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Aside from the hotel fires one of the most appalling calamities that ever occurred at a fire in St. Paul took place in May, 1870, when the old Concert Hall building on Third street, near Market, was destroyed. Concert Hall was built by the late J.W. McClung in 1857, and the hall in the basement was one of the largest in the city. The building was three stories high in front and six or seven on the river side. It was located about twenty-five feet back from the sidewalk. Under the sidewalk all kinds of inflamable material was stored and it was from here that the fire was first noticed. In an incredibly short time flames reached the top of the building, thus making escape almost impossible. On the river side of the building on the top floor two brothers, Charles and August Mueller, had a tailor shop. The fire spread so rapidly that the building was completely enveloped in flames before they even thought their lives were endangered. In front of them was a seething mass of flames and the distance to the ground on the river side was so great that a leap from the window meant almost certain death. They could be plainly seen frantically calling for help. There was no possible way to reach them. Finally Charles Mueller jumped out on the window sill and made a leap for life, and an instant later he was followed by his brother. The bewildered spectators did not suppose for a moment that either could live. They were too much horrified to speak, but when it was over and they were lifted into beds provided for them doctors were called and recovery was pronounced possible. After months of suffering both recovered. August Mueller is still living in the city. A lady by the name of McClellan, who had a dressmaking establishment in the building, was burned to death and it was several days before her body was recovered.
The following named men have been chiefs of the St. Paul fire department:
Wash M. Stees,
Chas. H. Williams,
J.C.A. Pickett,
W.T. Donaldson,
J.B. Irvine,
J.E. Missen,
Luther H. Eddy,
B. Rodick,
M.B. Farrell,
J.C. Prendergast,
Bartlett Presley,
Frank Brewer,
R.O. Strong,
John T. Black,
Hart N. Cook,
John Jackson.
THE FIRST AMUSEMENT HALLS IN ST. PAUL.
INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY AMUSEMENT HALLS OF ST. PAUL—IRVINE HALL—DAN EMMET AND DIXIE—THE HUTCHINSONS—MAZURKA HALL, MOZART HALL, ETC.
Very few of the 200,000 inhabitants of St. Paul are aware that the three-story, three-cornered building on Third street at Seven Corners once contained one of the most popular amusement halls in the city. It was called Irvine hall, and at one time Melodeon hall. Dan Emmet had a minstrel company at this hall during the years 1857 and 1858, and an excellent company it was, too. There was Frank Lombard, the great baritone; Max Irwin, bones, and one of the funniest men who ever sat on the stage; Johnny Ritter, female impersonator and clog dancer, and a large number of others. Frank Lombard afterward achieved a national reputation as one of the best baritone singers in the country. He was much sought after for patriotic entertainments and political conventions. His masterpiece was the Star-Spangled Banner, and his great baritone voice, which could be heard for blocks, always brought enthusiastic applause. Some time during the summer of 1858 the Hutchinson family arranged to have the hall for a one-night entertainment. By some means or other the troupe got separated and one of the brothers got stalled on Pig's Eye bar. When their performance was about half over the belated brother reached the hall and rushed frantically down the aisle, with carpetbag in hand, leaped upon the stage, and in full view of the audience proceeded to kiss the entire tribe. The audience was under the impression they had been separated for years instead of only twenty-four hours. The next evening Max Irwin was missing from his accustomed place as one of the end men, and when the performance had been in progress for about fifteen minutes Max came rushing down the aisle with carpetbag in hand and went through the same performance as did the lost brother of the Hutchinson family. The effect was electrical, and for some time Max's innovation was the talk of the town. Dan Emmet, though a wondering minstrel, was a very superior man and was his own worst enemy. He was a brother of Lafayette S. Emmett, chief justice of the supreme court of the State of Minnesota. The judge, dignified and aristocratic, did not take kindly to the idea of his brother being a minstrel. Dan was not particularly elated because his brother was on the supreme bench. They were wholly indifferent as to each other's welfare. They did not even spell their names the same way. Dan had only one "t" at the end of his name, while the judge used two. Whether the judge used two because he was ashamed of Dan, or whether Dan used only one because he was ashamed of the judge, no one seemed to know. Dan Emmet left a legacy that will be remembered by the lovers of melody for many years. What left the judge? When Emmet's company left St. Paul they got stranded and many of them found engagements in other organizations. Dan turned his attention to writing negro melodies. He wrote several popular airs, one of them being "Dixie," which afterward became the national air of the Confederate States. When "Dixie" was written Emmet was connected with Bryant's Minstrels in New York city, and he sent a copy to his friend in St. Paul, the late R.C. Munger, and asked his opinion as to its merits and whether he thought it advisable to place it in the hands of a publisher. Mr. Munger assured his friend that he thought it would make a great hit, and he financially assisted Mr. Emmet in placing it before the public. One of the first copies printed was sent to Mr. Munger, and the first time this celebrated composition was ever sung in the West was in the music store of Munger Bros, in the old concert hall building on Third street. "Dixie" at once became very popular, and was soon on the program of every minstrel troupe in the country. Dan Emmet devoted his whole life to minstrelsy and he organized the first traveling minstrel troupe in the United States, starting from some point in Ohio in 1843.
The father of the Emmets was a gallant soldier of the War of 1812, and at one time lived in the old brown frame house at the intersection of Ramsey and West Seventh streets, recently demolished. A correspondent of one of the magazines gives the following account of how "Dixie" happened to become the national air of the Confederate States:
"Early in the war a spectacular performance was being given in New Orleans. Every part had been filled, and all that was lacking was a march and war song for the grand chorus. A great many marches and songs were tried, but none could be decided upon until 'Dixie' was suggested and tried, and all were so enthusiastic over it that it was at once adopted and given in the performance. It was taken up immediately by the populace and was sung in the streets and in homes and concert halls daily. It was taken to the battlefields, and there became the great song of the South, and made many battles harder for the Northerner, many easier for the Southerner. Though it has particularly endeared itself to the South, the reunion of American hearts has made it a national song. Mr. Lincoln ever regarded it as a national property by capture."
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