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V. • « TO THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA, €\)m Wdtk h rrspnlfullti tJMuUl AS A TCKKN OF APPREr'lATION FOR TIIRFR KNTKRPRI.«E, INTKr.LIOENOE, AND MORAL WORTH, UY TIIKIR FELLOW-OITIZFN, The Author. e I •» e o P ai ii JVJ 86 va G( I PREFACF, Th„ work „ offered ,e « brief general view of M,™esota, «8 .t existed prior to its organization as a territorial govern- n.ent .n 1849. and ■■ as it is" at the present ti.e. As a guide to the .mm,gra„t, and the tourist in search of general Lor- mat.„n and pleasure, it is believed to contain much valuable and interesting knowledge. The facts and statements contained in this work will bo found particnUrly correct, and it is thought will „eet the de- workf L T \''. """^o '""-er, who wish . reliable work for reference and information concerning the many inter- estmg topics pertaining to this territory. The style, though somewhat glowing, is not in the least overdrawn. Those familiar with the country will admit on a perusal, that the half has not been told. To present pai2 ...stance, I have erred, an absorbing interest in the cause of Minnesota must offer sufficient atonement for such error The matter contained in the "OAMP-FmE Sketches " and -era other chapters, is entirely original. I havl als m aluable selections from the writings of David Dale oTv^i United States geologist; Rev. E. D. Neill, of St. Paul et Governor Eamsey, and several o- e.s of considerable reputl c rKKFACE Avefcvcnce to the •• Ai.pcn.lix" -^ul sU« »omo important .natters unavoidably omitted in the body of tl.o ^ork, to a careful perusal of which the reader is respectfully .nv.ted^ I particularly acknowledge my indebtedness to the bt Paul press, and to my friend Major J. J. Noah, whose valuable as- listance in compiling and superintending this pnbhcafcn has contributed much to its merit. I therefore present th.s work as partly original and partly made up of compilations from other paragraphists, who have incidentally preceded me upon the subject. It will, per'.aps, prove .altogether more valuable ou that account. j Wesley Bond. St. Paui., Misnbsota, September 1, 1863. I ^%?- CONTENTS H CHAPTER I. TnE Early History of Minnesota p^oa 9 CHAPTER IL Comprising a General Geographical and Descriptive View of the Terri- tory, General Features, &c 1^ CHAPTER HI. General Remarks and Reflections. — Agricultural Advantages. — A Talk with Farmers, Capitalists, Mechanics, Laborers, Tourists, and all Others g2 CHAPTER IV. Review of the Weather of Minnesota.— Adaptetiou of the Soil and Cli- «»ate gg CHAPTER V. The St Louis River of Lak? Superior, Lapointe, Fond du Lac, St. Croix Pineries, Ac. .^ ^ ^ ^ ma CHAPTER VL The Minnesota River Country.— The Undine Region of Nicollet, Ac— Coul, Ac Qtj CHAPTER VH. The Principal Towns.— St Paul, and Matters connected with that North- western Metropolis.— The Press, Churches, Ac— Obituary Notice of James M. Goodhue Iqj CHAPTER VHI. Principal Town^, coiillnuod.— St. Anthony's Falls.— Point Douglas, Still- WHtor, Mendota, Ac J4j ^'■'t f! g CXJNTENTS. CHAPTER IX. The Agricultural Resources of the Territory, Manufactures, Ac. . . . paob 161 CHAPTER X. Facilities for Travel.— Railroads through and toward Minnesota 118 CHAPTER XL 191 Steamboat and River Trade, Ac CHAPTER Xn. The Indian Tribes-Sioux, Chippewas, and Winnebagoes 198 CHAPTER XIII. The Sioux Treaty of 1851.— Counties, Courts, Roads, Aa 214 CHAPTER XIV. 226 Miscellaneous Matters ' CHAPTER XV. Conclusion—A Vision : Scene in St Paul Twenty-Three Years hence; aU of which I saw, and part of which We all expect to be -248 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. CHAPTER L The Outward March CHAPTER II. 896 The Homeward March • CHAPTER IIL Letters from Pembina and Selkirk Settlement— Description of the Settle- ment— Poetical Tribute to the People of Selkirk Settlement— Table of Distances from the Mouth of the Minnesota to the Pembina Settle- ment—Table of Soundings of Red River of the North, Ac. 816 APPENDIX. Prince Rupert's Land.-The Hudson's Bay and Northwest Companies. —The Esquimaux. Montagues, Crees, Sauteux, Sioux, Assimboins, Ac. 336 Tlie Mounds of the Minnesota Valley ^ ^^8 The Brophy Settlement List 01 tnnciais oi mmucovta iv« . .t^. ^ - ■1 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. CHAPTER I. THE EARLY HISTORY OP MINNESOTA. A VERY few years ago, and the present territory of Minne- Bota was a waste of woodland and of prairie, uninhabited save by the different hordes of savage tribes from time imme- morial scattered through its expanse, with of later years a few white traders only intermingled. At intervals a zealous missionary of the cross, or adventurous traveller, by turns found their way t. the Great Falls of St. Anthony, and even to the source of the Father of Waters himself— and with awe filling their souls at the grandeur and sublimity of the works of nature, and with swelling hearts lifted "from nature up to nntnrc's God," have returned to the bosom of society in the great world then far, far away to the south and east, and re- counted there the wonders seen, the dangers encountered, the nncultivated and wasted paradise they explored, the legends and ch.'., acter of the Red Men among whom almost alone they mingled. Minnesota has indeed been - the home of many a traveller and the theme of many a traveller's story." Here, indeed, alone and solitary was seen to glide the canoe of the dark- browed Indian over his own loved lakes; and from the rocky bluff, where stand the churches now dedicated to God, and raising their tall spires heavenward, only arose the smoke cf the wigwam and the council-fire, while the whoop of the sav- 1* 10 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUKCEB. fxi^v resouiiac.l over the flowing stream below— across whose still, smooth waters, the soft, sweet sound of the organ's tones, the sonorous tolling of the church-going bell, and the busy Inun of connnercc, now reverberate. The scenes and sights then witnessed have disappeared across the river to the west- ward, and soon will be transferred still further from our gaze, and the home, the hunting-grounds, and even the very graves of the Indians will be obliterated for ever. The two fierce tribes which now inhabit our territory, the Chippewas of the old Algonquin stock, and their inveterate and hereditary enemies, the equally fierce and more numerous Sioux, have for ages waged an exterminating warfare— one which is well-known spares neither age, sex, nor condition. Our fair land has been the scene of many a Thermopylffi though on a smaller scale, and the fierce clangor of the hand-to-hand combat has resounded far and wide. Here thousands of the brave sons of the forest have met death uncomplainingly and sung their last wail of despair and agony amid untold horrors. Their smoking blood has enriched many a now fertile field- as, like that of Lancaster, it sunk into the ground, when it should have mounted and cried aloud for vengeance. That vengeance has been meted out from time to time by either party, and many an ensanguined story could be told of more than Roman heroism— of more than Spartan valor. This feud, so bitter, has descended to our own times, and of its continued strifes many of us have been reluctant witnesses, while of its horrors, all have heard repeatedly. We live and move upon more than classic groimd— ground consecrated by the outpoured blood of many a poor untutored victim— "who if they were the children of the forest, still heard the voice of their God in the morning breeze— they beheld him in the dark cloud that rose in wrath from the west— they acknowledged his universal beneficence in the setting sun as he sank to his burning bed. Here they lived and loved." In Europe, near two hundred years ago, as in America, at this day Minnesota, or what is now Minnesota, was a land to- ^„-,.l ,„i,:^u ^oy,xT o« OTTO wfis tiirnpd. and in regard to which ward %viiivii iii«iij "s« ^j ^ .. — :3 fact and fancy wove a wondrous tale of interest and romance. ■'Si' i THE EARLY HISTORY OF MINNESOTA. 11 In consequence of this, from tlie time when Father Menard, the devoted Jesuit missionary, was lost in tlie forest iti 1658 while crossing Kee-uce-nah Peninsula, and his sad fate conjec- tured only from his cassock and breviary, long afterward found preserved as "Medicine" charms, among the wild Dakotas of our territory, down to the time when Schoolcraft, in 1832, traced our giant Mississippi — a giant more wonderful than the hundred-armed Briareus— to its origin in the gushing fountains of Itasca lake, Minnesota has continued a favorite field of reserch. Here Hennepin in 1680, was first to break the silence of these northern wilds with a white man's voice, in giving to the foaming waters of St. Anthony's falls, their baptismal name in honor of his patron saint. Here was the scene of his captivity among the M'day-wah-kaun-twan Dakotas, and here he ex- perienced the compassion and protection of Wah-zee-koo-tay, the great Nahdawessy chief. Here too, not very long afterward. Baron La-Hontan, jour- neyed; and in this territory, that romance of geography, his La Longue Riviere, had its location and due western course the creature of La-Hontan's imagination, or rather of truth and fable curiously interwoven and intermingled. More reliable than either, the gallant Le Sueur, a brave, en- terprising, and truthful spirit, in 1700 explored the sky-colored water of the St. Peter's to its Blue Earth tributary, and in the vicinity of his log fort L'Hullier, on the banks of the Mahn- kah/o, first broke the virgin soil of our territory with the spade and pick-axe, in delving for copper ore, tons of which, or a green earth supposed to be the ore of that metal, he had con- veyed to his native France. He it was, also, who appears to have 1 een the first white man or trader, that supplied the "Sioux" and "Aiavvis" (loways) with fire-arms and other products of civilized labor; and to his truthful and generally accurate Journal, we are likewise indebted for the best statis- tics we possess of the earlj 'Mitory of the Dakota race, which then, fully a century and a half ago, as nov/, occupied the Following Le Sueur, after a considerable interval, came Cap- 12 MINNESOTA AND ITS RrSOrRCIS. tain Jonathan Carver in 1776, arul however extravagant we may regard some of his statements, and however discreditable we may deem his efforts to engross millions of acres, including nearly all the inhabited portion of Minnesota, and the very land upon which Saint Paul now stands, by a pretended deed of gift from the Indians, still we must concede him to have been an adventurer of so mean courage and enterprise, and his narrative a valuable link in the chain of our early annals. Still later, and within the present century, Oass and School- craft, Nicollet and Fremont, Long and Keating, have visited and explored our land ; and Pike, too, the heroic Zehulon Pike, who, in 1802, during the " Expedition to the Upper Mis- sissippi," of which he has presented so admirable a narrative, gave promise of that fortitude, courage, and determination, which niJirked him throughout a glorious career, until his man- gled body surrendered up his noble spirit, happy in the triumph of his country's flag, on the plains of Oan.ida. These are our records — these in part, our historiographers. Their works form stepping-stonos, across at least that portion of the river of time, which, in this region, for about two hundred years, has rolled its tide occasionally within view of the white race. The gaps between, it is not unfitly our duty to lessen and to close up. The materials for this purpose are not scarce, though some- what difficult to embody in a tangs*»le or reliable form. Not a foot of ground that we tread, but has been trod by nations before us. Wild tribes of men have marched their armiei^ over the sites of our towns and fields — fierce battles have been fought, where ere long churches may rear their spires — our ploughshares may turn furrows amidst the graves of btiried races, and our children ]>lay perhaps, where generations of children have played centuries before them, Dakota and Ojibway, Shiann and Ausinabwaun, Winnebago and loway, Oz:aukie and Musquakie, each, in turn or together, dwelt in the land, hunted and warred through it, migrated to and from it. When the first Jesuit missionary, one hundred and ninety years ago, visited Lake Superior, he found the Cnippewns and Sioux engaged in that war, which has continued Avith but littlo THE rAHT.Y HISTORY OF MIXNIiSOTA. 18 intermission nearly to tlic present time. How long before — for how many centuries pvovions — tliis contest was waged, we know not — the records are dim, the traditions vngne and un- certain, lint we do know that, from the St. Croix to the Mille Lacs, the ancient home of the M'day-wah-kauntwaun Sioux, whose rich maple bottoms are a Golgotha of hostile bones, through all the midland hunting-grounds to Lake Superior, and northwest by wild rice-shallows to the fertile lands of Red lake (whose waters have so often drunk blood from battles on its shores as to have gained the ensanguined cognomen which we mildly translate " Red"), we can trace the terrible results of this warfare of the Algonquin and Dakota races — a war- fare which in its results completed that general disruption of all the old geogrnphical relations of the various tribes of Min- nesota, which the Dakotas, perhaps, were the first to disar- range, when they loci ted on the Upper Mississippi. The incidents of this war— the battles, wher^3 fought— the victories, Avhere and by whom won — the councils held, and alliances formed — the advances, the retreats, and the final con- qnests — are among the inquiries not nuAvorthy of instituting, 'llie character of this work prevents, at this stage, a further commentary on these inquiries; therefore I close this chapter with a brief review of Minnesota since its first settlement and organization. Previous to the admission of Wisconsin as a state, all that part of the territory east of the Mississippi was a part of Wis- cousin territory. After the admission of Wisconsin as a state, there was a considerable popnlation here without any govern' moiif. Hon. John CatUn, secretary of the territory of Wis- consin, came up here, l)elieving that this was then the terri- tory of AVisconsin, and that the duties of governor devolved upon him (the governor of the old territory having accepted an otHce under the new state of Wisconsin), and issued a proc- lamation ordering an election for delegate to the house of rep- resontatives of the United States. This election was held October 30. 1848. Henry H. Sibley and Henry M. Rice- two of the most prominent men in the territory — were the candidates. Mr. Sibley was elected. He went on to Wash- 14 MINNi:SOT.V AND ITO RESOURCES. ington city, and, after some little difficulty, was allowed to take bis seat, and to attend to the interests of the people of the territory. On the third day of March, 1849, the last day of the session of Congress, the territory of Minnesota was organized. On the next day General Taylor's presidential term commenced, and a few days thereafter he appointed the following officers for the territory : Alexander Ramsey, governor ; C. K. Smith, secretary ; A. Goodrich, chief-justice ; and B. B. Meeker and David Cooper, associate justices of the supreme court of Min- nesota ; H. L. Moss, United States district attorney ; and Joshua L. Taylor, United States marshal. Mr. Taylor de- clined the appointment, and A. M. Mitchell was appointed marshal. Governor Ramsey arrived soon after his appoint- ment, the other officers shortly after, and on the first day of June, 1849, the governor proclaimed the organization of the territorial government. He also ordered an election of mem- bers of the legislative assembly, and a delegate to Congress. Mr. Sibley was elected to Congress without opposition. An election was held in November of that year (1849) for county officers created by the assembly, which had just ad- journed ; but the next regular election for all officers, inclu- ding a delegate to Congress, was held on the first Monday of September, 1850. A. M. Mitchell and Henry H. Sibley were the candidates for Congress. Mr. Sibley was successful, and Colonel Mitchell resigning, Henry L. Tilden, Esq. (now de- ceased), was his successor. Mr. Tilden was removed in the fall of 1851, and Joseph W. Furber, speaker of the first house of representatives, was appointed in his place. A. Van Voor- hies and N. Greene Wilcox, filling the offices of register and receiver of the land-office at Stillwater, were removed by th€ administration that appointed them in the summer of 1852, when Allen Pierse and Jonathan E. M'Kusick were appointed their successors. Charles K. Smith, the first secretary of the territory, was removed by the same administration in the fall of 1851, and Alexander Wilkin received the vacant office. Chief-Justice Aaron Goodrich was likewise superseded about the same time THE EARLY niSTORY OF MINNESOTA. 15 by the appointment of Jerome Fuller, Esq., editor of the Albany Jlegisfer; but the Unite] States senate of 1852 rejecting his confirmation, Henry Z. Hayner, Esq., -of Troy, New York, re- / ceived the " ermine," which he wore until removed by the incoming administration of General Pierce. Prior to the organization of the territory, Major Murphy filled the station of agent for the Dakota or Sioux Indians, Dr. Livermore for the Chippewas, and General Fletcher for the Winnebagoes, all of whom were subsequently superseded by General Taylor ; and Nathaniel M'Lean as Sioux agent, J. S. Watrous as Chippewa agent, and A. M. Fridley as Win- nebago agent, were the successive incumbents. A new land- office having been established by Congress in Benton county, in 1852, Reuben W. Richardson and Charles Christmas were appointed receiver and register thereof. Charles J. Henniss and Charles Cavileer were appointed collectors of United States customs, the first at Saint Paul, the latter at Pembina, on the Red river of the North, the boundary-line between the United States and British North America. ^ The first legislative assembly convened in 1849 held its ses- sion at the Central house, on the second day of September, and David Olmsted, Esq., was chosen president of the council, and J. W. Furber, Esq., speaker of the house. The second session commenced on the 7th of January, 1851, in the brick building now known as the " Rice House," and continued in session ninety days in order to form a code of laws. The councillors, being elected for two years, of course held over; but the house, being new members, elected M. E. Ames, Esq., speaker, while the council chose David B. Loomis, Esq., presi- dent. The code was formed chiefly from the present prac- tising code of New York. The third session convened in a brick building belonging to Judge Goodrich, on the first Wednesday in January, 1852, and Hon. W. H. Forbes was chosen president of the courcil, and Hon. John D. Ludden speaker of the house, both of whom were members of the former legislative assembly, reelected. The fourth session p.onvp.npfl nn flio flffli /lotr r>f Toy>,,„ — loco and Hon. Martin M'Leod was chosen president of the council, 10 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. nnd ITon. Bnvid Day speaker of the lioiiso, both of whom were (»M nicmhcrfi ro-olccted. The most important feature of this asseinhly was tlie f<.rmation of eleven new counties from the hind recently acquired l)y treaty from tlie Sioux. The details of this ami other treaties will be found hereaf- ter; but from the date of the consummation of the Sioux treaty in 18/>2, the limits of the territory were extended beyond the Mississippi river i^to a region as fair as that of the far-famed Nile, lying invitihgly and blooming before us. This event closes the history, so far as historical matters may be pre- sumed, up to the present time, all the past forming but a preface to this great work. In closing this imperfect sketch of the dim and shadowy past, an allusion perhaps ought to be made to the organization of the :Minnesota Historical Society — an important event in the early history of the territory, and one which has contrib- uted much to make it widely and favorably known throughout the Union. ^ •' It may seem a strange thing, even to some among our own citizens, and still stranger to people elsewhere, that an histori- cal socktij should have been formed in this territory less than a year after its organization, when its history was apparently but a few months old ; when the wilderness was, as it is yet, around us ; when the smoke of Indian lodges still intercepteu our view of the horizon ; when om- very name was so new, that men disputed as to its orthography, and formed parties in con- testing its literal meaning. " An h'lslonval society in a land of yesterday ! Such an an- nouncement woulu indeed naturally excite, at the first glance, incredulity and Avonder in the general mind. Well might it be exclaimed, ' The country which has 710 jmsl, can have no history;' with force could it be asked, ' 117/ (yc are your rec- ords V and if we even had them, it would not be surprising if it were still demanded, ' What those records could possibly record ? what negotiations, what legislation, what progress in arts or intellect could they possibly -xhibit?' — ' Canst thou gather figs from thorns, or grapes from thistles V " True, pertinent as such queries might seem, yet neverthe- THE EABLT UISTOBT OF MINNlfflOTA. If less they would be dictated by error-they would be founded ■ n great imsapprehenBion : for Minnesota has a history, and that not altogether an unwritten one, which can unravel many a page of deep, engrossing interest; which is rich in tales of danng enterprise, of faithful endurances, of high hopes ; which IS marked by the early traveller's footprints, and by the an- cent explorer's pencil; which is glowing with the myths and r«d,t,„ns of our aboriginal race, sprinkled over with their battle-fie ds, with the sites of their ancient villages, and with the waA-kaun stones of their teeming mythology " The society was organized by act of i;gislature in 1849, and ho ds us meefngs in January of each year. Among its mem hers are some of ihe leading minds of this country, as well a. every ,„fl„ential citizen of the territory. Through the u ,re m,t„ng labors of the Rev. E. D. NeilUhe secretary of he socety.much useful and interesting information and collec tions have been obtamed. The annals of the society are pub- hshed each year, comprising all the papers written for the uses of historical research. Four of these valuable pnblica! .n,ns have been issued already at the expense of the':";! The object of the society is " the collection and preservation of a library, mineralogical and geological specimer^ 7nd ia" curiosities, and other matters and thing, connected wth and calculated to illustrate and perpetuate the history a^d s^tle- ment of, the territory ;" and the secretary is required " to kee„ what conditions, and other items of interest connected th;re" v^ith ; and shall report the condition of the library anrcabinet at each annual meeting." ' i-aoinet " It is a mark of wisdom thus to write up the historv of » country from the titlepage, that in after-times, when ■ cWldlh huig-s are put away,' and -by St. Paul the work' of Im^. ^on .goes bravely on,' the growth of that new empirrunon western waters may be all mapped out beneath Z eye'o? posterity, from Us infant-like creepings upon the greensw,'^. "f fheto f^.'^T. • '"'*"^ "^PP'"S^ wherewith it approached the door of the Dmon, and demanded admittance as^a sta e." M 18 MINM\8t)TA AM> liS KKSOIUUKS. Its prcwcnt olliccu-s Are, Hon. Alexander Ramsc} , president; Hon. Martin M'Leod and Hon. David OiniHted, vice-presidents ; and Itev. E. I). Neill, secretary. Any person taking interest in the historical afl'airs of our country can become a member by forwarding one dollar to the secretary at Snint Paul, for which he will receive a copy of the annals, and all the privi- leges of contribution of papers, 6i.c. J f •1 resident ; 38ident8 ; intcrcHt member Paul, for ■4 lie privi- OEOGKAnilOAL AND GKNERAL FEATURES. CHAPTER IT. COMPRISING A GKNERAL OKOOHAPIilCAL AND DESCRIPTIVE VIEW OP THE TERRITOUV, GENERAL FEATURES, ETC. The territory of Minnesota, as organized by the act of Con- gress of March 3, 1849, is an extensive region, being about four times as large as the state of Ohio, and is six hundred and seventy-five miles in extent from its southeastern to its north- western border. It extends from tlie Mississippi and St. Croix rivers and the Avestern extremity of Lake Superior on the east, to the Missouri and White-Earth rivers on the west, a distance of over four hundred miles; and from the Iowa line (latitude 43^ 30') on the south, to the British line (latitude 49^^) on the north, also a distance of over four hundred miles— the whole comprising an area of 166,000 square miles, or 106,000,000 acres. At one point along the northern boundary, viz.. Lake of the \\ oods, the line extends to latitude 50"— a fact not gen- erally known — while on the southwestern part it extends for seventy miles below the Iowa line, to the junction of the Mis- souri and Sioux rivers, in latitude 42° 30^; thus running through seven and a half degrees of latitude, or a distance due north ot hve hundred and twenty-five miles. Almost the whole of this is a fine rolling prairie of ri.h soil, a sandy onm, adapted to the short summers of the climate, and which produce bounteously, nay luxuriantly. The surface of the country excepting the Missouri plains, is interspersed with numerous beautiful lakes of fresh water- all abounding in the finest fish, and their banks covered with a fine growth of woodland. The land is about equally divided between n«k. openings .nd prairies, the whole weU'watered by numerouB streams navigable for steamers. 20 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. In the eastern part, viz., on the head-waters of the Missis- sippi, Rum river, and the St. Croix, are extensive pine and hard-wood forests, apparently inexhaustible for centuries ; while from the mouth of Crow-wing river, a tribu;;ary of the Mississippi, an extensive forest of hard-wood timber, fifty miles in width, extends southwesterly into the country watered by the Blue-Earth river, a tributary of the Minnesota river, emp- tying into it one hundred and fifty miles above its mouth. The latter stream, rising near Lac Traverse, flows southeasterly a distance of four hundred and fifty miles, and empties into the Mifibissippi at Fort Snelling, seven miles above St. Paul, and tl e same distance below St. Anthony. This is one of the finest streams in the valley of the Mississippi, and the country through which it flows is not excelled for salubrity of climate and fertility of soil by any part of the United States. In a good stage of water, steamboats can ascend it almost to its source. A portag », of a mile or two then connects it from Big-Stone lake with Lac Traverse ; and the outlet of the lat- ter, the Sioux Wood river (all of which are thirty miles in length), with the famous Red river of the North. This stream is navigable at all seasons for steamboats from the Bois de Sioux to Pembina, on the British lint — to Selkirk settlements, one hundred miles beyond — and even to Lake Winnipeg. The whole trade of these extensive regions will eventually gsek this channel to a market, following down the Minnesota to the Mississippi at St. Paul, and thence to the states be- low. A railroad connection will eventually be made from the mouth of the Bois de Sioux to Fond du Lac ; also from the same point to St. Anthony and St. Paul via Sauk rapids and the Mississippi. Another will connect the same point with Lac qui Parle, on account of the portage at Big-Stone lake ; thence down to the mouth of Blue Earth ; thence southeasterly through Iowa to some point, say Prairie du Chien or Dubuque, on the Lower Mississippi. Let not the credulous reader smile at this : I hav . been through a principal portion of the regions here described, ai:d, without enthusiasm, write from a survey of the country and a knowledge of its capacities and resources when once brought out. Let no one think the great tide of imrai- 93 GEOGRAPHICAL AND GENERAL FEATURES. 21 gration will confine itself to the banks of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers ; on the contrary, the whole interior to the north and west of these two streams will soon be peopled, and thickly peopled too. The only inten-uption to the navigation of the Lower Min- nesota river in dry seasons is what are called the " Rapids," some forty miles above its mouth. This is a ledge of sand- stone rock, extending across the stream, and will soon be re- moved. The Mississippi above St. Anthony is navigable an almost indefinite distance to the north; and the steamer "Governor Ramsey" has already been running in the trade above the falls for four years, as far as the Sauk rapids (eighty miles) which, with the Little falls (forty miles beyond), are the main obstacles in a navigation of over four hundred miles from St Anthony to the falls of the Pokegama. St. Croix lake and river are navigable to the falls, sixty miles above the junction of the lake and Mississippi; and the St. Louis river is naviga- ble from Lake Superior twenty miles to Fond du Lac Nu- merous other streams are navigable for light-draught steamers and flat-boats from fifty to one hundred miles, penetrating into the interior to the pineries, and giving easy access into the country m all directions. These are the Blue-Earth, Rum, LlK, Sauk, Crow, Crow-wing, Vermilion, Cannon, and others. On the northeastern border of the territory ^s Lake Supe- rior, wit . its valuable fisheries and its shores abounding in inexhaustible mines of copper, coal, iron, &c., besides afford- ing us the facility of that vast inland sea for immigration and commerce. The Great Father of Waters too-the mighty Mississippi- after rising m Itasca lake, in the northern portion of the terri- tory, flows by a devious course for some eight hundred miles through the eastern part, and below the mouth of the St. Croix orms the dividing line between us and Wisconsin for some two hundred more to the L-.wa line. This mighty river gives us the whole lower valley to the gulf of Mexico for a never- ceasing market for our agricultural nrn.ln.n our ir~f- n- 1 our manufactures ; for, with the unlimited water-power at nu- I! f 'I : 23 MINNESOTA ANT> 1T8 RFSOrKCEfl. • *o u wpvp idle to arecne that wc are not destined niovouR points, it ^le i tie to aig .