attainments, would have been sadly out of place.

But with his heavy armor laid aside, the genius of Knott was
made manifest along more pleasing lines. Few speeches ever delivered
in Congress have been so generally read, or so thoroughly imbedded
into current literature, as one he delivered soon after his
first admission to the House. Duluth awoke the morning after
its delivery to find itself famous. As, "the zenith city of the
unsalted seas," it has been known and read of all men. As such,
it will probably continue to be known for ages to come. The speech
hopelessly defeated a bill making a land grant to a proposed
railroad, of which Duluth was to be the terminus. His mirthful
prediction, however, as to its marvellous future has been fulfilled.
How true it is that "jesters do oft prove prophets!" Bearing in
mind that the great city of to-day then had no place even upon the
map, the words quoted from the speech will be appreciated:

"Duluth, Duluth! The word fell upon my ear with peculiar and
indescribable charm, like the gentle murmur of a brook stealing
forth in the midst of roses, or the soft sweet accent of an angel's
whisper in the bright joyous dream of sleeping innocence. Duluth!
'T was the name for which my soul had panted for years, as the hart
panteth for the water brooks. I was convinced that the greatest
calamity that ever befell the benighted nations of the ancient
world was their having passed away without a knowledge of the actual
existence of Duluth; that their fabled Atlantis, never seen save
by the hallowed vision of inspired poesy, was in fact but another name
for Duluth; that the golden orchard of the Hesperides was but a
poetical synonym for the beer-gardens in the vicinity of Duluth. As
that name first fell upon my ear, a resplendent scene of ineffable
glory opened before me, such as I imagine burst upon the enraptured
visions of the wandering Peri through the opening gates of
Paradise."

Mr. Knott was often the sad and silent man. His real intimacies
were few, and to strangers he was reserved. But to those who came
within the circle of his personal friendship he was one of the most
delightful of companions. No man was ever given less to a
parade either of his friendships or of his animosities. His enemies
--and it would have been strange if, passing through the eventful scenes
he did, he had had none--knew just where to find him. He was,
in very truth,

"Lofty and sour to t