development, while the immense forests of mahog- any, rose-wood, satin-wood, ebony and in fact all the cabinet woods known to man only waits capital and energy to make fortunes for those engaged in the work. Perhaps the largest virgin forests of rubber trees, Peruvian bark and other commercial and medicinal plants in the world are to be found in South America. There are inexhaustible salt and pitch lakes; the lakes are controlled by the Government and are leased out for a term of years and the importation of salt is prohibited, while the pitch lakes near the Orinoco have been worked for hundreds of years without showing any diminution in quantity, or that any pitch had been taken out of them, they seem to be like the sea, impos- sible to empty. On one estate about 20 miles from Caracas there are found sixty-five different kinds of timber, most of them valuable, this estate is called "Los Caracas." Stock raising is also carried on to quite an extent, although the horses and cattle are very inferior, having bred and inter-bred since the Spaniards brought them over, and no attempt has been made to improve them. Venezuela contains 632,000 square miles, a little less than one fifth the size of the United States, outside of Alaska, or larger than Texas, California, North and South Dakota and Illi- nois combined. It has a great many mountains, among which are the Andes. Large plains and pampas, as well as forests, and some of its valleys, noticably that of the Orinoco, cannot be surpassed in fertility. The scenery is grand, beyond my power No, He Isn't Crazy — Fargo Merely Thought of Something She Thinks She Would Like, and He is Going After It. TRAVELS 57 of description, so will not attempt that. It has some large inland lakes which abound in fish of various kinds while its forests are alive with plumaged birds, including macaw, parrot, parro- quet, condor, etc., to say nothing about monkeys, baboons, anacondas, as well as lions and tigers in the mountains. The military strength is about 250,000 men, the regular army is supposed to have 2,000 officers, though I believe there are three or four times that many. Every Venezuelian between certain ages is subject to military duty, and is compelled to go when the emergency calls, without the formality of volunteering or being drafted. The people as a rule are well educated, nearly all speaking French as well as Spanish and many are good English scholars, among the wealthy class many have received their education in the United States, England, and France. The mode of travel except along the sea coast where you can travel a comparatively short distance by rail, is to either walk or ride horse back and if you go into the interior any ways, you will have to ride a mule, the traveling is very difficult, expensive, and often very dangerous. There are no political issues in Venezuela, as with us, no dis- cussion of tariff, or reforms, no internal or other improvement or honesty or economy in the administration of Governmental affairs. It seems to be all of a personal nature and personal following that the political leaders have than any statecraft, principle or policy that they represent. The tariff duties are very high on imports and on some exports. The customs duties so collected are all that keeps the Government alive. The only other taxes are internal revenue stamps on all contracts, legal documents, and a license exacted from all business men, similar to that paid by saloonkeepers in the United States. There are no taxes on real estate, in the country or on the unimproved property in the cities, but the buildings in the cities are taxed one-twelfth of their gross income. 58 J. A. JOHNSON The Catholic is the only religion here and is supported by the State. There is not a Protestant church in Venezuela, though all religions are free and you may be a member of any denomination you please, or none at all if that suits you better. On Sunday afternoons and evenings, they have their bull-fights, cock-fights, fashionable operas, circuses, and all saloons and business houses run at full blast and are well patronized. PIKE'S PEAK. September 12, 1900. Having been selected as one of the delegates to attend the meeting of the Farmers National Congress at Colorado Springs, Colorado, it may interest some of the readers of the Forum to learn some things that can be seen on the trip. We left St. Paul at 10 a. m., arriving at Omaha at 10:30 that evening, a distance of 372 miles. There we took the Union Pacific at 11:30, arriving at Denver the next afternoon over one hour late. The weather all the way was exceeding warm, the thermometer running from 90 to 95 in the cars, the result was we either had to suffocate with heat in having the windows closed, or suffocate with dust in having them open. In all my experience in traveling, I don't think I ever saw so dusty a road, it was simply terrific ; the bal- lasting must be with dirt and sand only, for it was difficult to see the end of the train. We followed the Platte nearly all the way from Omaha to Denver. The Platte is one of the curiosities in the way of a river, it is very long and wide and has very little water in it) only small rivulets running among the sand. We saw no place that one could not have waded across it with safety. A Nebraska man compared the Platte with Bryan; viz., by saying he was like the Platte, he was 2,000 miles long, 4 miles wide, and 2 inches deep. The city of Denver is a wonder ; it is a city of about 170,000 people and growing very fast, has immense wealth, and its future TRAVELS 59 seems to be assured. We were met by my friend, Mayor Henry V. Johnson, who took us to different parts of the city, of which he has every reason to feel proud. They have some of the finest parks it has ever been my good fortune to see, all artificial, but made to look as though it was natural. In one park, among other attractions in it, they have a lake of 25 acres, with fish of all kinds in it, row boats, electric launches and other craft ; they have also animals, such as elk, moose, deer, buffalo, bear, mountain lions, wild cats and one of the greatest curiosities was a shorthorn cow weighing 3,000 pounds. Denver expends $50,000 per year on its parks. Leaving Denver, we went on to Colorado Springs, about 80 miles distant, where we were taken care of at the Hotel Alamo, by mine host Elstun. Here we found a city of about 25,000 hustling Americans, with my friend, Mayor Robinson, as chief hustler. During the sessions, we, in common with all the delegates, visited various places of interest, such as the Garden of the Gods, the Windy Caves, the Seven Cannons, and other places, but chief was our trip to Pike's Peak. That trip was one long to be remem- bered. The distance from Manitou is 8.1 miles to the summit. I will not weary your readers with what we saw on our way up. The ascent nearly the whole distance is 25 per cent, and the cars are pushed by engines especially constructed for mountain climb- ing, with a double row of cogs in the center of the track, thus making it absolutely safe, for if one cog should break the other would hold the train. The speed is only about as fast as a man would trot his horse in ordinary travel. Winding up the side of the mountain, we came to Windy Point, above the timber line, where a stop is made and you can get out, and unless you are careful you are liable to lose your hat, it is always windy there. The next stop is on the summit, about a mile above Windy Point, when you arrive there you are 14,147 feet above sea-level. The altitude affects people in different ways, some get dizzy, 60 J. A. JOHNSON some will faint, in fact it will affect all in some way. Here over- coats and wraps come in, no matter how warm it was where you started from. You are now amidst perpetual snow. From the summit of the peak you can see 180,000 square miles of land, you can see mountain ranges 180 miles away in Arizona, and see the plains of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. The Govern- ment maintained a signal station on the summit, until a few years ago, when it was abolished. The Western Union has an office there which is the highest in the world, and where visitors can send messages without any extra expense to their friends. No one who visits Colorado Springs can afford to miss taking the trip up Pike's Peak. While the fare of $5 seems exorbitant, when you have taken the trip and see what has been done for your com- fort you soon come to the conclusion that it is very cheap. Copenhagen, Denmark, January 17, 1901. Pioneer Press : Prior to my leaving for my European trip I promised my friend, Col. Hamlin, that I would give the readers of the Pioneer Press my impressions of what I saw from time to time. I will now fulfill my promise to the best of my ability. I left Portland, Me., on the first of January, on the Allan line steamship Numid- ian; Capt. Wm. S. Main, Mr. David Gondie, purser and Dr. A. M. McPherson, surgeon. The passenger list was light and the officers named, as well as the other officers, made it very pleasant for us. While neither the largest nor fastest of the Allan line fleet, the Numidian is one of the best to travel on as she rolls very little. She is 400 feet long and 45 feet beam and 34^ feet deep. She was loaded down so she drew 25 feet. The load consisted of nearly all kinds of produce — flour and feed and apples in barrels and thousands of pounds of sole leather, all Canadian products. We had, for this time of year, a very nice trip. The first few days, until we had gotten away from the cold of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, were cold and the water got down TRAVELS 6 1 to 28 degrees and the atmosphere still lower. As soon as we reached the gulf stream the water arose to 54 degrees and the atmosphere to 46. We arrived in Liverpool on Sunday evening, January 13th, passing the north of Ireland and the Isle of Man. We could see Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man from the steamer at the same time. We found the Irish Sea, like the people it is named for, exceedingly lively. Much has been written about Liverpool, but I presume the impression formed by each one is different. To me it was dis- appointing. The buildings are old and "squat." But very few more than three stories high and the stories very low. There are many two story buildings in Fargo higher than the three-story buildings. The streets are well paved and kept reasonably clean. The street cars remind you of a circus van. They are double deckers, with stairs on each end; the passengers on top are behind a railing, covered with all kinds of advertisements — such as soaps, cigars, liquors, etc. They charge according to the distance you ride ; the conductor asks how far you are going and charges accordingly. Leaving Liverpool I took the Great Central Railway for Guinsey, distance 175 miles. Between the two cities we passed through some of the most important cities in England; among others Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Nottingham, each well known for their manufacturing enterprises. I had the good fortune to have with me in my compartment, a wealthy English- man, by the name of F. S. Hatchward, Sasby Hall, Hull, who was returning from his hunting preserves of Lincolnshire. He told me all about the country we were passing through. Some of it was quite high, resembling the Blue Ridge of Virginia, if they were denuded of timber. They were cultivated to the very tops and fenced in with stone fences ; in all kinds of small plots and at all possible angles. Going down to Sheffield, we came to a level land. Mr. Hatchward told me that the land on the hill rented at from 10 to 12 shillings per acre, from $2.50 to $3.00 per 62 J. A. JOHNSON year and that the best land in the low lands rented at from 3 to 4 pounds — $15.00 to $20.00 per acre per year. I saw no land any better, if as good, as can be secured in North Dakota at what it rents for in one year. At Grimsby I boarded the Danish steamer, Olga, Capt. O. P. Christianson, and in 30 hours arrived at the Danish port of Esbjorg. This is a place of from 12,000 to 14,000 inhabitants. 25 years ago it was a sand bank, with a few fishermen there; now it has all the attributes of an American town and I can pay it no higher compliment than by making that comparison. It has a system of water works, electric lights, sewers, etc., and the prin- cipal streets are well paved with asphalt and granite — the latter being imported from Norway. At Esbjorg I took the train for this city, distance 135 miles. The country between here and Esbjorg is generally level, looks something like North Dakota, between Jamestown and Bismarck, but thickly settled; the land all shows a high state of cultivation. Denmark has a world wide reputation as a dairy country. I have eaten Danish butter in Central and South America, the West Indies and Mexico, and I have always found it good. I saw numerous creameries on the way. The farm houses looked "queer" to me; low and nearly all with straw thatching for the roof. The stables were like the houses — both built of brick or stone. When of the latter they were generally stuccoed. The dwellings and barns were usually joined together and when not, a few feet apart but they were all clean looking, no unsightly rub- bish or manure piles. Between here and Esbjorg we had to ferry twice. Esbjorg is on the Island of Jutland and the first ferry takes you to the Island of Fano. The ferry is short and it takes an hour, with a fast steamer to take you from the Island of Fano to the Island of Jut- land. It is on this Island that Copenhagen is situated. We arrived here at 8 115, being 8£ hours on the way. Here I want to say something about the Danish railroads. TRAVELS 63 The one I came over is called the " Dans Stats Bana," viz. : Danish State Railroad. It is owned and operated by the Danish govern- ment, which draws large revenues from the same. The fares are graduated in classes — the first class being about 4 cents per mile; the second about 3 cents and the third about 2 cents per mile. The only difference between first and second class is the upholstering; the first class being the best and only 5 passengers can ride in a first class compartment; and it also has a toilet room. In the others they will put in all it will hold and it has poor upholstering and no toilet. The third class is about 6x7 feet — passengers facing each other. Each car has first, second and third class compartments. The cars are about 30 feet long, with 4 wheels on each, two at each end. The freight cars are about 16 feet long and 6 feet wide, about 6 J feet high and have trucks like the passenger cars, two wheels at each end. The locomotives are very small — smaller than any I have ever seen at home. The engineer and his fireman have very little protec- tion from the elements. The cab is very small, indeed only about 3 feet long. The locomotives are not provided with lights. I thought when I saw and talked with the engineer that if one of the Fargo locomotives was here, he would almost be afraid to touch it — fearing it could not haul itself to the shops. What I have said about the cars and locomotives of the Danish railroads will also apply to the English railway — at least the one I was on and those I saw. I am going to stay here a couple of days before I go to Gothen- burg, Sweden, where I shall write you a letter and tell you all, as this letter is much longer than I intended to make it when I com- menced. Goteburg, Sweden, January 21, 1901. Municipal Journal and Engineer, New York City: I will now try and fulfill, as far as I can, the promise I made to Mr. Crandall at Charlestown, S. C. At the outset I wish to say that any opinion I may express here I reserve the right to 64 J. A. JOHNSON withdraw on further investigation. I have only been in Europe eight days yet, and may have been misinformed or misunderstood some things. I shall visit all the places I shall name again and investigate still further. I will not touch Liverpool in this letter but reserve that until I return there. I spent three days in Copen- hagen, Denmark. This is one of the oldest and most interesting places in Europe. Its history dates back to 1167. I shall not, however, endeavor to go into detail. The city has repeatedly been partially destroyed by fire and particularly during the 30 years war with Sweden. In 1807 a British fleet attacked the town before any declaration of war had been issued, and captured the Danish fleet and the city felt the effects for nearly 50 years. Its property — since its recovery from the effects of the foregoing capture — has been a phenomena for a European city. In 1850, it had a population of 130,000. Now it claims to have a popula- tion of 413,000. It has many fine public as well as private build- ings. Its schools, colleges, and theatres are as good as can be found anywhere, its people are interesting and up-to-date in every particular. During the short time I was there I could not secure much information about municipal matters but such as I secured will be glad to give your readers; with the reservation mentioned above. It seems they have 4 mayors, each co-ordinate with the others and neither the actual executive head of the city. Each has a separate department of which he has full charge. I found the streets well paved — mostly with granite — but it is the smoothest and best laid granite I ever saw. I found a few streets paved with asphalt. The majority of the streets are too narrow — much too narrow for the needs of traffic. People have to walk between the vehicles — some of the sidewalks not being wide enough for the accommodation of pedestrians. All of the streets are kept very clean by hand labor. The city is well supplied with street cars — some with horses and some with elec- trical power. They are installing electricity as fast as they can. TRAVELS 65 There is one thing the city is deficient in and that is sewerage. The present sewers empty into the harbor, or rather, that is, the only drawback to it. It cannot be called deficient. That draw- back will be remedied in the near future. Steps are now being taken to construct large underground canals or sewers which will convey the sewerage under the harbor to the Island of Amanger where it will be pumped into the Sound. The estimated cost of these enterprises I am not sure whether I was told was $1,200,000 or 1,200,000 kroners. When that is completed Copenhagen will have the best sewerage system in Europe. While in Copenhagen I called upon our minister, the Hon. L. S. Svenson of Minnesota. While I had never before met Mr. Svenson, I felt that I had known him for many years, having lived in Minnesota more than 25 years and I had read a great deal about his great work, not only as an educator but as a student and a statesman. I found him all that I had pictured him to be and even more. On my return home I will again visit Copenhagen and Mr. Svenson has kindly promised to secure me some information about municipal affairs and to also show me the sights of this wonderful city. I omitted in the proper place to mention the way taxes are levied and collected. In addition to licenses for certain privileges the property is assessed as with us. In addition to that, there is an income tax on all incomes over 600 kroners (about $168.00). The first 600 kroners are exempt from the tax. When I sat down I intended to say something about the place but as I have only been here less than 2 days, I think I better not do so at this time. I will write another letter of this city and perhaps several more. Stockholm, Sweden, January 25, 1901. Pioneer Press: As you will now see I am at the capital city of Sweden; to reach it I have travelled 6,162 miles from Fargo. If space per- 66 J. A. JOHNSON mitted I would like to give your readers a history of this grand and beautiful city. Its history does not date back so far as many of the European cities but none of them have more interesting facts connected with them than has Stockholm. They claim a population of 300,000 and also that the city is growing very fast; judging by the new buildings now in the course of construction I believe that to be a fact but I shall not attempt to describe the beautiful location, scenery, etc.; it has been the theme of poets for generations. I will simply say it reminds me of Washington, D. C, and when I compare anything in Europe to anything in the United States I cannot pay it any higher compliment. I find most of the streets — especially in this city — wide and well paved with granite and kept as clean as in any city I have ever visited. The city (like Washington) abounds in many beautiful parks and in all of them you will find bronze and marble statues of men who have made Swedish history ; and they are not all of noble or even royal birth like Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII. In front of the hotel where I am writing this, I see a bronze statue of Nils Erickson — a brother of our own John Erickson — the inventor of the Monitor, the screw propellor, and many other important inventions. As soon as the weather permits a statue will be erected to John Erickson. Stockholm has many elegant buildings, both public and private. To attempt to describe or even enumerate them would take more time than either you or I would care to give. However, I will enum- erate a few of the more prominent public buildings. The Royal Palace is of course the most prominent and is splendidly located where it can be seen from nearly every portion of the city. It is the official residence of King Oscar and the Crown Prince, and has been so occupied since its completion in 1755. Perhaps a building of the most interest is the Ridelarhorm's Church — it was at one time a Catholic Convent of the order of St. Francis. It now is and has been for more than 300 years, a mosleum for the royal TRAVELS 67 family. Here rest the remains of the great Gustavus Adolphus as well as the warrior-lion of the North, Charles XII, and all the line since their time. Perhaps the next in interest is the Rid- darhuset; it contains the records and other interesting matters connected with the nobility. On the first floor is a large hall, entirely covered with 2,892 escutcheons. The National Museum is another of the striking public buildings; it has been occupied since 1866. On the front facade are medallion reliefs of the great Swedish botanist, Linnaeus and Borelius, the chemist; Ehranstram, the painter; Tignor, poet; Wallen, poet; Togel- berg, sculptor; Tessen, architect, and Sergei, the sculptor. It would be impossible for me to endeavor to describe the wonders which are contained within the four walls of the building. The collection of coins alone takes up a large portion of the first floor. Through the courtesy of Dr. D. O. Bell, secretary to our min- ister, I was introduced to Capt. Hanson, the superintendent of the waterworks system and also to Mayor Altrug, the chief engi- neer of the city. Both gentlemen gave me all the information possible in departments. I find the city has one of the finest and most up-to-date systems of water supply, with the purest of water and a sewer system that even Detroit, Mich., cannot excel. I have not had time to look into the police department but from what I have seen there is very little need of it. I have not seen a man under the influence of liquor or a man or woman that should be arrested. I am in round figures, 840 miles north of Fargo, yet the harbor is free from ice and boats are plying to and fro in all directions, people are wearing spring and fall wraps, and it is hard to believe it possible. I am proud of our American minister here, the Hon. W. W. Thomas of Portland, Maine. Mr. Thomas is well known in the Northwest. He has lived in Sweden so long as consul and min- ister that he talks, reads, and writes Swedish like a native. I have been told repeatedly — both here and in Goteburg — that 68 J. A. JOHNSON there is only one man in the city more popular than our minister. When I asked who that was I am told that man is King Oscar, and some even doubt whether Minister Thomas is not the most popular of the two. I had the pleasure of an introduction to Mrs. Thomas. She is a native of Sweden, descended from one of the oldest families of the nobility. In addition to speaking Swedish and English, she also speaks several other European tongues. She is one of the most accomplished ladies in Stockholm and is distinguished by presiding over the social functions of the legation quite as creditably as any American lady could. Christiania, Norway, January 31, 1901. Pioneer Press: As you will see I am now in the land of the "Vikings." If the shores of the fjords and bays could talk, what wonderful tales would they unfold. It was from these shores that the "terrible Norsemen" went forth on their expeditions of conquest and plunder. It was from these shores that the hardy seamen of the Northland went forth and discovered, not only discovered but made settlements at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts hun- dreds of years before the birth of Columbus. But at the time of the discovery of America, the time had not arrived when it could be settled, in fact, it was nearly 150 years after the discovery by Columbus before any permanent settle- ment was made. The Scandinavian race will in time receive due credit for what it has done for civilization and the liberty of the human race. The old Vikings of Norway, Sweden and Den- mark left their marks wherever they went and where they hold sway and left their descendants you will find the greatest measure of liberty that is to be found on earth, as may be seen here in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and England, as well as Scot- land. This city, of whose hospitality I am partaking, is another of the cities that has not only an interesting history, but one of such TRAVELS 69 wonderful prosperity that it stands out in bold relief among the few really prosperous cities in Europe. According to a book, issued in 1900, by G. Anneus of this city, it is claimed they have a population of over 200,000, whereas as late as 1840 they had only 23,121, including all its suburbs. It is one of the leading shipping points in Europe and one of the features of it is that a very large part of it is carried on in bottoms owned by the citizens of this city. The increase in the tonnage 336,000 to 1,575,000 between 1880 and 1898, and the increase of sail and steam was from 1,630,000 to 2,696,000 tons. The seagoing population of this city, engaged in foreign commerce is, according to the authority named, 4,500. The hotels and public buildings are as fine as I have seen. Last evening I attended the National Theatre ; there I saw one of Ibsen's great plays. The theatre is the finest building of the kind I ever saw. It is superbly magnificent ; all gilt and marble with other adjuncts, such as convenient check rooms and large saloons where the patrons can retire at intermission or for other cause. On each side are large corridors, with side doors to the street and liveried attendants, thus permitting you to go about from your seat to the side without being compelled to 'pass down the central aisle and be exposed to the gaze of the curious. Ameri- can managers would do well to pattern after this city. Norway seems to be nearer a pure democracy than anything I have seen since leaving home. Here, as with us, is universal suffrage, with a small property qualification. A voter must have paid taxes on at least 300 kroner (about $84) that is the only qualification, aside from age and legal residence, and the legal age for voting is 25 years, also it requires 2 years residence if you move from country to city, before you are a qualified voter. The government of cities here, as in Sweden and Denmark, is com- plicated (to an outsider at least) and it is difficult to arrive at a proper conclusion. And any opinion I may express, is made with the reservation that I can modify it if I have been misinformed 70 J. A. JOHNSON or have not understood correctly. There are two kinds of taxes levied, on real and personal property, as with us and also on in- comes and inheritance tax. A man told me he had paid 30 kroner per year on an income of 1200 kroner, in addition to his other taxes. The sale of liquors is handled here substantially as in Gothenburg, viz. : The city permits a private corporation to contract for its sale, the city receiving all profits over 6 per cent on the capital invested by the corporation, less all other expenses. I am under