^^Uural commu- te become a manufaotunug as well a^ '\" .^g^^.""""' ,, ^ ^^i nitv, an.l that the whole of the ^^^^^ ^''^^'^TTm^^^ ,,,; i.e aopendcnt in a n.easure on the Minnesota, of ^^hlch we "^:^:^l:r te^.^:;? f.r no.ai f.r comf.. or .nvenien. c. X „ ^ cfnfo T have rot patience to even frtv (ntnrp e-vcatiiess a a state, i ucivi. i. -^ ^ i ^ l;lr:;if; I «. not wna„g .»• «.« edification of vcop^- vevv ■(iUv as to believe any micl. Inimbuggery. AVo can giow a , eveal grains- winte. wheat and con. --^"'o '^ ; ana as a grazing country it can scarcely be eqnalle. . Cattle ad I eop and all kinds of live stock, are more hcaltby Leve. r, a an b prodnced in as fine a degree of perfect,™, as u. tbo ' ,tr 'nl evidence of fanners who have turned their atten- ; tli branch of farming industry fully proved th.s by their past experience in the states, contrasted w.th then- great " TiT; ^lHabill's now number .wenty thonsand. One year „ore at the present rapid rate of immigration, w.U see .t Zblcl There is not an instance in the whole h,s ory of the ;: Northwest, or of frontier life and -viU-t.on n. whu=h « territory, i.,me<^i<,tdy afcr i,s ors ~ „,,,L, y,,V«-,«Z «» P'''^^ ^^^ .^ ^,,„„ ,,;„ a, death- Lealth we ^^^rtCt uU berotable in St^Louis. In ofaaegveeofcoldtWwou ^^^^ ^^^ ^ r ""' fTom spring until harvest, and n>ost of them in the showers, ftom ^P »'g " ^,,^ ^„„ ,eems scarcely to go short nights. At miclsummL pacific, be- aown in the west to ;-;,^-/; ^^^^t Xe^east. At nine fore we agam behold ''"'/''ff f^„ .earcely too dark for your o'clock in the evening, it is then «»»'«« y , „„i. .ives and ^.™g"- |° ,^; ^I f \,,2h atZt were a terrible tiply mosquitoes. T^^se insects .^^ g, p,„, . annoyance, have about ceasert to oe ■^^^^^^„ indeed we made no use of mosquito bars ast ff f "; ^„"7a;,.,g,.tf«l often until the middle of December, - -7" "J.^^^^ ,„a .,„„y a-vys vising by degrees in ^^ 3^^of^,^ ^^^;„ „, r;::.Te"::;e -errercHlling w^ds, and shivering. GEOGRAPHICAL AND GENERAL FEATURES. 29 ■n to Rock •e south evn the Avhole ock island. Muscatine, climate bc- L-ceptible. 3 salubrious n a case of r, either in ol, heahl'frd ous exertion^ [Comparably •th America. 1 Qhio, more innesota can gather, when out of doors 1 as death — [ — every hu- . of warmth. . the vigorous joyment here, 5t. Louis. In but frequent ' them in the carcely to go lie Pacific, be- east. At nine dark for your t showers mul- were a terrible le in St. Paul ; lutumn, indeed m of delightful 3f winter ; and table season of M and shivering, drizzlinn^ rain-storms, usually. It is very uncommon to have a winter as open as the past has been. Sleighing generally continues good here through all the winter months. The river generally closes about the fifteenth of November, and opens the last of March, and a boat may generally be expected early in April ; but before it closes, sup_)lies are brought up for the semi-annual payment to the Sioux, Chippewa, and Winnebago annuities. All these Indians are paid in Minne- sota. The aggregate amount of annuities paid them in cash and goods, including what the Sioux will receive under the treaties recently ratified, and the cost of transportation, amounts to several hundred thousand dollars. These pay- ments, and the supplies furnished to Fort Ripley and Fort Snelling, and the goods and provisions furnished by the traders to the Indians, constitute much the largest share of the business heretofore done by steamboats, at the port of St. Paul. The Indian trade is carried on chiefly by factors or agents of a few large establishments, which have their outfits or de- pots at St. Paul ; these agents are at different points in the Indian country, but mostly near where the payments are made. They buy furs and peltry ; but their chief business is to sell goods to the Indians, at a profit, in anticipation of payments. An Indian hunter requires his outfit of ammuni- tion, blankets, guns, and a variety of necessaries for himself and his family. When he returns from his hunt, he general- ly sells his furs to the outfit that furnished him. If any bal- ance remains due to uie outfit, he does not pay it, but it is' expected to stand as a charge against the annuity, if there be an anauity ; or if not, then against the contingency of an an- nuity, to be paid as a part of the public debt of the tribe, out of the ultimate proceeds of the sale of their lands. This has been the established mode of procedure for many years ; and there never has been a time when the trader with the Sioux Indians could discontinue and refuse to extend these credits, without an absolute certainty of forfeiting all former balances due to him, for the supplies of previous years. W^e might say something of the admirable oaks and rock I MINNESOTA AND m EESODKOKS. ■lit 80 , . „ml bl.ck w«ln«t», fou..a in the flig wocIb, wl.icl. for ,„o„ only go up "« f^^j^ 2'^. ;\ t„t „ few miles above St. river, a tnbntary of the ^^'f^'^lVP.' . „; .„a .ho St. Croix. Anthony, lying between ^'^l.^'^'^JZitX Grol., <^n' ^ , j „f sl,i„gles, it could be taken to .<; •"^«;.,^;"';,",Tal here, a p.atent lathing, planed floor.ng ^"'1 «'^"S- , ^j,^ t.^je of the .ooden ware factory^a.-ge no«^ to supply ^^ ,,y. lumber- ^hole r,ver f^" ' J/^ "^ent foolishly undertake to :? :r;:::S :^^l -d immigration throughout the ^Ivllltr^tdXtte. indueementsfor agriculture *nr:itr :;tr-in':b^l> the labo, of »„« man wiU GEOGEAPHICAL AND GENERAL FEATURES. 81 ivliicli for value to y of piiio jat extent ir lumber- ancl Hum above St. St. Croix, ji'oix, and tlier tribu- iue timber imon falls, ;ributai'ies, furies will lametl tbat )ur munifi- of fertile ily of pine jlains habi- o-lit saws at il propelled in St. Paul, tumpage in icli beyond fom St. An- steam saw- were made, of shingles, jre, a patent trade of the aay, lumber- mdertake to roughout the r agriculture 3ne man will .'^ produce more, n'ill yield a Inrgcr surplus above his own neces- sities, than any other western state or territory can boast of. We have none of the languor and debility and agues, that turn men into feeble women, in the harvest-tield, as they have south of us. Labor, here, stands up firmly on its legs, the year round, and drives things through. 2d: We have as good land — it is useless to say better- but as good as there is in the world. For fertility. Cottage Grove prairie, or the whole valley of the Minnesota river, or the valley of the Red river of the North, can not bo beaten ; yes, we undertak* to say that at Pembina, in latitude 49^ north, they can raise as sound corn, and as much to the acre, as can be raised anywhere on the Wabash. Now, if our readers are not going to believe us, let them stop short here; for we are prepared to make a wager, that we will raise larger and better crops in Minnesota, acre for acre, of any or all crops ever cultivated in that state, than can be raised in Illinois. We will name our farmer, living here, for our champion, and will back him up with our money. There is time enough. May is soon enough here. We will give Illinois May the start, and Minnesota shall come out ahead. Don't care what the crop is — any grain, any root — anything from a castor bean, or an apple or pear tree, or a pumpkin, to a sweet pota- toe or a tobacco plant. Why, sucker, do you know you have frosts about two weeks earlier in Illinois, than we do here ? It is a fact ! We will show these people sights, who come up here in May, and go shivering back home, saying that Minne- sota is "too cold for craps'' We can beat them, too, at stock-growing, can raise hardier cattle anH sheep, and thicker meated, sweeter beef, than they can anywhere down South. We feed stock a fortnight longer — but what of that? Our cattle are healthier, our grass is sweeter and more luxuriant, and our water better for stock ; and we can make more at rais- ing stock here at the same prices. But we have higher prices here for meat and for all produce — and always must have, hav- ing soldiers, lumbermen, and Indians, to feed, and make us a home market. The cost of shipping produce from below, operates as a perpetual tariff to protect our farmer. He gets 32 MINNKSOTA AND IIS KK80UK('K.9. tho Ramo price lio could below, and tlio cost of freight nnd the charp'cs beside. - Wild game, except water-fowl, wo do not couBidcr abundant in these parts; but wo have tl.e fattest ducks and geese Iced- ing upon the rice lakes, and the most of then., that you ever saw or hoard of. As for f.sh. it is no exaggeration to say that Minnesota— her rivers and streams, but especially lakc^ — arc alive with then.. Wo will warrant all fishermen m all parts of tho world, an abundance of sport and of success m hslnng. You can catch just as many bass and pickerel as you want. In tho river, wo catch not only the catfish (none of your slimy, muddy cats, either), but also tho wall-eyed pike, a most deli- cious fish. In many streams tho speckled trout abounds, varying in size from fivo inches to two pounds. But it is idle for a novice to try to catch trout. It is as ticklish a busi- nesv as fortune-hunting. On tho west shore of tho river, are the Sioux Indians, i hey are daily on the east side, begging some, trading a little, and 8ome of them stealing. They never speak English, even if they do know a few words of it. They are civil men, women, and boys. At night they generally paddle (that is, the squaws paddle) their canoes home, across the river. In a residence of three years, we have not seen three drunken Indians m St. Paul, of any age, male or female. We state this as an aston- ishlnc' fact, creditable to tho character of our liquors, but still more^so to tho Sioux Indians. They are under better moral influence than any other Indians, perhaps, on this continent. The Sioux treaties having been ratified, these Indians will be removed before next winter, to their reservation on the head waters of the Minnesota river. A great many people, hun- dreds, are living now in tho Indian country, making all sorts of improvements, including expensive mills. Settlers are pouring in there every day, and will continue to do so ; for the government could not, if it would, shut out the swarming millions of our countrymen, for a distance of many hundred miles, of country treated for, of which the river is the boun- dnvv. It is hard to answer the question, " What is your population ^m OEOGRAPIIICAL AND OENKKAL FKATCUK8. 33 [1 the nnt )un(lant 80 t'ceil- 'ou ever f)ay tlint D8 — arc ill parts . fishing, ant. In ir slimy, lost deli- abountls, But it is b a busi- 3. They ittlc, and , even if , women, squaws residence ins in St. an aston- I, but still ter moral continent, ns will be the head Dple, hun- ; all sorts ittlers are do so ; for swarming y hundred the boun- population composed of?" The people who constituted Minnesota when it WHS ()rjj;fiiiiz«'(l wore a nnijority of tliom ('anadians, voifaqeura and tlioir faniirios, and half, and »|unrtor, and oi}j;lith, and bix- tocntli brood IiidiaiiH, running through the whoh; ganuit of colors, from the dusky Ind'.in to tlio fair Scotchnmn ; and tliOHO people are still in ^Minnesota — quiot,good pcoplo, though not all as intolligcnt and energetic as the scheming Yankee. Tlioy are living all over the territory, on both sides of the river, where our organic act found them, and gave them the political rights they so highly enjoy. Such is their attach- ment to our Hag and our government, that nowhere could vol- unteers be more readily raised than among them to fight its battles. Since the date of the organic act, settlers from all parts have come in, from the east, the middle, and the south. However divided upon other questions, there is not and will not be in Minnesota any disposition to sufler any infringement whatever upon the rights of any and all the states of the Union to manage their own domestic affairs. The Mississippi river is just as navigable all the way up to St. Paal, when the upper or lower rapids do not interrupt, as a river can well be ; although there have been times, and may again be, when the sandbars interrupt the passage of boats of the usual draught. The boats running here are of the same class that run from St. Louis to Rock island and Galena. There are always two if hot three boats regularly running be- tween St. Louis and St. Paul. There will be a daily line of boats the coming season between St. Paul and Galena, a town with which we have a large and growing trade — most of our trade, in fact, upon the river, above St. Louis. Dubuque, how- ever, is now straggling for a share of our trade, and may event- ually succeed to some extent when the railroad shall be com- pleted to the Mississippi opposite that town. If the town of Dubuque had the " go-aheaditiveness" that may be found in Galena, she would long since have secured the Mississippi trade. There will be a boat or two, and probably more, run- ning regularly from St. Paul to points on the Minnesota river during the coming season. There is no doubt but there will be two boats land at our wharves every day during the coming 2* g 34 JIIXNi;SOT.V AND ITS KESOBRCES. «onso„. For «nfWy. elegance "^"-7"-f '■'"'"' J^',^™;; „,„1 nil tl,..t cons,U„to» g.>oa l.o«.i„6, these boats a .1 boa^« en i„ tl,e Bt.]>n.l tva,lc can not be «'^P.»%^<\- ?''f, ,, ^ Slave" is owned and con,n,andcd by Louis Kobe ts, Ls,i. bhe w U ,n. on the Minnesota in,n,ediately after the opemng of ^^vigation, but we presume will eventually take her place n 21 It Paul and Galena trade. Tln,« it ,v,ll be seen hat the ravcHer and the immigrant at St. Lonis, or the traveller com- : m Chicago to Rockford by railroad, and from Kockford Galena by stage, can hardly miss a good boat any d^y o St Paul • and we learn that the fare will be very low. 1 here ! e no s ,ags in the river above Galena-no risk-never a eanbot 'accident-no cholera-nothing to P-ven yo» coming cheaply, agreeably, and comfortably ^^^V/nd to see Minnesota, and look at St. Anthony and St.llwatei,ancl at our own extensive tow^n of St. Paul, which rs fast tumbhng nx) into the rank of cities. . , "^f a traveller eomes here, and ^^^'^^V^^ fj'^'T'J-^^ will take a stage to St. Anthony, eight m.les, look at the falls an asprotty a town-site as the Almighty ever fashioned, and Uke d.e littfe steamboat " Governor Ramsey," above the falls. 7sL rapids, about eighty miles; and if he does not say he sees the most delightful, the most ebarmmg land and i v« ener^all the way up -as far as he chooses to ravel-that Ivc iTy out of doofs, tl.en we have no sense or judgment Or, if e wLts to see what the practical farmer can do ,n Mmne- ota^let him ride down to Cottage Grove. Tins .s upon e ° le of land extending down between the confluence of the St cl^ix and the Mississippi. The farmers there raise more 1, oots, everything that is good to eat than they have any 1 for, and they sell a handsome -f ™, -J^/X" f^" , Paul and Stillwater. It is on the east side of the nvei, too Lno trouble about Indians, and some of the best land that ev r was, not yet taken up. From Cottage Grove you may nroeeed to Point Douglass, a place of much promise, and sur- Cded with choice land. Thence you -U pass through a charming country, thirty miles, along tue wes. .ho>» o. L..k9 St. Croix, to Stillwater. : GEOGKA.PIIICAL AND GENKRAL FEATURES. 35 rnlarity, boatmen " Greek iq. She ening of place in that the Her com- Elockford y day to . There -never a rent you , at least '^ater, and tumbling iosity, he : the falls oned, and I the falls, lot say he and river vel — that aent. Or, in Minne- 3 upon the nee of the raise more ■ have any '^ear to St. 3 river, too land that ) you may le, and sur- through a if T oL-a Still watev is the headquarters of the outfit and lumbering done above it, on the St. Croix, and has a more substantial, reliahle business, for the extent of it, and more capital, and less pecuniary embarrassment, than any other town in Minne- sota. There the penitentiary has been erected, and there has been located one of the land-offices in Minnesota — another is in Benton county. There come the steamboats, either on their way up or down the Mississippi ; and although you might go across in a stage from Stillwater to St. Paul by land, you will probably prefer to go around in the boat. But urst you must go up the St. Croix, and see the busy sawmills at the Marine, Oceola, Taylor's falls, and the falls of St. Croix. These places are all actively engaged in lumbering. Being back at St. Paul, you will of course go up, four or five miles, to Men- dota and Fort Snelling. Southwardly from St. Paul, about six miles up the Mississippi river, on a high, smooth promon- tory, standing upon white sandrock, is the fort, below which unite the Minnesota from the southwest and the Mississippi foom the northwest ; but an island extends down for half a mile, and keeps the channels of the two streams separate, ex- cept a narrow slough or cut-off that connects them just below the fort. About half way down the island, on the Sioux or west side, sitting on the shore of the Minnesota river, is Men- dota, which has been incorporated by our legislature, and is destined to a rapid improvement. The tenacity with which the war department hung to the large tract of country em- braced within the old military reserve at Fort Snelling, has been the only obstacle to the improvement of Mendota here- tofore. Hurrying back to St. Paul (and the bo-t is there before you think of it), you take the stage to St. Anthony, passing through as pretty a specimen of Minnesota on your way as need be ; and you are soon there, although you might go in half the time if that railroad that is to be were completed. You will find St. Anthony a right smart village, very neatly built along the east bank of the river, and on a bench a little back from _.j ".,,•» ii^oxi.c ijic laiia auu a nne region we* of the river. You may be disappointed in the grandeur of the m gf; MTNNKSOTA AND ITS KFSOURCES. fulls, as you certainly ^vill bo in tl.c .l/e of the river, but not in the unsurpassed beauty of both, or the chammg beauty of the whole scene that surrounds you. The mills, eight saws, you will find actively employed, and water enougli (if the throat of the channel through which it is supplied, oetweon the island and the shore, were sufficiently deepened) to drive all the sawmills in the world ! Less than half a mile below the milldam (which confines all the water passing down on the east side of the island, while on the west side the water leaps nnrestraincd down the falls) there is an eddy, to w^nch lumber is hauled from the mills to be rafted down to St. Paul, distant bv the river some thirteen or fourteen miles. Look upon the niap, and you will see that St. Anthony is only about two miles north of St. Taul. A railroad of eight niiles, therefore, or a plank-road, would be of great service to both towns. 1 hat steamboats, fit to navigate the river below St Paul, never can if they would, and never would if they could, ma c a difficult trip of fourteen miles for the sake of getting two miles nearer to Lake Superior and to the north pole than they ai-e at bt. Paul, in competition with a plank-road or railroad eight miles long, is evident from the fact that they can not ami do not do it in competition with common roads. An extension of a rail- road in the proper and natural direction (northerly up the Mis- Bissippi river toward Lake Superior) would not touch St. An- thony, but would leave it several miles west of the Ime^ We Bhould, however, favor the construction of a road by St. An- thony, a place where all travellers will desire to visit, where there will be much manufacturing, especially of pine lumber, the university of Minnesota, and a place, in fact, which will ultimately be one of much importance, as a beautiful retreat, and a place of quiet and repose. -, . • i v-. , ' St Anthonv is said to contain fifteen hundred inhabitants ; but what they do for a living, beyond the few engaged in lum- bering, we are unable to say. In our opinion, the ultimate hope of that town for a large population rests upon that class of retired people of substance, as well as invalids and people of fortune, desiring literary privileges m a retired^ beau-^.n. town, who will certainly be more strongly attracted there than ■% w ■I •it; ', but not )oaiity of ^lit saws, h (if tliG , between ) to drive lie below 5vn on the ater leaps ch lumber Lil, distant : upon the about two tlierefore, ms. That never can i a difficult iles nearer are at St. 3iglit miles [ do not do Q of a rail- up the Mis- ich St. An- line. We by St. An- v^isit, where ine lumber, which will iful retreat, nhabitants ; ,ged in lum- he ultimate )n that class I and people 3d, beautiful i there than oT:ooRArnroAL and :;enerat. fkatures. 07 to any place we know of in the Groat Valley. They have tl.ore a newspn])er, tl.e ,SV. Anthony E:rpress, whicli is really the most valuable institution they possess. Whatever we could do to attract the attention of the world to such advan- tages as St. Anthony rCally does possess, we have cheerfully done and written. All-Saints, or Hennepin, is on the west side of the river, opposite St. Anthony. Here is the old government mill, and a new saw-inill. and many other buildings have been recently erected This is the county-seat of Hennepin county, which, snice the reserve has been taken off, and Lake Minnetonka has been dm^overed, has increased in population very rapidly. Ihis county has been organized for judicial purposes at the last session of the legislature, and is destined to be one of the mosi wealthy agricultural counties in the territory. 'All Saints or Hennepin, or Minnehaha (what a pity they can not find "a name iov the place), is in all respects as pleasantly situated as St Anthony tor mill purposes, and will soon be a flourishing V.T'r^ t \ "'"'' ^'^^'^ ^" ^^'^ ^'V to Fort Snelling, is Little Falls, where a small stream from Lake Minnetonka, passing through Lake Calhoun, leaps down a perpendicular edge some seventy feet, in a way to- stir up a great many stupid stanzas and swelling odes, and sublime distiches. A few miles, three or four back, is Lake Calhoun, which it seems to be genera ly admitted must be considered our classic lake • and all the little poetasters of the Union, when they go into that region, are compelled to affect, if they do not feel poetic fervor; they catch the cacoethes scribendi ; and soon they break out in couplets, sonnets, distiches, odes, descriptions, sketches^ and various other phenomena of disordered imagina- tions. From All-Saints, you might take a pony and ride a scape of ich prairie and heavy timber, and rich bottoms, like those of the Hlinois, the grass so high that you could not look ou from the top of your pony-or through the Big wood or across mil -streams, past newly-erected dwellings, large fields recentlv nlmiD-liofl q«.i ^^,,„„j ...,_ , , *= ' '"6^ "^'^s • . -^—o-; '' ^^^^ xenccu, preparatory to receiving a crop the coming spring-on across rolling prairies of rich luxuri- > — I •S MWSV.SOTA AND ITS KBSOUECVB. , • .„.nv in tl.c wkle, U»e aronmy-looking basin of the Minnesota, tlio '»^'='">f ,™* . .,,„, ever flasl.ed upon Katn,e, in «U l,er nnconccaled ^-^-'y ' ^ ';^ "^^.^ly uid out mortal vi-ion, to Henderson. It .8 a town r ^ ,_^ on the Minnesota river, at .ts mos ^Z'^' ^ l^^.e lake, on Blue Earth, and "-^f^.^^raTln^dlX^^^ which the Cannon »v«. to t^^ "^Tpr Minnesota. There has been Lave been locatea on uie u^^j ^„vinfr the past win- ahout a thousand cords o wood cut ^^^t^^Zl various ter, to be boated ^o- *» S'. Paul. A ^^^^ ^^^^^.._ other improvements aie now o^'ng ^^^_ etors — P>-:r:/frte*^^^^^^^^ ">"- the country west of the M".neso a by the best ^^^^ .onte. AUho„|h some ^'X:' tl'm'ilfrn"- to the fort Traverse des fe.oux, '* j^^""^' ^„„^.,„ „f t,,e ,iver being and agency by ^'^f^^^^^^^^.th.^ni thence west of south of east rom the ^»' *;«"^ j^^, „f ' ^i^ber, of sugar ma- „orth to H-^;'-'^;„,^t::7io„t five miles, where it is met pie pm.cpally, "'«» '^ J'^^^ ^ ^.,1^ irfe, exten.^ing to tlie by a clean, smooth, "f ' ^"f .7' J„„. a road has been ^^fui ^woo^^^ t^^^^^^^^^^ and supplies have opened ' ""' f ^ ^^^^ ^^,^ ^t winter. The road passes been hauled to the new tort P ^^^ presenting by -;-»^^ ,^;;jf ;^,,'tg' X" ^'='"S weU watered, well rbCc;:S.i^r%*r:irle'-land,and convenient to a We.er. " Tvfv'elling a little north of west, at the distance of tbirty- fijmlles frL Henderson, where the river -m- f^^^ po n .L nf south you again strike the Minnesota at Little KocK, cast ol smm, J"" ^ , f j ^jijeh is on abeauti- rK:!'r lower line of tb^I-aian rese.e . a -^ 7^ B^ ^nt ne-a^ - =-- ^^ ^^ »» ^ GEOORAPHICAL AND GENERAI. FEATURES. 89 ; basin of oluptuoi'iB jlied upon Y laid out below tlie re lake, on icy, which e has been e past win- nd various ["he propri- ing to Can- -five miles, nd to reach ,nd shortest , below the to the fort river being ;nce west of of sugar ma- ere it is met nding to the id has been applies have 3 road passes i presenting s^atered, well to a Western ace of thirty- } from a point Little Rock, ,8 on a beauti- ; off for miles it is the Little ve ; and some » new location d wood on the Kouth, and tlio Dcaver river on the north. Both those streams are susce]itil)le of being made to drive machinery for the man- ufacture of flour, sawing lumber, &c. Near this point a large farm is contemplated for tlie use of the Indians, and contracts liave been taken for ploughing six hundred acres of land, and making twenty-four thousand rails, the coming season. At this agency the Sioux will receive annually, hereafter, forty thousand dollars worth of provisions, and eighty thousand dol- lars in cash annuities, besides the goods, iron, salt, &c., &c., provided by the treaties. Here will be located the agent, interpreters, blacksmiths, farmers, and other employees of the Indian department. If you wish to come down the crooked river in a canoe, after passing the Big and Little Cotton-Wood rivers, you can land at Mankato city, just below the mouth of the Blue Earth river. Here there is mucli improvement, and this point may be termed the head of steamboat navigation, even in high water. Above this point, after passing the Cotton woods, the river becomes so narrow, so very crooked and shallow, and many boulders being in the channel, that steamboats in any ordinary stage of water could not get up, nor turn in the river if they did get up. This point is about thirty miles, by land, from the New fort, and is surrounded by valuable agricultural land. Water power in abundance may be found on the lUue Earth and its tributaries. Descending from the Blue Earth some twelve miles, we land at Babcock's Mills, located on the east bank of the Minnesota, and surrounded by a vast supply of excel- lent walnut, maple, basswood, and other valuable timber. Eight or ten miles by water, still further down the river is Traverse des 8ioux, where the Upper treaty was made ; and for many Aveeks, hundreds of Dakota lodges stood everywhere scattered about on the sloping hillside, shaped like loaves of sugar, taken possession of by the ants, that hurry in and out, and seem busy to no purpose. At Traverse des Sioux (the crossing of the Sioux), there has always been, and still is, a well-worn trail, crossing from the east to the west side, con- necting Lake Pepin on the Mis-ssippi, and all that region, with Lac qui Parle, and the regions watered by the head 40 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOUECKS. 1 ■' w ^'liich ,vate.-, of the Minnesota, nn,l tl.o, high lam » m ^^"«=" ™;. "^^ flow off to ,llff.