ST. PAUL, HOME OF THE SAINTS
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working for unity. Much might depend on what Boston did, with
which St. Paul has faint affinities. ("When Boston was married to the
locomotive, their first child was St. Paul, their second Portland."–
Anon.) And
if
Minneapolis were attacked by Chicago, for plagiarism,
say, it is safe to predict that St. Paul, seeing here a blow against Min–
nesota herself
(((L'Etoile du Nord uber Alles")
would close r.anks
with the old enemy.
It
is
true that this rivalry does not exist among the leisure classes
of either city, at least not to the extent I've pictured it, but I have
not spoken of this minority insulated as they are from the common
concerns, from the simple loyalties and fears which they nevertheless
arouse and prey upon as the need arises to market, as the local pro–
duct, their beer, their war, their candidacy. They are welcome to
the larger view and other refinements. Meanwhile, by way of envoi, I
say with one citizen who wrote to the
St. Paul Pioneer Press-"The
only thing that marred my enjoyment of the recent carnival was the
Minneapolis announcer on WTCN who described the last portion of
the big Saturday parade as it marched through the (St. Paul) Audi–
torium. Twice during his description of the beauty and magnificence
of the lovely girls and floats he said: 'Right here in the Minneapolis
Auditorium.'
If
he had only said it once we might have excused it
as a slip."
J.
F.
Powers