obligations to Hon. Henry Brodevich, of Granite Falls, Minn., Consul General of the United States. Consul Brodevich, like all the representatives of the United States, seems to be the right man in the right place. He is very popular with all classes and that he is looking after the interests of the United States, can be shown by the following figures he has permitted me to copy from his report to the State Department : Petroleum 1898 $748,460 1899 $937,438 Beef 1898 233,540 1899 391,628 Pork 1898 78,000 1899 59,000 Leather 1898 232,000 1899 396,747 1,292,000 1,784,840 Tallow and lard 406,000 1898 65,266 Grain and Farm Products 1,224,550 1898 i.,688,298 Making a total in 1898 of $2,922,550 and in 1899 of $4,038,404. Excess in 1899 over 1898 of $1,315,854. Following is a total statement of the reports for the following years, viz.: 1896, $3,045,433; 1897, $3,240,200; 1898, $3,836,700; 1899, $5,172,000. This makes a gratifying showing of its imports. It will be seen, with the single exception of beef for 1899, all other items have shown a marked increase. Consul General Brodevich in- forms me that new lines are added each year and one of the greatest increases will be seen in the item of grain and grain products, $463,748 in 1899 over 1898. I cannot, without making this letter TRAVELS 71 too long, enter into detail on the subject of imports or exports, or into the details of this city. There are many interesting matters that could be written regarding Christiania and at some future time I may write another letter. I had the pleasure of meeting and being interviewed by Mr. and Mrs. Olaf Kringen. Mr. Kringen at one time taught school (English) in Walsh and Benson Counties in North Dakota, and is well acquainted in our state and with our public men. He devotes his time principally to writing for the press and is considered one of the best and brightest men in his line ; if he remains here he will be heard from in the future. He is only about 35 years old and is recognized as one of the leading men in Norway. He is also the Norwegian correspondent of a number of American journals. He is the recognized leader here of the social democratic party and that party, by the way, is not what we call at home by the same name. I had the pleasure of entertaining Mr. Thomasen. He is editor-in-chief of the Varden Gang, one of the leading, if not the leading, daily papers here. He is one of the stanchest friends the United States has in Europe. His tongue and pen are ever ready to help defend America and American institutions. At the breaking out of the Spanish-American war, he predicted the results that followed and had many word battles with many, who not only prophesied, but hoped the results would be disastrous to us. I am informed by men who know what they talk about, that there will be 20,000 people leave Norway for the United States this year; times are not good here now. Crop failures and failures in fishing and severe storms have had bad effects on busi- ness and various industries here. Vexio, Sweden, February 10, 1901. Pioneer Press: I have given the readers of the Northwest some information of my trip to Europe, and some facts about some of the most im- 72 J. A. JOHNSON portant cities I have visited. I will now try and give them my impressions of these, to me, interesting and to a great many of your readers of the Scandinavian peninsula of Sweden and Norway I have travelled through Sweden in the directions, north, south, east and west, and what I say of Sweden will apply — so far as I have been able to see — to Norway as well. Times here are any- thing but good; in fact, times are hard and nearly everyone admits there is much unrest, and more especially in Sweden, under the proposed military law; and all admit if it does not pass at this session of the Rigstad that it will at the next. I learn it is based on the German law. Every able bodied man must serve one full year in the army and for a certain number of years thereafter be liable to military duty; and will not be permitted to leave the country until he is beyond the age of military duty. It will be readily seen that while the present cost of maintaining the army is large, the proposed plan will make it much greater. I have not been able to ascertain the strength of the present army but it is large. In and about Stockholm alone there are kept over 10,000 men all the time. At Gotheburg, another force ; at Helsingsberg, a place of 8,000, is a regiment of artillery, at Mabino, a few miles further, may be seen more and so it is all over the country. How these people can stand it is more than I have been able to figure out. Norway and Sweden combined, have less population than either Pennsylvania or New York, yet combined they maintain an expensive royal government and a foreign diplomatic and consular service , then each supports a separate army and navy. Added to this, the various officers that are met with everywhere, (and they pay most of their officers — especially in the diplomatic service — much better than we do) and in addition thereto the local taxes, more especially in cities, where, by the way, in both cities and country, include the maintaining of churches and clergy. When all these things have been paid there is very little left after a frugal living has been taken out of it, Everybody pays taxes TRAVELS 73 here, even the income of the servant-girl is taxed, not much for each one, but all have to assist in sustaining the government and the church. The people are all well educated. Statistics show that only one-sixth of i per cent over the age of 10 years cannot read and write and have, at least, the rudiments of arithmetic. That is a record no other nation in the world can show. They are very polite and obliging to strangers; any one will go a block out of their way to direct you. They have a beautiful custom which I should like to see adopted at home, viz. : Go where you will, you will see sheaf of wheat left for the birds. In cities, even, you will see that and where they cannot get the sheaf, they put grain in boxes and set the boxes on the window ledges. If the window ledges are not wide enough the grain is scattered on the sidewalks. There is one custom I cannot commend and that is the "tips" at the hotels, and I will say that custom covers all Europe. The hotels that claim to be first class — and in fact, they make you pay first class prices — you go to a hotel, get a room and are in- formed as to price, if you are not careful to bargain for heat and light that will be extra. You go into the drawing room, and a man in full evening dress (not in a short round-about and white apron) comes with dignity enough to overwhelm you, you give your order and it will come in piecemeal (if you don't get after him). You pay the price named in the bill of fare and in addition to that you are expected to pay the waiter about 15 per cent, or if you do not, you will suffer. He receives no salary from the house, in fact, he pays the management for the privilege of working. Some of the waiters in the best hotels make from $2,000 to $4,000 per year. In addition to the waiters you must pay the chamber- maid and porter, neither one of whom receives any salary. But the most important man is the "portier. " He is the only man whom the guests meet; usually he speaks a half dozen or more languages. When you leave, after paying for your room and meals and everyone who has rendered you the least service, you 74 J. A. JOHNSON are expected to fee him. He, like the rest, gets no salary, but pays for his position. I was told in Stockholm that the "portier" of the Grand Hotel there, pays 72,000 kroners per year (about $21,000) for the privilege of furnishing the servants of the house. And he, in turn, sublets each position to the others. This is only a sample of every other hotel in Europe, the sum differs only with the importance of the hotel. Goteburg, Sweden, February 23, 1901. Municipal Journal and Engineer, New York City. I am now possessed of sufficient facts to give your readers about the celebrated Goteburg system for handling the liquor trade. On October 1, 1865, the "Goteburg Ulskan Kings Botig" took charge of the liquor traffic of this city, but owing to the con- tracts and commissions then in existence, it was not till 1875 tnat they were in full control of the liquor traffic. The Balag (cor- poration) is capitalized at 200,000 kroners ($56,000) on which it secured a 5 per cent interest or profit annually. All the other profits are turned over to the city or to various public institutions. Since 1875, to and including 1898, it has turned into the various funds entitled to the same, the sum of 16, 282,360 kroners (a kroner is 28 cents) the highest year yielding 889,304 kroners and the lowest year 489,433 kroners. All liquors are inspected and must be of certain standard of purity. When the Balag came into possession of the entire sale it found that where strong drink could be obtained for each 8,569 persons, in 1899, there was one for each 17,481; that is, where liquors could be obtained for "off consumption"; and in 1868, there was one public house for every 2,293 persons. In 1898, there was one public house for every 8,158 persons. The Balag makes its own regulation as to the sale of liquors. The hours for selling is from 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. The difference between a saloon and a public house is, that in the latter they must serve hot and TRAVELS 75 cold eatables at all hours. The persons authorized to sell liquors receive no profit on sales. They are paid a certain sum for their services and for necessary help, which sum is fixed by the Balag at specified times. The Balag furnishes room and fixtures, where liquor is kept, and the persons having in charge the selling of same, are prohibited from selling to minors, under 18 years of age, or to any one who shows any signs of being under the influence of liquor. Nor are they permitted to sell more than a certain num- ber of drinks (not enough to affect them) in any one place at the same time or in quick succession. If the figures before me can be relied upon, there can be no question but that this system has decreased drunkenness as may be seen by the following : In 1870, the average consumption, per head of population, was 11.6 litres, while in 1898 it had been reduced to 4.66 litres, the latter is a trifle more than one-fourth of a gallon per head. The object of the Balag as set forth in their articles of incor- poration, are the following: Among many others, to prohibit the sale of liqours on credit, to provide well heated and lighted rooms, to provide cooked food at moderate prices, to lower the percentage of alcohol, to raise the age limit of young persons to whom liquor may be supplied, to shorten the hours when spirits are sold, to supply cheap and good food for the working classes. The system has been extended to nearly every city in Sweden as well as in Norway, with somewhat varying conditions. That it is a fixture here can be no doubt. I have before me the endorse- ment of it from the governors of 18 provinces in Sweden. Much more could be written but the above covers the essential points. Before leaving Gotheburg I was not able to ascertain the net revenues derived by the city. The figures quoted for this city are the last to be had. A prominent city official of this city, told me that in his judgment, the city's revenue should be much greater than it is, for the reason that the corporation first receives its 6 per cent, then all the expenses are deducted, (and he said these 76 J. A. JOHNSON expenses were very much greater than they would be if they re- ceived all the profit) and what is left goes to the city. There is a diversity of opinion as to whether this method has diminished drunkenness or not. However, the majority of those I have talked with (and I am able to talk with them in their own tongue) seem to believe that there is one thing certain. That while liquors can be had at all hotels and restaurants as well as in the waiting rooms of opera houses, I have not seen any one under the influence of liquor on the street or elsewhere, either in this city or in Gotheburg. In speaking of drinking, there is one thing that strikes an American as strange: You may go into many first class hotels or restaurants and you will see gentlemen with wives and daugh- ters drinking light wines at their meals. The beer has no alcohol in it and the wines are so light and pure that they do not affect any one as do the most that are sold in the United States. I am promised by the Mayor's secretary that I shall be for- warded the other methods for raising revenue with which to carry on the municipal government. Copenhagen, Denmark, March 5, 1901. Pioneer Press : — I am now back in this interesting city on my return journey. I fear that most Americans who visit this city fail to see many of the most interesting sights — to be seen both here in the city itself as well as in the neighborhood — and I am deeply indebted to Hon. L. S. Svenson, our minister at this court, for what I have seen of Copenhagen. He has personally taken me to Fredricks- burg, one of the many palaces built by the palace builder Christian IV; it is now used as one of the national art galleries. It would be impossible to describe the beauties of one room, to say nothing of the whole palace. It is worth a trip to Europe to see this alone. Minister Svenson has also taken me to the Cathedral of Ros- keide, the Thorwaldson and the National Museum and Rosenburg TRAVELS 77 Castle. The Cathedral contains the remains of the Danish royal family for centuries, and is itself one of the oldest church edifices in Europe. Thorwaldson Museum contains the works of the great Danish sculptor, together with his library and personal effects. Rosenburg Castle contains the furniture, jewels and personal effects of the royal family since 1625 to the present time- It takes a book of over 100 pages to describe the contents so I will not attempt to do so here. The National Museum contains curios from all over the world and in addition to this, has the best collection of Northern antiquities extant. There is abso- lutely nothing in the world to equal it. In my Stockholm letter, I spoke of the popularity of our minister, Hon. W. W. Thomas of Maine, and what I said I am ready to stand by. I have found another American diplomat equally as popular as Mr. Thomas and that is our minister here. Hon. A. L. Swanson, who has a wife who is as popular as Mrs. Thomas is in Stockholm, as both Mr. and Mrs. Swanson are natives of Minnesota, I know it will be pleasant for their friends to know that they are not only a credit to the State of Minnesota, but to the United States as well. To show how popular they are is shown that the royal family are frequent visitors here. It is a special honor to have the Crown Prince call upon a foreign diplo- mat and very few are so honored. That is an honor Mr. Swanson has received. Last night the Crown Prince and Prince Hans (a brother of King Christian IX) and the members of the royal family dined at the Legation, and there is not a lady in the land who could have done the honors with more grace than the product of the gopher state, Mrs. Swanson. It is pleasant to be able to say that not only have I found Ministers Thomas and Swanson all that any one could ask of an American diplomat, but our consul, General Henry Bosdewick of Montivedio, Minnesota, also Consul Freeman of Madison, Wis., located here, are each in every respect gentlemen of the high- est attainment and are all looking after the interest of the United 78 J. A. JOHNSON States and in all cases, the ministers and consuls would be a great loss to the United States, should any change be made. I leave Liverpool March ist, and will reach Fargo about April 8th. Copenhagen, Denmark, March 6, iqoi. Pioneer Press: Last Saturday evening, the 2d inst., Minister and Mrs. Svenson gave a dinner to Crown Prince Frederick, Prince Hans, a brother of the king, Christian IX, the foreign minister, Baron Beckfries and the Swedish-Norwegian minister, and many other distin- guished gentlemen and their ladies. Minister Svenson honored me with an invitation to be present to meet the Prince and other guests at the Legation. It may interest your readers to know how royalty is received at a legation. On their arrival, servants in evening dress, go down with silver candelabra and lighted candles to the royal carriage, the host goes to receive the royal guests as they step out on the ground, the hostess is at the head of the stairs. The Crown Prince takes the arm of the host and they enter the ante- room. Wraps are removed, the doors of the drawing room are thrown open by two servants in evening dress and the Crown Prince and hostess enter together. She then makes a deep court- esy and the Prince greets the other guests, who are assembled to receive him. The conversation then becomes general until the host, with a bow, announces that dinner is ready. The Prince then takes the arm of the hostess and the other guests follow, ac- cording to rank, with ladies of their own rank, they pass into the dining hall. After the dinner all return to the drawing room and conversa- tion is general till coffee is served, which all drink standing. Those who desire to smoke are conducted to another room where they may enjoy themselves to their heart's content. Tea is then served and the guests sit and chat until the Crown Prince, who comes last and leaves first, signifies his desire to leave and he bids TRAVELS 79 them all good-night. The same ceremony is gone through with when royalty leaves as when it arrives. The royal family of Denmark is a most remarkable one. King Christian is nearly 84 years old, yet his step is quick and his car- riage as erect as though only 50 years old. Queen Louisa, his wife, died September 19, 1898, nearly 81 years old. Prince Bismarck said she was the most talented woman in Europe and next to Queen Victoria, was more influential than any woman in Europe. She was the mother of a large family of children and a mother in the true sense of the word. Among the children we find the Dowager Empress of Russia, mother of the present Russian Emperor. Another daughter, Alexandria, late Princess of Wales and now Queen of England; another daughter is the wife of the Duke of Cumberland, said to be the wealthiest man in Europe. Of her sons, the eldest is Crown Prince Frederick; another son is King George of Greece and another son, Prince Waldemar, is an officer in the Danish Navy, and his wife (I must speak of her) is the daughter of the Duke of Chartres, a descendant of the royal house of Orleans, France. He was an officer in the Union army, during our Civil War and was a close friend of the lamented Lincoln. His daughter, Princess Maud, is the wife of Prince Waldemar. She is much interested in America and everything pertaining to our country and takes a lively interest in the Danish navy. She is very popular in Copenhagen and perhaps the only woman in the world who belongs to the fire department. She is an honorary member of the Copenhagen fire department and her photograph, in a fireman's uniform, adorns the headquarters of the fire department of this city. The way she came to be elected a member was this, a number of years ago a big fire was raging in one of the poorer quarters of the city. She was a spectator for a short time and when she saw the poor people trying to save their property, she rushed in and worked by their sides effectively. If you want trouble in Copenhagen, all you need to do is to say 80 J. A. JOHNSON something disparaging of Princess Maud to a fireman or anyone else, for that matter, and you will have your hands full in short order. Crown Prince Frederick is married to the only daughter of Charles V, of Sweden. She inherited a large fortune from her mother and is active in all charity work. She is very domestic, is a consistent Christian, and has brought her family up as a Christian woman should. Their oldest son, Prince Christian, stands six feet high and resembles his grandfather, Charles XV. He is also married and has two sons. It will be seen, there are now three heirs to the Danish throne, living in Copenhagen, viz. : The Crown Prince Frederick, Prince Christian, his oldest son, and Prince Frederick, his grandson. Prince Christian married the daughter of the Prince Schamberg-Lippe of Germany; another son of Crown Prince Frederick is married to Princess Maud, daughter of King Edward VII of England, and holds an important command in the British Navy. One of three daughters, Inge- borg, is married to Prince Carl of Sweden, and the Swedes like her so well they call her "the sunshine." I saw her walking the streets of Stockholm with her husband and she spoke to old women and children as she passed along. They tell some good stories here about King Christian and Crown Prince Frederick. I will repeat two but do not vouch for their truth although they were told me by a reliable man. King Christian was walking the streets one day and spied a boy trying to reach the top of an electrical bell, he was not tall enough. The King asked him what he wanted and the boy said he wished to ring the bell. The King said, "I will ring the bell for you." As soon as the bell rung the boy said, "you better run," and scampered off as fast as he could. The King waited till the maid came and opened the door; raising his hat he said, "through a mistake the King of Denmark has called you and caused you the trouble of coming down; will you accept this compensation for your trouble?" The girl curtesied, thanked the King and on looking at what had been given her, found a 20 kroner bill. TRAVELS 8 1 The story about the Crown Prince Frederick is, "That the American manager of a circus was here and, like all circus men, believed in advertising. One day he was driving in one of his most striking rigs and came to a place where driving was pro- hibited. The guard stopped him and told him there was a fine of 20 kroner for what he had done. The circus man could not talk Danish or the guard English and they were having lots of trouble. Just then a gentlemen came along and heard the talk of both guard and prisoner. He explained to the American the situation. The American thanked him, paid his fine, and then turning to the gentleman said "you are a gentlemen so I will not offer to tip you but please take this 5 kroner note and have a drink with me." The gentleman took the money and they parted. A day or two afterward the American received word that the royal family would be there at a certain time to look at the horses. The showman was on hand in full dress to receive them and was hor- rified to find that the man to whom he had given the 5 kroner was the Crown Prince. He apologized for what he had un- wittingly done and hoped no offense had been taken. The Prince assured him he was not offended and that he had put the 5 kroner piece away as a souvenir of the meeting of a good Ameri- can. I had the pleasure of an invitation to call on His Royal High- ness, and had a long talk with him. On leaving he stepped up and shook hands and bid me good-night, after which he gave me a personal invitation to call on him before I left the city. I told him I left for home in a few days and he set the hour for n o'clock yesterday when I might call. In his invitation to call he coupled it with an offer of a photograph of himself. On the following day, at the specified time, I was on hand. At the outer door, or rather inside of two glass doors that led into an ante-room, I found a number of military officers in uniform, who all saluted. One came forward and inquired if I was the American gentleman who was expected to call on His Royal High- 82 J. A. JOHNSON ness. I replied in the affirmative and as soon as that was done, was told that he would be ready to receive me very soon. I was requested to step into a waiting room and take a seat. I went in but was followed by the officer who met me at the door and who stayed and talked with me until the Prince was ready to receive me, which was about five minutes. I was then escorted to a door leading to the Prince's apartment. On entering the Prince's room, he met me at the door with outstretched hand. I talked with him a long time, principally about America. He was well posted about the United States. He asked me what I had seen at Copenhagen. I told him I had been at Roskelde Cathedral. Concerning that he asked me if I had seen his mother's coffin. I told him I had. In speaking of his mother, though a grand- father himself, I saw the tears glisten in his eyes. He is one of the most unassuming and pleasant men it has ever been my fortune to meet and all who have met him, say the same thing. When I met him at the Legation he, like all other gentlemen, was covered with medals and decorations, but when I met him at the Palace, he was dressed as an ordinary business man, not a particle of decoration in sight, simply dressed in a neat civilian suit. Before leaving, he showed me photographs of his wife, children and grand-children. He also presented me with a large photograph of himself, with his autograph and date and requested me to take it to America with me, which I will surely do. He also extended an invitation to call on him again should I ever come to Copenhagen. I also met Prince Hans (a brother of the King), he is 77 years old, but sprightly and lively as a young man. They all speak English fluently as well as all the European languages. It will be seen that while Denmark is one of the smallest of the European countries, she is connected by marriage and blood relation with all the reigning families of all the European countries. It is here you can see royalty at its best in the summer time. Here is where they all gather and lay away the cares of state and TRAVELS 83 formalities. From the middle of May until late in the fall you will find kings and queens, emperors and empresses and their children riding, boating, playing golf and tennis, walking without an escort. In other words, you will see them at their very best, free from restraint. Here they are safe, there are no anarchists or socialists here to endanger their lives. The Emperor of Russia, when here, although a giant in size, was a veritable boy and was very fond of riding on the cars. He would sit and talk to anyone who could be found to talk to and nothing pleased him so much as when he could find a lot of youngsters to have a frolic with. Much more might be written but I fear this letter is already too long for your- self and your readers. Amsterdam, Holland, March 10, 1901. Pioneer Press: In my first letter to your paper I gave my first impressions of what I had seen on my way to Europe and have continued doing so from time to time. I am now on my way home and will, as far as space permits, tell your readers what I have so far seen in Germany, Holland and Belgium, and what I will see in France. I am aware that the countries and cities I shall try to tell about have been written up thousands of times but each receives a dif- ferent impression of what they see. After leaving Copenhagen I went to Rossor, where I took the German steamer, Prince Adelbert for Kiel — in Holstein — now a part of the German Empire. There I took the German Imperial Railway for Hamburg. Hamburg is a city of 700,000 inhabitants, and they claim they will soon have 1,000,000. It is, and has been for centuries, a very important commercial and financial city. The new, or rather the reconstructed part, has wide streets, paved with asphalt and granite. The older portion still has its aspect of venerable age. Many of the buildings have each story project out on the street beyond the story below. The streets are well lighted. In front of the Hotel Kronpritzen, where I stopped, 84 J. A. JOHNSON there are electric lights only ioo feet apart. The same applies to some of the streets although it does not apply to the whole city. Electric street cars run in all directions, thus making transporta- tion cheap, rapid and easy. I next took the Government railway to Berlin. In going from Hamburg to Berlin, I had to pass the estate of the late Prince Bismarck, at Frederickruch, and on the left, through the trees, you catch a glimpse of his old home. The estate is very large and is said to contain the largest and best hunting grounds in all Germany. The country between Hamburg and Berlin is generally low and a large proportion forest. The greater part of which is pine, the other evergreen, thus indicating that the land