-rent seas, all tl.c i.viucval r.vcrs -o o the cluvm of great lakes. Twenty n,iles l,y ^vater below tl,e 1 av- e is Le Suenv, on tl.e south si.le of the river, a plaee ,jh.ch 'l e c Igy, capital, and enterprise of some of the n,e«hant8 S l' ul, iLe already n,a,lc an attractive po.nt on the river. Le Snenr is on a slope rising from the shore gradna ly. I ke the site of I'eovia, Illinois. It is not only m he m.dst of ne of the richest and n,ost inviting '".Ions for .11 sor » of ,„„„a„ enterprise and industry, hnt e ,■' ^^:^^^^ drive across a region of groves and prmr . ^<'''';" ^"^ 2', already made a road over, lies the r.eh valley of Cannon nver (he River La Longne of La Hontan), which -«11 have its easi- Kmost natural avenue of river trade, through Le Sueur and down the Minnesota river to St. Paul. Thisls the hub round ,vhich the northwest, from Lac qm Pavle to the Missouri, from the Missouri to the Red r.ver of t^.e North, and from Red river to Lake Superior, and irom Lakes™ rior to the Mississippi, does and will revolve, turn ut you may-the capital of the territory, which from a h a f LZlZts ami a hundred and fifty inhabitants, and a l.ttle iogTa holic chapel, in the spring of 1849, now numbers hun- dils of new buildings, many of them elegant ; half a dozen sine b churches, with bells in their steeples; inhabitants num- S by thousands, surpassed by none in shrewd foresjgh and activity, and business talent ; with a corporation, such as U t • t" t being graded ; a mile and a half of new s.de- w-,lk extending L whole length of the town, sawed, binlt, r, d 'ndd fo , by voluntary contribution, in little more than Zt we k- hn'ches filled on Sunday-two new clmrches to be e -ected (another presbyterian, and a German methodrst)- two hotels built, and two more very Large ones now bmld.ng one at each end of the town-saw-mills, fourrdnes, and all sorts of enterprises put in operation in a twu,kh„g-a„ acad- Z of the highest grade for young ladies, pr-ojected th.s sea- Z ana the thing now actually commenced - a stearnboat son, ana g ,„,„„iw neater than that of any other town but Galena, abo.e St. Louis. These are only % % 4 OKOGRAPHICAL AND GENERAL FEATURES. 41 h vise nri(l est of the tlie Trav- lace wliich mercliants ,int on tlie graclually. the midst rll sorts of hin a day's Nature lias atnion river ave its easi- ;li Le Sueur om Lac qui led river of »r, and. from revolve, turn from a half and a little lumbers liun- half a dozen ibitants num- iwd foresight it ion, such as of new side- sawed, built, le more than w churches to methodist) — now building, dries, and all ng — an acad- ected this sea- — a steamboat n that of any hese are only some of the changes in the fortunes of this vigorous town, wliit'h we have witnessed, since we landed in St. Paul, on the eigliteontli of April, 1849, from the old " Senator," the prompt, honest, faithful, old " Senator," Captain Orrin Smith, wlio now runs the "Nominee," and whose insides — engine and boilers — ave good enough to wear out half a dozen new bodies. The iirojectors of this town appear to have had but the smallest possible ideas of the growth and importance that awaited St. Paul, not anticipating that it would be either a commercial centre or a political centre — nor that it would bo the capital of a new territory, nor the centre of the largest . pine lumber operations on the continent; nor the seat of a new surveyor-general's office, for the government surveys of ,. these wide regions ; nor the point of trade and supplies, of ^ outfits and steamboat operations above it to the sources of the f Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The original plat was laid off in very good imitation of the old French part of St. Louis, "^ with crocdced lanes for streets, irregular blocks, and little Bkewdangular lots, about as large as a stingy card of ginger- .1 bread, broke in two diagonally, without a reservation fit to be * called a public square — without a margin between the town and the river — without preserving a tree for shade of all the .J,' majestic ones that occupied its site, the ugly stumps of whrch ||now disfigure the town — and without permanent evidence of •f boundaries made by the survey. In fact, it was a survey with- lout measurement, a plan without method, a volunteer crop of (mildings — a sort of militia muster of tenements. So much or the old plat. Then came in Rice and Irvine's addition, up he river, commencing at Mr. Neill's church, and embracing lie upper landing. This is laid out but little, if any, better, n fact, the two plats appear to have taken a ranning jump at nch other, like two rival steamboats ; which having inextri- ably run into each other, the passengers and crews have con- luded to knock doAvn the railings and ran along together, as , no craft. Then came in Smith and Whitney's addition, next ^below the old plat. This is about as irregular, being laid off %ipon a contracted scale also. Hoyt's addition came in be- ^lind Smith and Whitney's, bearing n strong family resem- 43 MINNESOTA AND TIS RESOURCKS. T.lancc to the older additionR. Leach's addition comes in above Rice and Irvine's, extending far up town Then came in the Kittson addition, below the old plat of bimth and Whitney's addition. Kittson's is laid off in smaller lots than any of the other additions; and its streets make no sort of coincidence with other streets in town. It wonld save im- mense cost, and prove an eternal blessing to St. Paul, it the whole site of the town could be now thrown into one common field, and platted as it ought to be, with large ^^^^^'^f ^"^ f public ground, with straight, wide, regular streets, and blocks and lots of uniform size. Near St. Paul, above and below, are two fine mill-sti earns , and from springs, rising from the terrace in the ^ear of the town is a smaller stream, of pure water, which passes down to thi river across Rice and Irvine's addition. This stream for- merly passed down back of where St. Paul is, and emptied through the ravine in Fourth street, into the river at the low- er landing. It is sufficient to supply a large city with water , and the corporation intend to conduct it down through an aque- duct, to furnish the town. The sooner it is done, he better. Tiiere are two steamboat landings in St. Paul, the lower and the upper. Some expenditure is needed to make either of -them complete for business purposes m all stages of water. At the lower landing there is wanted an embankment down Sibley street, from the foot of Fourth street to the river ; and a levee along the shore-all which can be done easily, and some progress has already been made m that work The levee has also been much improved, but yet requires further improvement. A want of space on the levee ^^^^^ ^PP^?*' and it will by no means afford the necessary facilities for the business of the summer. At the upper landmg a bridge has been built above high-water mark from the mainland across the slough to the river bank. Between the two landings is a precipitous bluff, one hundred feet high, which might be graded down so as to make a good levee, and j3erhaps at some time it will be. Besides these two landings, there is in Kittson s ad- dition, half a mile below the old lower landing, a ^ewjanding being made, which is to be connected witn the bluu in ui« i GEOCRAnilCAL AND GENERAL FEATURES. 43 on conies in Then came f Smith and lUer lots than ce no sort of luld save im- t. Paul, if the I one common eservations of ;s, and blocks mill-streams ; e rear of the »asses down to his stream for- i, and emptied rer at the low- ty with water ; rough an aque- e, the better, aul, the lower to make either tages of water, ankment down the river ; and me easily, and at work. The requires further very apparent, ■acilities for the ng a bridge has aainland across ro landings is a night be graded at some time it in Kittson's ad- ;, a new landing the uluu iu tii6 rear of it by a plank-road upon an embankment across the niMrsli to the nnw hotel there being erected — the "Kittson House." Tlic gco/ogjj of Afinncsota is a subject to which we have I paid but little attention. The portion of the territory, how- I ever, south of a Hue extending east and west through Sauk I ra])ia8 of the Mississippi river and Patterson rapids of the I IMinnesota river, appears to be of the usual limestone and sand- I stone formation of the valley of the Mississippi below ; while I above that line the granite crops out, and the formation is I clilefly of the primitive rock. This formation must be much I modified, liowever, as you approach Lake Superior, which has I iK^en the theatre of the most gigantic volcanic movements that I Nature ever exhibited— to which we are indebted for our rich I copper regions. They are west of Lake Superior, where chaos I seems tumbled into worse confusion, amid gorges, and hills, ;| and chasms, which art alone can make passable or even jack- Jassable. The mines are situated in the land of the Chippe- 4was, and^are yet unwrought to any extent, but known to be |as rich as the richest of those mines that are wrought farther least, along the southern shore of Lake Superior. .^ Relying perhaps too much on the dogmas of geologists, we -were for a long time incredulous about the existence of coal in Minnesota; but we can doubt it no longer. We have in our possession specimens of the finest quality of bituminous coal, free from sulphur, and buraing with far less cinder than the coal of Rock island, which we know was found within a day's drive above St. Paul. We can no longer doubt that the coal- #elcls of Iowa, passing along far up the valley of the Des jMoines, cross over and make deposites in the valley of the ^lue-Earth and the Minnesota. We can not present a more lively picture of the region above Us, to Sauk rapids, than the following account of " a trip from Bt. Paul to Sauk rapids," copied from the Pioneer of June 12, 4851, which will be new to some of our readers : I " Two lines of convenient stages make each two trips a day |i^om St. Paul to St. Anthony and back. We left on Thursday Jiorning; and were delighted to see farming operations pro- 1^1 *ll. t. I 44 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. grossmp — plonj,.lnnfr. fcnclnp:, plnntinfj— every wl.cro on timt clmnninf? praiii,., wl.id, is spread out between the two townn, a tlistanco of eif,^ht miles. This alone inspired ns witli fresh hope, to see so great a change wrought in so short a time — so many hundreds of acres unr^ .• tillage, which were covered last year only with wild grass and flowers of the prairie. "A mile before we reached St. Anthony, we saw its bright, fiesh-paintcd houses, shining among the distant trees, and saw the waterfall glistening in the sunshine, and seeming more like a picture than the original of a picture; but as we approach nearer, and listen to its sullen roar, and see the spray, and examine more closely the material of the exhibition, the cataract becomes a grand reality, filling the beholder with mingled emotions of beauty and of sublimity, the proportions of which depend upon the constitution of his own mind. Far away, down the steep, rocky channel, below the falls, sweeps the angry current. But now we begin to see the pleasant, fresh-pamted houses of the villagers on the right hand : here a cottage, and there a substantial two-story house, and there again a cheap building, without cornice or ornament, peculiar to the west— a building which is neither a one- story nor a two-story house (detestable style of architecture) — and away upon the sloping hillside various houses in the process of erec- tion ; and piles of fresh-sawed lumber away off among the tall prairie-grass of last year's growth, betokening that buildings will, soon be there, and streets of St. Anthony, now known only by reference to the town plat. "Here are stores— ncAv law-offices— more new houses- more piles of fresh-sawed lumber— new cellars commenced; and now we come to the sawmills, active as ever, shingle- machines, lath-factory, lathes, and the bustling industry of men and teams in and around the mills, like a big heart sending its active pulsations of business all over town and into the neighboring country, and far off into the pineries. Here is a company of gentlemen, officers, from Fort Snelling, taking a sirvey of the village and the waterfall, from the terrace back of Main street. They think, and truly think, that St= Anthony is destined to be a famous and fashionable watering-place— n-e on tliat two tOWllH, witli fresh fi tiino — so overed last e. ' its bright, !s, and saw ? more like 5 approach spray, and bition, the ohler with proportions lind. Far lis, sweeps i pleasant, find : here and til ere t, peculiar tory nor a and away ss of erec- ig the tall ; buildings )w known houses — nmenced ; *, shingle- ry of men t sending '. into the Here is a , taking a race back An+linmr — J j-place — OKor.KAi'iircAr. and oenkual features. 45 tl.ftt ncitl.or Saratoga, nor Newport, nor Niagara, can offer cqunl MulPcenuM.ts for a sumn.er resi.lence to invalids and pco- plo of IcMsure. Now we pass alo.g Main street, and here seems to be an unimproved space intervening between the upper and lower part of the town-to the uj.per town, which Jertainly s uMos with prosperity, everything looking new and clean, hore^we come to the St. Charles hotel, a fine, spacious build- ing, full ot strangers. What a contrast within a few months ! ^^ hat a change since a year ago, when the stranger who vis- ited fet. Anthony could not obtain a dinner, unless through the compassion of some citizen he were invited to dine a^some private house ! "After dinner at the St. Charles, the whistle of the steam- boat IS heard and we must hurry down to the ' Govern'or Ram- sey.^ This boat, the first that ever rode in the waters of the Mississippi above the falls, was built by Captain Rollins and others, who for enterprise deserve the lasting gratitude of Min- nosota. In the hands of such men a comparatively small sum of money would be so expended as to open the navigation of the river many hundreds of miles farther. This boat differs ft^m all other boats in having locomotive boilers, consisting of a great number of small cylinders, all of which, coming in contac with fire, present a large extent of boiler-surface within a small compass, for the generation of steam. Contrary to the predictions of many, the boilers do not become crusted with lime, but are kept, with proper care, entirely clean. The en- gines are also different from any that we see elsewhere in the west and are very perfect in their way; sols their manage- ment by the engineers, for the stern paddle-wheel responds to tJieir touch quick as thought. ''The boat being small, of course*does not afford very com- pete arrangements for passengers. There is a small cabin winch sleeps perhaps a do.en, and a still smaller cabin for adies. The freight, of course, is a very important part of the business of this boat, and especially the transporlcition of In- dian and^garrison supplies.. Among the passengers are the ^^^^^^^2' ^i^ss- and several gentlemen and ladies from the state of New York— three lad ies, all in the 46 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. hloom of health, nnd pnrticulnrly fine-lookinj]^ womon, who fltand ill the rch-ition to each other of f^rniulnioflior, daughter, and grand-daughter. Now the hoat, with some dilHcidty, passes out hetween two islands into the main channel, and heads up Btrcam, the water swift, oh how 8\»ift! heing just at tlie head of the falls. A feehle hoat could not stem the current. Fire up, boys! Dry wood this season; last season they had to burn green wood. It takes half a cord an hour to run the boat. •' For a long distance on our right extends a boom, parallel to the shore, by which mill-logs from above are turned down between the island and the east shore into the millpond. The river looks much smaller than at St. Taul, and seems to bo lifted up out of the chasm through which it runs below the falls, to the level with the shores ; or rather, which is the fact, there is no chasm until the river finds one after breaking over the apron of rock at St. Anthony. As to the shores of the Upper 3I?ssissippi, there arc none of the abrupt bluffs, such as are seen down the river ; but the land comes down, by an easy, gradual slope, to the very edge of the water; and as you look aAvay far back, and see the smooth land now covered with green, gradually rising as the view now recedes from the river, far, far away, the remotest object is a swelling ridge of prairie- land, or of oak- openings, on the right hand ; and on the left a forest— nothing short of a dense forest of vigorous young trees, as far as can be seen ; and in the channel, islands, some of them large, covered invariably with a heavy growth of elm, hackberry, maple, and cottonwood ; and whenever, as an ex- ception to the general appearance of the shores, there is any- thing assuming the form ^f an abrupt bluff, it is crowded with pine-trees. Occasionally a spot of universal beauty bursts upon the view : such is the landscape at the mouth of Rice creek, or Itasca prairie, or the eastern shore near Swan river. The land is evidently very rich. At Itasca we noticed the formation to be a bed of gravel, upon which rested a body of marl, supporting a rich, sandy loam, not less than eighteen inches or two feet deep. At various points we saw extensive fields under cultivation— crops of oats, potatoes, everything mnn, wlio (1 nil gl iter, Ity, pn8se8 liondM up t tlio liond .>nt. Firo sy had to nin tlie 1, pnrallcl netl down nd. The, ['ins to })o below tlu) J tlie fact, Itiiig over es of the s, such as T an easy, you look ired with the river, )f prairie- the left a IS young lids, some h of elm, 8 an ex- ■e is any- ded with y bursts of Rice an river, iced the body of eighteen xtenslvt" erythin^ f ^^K OEOOHAPlnOAL AND OENEBAL FKATTBJB. 47 lan-l, fields, the crops, apeak for themselves «„d h„™ • wold seem expSv o fi , ? "' ''''''«"•"' "'^ Nature it splitting Zml^tli f" ' P m"™"";""' '■""'' ^"'-' .ait::;:::;':::':;!,:'™^.''':/-- *"» *-es, &«.. i„ .,„•« - a fore,t „7t ;! ?!:: '"^'.^f-'^S-"'''. picturesque swamp we do not know- WB . "' *"'' '"'>''"'d """ tent with the vast exten't „^'' f""'"" """"ty ">ay well be eon- of ti.e river, .x^^t it^i^ti;''::;:'" f^"' -ape which we can recede tnohi I dtwn'tf """ " """•■ pare with, unless it be the shore of tlT\r- "™''. *" •="■"• lower rapids, including the baeteound of if ''™''^P' "' "'« rose. The first ni^I,? J! "^''^Sf"'""' of Nauvoo and Mont- mouth of Elk rivef (Z^r °" ^T^ '^' '"'"• "' *''« at night.) The lert Zrn- "■"" ^"""^'y' ''°«'' »«« run attraftin^ourrttSnrnr^Zrot:"''"'' r,',"^ "■"" surprised -we certainly wer^_at 2 ?""^- ^" ^^^ed on the west bank of the Zr eU! f *f ™' "' ''""''» noeful of Winnebagoes;rrrlg^: Z^ritdTf'"'^' " T payment.' There in « l,„«.o v ^, " "^®^^ goods from 'the and papooses, and baloSstorerth'"?' T'f ^''»^-»' nishik. himself «!».•„„ .v :,.! ."'' """f ">«'■■ l>ead-chief. Win- "Mostof ♦!.„ * '" 'T ""^ "'"^ steering. Most of the canoes, on the approach of the fteamboat, elide J 48 MINNESOTA AND ITS RI<:3f)UIlCE9. I out into some little nook or eddy, near tlie shore, until our boat has passed. At short intervals we find farms, Bome of them large, and all giving good promise. " The • Thousand islands' is an exaggeration ; hut then the islands are so many and so large, that they seem to have taken resolute possession of the channel, as if to drive the stream hack — which, however, swiftly glides between them, giving the boat good warm exercise to brave the current. We come to the granite formation at the foot of the rapids, striking out boldiy across the river, to bar the channsl. Useless. What obstacle will not the power of steam overcome ? The boat dashes across through ripple and eddy, then tacking suddenly takes another course, buffeting the stream, escaping the rocks, and riding in triumph above and beyond the chain of rock. Good, old, primitive granite, how familiar you look ! — the very material of those cragged mountains among which we were born. How like the familiar faces of the old men does it seem, who tottered to the church where we worshipped in infancy ! " We arc at Sauk rapids, and here the boat lies panting and cooling herself in the swift w\ater like a weary beast. Let her rest, while we walk along the shore of the rapids, about three miles, to the head thereof. We leave the boat and warehouse, and th3 few teams that are busy there with freight and pas- sengers. How wide the river is, spreading out over a vast expanse of granite fragments! — swift, but nowhere precipi- tous, and evidently impassable for steamboats. But what a chance for building a canal on the east bank, by simply con- structing a w^all of granite; laid in cement, without excavating and without any expense but a wall and three or four locks ! And what an excellent water-power all along the rapids, with- out need of so much as a dam, unless perhaps a short wing- dam ! The Indian trade is now mostly concentrated at Watab, which is on a delightful prairie three or four miles farther up the river. «' But here is llusscll's, at the head of the rapids. Here is a good, comfortable house, stables, oxen, fat swine, large en- closures, fields of oats, and everything to indicate thrift and itil our boat me of them but then the ) have taken I the stream them, giving . We come striking out less. What I The boat ng suddenly ig the rocks, lain of rock. ! — the very ich we were men does it orshipped in ; panting and ist. Let her , about three d warehouse, gilt and pas- over a vast here precipi- But what a { simply con- it excavating )r four locks ! I rapids, with- a, short wing- ;ed at Watab, les farther up ids. Here is ine, large en- itc thrift and GEOGRAPHICAL AND GENKRAL FEATURES. 49 good living. Here reside the judge and the clerk of the court, and courts must and will have things comfortable. The next morning (Saturday) returned to the boat, which cast off her ropes at eight o'clock, and we swept swiftly back through the enchanting scene which we have above hastily sketched— reached St. Anthony at 4, P. M. ; took stage back to our own delightful St. Paul and the labors of the press, highly delight- ed, and more confident than ever of the glorious destiny of Minnesota." The gcographi/ of the Mississippi between St. Paul and St Anthony may be thus illustrated : Sit at a table, with your face westward, and lay your left arm horizontally upon the table, bending it at an angle of forty-five degrees. Your shoulder will represent the location of St. Paul, your elbow the location of Fort Snelling (the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers), and your hand the location of St. Anthony. In the forear?n, from the elhow to the hand, the falls have produced a parahjsis. That portion of the river is not navi- gable. Therefore, as the shoulder is nearer the head than the elbow, and nearer the head than a paralyzed forearm can be that has no power of motion, we say, with the utmost truth and reason, that St. Paul is at the head of navigation for such steam- boats as can afford to run in the trade up the river from St. Louis and Galena. As regards temperance, this territory is well adapted to the wants of the temperate and the intemperate. The legislature at Its recent session refused to pass the restrictive law : conse- quently on the east of the Mississippi the spirits are manifest, when, how, and where they please. On the tvest of the Misis- sippi, by a wise provision in the treaties by which the Indian title was extinguished, the trade and intercourse law is in operation, and spirituous liquors of all kinds are prohibited under the severest penalties. This fact is noticed particularly, because It is very important thafevery immigrant should un- derstand the matter, that he may locate to suit his propensi- ties, ll.ose whose liberty is not confined in bottles, casks, and decanters, will .s,,ffo, far less inconvenience by making their homes in the country west of the Mississippi; while all 3 50 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. who believe that potato-whiskey is the staff of life, are at per- feet liberty to remain east of the " big river." In these random remarks about Minnesota, in the hurried sketch of the territory above written— truthful, but rough and without method— we have omitted to mention many facts, which, however disconnected, ought to appear m a general view of the territory. Among these may be mentioned the country extending from the Mississippi, below the Minnesota, south to the Iowa line. The valley of the Cannon river now contains many settle- ments, and is a fertile agricultural region, well watered, and well timbered. Many towns have sprung into existence lately on the Mississippi, within the nev purchase. Little Crow, Hastings, Red Wing, Wabashaw, Winona, Minnesota City, Minneowah, Mount Vernon, Brownsville, and many otheiT towns and villages, have surprised us by the apparently ma- gical manner of their springing into existence. In many places, where one year ago the whoop of the Indian alone discurbed the quiet, may now be heard the hammer, the saw, or the puffing of steam-mills, while the eye beholds all the im- provements necessary to the comfort of a large and rapidly- increasing population. The distance by the river has gradu- ally diminished from Galena and St. Louis to St. Paul. River distances at first are always exaggerated. It is less than nine hundred miles from St. Louis to St. Paul, and less than four hundred from Galena to St. Paul. The course from Galena to St. Paul is more west than north. The fare between St. Louis and St. Paul, with elegant cabin accommodations and fare, has usually varied from eight to twelve dollars ; and, from Galena to St. Paul, from three to six dollars. It will be very low this season. When the traveller comes up, he will reach Minnesota pn the west bank of the river long before he reaches it on the east bank. You pass twenty or thirty miles through Lake Pepin, with odd-looking peaks, and crags, and cliffs, overlooking you. This lake is a mere widening of the Missis- sipDi. All is WisconBin on the east side until you come to the St'Croix. Entering that, if the boat first goes to Stillwater, GEOGRAPHICAL AND GENKKAL FEATUiiES. 61 re at per- le hurried rough and any facts, a general ioned the klinnesota, my settle- iered. and mce lately ttle Crow, sota City, any othei: rently ma- in many lian alone ir, the saw, all the im- id rapidly- has gradu- aul. Kiver s than nine 18 than four 1 Galena to sn St. Louis } and fare, and, from irill be very I will reach i he reaches ilea through and cliffs, : the Missis- come to the Stillwater, you find that also widened into a lake, up which you proceed thirty miles to Stillwater, Wisconsin still being at your right hand. But Wisconsin extends no farther than the St. Croix, up the Mississippi river. The boat stops an hour at Stillwa- ter; touches at Willow river, on the east side of the lake; stops at Prescott or Point Douglas again, at the mouth, and then proceeds up the Mississippi again. From the mouth of the St. Croix to St. Paul is thirty miles. You pass Cottage Grove and Red Rock ; and Eere, three miles below St. Paul, is Little Crow Village, on the west bank. Goiig on, you pass around a great bend that takes the boat southwest, and in the curve of this great bend in the river you see St. Paul, high and far, all around, under and upon the bluff, and upon terrace after teiTace beyond and behind the bluff — the giant outlines of the most vigorous town in the northwest. At St. Paul you will find stages waiting to take you to St. Anthony. If you stop in St. Paul, you will find good hotels, and can get fair board at three dollars per week. If you conclude to stay with us, you may buy a lot, and put up a small house in ten days. For green dimension lumber you will pay twelve dollars per thou- sand feet at the St. Paul mills, or nine dollars at St. Anthony, which is quite as cheap, or a shade lower. For shingles you will pay two dollars to two and a half per thousand. You will buy nails, glass, putty, provisions, everything you want, in St. Paul, about as cheap as in Galena or St. Louis. If you are a farmer, love liquor, and want land on the east side of the river — good land, if not the very best — you can have it. Or you can go over to the west side, where good farms may be had for the improvement, and government will not ask to be paid for them for years. Talk of California or Australia as you may, there is no country in the world which affords an equal prospect of growing rich with Minnesota; and while gain- ing wealth, you can enjoy the blessings of health and the com- fort of a vigorous family growing up around you. No country affords better facilities for schools or for places of worship than the settled portion of Minnesota. 