Dear readers,

For the past several years, on New Year's Day, Star Tribune Opinion has reprinted old letters to the editor from the days of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune and Minneapolis Star. This year is no different, with letters ranging in age from 144 to 70 years old. We hope you enjoy reading these thoughtful, surprising and sometimes funny missives from the past, and that you come away grateful to live in an era in which, at minimum, the issue discussed in the second-to-last letter is not among Minneapolis' top problems.

Elena Neuzil, letters editor

To the Editor of The Tribune:

I am wondering if anyone else noticed the hundreds of Christmas trees which remained unsold this season in the city of Minneapolis alone; also if it occurred to those who saw these trees that these are a part of Minnesota's natural beauty.

At one filling station where they were selling trees the attendant told me that they had brought their trees down from the north in a truck, and that it had been very hard to find good trees. At another vacant lot on Christmas Eve the writer saw dozens of the unsold trees being burned.

In many of our northern counties, about all we have to admire, when driving through, are these beautiful fir trees and yet I'll venture to say there were just as many destroyed because there was no sale for them as those we saw decorating the numerous homes about the city. How long are we going to be able to get these natural decorations at the rate they are being taken away? Isn't it about time that we were thinking about this?

Elmer C. Mathis, Granite Falls, Minn.

Jan. 3, 1931

To the Editor:

I came up from Florida last summer to take a job in Minneapolis. Some of the less loyal natives wondered if I were crazy. They told me one winter here would be enough. They predicted I'd freeze to death. Well, I'm still here and have every intention of staying. I like it. The weather's fine. It'll take a lot harder winter than this to drive me away.

Dick Barens, Minneapolis

To the Editor of The Tribune:

Now that the Salvation Army kettles are off the street and the Community Fund has been taken care of, I suggest another and more forceful campaign. It might be called Community Car Comfort Campaign. I am sure every citizen who is forced to take a street car to and from his destination would be glad to contribute what I am going to propose towards this fund.

On Christmas night I rode on the interurban line from St. Paul. By the time I reached Lake and Hennepin, my toes were frost bitten. Every day people have the same experience.

I propose a campaign to end cold streetcars. Will all those interested in this healthful project contribute freely as many grouches and complaints as is in their power — give them until it hurts — to the streetcar company?

Sincerely,

Dec. 28, 1933

To the Editor:

Has it become absolutely illegal to retain any funds in the city engineer's office for snow removal? It would seem either that or the taxpayers are supporting a new form of updated WPA.

We refer to snow removal placards that bedecked Fourth Street South Thursday night. We personally made an inspection of said alleged "snow" and agree it would have to have been swept up with a broom to cover the bottom of a truck.

This is no disparagement of the men in the splendid crews that do such ordinarily great jobs when we do have a storm. Also, we can appreciate the need for keeping their paychecks coming. But why can't their efforts be diverted into channels more needful than chasing wisps of flakes with the city's heavy and expensive snow-removal equipment?

Feb. 5, 1953

To the Editor of The Tribune:

We have been hearing more or less about our honorable board of councilmen passing an ordinance permitting sale of horse meat in our city. Is it possible that we have become so carnivorous that we have to eat our beasts of burden? With all other foodstuffs we have in this country, we could do without meat if necessary; but when we do have it, for the love of humanity, let us be sure we are eating the kind put on earth for food. Sure, they say they will require it to be labelled. Did the council ever pass an ordinance that was not broken by some unscrupulous person?

One "dealer" claims he can buy horses at $2 to $3.50 and start a packing house at New Brighton. The writer has made many trips to New Brighton and has met those broken-down horses making their last trip, tied behind a scrap wagon, to the soap factory. And to think when I eat a piece of meat or a bit of sausage, I might be eating part of them, makes me shiver. I would never buy a piece of meat at a shop if I knew it had ever handled a pound of horse meat. And I think there are many others who feel the same way.

One argument is that St. Paul may permit it. For the sake of decency let us not follow a bad example. We all welcome meatless days and even weeks, if necessary, but let us protect our tables from the meat of our trusty friend, the horse, as God intends we should.

Dec. 13, 1917

To the Editor of The Tribune:

To a stranger coming to your beautiful city there is no want more apparent than that of street signs giving their names. To those who have lived here years, more or less, of course both the geography and topography of the city are familiar, and they need not wait for a clear night in order to ascertain the direction of the North Star, nor ask strangers for the points of the compass, or which is Nicollet, Hennepin, Washington, First or Second avenues north or south, east or west, or which is First or Fifteenth street east or west side of the river, because by long residence they have become familiar with the exact location of all the streets and avenues of the town. But to a stranger who absolutely knows not a single place, street, avenue or public building, the lack of signs on the corners of the streets, indicating their names, is very embarrassing, compelling him to constantly inquire of those he may meet the name of the street through which he may be passing, or the location of the avenue he may desire to reach.

The same difficulty exists with regard to school buildings, churches and other public structures. It would be a small matter in the way of trouble and expense to have the name of every street placed on the corner or on the lamp-post as in some cities; to have the name of denomination of each church placed on the corner of its house of worship for the convenience of the great number of strangers who are constantly coming to your growing city. The same suggestions I think equally applicable to the school buildings, some of the mills and other structures. I trust these suggestions may not seem impertinent from a stranger who for the past five days has wandered up and down your wide streets and beautiful avenues, not knowing half the time where he was, save that he was in the lovely city of Minneapolis.

M.M.F., Feb. 27, 1880