is not of the best quality for farming. About 5 miles out you come to extensive fortifications. The same applies to all sides of the city. I will not take up your time trying to describe Berlin. Others, more able than myself, have done so repeatedly, but I will try to tell you what I saw "unter de linden," they have all read about. It is a street, fully 200 feet wide, and until you get to the Palace and other government buildings, there is a double row of trees in the center. To a stranger, the palace is of course, the center of attraction although it is not so imposing as some of the public buildings. It is a large, two story, plain building, and at each entrance are stationed two sentinels. Facing the palace on "Unter de Linden" street, stands the Academy of Arts. Next to that is the Academy of Music and back of that is the Finance Department. Further on is Arsand Avenue and beyond that is a large Lutheran Cathedral. On the other street, facing the palace, is the National Theatre and near there is a large Catholic Cathe- dral. The palace is flanked on either side by banks. On both streets, fronting the palace, are numerous monuments, the most imposing being that of Frederick the Great, in bronze and on horseback. "Unter de Linden" is paved with asphalt, no street cars on it. A few other streets are also paved with asphalt but the principal paving is granite. TRAVELS 85 Berlin, like Hamburg, is well supplied with electric lights and street cars as well as elevated cars. ' Omnibuses are also run on the principal streets. I also saw automobiles, the first I had seen in Europe. When I was in Stockholm I thought they had lots of soldiers but they are "not in it" with Berlin. Almost every other man has a uniform of some kind but there are many callings which use uniforms of different kind, and it takes some time to tell the difference between soldiers and those who are not. Leaving Berlin for this city, which takes 12 hours, we pass through generally low and flat country, with here and there a hill to break the monotony. Like between Hamburg and Berlin, much of the land is forest. Some of it is planted and the greater part is pine or evergreen trees. The soil, until you get into Hol- land, is very poor, principally sand, yet under a high state of cul- tivation. The farm buildings, like in Denmark, are low, built of brick, with stables. In all cases the house and stable are not under one roof although a great many are. I saw no pastures. Stock of all kinds is kept indoors all the year and the offal care- fully saved to put on the land. The city of Amsterdam is a city of canals. Nearly all the streets having a canal running through the center, with large shade trees on each side and drive ways, from 30 to 60 feet wide. The bridges crossing the canals are nearly all steel arch. The space through which vessels are to pass is planked and can be easily raised and lowered. The side walks are generally of vitri- fied brick and the streets are paved with granite, although asphalt is beginning to come into use. Last week was a week of celebration and rejoicing. The young queen, Wilhelmina, and her husband were here until 10 o'clock yesterday and the city, when I arrived, was one mass of colors, streamers and garlands on buildings, trees and on the canals as well as the bridges. I had the pleasure of seeing the queen as she was being driven to the station. Amsterdam owns its water works, electric light and gas plants 86 J. A. JOHNSON and took possession of the street cars last January. It also owns the telephones, and officials with whom I talked say it is not only cheaper, but that it gets better service than where these natural monopolies were owned and controlled by private corporations. Amsterdam is a city of over 500,000 inhabitants and one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. There are millions of Amsterdam capital invested in the United States. It was the capitalists of this city who furnished the money to build the first railroad in Minnesota, viz. : The St. Paul and Pacific, now a part of the Great Northern System. I called on Hon. Frank D. Hill, of Minneapolis, the United States consul here. He has been for years in the consular ser- vice in South America and like all the representatives I have met, is a gentleman who understands his business, is very popular, and looking after the business of the United States. I am under many obligations to Consul Hill for courtesies and information. He took me to the Reyks Museum where, among other paintings, I saw one by Rembrandt, "The Night Watch," for which there is a standing offer of 5,000,000 franks any time the citizens feel dis- posed to part with it. I was also taken to the house Rembrandt was born in. It is still standing as when the great painter lived in it. I saw the new Bourse, post office building, the National Theatre and many other buildings too numerous to mention. One of these houses attracted my attention for the use to which it is put. It is the Postal Savings Bank. 12 years ago the Dutch govern- ment established a Postal Savings Bank, and that bank now has on deposit 80,000,000 guilders. A guilder, by the way, is 40 cents. Consul Hill informs me that Holland is the largest diamond, tobacco, and chinchona market in the world. That Holland is the third in the list of importers of American goods in Europe. Great Britain is first, Germany second, Holland third, and France fourth. The importation of American goods into Holland last year was $83,000,000, while into France it was $1,000,000 less. TRAVELS 87 I forgot to say, in the proper place, that the street cars are still run by horse power but the city council has appropriated 6,000,000 guilders to change electric cars and for a power plant, and Consul Hill thinks the power plant will be furnished by American manufacturers. The Dutch are very friendly to the United States and like our goods. All sewage enters into the canals and each night the canals are cleaned out by hydraulic pressure and refilled with fresh water. Citizens will get angry if anyone suggests that the canals breed malaria but they do, just the same. In the summer the odor from some of the canals becomes quite offensive. Brussels, Belgium, March 12, 1901. Pioneer Press: In my investigation in Europe of cities which have adopted the municipal ownership of public industries, the one which so far I have had time to examine most fully, Amsterdam, Holland, is an ideal city. It not only owns and operates the water works, gas and electric lighting plants but on January 1st last, it took possession of the street-car system and the city council made an appropriation of 6,000,000 guilders ($2,400,000) to change from horse to electric power, and for the erection of a power plant. This assumption on the part of Amsterdam of these natural monopolies has not been a spasmodic affair by any means. It has been one thing at a time and that has been tested and found satisfactory before the next one was added. Mr. Robinson, the British consul, who was managing director of the water works when in private hands, admits that not only is the service better but the rates are much lower under municipal ownership. Gotheburg, Sweden, comes next to Amsterdam as a municipal ownership city. It has just bought out the street railway corpora- tions and will change from horse to electric power as soon after it takes possession as possible. Aside from telephones, it owns and 88 J. A. JOHNSON operates, or soon will, all the real profits on the sale of liquors as I have explained in a former letter. I have investigated the question of municipal taxes and am now in a position to give your readers a little more information on that most important subject. Consul G. W. Roosevelt, (a cousin of Vice-President Roosevelt), located here, is my authority. In addition to assessing all real and personal property as in the United States, they levy what they call "extraordinary taxes". The tenant is taxed for living in a rented house, in addition to the tax paid by the owner. Each door and window in every house pays a tax in addition to the water rent. And the same can be said of the gas and electricity. Every animal and vehicle is taxed, in addition to the regular tax, business of all kinds pays a license. All servants arc taxed, men servants pay a tax of 20 marks and maid servants about half that amount. There is also an inherit- ance tax and when one dies, a tax must be paid to get one out of the way. In the purchase of real estate you must pay 10 per cent in addition to the purchase price, to the government. Consul Roosevelt assured me that the same system prevails in France, Germany and Holland. I thought that in Sweden, Norway and Denmark taxes were very high, but they do not begin to touch the countries named in this letter. I have also the statis- tics of this city, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Manchester, Stockholm, and some others, but have not had time to analyze them as yet. Paris, March 13, 1901. Pioneer Press: I am now in many respects in the most wonderful city in the world. A city that if it could talk could tell of more intrigue than any half dozen cities on earth. It was here that Napoleon placed his cannons in the street to quell the Paris mob. It was here that the terrible Robespierre sent thousands to the guillotine and it was here, a few years ago, the Paris mob destroyed some of the finest buildings on earth and works of art that it had taken TRAVELS 89 centuries to accumulate ; and that same mob, or its successor, is liable to repeat history on the slightest provocation. No one can tell at what moment the Parisians may take it into their heads to overthrow the existing order of affairs. While Paris has only about 10 per cent of the population of France (3,500,000), the fact remains that Paris absolutely controls France. I spoke of the first Napoleon. While he was the greatest military despot the world has ever known, he was (and was in his life time) the idol of the French people. Go where you please in the city and you find monuments in marble and brass erected to his memory. The same applies to the picture galleries. While this is true of Napoleon I, the same cannot be said of Napoleon III. It is seldom you see anything which tends to commemorate the Third Empire or hear his name mentioned. While the name of Napoleon I will set almost any of the Parisians wild. Near where I am stopping (the Continental Hotel), by the way, the finest hotel I have ever seen, are the Gardens of the Tuileres, the Museum Louvre and the Statue Vendome. The garden is a large park and the River Seine running on one side. It is different from most parks I have seen in that, except for a few small plots of grass the park is gravelled to keep the grass from growing and there are no signs, "Keep off the grass," to be seen. The Statue Vendome is the center of the Place Vendome and is about 125 feet high and about 20 feet at the base, tapering to about 8 feet at the summit, surmounted by a colossal figure. It is made, except the granite base, of cannons captured by Napoleon I from the Austrians at the battle of Jena. I have read of Paris but by so doing could never form any idea of how everything actually is. I could fill pages in telling what I have seen but it has been written and rewritten so often that I shall not take up your space, at least not this time, I will reserve the balance for some of the things I saw between here and Amsterdam. I left Amsterdam the 10th, with Consul Hill and went to the Hague where I stopped at the Hotel du Vieux Docton. This is 90 J. A. JOHNSON probably the oldest hotel in Europe. I was told by the manage- ment that it has been used as a place of entertainment since 1385, more than 100 years before Columbus discovered America. While at the Hague I called on our minister, Hon. Stanford Newell of St. Paul, where we spent some hours in talking over our Northwestern matters and mutual acquaintances. He is very anxious to see the duty on bulbs abolished, it cannot be a protective duty. Last year it was only $26,000. There is no place in the world where they produce such bulbs as near Harlem, Holland, and it is only such as cannot be produced elsewhere that are exported. Such bulbs as are grown in New Jersey and other states of the union are not exported. It would seem that the Northwest, at least, should be willing to abolish the duty in view of the fact that Holland last year imported $11,000,000 worth of American flour. Between the Hague and Brussels, I passed through several large cities, among the most important were Schneidam and Potterdam, Holland, and Antwerp, Belgium. At Brussels I called on Consul G. W. Roosevelt, the Minister was out of the city. In my letter from Brussels I speak more fully of the informa- tion which I received from Consul Roosevelt. I forgot in my Brussels letter to say that Consul Roosevelt was Captain in the 26th Pennsylvania volunteers and lost a leg at Gettysburg, and holds a medal of honor voted him by Congress. It will be seen that "Teddy" comes from fighting stock. Brussels seems to me to be the poorest governed city I have ever seen. I only spent one night there but I saw more drunken men on the streets than I saw in 8 weeks in Sweden, Norway and Denmark combined. The country between here and Amsterdam is about as I have described between Berlin and Amsterdam. London, England, March 18, 1901. Pioneer Press: When I wrote my last letter I mentioned many interesting things I had seen up to the time of writing. On the 14th they TRAVELS 91 had what the Parisians are pleased to term a Mid-winter carnival, and made it a sort of a holiday. The newspapers had big head- lines as to what time a grand parade was to pass the Opera House. At the time named, mounted police cleared the way for the parade and thousands waited — I among the number — to witness what I expected would be nice, but in vain. There was not to exceed 10 floats in all. The papers the next morning tried to explain the failure but without success. If we will not have one 20 times as good in Fargo at the fire festival, I shall disown Fargo in the future. While walking along Boulevard 1' Opera one day, who should I meet but Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Stern of Fargo. They are stopping at the Belleview while I am at the Continental and neither knew the other was in Paris. I also met Mrs. John Gunn, a sister of Senator McDougal of Mandan, N. D. London ! What shall I say of London, the largest city on earth ? And until recently, the financial center of the world. That dis- tinction has been wrested from it by New York and fifty years from to-day, Chicago — wish I dared say Fargo — will have wrested it from New York, and with it the distinction of being the largest city in the world. All have read of Charing Cross Station, the Black Friars and other bridges spanning the Thames ; also of the churches, cathe- drals and parliament houses and other noted buildings. I will try and tell your readers how these buildings impressed me. St. Paul's awed me more for its immensity than its grandeur, West- minster Abbey for its historical associations. I attended divine service there. Within its halls are the remains of many of Eng- land's kings, warrriors, statesmen and others who have helped to make England's history. I had also the opportunity of inspecting the two chambers — the house of lords and the house of commons — in the Parliament Building. The building or rather, buildings, are located on very valuable real estate. No doubt at the time of their construction 92 J. A. JOHNSON they were great; but, like many things in Europe, they are out of date. Both chambers are small, dark and seemingly uncomfort- able. The members of both houses sit on benches at the side of the chamber, the rear ones being raised above the ones in front, something like I have seen children in the country school houses in the west. The cushions in the House of Lords are covered with scarlet and the House of Commons have black coverings. I was told by the policeman in charge that the House of Com- mons has 670 members, of which Ireland has 103, and there is, at the present time, in the House of Lords, 450 members, includ- ing bishops or spiritual lords, as they are called. On the evening of the 15th inst., I attended one of the most unique Masonic Lodges in the world. It is called Jubilee Masters' Lodge, No. 2712, of London, England. The membership is composed entirely of actual past masters and the members must join while actually presiding in the East. No one is eligible to membership before he becomes a M. M. or after he becomes a P. M. All visitors must be either Masters for the time being or Past Masters. This most interesting of all Masonic Lodges, that it has been my good fortune to visit, had an installation of officers and after the installation, a banquet, with speeches, recitations and songs, the telling of stories, etc., until about n p. m. The ceremonies took place in Victoria Hall. The following were the officers installed: Edmund R. Bartley, M. M., Irme Kirdley, Intermediate, P. M. ; Richard Lee Franks, S. W. ; James Alfred Sheldon, J. W. ; Wm. Singleton Hooper, Treas. ; J. D. Langton, Sec'y; Octave Lamar, S. D. ; Geo. Helmore Jones, J. D.; Alfred Streeter, Inner Guard; Frederick Varley, Dis. of Cirs.; Henry Charles Lonsdale, Richard Cato Bayne, Henry John Davis, Stewards, and R. F. Potter, Tyler. On Saturday, the 23d, the mayors of the leading cities of Great Britain will meet to discuss municipal matters in this city. I have been honored with an invitation to attend the meeting, but having already engaged my passage and stateroom reserved for TRAVELS 93 me, I will leave Liverpool the 21st. Much to my regret I was compelled to decline the invitation. This will be my last letter to you from Europe. CALIFORNIA TRIP IN NOVEMBER, 1902. I hardly know how to describe San Francisco in a few words but will do the best I can. The city is situated upon the elevated head of a peninsula, bordered on the eastern side by the Bay of San Francisco, the west by the Pacific, which extends southward for 50 miles; however, not all this is under the control of this municipality. Approxi- mately, San Francisco has an area of 220 square miles, and the exterior bounds fixed by the waters of bay and ocean, cover a mile wide, and not less than 40 miles in length. The population of the city and suburbs is 450,000. Entering the city on a ferry boat, the first thing that greets the eye, are the ships and boats anchored in the Bay. Then the wharves that are built upon lines, which involve ocean-carrying for the Pacific world. The Ferry House is a magnificent struc- ture, passing through this you come on to the broad street where there are street cars, horse cars and all manner of vehicles to convey you any place you wish to go. There are the manufactures to anticipate wants that will arise when the Orient awakens, commercial houses, banking houses, halls of justice, where it is some times dealt to the unjust, churches enough to save the entire world. Of fine hotels, private boarding houses and restaurants, San Francisco has an unlimited supply. It has been said that anything in the line of gastronomy can be procured in this city. The Palace Hotel, where I stopped is one of the most mag- nificent structures ever dedicated to the needs of the traveling public. Spreckles' Rotisserie, fifteenth floor of the Call Building, is one 94 J. A. JOHNSON of the luncheon places of the city. From the floor of the cafe, there is an unobstructed view of the entire city, bay and surrounding country. North, east, south and west the eye beholds a panorama of still life and active nature and art. Leaving the business portion of the city and the dead level of the commercial district, you come to the residence hills, of which there are ioo. They are attained by street-cars, cable and electric cars. Every hill is covered with buildings in endless variety, some of them sumptuous, and all of them ideal homes. Still farther on we come to Golden Gate Park and Cliff House. The park, with its magnificent scenery and beautiful statuary. Trees and flowers wherever the eye may rest. Then Cliff House, the grand old ocean in front, the waves booming on the rocks. There you also see the famous seal rocks, sometimes literally covered with seals, then at times none will appear. Next comes the noted Sutro Baths, the finest in the world. Erected by years of labor and costing many dollars. I have written before of the trip through Chinatown, of the beautiful and wonderful sights and then again of others that mean more horror than it would be possible to believe could exist in America. After three days spent in San Francisco, we proceeded to Los Angeles, the supposed Mecca of California. The population of this city is 175,000. The full and original title of this place was "Puebla la Reina de Los Angeles," this well befitted the lazy Spaniard, who had all the time in the world and could spend half of the same, in naming his residence. But the Anglo-Saxon had no time to waste thus, so it was cut to "The Angeles" and so remains. It was founded September 4, 1781, with 12 families, in all 46 persons. It will possibly embrace Santa Monica and perhaps San Pedro in time. No city of modern time is better known, built on lines of beauty, with curves and angles, streets cleanly, traversed by street cars. TRAVELS 95 Attractive parks, inviting rest. Stately municipal buildings and streets supported by high class business blocks. Santa Monica is 17 miles from Los Angeles. Is the most valued suburban resort, not less so because of proximity, than varied merits. The location is an elevated bluff of the ocean, and has the usual adjuncts of popular watering places. Pasadena is but 12 miles from Los Angeles. The city of Pasa- dena must be seen to be fully appreciated. From the station of the Southern Pacific Railway, an electric car can be taken to Mount Lowe. A cable incline railway takes you to "Echo Mountain House," 3,500 feet above sea level. Then by rail, 1,500 feet to "Ye Alpine Tavern," where suitable refreshments can be procured. A movement is on foot to extend the rails from the "Tavern" to the summit. From base to crest, Mount Lowe is 6,000 feet. San Pedro is distant from Los Angeles about 22 miles. The air and salt breeze which greets one at the wharf at San Pedro, are very refreshing, but after boarding the little steamer for Avalon, on the Island of Santa Catalina, some of the passengers do not seem to appreciate the same breeze. In all directions wherever you may look, there are woebegone faces, caused by a choppy sea. I shall never forget one man who certainly thought his last day had come, when he stood it as long as possible and then said, "O, God, if you will get me safe to shore I will never bother you again." Avalon is three hours' sail from San Pedro. The waters about the islands teem with every form of marine and piscal life, here you can get the glass bottomed boats in which you can take a trip and see the bottom of the ocean. Journeying back to San Francisco, are many beautiful places. There is San Luis Obispo. This beautiful city may well be named Obispo, resting securely at the base of a mitred mountain peak. The site covers a large area. In the very heart of the city are the walls and altar of the Mission, San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, con- secrated by Serra on September 1, 1772. A visit to the Mission 96 J. A. JOHNSON would be a benediction to everyone. Then there are the Santa Ysabel Hot Springs, where you can receive the wonderful sulphur baths. Within 6 miles of Monterey are more objects of sacred, historic, and scenic interest than can be found in any similar area in Cali- fornia. Along these shores Cabrillo coasted in 1542 and Novem- ber 15th, named the land "Cabo deRinos" and the waters "Bahia de las Pinoas." In 1603, Sebastian Vizcaino discovered Carmel River on December 14th, and on the 16th, rounded Punta de Pinos and landed at Monterey. In 1770, on June 3rd, Junipero Serra founded Mission San Carlos Borromeo, on a spot on the beach, and within the limits of the present municipality. Under renovations, the Mission still retains its original lines. The ashes of Serra and of some of his beloved fraters repose beneath the al- tar. The form that Serra established, 130 years ago, still contin- ues in celebration of High Mass, once a year. A monument to his memory, the gift of Leland Stanford, occupies a commanding place in the city suburbs overlooking the bay. The Hotel Del Monte is one of the show places of California. Santa Cruz is one of the summer resorts of the state, where ocean bathing can be indulged in with safety. The "Big Trees" are about 5 miles from Santa Cruz. They are sequoia semper virens (redwood) and belong to a class that has been, and still is, a large factor in the lumbering interests of the Pacific Coast. Some of them, as they stand, have hollows in their base, equal to sheltering a family. Of San Jose I have written before; the city I like best of all. California must be seen to be appreciated and to do so would take three months. Writings and Addresses Writings and Addresses Fargo, December 7, 1888. SHERMAN HOUSE BANQUET It gives me great pleasure to meet with you this evening to assist at the opening of one of the best hotels that Fargo has ever had. Thanks to mine host Kissner and some of our far-seeing business men. My only regret is that being expected to reply to the toast, just presented by your toastmaster — it will not be fittingly done. The City of Fargo, is a subject that deserves the eloquence of a Clay or a Webster to do it justice and not one who is unaccus- tomed to public speaking. Fargo — that we are all so proud of — and I think we have good cause for being so, is by all odds head and shoulders above any other city that I have seen in everything that goes to make up a thriving western city. We can all look with pride to the progress we have made even in these hard times. Look on every hand and you will find evidences of prosperity. You will find handsome business blocks and elegant residences going up in every part of the city. While some of our would be rivals have stood still or gone backwards, Fargo, like a young giantess, has pursued her steady and irresistible march of progress that Nature intended her to make in this New Golden Northwest. Some of us can remember the time when the land upon which this building stands was as we then thought, way out on the prairies. There was nothing north of here and very little south, till you crossed the Northern Pacific tracks. I well remember when I first came here, I wanted to see a man who I was told boarded at the Farmers' Home. I inquired the way and was told to go 99 ioo J. A. JOHNSON north on Broadway till I found it, which I did and on reaching it, thought it well named. It seemed to be half way to Grand Forks. There were neither sidewalks, crosswalks or any other way to get to it, only wade through the mud, and being in the spring of the year, was knee deep. Now note the difference! You can find handsome brick blocks lining both sides of the street, with side- walks, cross-walks, sewers, etc. While if you have occasion to go to any part of the city at night, you will find the streets brilliantly lighted with electricity, making them light as day, while the city is protected by a splendid system of water works, that is further enhanced by as fine a body of volunteer firemen as ever lived. In 1880, Fargo had but one line of railway; now we have three independent systems, with branches radiating in all direc- tions, making the city like the hub of a wheel, with the different railway lines forming the spokes. At that time there were 6 passenger trains that arrived and departed daily, now there are 26, and freight trains have increased in the same ratio. At that time Cass County had but 40 miles of railroad track within its borders, now it has over 200 miles. At that time Fargo had a population of 2,700, and a good many were not residents, in fact, while last spring we had over 8,200 and we have increased steadily ever since. At that time 207 pupils attended the public schools now there are 1,049 m attendance. Then the assessed valuation of Fargo was $524,035; in 1885 it was $4,444,450. Everything else has kept pace with our increase in population as can be seen by going into any of our machine shops, wagon shops, mills, etc., where you will find hundreds of mechanics at work ; or into our banks or mercantile houses, where