52 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. i li 1 1 1 H j i 111' i .1 CHAPTER III. GENERAL REMARKS AND REFLECTIONS AGllICULTURAL ADVAN- TAGES A TALK WITH FARMERS, CAPITALISTS, MECHANICS, LABORERS, TOURISTS, AND ALL OTHERS. The Reverend E. D. Neill, in a " Thanksgiving" discourse, delivered on tlio 2eA\\ December, 1850, the first thanksgiving day appointed by the governor of the territory, after speaking of the hardships of the early pioneers of the other portions of the United States, says : " No such distresses have been felt by us, the early colonists of Minnesota. Uninterrupted gen- eral health has prevailed throughout the land. The country so far has been as near an El Dorado as any ever found be- neath the skies, and its fountains are as renovating as any that are not fountains of eternal life. While the cities in the valley jcIow were filled with gloom by the reappearance of that mysterious scourge, the Asiatic cholera — while the ploughs were left to rust in the field, and the crops to remain unhar- vested — we were permitted to pursue our callings with alacri- ty. Not an authenticated case of the death of one of our citi- zens by that epidemic can be discovered. ** In addition to general health, we have been free from the hardships of emigrant life, and have possessed all the neces- saries of existence. Though not far from a thousand miles by the usual route of travel, northwest of the city of St. Louis, and though there are no roads to our settlements from Lake Superior, or the capitols of Wisconsin and Iowa, our territory has been easy of access. Instead of being weeks upon the way, toiling with oxen through swamps and pathless forests, camping out by night with scarcely any covering but the fir- mament studded with stars, and with no lamps but those hung AGRICULTURAL ADVANTAGES, ETC. 53 discourse, nksgiving speaking ortioiis of been felt pted gen- e country found be- ig as any ;ies in the ace of that le ploughs a.in unhar- dth alacri- 3f our citi- ; from the the neces- d miles by St. Louis, from Lake ir territory I upon the ess forests, 3ut the fir- thoBB hung in heaven, our immigrants have been speedily transported Jiithcr in noble and convenient r^^eamers, and with but little expenditure of their means, and with no bitter thought that tlicy had been obliged to leave some of their family upon the boundless prairies, a feast for the wolf and the bear. Nor have any of our inhabitants been destitute of the necessaries of life, ||3^radition declares that at one time the colonists of Plymouth were reduced to a pint of corn, which being parched and distributed gave to each individual only five ker- nels.' The new settler in this territory has always had an abundance. The farmer has added to his gains ; and it espe- cially becomes him to observe this day, and with gratitude to praise the God of the harvest. It also becomes us to give thanks to-day, that we are at peace with the Indian tribes within our borders. "The poetesses of New England have sung our praises. Authors have called us the ' New-England of the West,' and her inhabitants Avould love to see us adopt their social and ecclesiastical forms. The public presses of the middle and southern states have viewed us with a kindly eye. No scenes like those enacted at Alton, Nauvoo, or Vicksburg, have been perpetrated here. To go to Texas was once sy- nonymous with fleeing from justice ; on the contrary, to emi- grate to Minnesota implies a disposition to be active, intelli- gent, industrious, and virtuous, and there has never been any stigma attached to the act. " Tliough this reputation we enjoy is to a great degree un- deserved, let us see that we do not lose it. If the words are true — " ' He that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed,' it is proper for Minnesota to frown upon all who by their con- duct disgust strangers and residents. They are her robbers. They impoverish the territory, without enriching themselves. " Finally, we should give thanks to God for our fair pros- pects. It was a common belief of the early explorers, that one of the great thoroughfares of nations, from Europe to ,r"?!!£l3i»« 11 1 11' f 1 ;| ■ 1 ifi 11- > r 64 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. China, woiilil pass tlirongli this district of America. Henne- pin, La Sallo, and Carver, were confident that tliere would be a sliort route to the Pacific by the head waters of the Upper Mississippi. The latter looked forward to the time when a communication would be opened between New York and the remotest West. View the map of the United States, and you will readily perceive that we occupy the geographi^l centre, and that St. Paul is in the same latitude as Oregon city. Is there not a prospect that in half a century, the Indian lodges that now surround us will be far removed ; that the shores of Lake Pepin will be the abode of many a maiden as constant to her first love as Winona, and in addition strengthened and ennobled by the religion of Christ; that the steam-engine, either in boat or car, will move from Montreal to the rapids of St. Mary, and stop at the roaring waters of St. Anthony ; that a populous city will be the capital of a state, and a depot liko Damascus, or Petra, or Babylon, in olden time, for the produc- tions of the south, the furs of the north, the manufactures of the east, and the gold, or, what is better, the golden grains, of the west ; that the gates of the Rocky mountains will be thrown open, and the locomotive groaning and rumbling from Oregon city, will stop here with its heavy train of, perhaps, Asiatic produce, on its way to Dubuque, or some other point ; that the mission stations of Remnica and Lac qui Parle will be sup- planted by the white schoolhouse, the church-spire, and high- er seminary of learning ! Is it not true, even now, that " 'Behind the scared squaw's birch canoe, The steamer smokes and raves, And city lots are staked for sale Above old Indian graves.' Do we not hear the tread of pioneers Of nations yet to be; The first low wash of waves where soon Shall roll a human sea? '"Each rudo and jostling fragment soon Ave plastic yet and warm ; The chaos of a mighty world Is rounding into form. .'4 I AGRIOULTUKAL ADVANTAGES, ETC. t>6 "'The rndiments of empire here Its fitting plnee shall find; The raw nmterinl of a state — Its muscle and its mind.' " For the benefit of the farmers, capitalists, mechanics, tourists, and all otliers now arriving, I give such facts, practical sug- gestions, and sound advice, as a long residence, and an intimate acquaintance with tlie advantages and capacities of Minne- sota have thrown within our reach. Farmers have been told repeatedly that no more productive land than this is to be found, and also of the amount and qual- ity of the crops ; the immense size and xapid growth of all kinds of garden vegetables ; the superiority of the bottom lands for grazing purposes; and, also, that no business can possibly pay better for the amount of capital invested, than the ebtablishment of at least a hundred dairies, on a large scale, the manufacture of butter and cheese for exportation, and the raising of cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry, &c., for home consumption. I suppose that all men will now take this for granted ; it is too late i.i the day to argue the question with anybody ; in fact, the knowing ones are already rushing in upon us much faster than accommodations can be found for them. I will, however, not get into any glow of enthusiasm about it, nor allow my personal interests or predilections in favor of any one portion of the territory over all others— the Minne- sota river country for instance — the usual hobby of almost all our writers— to influence me in a fair and impartial review of the merits of the whole territory. I say, then, that all the land on both sides of the river, which is at all adapted to farming purposes is good, and that all objections as to the soil being too light and sandy, are not based on a proper knowledge of the adaptation of soils and climates to each other. The heavy, wet, black soils, under- laid by the cold clay-beds of Illinois and Iowa, would no more suit the climate of Minnesota, than would those of the tropics suit the climate of the froz regions. The summers of Minnesota are short, and require a warm I 06 1 'Milii i !!S MINNK8{)TA AND ITS KKSOUKflCS. Z^a\ IT''"'' ^'""^^ '''''^''' ^''''^^^ consequently never fa Add to tins our late autun.nal season, .hich lin^L in o lH3 lap of ^v.nter, in November, the absence of frosts we^ks later than ,n tbe states Just south of us. and the reLIi 2 copu.us hunder-showers, .hich occur so frequently to n set nd replenish the bounteous earth, all ten^l to facilitate l" guMvth and maturity of such crops as must be seen to be cred- Excluding the tamarac swamps, and some rather rough and e..st ot the Mississippi, and on its head watcrs-the laud is ns good as any farmer need desire, and will produce all kinds t. mei to exemse, is as to where his particular location shall be made, and this each one will soon determine for himself. wloror''-if;- !V''f '^''' ''•^"'^ "^^^'^ Minnesota ri^^er, whe e he will hnd land, wood, and water, prairie, and timbe^ combined, and forming as rich a country L can be found in tne west. Several steamboats are now running from St. Paul to the settlements on the Minnesota river, and are crowded every trip with freight and passengers. v.^Z ^'J':'' '']'? ''^'^ Si«"^ ^«"ntry, he will have the ad- va tage of being able to op., up as good a farm as on the eastern side, and m not being required to pay for it for several jcais, as the lands are not surveyed, and will not be for some time yet Or he can go up the Mississippi river, and locate at any point between St. Anthony and Crow Wing, where there IS a good home market, for all that he can raif; at his own The Chippewa and Winnebago tribes of Indians, and Fort Jlipley are located in this direction ; while the main pine re- gion of the territory, viz., on the head waters of the Missis- sippi, Leaf, and Crow lYing rivers, yet remain to be opened. 1 arming produce will find a quick and steady market in years to come m this particular section, when it will be a Irfect dr.g from over abundance, and no consumers in the shape of lumbermen ana manufacturing operatives in other quartei. . want every farmer to locate with reference to the future .UlRtCCI/rCKAI, ADVANTAOKS, ETC. 67 wWn farming, not .peculation, will lo tho b,„i„c88 of el,o tcr- Tl,o «oil of tlicdelta, between Kt. Paul, Point Donglns, and Stillwater, rcrt,#upo„ a led of lin.estone, is well adapt;.! to the growth o wHter wheat, and will aoon fill up with a laLo farming population. ^ 8« The land i8 finely situated, and, from its contiguity to the above-named point,, and the easy access to both rfvers^affo ds r:.^l rrr ""' ™'"""" ">-"-• t^oUage-Orove PrS an Js! a7''^ settlement i, within a few miles of St. Paul and St Anthony, and is situated amid many beautiful ake„ wink tlie sod is good, the timber plentiful. L I^ts doTe' lake Minnetonka, which is situated twelve miles west of St An bony. ,s ,„ another fine farming region, and many imm .' giants have located there • also flin mncf ^f • tjon from Northampton. Mat:<^!:e" s' tL'I'Z^^ZZ the r.ver farther north, and near Hastings and Bed Winlt! the south, is also of the very best quality. and-„ow7hat we are prepared to exhibit Minnesota, even^at the Worhl's Fair IZr "" "" "'""-""' S'"""- " ^o™-'' l-e^t to Before you choose, then, look around you. and visit any or all of these places immediately. " visit any or nation t7;v^omealToK T ' ' T' ''^''''' ""'' » '•^'<'™:- ., -^ ^^ "*^^ ^^" oe given m advisino- ti.^ jp,^: . 3* 58 MINNKSOTA AND ITS RESOUltOES. ii! 1 I i 5:9 tions for yoniif^ Inisincss men, that I may be aware of, will be choorfnlJy aflordcd by myself. Pusb ahead, then, 1 say, witli a bopcful beart, and remem- ber that it takes energy, invincible determiri^fcion, and a large expenditure of toil, and sweat, and muscle, with a rigid econ- omy, to acbieve success, even in Minnesota. Capitalists will here find a wider field for tbe profitable in- vestment of tbeir funds tban can possibly be found elsewhere. If they will speculate in lands, we have a hundred town-sites at a hundred available points, where lots can be bought cheap, with a prospect of a rapid advance, if a liberal policy be pur- sued ; if not, ninety of them will always remain in embryo, and exist as at present upon a sheet of rolled-up paper. I would advise town proprietors to offer very liberal inducements, and to give at least every alternate lot to any man who will im- prove by building and making it his permanent residence. They will find their advantage in the rapid augmentation in value of the re-maiiiing portions. But we want men to come here with money to invest in producing something, in steam and water, saw and grist mills, which are now much wanted in all directions. A hundred mills would pay well now, if they could be at or;:3 located at St. Paul, St. Anthony, and the Sauk rapids, the St. Croix, Lake Pepin, Lake Minnetonka, and more especially on the Minnesota river, as there is but one now there. We also want a mai:ufactory of wooden ware, some tanner- ies, glass-works (gas also in a year or two), foundries, furnaces, boatyards, &c., &c. ; everything, in short, from a steamboat to a jackplane, from a ploughshare to a locomotive-engine to run on the St. Anthony aud St. Paul railroad, which is to he surveyed this summer and huilt the next. Mark that, stranger, as ycu go along, for it will be done ! Mtchanics and laborers will find work everywhere, in town and country. There is a demand for both, and high wages ready. Mechanics get all kinds of prices, according to the trade and skill of the man. Two dollars per day is the me- ninrn Tiripo nmnrnrvn lnV»nrora rrpf froP^ nno rlnllnv fn rv-no rinl. lar apd a quarter per day. i e of, will be and remem- and a largo I rigid econ- rofitable in- . elsewhere, d town-sites light cheap, licy be pur- 3mbryo, and r. I would emeuts, and ho will im- b residence, lentation in len to come g, in steam ich wanted rell now, if ithony, and linnetonka, here is but >me tanner- js, furnaces, steamboat e-engine to ich is to he X, stranger, ire, in town high wages ling to the T is the me- to one dol- ls: I I AaiUCULTURAF, ADVANTAOKS, KTO. 59 Tho.0 wl,o 3«„ not (l„d work in the towns, will be 8«re to do so on the firms, or on the government ron,l» now in process of eon«,r„ct,on. There are twenty miles of road to build at the fallH of the St. Croix, whieh will oce.my all this season seventeen miies at Sauk rapids, ten at bZ river Ind a'T.' Itele 1 rame, and ten miles on the Long Prairie road. These ast-named pomts are from sevcnty-five to one hundred miles up the M,»s,ss,pp, above St. Paul. A portion of the Mendota and Wabashaw road and bridges is also under eon.raet at the foot of Lake Pep.n. A United States military road is to be sur- veyed tins summer from Mendota to the Missouri river. Tea «.oj,sand do lars have been appropriated, and a large party kcidXr ' ""' ''"""' -'•■Fovisions, wifl be cot If you should not find work immediately, make a good claim at onee, stnke out for yourself a while, put up yof r shanT m tl e spnng, d.g up an acre, and plant potatoes, com, and vegetables, enough to last you through the next winter. Work afterward at anything you may find for your hand to do a. d pay for tl>e breaking up next fall (if you can not do it your «elf) of at least tea acres, fence it, and as much more as yon stead of your own-a good crop of oats, corn, and potatoes in the ^round-and. if you are a lucky fellow, a wife and cL I drea m he shanty, yourself as iadependent as a lord a^d a thc-sand times more Iiappy. ' ^^ * if you are a bachelor, get married na coon .. i enough ia the house for two to^t The t -f '"'" ^*™ ryorias ±air, to be held in 1856, will ■ 60 MINMCSOTA ANT) ITS RKSOCUCKS. III I "i tnko tlio highest premium theio ns perfe^it specimens of hu- manity. 'i'he tourist in search of pleasure, exciting scenes, good health, or information of this region, and the gentleman of elegant ease and leisure, will now find ample accommodations of the very bcHt character, go where he may. For beauty and sublimity of scenery, fine climate, bracing and invigorating, good water (and liquors, too, if wanted), fine fishing and hunting, from a prairie-hen to a buffalo bull, wo just set up Minnesota against the rest of the world a?i(l all the other planets, and coolly offer to back her with any odds you may choose to offer. To the tourist who desires to see the territory, and who is not willing to sit down here and think St. Paul is the whole of it, as many do, we will point out the route of an excursion which can not fail to please, and add vastly to his stock of knowledge, and which no one — having the time and means — should fail to take. Arriving here by steamboat, take the stage for St. Anthony, and then the steamboat for Sauk rapids. Along the river for one hundred miles is to bo found the most enchanting scenery that you have ever seen, and at Sauk rapids is the finest wa- ter-power in the territory, excepting at St. Anthony. By stage you can then gc north to Crow Wing, Fort Ripley, and the Chippewa and Fort Ripley Indian agencies, at Gull lake, and on Long-Prairie river. Returning to St. Anthony, strike west to Lake Minnetonka, where you will find the prettiest country lying wild that the world can boast of— got up with the greatest care and effort by old Dame Nature, ten thousand years or more ago, and which she has been improving ever since. Go there, stranger, but don't go into ecstasies nor " go off" until you can make your mark. Select the very best claim you can find, and settle down ; for be assured that this luxurious spot promises untold wealth to you in future. Now drive to Fort Snelling, and return to St. Paul. Look at all this country, at the claims, the houses, farms, &c., of the pioneers located there ; at the Little falls or Minne-ha-ha, the fort, and take a peep from the summit of Pilot Knob, above Mendota, and if you do not return enthusiastic in your praise, ncns of liu- ^noi\ health, jlcgant ease of the very (1 sublimity good water ting, from a 3ota against coolly offer er. To the not willing it, as Hiuny lich can not vledge, and ould fail to t. Anthony, he river ibr ing scenery e finest wa- liony. By iipley, and i Gull lake, lony, strike le prettiest ^ot up with n thousand oving ever ies nor '• go I very best d that this Lire. aul. Look &c., of the -ha-ha, the nob: above '■our praise, AORinur/ruRAr. advantaofs, mc ^i "vera, ira.,,,,, ^^ and s';!;^' '^''™"''""' """ «'""""' up r^M- ,tr x::r:;:j""r:nrrr --^ "■-''"^ tow.-.,-,! ,hc Jli.,„„fi ,Z", ' " *"'"' " •'"ff''l»-l"'nt away „„t river, ,.,>,s,rt!L? /",""' "?'""^' "'"'^« Re. i ^vatci- on b,.th sLonlders. Some of tl.is stamp amonf us .Zw go np above BIno-Eartb, and see their past and p elent or on, course n.apped ont. It is hero that ?he vaUrofd i^^^m I wT olIown,g „p t„e Dos Moines, and thence down tL va" evof the Blue-Earth, will eventually cross the Minnesota tL nee ,„ the valley of the Ked riL of the North :ri,ll": . r«;;;:a^l^r^a;f ;:^~ - ^''^^ '^ -- ^-^ ■""fffTr" 62 MINNESOTA. AND ITS RESOURCES. Return now to St. Paul, and you can justly claim to have seen a little of Minnesota, and to have been all along the civ- ilized lines of travel and settlement, which, like the spokes of a wheel, diverge from the central point, and shed as so many sunbeams, rays of light, and thought, and intelligence, through- out the pagan land of yesterday. You wilh have seen the spot where, ere long, the combined forces of energy, enterprise, and wealth, will have erected one of the noblest fabrics yet reared by the hard-toiling, strong-fisted, and sinewy sons of this republic. WEATHER, SOIL, AND CLIMATE. Im to have ng the civ- 3 spokes of IS so many !e, tlirough- 3 seen the enterprise, fabrics yet vy sons of «3 CHAPTER IV. REVIEW OP THE WEATHER OP MINNESOTA- ADAPTATION OP THE SOIL AND CLIMATE. I REGRET that my observations have not extended regularly through a space of time which would enable me to give full and reliable results of the climatic changes of this latitude. Owing to fi^quent changes of residence, and the demands of business I have not as yet been able to give that strict atten- tion to the meteorology of our territory wnich is due to a sub- jec so replete with interest and importance; and I now pre- sent this imperfect sketch in the hope that some one having the inclination for the pursuit, and at the same time a more elegant leisure than I have had, will yet do what I have but partially done —or rather failed to do. For the time that my observations were carried on, viz , from December, 1850, until July, 1851, inclusive, I have an accurately kept register, together with a series of monthly tables, in ^yhlch all the details of the weather for that period are minutely given. For the remainder of the year 1851, the monthly tab es intended to accompany this review were kept at Fort Sue ling; and although not so M in detail, are yet quite valuable * The mean temperatures of the months of Au- gust, September, October, November, and December, 1851 as given ill the Meteorological Register for that year, I ob' ained of Dr J. Frazier Head, of Fort Ripley, in latitude 46° , , I t! ^ ^^"""^^ ""^^^ '' "'"^^^^ "P ''^^ observations taken at St. Paul, during the months of January, Febraary, March, and April ; at Sauk rapids, during May, June, and July; and at Fort Ripley, during the remainder of the year. over lo north ''^^'' ^'""'^ ^''"""'^ ^"^ ^°'^ ^'^^^^ '' ^ ^^^^^ These results show a uniformity in the weather of Minne- * See Annals of the Minnesota Historical Society, for 1854. {( r^ l i wrr - 64 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. sot.a tlint is seldom met with ei.ewhcvc. When sudden changes do occur, it is to be remarked tliat tliey arc always low extremes — that is from helow the freezing point to far below zero, and consequently do not injuriously affect the system as in those latitudes where a continual elemental war is consta)itly kept up, and the alternate rising and falling of the barometer and thermometer are as sudden and irregular as tlie turnings of a weathercock amidst a tempest. From a resi- dence of over two years in Minnesota, I can safely say that the atmosphere is more pure, pleasant, and healthful, than that of any other I have ever breathed on the continent of North or South America. This is particularly the case in winter, the most buoyant, elastic, and vigorous portion of the year. As regards the healthfulness of this region at all times, and more especially in winter, I would add, in the language of a former report upon the weather, that " with proper care and no unnecessary exposure, it may be safely said that coughs, colds, and that scourge of the Eastern states, consumption, would be almost entirely unknown. When either is unfortunately con- tracted, no climate is better adapted for its speedy eradica- tion. It is all a mistake to send a consumptive patient to the south — a mistake just becoming apparent to the faculty. Those whose lungs are diseased and weak, should come to the north, I have tried both extremes, and can speak feelingly^ the best of all evidences, and I confidently assert that they will stand far more chances of recovery in this particular lati- tude than anywhere in the enervating south, even if it be the most salubrious of the West Indies." It is true that a fever, which in some instances has proved fatal in its effects, has raged within our midst during the past fall and winter ; but it has, I believe, been altogether local, or peculiar to St. Anthony and St. Paul, and is owing to causes which it is not probable Avill soon occur again. The principal of these is believed to have been the unprecedented drought of the preceding summer, by which the river bottoms, the ponds, and the marshes, became exposed, and threw into our usually pure air a poisonous malaria. T'l^^ J..^.,™i,f ^e iQi^o —.„„ „ „f„:i.: — r^-x ;„ a1-_ x ifiuiuor- "■EATHF.R, SOIL, AKn CAMATE. 68 ology Of tl™ territory. TI,e summers „re «s,mlly very moU, large ,,u„„.,t,es of rain tall, „,„1 l.eavy tl,„, . er- tjmr ™ of moisture falls in every dimate n . "^"''^ ^"^'""* "mke amends for tl. .^ ^ ' """^ *^'^ P^«* ^"^t^r, to covers tl,eeartl, L,„ 1,^. T.ef^nr" ''"''7 '''""'' """ tli . country to the Zh 1 I °^ """'" throughout all I-as beeu ft le "five tt TlTe ' "1 '"""'' ^^''<' ^^P"^'-' tl.o ti„,c .luriug the earlv ,•.»/„'?, ''"'"' '^^"' '^ P"''''"" «'" «n,I eveu renL wl , , " '"""=■•• ''''"™' ™passaMe, ■.,„om,t IV . ?, «™^«""'g upon snowshoes difficult. The fa..» i!,'mauy pre>f;;r:h!:::?;. ''^^ ^.^f^ '- '- t.ty, and more than the average there 1 , ^^ ''"^"' or two of late ve.,-. 1 "'"««. there having been a winter sIcdclL. purnosCl " ""/ """'^'' ''•''= '""- '•»■• -»™on ti.e.se a,-; ^:S h ^Ci^r^"?'" ^-".covered, though rcnaius till spvinsr amUhe 1 ;^. P™'"""' ''owever, always N.;veu,ber tilE'eh! ^ '' '" ^^'^^''^''^ ^"^"'•^'^ f'"™ This is e.xtremely favorable to the nreservfltinw .f •• . wheat, which li'ia .„.» i,„. » • n P'eseivation of wniter ...- » .i«':r:r;;;tr.,r ::r:;.:'L',:,: * The amount of snow in the winter of 1849 '4q that of the pnsf, spn^on A Ur- - .1S42-43, was nlmost eqnal to ^'otc by an Old Seia^ '" '^"""'"^ '^'^'^ ^^" ^^ t''« «Pn"g of 1*84JJ.- •,,SiijgiuatsiBtmuiatgi.msm^iim W I W'i 66 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. one than in the states, from the fact that the snow will prevent its freezing out, and that it will also be less subject to attacks of rust, the fly, and all the diseases incidental to it elsewhere. I am very certain that Minnesota will in time become one of the very best wheat-growing states in the whole Union, and that she will take the place of Illinois and other states where it can no longer be depended upon with any certainty. When sown at an early period, say September, it has already suc- ceeded well, as far north as La Belle Prairie, in latitude forty- 6ix degrees. Those who are in doubt on the subject, can read Mr. Philander Prescott's letter on the agricultural resources of Minnesota, published in the Patent Office Reports for 1849-'50. Spring wheat also produces well, even at Red Lake and Sel- kirk settlement, in latitude forty-eight and fifty degrees, as bountifully as in other places farther south. The most remarkable characteristic of the winter of Minne- sota, is its great dryness— there being an almost total absence of rain or moisture. Not more than one heavy rain-storm has occurred within its limits during the last ten years. A slight sprinkling of rain, however, does sometimes happen. A heavy thaw also takes place in January, and sometimes lasts a week or two, accompanied by mild southerly winds. Such a thaw occurred in February, 1853. The weather is generally very clear and bracing, mostly calm, though uproarious winds oc- cur occasionally. The prevailing winds are from the west- northwest and north, and always bring clear weather ; they prevail about two thirds of the winter. East, north, and southeast Avinds from the great lakes bring snow-storms, and are always damp, chilling, and unpleasant. The mercury, though almost always below the freezing point, is seldom far below zero ; on three or four occasions it sinks to from twenty to thirty-five degrees below, though this weather never contin- ues more than three or four days. The coldest day of the past winter was February 8, when the mercury fell to twenty-five degrees below zero. At these periods there is but little wind, and the cold is felt much less than any one not accustomed to the climate would imagine. Very heavy hoarfrosts frequently occur, when the whole air seems filled with little icy crystals, i WEATHER, SOIL, AND CLIMATE. 67 for 1849-'50. wli.cli sparkle in the morning snnll-ht like millions of precious ^oms. The surrounding forests being encased in glittering frost and ice, present a most magnificent appearance. The ]\[ississippi generally closes early in December, and opens the latter part of March. The winter continues for about four months j though we often have cold, rough weather for an additional month or two. In summing up its merits, I would add that, owing to its even temperature, and hence al- lowing out of door exercises and employments for a greater number of days than that of most other countries, it is highly conducive to health, longevity, and social intercourse and ad- vancement. The spring is usually boisterous and cold. There is tl*en more wind and dampness than in the winter. That there are exceptions to this however, the spring of last year, and the month of March, 1651, may be evidenced. The prevailing winds are similar to those of winter, viz., froln west-north- west to north. The season continues cold and backward un- til early in May, when a sudden change takes place, and all nature is soon robed in the cheerful liveries of this gay por- tion of the year. The frost usually leaves the ground in April. 1 he latter part of May and early in June is the usual seed- ing-iime. The summer is very cool and pleasant, with a fine breeze at al times, blowing mostly from the west, southwest, and south. Ihis mitigates and makes endurable the extreme heat of the sun, which, beaming through the clear and brilliant atmo- sphere, rivals that of the tropics in intensity. This great heat is of but short duration, rarely continuing longer than a week at most, llie nights are always cool and bracing, and the sleep obtained is sound, refreshing, and sweet. Thunder- storms are very frequent, usually occurring in the afternoon and evening, and sometimes continuing all the night. Those at night are always much the heaviest, and of the longest du- ration. A remarkable thunder-storm occurred at Sauk rapids on the 12th and 13th of July, 1851, which continued uninter- ruptedly for some thirty hours; the rain falling at intervals 111 torrents. It was accompanied by a hurricane of wind from ^ f"^'*^ ■■**-" ^JWil'ti 68 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. i-i^ the southeast, ^vhicli piostratetl forest-trees, tearing them np by tlie roots like twigs, and snapping others off like pipe-stems. It created considerable havoc along the western bank of the Mississippi above Crow river, and extended some distance in a northwest direction. Its breadth I never ascertained. Heavy hailstorms sometimes occur. The most remarkable one which I have noticed is thus described in a letter to the Minnesota Pioneer, dated Benton city (Sauk rapids*), June 1% 1851 :— " The most terrific rain and hail storm that I ever remember, occurred here last night, from ten P. M., until after midnight. It came up suddenly from the Avest, and for several hours the heavens were a perfect glare of light, most painful to the eye to witness ; while the thunder was truly deafening at first, and most terrific. The rain fell in perfect sheets of water, and the hail descended like tt shower of bullets, crushing through the windows and flying across the room with violence ; while the house creaked and shook and rocked like a ship at sea, and I verily expected it to come tumbling about my ears each mo- ment. The hailstones, unlike ordinary ones, were rough and jagged, as though a storm of the splinters and shivers of an iceberg had been hurled over this embryo city ; which, owing to the meager number of houses, suffered but little. Ere long the rattle and clatter of their falling, drowned the thunder completely. By the glare of the lightning, I could see the rain-drops and hailstones driven by the gale, skim along the ground, and striking, bound several feet into the air, in a dense sheet of mingled ice and water, like waves of hail rising and rolling on before the storm. I could hear the clash and roar of the successive waves as they struck the house or a fence in their course, like regular discharges of firearms. The largest stones were about one inch in diameter, and fell upon the roof like grape-shot. The surrounding trees are well stripped of limbs and leaves, which -were cut and split in slsrods, and dashed off in large quantities. Altogether, it was a well- grown hail-storm for a new country, and as a meteorological * Sauk rapids ie situated on the Mississippi, geYCiity=sis -oi)-?? northwest of St. Paul. WBATIIieB, sou., AND CLIMATE. 