Speculations and ConclusionsWE reached St. Paul, at the head of navigation of the Mississippi,and there our voyage of two thousand miles from New Orleans ended. It isabout a ten-day trip by steamer. It can probably be done quicker by rail.

I judge so because I know that one may go by rail from St. Louis to Hannibal--a distance of at least a hundred and twenty miles--in seven hours.

This is better than walking; unless one is in a hurry.

The season being far advanced when we were in New Orleans, the rosesand magnolia blossoms were falling; but here in St. Paul it was the snow,In New Orleans we had caught an occasional withering breath from overa crater, apparently; here in St. Paul we caught a frequent benumbingone from over a glacier, apparently.

But I wander from my theme. St. Paul is a wonderful town.

It is put together in solid blocks of honest brick and stone,and has the air of intending to stay. Its post-office was establishedthirty-six years ago; and by and by, when the postmaster receiveda letter, he carried it to Washington, horseback, to inquire whatwas to be done with it. Such is the legend. Two frame houses werebuilt that year, and several persons were added to the population.

A recent number of the leading St. Paul paper, the 'Pioneer Press,'

gives some statistics which furnish a vivid contrast to that oldstate of things, to wit: Population, autumn of the present year(1882), 71,000; number of letters handled, first half ofthe year, 1,209,387; number of houses built during three-quartersof the year, 989; their cost, $3,186,000. The increase of lettersover the corresponding six months of last year was fifty per cent.

Last year the new buildings added to the city cost above $4,500,000.

St. Paul's strength lies in her commerce--I mean his commerce.

He is a manufacturing city, of course--all the cities of thatregion are--but he is peculiarly strong in the matter of commerce.

Last year his jobbing trade amounted to upwards of $52,000,000.

He has a custom-house, and is building a costly capitol to replacethe one recently burned--for he is the capital of the State.

He has churches without end; and not the cheap poor kind,but the kind that the rich Protestant puts up, the kind thatthe poor Irish 'hired-girl' delights to erect. What a passionfor building majestic churches the Irish hired-girl has.

It is a fine thing for our architecture but too often we enjoyher stately fanes without giving her a grateful thought.

In fact, instead of reflecting that 'every brick and every stonein this beautiful edifice represents an ache or a pain, and a handfulof sweat, and hours of heavy fatigue, contributed by the backand forehead and bones of poverty,' it is our habit to forgetthese things entirely, and merely glorify the mighty temple itself,without vouchsafing one praiseful thought to its humble builder,whose rich heart and withered purse it symbolizes.

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