you will find small armies of clerks in the various departments of their immense business. Eastern capitalists and manufacturers appreciate our import- ance as can be seen by the immense warehouses they have built and placed resident managers therein, to attend to their business from the whole northwest. We must not forget that a very large part of all this is due to Each to Himself — Now, That's Meant for a 'Josh' on One of Us — But Which One, I Wonder!" WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 101 the excellence of our daily and weekly newspapers. I desire to bear testimony to the fact that no city has ever had more earnest workers in its behalf than Fargo has in her newspaper men, or, take it all in all, better conducted papers. They have as a rule been hard worked and poorly paid, and not half appreciated, though they will be as time rolls on and I trust that they will receive their reward for their labors. While some of our sister cities were fighting for the political capital of Dakota, our wideawake business men put their shoul- ders to the wheel and their hands in their pocketbooks and built another line of railway and laid the foundation for the commercial capital. A prize that is worth more than all the political hubbub you can get, and the more you get of it the worse you are off. Politics never built a city. There is only one class of business benefited by the gathering of political or legislative bodies, as our sister city, Bismarck, has found to her sorrow. While we have been spared the fearful tax, or contribution, if you please to call it by that name, that it has cost to secure the soap bubble they call the Capital of Dakota. We have cause to be proud of Fargo in all its departments. The fire department cannot be excelled anywhere, it protects our property from destruction by fire while our vigilant police protect it and our persons from thieves, burglars and other crim- inals. I can truthfully say that no other city in the Union is better protected by its police and fire department. They have so con- ducted themselves that we are spared the humiliation that has lately befallen one of our eastern neighbors of having its police and other officers investigated on account of misdoings and short- comings. We have special cause to feel proud of our schools and churches. Our schools would be an honor to many eastern cities of 50,000. The buildings are all that modern science can devise or archi- tectural beauty suggest on the exterior, while the interior is ar- ranged for the health and comfort of the pupils; and our corps io2 J. A. JOHNSON of teachers would be a credit in the faculties of Yale or Harvard. When our children shall receive their diplomas from our high school, they will be as far advanced as they would be had they attended some of the so-called eastern colleges and be prepared to battle successfully with the world, the flesh and the devil. While the city has done nobly to prepare the youth for its struggle in life, our people have been mindful of their religious welfare as well; as can be seen by going into any of our ten churches and listening to as earnest and eloquent men as you will find anywhere. And where men from nearly all nations can go and listen to the teachings of the lowly Nazarine in their native tongue. Our schools and churches are sure indications to strangers that we are a moral and law-abiding people, and these observations are borne out by the facts, and are the surest evidences of our permanent prosperity. We all have faith in Fargo as can be seen on every hand. It is safe to say that in no other city of equal population, will you find so many families who live in homes that they own — and so few who live in tenement houses and hotels. And you will find residences in some portions of the city that would be ornaments in the most fashionable streets of New York, Boston, or any other eastern city. Such is our loved Fargo, though not destined like Canaan of old, to flow with milk and honey, still may she continue to prosper and cause this fertile country — so lately stigmatized by govern- ment officers as an uninhabitable desert — to bloom and blossom like the rose. NORTH DAKOTA STATE PHARMACEUTICAL ASSO- CIATION Fargo, July 21, 1896. I am under obligations to Mr. Christianson for the invitation to meet you here and greet you and welcome you to the city, and I fully appreciate that honor. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 103 In olden days in many parts of Europe it was customary to present distinguished visitors like yourselves with the keys of the city, but unfortunately our keys were destroyed in the great fire of 1893, and we have been so busy since then that we have not had time to have others made. And I do not know that we want any keys anyway; having keys would indicate a desire to lock some- one out and that is not what we want. We want you all to come in and see our city, with its streets, its stores, its places of busi- ness, its waterworks system, its fire department. We want you to see what we have done in Fargo since the great fire, and for that reason we do not want any keys to lock anybody out. We want you all to feel at home and enjoy your visit here, so that when you leave the city you will have nothing but pleasant recollections of your sojourn in our city. I know that your Fargo brethren will do all they can to make it so. I thank you very much for the honor afforded me, in bidding you welcome and I wish that I was able to give you the address that you should have, but not being an orator I am unable to do so, and you will have to take the good will for the deed. Gentlemen, I thank you and bid you welcome to Fargo. NORTH DAKOTA EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION Fargo, December 29, 1896. The honor conferred upon me by inviting me to bid you wel- come to the city is one fully appreciated by myself. Of all conventions and public gatherings that have honored us with their presence in 1896, it is fitting that the last should be the most distinguished. We have had in the past year many conventions, conferences and meetings of societies, political and commercial bodies, who have met here for the purpose of exchanging grettings and for mutual improvement and protection, and it is eminently proper that you should do the same. I feel that you meeting with us 104 J. A. JOHNSON during the closing days of the year, will confer greater honor on our city and county, than has any one of the public gatherings that have taken place here in years. The profession you have chosen is one of the noblest God has given man ; that of educating the young and making the ignorant intelligent. Your work is all elevating and the refining of the human mind and faculties, developing the mind of the child from its infancy, educating it and preparing it to take its part in the battle of life, knowing that when it starts out it will have, so far as education is concerned, an equal if not superior standing with those who have preceded it. In your everyday life, as teachers, you require and have to exercise the utmost patience, first in teaching the child obedience to the proper rules laid down for its government and next, to the beginning of its education. But I am inclined to believe that you require even greater patience when the scholar has passed the elementary classes and begins the higher studies, for it is then your work really begins to show and if you fail, then all the patience and perseverance will have been for naught. Later, as the scholar advances, you become personally interested and watch its progress and take almost as much interest in the development as though the scholar was your own flesh and blood. When the final day comes, that teacher and scholar must part, you feel very much as if you were parting from a near and dear relative. Even then you do not lose sight of the scholar but keep a watchful eye over him and if you ever can, by counsel or advice, aid you will go a long way to do so. No pains, trouble or expense will deter you from giving aid or comfort to any of your old scholars if they come to you in dis- tress. In addition to this you must keep yourself abreast of the times, and keep yourself posted on all matters that pertain to your profession; changes in the methods of teaching, like all other professions, are constantly advancing. The one that fails to keep up in his or her studies will soon find him or herself out of employ- ment and relegated to the rear. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 105 It has been my privilege to visit educational institutions in various parts of the world and it gives me great pleasure to be able to say, without flattery, that I have never seen any schools superior to the ones we have in North Dakota, and very few that were their equals. As far as the teachers, as a class, they cannot be excelled in any part of the world. If you will pardon me, I will try to describe a school I once visited in British Honduras. I was strolling along the streets of Belize one afternoon, and in passing one of the buildings, I heard the worst babel of voices I had ever heard. Supposing something was wrong I stepped to the door which was ajar and looked in. The teacher, a large, muscular Scotchman, saw me and bade me enter, which I was glad to do. I found about 50 pupils of all ages from the little toddler who could hardly walk, to the full grown young man and woman, of all colors, from the flaxen haired Saxon to the coal black African, all shouting at the tops of their voices as they studied their lessons. As I entered — as was natural — some of the pupils stopped shouting but the "professor," as the scholars called him, would not permit it and told them to resume their studies. I tried to ascertain his methods but there was such a noise I failed, became discouraged and quit. I have also visited the National University in Caracas, Vene- zula, and there I found just the reverse of what I did in Belize. You could stay in the room for a whole sessioi and unless the pro- fessor called up a class or one of the pupils wisi. "d something, you could hear a pin drop at any time. I think you will agree with me that the Caracas system was the best of the two I saw in the tropics. But I know that you have not come here to listen to me or to hear me tell you what I may have seen in my wanderings, but to attend to the matters that have called you so I will not detain you any longer. In the name of Fargo and as its executive I bid you welcome and trust that your stay with us will be both pleasant and profitable to you ; that when you leave us you will take nothing 106 J. A. JOHNSON but pleasant recollections with you and that you will make Fargo your permanent meeting place. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for the attention you have given me and the honor you have conferred on me. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES UNIFORMITY OF LAWS PERTAINING TO MUNICIPALITIES Columbus, Ohio, September 29, 1897. Mr. President and gentlemen of the convention : The subject assigned to me, " Uniformity of State Laws pertaining to Municipal Government" is one that I can say with truth, should have been assigned to someone with more experience in municipal affairs than I am. Someone from some large city, where the opportunity for observation is much greater than in a frontier town of 15,000 like Fargo. I tried to get the committee in charge of the arrange- ments of this convention, to let me off, warning them at the time that I coud not do justice to the subject, but they would not excuse me so you will see that whatever criticism you may have of an unfavorable nature as to anything I may have to say, I can fall back on Mayor Black and the Secretary and say, "I told you so." I do not know as this great convention, representing, as it does, the executive and legislative branches of the leading cities of the United States, care to have even a suggestion from me, but if you will not take offense, I would suggest that uniformity of laws, pertaining to municipalities and municipal government can be obtained in only one way and, in my opinion, it is a very easy way. If this convention will appoint a committee from different states, they will probably agree upon all the leading subjects in which we are all interested, and, if you will pardon me, I will mention some of them: The police power of cities, the suppression of gambling exhibited in different forms, the suppression of the social evil, or, if it is found it cannot be suppressed, the controlling WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 107 of it in such a way as to make the evil at its minimum. The reformation of prisoners, arrested and convicted of offences by- city courts, and sentenced to the house of correction, work houses and houses of detention. The paving and otherwise improving the streets, garbage and street cleaning. The ownership by cities of lighting and water works plants, the granting of franchises at various times, and the revenues to be derived from same. In my mind these, and such other subjects as the committee could consider, would be productive of much good. On a small scale, we tried this plan in North Dakota last year, with excellent results. The representatives of the leading towns met and ex- changed views as to what each wanted, and the result was, we adopted committees to draw up laws on the line agreed upon, appointed a committee to take them to the legislature, and we found no difficulty in having them passed and improved, and the results have already been beneficial. To my mind, there is no greater subject, or one of more vital importance to the American people to-day, than municipal government and one of the best ways to secure the best result would be to have uniform laws in all the states. There are a great many matters that we can all agree upon, that New York, Chicago and other large cities, need as badly as a place like Fargo, and cities between those in import- ance. What all cities need are laws that will make it impossible to form rings and combinations to control them. These rings and combinations always breed corruption, and one of the best safe- guards against these would be the uniformity of laws, rigidly enforced. No state should be permitted to enact any special laws, pertaining to the government of municipalities. All should be general laws, applicable to all cities. The mere fact that, if please, Chicago would like to have some law passed that places like Peoria might not need, should not prevent Chicago from having it, and Peoria could take advantage of it at any time it might see fit to do so. Peoria should not prevent Chicago from 108 J. A. JOHNSON having a law so long as it might have the same law, if it so desires or at any time found that it needed it. Hours might be spent in discussing this very important sub- ject, but that I am aware that I am talking to men who have far more experience in this matter than I have had, men who are experts in municipal laws and municipal government, while I am simply on the threshold, never having had the opportunity that most of those that within sound of my voice have had, and the only excuse I can make for taking up your time you must charge to Mayor Black and Secretary Gonden. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP Detroit, Michigan, 1898. It is with a great deal of pleasure that I again meet with you and can congratulate you all on the success that has followed our meeting of 1897, at Columbus. This and future meetings of the League of American Municipalities will be of far greater profit to the American public than anyone could have foreseen when the first step looking toward the formation of the league was taken. Of the many subjects to be discussed by eminent gentlemen at this convention, to my mind, there are none of more importance than that of "Municipal Ownership of Public Service Industries." The matter of municipal ownership of waterworks, gas and elec- tric plants, as well as of street railways, is of comparative recent origin. Our predecessors, of a generation ago, were not bothered with the question of municipal ownership, as we understand it. They had easy sailing as compared with their successors of to- day. Then it was expected that private corporations would furnish water and light at such prices as they saw fit ; and if their patrons did not like either the price or the service, the only consola- tion they received was, "Well, what are you going to do about WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 109 it?" While to-day statistics are gathered from every corner of America and sent to the municipal office, who thus get the benefit of the experience of brother officers all over the country, enabling each to better guard the interests which are intrusted to his care. Of the municipal ownership of the various public services, the one which has been tried the longest is water, and that it has met with satisfaction, not only to the municipalities which have adopted it, but to the patrons of the same, goes without saying. Where a few years ago the question had hardly been thought of, to-day there are hundreds of cities who own and operate their own water works ; and in every case you could not get them to go back to the private corporation system. The little city I have the honor of representing had a contract with a private corporation, but after a long struggle succeeded in forcing a sale of it to the city and the rates were reduced 60 per cent. The cost of fire protection is less than the rental of hydrants from the private company and yet our water works takes care of itself. We are now putting in a new 3,000,000 gallon pump. The one now in use being inade- quate to furnish water for all purposes. Perhaps the most strik- ing result of municipal ownership of water works is at Cleveland, O. In 1897, after deducting extensions and operating expenses, including interest on its bonds, it showed a net profit of $365,052.- 92 ; and yet water was furnished at a price no private corporation would have furnished it for. In public lighting we find the prices paid by the various muni- cipalities under contract, under similar conditions, are so unequal as to be indeed startling. With your permission I will give you a few comparisons, both in municipal and contract lighting. Ashland, Pa., pays $115 per year per lamp while Erie, Pa., pays but $61.86. Providence, R. I., pays $127.75 while Woon- socket, R. I., pays $146; Alton, 111., pays $90 while East St. Louis, but 20 miles distant, pars $110. Spokane, Wash., had a contract for $96 per lamp per year up to September 1, 189*7, and when the city threatened to put in its own light, the Edison Elec- no J. A. JOHNSON trie Co., cut the price in two and made a contract for $48. Above are for all-night lamps, of 2,000 candle power The difference in moonlight schedule is equally great, being at Huntington, Pa., $54.15 per year; $120 at Fort Wayne, Ind., and $123 at Sacra- mento, Cal. When we look at the municipal lighting plants we find, that considering conditions, such as fuel, labor, etc., the prices are comparatively uniform. I will mention the cost of a few, both all- night and moonlight schedule. Of the all-night plants the one that is operated at the least cost is at Bangor, Me., costing but $35, including interest and depreciation, while the one costing the most is in this beautiful city of Detroit, where it costs, with a liberal allowance for interest, depreciation, loss of taxes, etc., the sum of $89.42. Of the municipal run on the moonlight schedule we find the cost, including interest and depreciation, is from $52.82 at Muncie, Ind., to $65.78 at Frederick, Md., and as low as $29.10 at Dan- ville, Va., not including interest or depreciation. The municipal plant which can, perhaps, be taken as a pattern is at Wheeling, W. Va. The city of Wheeling owns both its gas and electric plants and in 1897 it expended in improvements, extensions, etc., for both plants, the sum of $6,153.02. It also donated to hospitals and other chartiable institutions gas, which, if owned by a private corporation would have to have been paid for, to the amount of $6,243. After paying all operating expenses covered into the city treasury, the sum of $2,649, showing actual profits derived out of its commercial lighting the sum of $15,045.16. The lighting not only of streets and public places, but commercial lighting as well, where it has been changed from contract to municipal ownership, under no circumstances would they change back to the contract system. Like comparisons could be produced indefinitely but time will not permit me doing so. The question of municipal owner- ship of street-car service has as yet been tried but little in the WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES in United States. In Europe, where it has been in operation long enough to give it a fair test, it has proven very remunerative to the cities which have tried it. Glasgow, Scotland, is a notable exam- ple; from the revenue derived from its municipal ownership of public service, all the running expenses of the municipal corpora- tion are paid, thus obviating the necessity of having any local taxes for municipal purposes. There is no reason why the same results could not be obtained in the United States, if properly handled, and we will not admit that we cannot do as well as they can in Scotland or elsewhere. What we do know as the result of the granting of franchises to private corporations for gas, electric lights and street railways, is that the grantees soon become so powerful that they absolutely control all the functions of the muni- cipal governments and dictate such terms as they see fit, and woe to the man who tries to stand by the people, if by so doing he op- poses their interests and incurs the hostility of these corporations that have received their franchises as a gift from the public. Some of us have felt the power of these corporations who have become wealthy on municipal franchises. There are men who hold responsible positions in this body who have incurred the enmity of private corporations, and who, when it came to re- election, corporate money was spent as freely as water to defeat them, having tried to control them and, failing to do so ; they were marked for slaughter. But the people, whom we all serve, are awakening to the necessity of standing by the men who will not bend the knee to corporations, and each year it will be harder for anyone to be elected to a municipal position who is not known to be in favor of municipal ownership of public service. In my opinion this League, representing as it does the leading and most progressive cities of both the United States and Do- minion of Canada, should place itself squarely on record as favor- ing the municipal ownership of at least water works, gas and electric lighting, as well as street car service. ii2 J. A. JOHNSON FLAX CONVENTION Fargo, December, 1898. The National Flax, Hemp and Ramie Association, held an interesting two-days session in Fargo in December, 1898. The attendance was very flattering, delegates being present from all over the northwest and eastern states. Mayor Johnson presided. Bishop Edsall invoked divine blessing on the work of the association. Mayor Johnson then welcomed the delegates, as follows : Ladies and gentlemen of the National Flax, Hemp and Ramie Association: As chief executive, it is with great pleasure on be- half of the city of Fargo, welcome. It has been my good fortune to have welcomed many conventions during my Mayoralty, but I can assure you that it has never given me greater pleasure to do so than on this occasion. The interest which has been created by flax among the citizens of North Dakota in the last few years, has almost overshadowed wheat. I am informed, by what I consider unquestioned authority, that North Dakota has, this past year, produced nearly, if not quite, one-half of the entire flax crop of the United States, and that Cass County has produced nearly one-tenth of the entire flax crop of the entire nation. That being the case, I think you have acted wisely in having your meeting here, and I trust that you will find that you have made no mistake in coming to our little city. Before you leave I hope you will take time to visit our schools and our business houses and banks. Drive over our streets and see not only our business houses but the residence portion of Fargo, as well. Look at our waterworks and volunteer fire department, of which we are justly proud. In fact, we are proud of our town as a whole and want you to see it and you will agree with us that we have a right to be proud. I have been trying to secure some data on flax and wrote to the Agricultural Department in Washington, for information and was informed that no satisfactory report had been made for some WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 113 time on flax culture, which surprised me very much. Through the courtesy of Hon. Frank H. Hitchcock, Chief of the Division of Foreign Markets, I have been permitted to use the "Thirteenth Annual Report of the Flax Supply Association for the Improve- ment of the Flax Culture in Ireland for 1897. That report bears out Mr. Hitchcock's statement of failure to make any report of the flax industries. It is a well-known fact that Ireland is famous for its flax and linens produced therefrom, yet the report referred to states that no flax statistics, as to acreage, was kept from 1826 to 1848. Between 1812 and 1826, a flax acreage was kept and it was found that it averaged 132,423 acres for the fourteen years. While the next record in 1848, it dropped to 53,863 acres. I have not been able to find any record of the acreage between 1848 and 1896, when the acreage amounted to 72,253 acres, while in 1897, it had decreased to 45,586 acres; the lowest in the history of Ire- land. By the same report I find that out of 174,208,000 yards of linen exported from the United Kingdom in 1896, valued at 3,764,- 889 pounds sterling, 100,454,700 yards, valued at 1,914,817 pounds sterling, were exported from the United Kingdom to the United States, and that of 164,574,600 yards of linen goods, ex- ported from the United Kingdom in 1897, valued at 3,526,835 pounds sterling; 103,086,300 were imported into the United States, valued at 926,104 pounds sterling. It will be seen that the United States in the years of 1896-1897, out of a total export of 338,782,600 yards from the United Kingdom, 203,541,000 yards came to the United States at a cost to us of $17,865,285.50. There is no reason under the sun why this country should im- port the linen goods or thread from the United Kingdom, during the years 1896-1897, thread to the value of $340,387.65 or a total, for linen and thread, of $18,205,673.16. In 1850 Ireland reports 48 looms, in 1897 there were 31,484, of which 10,894 were power looms. In 1850, it was reported that Ireland had 320,008 spin- dles ; while in 1890, the report is that they had increased to 8,401,- ii4 J- A. JOHNSON 448 and greatly improved. While these startling facts are before us, facts furnished by your greatest competitor, it is time that the men and women of the United States should take some steps to protect themselves, and see that, in place of our country being an importer of linen, that it shall be an exporter, and judging from what I see before me, I have no fears but that you will accomplish that and more. I thank you for that time that you have given me. U. C. T. CONVENTION Sioux Falls, S. D., May 26, 1899. In responding to the toast on Fargo in 1901, before going any further I want to say that we listened with great pleasure to the very hearty and eloquent welcome extended us by Judge Keith and Brother Miles. At the time we had to take a good part of it in trust and that is something we on principle, object to. But further investigation has proved to us that all that was said about the hospitality, the thrift and energy of Sioux Falls falls short of the reality. I was very much impressed with Brother Miles' address and agree with him in all he said about this beautiful city but cannot agree with him on one point. I cannot concede that any city is equal to Fargo, no matter on what lines you take it, and when you come to visit us in 1901 we will demonstrate that to your entire satisfaction. We will show you a city that is modern in all its appointments. We will take you over the miles of paved streets, well lighted, with wide sidewalks of incombustible material in the