69 I,l,eno^3no„, I l,„vo ,ho„g,,t a U.ty description worthy of TI,e summer season is sl.ort-warm weather seldom sets in be ore July, although there are at times exception" Ve v hot weather occurred last year in May. What L W J^^ respect is more than fully made up irantln I df ifh re' tore October, win e a lio'mfi'fnl t».,t , ^'^i-ur oe- » -m i-xT , "c.uititiu Indian summer lasts till tlm A a gene.ai t „„g there are no gentle gradations of heat and to i : :"t !: "'"""' '""^t'"' *" ™»">-' »^ f"- ^ toMiiitei. -IJiat season nsnal y linjrers in tliPlnr^^f .".tilbocan no longer h„U, ..is'swaHben 'XS In long supremacy, and retreats to northern clime wth„ cyn,c„,g any d sposition to protract his st.ay. Nre'rop " .' mpped, nor buds or blossoms perish from a renewal o Ts ,cy b.enth ,u the shape of chilling, killing frosts. He me t IwZ before the soft murmmings of the southern £ta^ .Tl^ no tiflpp ]w.lii'../i XT -11 ''"uiueiii gaies, and leaves docs e edit to the ,'" ' f ""'=''' ""'' ^"'' * S^«« -'^h docs cied.t to the rude, rough, storm-king_and immediatelv a marked change takes place. No " elemfntal war" from 1 S to cold, from wet to dry- each striving for the m-,ste-vH an mtervening month or two, as in th! states, occ r "^On ,! outrary, the soft breath of early summer one brea .W along the southern vales, like the wellings up from a foil"! gush„,g heart-throbbing forth its wa™ pulsftions and g vi g hfeandv,gor to every living thing beneath its touch.^ T f unclouded sun pours forth his genial beams, revivify u/t! face of nature, and causing it to bloom and bkl om B^t a on each day almost, a change comes over the sl^of U d am, and the storm-clouds gather in the western Lytl . a en . art, lory is heard pealing forth its echoes fron"^;,^ t ca. h, from plan, ,„ pki„, and the refreshing rain descends in opions, grateful showers. ^ descends in The bountiful earth, thus nourished and replenished nro the In eeze, the golden corn is glistening i„ the morning L •l^e r,pe and luscious melons dot the rich, smooth soil^ Tis M^-mii^^^^ 70 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. isi-"in true there are no fruit-trees bending beneath the rosy peach, the pear, the phim, the clierry, and the apple, to gladden the eyes of tlio pomologist and cauise the mouth to water in anti- cipation of the luxurious feast. Yet this is altogether owing to the newness of the country, and the want of time, as yet, to plant and produce those fruits ; not, forsooth, that we ai'S too far north, or that it is too cold to ripen them in perfection ; nor that the inclemency of our winters, will destroy them by freezing. There can be no more certain criterion of the cli- mate of any country than its vegetable production, and it may be stated here generally, that while all the grains an 1 vege- table productions of the Middle and Western States, have been produced within the bounds of Minnesota, with almost every variety of wild tree, shrub, flower, and herb — and while all the tame grasses and most of the fruits can be produced within her limits, with the exception of the peach (which has failed at Galena and Dubuque), every objection to its being too far north is futile and ridiculous. Mr. Oakes, the father of C. H. Oakes, Esq., of St. Paul, has raised, successfully, all the above fruits, and others (except the peach), at Lapointe, on Lake Superior, in latitude a little south of forty-seven degrees ; which is nearly two degrees northward of St. Paul. They can also be cultivated here ; the soil being adapted to their culture, as also to that of melons, of corn, and sweet potatoes. All men should understand at this late day, that soils and climate are adapted to each other ; and that parallels of latitude are a very unsafe rule to go by in judging altogether of the climate of a country ; as it is always greatly modified by local causes. The geogra- phy of a country has much to do witii its climate ; its topog- raphy, its elevation, its lakes, its rivers, hills, and valleys, its soil, forests, prevailing winds, moisture and dryness, more or less affect its temperature. The warm, loose, sandy soil of Minnesota, with the long, late autumnal season, will mature the cereal grains and fruits, almost as perfectly as that of far more southern climates. But " the world is indeed a slow coach after all," and progresses in the acquisition of knowledge at a snail's pate, at best. Truth is always outstripped by error, and falsehood spreads ■oay peach, add en the ter in anti- ther owing tie, as yet, lat we are perfection ; y them by of the cli- md it may an , vege- have been nost every hile all the within her 3 failed at ig too far 5r of C. H. the above , on Lake ;es; which 2an also be ire, as also len should re adapted ery unsafe a country ; he geogra- its topog- ^alleys, its s, more or the long, and fruits, ates. But progresses 3, at best. )d spreads WEAXIIER, BOIL, AND CLIMATE. 7X itself With the flcetness of the wind. The world delights to be humbugged, and all seem to act upon the principle that they must either humbug somebody, or be humbugged them- selves. Men dehght in being deceived; nay, in 'deceiv ng themselves agamst the dictates of reason, facts, and common sense Hence we may still expect to hear the oft-repeated cry of '« You can't mu^^cawncrap in Minnesota -you can't hve away up chere," &c., &c. We expect to find'^men fl twenty years to come, who will persist in believing that the flame of a blazing. fire here becomes congealed intf spears f solid, icy flame, and that we are obliged to wrap blankets around our fires to keep them warm. Anything elfe hat cln I come now to speak of the autumn; that quiet, sedate and melancholy portion of the year, which is here,;s I have befoi-e remarked Its most lovely period. The atmosphere is warm ?al and b„ f'^'T"^. '"^ '''^^ ^" '^' "^^'"^"^- ^'^'^ -in falls and but few frosts occur. The thick, peculiar haze so common to the Indian Summer everywhere, ifere is as drowsy m Its appearance as though it were endeavoring too soon o lull the day to sleep ; as it rests over the quiet Ldscape tl e craggy bluffs, the peaceful lakes, and flowing streams, and sometimes almost hides the rich and variegated face of natu^ as imperceptibly it wanes and falls into fhe sere and ^ leaf. The prairies tlien become ignited, and blaze forth the^ mimic fires which revel in their wildness. With an aun)ra boreahs lighting up the northern heavens, and the vast bi^ffdo lunges away to the Missouri, a perfect sea of roaring L™ bur' r' '""'^ '"*^ ^^^' ^^^-^-"^^ ^^^'1>«- it^s glo'Ls y in winter Ihe following is a description of the most bril an one which I have noticed. It occurred on the n gh, f the 6th of September, 1851, and was witnessed from the f allev -,oec;.e;::-s:b:gi-^^ i 72 MINNIOSoTA AND ITP KESOURCIia. not oven tlio most vivid and wild inianjination — can do it jus- tice. It consisted of bright niasHcs of light, in some directions illuminating large portions of the heavens — at others, and nearly over the •vshole surface of the sky, bright rays shot upwards, beginning not from the horizon, but at an elevation of about 45^^ and extending far south of the zenith. The rays, in fact, appeared to shoot upward all around tho upper portion of the heavens, uniting at the zenith, and producing one of the finest efl'ects that was ever piodiiceu by Nature in her wildest freak or grandest cflbrt. To the north and S(;iith of tho zenith, the rays assumed many variegated tints, among which +he most beautiful pink and green and a arious indescribable shades were tho most prominent. These were constantly changing color and the rays thoir forms; sometimes like mov- ing columns of light, which the Indians poetically call ' the dance of the dead,' the bright white and colored rays or col- umns mf ving and darting past each other in an erect position, and of which a giant's causeway, if brilliantly illuminated and put in rapid motion, would afford a faint idea. " The whole mass of light would then cover the northern heavens and encircle around the zenith ; assuming the varied shapes of the most beautiful drapery ; the lower edges being tinged with a bright pink, intermixed with green above, while at the apex the light was white and so brilliant a* almost to dazzle. Thou it would again shift and spread rapidly across the heavens in a curved belt or zone, like an eagle's plume, as though the hand of the God of the heavens and the earth was about to appear and make a record on the clear moonlit sky below, and then anon the rays and clouds of variegated light would gather into most beautiful an'^ fantastic shapes, pictu- res(|ue and wild in the extreme ; and so quickly, too, that the eye could scarcely trace their motions; occasionally darting down their fringed edges which waved t( and fro like canvass fluttering in the storm, resembling a tempest in the heavens, consisting of dancing I vims of brilliant light for lightning ; and the falling clouds, rays and coruscations of pink and gi'een, with everv conceivable varietv of colored halo f'^r the accom panying rain. It continued equally beautiful till long past L>'t.: WEATHER, SOIL, AND CLIMATE. 78 lo it JU8- liiections icrs, and ays shot elevation L'lio rays, r portion g onr of re in her ith of the !ig wliich scrihahle instantly jke mov- call ' the ys or col- position, lated and northern tie varied i^es being ve, while almost to ily across plume, as ;arth was onlit sky ted light es, pictu- , that the y djirtiiig 3 canvass heavens, ling ; and id gi'een, le accom long past midnight, and was watched witli admiration and awe by all our i)arty. Auroras, mirages, and other meteorological phe- nomena, are very frequent along the northern boundary of Mninesofa, and thence north to Hudson's Bay. Charles Cavi- leer, Esq., U. S. collector of customs at Pembina, in latitude forty-nine degrees north, longitude ninety-seven degrees, ten minutes, west, has furninhed me with the following particulars relating to the meteorology of that distant region, for the winter of lS52-'3. Mr. Cavileer says •— " During December, there were but five entire clear days, and seven generally clear; seven cloudy, and four mostly cloudy. The rest variable. There was but one day of perfect calm, between sunrise and sunset, but calm generally pre- vailed at night; and such nights, too, the most beautiful ima- ginable. The iM-evailing winds were from the northwest and southeast ; the most disagreeable ones are from the northeast, east, and south, and arc damp and chilly. The northwesters arc cold and dry, while those from the west are pleasant, and brin^ fine warm weather. But seven or eight inches of snow fell, with a sprhikle or two of rain, and one sleet. The 1st and 28th were the warmest days, the mercury stood at two P. M., thirty-four degrees above zero, and at sunrise on the 15th, at thirty-eight below. There were seven auroras, and are classed from the tables of the Smithsonian Institution. But two of them were in any way striking. The peculiarity of that of the 22d being in the east and northeast, brightest due e? ^t, light red and fiery. That on the 29th was a very pretty affair, commencing at seven, P. M. The sky was clear, with a silver moon and bright star-light. Its fir^t appearance was in the northwest, like that of the moon befc j she shows her face; then rapidly assumed class five, and extendc from the northwest horizon to the northeast ; the arch a bright white, and segment very dark. But the fantastics of the outsiders constituted the main beauty of the scene— sometimes taking the form of the rainbow, and, nui^bering from one to three above the arch, showed most grandly ; then rays, beams, and patches of light, would flash up to the iiort]ieast,nni!>ing west almf>-> as quickly as the eye. The outsiders m. le their exit about tei but the arch contin- 4 74 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. I|4 ill i .fi ^1 ight o'clock, P. M., I ob- ued till eleven. Decemljer IS, a< served a large and splendid meteor slowly traversing the north- east sky from east to west. It appeared like a larpe ball or globe of fire ; a very bright, white light, travelling very slowly, and leaving no wake or light in its track. It was in sight a minute, and then exploded without leaving a spark. " The first mirage of the season was on the evening of the 22(1, at sunset, and showed plainly the whole course of the river Maurais, the timber on its banks appearing but a few miles distant. The houses on the north, that can hardly be seen through a common atmosphere, were raised high up, show- ing ♦hem plainly, and oven things lying about on the ground. The second and last of the month was on the morning of the 29th, from sunrise till ten o'clock, A. M., and was a most grand natural exhibition. Not only the whole course of the Maurais could bo traced, but Oak island, forty-five miles distant, was clear to the view ; and Pembina mountain, thirty miles off, was dimly seen in the distance. These were the first mirages I ever witnessed, and it is certainly a very novel thing to be thus butted in the face by things you know to be so many miles distant. In January, 1853, there were ten auroras and eight mirages. * " The mirage of the 24th was the most grand of all. It commenced before sunrise and continued till ten, A. M. Just at sunrise, the view was truly magnificent ; in all quarters of the compass, as far as the eye could reach, the country ap- peared to rise as if we were standing in the centre of a basin. The Pembina mountain, to the west, loomed up grandly ; dif- ferent distant points on Red river, to the north and south, were counted and named ; while the rivers Maurais, Pnme, and Gratiara, were in plain sight ; and I really believe that, with a good glass, we might have seen Fort Garry, seventy miles below us to the north, so very clear was the atmosphere. About ten minutes after sunrise the mountain was invisible ; at eight o'clock, fog to the north, half part of mountain again in view, and at ten, A. M., all had gradually disappeared. The Siiy at suiii'ise v/as about iiali-ciouueu \ me clouus iving al* round the horizon, with a few light ones overhead, and main- WEATBEE, SOIL, AND CLIMATE. n tn.ncl the «nmo situation tl,ro«gl,„ut tl,e phenomenon. Tl.o n..ror« tI,o m.rages, tl,e beautiful frosting of ti.e trees ad vcg.„a„„n, with the change of the atmosphere, le , w 11 m„ « han pay for entering in the elimate ; and, if for nothing else I shall no, er regret having spent two winters on the fort/ntth degree of north latitude, amid these northern wilds " I know of no point i„ Uncle Sam's domains betier situated or a „,eteorolog,cal and astronomical observatory than tls It be,ng on h.s most northern boundary, nearly midwav ,. .ween t e Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and in e^T glo^ t J great planjs that extend from the north pole in a f,utl e Iv d„ect,„„ along the base of the Rocky mountains, and 1 e^ ^ outberly t hrouf^. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illiuds, pe ect y CO from the influence of winds from the oceans o louCl lakes, we are surrounded by an atmosphere purely our own 76 MINNESOTA AND ITS KESOUECES. CHAPTER V. THE ST. LOUIS RIVER OF LAKE SUPERIOR, LA POINTE, FOND DU LAC, ST. CROIX PINERIES, ETC. The head of Lake Superior is about five miles wide, the shore forming nearly a regular semicircle. The St. Louis river enters the lake near the middle of this hend. The entrance from the lake is about west, forty or fifty rods, when the river bends suddenly to the north, keeping its course parallel with the lake shore about half a mile, when the course is again changed to the southwest. Here the river widens out into a bay about six miles long, and, in places, two miles wide ; having several small islands in it. The bend of the river, near the mouth, forms a peninsula between its north bank and the lake, about a mile long, and averaging about a quarter of a mile in width. It is a body of sand, producing only some small evergreen underbrush, and a beautiful grove of tall, straight, limbless, yellow pines. On the south side of the river there is a tract of several hundred acres of low land, a portion of which is similar to that on the north side, but much of it is swampy. The American Fur Company, previous to 1840, had a trading post here, about half a mile from the lake, but it was subsequently removed to Fond du Lac, at the foot of the falls. The river at its mouth is less than a quarter of a mile wide, and obstructed by a sandbar, holding countless snags ; but on passing this a few rods, it brings the boat beyond the bend, into calm, deep water, in any weather. At the head of the bay the traveller is in want of a pilot. From that point to the falls, the river is full of islands and fields of wild rice, around and through which there are numerous channels. The RIVERS, FISnERIES, ETC. 11 FOND DU inexperienced may row several miles, and find himself at tlie head of a bay or cove, and Lc under the necessity of returning to seek the true channel. From the lake to the falls, called twenty miles, the nortl'ern shore is bold and rugged, except in ; few places where it fa: Is back, forming a small plat of table- land between it and the river, or gives vent to a small mountain stream. The bluffs on the south side are similar to those on tlie north, for several miles below, the falls; they there dis- appear. The Fond dn Lac river, from the southwest, enters the lake about two miles south of the outlet of the St. Louis, and the valleys of the two rivers are merged in one some six or seven miles from the lake. A few rods below the falls, a creek of pure, never-failing water from the north, forms a junction with the river. The west side of the valley formed by this creek is occupied by the American Fur Company, and the east by the missionary estab- lishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The whole valley does not afford above eighty acres of arable land. About three miles north of Fond du Lac, a peak of one of the mountains towers far above all others. The only ascent is on the north side, and is tolerably easy for a footman. The south side is a perpendicular rock of several hundred feet in height. The summit is a level bare rock. The stone forming this peak is unlike anything else seen in the country. It is of a dark gray color, and so close in texture, that the united strength of myself and interpreter could not break a piece of it by hurling it against the mass on which we stood. The helioldcr can scarcely resist the impression, that he stands on a pyramid, in the midst of an immense basin, whose outer rim is the limit of human vision. Lake Superior, though twenty miles distant, appears as if lying at his feet, and stretching itself away to the east, until sight loses it in the distance ; and the river, with its islands, channels, and rice-fields, is all in full view from the falls to its mouth. The writer has never seen another spot where such a comprehensive view of the va: tness of creation could be obtained. Tlie falls of the St. Louis river are nothing more than a suc- cession of rapids for the distance of about fifteen miles, except -"C*'; 78 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. HZ tlielieacl of " Knife Portage." At that point the water falls ahout ton feet perpenfliculariy. AboA'e that point, to the mouth of Savannah river, eighty miles from the lake, there arc few hanks seen in high \vr 2r. The bottoms are several miles wide in places, indeed most of the way, and often over- flown. But, from Fond du Lac to the above-named falls, the water rushes through a narrow gorge, the banks in several places being from fifty to one hundred feet high, and always crumbling in. In several places within two miles of Fond du Lac, they are composed of shale, sand, and boulders ; the slaty shale lying in regular strata, dipping several degrees west- ward on the south side, nnd equally eastward on the north side. Just above these banks, on the north side of the river, an acre or more of trap rock mixed with copper, precisely like that below Lapointe, is exposed to view in low Avater. It has the appearance of having once been covered with a bank similar to those above described, which has washed aAvay ; and it was the opinion of the writer, that the same formation might be found under many of the hills around the falls. Up the creek before mentioned, a mile from the river, the same mixture of shale and sand may be seen in many places. The Indians considered this metallic substance in the trap rock valuable, and in the treaty made at Lapointe, in 1842, they reserved this spot, stipulating that the trader's store, one mile below, should be the corner of that session. The head chief often told the writer, that he expected to take out a great amount of wealth from the river, at that spot, as soon as he should get the means. The first portage on these falls is about eight miles long, on the north side of the river. It is over a very rough country, through several very swampy places, and is generally imprac- ticable for horses, or anything that can not walk a pole. At the head of this portage canoes are used again, for two miles, and there the " Knife portage" is made on the south side of the river, three miles, to the grand falls above alluded to. In high water, both of these portages are longer. On both sides of the river at the Knife portage, much of the surface of the ground is covered with masses of slate equal to any hone for EIVEE8, FISHEBIES, ETC. 79 edged tools. They liave the appearance of being thrown np by some internal revolution, there being nothing like order or regularity in their position, and the intervening ground being even. Europeans who have seen this slate allege that it is equal to that used in England for tiling. The supply, even on the surface of the ground, is inexhaustible. There can scarcely be a limit to the amount of fish, pickerel chiefly, that may be taken on the rapids during about three weeks of the spring. In the spring of 1843, a two-fathom canoe filled in one hour in the morning, by two men, one steer- ing and the other using a dip-net. Both work the canoe up the rapids suflficiently far, when one stands in the bow with a net, while the other backs the canoe with his might in addition to the rapidity of the current. From twenty to fifty large fishes are frequently thus taken in passing about twenty rods of the rapids. ■ From Fond du Lac, a trading post situated eleven miles inland on the St. Louis river, eastward, for perhaps fifty miles, the margin of the lake is a flat strip of land, reaching back to a rocky ridge about eleven miles off. The soil of this flat land is a rich red clay. The wood is white cedar and pine, and of the most magnificent growth. The American line is beyond the mouth of the St. Louis, as far northeast as Pigeon river, one hundred miles. A mountain extends all the way between the St. Louis and Pigeon rivers. It evidently abounds in copper, iron, and silver. The terrestrial compass can not be used there, so strong is the attraction to the earth. The needle re?rs and plunges " like mad." Points of survey have to be fixed by the solar compass. The Indian and half-breed packmen have astonishing strength. One Indian, who is described by the others as being as large as two men, carried for a company of eleven men provisions for ten days, viz., one barrel of flour, half barrel of pork and something else, besides the utensils. Mirage is a common phenomenon in spring and summer. For the bajs not opening so soon as the main lake, or not cooling so earl}^ an object out on the lake is viewed ti-om the shore, through a 80 MINNESOTA AND ITS RES()i:iJCi:9. donso medium of air find a thin meuinm. Hence is a refraction of rays, which gives so many wonderful siglits that the Chip- pewas call that the spirit or enchanted land. Sail vessels which are really thirty miles otf, are seen flapping and bellying about almost within touch. Turreted islands look heady ana toppling towards the zenith. Forests seem to leap from their stems, and go a soaring like thistles for the very sport of it. The ice does not leave some of the bays till the 10th of June. The fish are delicious, especially the salmon trout. But little land game. We calculate on wonderful enterprises in that country after the opening of the Saut canal. Lapointe is a town on the lake, situated at the head of a bay some twenty-five miles from the high lake, and secluded from the lake by several islands. There is a warehouse three hundred feet long, built of tamarac poles, and roofed with bark. This building is very much warped by the pressure of age ; it is entered by a wooden railway. The town is dingy and dreary. A luxurious garden contains a variety of frn;t-trees and shrubs, planted by Charles H. Oakes, Esq., now a resident of St. Paul. The following narration of a trip from Lapointe to Still- water, via Lake Superior, Brule and St. Croix rivers, will be found interesting : — " It was a beautiful bright afternoon in August, that, with two hired half-breed voT^.geurs, in a birch-canoe provisioned for eighteen days, we left Lapointe, and struck out into the clear, smooth, deep waters of Lake Superior. The coast scenery, that from Saut St. Marie to this pohit had been very dull and monotonous, now suddenly changed, reaching through all the degrees of beauty, from gentle slopes, rolling hills, to widely romantic, broken mountains. It is here that the Porcu- pine mountaiais set in towards the shore, and in places come out boldly, as if in the act of crossing the lake, but were suddenly split down vertically, forming a mural escarpment, perpendicular from the Avater's edge, hundreds of feet high, as smo .th and solid as the masonry of a vast fortress. The Btrata are of the old red sandstone, of a fine compact texture, and never m (he wuild can quarries of handsomer stone be RIVERS, FISHERIES, ETC. 81 found than tliose. Blocks from ten to fifteen feet long, the outer surface smooth as pressed brick, lay disjointed ready for sliipment. " Mfxuy of these bold mountain masses project over the water from sixteen to twenty feet, supported at the outer edge by perfectly-formed columns, worn so by long action of the waves. These columns are of very curious workmanship indeed. We passed under many of these rocky arches, like majestic gate- ways, and examined more than a dozen columns of various diameters ind heights, and all appearing as if drawn after more well-proportioned architectural models. " The journey now before lis was about three hundred and fifty miles, ninety of which lay along this coast, up to the mouth of Brule river. Fortunately for the voyageur at this season, there is scarcely the shadow of a night upon the lake. At ten o'clock we could still read distinctly, and at twelve there were soft crimson pencilings upon the western horizon of that gorgeous twilight which makes the summer evenings here so enchanting. I hfive seen night here so transcendently beau- tiful, with its bright stars and silvery moon — its atmosphere so transparent — that the arch of heaven looked more serene and heavenly, more like the abode oi spiritual beings, and the clear blue ether more like tlic drapery that garnishes a poetic or imaginary, than a real world. As v/e glided along in the stillness of the night, our canoe moving so lightly as not to ruffle the polished surface, the scenic picture was all that the most enthusiastic novelist could desire. On one side, some miles distant, lay a long string of conical islands, thickly cov- ered with green forest-trees; and on the main shore, at an equal distance, wrapped in a shadowy gloom, lay green slopes, or in sullen grandeur hung bold peaks or cliffs of mountains, Not a sound was lie;'vd, exc^^^pt for a time the stunning noise of a cataract that cfv le leaping from the top of the heights, dashing down from ,ock to rock, its bright spray dancing upon the moonbeams and enveloping the dwarfed pines In an eter- nal sheet o[ mist. We had left far behind us all traces of civ- ilization, and were traversing a spot as primitive in its features as when the "stars sang together, and all the sons of God 4» 82 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. « ill slioiited for joy" at tlio iipav cvention. The scenery is p^rand at all times ; hut in tlic stillness of night, liglited up by a Lake Su}ierior moon, it is magniticently picturesque beyond descrip- tion. " It was a dangerous though