Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/619

MINNEAPOLIS 601 about 50 cents ; but change of fashion after- ward brought it into vogue and made it very valuable ; it is fine, but shorter and less lustrous than that of the pine marten or American sable. (See FUR.) The animal is very generally dis- tributed in North America, from lat. 70 N. to Florida, and from ocean to ocean. Some spe- cimens from the west are larger than the aver- age. In the northern states there is a smaller and blacker variety ; the fur is dark and re- markably soft, and considerably more valuable than that of the. common mink. The Euro- pean mink (P. lutreola, Cuv.) is of smaller size, darker colored, with less bushy tail, and the edges of the upper lip white ; it is a rare animal, with the same habits as the American species, and its fur is more highly esteemed ; indeed it is often sold to the inexperienced for sable, and that of the American mink is gen- erally called by furriers American sable, though the latter belongs to the genus mustela and is properly a marten. MINNEAPOLIS, a city and the county seat of Hennepin co., Minnesota, on both sides of the Mississippi river, here spanned by four bridges, at the falls of St. Anthony, 14 m. above St. Paul by the course of the stream, and 8 m. in a direct line W. N. W. of that city; pop. (with- in its present limits) in 1860, 5,822; in 1870, 18,079, of whom 6,013 were foreigners; in 1874, estimated by local authorities at 32,000. It is built on a broad natural esplanade over- looking the falls and the river, which is bor- dered at various points by picturesque bluffs. The surrounding country is remarkable for its beauty. Numerous lakes, particularly to the west, dot the landscape. The chief of these are Cedar, Calhoun, and Harriet, S. W. of the city. The celebrated Minnehaha falls, 3 m. below, attract large numbers of visitors. A cemetery association which was organized in 1871 has selected 128 acres between Lakes Cal- houn and Harriet as the site for a cemetery. These grounds are covered with groves of young trees, and command fine views of the lakes. The city is regularly laid out, with avenues running E. and "W. and streets cross- ing them N. and S. They are generally 80 ft. wide, with 20 ft. sidewalks, and two rows of trees on each side. There are many substan- tial business blocks and elegant residences. The court house, city hall, two principal ho- tels, academy of music, opera house, and Athe- naeum are noticeable structures. The city is supplied with water by powerful works, the streets are lighted with gas, and a system of sewerage is in process of construction. The Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroad has its terminus here. The St. Paul and Pacific, and the Lake Superior and Mississippi railroads, with the Minneapolis and St. Louis line, con- nect the city with the Northern Pacific rail- road, with Duluth, and with St. Paul and the diverging lines. A line of steamers in sum- mer runs from above the falls to St. Cloud on the upper Mississippi. The wholesale trade of Minneapolis is important and con- stantly increasing. There are four large gro- ceries, doing a business of from $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 a year, several hardware and iron houses, and three large dry-goods stores. The total commercial business in 1873 amounted to $14,301,700; in 1871 it was $10,530,000. There were five national banks and six private and savings banks in 1873, with an aggregate capital of $1,025,000, and loans, discounts, and exchange to the amount of $14,682,400. The amount of freight forwarded by rail in 1873 was 392,480,329 Ibs. ; received, 203,942,760 Ibs. ; being an increase over 1872 in receipts and shipments of 80,062,550 Ibs. The falls of St. Anthony, having a perpendicular descent of 18 ft. and a total descent of 50 ft. within the space of a mile, afford abundant water power for manufacturing. The two principal items of manufacture are lumber and flour. There are 18 lumber mills, with an aggre- gate capital of $1,110,000; hands employed in 1873, "2,062; feet of lumber manufactured, 189,909,782; shingles, 114,554,250; lath, 32,- 843,150; pickets, 546,373 ; total value of pro- ducts, $3,850,000. At the close of 1873 there were 18 flouring mills, with 150 run of stone and a daily capacity of 7,370 barrels, and oth- ers in course of erection which would in- crease the stone to 184 run and the capa- city to 9,200 barrels a day. One of the mills, with 40 run of stone, is the largest in the country. The number of bushels of grain ground in 1873 was 3,545,000; barrels of flour produced, 646,000; pounds of feed, 57,050,- 000; total value of products, $4,842,920. At the two grain elevators 1,687,423 bushels of wheat were handled in 1873. A third eleva- tor, larger than either of the others, is in course of construction. There are extensive works for the manufacture of engines, boil- ers, water wheels, ploughs, harvesters, &c. ; several manufactories of sash, doors, and blinds, four of furniture and desks, seven of barrels, seven of boots and shoes, five of sad- dlery and harness, two of bricks, two of soap, nine of carriages and wagons, one. of linseed oil ; several breweries, two paper mills, a cot- ton mill, and a woollen mill. There is also a pork-packing establishment, and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroad has here ex- tensive machine and repair shops. The num- ber of hands employed in manufacturing in 1873 was 5,320 ; value of all products, $15,- 879,680; amount of capital invested, $16,000,- 000. The number of hands employed in 1867 was 1,841 ; value of products, $4,460,358. The amount expended in the city in building and improvements in 1873 was $1,729,700; taxable value of property, May 1, 1874, $26,- 947,969. Minneapolis is divided into ten wards, and is governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen of two members from each ward. It has a municipal court and an effi- cient police force and fire department. It is the seat of the state university, which occupies