business part. Streets that are swept three times a week, and while there was $500,000 expended in new buildings in 1898, you cannot find a vacant house or store in the town that one of you would occupy. By the time you get there we will have another large hotel so we can be sure of entertaining you as we would like and as you would expect us to. This far I will call as references, as to the correctness of my WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 115 statements, every traveling man who has been in Fargo during the last year. We will, in addition to duplicating all that has been said of Sioux Falls, show you flour mills that do not stand still. We will show you a linseed oil mill that produces 12,500 barrels oil per year and that ships train loads of oil cakes to Europe, where every package advertises Fargo. We will show you a city that according to the official figures, had a smaller per capita tax in 1898, than any of the following cities: Boston, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Newark, St. Paul, Chica- go, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Louisville, Philadel- phia, Jersey City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Rochester, Albany, Denver, Alleghany, Buffalo, San Francisco, Baltimore, Provi- dence and Pittsburg and a smaller bonded per capita tax than any of the cities named except San Francisco, Chicago, Indian- apolis, Denver and Detroit. Also a smaller departmental ex- pense of police, fire, light and street cleaning than any of the cities named except Indianapolis. We will show you a city where you can procure power for manufacturing or any other purpose, or where you can secure steam heating at the same price, the same can be obtained for in Chicago. We will show you the best train service of any town in the Northwest. Where you can get on the train in Fargo and be in St. Paul in 6 hours and 37 minutes and in Minneapolis in less than 6 hours, a distance of 243 and 233 miles respectively. Now, with these figures, a great many of which many of you know, and others that have been obtained from official records, can you blame me for not conceding that there is any town on God's green earth equal to Fargo? n6 J. A. JOHNSON LEAGUE OF AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS Syracuse, N. Y., September 20, 1899. The subject, assigned to me, viz : "Special Assessments," is so vast that it will be possible to only touch upon the subject at this time. The first law authorizing the making the special assess- ment, that I have been able to find was in 1427, under the reign of Henry VI. The law authorized the appointment of a com- mittee to construct "walls, ditches, gutters, sewers, etc.," and to apportion the expense upon the lands benefited thereby. The act of 1427 was amended in 1667 and granted greater powers vested in the commission. In the act of 1667 paving of streets was also included. The acts of 1447 and 1667 were again ammended in 1672 and 1708, each time the principle of special assessment was recognized and the powers of the commission enlarged. I have not been able to find that any changes were made in the laws until 1855, though no doubt were some. In the latter year, great changes were made and again in 1875, J 882, and 1890 still greater powers were conferred upon the munici- palities for special improvements, with power to levy special taxes for such improvements, such taxes being payable in all cases by parties owning lands which were benefited by such im- provements. In France the first that we find, which pertains to special as- sessments was in 1672, when by a decree of the council of state, it was ordered, in the case of widening and straightening a dark street, the owners were compelled to pay the cost in proportion to the benefits received. In 1855, in the construction of a quay, in the city of Lyons, the owners adjacent to, and benefited by the construction of the quay, paid for it. Again, in 1854 and 1855, in the erection of works on the lower Seine ; where large tracts of land were reclaimed, the owners of the property paid the expense WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 117 of the erection of the works of which the government had con- structed for their benefit. Laws pertaining to special assessments in the various German states, were vague and conflicting, until 1875, since which time the laws have been so as to authorize municipal corporations to make needed public improvements, such as paving, sewers, water works, and other works of like nature, and where certain localities were to be benefited, the tax or assessment must be paid by the owners of the property benefited by such improvement. Before any improvement could be made on which special taxes were to be levied, the same must be made public, and property owners can file protests against such improvement and have a hearing before the proper tribunals. Of other European countries, I will not take up your time to discuss; most of them are meagre and follow after laws as have been cited. The origin of special assessments in the United States is more a matter of speculation than fact. Some claim that it is inherent in the principle of self-government, while others claim it arose from the natural fairness or justice or consideration in equity. The probable facts are that it was borrowed from England. In 1 69 1 the province of New York created a law similar to the Eng- lish law, extant prior to that date. It remained on the statute books of New York incorporative until 1787, when it was amended to suit the then existing conditions, though very little was done under it. The mayors and aldermen seemed to be reluctant to use the power vested in them for making improvements where special taxes were to be levied to pay for same. It was until 1807, that a law was passed by the legislature of New York, creating a commission with exclusive authority to lay out streets, squares, and public roads within certain prescribed territory, with the power to assess the cost of opening such streets, squares, and public roads to the owners of the property benefited thereby. In 1813, the law that had heretofore applied to the city of New York, was extended to include the cities of Albany, Hudson, and Schenectady. n8 J. A. JOHNSON Of the four cities named, in the charter of New York, was the most carefully drawn, and gave that city greater powers than either of the other cities named. If provided two separate pro- cedures for imposing special assessments. One for opening the streets and public places, where the power of eminent domain was involved. The other for paving and otherwise improving the streets, the construction of sewers, wharves, and waterworks, in case the assessment was too low, a re-assessment was permitted. In case of dispute as to the correctness of the assessment, arbitrators were chosen to ascertain the facts and report the same as we now do in cases of arbitration. In 1840, the act was amended so as to prohibit the commission from assessing any house or lot more than half of its value as assessed for ordinary taxes by the ward assessors. Various amendments were made to the charter of New York, bearing on the principle of special assessments until the consolida- tion act of 1882. The acts, as passed by the legislature of New York from time to time, were often contested in the courts of that state, as they have been in all other states where special assessments are recog- nized, so far as I have been able to learn the various acts where uniformly sustained by the courts of last resort. In 1865, the legislature of New York created a law authorizing certain munici- palities to issue special assessment bonds, which bonds the munici- palities could sell, and out of the proceeds pay for the work as it progressed, the cities who issued such bonds could recoup itself from the proceeds of the taxes collected from property benefited and assessed for that purpose. Massachusetts in 1658, passed through its general court an order to open a public highway from "Roxbury and Boston Farms" and appointed a committee with power to judge what is mete satisfaction to the proprietors for the way, and that they have power to impose an equal part upon "Boston and such towns as shall be benefited by the way." The reading of that seems to WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 119 be as near special assessments for the benefits derived as can be gotten at. That order was re-affirmed in 1692 and 1760, after the great fire in Boston ; in the reconstruction of the streets the expense thereof was paid by the property benefited. Various amendments took place in that state between 1760 and 1865, all recognizing the principle of special assessments for special improvements and enlarging the powers of the municipalities as from time to time it was found by experience to be necessary. In 1865, the legislature of Massachusetts passed a general law for raising revenue from special assessment. Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine all have laws recognizing the principle of special assess- ments and they as well as Massachusetts, have been sustained and have had the approval of the Supreme Court. Pennsylvania enacted its first law recognizing special assess- ments by province law in 1770, commissioners were appointed to regulate the streets and water courses, the pitching and paving and graveling of the same, and .to assess the cost thereof in pro- portion to number of feet of land benefited thereby. In 1770, the law of 1769 was so amended that the commission regulated the construction of sewers in the city of Philadelphia. The laws authorizing special assessments in Pennsylvania have been amended from time to time since 1769 as the needs and experience demanded, and the constitutionality of the same has been so often sustained by the courts of that state, the doctrine is firmly estab- lished. Among the remaining states who have laws recognizing special assessments, and appellate courts, have sustained their consti- tutionality, may be mentioned the following where charters have been granted authorizing the cities named to make special assess- ments for special improvements, viz., New Jersey granted a charter to Newark in 1836, Maryland to Baltimore in 1836, Delaware to Wilmington in 1857, Michigan to Detroit in 1827, Ohio to Cleveland in 1836, Illinois to Chicago in 1837, Louisiana i2o J. A. JOHNSON to New Orleans in 1832, Alabama to Mobile in 1866, Texas to Galveston in 1871, Kansas to Leavenworth in 1864, Iowa to Mount Pleasant and Lyons in 1856, Nebraska to Omaha in 1873, California to San Francisco in 185 1, Oregon to Portland in 1866. All the states last named have, since the granting of the charters cited, amended their laws and have enlarged their scope far beyond the original act. Among the states that have more or less general laws authorizing the levying of special assessment, may be named Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Minnesota, Washington, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota. In every case where the laws of the states last named have attached, they have been sustained by their Supreme Court. The Congress of the United States has also recognized the principle of special assessment for special improvements by enacting laws for the District of Columbia permitting the levying of special taxes to pay for such improvements and compelling the owners of property benefited to pay the expense of the same. Of the forty-six states in the Union, forty states and one territory have laws permitting the levying of special assessments to pay for local or special improvements. Of the forty-six states, six have constitutional provisions authorizing the levying of special assessments for special improve- ments. Of the remaining states, two recognize it to the extent of the police powers of the state. There is, of course, some difference as to the methods of procedure among so many states, but the main principle of special assessment is recognized in them all. In my own state, North Dakota, we can have no special laws, all must be of a general nature and apply to all cities. Our laws authorize municipal corporations to create improvement dis- tricts for the purpose of grading, paving, and curbing and other- wise improving streets and the expense thereof is paid as follows : Eighty per cent by the property benefited, and twenty per cent from the general fund of the city. We have a similar law that WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 121 permits us to construct a system of sewers, and in both for paving and sewers the council can order either or both without any petition of the property owners, provided five-sixths of all the aldermen elected, vote in favor of such improvement. We issue "District Improvement" warrants or orders with interest coupons attached. In the paving warrants we issue them for ten years with a proviso that we can take them up on demand. In the sewer warrants we issue them for twenty years with the same proviso, there permitting us to take them up at any time that our sinking fund will permit and thus save interest. Any property owner has the right to pay his assessments for either sewer or paving at any time and be thus relieved from any further assessments. In Fargo this law has worked to perfection, it has enabled us to make improvements that we could not other- wise have made. We have not only been able to pave and con- struct sewers on our business streets, but a very large part of the residence portion as well. In 1898, we expended $108,690, and this year we will expend over $200,000. Yet our general taxes for all purposes in 1898 was but $10.57 P er capita, where in some of the large cities in the east and south, they were from $21.02 to $26.64 P er capita. It has enabled us to build up a town that had over $9,000,000 wholesale trade in 1898, where our banks on the last day of December last had $1,659,924.82 subject to check, where our clearing house handled $14,677,849.08 and our post office netted the department over all expenses $23,505.09. Where the Western Union Telegraph office handled 777,189 commercial messages; that has made Fargo the third city of importance in the world as a wholesale center for implements; that has given us three of the greatest railway systems in the United States; viz., Northern Pacific, Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, with an equipment and service that is not excelled in any part of the world; that enabled us to handle over 650 tons of freight for every day last year, and that has connected us with over 100 towns and cities by phone in the 122 J. A. JOHNSON Northwest and on all eastern and southern cities; that would permit me going to your telephone office in this city and calling up my wife or any one else in Fargo and talking with her or them. It has enabled us to expend over $500,000 in new building in 1898 and we will expend more than that sum this year, and with all this I will say to the surprise of some of you, that we have not a place in Fargo where intoxicating liquors can be obtained, neither have we any gambling houses, nor do I expect to see any of either there and I expect to live the balance of my life in Fargo. I am aware of the fact that the figures quoted may seem small to the most of you who attend this convention, but it must be remembered that less than thirty years ago, the land on which Fargo now stands was an Indian reservation with Sitting Bull as chief in command. Less than a generation ago, General Hazen, at that time chief of the weather bureau, reported that the territory now com- prising North Dakota, was an alkali desert scarce fit for the wild buffalo and still wilder Indian, yet this same soil in 1898, gave to each man, woman and child in the state over $350, leaving com- mercial and manufacturing interests to swell this sum. Answering the question as to what proportion of the cost should be assessed against the property benefited, and what proportion should be paid out of the general fund, I am of the opinion, based on some experience, that street and alley intersections should be paid out of the general fund and the remainder to be paid by the property benefited. At the time of the passage of our law, we believed that 20 per cent should be paid by the city and 80 per cent by the property benefited. Our experience is, that the public should pay 25 per cent and the property benefited 75 per cent. Our theory is that the inside lot is not as much benefited as is the corner, and for any advantage the corner may possess, it pays a larger tax, is compelled to maintain its side walk on two sides WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 123 where the inside lot maintains it only on one side. In other words, the corner lot pays each year sufficient to exempt it from paying more than the inside lot has to pay. Law of Special Assessment In the case of the Roosevelt Hospital vs. the Mayor of New York — 84 N. Y., page 108, the Court says, "Taxes are public burdens imposed upon the inhabitants of the whole state or some civil division thereof, for governmental purposes, without reference to particular individuals or property. They are justified only because of the improvements confer special benefits and are only just when they are divided in porportion to benefits." In 74 N. Y., page 216, Judge Miller says: "The principle upon which a corporation tax for improvement of real estate is founded, is quite familiar and well understood. It is based on the theory that the owner of the property assessed is to receive corresponding the amount assessed, this is to be paid to meet the cost and expense of the improvement. It is therefore of no consequence what the value of the lots be, providing the enhanced benefit is equal to the assessment." In the case of the people vs. the Mayor of New York, six Barbour, page 209, the court says: "The people have not ordained that taxation shall be general so as to embrace all per- sons or all taxable property within the state or within any district or division of the state ; nor that it shall not be numerically equal as in the case of a capitation tax, nor that it must be in ratio of the value of each man's land or of his goods or of both combined; nor that a tax must be so extensive of the district or upon all the property in the district which has the character of and is known to the law as a local sovereignty, nor have they ordained or for- bidden that a tax shall be apportioned to the benefits which each taxpayer is supposed to receive from the object on which the tax is expended. In all these particulars the power of taxation is unrestrained." i2 4 J. A. JOHNSON In Rhode Island in the matter of Dorance Street, 4 R. I., page 230, Chief Justice Ames says: "It is evident that a gain even the fanciful or formal support for its existence only when the law is to be applied in the case one part only, whose land is to be taken for the street, leaving a part benefited, or to one whose land is to be taken in one place, he having land benefited in another, in which cases the law provides for a set-off of benefits against damages, the balance either way, only, to be reported by a com- missioner or a jury. We say formal or fanciful only, because it must be evident that after all the real question is, Can there be such a constitutional assessment for benefits upon estates benefited by the improvement ; for if there can be, no reason can be given why a man should be excused from his assessment upon one part or his estate really benefited, because another part of it has been taken to make the improvement." Hare of American Law, vol. I, page 310, says: "The conclu- sion that the main current of decisions may therefore be said to be, that notwithstanding some apparent exceptions, local assess- ments are constitutional only when imposed to pay for local improvements, clearly conferring local benefits on the property so assessed, and to the extent of these benefits. They cannot be imposed when the improvement is for the general good, without an excess of local benefit to justify the charge." In 1882, Judge Fintch in the matter of Church, reported in the 22nd., N. Y., page 6, said : "There is no force in the objection that after fixing the assessment district, the total expense cannot be assessed on the property, but only so much as is actually benefited." That is but another form of saying that the legisla- ture cannot impose the whole cost upon the area which it decides is benefited to that extent. The case of Stewart vs. Palmer, holds that the legislature may cause local improvements to be made, and authorize the expense thereof to be assessed upon the land benefited thereby. Judge Sharswood of the Appellate Court of Pennsylvania, in WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 125 the case of Hannel vs. the City of Philadelphia, reported in 65 Pennsylvania St., page 146: "The original paving of a street brings the property abounding upon it into the market as building lots. It is therefore, a local improvement with benefits exclusively peculiar to adjoining properties. Such a case is clearly within the principle of assessing the cost of the lots lying upon it. Per- haps no fairer rule can be adopted than the proportion of front feet, although there must be equalities if the lots differ in situation and in depth. Appraising their market values and fixing the proportion according to those in a plan open to favoritism or corruption or other objection. No system of taxation the wit of man can devise has been found perfectly equal. But when a street is once paved and open, thus assimilating the rest of the city and made a part of it, all the peculiar benefits to the locality derived from improvements have been received and enjoyed. Repairing streets is as much a part of the ordinary duties of the municipality for the public good, as cleaning, watching, and light- ing. It would be a monstrous injustice and inequality should such general expense be provided by local assessments." Judge Lindsay, in the case of The Broadway Baptist Church vs. McAtee, reported in Bush 8, page 512, and also in Simpson on Municipal Assessment, page 6, says in part: "The owners of such property receive and enjoy very nearly the permanent advantages accruing to the city from the construction, repairs, and reconstruction of the streets upon which their property may be situated. The general public certainly receives incidental benefits from such improvements, but the benefits to the owners of the real estate are direct, appreciable and permanent. The original improvement enhances the value of the property adjacent to the street improved by making it accessible to the public and attracting trade and population. This enhanced can be preserved in no other way than by keeping the street in repair and by its reconstruction when too much worn to be longer repaired. Hence, so far as the right to impose this local taxation 126 J. A. JOHNSON depends upon the enjoyment of the persons taxed of the peculiar benefits arising therefrom, it seems to us, that there is no substan- tial difference between the reconstruction and the original pave- ment of the street." It will be noticed that the two learned jurors just quoted, took diametrically opposite sides of the question of repaying, when the original paving had been worn out. It will also be noticed, that Simpson on Municipal Assessments, supports Judge Lindsay, while I have seen no authority that supported Judge Sharswood, though there may be some. I will only take up your time in quoting part of another deci- sion from my own state of North Dakota. In the case of Rolph and Cadbury vs. the City of Fargo, the unanimous opinion of the Court was delivered by Chief Justice Guy H. C. Corliss, and is very exhaustive, and a great many authorities are cited, reads as follows : "The owner of the abutting property is by this action, attacking the validity of an assessment to pay the expense of paving a street in the city of Fargo. He grounds his assault thereon, upon the validity of the statutes upon which the assess- ment was levied. It is not contended that the steps taken by the proper authorities were unauthorized by law. But the broad proposition was laid down by the counsel for the plaintiff, that the statute is void for the reason that it does not limit the total assess- ment upon property within the special district, to the actual bene- fits accruing to such district from the local improvement from which the tax is to be levied. When the taxpayer is called on to contribute for general purposes, he is not permitted to chal- lenge the legality of the tax on the ground that he is not receiving a pecuniary benefit commensurate with the sum he is required to pay. Whence comes the right of the Courts to accord him this peculiar privilege in cases of local assessments? It is right here that the fallacy of the cases of the counsel for the plaintiff lies. We cannot discover any foundation for these decisions which hold that a local improvement is an entirety, and therefor cannot be WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 127 divided. What proportion of the expense shall be paid by the special district and whether all of it shall be collected therein, is a matter of legislative discretion. But the improvements itself, is not affected by any decision the legislature may make. It still remains local, although that body orders that portion, therefore, shall be collected as a part of the general taxes. It is a fact that it is a local improvement which vests in the legislature the power to direct that it shall be paid out of the local property. This power is not merely a power to order such portion to be collected in the special taxing district as shall be equivalent of the enhance- ment of the value of property therein, because of such improve- ment, but to direct that the expense of the improvement as an entirety, be collected in a manner different from that in which the ordinary taxes are collected. It there is any power at all in the legislature to prescribe a distinctive mode of collecting the expense of such an improvement, it is as broad as the purpose for which the tax is to be levied. The Court cannot divide it up and say at what point the power ceases, cannot declare that as to any parti- cular percentage of the cost, the only mode of levying tax to dis- charge the same shall be a general taxation. How could the Courts ever determine what part should be paid out of the general treasury and what part raised by local assessments? What rule shall govern them in investigating such a question ? What right have they to dictate where the line shall be drawn ? If, as we be- lieve the Courts cannot require that any portion of the expense shall be collected as ordinary revenues are collected, the whole ground falls from under the postulate, that the limit of the power of local assessment is the enhanced value of the particular land assessed ? i 2 8 J. A. JOHNSON NON-PARTISAN CITIZENS' DEPARTMENT Aberdeen Daily News, April 4, 1900. I have been invited to come and say to you, if I understand the subject, what we are accomplishing in Fargo without, in any way, receiving aid in revenue from the liquor traffic. I had the honor, if there was any honor in it, of being Mayor of Fargo during territorial days, when we had about forty-five saloons. So I have had some experience in that direction also, as well as in the past four years when we have had no saloons. At the time of the adoption of our constitution, when the pro- hibition amendment was carried, it was represented that it would depopulate Fargo; that houses would become vacant, stores and other buildings would stand idle, property would depreciate, rents go down, to use a slang phrase "all would go to the dogs." I am glad to tell you that prophecy has never been fulfilled, but just the reverse has happened. Fargo has prospered without the saloon far better than it ever did with it. Instead of being de- populated, it has more than doubled its population since the saloons left us; rents have not gone down, but have gone up if there is any difference. There is not in Fargo to-day, nor has there been, a vacant house fit for a mouse to live in, or a vacant store since the saloons are gone. In the past four years, more than $1,000,000.00 has been invested in new buildings in Fargo. In 1898, the per capita tax of Fargo was $10.57. I do not believe there is a city on the American continent of three times the population of Fargo that did the business Fargo did in 1899. Our building as stated before, has been more than a million dollars in the past four years. In 1898, according to the report of the Mayor of Duluth to the city council, and according to the building inspectors' report in Fargo, there was $177,000 more expended for building in Fargo than there was in Duluth. Duluth has about one hundred saloons, deriving $100,000 in WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 129 revenue, I think from this source, while Fargo did not get a dollar from that direction, and I hope and believe, never will. To show you people the transfers and investments in Fargo real estate, I have compiled the amount of transfer for the past four years. In 1896, the transfers of property amounted to $185,578.08; in 1897, it was $212,876.24, in 1898, $228,942.82, in 1899, it was $314,956.94. It will show that the real estate dealing in Fargo in the year 1899, were nearly double those of 1896. I have the figures if you will permit me to give them to you. We put in 4.2 miles of paving; 8.4 miles of curbing. The average width of the streets are 36 feet between the curbs, at a cost of $137,013.24. We put in 14,828 feet of sewer of which 4,880 feet were brick. We put in 12,696 feet of water mains at a cost of $12,100.07, an d the sewers cost $17,935.98, at total of $167,- 049.29. There are men in this building, within the hearing of my voice, who can testify to the fact that what I am telling you is true, and yet, we have reduced the rate of taxation without disturbing the ratio valuation 24 per cent in the last four years. I claim that Fargo is a prohibition city. I once attended a convention of Mayor and Aldermen at Detroit, Michigan. One of the sessions was devoted to the question of the regulation of the saloon. I did not feel any interest in the subject and did not attend. I went and visited the Masonic Lodge. Some one spoke to me the next day and said, "What is the matter with you? I never knew you to miss a session before." I told him that I was not interested in the subject. "What," he asked, "are you not interested in the regulation of the saloon?" I said, "There are no saloons in Fargo, I never expect to see any there, and I expect to live there the balance of my life." Then he said, "You have not got much of a town." I said, "Compared with your city, we have not, but our building report shows up to July this year, we put in about $300,000 worth of new buildings." 