fortunate gale, on the second day, that carried us about ten miles an hour for eight hours to the mouth of the river we designed to ascend. "We reached the delta, formed by sard and driftwood, at dusk, and en- camped. The next morning the canoe was well pitched, the freight uniformly disposed along the bottom — my place being on a pile of coats and blankets amidships — when old Charon and assistant took their po.sHion, denuded of all clothing ex- cept tlieir breechcioth and slnrt fore and aft. The Brule is a narrow, wild, roaring, rocky stream. Looking up the mouth, it comes rushing down a woody, mountainous gorge, leaping over huge trap and grnnite boulders, apparently defying all forms of navigation. This tumultuous, whirling current we ascended one hundred miles, averaging twenty-five miles per day, in a light bark canoe, twenty-seven feet long by five mid- ships, tapering sharp at the ends, turning up like a Chinese junk, freighted with about twelve hundred pounds. The boat is set up the rapids by poles; and where the rocky v/alls en- croach up )n the bed of the river, crowding it into a nar- row channel, and this further interrupted by reefs and boul- ders, the passage is attended with great difficulty and danger. The boatmen are naked, that, should they miss a stroke with the pole, like a flash they dart into the stream, holding firmly the canoe, towing it to shoal water, otherwise it would be instantly dashed to pieces by the force of the current against the rocks. No one Avho has not travelled with these fellows can form an; idea of their expertness in managing a boat among the rapids. I take time to speak of the mode and dan- ger of ascending this stream, as romantic persons have signi- fied a determination to make the trip next summer, and should they fail to get good, experienced voyageurs, they will stand a fair chance of being left in the wilderness some hundreds of miles from any white settlemeiit, with the pleasing prospect of a long groping through one oi the most impenetrable forests RIVERS, FISIIF.RIKS, KTC. 83 in tlie world. ISIqu who have been in the service of tlio Amer- ican Fur Company nnderstand tlic streams and rapids the best. " The country reaching south from the hike one hundred miles is rough, cheerless, covered with pines, elms, tamarac, cedars, &c. The rocks, of igneous origin, which form the mineral region in Michigan, extend across Wisconsin, and reach Min- ncsota, by what appears a singular dislocation, throwing them nearly two hundred miles south. Copper is found on the Brule iu Wisconsin ; and when I reached the falls of St. Croix, spe- cimens were exhibited, coming from the trap range which here makes its appearance. " The Brule in olden times was great trapping ground. We saw the remains of large beaver-dams, and well-beaten paths, which the trappers call portages. They are across long, sharp points, where the river makes a sudden bend. It was through this stream that , he numerous trapping posts on the St. Croix and tributaries, the St. Peter and other tributaries of the Up- per Mississippi, were supplied from the large fur-company post at Lapointe. There are now no longer beaver or otter found here ; but rats are numerous, and some martin. "After passing the ridge of highlands, on the third day, the country is level, marshy, and numerous lakes are covered with ducks, and are alive with speckled trout, of a good size and delicious flavor. There are several hard portages, in places where the rapids are too dangerous : and when, on the fourth evening, we reached Le Grand Portage, at the head of the Brule, we hailed it with joyful delight. This was the portage across the ridge which divides the south from the north run- ning streams— from the Brule to the headquarters of the St. Croix. From toilsome, up-hill poling, we would now descend smoothly with the current, under sail, or with light oars. " I had often listened to what I considered extravagant sto- ries of the feat and strength of ' pack-men ;' and now I wit- nessed Avhat, as I attempt to relate, I can scarcely credit. The portage now to make was three miles, up and down hill, over a hot, sunburnt, barren heath. The afternoon was swel- tering, the dry sands reflecting a scorohino-. KnflfV^'^i'^i'""' li'»«* and the thick forest which hemmed in the trail cut off every 84 MINNi: *>TA AM) ITS Ul'SorRCKS. motion of tlic air. The cmioo was taken ashore, and the freight made up into packages. A strong leather strap, nhout four yards along, four inches wide in the centre, tapering grad- ually to the ends, is used, by lashing the long ends around the packages, the broad centre forming a loop which is placed against the forehead, the burden lying upon the shoulders. My trunk was large, crammed to overflowing, weighin^- about one hundred pounds. The strap went round this, upon which was placed four large, heavy blankets, cotton tent, three over- coats, bag of flour (eighty pounds), iron-bound keg with liquor (twenty pounds), when ' Hercules' squatted, slipped the noose over his head, rose up, then seizing his hands full of camp-ket- tloR, pans, (fcc, started off as erect as a soldier, and kept mo blowing, sweating, and panting, to keep pace with him across the portage. The other, old Sowyerain, seventy years of age, was loaded equally heavy ! " We were now upon the St. Croix, or rather at the boiling spring, which sends a portion of its waters to the south to seek the gulf of Mexico, and another north to the gulf of St. Law- rence. At this small point, in this beautiful crystal basin, two rivers take their rise. One mile below this the St. Croix is half a mile wide, forming a deep lake, three miles long, per- fectly alive with amphibia and fish. Oh, how awfully wild, lonely, and still, are these places ! We know that we are hun- dreds of miles from all civilization. White men have been here, but left no traces behind. We move down to a small, open spot, and camp for the night on the margin of the lake. Tliere is not a ripple on the water, and the dark shadows of the heavy trees on the opposite side are. reaching over; for the red, hot sun is now low in the west; and oh, what a soli- tary stillness, as if the wheels of Time stood still, and Nature paused in breathless suspense ! " The descent of this river was very irksome and tedious, requiring four days. The stream is tortuoub, and has but little current ; is bordered by an almost continuous succession of marshes, wild-rice fields, and large cranbeiTy-patches. On the third day the countrv changed, and Inrp'e natural-irrass mead- ows spread out from the shores for miles. The grass was about TTIT: ST. CROIX PTNKRIES, KTC. 85 six feet liigli, and would yield at tho rate of many tons to the acre. "At Lo Grand Portage, and some other places, we passed the remains of ancient Chippewa towns. I could not avoid a feeling of sadness when passing them, and in places I rambled over these forlorn, sad spots. In one open, beautiful spot, some twelve decayed frames remain, and the marks of camp-fires, kindled here perhaps for centuries, but now deserted, and still as death. All the old home associations — the familiar forests, the haunts of the deer, wolf, and bear — tho mausoleums of the dead — all, all are left behind, as the imperative command of tin white says to the red man, • Onward, onward, to the Avild, snowy mountains of the west!' America crowds tlom upon Mexico and the mountains : Mexico and the sterile mountains crowd them back. In one spot we met a few squalid, misera- bly-poor, half-starved men, squaws, and dogs, who had wan- dered a long way back from the main tribe. They were liv- ing upon whortleberries and what fish they could spear in the river." M. TUE ST. CROIX PINEKIES, ETC. Tlie following article is from the pen of John P. Owens, Esq., editor of T/ie Minncsotian, the organ of the whig party in St. Paul. It will prove worthy of an attentive perusal : — " Since our residence in Minnesota, it has happened a hun- dred times, to others as Avell as ourselves, to be ' chucked' down under the high bluff among our pleasant friends of Still- water, with no manner of way or convenience for leaving there, except at California expenses, unless you chose to take the back track to St. Paul, wait for a steamboat going down the lake, or paddle a batteau up against the swift current of the St. Croix. The interesting and valuable region comprising the valley of that river has been neglected by strangers, as well as citizens of other parts of the territory, mainly because it happened to be destitute of good roads, and ofl from the beaten track of general travel. Added to this, the inhabitants of that region are an entirely different class from those who dwell i&L;^^ 8G MINNESOTA AND ITS EKSOURCES. over tliis way. Tliey liave not among tlicm any speculators or town-buiklers, to answer the purpose of conspicuous adver- tisements in tlie columns of daily newspapers, by keeping tlie great and unprecedented advantages of their several locations prominently before the people about the streets, and at the hotels, and upon the steamboats. Their vocation ia the active and laborious one of getting pine-logs out of the interminable forests up toward the sources of the river, converting them into building materials, or running them whole in • ten-acre rafts' to the markets below. A man, to follow this business success- fully, has very few spare hours throughout the year for running about the country. In July and August, he cuts his hay, near where his winter's operations are to take place ; in September, October, and November, he gets up his supplies ; from then until April he is * in the woods,' with no chance to get out of them, and no disposition to get out even to ' crow,' cmtil the spring freshets unlock the chains of winter, an.l sweep his logs into the booms; and then till July and haying-'ime comes round again, the months are occupied by the most important and interesting of the whole year's transactions — getting his property to market, and receiving his well-earned cash there- for. " But, thanks to the good-natured responses of our dear Un- cle Sam to the St. Croix people's petition for a good road through their country, and Mr. Sibley's faithful attention to their interests in seeing the ways and means put through to consummate the measure, the important region of country to which we allude is about to be placed in easy and accessible communication with its neighbors residing in other parts of the territory, as well as * the rest of mankind.' " (The author of this work spent the most of the year 1852, with a force of over fifty men, in opening a United States road from Stillwater to within seven miles of the falls of St. Croix. It is now completed to Sunrise, a distance of sixteen miles above the falls.) "In addition, some adventurous genius on a small scale, down about Oquaka, Illinois, last year conceived the s-ood idea of procuring a steamboat suitable to perform the duties of a TIIE SI, CROIX riNERIES, Ei 87 trl-werl j)acket between Stillwater niul Taylor's fulls, the ev <"ine point of steam navigation up the 8t. Croix. It ia tr.u he .liU not appear to h ve a very correct idea of the ki id of «■ at the people really wanted and would well support in that trade ; but, sue h n ,„oht and planned, he 1 ^o last >eas..n brought forth Indeed, the little Ilumbold*' is a great acconnnodation to the people of the St. Croix She stops anywhcr long the river, to do any and all kinds of busuH'ss that m.y offer, and will give passengers a longer ride, so iar as time is concerued, for a dollar, than any other craft we ever travelled upon. She is also, to outward appearances, a temperance boat, and cnrries no cooking or table utensils. She stops at the 'Marine -ing and returning, to allow the people aboard to feed upon a good, substantial dinner: and the passengers are allowed, if they i\ \ so isposed, to carry ' bars HI their side-pockets and ' bricks in their hats. A very accommodating craft is the 'Iluml .kit, and a convenience that IS already set down on the tot. Croix as one indispen- sable. ^ "Weh.nppened on the St. Croix at a time peculiarly adapted for observing what is going on in that quarter. Over here about St. Paul, people are too apt to imagine they are doing the entu-e busniess of the territory. The difference between us and the St. Croix folks ai (his time is very striking, so far as regards the gveat essential particular of buying and selling. We are buy n.g- they are selling. We, of the Mississippi, have now going out of our river a small quantity comparatively of logs and lumber. But we have by every boat from below comng r,, dollars in amount of articles for consumption, to where the '^xports are cents in the shape of products of our forests gomg out. We are aware this state of things will not contmue long, as our country is rapidly filling up with farmers ; but It IS so just at this time. On the other hand, our neighbors ot tJie St. Croix, with a population on both sides of the river roin Tomt Douglas to the farthest point toward its source of umbering operations, not equal by several hundred souls to tiiatot bt. raul, will send to market, tin's ena^on si-t- -n,'!]?-,- feet of sawed lumber and logs, provided the streams continue ,jl,,3ti.,i*fl». IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) S' «' «'x y. u.. W.r i/.X 1.0 I.I S Its IIM 11:25 i 1.4 1.6 Ph ^~v «■/'> rf~T»%r>i 1 . lUiugiapniC Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 A ^ iV iV \ \ "% .V <^ ;\ ,l% .v^/% Lr*/ i/u '/. ^ \ \ o^ 88 MINNESOTA AND ITS SE30URCES. Jl'il], ; I ' at their present stage a few Aveeks longer. Soma weeks ngo we made an estimate, placing the entire amount of logs in the territory at a much less figure than this. We were hugely mistaken. Circumstances have greatly favored the St. Croix lumbermen this season. For two years past, the low stage of tlie water has prevented them from clearing the upper streams of logs : now they are getting them all out, old and new. The present season opened with quite a freshet, owing to the heavy falls of snow last winter. The boom was ear]y filled, and many millions have already reached the markets below. But the * June rise,' caused by the steady rains for the past three weeks, has probably done the business thoroughly for them. From Stillwater to the Boom, six miles below Taylor's falls, you are scarcely out of sight of rafts and strings of logs. The whole way up, and about the boom, it requires no great stretch of fancy to imagine one's self passing through a country in military possession of Queen Victoria, so often do we pass detachments of stout, hardy men, dressed in red. '' The lumbermen of the St. Croix, during the sessions of the Wisconsin and Minnesota legislatures of 1850-51, procured the incorporation of the • St. Croix Boom Company,' with a capital of 110,000. This work was considered absolutely necessary, to facilitate the business of driving, assorting, and rafting logs. The stock was speedily taken ; and by the fol- lowing season the boom was built and ready for service. The work is substantial and permanent. Piers of immense size are sunk at proper distances, from the Minnesota shore to the foot of a large island near the centre of the stream, and again from the head of the island to the Wisconsin shore. The boom timbers are hung from pier to pier ; and the whole river is entirely commanded, with no possibility of scarcely a single log escaping. The charter of the company compels them, however, to give free passage to all boats, rafts, &c., ascending or descending the river. This duty is rather difficult to per- form at certain times, particularly when the logs are running into the boom bripkly, and hands are not to be had to raft and run them out. This was the case once this season. The Asia came up with a heavy freight, which she had signed to deliver THE ST. cnOIX PINEUmS, ETC. 89 at Taylor's falls. When she reached the boom, a barrier of three or four miles of logs compactly intervened upon the water s surface, and forbade her further progress. The com- pany had been unable to procure laborers to clear out the lo^s but wei^ nevertheless clearly liable to damages for obstructing navigation 1 hey chose the only remedy at hand, which was to receive the freight, and pay its transportation up to the falls m Mackmaw boats. With a full complement of men, the boom can always be kept clear at the point where it crosses the mam channel of the river. But owing to the unusual demand for labor, this ^as been a difficult matter the present season. *^ "This boom is undoubtedly the most complete and expensive work of the kind in the northwest. It is the business resort of all the lumbermen on the river, and those who wish to have any transaction, with them, during the season of rafting and running It is to them precisely what 'Change is to the mer- chants of a large city. Mill proprietors, dealers, pilots, loggers, and raftsmen, here do o.ngregate ^aily, to talk over theii' affairs and transact their business. If you wish, at this season, to see a man residing in that section of country, you will be more apt to find him at the boom, some day during the week, than at home or anywhere else. Every man's logs on he river are compelled to pass through the boom, and during ■ the process they are assorted and rafted, and delivered to him or his pilots imm3diately below. So much per thousand is allowed the company by law for this labor, which, by-the-by we understand has never yet been sufficient to pay. It is thought, however, that the present season will show a different result, owing to the large increase of business. " It IS a curiosity to see the huge size of some of the rafts from tins boom. Two noted St. Croix pilots passed Stillwater vvi h a fleet of three million feet under their command. We beWe that this^ is the largest lot of logs that ever went out 01 tlie tet. Oroix in one body. TavW« ^/ll """" rr'l?^ ^", descending the St. Croix from laylors falls, is the Osceola, on the Wisconsin side. Its water powrr is a spring branch from the Beiehborinr. blnff« », 57 , ■ lii i. A ' ' S I M 90 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. Bimilar to the Marine and other mills below the falls, and is said to be the best on the river. This mill has been in rperation since 1845. It is now owned and managed by the Messrs. Kent, Mr. Mahoney, who had been identified with the establishment since its inception, having retired last fall. With proper improvements, Osceola can be made one of the most extensive manufacturing establishments on the river. "Marine Mills is next in order. This is a place on the St. Croix, noted for its extensive manufacturing facilities. The Marine Company erected last season an extensive new mill, which is now running. There is sufficient water power to drive two saws, but the new mill has been erected with a view of using steam machinery. It speaks well for the prosperity of the Marine Company, and the lumbering business, to see in operation such elegant and complete mills as this. The workmanship and machinery are not excelled by any in the ten-itory. "The establishment of Mr. Mower, the Areola, is six miles above Stillwater. Here has also been erected, within the past year, a new mill, which is operated by steam — the only mill of the kind as yet in operation on the St. Croix. Mr. Mower also continues his old water-mill, and appears to be driving an extensive business. " Passing on to the upper edge of Stillwater, we come to the n-ins of the extensive steam-mill of Messrs. Sawyer, Heaton & Setzer, which was destroyed by fire a few months since. But the determined proprietors have no notion of giving it up so. We noticed men at work removing the rubbish, preparatory to rebuilding. " The M'Kusick mill, at Stillwater, is still ripping away after the old fashion. His establishment is noted for the excellent and neat manner in which he prepares his lumber for market. "We visited the new steam-mill below Stillwater, belonging to Messrs. Churchill & Nelson, Carlton, Loomis, and others. It is not yet quite ready for motion, but will start oflf full rigged next month. If we are any judge of such matters, this mill, in many respects, ' takes them all.' It has the same power as the Oakes establishment of St. Paul, and will drive the same THE ST. CEOIX TINERIES, ETC. 91 amount of saws and machinery, but is more spacious, conve- nient, and eligibly situated for doing business. The engine was built in Detroit. " On the Minnesota side of the lake, opposite Hudson, Mr. M. Perrin is erecting a steam saw-mill, which will be in operation soon. In the vicinity of Hudson are the mills of Messrs. Jfears and Bowron. Then at the mouth of the lake is the mill of Messrs. Stevens & Co. This completes the list, making, when Messrs. Sawyer, Heaton & Setzer's new establishment is completed, eleven mills in the valley, with, in the aggregate, over twenty upright saws, and the usual amount of circulars attached. This amount of machinery should be able to cut two hundred and fifty thousand feet of lumber every twenty- four hours— worth, in the St. Louis market, fourteen dollars per thousand. We think we have heard it remarked that Minne- sota has no resources ! " While people are going crazy abor' he valley of the Min- nesota and other portions west of the Mississippi, they should recollect there are old locations worth looking at, with a high market at the door of every farmer for the next hundred years, or as long as the pineries last. Going by land from Stillwater to laylor's Falls, you pass over the same character of country as lies between St. Paul and Stillwater, with the exception that the land is of a much better quality generally. West of the road lies Cornelian lakf , a large and beautiful sheet of water. Immediately back of Marine is another large lake Marme is situated upon the line of the open and timber coun- try. Immediately north of that point commences the heavy ' hard wood' growth, consisting of oak of the largest size, sugar maple— which predominates— bass wood, ash, white walnut, &c. This extensive forest runs north some thirty miles to the mouth of Sunrise river. The heavy timber con- tinues the whole distance, the western border being within twenty miles of St. Paul. The land is of the very best quality, rolling but not broken, and the heavy timber so thick that the rays of the sun can scarcely reach the ground. The timber, soil, and character of the country, through this forest and around Lake Chisago, is precisely similar to what we see 99 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUBOES. ll,! abont Lake Minnetonka. Lake Chisago has about forty miles of coast. Around its shores are settled seveval families of Swedes, who are beginning to farm in a small way. There is also a settlement of these people in the vicinity of Marine. " Sunrise river, or creek, takes its rise about four miles north and six miles west of Marine, and about six miles north, bear- ing east, of White Bear lake. It runs in a northerly direction, and empties itself into the St. Croix sixteen miles above Tay- lor's falls. The valley of this stream is unsurpassed as an agricultural country. But very little land along it is yet taken up, which is also the case with the entire timber country we have spoken of east of it. It is proper also to mention, that the source of Sunrise is in the same township as that of Rice creek, a tributary of the Mississippi sixteen miles above St. Paul. Toward the mouth of Sunrise, northwest of Taylor's falls, and traversing the banks of the stream, is one of the most fertile and beautiful of prairies, extending eight or ten miles north and south, and from two to three east and west. Only about two sections of this delightful farming paradise is yet claimed. What renders this tract so very val- uable is, that it is immedately adjacent to the immense hard- wood timber country we have alluded to, and close on up toward the pine region. " The country northeast of us is an impassable region of lakes and swamps. The facts are just as we have stated, although it is true the country is exceedingly well-watered with ■ r)ring branches and clear lakes. A very large proportion oi these lands are marked * number one' in the field notes of the sur- veyors, while, according to the same authority, there is no land of this high character (or at least scarcely any) immedi- ately about St. Paul. " As has been published to the world a thousand times, this is the most northern point of continuous steamboat navigation from below on the water of the Mississippi, or its tributaries. The celebrated falls of St. Croix are half a mile above, but boats can not ascend over Taylor's falls ; although there is no precipitous fall at the latter place, only swift rapids. The scenery and character of this bold and romantic locality has THE ST. CROIX PINERIES, ETC. 98 been so often described by able pens, that we will not hazard all we could (lo — a bare attempt to go over the ground suc- cessfully. The picture is graphically and truly delineated in Mrs. Ellet's ' Summer Rumbles in the West,' to which we in- vite the attention of those of our readers who have never visited this noted spot. Suffice it to say, that those who visit Minnesota, and go away without seeing * Rock island,' the 'Delles,' 'Taylor's Falls,' and the 'Falls of St. Croix,' leave out of the note-book of their observations a section of country and scenery that is worth going three times the dis- tance to behold. There is nothing like it anywhere else in this part of the world. No conception can be formed of the character of its boldness and grandeur by viewing the falls of St. Anthony. It is altogether a piece of architecture and workmanship of an entirely different style, as much so as a Corinthian palace is different from a Gothic cathedral. " The geologists have told us all about the formations of this region. The dark green trap rock— known by the common name of 'green stone'— similar in texture and general ap- pearance to the more grayish copper-bearing rock of Lake Superior, is thrown up here in immense masses, lying all over the surface so thick that a team can not be driven over it with safety. This upheaving process has only been carried on ia the immediate vicinity of the falls. Half a mile back on the Minnesota side it entirely disappears. This is also a copper- bearing rock, and it is not uncommon to find large boulders of pure copper in excavating weils and cellars. We have one now on our table, taken from a well immediately in the village of Taylor's Falls a few weeks since, which weighs about one pound, and is over ninety per cent, of pure copper. There is no doubt that this metal exists in large quantities in this trap range ; but at the present tir.e the citizens of the Falls have a more certain, if not a more profitable occupation than prospect- ing for copper. " Taylor's Falls is really one of the oldest places in Min- nesota, although the neat and pleasant village of thirty or forty houses — all tastefully built and cleanly painted — which one sees there now, has sprung into existence during ^«>l'UCIC9. look vastly inoro like a Im.sinehs placo tlian it lias lor years. The mill luiH been ri^littcd nilli new uiacliiuery tlio past win- tor, and is now drivinfj; aliiwid rapidly, day and nij^lit, rnnning fonr Haws, with the remaining two almoHt in readiness to start. 1'hingH ahont tlie village wear a prosperons aj)pearanco ; and if the j)r()perty wore only out of law, there would he no more thriving, driving, go-ahead village in the state of Wisconsin than «t. C^roix Falls. " If a suit in a Wisconsin cliancery court should eventually prove a thing less enduring than the trap rocks which form the 8t. Croix falls — a matter we think extremely doubtful — there are yet hopes that this immense water-power will result in some great and iirofitablc benefit to some member or mem- bers of the human family. *' Hero also is .the battle-ground of the great legal contest, car- ried on by a ' Boston company,' with the Honorable Caleb Cushing at their head, on one side, and Mv. Hungerford on the other. The water-power is of immenso force and vulue, and can bo turned to account with but little expense. The rocky reef which forms the falls forms thus a natural dam, and on the shore below are the seats for extensive mills. The Boston company laid out a town here, built a number of cot- tages ; but when the contention commenced, all business was suspended — the lumbering mills thrown idle; but now that Mr. Hungerford has taken possession, the activity and enter- prise of the place will continue. The lumbering business on this river in a few years will be immense. The first signs of civilized life we met were at the falls, but above this the river is filled with logs for fifty miles." MINM1C8UTA KIVWC, UWmWK KlKiloN, ETC. 97 CHAPTER VI. TI.L M,NN,.:«OTA inV.H COVmiiY ^-TUK ,;ND,Nfc REOTON OF With tl.o cxcoption of tl.o '• Bi. Woods," tl.o wl.olo country n.ny Ik, co..HnNMv,,l an j.rairio, Iho Htroan.s only beinjj «kirtod wuh wood. On (ho whole, tlnne is a want of timlun for ordi- i.ary farnunj,^ j.urposcs in a thickly-inl.abitcd district; but if tlu,RTowH. oi tnnbcr b. encouraged, as the pop.dation grad- ually .ncroasos, a deficiency n.ay never bo experienced. I l.ronghont the greater part of this region, the traveller is surpnsed an. channed with the everchanging variety and beauty of the scenery. ^ j' "* The alluvial lan.l bordering upon the river, varies in width ftou. a quarter of a mile to a n.ile or nu,re. The greater por- t.on o th.s constitutes nun^erous natural meadows, covered annually wUh a uxuriant growth of grass. A small proportion these a luvial lands is covered with ash, elm. sugar and whae maple, biUternut, white walnut, lime, linden, box elder cot o„..vood and hickory. A cor^siderable portion of these flats, bemg subject to annual overflow, are wet and marshy. A ren.arkable feature of this country consists in the small lakes and ponds scattered over it. Many of these are beautiful siieets of water, having the appearance of artificial basins, ^v neh greatly enhance the beauty of the country, especially^ when skated, as they sometin.es are, by groves of trees, ad r^iuented by water fowl, which tend to anynate and relieve the^otherwise almost deathlike silence which so pervades the si,!!r\r^''M-^^'^'""^T"^"'' ''' ^""«^^«"ce with the Missis, fcq.pi, the Minnesota has a sluggish current, and is slightly ■•:«^ ■«*•'■■«•-•.