So the permanent location was not definitely settled this session, however, but at the close of the legislature it was a drawn battle. St. Paul remained the temporary seat of government, and the governor was authorized to rent buildings to carry on the public business meantime.

Ex-Gov. Marshall, in his address before the old settlers of Hennepin county, Feb. 22, 1871, says, regarding the contest for the seat of government:

"The organic act made St. Paul the temporary capital, but provided that the legislature might determine the permanent capi

A bill was introduced by the St. Paul delegation to fix the permanent capital there. I opposed it,* endeavoring to have St. Anthony made the seat of government. We succeeded in defeating the bill which sought to make St. Paul the permanent capital, but we could not get through the bill fixing it at St. Anthony. So the question remained open in regard to the permanent capital until the next session, in 1851, when a compromise was effected, by which the capital was to be at St. Paul, the state university at St. Anthony, and the penitentiary at Stillwater.

"At that early day, as well as now, caricatures and burlesques were in vogue. Young William Randall, of St. Paul, now de ceased, who had some talent in the graphic line, drew a picture of the efforts at capitol removal. It was a building on wheels, with ropes attached, at which I was pictured tugging, while Brunson, Jackson and the other St. Paul members were holding and checking the wheels to prevent my moving it, with humorous and appropriate speeches proceeding from the mouths of the parties to the contest. The caricature was quite a good one, and served to amuse the people of St. Paul for some days."

The second session assembled Jan. 2, 1851, in a brick building, since burned, which occupied the site of the Third street front of the Metropolitan Hotel. At this session, the seat of government was fixed at St. Paul as above noted. D. F. Brawley, Jonathan McKusick, Louis Robert and E. A. C. Hatch were elected building commissioners. Charles Bazille, a pioneer resident and large property owner of St. Paul, donated to the government the block of ground since known as "Capitol Square," and plans drawn by N. C. Prentiss were adopted. The contract was let to Joseph Daniels for $33,000, but the building finally cost over $40,000. It was commenced at once, but not completed until the

*Gov. Marshall then represented St. Anthony, at which place he lived.

summer of 1853. The third and fourth sessions of the legislature were compelled, therefore, to meet in rented buildings. That of 1852 assembled in "Goodrich's block" on Third street below Jackson, and that of 1853, in a two story brick row, on Third street, where the front of the Mannheimer block now is. On July 21, 1853, the governor (W. A. Gorman) first occupied the executive chamber of the new capitol. The original building was in the form of a T, and so many were the alterations and repairs, that but little of it, except the walls, remained when it was burned in 1881. For some years it amply accommodated all the state business, and its interior furnishing and equipments were as plain as the exterior. Up to 1866, when gas was put in, the legislative halls were lighted during night sessions with candles; and up to 1871, the building was heated with wood stoves, and all the water used in it was supplied by carts. That year the steam heating apparatus and water supply were ordered by the legislature, and the building "began to have some of the comforts of civilized life," as a witty member expressed it in one of his speeches; but it had meantime grown too limited for the rapidly extending business of a state which had increased in population eight fold since the building was erected. After the increased representation commencing in 1872, more room was imperative. Next session, the wing fronting on Exchange street was ordered, costing $8,000, while the changes in the assembly rooms, roof, cupola, etc., cost $6,000 more. This gave relief for several years, but at every session of the legislature, the members of the house suffered from the crowded condition of their hall, bad air, etc., so much, that a larger hall was absolutely demanded. The session of 1878, therefore, ordered the erection of a new wing fronting on Wabasha street, capable of accommodating the house of representatives properly, and giving more space to other departments. That wing was completed in December, 1878, at a cost of $14,000, and for over two years was used. The representatives' hall was 96x48 in the clear. The building, with these additions, was not of very symmetrical shape, but was commodious and comfortable, having an extreme length of 204 feet and a width of 150, and contained about 50 apartments. Its total cost, from first to last, was $108,000.

At nine o'clock in the evening of March 1, 1881, while both houses of the legislature were in session, and all the halls and apartments crowded with visitors, the dome of the building was

found to be on ire. The flames spread with too great rapidity to be checked, and all that could be done was to save the contents of the building. The most valuable records and papers of various offices, and of the legislature, with some of the furniture, were carried out, but the greater part of the contents of the building, including the valuable law library, the supply of state laws, documents and reports, and all the stationery in the secretary of state's store rooms, etc., were a total loss. The Historical Society's library was mostly saved. The entire loss to the state was fully $200,000.

Fortunately the city of St. Paul had just completed a fine and spacious market house, which was still unoccupied, and its use was at once tendered to the state by the city authorities, and while the flames were still ascending, the furniture and effects saved from the old capitol were removed thither. At nine o'clock next morning the state departments and both houses of the legis lature were again at work in their new quarters. But two days of the session yet remained. Gov. Pillsbury immediately secured estimates for rebuilding the burned edifice, using the old walls, and an act appropriating $75,000 for that purpose was passed. Work was commenced at once. It was then found that the old walls were too unsafe to use, and at the extra session in September, 1881, also held in the market house, the further sum of $100,000 was appropriated for the completion of the building. Its total cost was about $275,000.

By the assembling of the legislature of 1883, the new building was completed sufficiently to use. It is in the form of a Greek cross, two stories in height, with a high basement. The latter is built of cut stone, and the superstructure of red brick with Dresbach stone trimmings. All the inside walls and partitions are either brick or a fire-proof compound composed of plaster and other material, and cast in slabs and blocks. All the floors, ceiling, roof, etc., are covered or filled in with this material, thus rendering the entire building as nearly fire-proof as possible. In addition to this each office has a large fire-proof vault. The roof is slate. The boilers for supplying the steam heat are in a building detached from the main edifice. Good light and ventilation are carefully provided for, and all of the sixty-seven apartments and rooms are comfortable and convenient. Spacious halls lead to every portion of the building. The legislative chambers are especially convenient. The senate chamber is 40x51 feet in size, and that of the house 44x85. Each has a

twenty-four foot ceiling. Both are furnished with ample suites of committee and cloak rooms. The dome of the building is two hundred feet above the ground, giving a noble view to the visitor who ascends it. The exterior of the edifice is neat and tasty, and it is altogether creditable to the state, considering its comparatively small cost.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

At Minneapolis is the University of Minnesota, established by the constitution of the state and endowed by the general government, being a part of the state system of public instruction. It is open to both sexes, and tuition is absolutely free except in the professional departments.

BOARD OF REGENTS.

Hon. Greenleaf Clark, M. A., St. Paul, 1889.
Hon. Cushman K. Davis, M. A., St. Paul, 1889.
Hon. Knute Nelson, Alexandria, 1890.

Hon. John S. Pillsbury, Minneapolis, 1890.
Hon. Henry H. Sibley, St. Paul, 1891.

Hon. Gordon E. Cole, Faribault, 1891.

Hon. William Leggett, Benson, 1891.

The Governor of the State Hon. W. R. Merriam, St. Paul, exofficio.

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. David L. Kiehle, M. A., St. Paul, ex-officio.

The President of the University, Cyrus Northrop, LL. D., Minneapolis, ex-officio.

Treasurer, H. P. Brown, Minneapolis.

DEPARTMENTS AND COURSES OF STUDY.

The University is divided into five distinct departments: A College of Science, Literature and Arts, a College of Mechanic Arts, a College of Agriculture, a Department of Law, and a Department of Medicine, the latter consisting of three separate colleges.

I. In the College of Science, Literature, and Arts, there are three courses of study, called classical, scientific, and literary. The classical course has for its leading studies the Greek and