130 J. A. JOHNSON He said, "You must have what they call blind pigs or worse." I said, "I will guarantee your expenses to Fargo and return if you can buy a glass of liquor, beer or wine in the town ; if you cannot, you shall pay your own expenses." We try and we believe we do enforce the Prohibition Law. I want to say now, no thanks are due to me. The citizens of Fargo are supporting me in this matter and they would support any man. The question of saloons or the saloon business, has been a dead issue in Fargo for four years. If the question of the location of the saloon in Fargo, came before the people, it would not have votes enough to be worth counting. At the time of the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment, Fargo gave a majority of about 700 against the constitutional amendment. I firmly believe that if a vote were to be taken to-morrow, there would be 700 majority for it. I know of men of influence who believed it would be a detri- ment to Fargo not to have saloons, and who now say they never want to see one again, and if the question came up, would vote against it. To enforce that law, in addition of having a public sentiment back of it, you require the co-operation of four men; your judge, your prosecuting attorney, your sheriff and your mayor. If they are in earnest in the work, you can enforce any law. If they are not, you cannot enforce any law, no matter what it is, and I do not care what you do. The Mayor governs the city through the police. The ordi- nary policeman will only see what the Mayor sees. He thinks that if the Mayor put the star on, he can take it off. If he thinks the Mayor would like to see, he sees. If he thinks that the Mayor does not want him to see, he is as blind as a bat. Now I was asked, this afternoon, by the President of one of your banks, if it was not a fact, that Moorhead, being so close, did not help in this matter, if Moorhead was not the dumping ground of Fargo. I told him "no," they tried making a WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 131 dumping ground of Fargo for the bums, but we would not have it ; that they came in once in a while and we handled them gently and pleasantly and got rid of them. We maintain twice the police force in Fargo we would have to do if Moorhead was fifty miles away from there. We have to do that as a matter of self protec- tion. Now understand I am not speaking of the citizens of Moor- head as a whole ; I am speaking of the undesirable element that comes in the spring and stays until it freezes up in the fall; the element that hangs around the saloons, wine-rooms, etc. If Fargo was 50 miles from Moorhead I could go home to-morrow and discharge half the policemen and still have plenty of protection for the citizens. I do not know as I have anything more to say on the subject, I believe I have touched on everything in Fargo. Personally, I do not believe in politics in municipal affairs. I belong to an organization of which I have the honor of being first vice-president. At the same meeting in Detroit, which I spoke of awhile ago, a resolution was introduced and supported unanimously, making it almost obligatory on those present, to eliminate politics from municipal affairs. There were repre- sented at that meeting over 12,000,000 people, representing such cities as New York, Baltimore, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and others I could name were present. Not one single hand was raised in opposition to that resolution. Again at the election in Fargo this spring, not a causus was held, not a nomination was made by a political body of either side. We had four candidates in the field, so far as that was concerned, but politics had nothing to do with it. Some of the strongest Democrats in the city, voted for me and supported me. I have always been a Republican. I voted for Governor Morton of Indiana and have voted the Republican ticket up to now on everything pertaining to National and State politics. I voted as a Republican for Abraham Lincoln and down 132 J. A. JOHNSON to the present executive, President McKinley, and expect to vote for him again if I live. I have voted for men not Republicans on city and county tickets. If the Republicans are equally as good, I vote for them, if there is one on the other side who is a better man, I vote for him, and for that reason I am not in good standing with what is known as the machine. If there is anyone in the audience who wishes to ask any questions, they are at liberty to do so. Q. Tell us something of the amount of crime committed in Fargo. A. I am right glad you called my attention to that. I went to the States attorney's yesterday when I was called here. Fargo's record for crime is almost as white as the driven snow. In the past four years there have been three convictions for crime in Fargo. One was a burglary, a non-resident, caught in the act. Another was a hobo for highway robbery, one hobo robbing another of the same stripe; and the third was a young man who embezzled $70.00 from his employer. There has not been an assault, shooting affray, or a crime committed on the streets of Fargo, except in two cases where it was caused by resisting an officer. There is another thing I wish to show you, that is how Fargo entertains strangers during the year. We have perhaps as much of the undesirable element as any city in the United States. But our hotel registers in 1889 showed 157,113 people registered. That shows we entertained some strangers. Q. How much revenue does Moorhead derive from the saloon licenses; what has been the rate of taxation and have people been satisfied with the results? A. I think there are about forty-five saloons in Moorhead. The minimum license paid is $500.00. The taxes are higher than in Fargo. You ask whether the people are satisfied or not. I can only answer this in one way. On the 21st of last month they had an election of Mayor and some aldermen. The candi- dates were the then Mayor (a wholesale liquor dealer), a man by WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 133 the name of Lewis who had been for the wide open policy, and a college professor; the latter was elected. I want to say just one thing more in that connection. The assessment as shown by the city assessment rolls in 1899 was about $12,000,000 increase in Fargo and about $7,000 increase in Moorhead. Q. Do you have any arrests for drunkenness in Fargo ? A. Yes, sir, I am sorry to say that we do, but they come from the other side of the river. There is one point I would like to state in this connection. My friend Bushnell, has been in Fargo when the town was full of strangers. I believe he will tell me now that he never saw a drunken man on the streets of Fargo. The way we prevent this is, when we have public gatherings, we know they cannot get whiskey in Fargo, and if they get it, they have to go to the other side of the river. We have two bridges crossing the river, we station a policeman on each bridge, if a man comes along intoxicated, they caution him to go back, if he does not do so, they run him into the cooler. Q. Are the druggists allowed to sell any liquor? A. No, sir, nor do I believe they do so. Q. How does a man get medicine when he is sick? A. If you have a prescription from a doctor, not otherwise. Q. Do the doctors ever give prescriptions to the wrong man ? A. I do not know, I never tried it. Q. In giving the per capita tax of a city having a large popu- lation, does that affect the per capita tax? A. No, sir. I think the people who pay little or no tax would hold good in Aberdeen as well as it would hold good in New York City. The mere fact that one man pays $10,000 taxes and the next neighbor pays little or nothing, would not affect the average per capita tax. To arrive at the correct amount of the city, I think proportionately, they would be practically the same if not exactly the same. 134 J- A. JOHNSON I have just been handed a paper showing the per capita tax of your city here on a basis of 4,000 population in 1898, $12.44 against Fargo's $10.07. Q. How about gambling in Fargo ? A. If there is any gambling there it is done in private houses and in hotels. There are no gambling houses in Fargo, nor are there any bawdy houses. We have a curfew ordinance which sends the children home at nine o'clock. Q. Do you enforce the curfew ordinance ? A. We do in patrol limits where the police can reach them. Fargo covers a large amount of territory and we only patrol the business portion. Q. How many policemen have you in Fargo ? A. Chief, Captain, Detective and eight patrolmen. In the summer time we have twelve, and put one in the park during the summer months. We have less policemen now than we had when I was elected in 1895, and when the population was one third less. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT Fargo, December 2, 1900. The question of Municipal Government is one that is of great interest to the people of the United States. Never before has the question of Municipal Government attracted so much atten- tion, not only to the officials whose duty it is to see that the people have the best, and at the same time the most economical govern- ment possible, but the average citizen has taken an interest in the matter, and that is one of the best indications that officials will be held strictly accountable for their acts. There is nothing I can conceive of that will bring about the betterment of Municipal Government, than the fact that the citizens generally are taking an interest in the same. Heretofore, very little attention has been given to the government of cities and that is one of the odd things WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 135 about our people, when it is considered that the expenditure of the Federal Government, large as it is, is but a "drop in the bucket" as compared to the expenditure of the municipalities of the U. S. I can name enough cities on the ends of my fingers whose expenditures will exceed the expenditures of the United States. The problems to be solved by the officials who are charged with the government of cities, are perplexing indeed. The citizens want improvement in every direction — in fact they want not only the improvements, such as paved streets, sewers, side- walks, lights, police protection and many other necessities, I might almost say luxuries, but insist in having the same, and at the same time the average citizen will condemn the officials on account of taxes. It is difficult indeed to be able to comply with all the demands made, and at the same time keep the expenses down. A city is very much like an individual — if it must have improvements it must expect to pay for them — and the only way of doing so is the way of levying of taxes, either direct or by special assessment. By special assessment is meant such taxes as the paving of streets, construction of sewers, putting down sidewalks and any other special improvement that does not bene- fit the whole population of the city. In some, in fact in most of the cities, some of these improvements are paid for in part by the citizens at large, or from the general fund; the amount varies according to the ideas of the municipalities and the legislative enactments. In Fargo, for example, the city pays one-fifth of all the paving we do. Some cities pay more and then again I believe some do not pay anything, but allow the abutting property to pay it all. In making these improvements, the first thing that confronts the officers is not only to secure the latest and best work and method, but at the same time the cheapest in order that the expense to the property owner may be as light as possible. In 136 J. A. JOHNSON order to do that, the greater part of the cities do their public work under what is known as the contract system, or by letting the work to the lowest and best bidder: and mind you, the lowest may not always be the best bidder. Some few cities do their own public work by the day labor, the city being the employer and doing the work under the superintendency of its engineering department. It is only of late years that any systematic efforts have been made by the municipalities themselves, acting of course through their Mayors and Councils, to ascertain the cost of various public improvements; that is, each city knew what it paid but did not know what its neighbor paid for similar services and work. I have so far only spoken in a general way of municipalities and will say but little about our own city, for you all know as much about it as I do. I claim that Fargo, considering the size of the place and the number of strangers who come here every year, some of them are not such as we would invite to come, is the cleanest city in the United States; we have less crimes committed here than in any other city in the Union doing the same amount of commercial business. There is one request I have to make and you may consider that a personal one if you please ; that is, if you see anything to find fault with, don't scold and condemn it, but call on me and if I cannot remedy it, I will at least try. You may see something to condemn that I do not know anything about. Above all things, do not write me any letters unless you sign your name to them. I frequently receive letters without any signature. I pay no attention to them, nor will I do so in the future. I was shown a letter written to one of our papers a few days ago by some one who did not sign her name — she said the writer was a woman. If she will come to me and tell me what she knows, I will be pleased to take it up and do my best to remedy the matter. If she has any information I am entitled to it, if I am expected to act, for at the present I am entirely ignorant as WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 137 far as any knowledge that would be of any value before our courts. THE CONTRACT FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS Charleston, S. C, December 13, 1900. Should such improvements as the construction of sewers, water works, sidewalks, pavements, grading, etc., be done under the contract system or by the municipality as the employer of day labor ? The question of street improvements has, in the last few years, assumed a much larger share of the attention of municipalities, and a very large proportion of the public funds are used in such improvements, than was the case but a few years since. Streets well paved and drained is one of the things that each municipality expects of its officers, and, while that is the case, the tax-payers justly hold the public officials to a strict accountability for the money expended. It is but a comparatively short time since any paving excepting granite blocks has been used. In fact, it is but a few years since anything but granite was considered suitable for paving. Now, however, there are many other kinds, among which may be mentioned the Nicholson or block paving, asphalt, brick and macadam. Of these macadam costs the least, the Nicholson next, and so far as I know, or have been able to ascertain, asphalt is the most expensive. Paving, like electric lighting, is one of the questions that, as to the price, each munici- pality seems to have worked out for itself. The prices differ greatly under seemingly similar conditions, as may be seen from the fol- lowing figures. TRINIDAD ASPHALT Price paid Years guaranteed Buffalo, N. Y $2.53 5 Cincinnati, O 2.35 5 Cleveland, O 2.55 10 Columbus, 2.40 10 Camden, N. J 1.77 10 138 J. A. JOHNSON Price paid Years guaranteed Chattanooga, Tenn 2.85 15 Hartford, Conn 2.59 5 Kansas City, Kans 2.12^ 5 Minneapolis, Minn 2.00 5 St. Paul, Minn 2.55 10 New Orleans, La 2.80 5 Providence, R. I 2.45 5 St. Joseph, Mo 2.80 5 Syracuse, N. Y 1.40 5 Utica, N. Y 1.85 10 Where other asphalt, except trinidad or bermudez, has been used, the prices seem to differ as much as in the cities quoted, as, for instance: Los Angeles, Cal $1.44 Salt Lake City, Utah 2.79 Springfield, Mass 3.07 Binghamton, N. Y 1.59 Erie, Pa 1.99 Detroit, Mich 1.65 Grand Rapids, Mich 1.55 Scranton, Pa 1.95 No guarantee 5 years guarantee 5 TO In vitrified brick paving, the prices seem to vary as much as in asphalt, as will be seen from the following: Per sq. yd. Atlanta, Ga $1.85 6 in. concrete Altoona, Pa 1.60 Baltimore, Md 1.73 Burlington, la 1 .40 Bloomington, 111 1.20 Binghamton, N. Y 1.97 Cincinnati, O 1.70 Columbus, O 0.89 Camden, N. J 2.26 Council Bluffs, la 1.36 Chattanooga, Tenn 2.30 Detroit, Mich 1.60 Dubuque, la 1.35 Erie, Pa 1.69 Ft. Wayne, Ind 1.50 Grand Rapids, Mich 1.50 " " Holyoke, Mass 2.02 Houston, Texas 1.85 Joliet, 111 1.05 Jackson, Mich 1.24 " Kansas City, Kans 1.08 " Los Angeles, Cal 2.70 Sand on fiat brick Broken Stone 6 in. concrete 4 in. sand flat brick 6 in. concrete WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 139 Per sq. yd. Little Rock, Ark 2.25 6 in. concrete Minneapolis, Minn i .66^ Meriden, Conn 2.27 New Orleans, La 2.10 Philadelphia, Pa 2.13 Providence, R. 1 2.10 Syracuse, N. Y 1.78 Springfield, Mass 2.16 St. Paul, Minn 2.00 Saginaw, Mich 1.17 Trenton, N. J i-57 Toledo, 1.22 Troy.N.Y 1.60 Topeka, Kans 1.77 Sand on flat brick St. Paul, Minn., has put down some paving with what is known as Kettle River sandstone. City Engineer O. Claussen, under date of October 2, 1900, writes me that asphalt paving costs $2.55, and Kettle River sandstone costs $2.45, and vitrified brick $2.00 per square yard. Ex-city Engineer F. W. Cappelen of Minneapolis, Minn., under date of September 21, 1900, gives me the following informa- tion, viz.: "In 1897 tne cu 7 council advertised for bids to pave Seventh Street, a distance of 8 blocks, with vitrified brick. The prices bid were $2.00, $2.02 and $2.04 per square yard; all bids were rejected and new bids called for. The new bids were $1.90, $1.99, $2.02, and $2.04 per square yard. " A resolution awarding the contract to the lowest bidder failed to pass in the city council, and the third time bids were received ranging in price from $1.99 to $2.00 per square yard; showing that the contractors' combination was invulnerable and, as a re- sult, the City Council ordered me, then the city engineer, to buy all necessary material in the open market and pave the street my- self under the same specifications upon which the contractors sub- mitted bids. This was done in a thorough manner for $1.66 \ for ten hours work and teams $3.50." Under date of October 13, 1900, Mr. Cappelen again writes me as follows: "The price, or rather, cost of paving this year, under the 8 hour law, $1.75 for i 4 o J. A. JOHNSON common labor, was as follows: Vitrified brick, $1.81 to $2.10 and $1.82 to $6.10 per square yard, cement filler used, which is only half as expensive as filling used on Seventh Street. Sand- stone on same foundation, with 4^ foot gutters of brick, $1.50 per square yard. Asphalt costs this year $2.59 per square yard. The city built the foundation and the Barber Asphalt Company put down the top ; the city paying for the material and labor and 10 per cent for tools, etc., showing this method for asphalt not as economical as you can have it laid on a 10 year guarantee for to cost not exceeding $2.40 per square yard." I again quote City Engineer Claussen of St. Paul, Minn. In his report to the Board of Public Works, under date of January 1, 1900, I find the following, viz.: Cedar blocks, on plank, 408,610 yards, at an approximate cost of $1.25 per square yard and 48,297 of yards cedar blocks on concrete, at an approximate cost of $1.31 per square yard. In Fargo, we have over 20 miles of cedar block paving, laid on plank, with 3-inch sand cushion and gravel tamping, and after tamping, a layer of fine gravel, about 2 inches deep, is left by the contractor and is firmly packed in all the crevices ; by this method paving soon becomes one solid mass. Our paving has been down about 6 years ; that is, since we first began to pave, and has proven very satisfactory. It will last for some years yet, and so far it has not cost us anything in the way of repairs to speak of. The cost has been from 96 cents to $1.11 per square yard, the average being about $1.03. This includes all excavation and filling. It will be seen that while it costs $1.25 per square yard for cedar block paving in St. Paul, it only costs $1.03 in the city of Fargo; in both cases the work being done by contract under competitive bids for the work. SEWERS The cost of constructing sewers is a much more difficult matter to determine, by way of comparison, than paving. In paving, all the work is on the surface and comparisons can be made with WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 141 much more certainty than it seems when the difference in depth of the excavation, as well as the character of the soil of the streets to be excavated, must be judged separately. That being the case, I shall not endeavor to make many comparisons, and, for that purpose, will take the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., as the best I can find for the purpose. The conditions are as nearly alike as possible, being only 10 miles from the City Hall in one city to the City Hall in the other; labor, materials and all other conditions being alike. I will quote City Engineer Cappelen of Minneapolis. By his report, I find, that in 1899 the city con- structed a number of sewers, the city doing the work by day labor at $1.75 per day for common labor, for 8 hours work. I find that there were seven 12 -inch sewers, constructed at an average depth of 12 feet 11 inches at an average cost of $1.80 per lineal foot. The cost varied from $1.33 to $2.50 per lineal foot, according to the character of the excavation. I find that seven sewers are constructed with 15-inch clay pipe, at an average depth of 12 feet 7 inches, and at an average cost of $1.82; the cost ranging from $1.33 to $2.47 per lineal foot. I find five sewers constructed of 18-inch pipe at an average depth of 12 feet 5 inches, and at an average cost of $2.48 per lineal foot. To show the difficulty in comparisons on sewers, Mr. Cappelen's report shows one 15-inch pipe sewer (not quoted above) that cost $3.30 per lineal foot and 14 feet 8 inches deep. While he shows that 24 brick sewers, costing from $2.50 to $4.03 per lineal foot, or an average of $3.33, and at an average depth of 16 feet 8 inches. City Engineer O. Claussen of St. Paul, under date of October 31st, writes me that the average price of a 12 -inch sewer, 12 feet deep, is $1.00 per lineal foot. And the average price of a 15-inch sewer is $1.20 per lineal foot, and for 18-inch sewer is $1.50 per lineal foot, each 13 feet deep, and for brick sewers, $15 per thous- and brick laid. In Fargo we have a large amount of sewers of various sizes. 142 J. A. JOHNSON Under date of October 31st, last, City Engineer Samuel F. Crabbe, reports the cost of the different size sewers as follows, viz : 12 inch pipe sewers, depth 16 feet, $1.20 per lineal foot 15 " " " 16 " 1.68 " 18 " " " 16 " 2.13 " 20 " " " 16 " 2.40 " 24 " " 12 " 1.80 " " " ^^ inch brick sewer, average depth 17 ft., $4.74 per lineal foot. Above are the only comparisons I shall make. As stated at the beginning, it is difficult to do so, with justice to the cities where the comparisons are made. I find the summary of the com- parisons quoted above, viz. : City of Minneapolis, doing the work by day labor. 12 inch-pipe sewer 14 feet deep, cost $1.80 per lineal foot 15 " " 12.7 " " " 1.82 " '* " 18 " " 13.5 " " " 2.46 " " " 24 " brick sewers 16.8 " " " 4.08 " " " City of Fargo, under contract system. 12 inch pipe sewers 14 feet deep, cost $1.20 per lineal foot. 15 " " 18 " " 20 " " 24 33 " brick " 17 " " " 4.74 " St. Paul under the contract system. 12 inch pipe sewers n feet deep, cost $1.00 per lineal foot, 15 " " " 13 " " " 1.20 " " " 18 " " " 13 " " " 1.50 " Brick sewers, $15 per thousand brick laid It will be noticed that, in a comparison between Fargo and Minneapolis, the latter city is quoted as doing its work by day labor and Fargo by contract. Fargo gets its work done, not only at a less rate per lineal foot but at a greater depth than Minne- apolis does. On the other hand, St. Paul has its work done as in Fargo, under competitive bids, for less than either of the cities quoted. That is, it looks so on the face but in fact, Fargo, under the contract system, gets its work — both in paving and sewers — for less money than either of the cities quoted in this paper. The reason for that, the difference in freight alone, between Fargo 16 " 16 " " I.67 " 2.I3 16 " 12 " " 2.4O " I.80 WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 143 and the Twin Cities, makes a difference of not less than 20 per cent on the cost of the materials used, and the farther east you go, the greater will be the difference in that respect. There is still another feature that will convince anyone that this statement is correct. In the quotation from the Twin Cities on sewer con- struction, I have taken only the sewers constructed in 1899, while in Fargo I have taken the cost of the entire system, from the con- struction of the first sewer to date, and it is a well-known fact with us, at least, that we now secure bids at a very much lower figure than at first. In fact, we have had 12-inch pipe sewers for 71 cents per lineal foot and other sizes in porportion, while the average for the 12-inch, 14 feet deep, is $1.20. While I am a strong believer in the municipal ownership of all public service industries, such as water, lights, (either gas or electricity) street cars and other municipal monopolies, I cannot, with the light I now have, advocate the municipalities doing their own work. In reply to an inquiry, one of the most eminent engi- neers in the Northwest says that the greatest objection and the reason that contractors could compete with the cities, was on account of the character of the labor he was enforced to employ, the same being forced upon him by the aldermen of the different wards of his city, and I am satisfied that until municipal affairs can be divorced from politics and put upon a business basis, the same objections will apply. I trust that the day is not far distant when the affairs of the municipalities of the United States will be managed in the same manner and with the same care toward the taxpayers that large corporations are managed in the interest of the stock-holders (and the taxpayer is the stock-holder) and we are their managers and directors, and I am pleased to be able to say and say it truthfully, that the end sought for has been quickened very materially by the organization of the League of American Municipalities; and we have just begun the great work that our fellow citizens have imposed upon us and those who will succeed us. i 4 4 J- A. JOHNSON MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA EDITORS. Fargo, May 14, 1901. It has been my good fortune to have met many associations which have honored us with their presence during the past five or six years, but I can truthfully say that at no time has it afforded me greater pleasure to meet any of them than it does to meet you. The public owes to the press a debt that it can never fully repay ; to you, the Northwest owes much of its prosperity. You are called upon to use your columns and influence for all kinds of schemes, and if good, you are ready to lend a helping hand ; if bad you are ready to expose it, which is right and proper. My per- sonal experience with the press may not have been so great as may have been the case with a great many men, but what it has been has been exceedingly pleasant and I must confess that you have treated me a great deal better than I deserve. I am pleased with the opportunity afforded me of greeting you, and that you have selected Fargo as your place of meeting at this time. We think we have the greatest little city in the world, and we owe it to the pre.