« tmm 08 MINNKS(yrA AND ITS UKSOURCES. :1>i' \ 1 :l jii 1 . : :■■ wliitiHli — lioncc tlio Dakota name of "Minnesota" or water "tinted like tlie sky." Coal beds arc believed by many to exist on the bead waters of the Mankator or Blue Kartb river, and otlier tributaries of the upper ]\IinneHota. IMeees of Cannel coal have been found from time to time, though not in such abundance, nor are the indications at any point ho strongly nmrked as to induce us to believe that any very extensive beds will be found in those localities. David Dale Owen, United States geologist, in his rej)ort of a geological survey of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minne- sota, in 18 18-'9, says : — " On the Mankato, and its branches, several pieces of lignite were picked up from the beds and banks of the streams. Some of this lignite approaches in its character to Cannel coal ; but most of it has a brown color, and exhibits distinctly the ligneous fibre, and other structure of the wood from which it has been derived. Diligent search was made to endeavor to trace this mineralized wood to its source, and discover the beds where report had located an extensive and valuable coal field. At one point, a fragment was found seventy feet above the level of the river, projecting from the drift ; but no regular bed could be detected anywhere, even in places where sections of the drift were exposed down to the magnesian lime stone. The conclusion at which those who were appointed to Investigate the matter arrived, was, that the pieces occasionally found throughout the Minnesota country, are only isolated fragments disseminated in the drift, but that no regular bed exists within the limits of the district. As regards salubrity, soil, timber, and water, we doubt whether any portion of the west presents greater inducements for immigration than the charming valley of the Minnesota river. The eye is delighted with a succession of rural land- scapes of unsurpassed and varied beauty. The scenery is not bold and craggy like that of the Mississippi, and upper St. Croix, but picturesque, and homelike. The wide-spreading prairies, studded with oak groves, terminating in sloping banks, and fringed with meadows, which bound the right bank of the Minnesota at its entrance ; and the rolling prairies which make a gentle declivity down to the winding stream on the left, MINNlao-li luVKlt, UMOUJE BKOION, ETC. 89 excite, „pn„ fir»t cr' . i„p; ,|,„ „,„„„, „f „,„ Minnesota nn ,.;, . . * ^"^P"> *»**''« valley as seen from flifl t mi n fv.et luf.!., above the bottoms, are sometimes concealed fioiu the steamboat travollor bv l.na,,, .• u t^<>"C( aicd to the river bed But 1 ^^y ^'"^^^^ g^owinp: clown oeu. iiut generally, except through the Bois ' , ' , '^""''- , <^'''' B'"™8 icsen,bling c.ltivnte,! orcl.nrds n,„l « b.ck g,-„..ucl of „p,„„.„„Hy <,e„,o timber, complete e.eaav ucautful sites for farmhouses and improvements. Tlio .mtural t.c valley, a refmed taste in rural arel.itecture. AlthonrrI, « I..C1 feasts, but does not pall, the sigbt of the voy ageur N^ a »po but seems to await with impatience the adorfr. Im, d c,v,l,.at.o„; not an acre but appears ready for th"7xe t le rl"ugh, or the scythe. It is a common remark that !h„ wl,„ country looks as if it had been suddenly dose ted by a In ed lliere are many beautiful sites for towns along the river L.t Ic Rap,ds wm probably be a place of importance, as steams IT : ;:« ::'if; "r'ff •" ''"-'"■'• ^'"' ^"o - »•'"« yards wldlCverytrkr "'"""-'""^ ^'="^ ^ "^'^^ ihere ,s plenty of hard-wood timber on the river, sufficient vX''': '-""T l-elow. It consists of hard and soft m! pie, oak, ash, elm, white and Mack walnut, hickory, cheny, 100 MINNESOTA AND ITS KESuUliCES. )^ cotton^\ood, vof<»a<'«n<- +I1A flv'^f^^'- Awrn^ri"*! "»>fl Jew, each sending forth their summons for prayer to the faith- ST. PAUL. Ill fill : l)ut jud^lnf]^ of pioty hy boll-ringing in St. Taul, it would |»iil, tlie I'MsUini (lovotco to slinme. From the lower Iniuliiig of St. rnul, wc rise upon a bench Konie soveiity-livc feet above the river, and come upon the site (•f the lower town, which — with the extension up the river as far as the upper landing, a distance of three fourths of a mile, Avhere is a most vigorous young town of later growth — com- pletes St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota. Retiring from the lower town, about half a mile northerly, across a plain which ai)pear8 to have once been the basin of a lake, for it is nearly walled in by a bluff fifteen feet high, we suddenly rise upon a third bluff nearly two hundred feet high, and some three hun- dred feet above the Mississippi. This ascent is wooded, and so is the region beyond for perhaps twenty miles. From this point we overlook St. Paul ; extending the vision down the river some twenty miles, we take within the compass of the eye a wide stretch of the late Sioux lands and bUiish hills, far away up the Minnesota in the west. To the north, although the grounds descend from the bluff for some three miles, there are but few objects of distinct out- line. After viewing a small lake, lying about a mile to the northwest, as a setting to a border of oak-openings, we pro- ceed through a constantly alternating succession of oak-covered knolls, marshy dells, and around the margins of small tama- rac swamps. These swamps, though dismal, for their size, are the most curious objects to the eye of the stranger which this region presents. The trees grow so thick, that they choke each other out of the chance for a subsistence, or else they die a natural death after a certain age, so that they resemble a scene of shipping in a seaport most strikingly. It is easy, when in a dreamy mood of mind, to fancy these bare poles as the masts of some diluvi.an squadrons, which had lost their reckoning, and finally, getting discouraged, moored in the mud. There are no guide-boards on this road, and the angler or sportsman, who can't parlezf/anfais M'iih the French residents whose cabins^ nestle in some of the sly retreats along the path, may thank the stars if he does not get lost over night. 112 MINNESOTA AND IT8 RESOUUCIiS. Tho rofiflon is Hpottcd all over, at diHtancoH of ono to throe mill's, with hrij^lit and cool little lakcH, that uhoiiiul in liali ; aiiHMi}^" which is tho real White Mountain tnmt. ^J'ho Hci'ue over iho hlnll" in tho roar of tho upper town of kSt. I'aul, Ih tin? (loli^htful prairie which oxtemlH oil' about six inih'M toward St. Anthony I'allH. 'Iho. true (juality of tho Hoil of tho comparatively chaotio landH in tho rear of St. Paul, Ih, after all, better than that of tho lands of AVo.storu Now Yjyrk. It has le88 of tho black alluvion than our landn generally, yet it is highly productive ; and HO far as experience has tested its capabilities, it does not deproeiato at all by cropjiing. It is strongly impregnated with liuu', and jiossosses, in a high degree, the active principlo im|)avted by a variety of mineral substances. 'JMiis soil can bo made, by tho application of manure, of wliieh an abundance! can bo had for tho trouble of carting from town, more jmxiuctive than tho best river bottoms. For tho purpose of gardening, 1 am inclined to prefer it to tho latter; and if I was to make a claim, I would "take up" tho lauds I could find unoccupied, nearest the town. A stranger is gcuierally somewhat astonished and not unfro- qucntly very nnich anniscd at the scene presented for con- templation on his first arrival at tlie St. Paul landing. Iii short, his first impressions with regard to tho state of society hero are altogether inifavorable. lie is welcomed by an unusual and motley group of human beings, gatliered from all parts of tho Union, the Canadas, the Indian lands, and Pem- bina, besides the c»iriousIy-mixed-up race of natives. This m indeed a most peculiar feature of tho capital of Minnofcuia, which in respect to its inhabitants differs materially fr v: y.-^y place I have visited in the west. Being an old settlement of French and half-breeds, and the present sort of government for the territory, situated near the head of navigation and con- tiguous to the Da-' 'ta land, a strange spectacle is often pre- sented, or stt?i j^c I dp'^d to the uninitiated. All the different classes, howewr, fKinglo together, forming a singular mass, variously habited, speaking diff'erent languages, and distin- guished by a variety of complexions, features, and manners. *;■ 1^4. «'L,^,.^ .Ju .\ FT. PAFL. 118 Yet nil tills npponrs ((uito cotntiion, nnil oxcitos no cnrioHity aiiKUi^ tliosn wild imvc icHidcd lion^ but a Utw rnfojtIiH. Hut liow (lin"<'i<'nt tliti H|)('<'tJulo nppcnrH to the H'rjingor ami visit(M'. Chained, as it wero, hy a Hpcll of aHtoiitMlmuMit, lie pnusoH a iiwniMMit to view tlio Hccms lirforc Hcttiiig foot on nliorts to miii^hi in tlio proniiHCUoiiH niultitud«. A variety of pfMHoiiH attract IiIh att(Mition. Merchants in Hcarch of nowly- jirrived g'lods; editors, nnxions for the latest iiewH ; citizens, re'" ivinj^ their lonj^-c^xpeoted friends from the east or south ; cnniKMi and coachmen with their teams, all indeed join in the tmuultnous strift^ and enjoy the excitement. A little rcmov(Ml from the crowd may ho seei; anotiicr class, which hy the way is too numerous, for so small a community as that of St. l*aul. 'J'his is c(miposed of a host of lawyers, politicians, office-holders, and olllce-seekers, Avhom we may perhaps call refugees from other states, though actuated hy the hope of gaining some lionorahlo ])ositiou nnd a sharci of the public spoils. I^hey are discussing very boldly, ])erhn])H, a sulijcct pertaining to the territorial government, or the late doings of Congress. Amid the busy crowd may bo seen the courteous and soclal)lo governor, conversing froely with his follow-citi- zens, or ])olit(dy receiving General A., Colonel B., or some other distinguished personnge just arrived. Close by the side of his excellency a Dakota, Winnebago, or Chippewa warrior strides along as boldly and quite as independent as the greatest monarch on earth, lie is attired in a red or white blanket, with his legglns and mocassins fantastically orna- mented with ribnnds, feathers, heads, &c., while his long braided hair is adorned with a number of ribands and quills, his face is painted wltli a variety of colors, giving him a most frightful appearance. In his hands he carries a gun, hatchet, and pipe. As the noble fellow moves along, so erect, so tall and athletic in his form, a feeling of admiration involuntarily fills the stranger's mind — he pronounces the Indian warrior tlie lion of the nniltitude, and is forced to respect his savage nature. The eye follo\v8 him along till lie joins, perhaps, a company of his own tribe, some of whom are quietly regaling themselves at the ffnd of a long Tchandahoopah, others gazing lU MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. il r' i \ i nt tho white man's big canoe. Now the astonished gazer beholds a group of dark-eyed squaws, some carrying their heavy burdens, others with papooses on their backs, with their bare heads sticking above a dirty blanket. The little things may be sleeping and as the mothers walk carelessly along, their heads dangle about as though their necks would break at every step. They sleep ^n, however, nor heed the scorching rays of the sun shining in their faces. The stranger having become satisfied with the contemplation of such and similar scenes, at length concludes to debark, and soon he too becomes one of the promiscuous multitude. He soon forgets the oddities that so much excited his curiosity among us. Though he finds a great multitude of French half- breeds and Dakotas ; yet the character is decidedly eastern. The red men who are now so numerous, will ere long flee away before the influence ol' civilization, while the native French, half-breeds, Sic, will be absorbed by an eastern society. In short, everything is fast partaking of a Yankee spirit, and yielding before the influence of Yankee enterprise. Another writer thus impartially describes St. Paul : — " The town site is high and conspicuous, being elevated from seventy to eighty feet above the water at common stages. The central part embraces an extensive level plateau, terminating along the Mississippi, in a precipitous bluff*. This bluff after running for some distance recedes from the river on the east and west, and by assuming a gradual ascent, forms two com- modious landings, called the upper and lower town, meeting upon the elevated plateau of the central part. As a natural consequence there is a good deal of strife between the two tiections for the ascendency in commercial matters particularly. The site upon wli'ch the lower town is mostly built, is several feet below the central and upper parts, and has quite a sandy soil, while the higher portions are on a limestone formation, lying abov^e the sandstone. " The latter formation in many places Is so soft that the swallows make their nests in the rock, as in ordinary sand- banks. Much of the sandstone is nearly as white as loaf-sugar, and is said to be of a superior quality for the manufacturing ST. PAUL. 115 of glass. These liigli rocks passing up far above the water, and displaying tlieir snow-white sides to view, form a peculiar and exceedingly beautiful feature iu the scenery of the Upper JMississippi. " In the rear of St Paul, or on the north, rises another bluflP, or line of hills, which encircles the town site, in the shape of an amphitheatre, bending gradually until they approach quite near the river again toward Fort Snelling on the southwest, and to'vard. Lake Pepin on the southeast. These smooth and beautiful hills extending from one half a mile to upward of two miles from the toAvn, afford many most delightful situations for country-scats and farms. From these elevations, an extensive view is afforded of the surrounding country, particularly of the toAvn below, and land of the Dakotas beyond the Mississippi. Far away to the south and southeast, the Father of Waters is seen rolling his silent tide majestically along, guarded on either side by rock-bound bluffs and hills. Indeed we seem to behold even now, through the dim vista of future years, the gHt*^ering mansions of St. Paul's merchant-princes rising up in every direction, on these hills now iu the state of nature or rudely adorned by the humble chaumiere of the French and half-breeds, or the simple lodges of the noble Sioux. '* There is one serious objection to the back-grounds of St. Paul, at present, though in time, it will doubtless form a great blessing. A great many springs of * pure cold water' are con- tinually gushing from the base of the above-mentioned hills, farming several bad marshes, and rendering an access to many of the choice situations rather difficult. Good roads will soon be constructed over these wet places, while the water supplied by the living fountains, can easily be brought in town. There are also several small lakes in the vicinity supplied by springs, and situated much higher than St. Paul, which can be made to supply a large city with excellent water. In short the place has many natural advantages for a great town." Every day makes it clearer, that St. Paul is destined to more importance as a city than the most sanguine have dared to anticipate. Not only has our town already become, in the four short years of its existence, the emporium of trade for .1 1! 116 MINNESOTA ANT) ITS RESOURCES. all tlmt vnst area of coiuitiy above us, extending from the shore of Lake Superior to the licad waters of the ]\Iissouri — a trade yet limited, to be sure, by reason of tlie sparseness of the ])t)pulation, but hourly increasing, and which must soon become incalculably great ; but there will be soon a fresh impulse given it, by the settlement of Jiose matchless lands inhabited jy the Sitiux Indians, lands of vast extent as well as fertility, watered by the Minnesota river and its tributaries. Standing at the steamboat head of the Mississippi, the main artery, nay the rnily artery, north and south, through the continent of North America, it can have no rival, no competitor for the business of those regions of which it is already the focus. Our line of business is essentially with the north and the south, the east and the west, turning, as it were upon a pivot, on this, the head of steamboat navigation ; and from this point there will in time radiate railroads, to connect here with steamboats, in various directions. But there is a probability, nay more than a probability, that a plan of internal improvements will be executed by the British government, which will hasten the development and growth of St. Paul beyond all parallel. I refer to the contemplated construction of a line of railroad from Halifax, in Nova Scotia, to the Pacific ocean, north of Lake Superior. The construction of that road Avould imme- diately require the construction of a railroad from St. Paul to intersect it. The chain of lakes would prevent its intersection east of us, besides that here the steamboat approximates nearest to it — the valley of the Mississippi being, on every account, the proper line of connection with it. The whole of the intercourse of the southern and western states with Oregon, nay, with California, would take this route ; all the emigration and immigration, probably all the trade of those states with China, Japan, and the East Indies in short, would take this route ; and there would not be a busier transhipment city than St. Paul on this continent. If, already, it has come to be known that this very roiite to the Pacific is not only shorter, cheaper, healthier, and far better than any one south of it — if, as we know, St. Paul has already become a place of outfit for companies migrating to Oregon, without railroads — what I k fff ST. PAUL. IIT may we expect to see when the traveller from New Orleans, who lands here, may be whirled here npon a continuous raih-oad, through the high, healthful, romantic ranges of the buft'alo, along the northern verge of the temperate zone, to the bhie Pacific ! The route from Halifax to Fuca strrits, opposite to Van- couver's island, has been ascertained to be quite as feasible as the route proposed from Lake Michigan to Puget's sound, and a very large part of the country is the finest wheat country in the world. The distance would vary but little from that of our route — while from London to Chhia It would be consider- ably less than ours. By measuring a globe, it will be seen that Lake Huron is less distant from London than New York from London ; and as Lake Superior is but six hundred and fifty feet elevation above the Atlantic, a railroad from Halifax to Lake Superior might be constructed on almost a dead level. This would enable England to transport all the produce of the Mississippi basin to Halifax, at a much less cost than to any Atlantic city. Besides, Halifax is much nearer to Europe, and would avoid the storms and dangers of navigation between Halifax and New York. An examination of this subject will show that, should England build the road, she will not only have a great advantage over us, but would control us and the world : for it is her commerce with Asia, and not ours, which must sustain the road. The route for such railroad connection would he nearly or quite due north from St. Paul, following the chain of small lakes on the east side of the Mississippi, touching the Avestern shores of Mille Lac and Sandy lake, a route not only practi- cable, but highly favorable for a railroad, nearly level, and requiring less grading than almost any other route that could be found on this continent ; and the whole distance from St. Paul to the dividing ridge north of Lake Superior, along Avhich the British railroad will be extended, between Halifax and Puget's sound, is less than four hundred miles. It will by 1)0 means be necessary that the road from St. Paul should be extended to Pembina, which is much too far west, and a much more distant point for connection, although the face of the 118 minnp:sota and its kesoukoes. country to Pembina is entirely practicable for the construction of a railroad. Tliat the northern route to Oregon will soon be tlic route for all northern emigration (railroad or no raikoad), is a certain event ; and the very next season will make St. Paul an im- portant point for outfits to the Pacific. The railroad survey by the United States government, from St. Paul to Puget's sound, is treated of hereafter. Whether our government constructs that road or not, I consider it cer- tain that England will complete the one described above ere many years, and St. Paul tlius be the tlioronglifare from our eastern cities to the Pacific. . Without going so far back as the early part of 1847, to note the few rude trading cabins or tamarac logs, which marked the present site of St. Paul (then flourishing under the unpoetic soubriquet of " Pig's Eye"), I will commence picking up "inci- dents" about the middle of that year. Then it was that the "squatters" upon the public lands which mark the site of St. Paul proper, conceived the idea of laying out a town there- upon. The names of those who were then sole " proprietors," barring Uncle Sam's prior lien, are : Vetal Guerin, Alex. R. M'Leod, Henry Jackson, Hartshorn & Randall, Louis Roberts, Benjamin Gervais, David Farribault, A. L. Larpenteur, J. W. Simpson, and J. Dcmarrais. These worthy pioneers are all yet living — living in exemplification of the old truism, that the first settlers of a new country generally live and die the poorest men in it. One or two of them, who appear likely to escape this apparently predestined fate, only stand as monu- ments of exception to prove the verity of the rule. All had an unequal interest in that portion of the present capital of Minnesota, embraced in the area extending from about half way between Sibley and Jackson streets, up to St. Peter's street, and from the river back to Eighth street. This they employed Ira B. Brunson, of Prairie du Chicn, to lay off into town lots, during tlie month of July, 1847 — little dreaming that in less than five years it would prove tlie nucleus, around whici! would concentrate the future commercial and tiolitical metropolis of a mighty commonwealth — the heart of that BT. PAUL. 119 northwestern emporium, which is to give pulsation and life- blood to the northern giant of the Mississippi valley. " St. Paul" it was named, from the parish name of the cath- olic church which had been organized six years previous. No visible signs of its future greatness became manifest during that or the succeeding year, if we except the land sales at the falls of St. Crf in August of 1848, at which time the propri- etors proved up their pre-emptions, and procured titles from the government. This year the old warehouse at the lower landing, now occupied by Constans & Burbank, was erected, and the building at the corner of Jackson and Third, lately occupied by George Wells, remodelled from a rude cabin into what was then considered a spacious and commodious hotel. Mr. Bass made the improvement, and was the first landlord. Mr. Larpenteur's dwelling-house, on the opposite corner, was built the same year ; also Mr. Hopkins's store, on the south- west corner of the same streets. John R. Irvine held and entered the «' claim" on the river immediately above the town plot. He had not thought much of it— merely occupying it as a residence, with a few acres adjacent to his dwelling under cultivation, which supplied the wants of his family. The keen, speculative eye of Henry M. Rice, first conceived the idea of laying off the extensive plateau embraced in the claim of Irvine, and immediately adjacent to St. Paul, into an " addition" thereto. Rice " bought in" with Irvine ; and in the winter of 1848-'49— just before the passage of the act by Congress organizing the terri- tory—their addition was divided into lots. The mere fact, that a man of the known e ergy and enterprise of Rice had taken hold of St. Paul, infused new life into the place, and it soon had a name, even beyond tho limits of the neighboring regions. This name was sent far and Avide over the country when, through the patriotic perseverance and devoted zeal of Henry H. Sibley, the organic act, naming St. Paul as the temporary capital, passed both houses of Congress, and was ap- proved by the president on the third of March, 1849. Other " additions" rapirllvmnlfmli'ofJ ftrr-itl! n--' T171.:x ._. (Hon. Robert Smith, of Alton, Illinois, and Cornelius S.Whit- m \s 'T !i fit 120 MINNESOTA AND ITS KESOUKCES. iiey, at tlie time Imul-office receiver at St. Croix Falls) was laid oil' in April of tlie same year, aiul Hoyt's in May. Sam- uel Leecli, land office register at St. Croix Falls, not to be out- done by his fellow-officer, had laid off', in August of that year, the "addition" which bears his name. In 1850, Guerin and 13azil's, Randall and Roberts's, and Patterson's additions, were laid off. The following year came Winslow's, Kittson's, Willes', and Irvine's enlargement. In 1852, we had Bass's, Brunson's, Baker's, and Winslow's (No. 2). And now the compass is upon a strip of land between Selby's and Rice's farms, making town lots under the title of " Irvine and Ramsey's new addition." There are other small additions, perhaps, which have been made at various times, not noted, because of their insignifi- cance. All alluded to are important parts of St. Paul as it now is. In June, 1853, John Esaias Warren, Esq., recently of Troy, New York, bought out the half of Winslow's addition in the lower toAvn, and it is now known as " Warren and Winslow's cottage addition." Its location is admirably adapted for build- ing nice, comfortable residences in the shape of cottages ornee, with all the romance of scenery, &c. Perhaps, now that her fate is decided, and her high destiny as the great commercial, social, religious, educational, and po- litical emporium of the northwest unalterably fixed, it would matter little whether St. Paul remained the capital or not. But it did matter, and very essentially too, at the time the infant struggle took place to secure this advantage. W^ithout it she would never have been able to hold the confidence of those who had labored most for her, or attract the attention of people then far away, who have since become part and parcel of her most active bones and sinews. Until the contest for the capital, and consequent centre of political power, was decided in favor of St. Paul, shrewd and calculating men looked upon her as no " sure tiling." It is true her advantages of position commercially would always have made her a place of considerable note. It is this latter, added to the former, which has made her what she is, and se- cured to her that which she is destined to be. Neither could ^iiili.