>s of the Northwest. When I say we have the biggest little city, I think I can substantiate it. Uncle Sam's enumerators gave us less than 10,000 last year, which, by the way, I think I can demonstrate is wrong but, be that as it may, Fargo is the only place in the United States of its size that can claim the distinction of having a post office that ranks as first class. There is only one place in the world that exceeds us as a distributing point for farm machinery. I assume that you have a program that includes a long list of speakers, so I shall not take up any more of your time. In the name of the citizens of Fargo ; I bid you welcome and invite you to meet here as often in the future as you can. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 145 NORWEGIAN DAY Abercrombie, N. D., May 17, 1901. I fear your corresponding secretary has done your library an injustice in inviting me to address you and I know of no reason why you should be punished in listening to me (who am not an orator) when you might have been able to secure one who was. This day is celebrated in all parts of the civilized world, or wherever the hardy Norseman has found a home. He is patriotic and justly so ; while he remembers the land of his birth, he does not forget his loyalty to the land of his adoption ; as has been demon- strated in many fierce battles both on land and sea. Not only has he proven his loyalty to his adopted land in war, but he has demonstrated his ability to take a commanding position in the arts of peace and in the development of this great country. Wherever you find the Norseman, you find him among the leading men of the community ; you find him on the farm and in the work shop, you find him occupying chairs in our colleges; you find him in the learned professions, such as law and medicine. You find him in our state and national legislatures ; you find him in the executive chairs of our states and cities and in all of them you will find him devoted to the duties devolving upon him. You may go where you please and wherever he holds sway, as in the case of some of the counties not only of this but of other states, you will find no scandal connected with his administration of public affairs. The highest compliment I ever heard in behalf of any people I heard in the Methodist Church at Fargo some years ago, when I heard Miss Preston, then, and I believe now, President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union where, in speaking of the attempt to have the prohibitory amendments to the constitu- tion resubmitted, she said that attempts had been made to use money on the Scandinavian members of our Legislature and that it had failed, although many of the members were in debt with 146 J. A. JOHNSON mortgages on their homes and needed the money ; yet, in the face of the fact they might lose their homes, they preferred that to losing their honor. This was in direct contrast to what is said to have taken place repeatedly in some of our cities where other elements than the Scandinavian is in control. My Scandinavian friends in Fargo for some years have been kind enough to overlook the fact that I am not an orator and have invited me to address them on this, their national holiday ; at the times named I had never visited Norway — hence I could not feel for them as I think I now can. Since that time it has been my good fortune to not only have had the pleasure of visiting Norway, but Denmark and Sweden as well. The peoples of the three countries are of one blood and have practically a common history ; one that is a credit to all who have a drop of Scandinavian blood in his or her veins. It was your hardy ancestors and mine who were the pioneers of human liberty. Wherever the Scandinavian holds sway and left his descendants, you will find to-day the greatest measure of human liberty ; as will be seen in the Scandinavian countries, as well as in England and Scotland. It will take too long to tell you of what I saw and learned of Norway and other Scandinavian countries during my trip to Europe last winter, so I will confine myself to a few facts I gathered while there. At the top, I place education. They are the best educated of any people in the world; only six-tenths of one per cent over the age of ten years are unable to read and write and have acquired the rudiments of arithmetic. This is a distinction that not even this great country of ours can boast. Again, in Norway, and in fact, all the Scandinavian countries have, to all intents and purposes, full liberty and are ruled nominally by the Royal Government. In Norway they have universal suffrage, based on a small property or income qualification, and every man can aspire to the highest position in the land, save only that of actual ruler; the same as in this country a foreign born citizen WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 147 cannot aspire to the Presidency. In all other respects he has the same opportunity, so far as the law can give it to him, that he has here. In Norway and Sweden, some of the men who hold impor- tant positions not only in the church, but in the navy and army, in the diplomatic and consular service as well as in their legislative assemblies and even in their cabinets, have been laboring men. The Archbishop of Sweden is the son of a private soldier; and one of the members of King Oscar's cabinet (so I was told) is the son of a common laborer. During my travels in Europe, I found natives of Norway as Consuls at Christiania, Norway; Gothenburg, Sweden and Rot- terdam, Holland. I also found a descendant of Norway as our Minister at Copenhagen, Denmark, and in each case I was proud of them, not only as representatives of the United States, but from the further fact that they and I had sprung from the same blood. The world is indebted to the Norwegians for the first real discovery of America. It is a well established fact, that they not only discovered what is now known as the American continent, centuries before Columbus landed on our shores, but actually made a settlement near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. I have no doubt but that Columbus became possessed of the fact of the existence of a continent here, from the fact of its dis- covery by the Norwegians, and that he used the knowledge to his own advantage. News of discoveries did not travel so fast in those days as in these; there were no ocean cables to transmit the news under the raging billows, nor land telephones or telegraphs to transmit it after emerging from the briny deep ; it took years to circulate the news which would take but a few hours to-day. When Columbus found the secret of the Norwegian discoveries of a new world, he went at once to the most corrupt and super- stitious country and government of the time; between plying on their cupidity and superstition, he finally succeeded in securing funds with which to rediscover this new world of ours. I am one 148 J. A. JOHNSON who believes in giving honor where honor is due, and for that reason I take off my hat to the Norwegian sailor as the actual discoverer of America. I wish to congratulate you on the steps you have taken to secure the library ; it is something which every community needs. By the establishment of a circulating library, those who have not the means of buying full libraries of their own, can have the use of a public library, which is his or her own for all practical purposes. I have been a "jack of all trades" and among others have tried the establishment of a library in Fargo. Last July I sent out 2,500 letters to Members of Congress, Senators, Cabinet, Army and Navy Officers, Governors of states, Mayors of cities, as well as to all the prominent railway officials ; asking each one to send one or more books for our library, and to sign their name in each book, thus making it to a large extent, an autograph library. I have received more than one book for every letter I sent out, and as I believe in "The Golden Rule" I take pleasure in leaving with your secretary, a volume for your library, and wish for you all the success that it is possible for anyone to have in your under- taking. MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS BEFORE THE G. A. R. Lisbon, N. D., May 30, 1901. I doubt very much whether any of you have ever had an ex-Confederate soldier address you on your memorial day before. It was my misfortune to have served fifteen months in the Con- federate Army. I don't know as my personal experience as a Confederate soldier will interest you; but will take my chances, more especially so, as I served to some extent on the Union side before the war closed. The year before the breaking out of the Civil War, I had gone from Stillwater, Minn., to Texas. I arrived in Texas, Jan. 21, 1861, just in time to get into trouble. One week after the battle WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 149 of Bull Run, I was waited on by a vigilance committee, com- posed of one native of New York, another of Indiana and the third, a native of Tennessee, and I want to say that the Tennessean treated me with the most consideration. Without tiring you with what took place between the committee and myself, I will simply say that I was informed that unless I would join the Confederate army, they would not be responsible for my life. Five men had been hung in the adjoining county the week before, for being Union men and having celebrated the Union victory of Bethel. I finally joined a company of Texas rangers, organized to defend Texas against the Indians. My company was afterward transferred to the Confederate service. We took part in various campaigns; the first against the Creek Indians and later, in the campaign that resulted in the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. After the Pea Ridge campaign, we were dismounted and acted as infantry and were sent to Corinth, Mississippi, to assist Beaure- gard against Gen. Grant. After the evacuation of Corinth, we went to Tupelo, where we camped for some time. From there, we were sent to Knoxville, Tenn., and from there across the mountains into Kentucky, where we took part in the battle of New Richmond, August 31st. There, I was transferred to the staff of Gen. Daniels of Georgia and served with him until I escaped, October 13, 1862. During my service in the Confederate army, I participated in four battles; namely, against the Creek Indians, Dec. 25, 1861; at Pea Ridge, Ark., March 4th, 5th, and 6th, at Farmington, Miss., May 9th, and at New Richmond, Ky., Aug. 31, 1862. I was wounded at Pea Ridge in the cavalry charge that Gen. Ben. McCullough was killed in. I attempted to escape to Corinth, Miss., and got within two miles of Gen. Grant's picket line when I was captured by a Confederate out-post and taken back to Corinth. I found no opportunity to make another effort to get away, until Gen. Buell drove Gen. Bragg out of Kentucky, after the battle of Perryville. 150 J. A. JOHNSON After my escape, as stated, I went to Indiana, where I entered the employ of the Ohio & Mississippi Railway and learned the trade of locomotive engineer and later on, in the South, I entered the service of the United States in that capacity, and served until the close of the war in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. You will thus see that I saw as much of the war as fell to the most of the men who participated in it on either side of that great conflict. It is hardly necessary for me to tell you that my sympathy was with you ; and I want to say to you that if I had the power, I would pension every man who wore the Union uniform and had an honorable discharge to show for it, and I would make the pension large enough so you could at least live in comfort the balance of your days. The present generation cannot know what you and your comrades endured in those awful years from 1861 to 1865. No one who was not old enough to understand, and even those who saw nothing of the war itself, can appreciate your services and suffering. No country on earth has ever had such soldiers as you were, nor any who achieved such results as you did by your valor and patriotism. No one who took no part, or saw the sufferings you endured on the march under a burning sun, or wading through the mud and slush to your knees in winter, camping in and near fever breeding swamps, lying on battle fields, wounded and suffering, or racked with pain on the hospital cot with no one near or dear to sooth you with kind words and sympathy, can ever have any conception of what you endured. One of the saddest sights I have ever witnessed, was between Huntsville and Stevenson, Alabama. After the surrender of Gen. Lee, I was coming from Huntsville with a train of soldiers, going to Louisville to be mustered out. My train was flagged and after stopping, I went forward to see what the trouble was and found that the section ahead of me had been derailed, a common oc- currence ; only this particular one had at least, one sad feature connected with it. One of the victims of that disaster was a young Undoubtedly a Coming Man. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 151 Indianian, who had enlisted at the beginning of the war as a private; re-enlisted as a veteran; went home on a furlough and was married; he had only been at home two weeks and had left his bride to await his return. He had escaped the shot and shell of the Confederates and was killed on his way home to meet his bride. I saw him laid out and on his shoulders, he wore the shoulder straps of a captain. Just think what that meant for that poor girl-wife, in her Northern home? Yet it was only one of hundreds of thousands not, perhaps, all so striking, but the blow was as hard to bear for other mothers, wives and sisters, to say nothing of sweethearts, as it was to her. In all the wars of the world, either before or since the great Civil War in which you took such a prominent part, there has not been such men as composed the Union armies and it is certain that their superiors will never be seen and their only equals could be found among Americans and no other country could duplicate them. You have set an example for coming generations that for all times to come, human liberty will be safe. It has been my good fortune to have seen the armies of several of the European governments, and what I have seen can in no way compare with our boys in blue that offered their lives for the Starry Banner. You went to the front as patriots in defence of free government and human liberty; the armies of Europe stand for just the reverse of what you stood for. To begin with, they are nearly all conscripts, and not volunteers, as you were; they march against their enemies, not to defend a principle, but to defend the person or notions of some crowned head. You had a direct interest in the result; they have none. You were the sovereigns who fought the battles of your country; they are the puppets who have no interest in the conflicts and it makes no difference to them which side conquers; they will be slaves of some Napoleon or William, no matter who wins. You shouldered your musket because human liberty and popular government 152 J. A. JOHNSON was in peril; they shoulder their guns because some man, who, man for man, is no better than they are, may have some personal ambition or wish to avenge, a personal pique who, by accident of birth, is their master. One of the things of my life that I regret above all others, is that I cannot be reckoned as one of your comrades. Had I not been foolish enough to have gone South in i860, I would now either have that honor; or you, or some one else would be putting flowers on my grave to-day. All honor to you and those who have received their last discharge; who bared your breasts to the storm of shot and shell in order that the Union might survive. You are entitled to and will receive, as your comrades have who have gone before you, have received ; the crown of glory promised in the Good Book to all who do their duty to their God and their country. I said that if I had the power, I would pension every old soldier who had an honorable discharge. Some of you, no doubt, have had some experience in securing pensions justly your due. I will give you the experience of one of your comrades who we all love and respect. It is our mutual friend Major Edwards. He made an application for a pension that, like a great many others, hung fire a long time. During one of Cleveland's terms, he was in Washington and a friend introduced him to Commissioner Murphy, chief of the pension bureau. The friend told Mr. Murphy that the Major had an application in. Mr. Murphy told a clerk to get the papers, and, while the clerk was gone, Mr. Murphy told the Major that he was expected to make a Demo- cratic speech in Maryland that evening and did not know what to say. Major Edwards told him to do as he, the Major, had been advised to do. Mr. Murphy asked what that was, the Major said that he had been invited to deliver a memorial address in Tower City. The Major told the committee that he would be glad to do so, but did not know what to say. Some farmer on the committee told him to abuse Cleveland and that would WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 153 please most of the boys and suggested that Mr. Murphy do the same. The Major expected it would make Mr. Murphy mad, but did not care. By this time the papers came back and Mr. Murphy, on examining them found six department reasons why the pension should not be granted. He took a pencil and crossed out all six and the result was that in less than thirty days, the Major not only got his pension, but about eight hundred dollars, back pension with it. I trust that those of you, who have not received your pensions will fare as well as our mutual friend did. In conclusion I thank you all for the honor you did me in inviting me to appear before you to-day, and trust that your last days on earth will be peaceful ones, if any men have earned it you have. This peaceful valley resounded with the fearful war whoop of the Indian, during the dark days between 1861 and 1865, and it may be that some of you who are here to-day were participants of the fearful Indian massacre of 1862. If such is the case, you are doubly blessed to live to see the day when it was turned from the haunts of the savage Indian to what it is to-day. It was appropriate that your comrade, Governor Burke, should assist in placing the North Dakota Soldiers Home where it is. No contrast could be greater than to look back to 1863 when the Boys in Blue were driving the wild Sioux from here and to what it is to-day with peace and plenty surrounding you all. CITY OF FARGO June, 1901. The history of Fargo, if fully written up, would be as thrilling as any Fargoite would wish. It would consist of two parts or chapters. Chapter one, would be from the first settlement to June 7, 1893, at the time of the great fire which nearly destroyed the entire city. The second chapter would be, from that time to the present. About 2 :3o in the afternoon of June 7, 1893, the dread alarm of fire sounded. No particular attention was paid iS4 J- A. JOHNSON to it; we all knew we had a fire department that had no equal anywhere. But with the dry weather that had prevailed for some time previous, and the high wind, some sixty miles an hour, the fire soon got beyond control of the "Fire Laddies" and the re- sult was the destruction of over $3,500,000 of property in less than six hours' time. It was an awful time, but the citizens who had built up Fargo, were not discouraged, the bricks and debris had not cooled when you could see men removing the rubbish preparatory to the rebuilding of the New Fargo. The morning after the fire, Mayor Emerson H. Smith, called a meeting of the citizens to take steps to relieve those who had lost theii all and were destitute and homeless, more than $4,000 were subscribed by the men who, themselves, had been heavy losers the day before. That was the crucial test of Fargo and that she stood it is evidenced by Fargo of to-day. Since that time Fargo has doubled in population, and doubled, yes, more than trebled in business, and stands forth to-day as the model city of not only the Northwest, but the whole country. Fargo has the distinc- tion of being the smallest city in the United States that has a Post Office which ranks first class. The great fire was a forerunner of what has since become known as the "Fargo Fire Festival." It may be well to say a few words about the origin of it. On June the 7th, 1894, the Shriners met in their hall to compare notes of what had been accomplished in the past year. Someone — I think it was Hon. Frank J. Thompson — suggested that we go out for a parade. Mr. George R. Freeman secured some walking canes, some music was secured and Capt. Cornwall was mounted on a jackass, that was roaming the streets, and about forty Shriners started. The next year much more was added to it ; in 1896, it had assumed such proportions that the parade was about one mile long. In 1897 other societies were invited to participate, which they did with credit to themselves. The parade that year was one and a half miles long. In 1899, the city council took the matter up WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 155 and made it a permanent feature by appointing a permanent committee, consisting of the mayor, the senior alderman of each ward, and the presiding officers of the various secret societies. It was found in the later years, that one day was not sufficient, so we have had it three days, and it will be held three days this year; viz., June 5th, 6th, 7th, next. Among the features that we expect to have here, are the following : Free vaudeville street shows, tight rope walking, parade of the secret societies, school children from all schools and colleges of Fargo and Moorhead, and the industrial parade ; we also expect to secure the First Regi- ment of the North Dakota National Guard and the Spanish War veterans. Steps looking in that direction are now on foot, and we do not anticipate a failure. On the night of June 6th, will be held the street carnival where it is expected more than 2,000 will appear en mask. We expect to have eight bands of music here and they will give a massed band concert. Above are only a very few of the features that we expect to have for the entertainment and amusement of our guests. LEAGUE OF AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES Jamestown, N. Y., August 21, 1901. Reply to Address of Welcome I wish to congratulate you on this, your fifth annual conven- tion. The past year has been a prosperous one for our organiza- tion. The report of the secretary will show a marked increase in membership over what it was when we met in Charlestown in December last. The membership consists of cities ranging in population from 3,000 to 3,000,000; thus showing that we are adapted to all classes of municipalities. That it has met with a hearty welcome by municipal officers is shown by the fact that thirty-eight states of the Union, as well as two provinces in Cana- da, are represented in its roll of membership. The league, like all others of its kind, which are organized for 156 J. A. JOHNSON the benefit of the general public, has met with a great deal of opposition from parties whose interest it was, and is, to belittle its influence and work. There have been other organizations formed in the interest of certain municipal subjects, but ours is the only one ever organized that has taken that has taken in all matters of municipal administration by officials who have work to perform and who are familiar with its many complex duties and responsibilities and know the needs of their various cities. You are devoting your time and energies for the benefit of your fellow men without even hope of approbation, to say nothing of reward. That must come to you in the consciousness of having done your full duty by the people who have trusted you and honored you by placing you in the responsible position you occupy. Its Work Just Begun The census of 1900 shows that the urban population of the United States has increased from 12,936,110 to 28,411,698 in the past twenty years, and that the percentage of population living in cities has increased from 25.8 to 37.3 per cent during the same time, or an increase of 11.5 per cent. It also shows that in 1890, there were 580 places of 4,000 population, or more, while in 1900 it had increased to 1,158 or almost doubled. Of the urban popu- lation, the census discloses that 14,208,347 live in cities of 100,000 or over, and that 14,131,351 live in cities between 4,000 and 100,000. Again nearly one half of the urban population live in the smaller cities. These are startling figures. When we come to consider the towns of from 1,000 to 4,000, we will find that nearly one half of the population of the U. S. live under municipal governments and demand of their officials all the improvements and con- veniences the larger cities afford the citizens. With these facts staring us in the face it behooves us, and those who succeed us, to do all in our power to secure the co-operation of every munici- pality ^in the country to join us in the good work so well begun WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 157 by you. The organization of The League of American Munici- palities has already saved millions of dollars to the taxpayers of the United States since its organization, in the cost of paving and lights alone, and we have just begun. PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION, MUNICIPAL DAY Buffalo, N. Y., August 26, 1901. (By special Request Delivered at Osklaloosa, Iowa, October 10, 1 901.) MUNICIPALITIES AND WHAT STATISTICS SHOW AS TO COST OF RUNNING I feel very much honored at being invited to come from one of the newer states and one of the smallest cities in the Northwest, to address this august assembly; and much more so from the fact that some of the gentlemen who invited me to appear before you know that I am not an orator, in any sense of the word. The subject I have chosen is one which is now agitating the municipal world, not only in the United States and Canada, but Europe, as well. The subject of "the municipal owner- ship" of public utilities is, to my mind, one of the greatest before the American people to-day. The census of 1900 discloses the urban population of the United States had increased from 12,936,- 110 in 1880 to 28,411,396 in 1900, and the percentage from twenty-five and eight tenths in 1880, to thirty-seven and three tenths in 1900; that is for cities of over 4,000 inhabitants. When we take into consideration incorporated cities under 4,000, we will find that nearly one half of the entire population are living under municipal governments. Of the population living in cities of over 100,000, we find 14,208,347 and in cities from 4,000 to 120,000; 14,151,351 thus we find that nearly one half live in cities of between 4,000 and 100,000. We also find that cities of between 4,000 and 100,000, have increased in numbers from 580 to 1,158 between the years named. With these startling 158 J. A. JOHNSON facts before us we, as officers elected to represent the people, must do all we can to give, not only the best service but the best service at the least possible cost to the taxpayers who have hon- ored us with their confidence and have placed us in positions of trust and honor. To do this, we must ascertain what is best to be done. There are certain natural monopolies that belong to the people as a whole, among which is water, lights, transporta- tion, street cars and other public conveyances and telephones. These are now necessities; a few years ago, some of them were considered luxuries. If there is any profit to be derived in the possession of any, or all, of these natural monopolies, the same should be given to their rightful owners, the people. In the cases of the cities I propose to quote, the figures are taken from the records as are shown in their official reports and contracts and can be relied on. In each and every case where the waterworks, gas-works, or any other monopoly have been acquired from a private corporation, the rates have been reduced from what was charged by the private corporation. In each case, all the ex- penses incident to operations, including interest, depreciation, sinking funds, loss of taxes, insurance, labor and all other ex- penses, are included in the cost, unless otherwise noted. The net profits derived is what would go to the private stockholders as a dividend, if a private corporation. That now goes to re- duce the taxes of the citizens of the cities which I will name. It was my good fortune to spend three months last winter in Europe and while there, I devoted such part of my time, as I could spare, investigating municipal affairs. Among the cities I investigated to a greater or less extent, I can name Christiania, Norway. Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, Holland; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Liverpool, England and Glasgow, Scotland. Each of the cities named, own nearly all of the monopolies named above. Time will not permit going into details on all the places named, so I will select Glasgow and Amsterdam. I select these WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 159 cities for two reasons, one is, that they are among the pioneers that have adopted municipal ownership, and the other is for the reason that both the Scotch and the Dutch are known to be conservative and weigh every enterprise well before they embark in it. I will not go into detail as to the various items that cover the expenses. As stated before, they cover everything that a private cor- poration would charge up as a part of the expense. GLASGOW The following is the report for the year ending May 1, 1900, the last obtainable when I was in Europe : Water-works. Cost of plant $10,646,725 . 60 Revenue derived $ 1,061,800. 65 Expenses of all kinds $ 913,170. 65 Net profit $ 148,630.00 Gas Works. Cost of plant $ 7,004,605 . 00 Revenue derived $ 3,850,010. 30 Expenses of all kinds $ 3,459,830. 72 Net profit $ 39°> 2 42 . 92 Street car system. Cost of plant $ 4,685,165.00 Revenue derived $ 2,349,815.00 Expenses of all kinds $ 2,i26 ; 7io.34 Net profits $ 223,105 . 16 At that time, the report I have quoted from the city of Glasgow had just established a municipal telephone system. The only report of the same, which was obtainable was the price charged for the service. For an unrestricted service, including Glasgow and thirteen near by cities the fee was $26.25 per annum. If a restricted service is wanted it is $16.50 per annum and an addi- tional two cents each time you call up the central office for con- nection. The municipal lighting plant had just been established and showed very 1 ttle profit. The charge for service, however, is 160 J. A. JOHNSON very low as for example, an eight candle power incandescent lamp is but $1.04 per year. For power for manufacturing and for other purposes the charge is from 3 to 4 cents per killowatt and for metre rates, from 6 to 7 cents for same lighting. In making computations, I have calculated the British pound sterling at $5.00. AMSTERDAM Following is the report ending Dec. 31, 1899, which is the latest to be obtained as late as June 15th, this year: Municipal Telephone. Cost of plant $ 617,190. 17 Revenues derived $ 119,502. 27 Expenses of all kinds $ 67,179. 10 Paid, City of Amsterdam $ 20,100. 00 Extra profits $ 32,223. 17 Profit $ 52,323.17 Water -works. Cost of plant $ 4,824,000. 00 Revenues derived $ 596,452. 21 Expenses of all kinds $ 562,252. 21 Net Profits $ 40,200. 00 Municipal Gas Works. Cost of plant $ 6,914,400.00 Revenues derived $ 1,372,716.42 Expenses of all kinds $ 1,142,698.89 Net profit $ 230,071 . 53 It is conceded, both by citizens, as well as the former owners of the water-works ; that the present service is equal, if not better, than under a private corporation and the rates have been greatly reduced. On January 1, 1900, the city of Amsterdam took possession of the street railways that had formerly been owned by "The Amsterdam Omnibus Company" horse power has been in use. When I was there last March, their were advertising for bids to change to electric power, the council having appropriated the sum of $2,400,000 for that purpose. The city had increased the service by adding about 25 per cent in cars, as well as employees WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 161 since taking possession. No report could be obtained for the city had operated it, as late as June 15th, this year. Without taking up the time to go into further details on the subject of municipal ownership in Europe, I can not help but quote a few figures from England, on gas companies. There are 436 private corporations with authorized capitalization of $308,857,060 and a paid up capital of $256,530,970. The total revenue for the last year reported was $ 67,237,850.00 Total expense for the same time was $ 49,614,110.00 Leaving profits or dividends $ 17,623,740.00 There was at the same time, 212 owned by municipali- ties with an authorized cost of $152,699,211.00 And paid up $136,881,520.00 Total revenue for the last year reported was $ 33,799,415.00 Total expense for the same time ' $ 25,293,525.00 Leaving profit to tax payers $ 8,505,890. 00 The private corporations have 1,549,627 consumers and the municipal plants have 1,475,749 consumers. The private gas works manufactured 84,040,175,901 cubic feet of gas. The private gas works had 15,509 miles of mains while the municipal had 9,648 miles of mains. It will be noticed that while the private companies outnumber the municipal plants more than two to one, they have only 72,878 more consumers than the municipal plants and of the public or street lights they only exceed the municipal plants by 85,099. These computations like those before quoted are based on the English pound sterling at $5.00. I will not take up any more of your time quoting results from European cities. My only object in doing so was to show what has been done, and what the results have been in other cities and countries. With your permission I will make a few quotations from American cities and from Winnipeg, Manitoba. 16a J. A. JOHNSON WINNIPEG It is a city of over 50,000 and is one of the wonders of Western American life, and especially of the North-west. It is but a few years since it was an Indian trading-post, one of the many estab- lished by the Hudson Bay Company. It owns its own water- works and street lighting plant. This year, Water and Light Commissioner Hon. James Stewart writes me as follows: "The city purchased the old water-works from a private corporation at a cost of $237,000 and after doing so constructed a new system incorporating the mains of the old system into it. This new system includes artesian well, new pumping station and two Worth- ington steam pumps of 5,000,000 gallons capacity, each and about 45 miles of mains varying from 20 inches to 6 inches in diameter, (in addition to the 23 miles of old main) at a cost of $550,000, the water rates charged by the company have been reduced 50 per cent since the city commenced to operate. "The city owns its street lighting plant but as yet does not do commercial lighting. Our incandescent lighting is confined to the municipal building, viz., the city hall, city market, police station, fire halls and public library. On bright moonlight nights the lights are not on. During the last year the street lights were burn- ing 326 nights and the result of the year's operation show? the cost per light per night to be 20 cents, including the lighting of the municipal buildings. Our last contract for lighting we paid 47 cents per night to a private corporation. "The cost of the lighting plant for 300 arc lights of 2,000 candle power and incandescent plant with capacity of 1 ,000 lights of 16 candle power is $60,000." I am personally familiar with both the water-works and lighting plants of Winnipeg, having seen them during their con- struction as well as since completion, and I can say without hesi- tation that no city is served either with water or light any better than Winnipeg is. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 163 GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Municipal Water Works. Cost not given. Total length of mains, 143.42 miles. Total number of hydrants, 1,347. Average number of gallons pumped in a day, 11,812,084. Cost of coal per 1,000,000 gallons, $4.08. Cost of operating plant one year, $27,911.55. Municipal Lighting plant. Cost $192,067.41 Depreciation 12 months $ 4,901.05 Interest $ 5,000.00 Taxes $ 1,000.00 $ ii,557-°5 Operating expenses $ 19,855.97 Grand total for one year $ 31,557.02 From above following cost per lamp is taken for one year : Operating only $ 40.73 Operating and interest $ 50.97 Operating, interest and depreciation $ 64.72 Mayor George R. Perry of Grand Rapids, Michigan, writes me the following: "In former years, it has cost this city 45 thous- and dollars for the lighting of its streets. We are now giving our citizens a light which is fully 25 per cent better with an increase in the number of lamps and show a saving to the city of $22,000 for the past year; we formerly paid $107 per lamp, per annum." Many of you know Mayor Perry, and none of you will doubt his statements. HANIBOL, MISSOURI City Clerk C. F. Sheppard writes me that the city owns its own lighting plant, that it does not own the water-works. It rents hydrants for fire protection from the Hanibol Water Com- pany. The lighting plant costs to date $61,000. That includes both arc and incandescent systems. The city does commercial lighting as well as street lighting. The receipts for the year ending May 31, 1901, was $1,661 .78. Estimated cost of lighting public buildings $600 which makes the earning capacity at $16,261.13. Total expenses connected with the lighting plant including 164 J. A. JOHNSON interest on bonds, was for some time the sum of $17,607.78. Leaving the cost for lighting the streets the sum of $1,236.65 for 102 arc lights, or the sum of $13.20 per light per year. JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK The population of Jamestown is about 22,000. The last meeting of the League of American Municipalities was held there August 21-24 last. Jamestown owns its own electric light plant, and is now arranging to construct water- works, the city does some commer- cial lighting. The cost of the electric light plant Feb. 28th, last was $62,000. The cost of operating for the year ending February 28th last was $13,717.91. The profits derived from commercial lighting was $2,887 -88. Leaving the net cost for 298 arc lamps of 2,000 candle power each all night and every night the sum of $10,830 .03 or $36.36 per lamp per year. LOGANSPORT, INDIANA A city of 20,000 population. City Clerk A. D. Fauster writes that the city owns its electric plant, that it cost $135,000. They do commercial lighting and charge 6 cents per kilo watt. The arc lights, 2,000 candle power all and every night, $65 per year. It also owns its water plant having constructed same but Mr. Fauster does not give the cost or any information concerning same. VTNCENNES, INDIANA Is a city of 12,000 population. It is one of the historic places of the middle west. In answer for information that I wrote City Clerk Charles Langel. I cannot commend him for intelligence. To many of my inquiries he answers don't know, even to the question of the kind of power used. He only gives me the cost of rental of hydrants and arc lamps, viz., the city pays $63.90 per lamp for 2,000 candle power arc and $70.00 pei year per hydrant for fire protection. The arc lights are all and every night in the year. WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 165 BRAINERD, MINNESOTA Has a population of 10,000. Owns its own electric plant and does commercial lighting;. Rents power, water, from a dam company, at $3 per horse-power — from the letter received from City Clerk F. E. Low, under date of Sept. 25. I infer that the city pays $3 per month per horse-power from the dam company. The arc lights of 2,000 candle power burning all and every night costs $6 per month, for domestic lighting. The plant costs $60,000 at the present time. SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA It would be difficult to find a better illustration of the municipal ownership when handled as a business proposition than can be found in Saint Paul. City Comptroller Capt. J. J. McCardy gives the following information : Bought the water-works from a private corporation in 1882 for $500,000. Cost at the present time $6,478,751.48. Having reduced water rates 75 per cent from the rates charged by the private company. Paid $60 per year per hydrant to private company, we now pay $30 to the board of water commissioners. Secretary John Caulfield, who has a national reputation as a water works accountant, writes me as follows: " No bonds have been issued by the city of Saint Paul for water works purposes since May 1st, 1890. Our surplus earnings, notwithstanding the great reduction in rates, have been sufficient to pay the interest on all bonds issued for water works purposes, including the purchase of the works, general maintenance, re- pairs, and in addition thereto the following sums have heen ex- pended for permanent betterments from December 31, 1891; City extensions, pipe, hydrants, etc., $521,185.71; Construction account, works out side of the city including conduits, canals, pumping stations, etc., $351,767.43. Total $872,953.14. " In addition to this, a sinking fund has been created since 1891, which now amounts to $688,195. This is the face value of the 166 J. A. JOHNSON bonds which have been purchased for this fund. They bear in- terest at the rate of from 3 to 4^ per cent. Of course a large premium has been paid for the purchase of these bonds but above represents the face value only. In addition to the above, the de- partment has purchased $18,000 of water works bonds which have been cancelled. No comment is necessary on above quotations. " I addressed a letter of inquiry and enclosed stamped envelope for reply to the following cities, viz., Bowling Green, Ky., Pom- eroy, Marietta, and London, Ohio, Big Rapids, Mich., Decatur, 111., Lebanon, Penn., with out receiving any reply. From infor- mation which is believed to be reliable I make the following quo- tations, viz. Bowling Green population 10,000, coal $1.28 per ton, munici- pal ownership arc lights 2,000 candle power all and every night $56.03 per year. Pomeroy, population 6,000, coal 87 cents per ton private ownership arc lights 2,000 candle power all and every night $89.00 per year. Marietta, population 9000, coal $1.81 per ton municipal ownership arc lights 2000 candle power, all and every night $44.50 per year. Lebanon, population 18,000, coal $1.55 per ton, private ownership, arc lights all and every night $91.50 per year. Decatur, population 27,000, municipal owner- ship arc lights all and every night, including 7^ depreciation, etc., $50.00 per year. Big Rapids, population 6000, water power pri- vate ownership arc lights all and every night $41.00 per year. From the last reports I have been able to see I quote the fol- lowing: Buffalo, N. Y., private ownership, power from Niagara Falls, has over 2000 arc lights, all and every night pays $100.00 per year. Davenport, Iowa, 422 lights all and every night private ownership, pays $56.00 per year. Coal $1.35 per ton. Des Moines, Iowa, 183 lights at $75.00 per year, and 129 lights at $65.00 per year, Coal $1.00 per ton. Private ownership. East St. Louis, 111., 144 lamps, private ownership, coal $1.25 per ton, arc lights all and every night $100.00 per year. Chicago, 111., 531 lamps, coal $2.00 per ton private ownership arc lamps all and WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 167 every night $108 per year. Fort Wayne, Ind., 260 lamps, coal $2.00 per ton, private ownership arc lamps all and every night, $100.00 per year. All the lamps quoted are of 2000 candle power. I also make the following brief quotations, from the latest reports I have been able so secure, viz., Lamps. Per Year. Allentown, Penn 142* $100. 00 Aurora, 111 2o6f 68. 54 Denver, Col 950* 100. 00 Bay City, Mich 209 f 53 • 2 5 Hot Springs, Ark 32* 180.00 Columbus, Ind 82! 58.08 Hutchinson, Kans 34* 100. 00 Goshen, Ind 125! 48- 26 Haverhill, Mass 101* 125.00 Newark, Ohio 295! 48.64 Kansas City, Mo 100* 110.00 Rochelle, 111 4©t 55-22 Lowell, Mass 469* 1 20 . 45 St. Joseph, Mo 369t 63.79 Leadville, Col 4°* 102 . 00 Sherman, Texas 64f 63 . 00 New Orleans, La 1)633* 127.50 Titusville, Penn 264t 57-94 Natchez, Miss 100* 102 . 00 Wheeling, W. Va 46of 67 . 00 Omaha, Neb 333* 114- 5° Marion, Ind 116 53-95 Providence, R. 1 1,891* 127.75 Batavia, N. Y io8f 65.22 Sacramento, Cal 33°* 123.00 Dunkirk, N. Y 75t 63.38 Schenectady, N. Y 203* 103 . 00 Little Rock, Ark 2i2f 60.28 Salem, Mass 180* 130.00 ♦Private Ownership. "("Municipal Ownership. Fargo We have a population of between 11,000 and 12,000. We own our water works, having purchased them from a private cor- poration. We reduced the rates more than 50 per cent., from what the private corporation had charged. The water works cost us at the present time $67,477. Under private ownership we paid $100.00 per year per hydrant for fire protection for the 168 J. A. JOHNSON first hundred hydrants and $80.00 per hydrant per year for any in excess of one hundred. We now have 146 hydrants and 19 miles of water mains. Last year even with the reductions mentioned above the works were not only self sustaining but in addition to giving free water for fire protection, water for flushing sewers and for contract on street work, and also for flooding skating rinks in the winter time, we had a surplus of $5,310.08, nearly eight per cent on the entire investment. You can readily see that we have no cause to regret our investment. We now have a pumping capacity of 4,500,000 gallons per day. We do not own our electric lighting plant. We rent light from the Fargo-Edison Company at $59.88 per year for 2000 candle power arc lights all and every night service. Prior to my election as Mayor in 1896, the Council had made a contract for ten years. The Supreme Court declared the contract void, the Council hav- ing exceeded its power in making it. Our charter prohibits the making a contract for more than one year, and for granting any franchise for longer period than 20 years. It prevents the Mayor and Council from giving away valuable franchises for an indefi- nite time. Many cities who have done so have had cause to regret the same when too late. We have been too anxious to secure conven- iences and have by so doing been giving millions of dollars which belonged to the tax payers. I would like to make a suggestion, which if you deem it worthy you can take into consideration. From the establishment of the first water works to the present day, and in all countries, the system of collecting water rents at stated intervals has been in vogue. That applies whether they are under private or municipal owner- ship. Don 't you think it about time to make a change ? Every thing has improved in the past fifty years, why not try and make improvements in that ? Why not give free water to every inhabi- tant of your city who wish to make connections with your mains ? WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 169 Water is one of the necessities of life, as much as is air, it should be had, not only of the best quality, but in abundance. There should be no restriction in its use, there should of course be no waste. The idea that you should not sprinkle your lawn only at certain hours of the day, when at the same time it may be burning up with drouth, is to say the least, preposterous, a nice green well kept lawn is not only a thing of beauty, but its sanitary benefits are worth to the citizens many times more than it cost to pump the water to keep it green. To secure free water I would suggest that a general taxation be levied on all real and personal property subject to taxation in the city, the same as taxes for other general purposes are levied. It would not add to exceed 3^ mills to the tax in cities of from 10,000 to 15,000 and less than that in larger places, that would include free water for use of the citizens as well as for fire protec- tion and other purposes. It may be claimed that by so doing, you will do injustice to the large office buildings, and large commercial houses. I do not agree in that, for the tax paid is worth all it costs for fire protection, if nothing else. Under the present system, the classes of buildings referred to do not pay enough, and the defic- iency is made up from the rates charged the householders. The other way it would equalize it much better than under the present system. Quotations could be made indefinately, but time will not permit going into it any farther at this time. I am a firm believer in the public ownership of all the natural monopolies. I think they should be owned and controlled in the interest of the public. By so being it would stop all charges of corruption that is so often made, and I regret to say are so many times proven against the city officials. By the municipalities owning the same, it would be impossible to corrupt any one; a city cannot corrupt its own citizens ; there would be no incentive to do so. I am forced how- (Note — Had Mr. Johnson lived, he intended to pursue this for the benefit of the general public.) 170 J. A. JOHNSON ever to admit, that so long as we pursue the present method of changing our officials and appointees with each change of adminis- tration, it would possibly be a failure, but if civil service is adopted, it will prove as much of a success here as it has proven in Europe. No man who makes a good officer in any one of the departments above named should feel that his retention depended upon his support or opposition to any man or party. He should feel free to support or oppose whom he pleased, and be as independent as is the clerk or book-keeper who differs politically from his employer. Not one of you would think of discharging one of your trusted employees because he did not vote as you did, or support the man or party you do. There is no reason why he should he dismissed from a public position for the same offense. In fact, to my mind, it is all the more reason why he should be retained. I will not admit because a man is elected mayor, or secures an appointment on some board, that he has either a legal or a moral right to punish a man who is efficient, by dismissal, simply because he differs with him politically. The old cry "to the victor belongs the spoils, " must be eliminated from municipal affairs, if we are to have what the citizens demand, and are entitled to receive, viz; an honest and economical administration of public affairs. I believe in the municipal ownership of public utilities. I may not live to see the day when it will be firmly established in the United States, but there are many within the sound of my voice, who will live to see it. You may as well attempt to stop the revo- lution of the earth, as to attempt to stop public ownership of the natural monopolies that of right belong to the public only. I will admit that what has been successfully accomplished in nearly every country in Europe, cannot be accomplished here. In fact when we take hold of it in earnest, we will do it so much better than has been done in Europe that they will send delegations over here to study our municipal governments, as they are now with our manufacturing, banking, farming and other American business interests and methods of industries. The Little One — " Hi, There! Get Out of the Road, or I'll Run Over You." WRITINGS AND ADDRESSES 171 It is but a short time since, that a man who advocated the public ownership of such utilities as are mentioned by me, was considered a subject for an insane asylum. That day has ceased to exist. Some of the brightest minds in our broad land, favor it, and it is not confined to theorists, by any means, you will find them in all walks of life. It is not confined to municipal officers. It is men who think for themselves and who do not permit interested parties to think for them. From my acquaintance among munici- pal officers, I have become convinced that a large majority favor municipal ownership of public utilities, and they have been con- verted to that theory by personal experience in municipal affairs. If you will compare the scale of prices given by private corpora- tions with what it costs the municipalities for the same service, you will see that there is a great saving to the people in the public ownership. In many cases amounting to nearly one-half of what it had been when the cities have acquired it from a private corporation. SWEDISH BAPTIST CHURCH Fargo, November 29, 1901. I feel very much honored at receiving an invitation from your beloved pastor to meet with you this evening. This congregation is composed of members who came from the same land that gave me birth. A land that no one need feel ashamed of springing from. Wherever you find Scandinavians, whether they come from Sweden, Norway or Denmark, you find them among the church and school house. It is w'th a good deal of pride, that we can point to the fact that the Swedish population is the most highly educated people in the world. Less than six tenths of 1 per cent., of the entire popula- tion are unable to read, write, and have the rudiments of arithme- tic. A larger proportion of the Swedish population have acquired the higher branches of classical and scientific education than any other people living. 172 J. A. JOHNSON You may search history and you will find they have done their share for the upbuilding and enlightenment of the human race. You will find they have been pre-eminent — not only as soldiers, and sailors, but in all scientific lines as well. You find them as scholars and statesmen, as poets, painters, and sculptors, as emi- nent in the sacred calling of the ministry of the Gospel. Sweaen has given to the world the most famous singers in Jenny Lmd, and Christine Nillson. Linnaeus stands today as the best known auinority in botany. It was to a Swedish-American citizen, in John Erickson that the world owes the invention oi the propeller and many other useful inventions; but his greatest fame rests on the invention of the Monitor. That not only saved the Atlantic Coast cities from bombai dment — during our civil war — by the terrible confederate Ram Merrimac, but it revolu- tionized naval warfare. When that great man died the United States Government recognized his worth by sending nis remains back to rest in the land that gave him birth, on one of its war ves- sels, built on the new method of na\al wariare. It placed the magnificent cruiser, Baltimore, at the disposal of his remains and they were conveyed to Sweden on her. That is a distinction that no other foreign born citizen's remains had ever been con- ferred on. We ha%e reason to be proud of our native land, but we have lett that and come to this much greater one, and it behooves us to remember — that while we may love the land that gave us birth, as we love our parents, it is our duty to give our undivided allegi- ance to the land of our adoption. Th"s great land has bidden us welcome, ha J "3