^ ST. PAUL. 121 have accomplished the work separately. To name one fatal disadvantage, had there been no capital here, St. Paul would have been deprived of the immense benefits of her newspaper press, those main arteries of her present healthful life. At least, not more than one would have been able to live here, and til at in a condition so weakly and sickly that its wheezing and consumptive echoes would have fallen far short of sending forth her just meed of praise and advantage in the full and clear-toned clarion-notes whicli have been borne on every breeze throughout the land. But the moment it was decided that St. Paul was to be the political as well as the commercial centre of Minnesota, new life and energy were infused into every limb and muscle of her body. She arose and robed lier- seif in the habiliments of strong, determined, youthful vigor, and started fairly and fully upon her march to future great- ness. Slip had passed the ordeal. From that hour she was to go forward — never look back. Property immediately ad- vanced more than two hundred per cent. Those who had stood back, fearful to invest, came into the front ranks, and gave their means to the improvement and building up of St. Paul. Persons from abroad flocked in and invested liberally ; and there was never any more doubt as to the future. No one, from that day to this, has felt any fears of the result. Nothing will better partially illustrate the steady and healthy advance of St. Paul as an important mart of trade and com- merce, than the increase in the number of steamboat arrivals from year to year. The number of arrivals, in 1848, was 47 ; in 1849, 73; in 1850, 104; in 1851, 119; in 1852, 171. But, as remarked, although this is a good illustration of our steady increase commercially, it is only a partial one. Were there any means of getting at the comparative increase in the amount oi freight which has been shipped to this port from below du- ring the past five years, I could find therein more nearly cor- rect data. This I have not. I will therefore state some ob- servations and incidents unsupported by figures. In the month of May, 1849, the mercantile business consisted of-^L. Roberts's store, at the lower landing; Freeman, Lar- peuteur, & Co.'s, same place ; Henry Jackson, just ch 6 ig out, 122 MINNICSOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. in liis old house at the top of the Lhiff; W. 11. Forhes, St. Paul outfit, Bench, between Jackson anil Roberts streets; J. W. Simpson, next door ; and the small Indian trading establish- ment of Ohnsted & Rhodes, on Third street, in the old cabin which was recently removed to give place to the handsome new store of Mr. Chamblin. This completed the lower town. Then you travelled over an extensive corn and potato field to a little clump of shanties and balloon-frames in the neighbor- hood of the "American house." Here was Levi Sloan, upon his present site, with a small stock ; and next above the Amer- ican were the Messrs. Fuller, with a somewhat larger assort- ment. This was all. The capital invested in merchandise in the entire town couhl not have amounted to over forty thou- eand dollars. The Fur Company did a very limited business here at that time. Their centre was at Mendota, where both Mr. Sibley and Mr. Rice — the then prominent members of the Chouteau firm in this part of the country— resided and did business. The frame of the "American house" was just up. In a few weeks the room in the extreme east end of the building was finished off for a store, and was stocked and opened by Mr. Rice, who had charge of that branch of the Fur Company's business known as the " Winnebago and Chippewa outfits." During the summer Mr. Rice erected the then extensive store and warehouse near the upper landing, now occupied by the Messrs. Fuller. When he opened (in the month of August), his shelves presented much the largest stock ever previously seen in St. Paul. Many people prophesied that there were more goods in that establishment than would be sold in St. Paul in five years. Late in the fall, the Messrs. Elfelt arrived from Philadel- phia, with a very heavy stock of goods, and opened in the place vacated by Mr. Rice. They were another exemplifica- tion of extreme verdancy in the minds of immoveable croakers. Other smaller establishments had risen into existence during the summer and fall; and, at the close of navigation, perhaps there were sixty thousand dollars invested in legitimate mer- cantile trade in St. Paul. ST. PAUL. 123 This, be it remembered, was three years and six months ngo. I have endeavored to compile an estimate, as accurately as time and circumstances would admit, of the present amount of capital invested in merchandise in our go-ahead young city (1853). I include in the calculation goods to arrive early after the opening of navigation : — Dry goods $100,000 Groceries 83,000 Assorted inevohnndise 100,000 Clotliing, including hats, caps, «fec 30,000 Boots and shoes 10,000 Hardware ; ^ 5,000 Farming implements 8,000 Books and stationery 12,000 Drugs, paints, oils, glass, '\H. n^^'' 12i MINNFSOTA AND ITS RKS0URCK9. is hnrd to {^ct at accurately in so new and rapidly-clianging a place as this. Carpenters and joiners arc, of course, the most numerous branches of mechanics. Of these, there are from one hundred and fifty to two hundred, all most of the time ac- tively employed at their business. Bricklayers and plasterers, painters and glaziers, and all the various branches incident to the great leading business of building, entc largely into our population, and bear equal proportion to the departments first named. Let us get at nearly the extent of our manufacturing capital : — Three steam sawmills, with nn investment in ma- chinery nnd stock $100,000 One floiiiingmill •. 12,000 One sash, door, and blind nmnufttctory, planing-ma- chine uttacliod 10,000 One iron-foundry and mnehino-sliop 8,000 Throe stove and tin-wnre establishments 8,000 One plough and farming-implement manufactory. . 8,000 Four wiigon and carriage manufactories 8,000 Blflcksmith-shops, not enumerated, say 5,000 Cabinet-ware and furniture, two 9,000 Boot and shoe manufactories, say 5,000 SnddlfS and harness 5,000 Bakers and confectioners, four 4,000 Miscellaneous. 5,000 $1*77,000 It will thus be seen that we have in this rising frontier me- tropolis, containing only, at the outside, a population of five thousand, investments in mercantile and manufacturing trans- actions to the amount of nearly one million dollars ! This is, of course, all outside the value of real estate, buildings, public and private, personal property, &;c. Some of these manufac- tories are quite extensive, particularly our sawmills, which will readily be perceived by the amount of capital it requires to carry them on. The lower mill, owned by Messrs. Oakes &; Co., is a model of its kind, as well as a good indicator of our rise and continued progress in the way of manufacturing. " It will make any man think more of St. Paul to take a ' look' through this mill." It now runs two upright saws, one circu- lar, one cross-cut circular, and three lath saws. A shingle-saw and plauiug-machine will be attached upon tUe opening of BT. PAUL. 125 navigation. Tliovo is also a tuining-lntlie attnclied. This mill is capuhh'. of cutting twenty tliousnnd A-et of Innibcr and ten tluMisjind lath in twenty-four liours. The mill near the upper landing runs one npright and one circular saw. It is an excel- lent little "machine," and turns out ten thousand feet in twen- ty-four hours. In the same neighborhood is the mill of John II. Irvine, having the same number and character of saws, with shingle and lath machines added. It docs about an equal amount of business in the way of cutting lumber. A fourth saw-mill is in process of erection at Dayton's bluff, by Messrs. Ames & Co. I have not included the investment of capital in this new mill in our estimate. Next in importance in the way of manufactories is the sash, door, and blind establishment of Wise and Gise, situated on the second bench, near the catholic church. It is also driven by steam. They have all the 'late improvements in this branch of manufactures ; and, with planing-mill attached, they convert rough pine boards into beautiful and substantial doors, sash, and blinds, with remarkable rapidity, and, of course, at much cheaper rates than these articles can be made by hand. In the lower department of their establishment they have ex- tensive machinery for grinding and polishing plough mould- boards and shares, hoes, axes, and other articles of agricultural cutlery. It would make any one think still more of St. Paul to take a look through this establishment. The St. Paul iron foundry and machine shop, situated in the vicinity of the lower saw-mill, i;. a new branch of manu- facturing among us, having gone into operation during the past winter. It is the first establishment of the kind above Galena. All descriptions of castings, for machinery or other purposes, are now turned out. The business is yet in its in- fancy, but will be increased as rapidly as custom and facilities afford. The number of buildings at present in St. Paul is about six hundred (exclusive of stables and other out-houses), which may be classed as follows : — Dwcnings, ofllccs, aud shops 51^ Maaufactories and business houses 70 126 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOrRCEB. .»-«»> ^wnt Clmrcli<'« fl }l,>\vU 4 SolioullioiiHft*, (Mihliu nnd private 4 (\nirt lioimo hihI juil 2 t'ii|>itol 1 Amount 604 There is not iucliulctl iii this count any Luilding now in process of erection tlint is not ready for the roof. The num- ber not of this class — thofie ah'eady commenced and those contemplated — would swell the aggregate at least forty. Among the better class soon to be erected, is the second prcsbytcrian church, and the Baldwin school edifice. The former is to be the largest and most imposing church edifice yet built in St. Paul. It will be of brick, with a lofty spire, and is to stand on the elevation a short distance east of the capitol. The old " public square," originally platted in Ilice and Irvine's addition, situated in the vicinity of the methodist church, is about to be vacated by the town as a site for the Baldwin school. This school is to be a female academy of a high order, and takes its name from a munificent endowment by a gentleman of Philadelphia. An act incorporating the institution and appointing a board of trustees, was j^assed dur- ing the late session of our legislative assembly. I have seen a proposed plan of the building, which, if adopted, will raise up an edifice that, aside from its great prospective usefulness, will be a beautiful and highly imposing ornament to our city. The new hotel, at the corner of Eagle and Fort streets, the foundation of which is already laid, may be noted as one of the most important and elegant buildings that will beautify and improve the exterior of St. Paul this season. But for un- fortuitous circumstances, this building would have been erected and finished last season. The delay has, perhaps, been all for the better. The building will now bo much larger than was originally contemplated, and of brick. ^^"'"' iiawfcW?^-^^ '^^^'^ y^'*' ^ large proportion of the build- ings erected have been of brick. The disposition to indulge in cultivating this good taste is rapidl} u the increase. Those who are able and ready to build, are beginning to find there is economy iu erecting, at the outset, safe, permanent, comfort- ij ST. PAUL. 127 nlilo, and tnfltcful (bvolllnps nnd fitnrclionscs. Tbcro is nbout tlio city munerouH piles ol' hiick niul sand, wliidi will shortly rise into stately walls, to add niatiTlully to tlio substantial biisiiiess aiipcaranco of the place, and to relievo the eyo from the monotonous lines of pine weatlicr-boarding, daubed with white lead. From the outset, tlio moans of grace have been abundant in St. Paul. If she should over go down to a degraded end, through sin and infamy, it will not be the fault of the various religious institutions and denominations of our common coun- try, or the want of faithful and zealous ministers sent here to instruct her. The catholic church was the first to organize here. The first organization took place in 1811, and shortly after the log house of worship yet standing on Bench, between Minnesota and Cedar streets, was erected. The older society at Mendota being called the church of St. Peter, the one here took the name in contradistinction of the great apostle of the Gentiles — St. Paul. This gave name to the town; and it is but an act of simple justice to state, that to the good taste of the catholic clergy are wo indebted for the excommunication of the outrageous cognomen of "Pig's Eye," which in its flight from our high and salubrious bluffs, found no resting- place until it reached an entanglement of sloughs, marshes, and mosquito dons, some miles below. In May, 1849, a largo and devout congregation worshiiiped in the log church, under tlie care of the Rev. :R[r. Ravoux, a faithful and zealous man. The following year, :Rrinnesota was set off as a bishopric, Avith the seat at St. Paul; Father Cretin, of Dubuque, was ordained bishop, and arrived here in the spring of 1851. During that year the brick building, at present used as a church edifice, was erected. It was originally designed for a college, and will be so used after the erection of the contemplated cathe- dral. This latter building will be upon a magnificent scale. Funds are now being raised for its commencement. The catholic church of St. Paul now numbers about eight hun- dred communicants, mostly of Canadian, French, and Irish extraction. The first protestant church organization in St. Paul was the 128 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOUKCKS. li I motlioclist opiscopal. It ^ ^is organized on tli'^ 31st of Decem- ber, 1848, by Rev. B. Close, noAV of Oregon, and numbered at •t}ie time eight members. The following summer, the present brick church edifice of this congregation was erected. It was the first brick church in the territory — Ilev. Mr. Neill's dwel- ling being the first brick building of any kind. There are now seventy-three members in communion, and the rhurch is well at- tended on the sabbath-day. Rev. Messrs. Stevens, Dickens, and Fullerton, have at different periods officiated as ministers in charge. Rev. Chancey Hobart has been the presiding elder of this district from the time the territory was organized, and still holds the position, much beloved and respected by Chris- tians of all denominations, as well as his neighbors outside the church. Rev. E. D. Neill, missionary of the presbyterian church, N. S., arrived here in April, 1840, he having been assigned this post by the general assembly of his church. He instantly set about his work with that commendable and earnest zea^ which characterizes him in everything he undertakes. He labored upon each sabbath-day in the (then) only schoolhouse in the village, until he could build, mostly at his own expense, a temporary place of worship near his dwelling. In this, the first presbyterian congregation was organized on the 1st Jan- uary, 1850. It consisted of only seven members, including tho pastor, all of whom are yet living, save one. April fol- lowing, the building, a slight frame one, was destroyed by fire. This accident gave zest to the contemplated erection of the present elegant brick edifice, at the corner of St. Peter and Bench streets, which is the best-finished, appointed, and most commodious church in St. Paul. Worship was first had in it during the early part of the following winter. The building is now thoroughly finished, and last summer a superb organ was added to the choir. The number of communicants con- nected with this church is small in comparison to the number in attendance each sabbath-day. They comprise about forty out of a regular congregatio. of rising two himdred. Aside from his rigid attendance to his ministe'rial and other reli- gious, duties, Mr. Neill is almost an indiqiensalh in the way of ST. PAUL. 129 1 I' a good citizen. His labors as secretary of the Minnesota Historical Society, in collecting and writing our history " as MG go along," and his zeal in the cause of popular education, are truly commendable. In fact, all of our clergymen take a deep and laborious interest in this latter great and commend- able work. The scattered members of the baptist flock were also col- lected in 1849, by the the late Rev. Mr. Parsons. He died on his way home from the East, in November, 1851, just after the completion of the church edifice on Fifth street, wdiich he had worked hard to finish and pay for. His funeral sermon was the first ever preached in the house. The present pastor, Rev. T. E. Cressey, was called during the summer of 1852, to take charge of this congregation. It has about twenty -five communicants. The Home Missionary Society of the prqtestant episcopal church, established amission in St. Paul in the summer of 1850. Rev. Messrs. Breck, Wilcoxon, and Merrick, were placed in charge. Under their superintendence, the present neat church edifice, on Cedar street, was erected the ensuing summer. On the 12th of April, 1851, Right Rev. Bishop Kemper preached the dedication sermon, at which time the parish was organized. Rev. Mr. Wilcoxon is rector. The methodist episcopal church established a mission among the Germans of this place in the spring of 1851. Rev. Jacob Haas was called to labor in this vineyard. By his de- votion and industry, a respectable congregation was soon col- lected, and a church organized. They worshipped in the lov/er schoolhouse until last August, when they had completed a small but comfortable church building, situated upon the lower extreme of Smith and Whitney's addition. This organ- ization numbers about forty member*:, and is at present under charge of Rev. Mr. Korfhag— Mr. Haas having been called to Dubuque last fall. In the fall of '51, by the constituted authorities of the pres- byterian church, 0. S., Rev. J. G. Riheldafifer was sent among us to build up a church. He was well received, and immedi- ately went about his work. He has now a church numbering '»o«f*- 130 MINNESOTA AND ITS KESOUUCKS. i fourteen meniLors, and preaches every sabbath to an intelligent coniiTO'.ation at the courthouse. The organization of tliis church took place during Fehruary, 1852. It is yet in its infancy, and has no permanent place of worship. From the higli estimation in which Mr. R. is so deservedly held by all our citizens, through respect to his many good qualities as a man and citizen, as well as his ability and zeal as a Christian minister, there will be ample means provided to complete this substantial and elegant structure at an early day. One excellent and commendable trait has characterized the bearing and conduct of our ministers connected with the several denominations of the protestant church. With scarcely an exception, they have exercised a truly Christian charity and forbearance toward each other, and avoided all sectarian con- tentions. They have labored unitedly, not only for the spirit- ual, but also for the temporal welfare of this peopl All of our church edifices have excellent and tine-toned bells attached to them ; and their music upon a sabbath morning never fails to carry the migrated citizen back to his native city or village in the " old settlements," and remind him of the green valleys and sun-clad hills of his " boyhood's home." There are two " catholic" temperance societies, Irish and Canadian, which hold regular meetings. The first masonic lodge was instituted in St. Paul during October, 1849. The work was commenced under a dispensa- tion from the grand lodge of Ohio. The lodge now numbers about one hundred members. A grand lodge for the territory, has also been organized and holds its meetings in St. Paul. This body w^as incorporated by act of the legislature during the late session. St. Paul lodge, and all the other lodges of the territory, now work under the jurisdiction and authority of the grand lodge of l\Iinnesota. A second lodge is about to be instituted here. The order is in a prosperous and highly flourishing condition — daily dicpensing its fraternal deeds of charity and material good among the brethren. The first lodge of the iiidependent order of odd-fellows was xiisiiLULcu iii kJL. iraiu, Jiity o, L^O\j, u\ uvuii \jr. i uits, x:^bC|., of Galena, D. D. G. S. for Minnesota — a charter having previ- ST. PAUL. 131 ously been obtained for this purpose from tlie grand lodge of the United States. It took the name of " St. Paul Lodge, No. 2" — "Minnesota Lodge," at Stillwater, being the senior organi- zation of the territory. St. Paul lodge lias been in a flourish- ing and highly prosperous condition since its organization. There were only nine charter members. It now numbers eighty members, among which are six P. Gs. "Hennepin Lodge, No. 4," was instituted June 2, 1852, with five charter members. It now numbers about forty, of which five are P. Gs. This lodge is also in fine condition. The utmost harmony and good feeling exist among the mem- bers of the two lodges and between the brethren individually. Their work is carefully done, and would be highly creditable to what are usually termed " country lodges*' anywhere. About twenty-five ladies have taken the degree of Rebekah from the two lodges. "Minnesota Encampment of Patriarchs, No. 1," was insti- tuted during September, 1851. It is the only encampment yet in the territory, and numbers twenty-eight or thirty members. It is well-ofiicered, and is rapidly increasing. A commenda- ble interest is taken here in the advancement and prosperity of this too-often-neglected branch of the order. Upon the whole, odd-fellowship is doing much good in St. Paul, and the order is daily rising in popularity. During the present year (1853), a grand lodge of this order, under the style of the "grand lodge of Minrosota," has been instituted at St. Paul — a charter for that purpose having been obtained at the last annual meeting of the G. L. U. S. This view of our city would be incomplete without such brief history and notice of our public and private schools as shall enable the immigrant and reader to judge of the oppor- tunities for education. Miss Harriet E. Bishop has the honor of opening the first school taught in St. Paul, July 23, 1847, in an old log shanty with loose floor and bark roof, that stood near the site of the first presbyterian church. The first day, she had nine scholars in attendance, of whom two only were whites. At the end of her first session of three months, her school numbered thirty -I o,> ]M I N N IS' )'l' A AND I'lg li KS( ) U liC I<;9. I. scliolnrs, a majority of whom were not very distantly related ,to the aborigines of the country. 1848. — During the summer of this year a schoolhouse was huilt in the upper town, and a school commenced therein by Miss Bishop in November, which was continued during the ■winter, with an average attendance of thirty scholars. ]849. — A dchoolhouse was built in the loAver town, and two scliools were taught during the fall by Miss Bishop and Miss Mary A. Scofield respectively. These schools were continued during the Avinter, and the Rev. Mr. Hobart also opened and taught a school for a short time in the methodist church. The number of scholars in attendance during this winter was one hundred and twenty. 1S50. — Misses Bishop and Scofield united their schools and taught the fore part of the summer sixty scholars. During their July vacation D.A.J. Baker commenced a school, which drew off part of their scholars, .aid the school Avas afterAvard conducted by Miss Bishop. 'I'he free public schools v,^ere organized in the fall of 1850, and Mr. Baker Avas employed to teach the loAver school, and Mr. Henry Doolittle the upper. A school Avas also started at the episcopal mission, m mbering about fifteen pupils. The Avhole number of scholars attending Bchool this year Avas nearly tAvo hundred. 18,51. — The summer schools of 1851 were four in number — two public and tAvo private. Effect Avas given to the school law during this year by the appointment of a superintendent in November, avIio, in conformity Avith the laAV, selected and recommended a uniform series of books for the use of the public schools throughout the territory. This and other meas- ures of the superintendent gave economy and increased effi- ciency to the public schools of our city, and they have since progressed rapidly both in increase of numbers and attain- ments of the scholars. The recommendations of the superin- tendent having been unanimously adopted throughout the city, the public schools Avent into operation under the charge of Mr. George II. Spencer, assisted by IVliss Bass, and the late Mr. B. B. Ford, assisted by Miss BreAvster. The mission school and the private school of Miss Bishop were continued with in- ST. PAUL. ins creascfl pntrnnago, and two catliolic scliools were openecl one in tlie Laseinent of the elimcli, for boys; and tlie other by tlie sisters of clmrity. Tlie number of sclndars in attendance at all of these schools was not far from three hundred. 1852.— During the past year, and especially the past winter, we have had occasion to visit some of the public schools of our city, and have uniformly admired the efficiency of the teachers and the scholarship of the pupils. A grammar-school, which was formed by the union of the first and second districts, was successfully conducted by George H. Spencer, who had an average attendance of seventy pupils. Our primary schools have been equally well attended and as* successfully conducted. Jackson street school, No 1, was taught by Miss Bishop ; No. 2, by Miss Sorin. Walnut street school. No. 1, was taught by Miss Merrill ; No. 2, by Miss Esson. The catholic and epis- copal schools were continued as usual, and the whole number of scholars in attendance at all the schools was over four hun- dred. Let no emigrant hesitate to come to Minnesota on ac- count of the education of his family. The disposition of the people to secure educational privileges, is best expressed by the maxim they have adopted : " The property of the people shall educate the children of the people." The liberality of the general government has appropriated two thirty-sixths of the entire territ* ry for public free schools, and donated forty-nine thousand acres to endow a state university. It will be but a few years until as good a practical education as can be had anywhere, may be had at St. Paul; and when the endowments of the state university at St. Anthony, and the Baldwin school at St. Paul, are available, will also offer une- qualed advantages of education. The citizens of St. Paul may justly feel proud of their public free schools. There are in St. Pnul twenty-five practising attorneys-at-law and ten physicians. Most of these gentlemen are worthy members of their professions, and occupy prominent spheres in the ranks of citizenship. Our bar, in point of talent and legal acumen, would not discredit much older communities. However, there is a sufficient number of legal gentlemen already on hand to answer all the ends of justice for the next tn4 linNNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. ten years. We would not recommend a further increase by immi Juration. It is true we liave very little sickness lierc ; but Avben one is ill, it is the greatest of consolations as well as the surest means of safety, to have a physician worthy of trust and confidence. Our doctors generally possess these qualifications in an emi- nent degree. The small number of deaths, even in comparison to the number of cases of sickness, ati-' *'ie trutli of this. The same remark made in regard to th. )er of lawyers, will also apply to physicians. The country is, as one of them remarked the other day, so "wretchedly healthy," that those already here are put 1^) their utmost exertions to '' make a living." We would not advise any further ingress. The^;\s^ preparatory steps to commence the publication of a newspaper here, were taken in August, 1848, by Prof. A. Ran- dall, then an attaclic of Dr. Owen's geological corps, engaged in a survey of this region by order of government. The proj- ect grew out of the celebrated " Stillwater convention" of that year. It was this which first suggested to the mind of Mr. Randall, that if there was to be a territorial organization here — whether it be a new territory, or be harnessed up by John Catlin in the old cast-off gear of Wisconsin — it would neces- sarily follow there must be a newspaper. Having the capacity and means necessary to undertake the enterprise, he set about it. The leading men of the territory — M^ Sibley and others — guarantied their countenance and liberal aid ; and during the early part of the fall, the arrangements were so far consummated, that Mr. Randall proceeded to Cincinnati — his then home — to purchase press and materials. Winter setting in unusually early, he was not able to return before the close of navigation. Meanwhile he awaited the issue of the bill to organize the territory, then pending before Congress. It did not pass until the last day of the session. By this time, Ran- dall had concluded to set up his office in Cincinnati, and there print the first number of his paper. A partnership had been formed between him and the present senior editor of the " Minnesotian.'' The first number of the *' Minnesota Regis- ter" was accordingly issued — 'printed in Cincinnati, it is true, ST. PAUL 135 Lut dared at " St. Paul. April 27, 1849" -^one day before the first imrnl.er of the "Pioneer." .Alessrs. Sibley and Rice had ])nssed tlirough Cincinnati; on their way home from Washing- ton, and liberal contributions from their pens were found in the fust number of the Register. These, added to Mr. Randall's extensive knowledge of the country, made one of the most interesting local sheets for Minnesota that has ever been issued. The miM,o fact of its not having been printed here makes no particular difference. It was a Minnesota newspaper— a ^S^. Paul newspaper, and the>V*^ one ever published. Randall, being a man of unsettled purpose and roving dispo- sition, caught the California fever ji«t at this juncture, and sold out the Register to Major M'Lean, late Indian agent at Fort Snelling, who had determined to migrate hither, and re- sume the business of printing, to which he had been bred, but had not followed for thirty years. Randall's arrangement waa continued by M'Lean, under the style of "M'Lean «fe Owens." The press and materials were shipped to St. Paul, and the junior editor made his way hither in the month of May. M'Lean remained behind, owing mainly to the breaking out of the cholera, and did not arrive till late in August. This circumstance was a serious blow to the success of the Register. The Pioneer had shot far ahead ; the " Chronicle" had been established by James Hughes about the first of June ; and the little Register appeared to be " nowhere." It became evident, however, that both it and the Chron- icle could not live separately : so about the time M'Lean came on in August, the two were united, under the title of the "Chronicle and Register"— Hughes selling out and retiring, and his foreman, Quay, taking an interest with M'Lean & Owens. Quay continued two or three weeks, and, becomin'* dissatisfied, quit the concern and the country. ^ The Chronicle and Register was continued by M'Lean & Owens, with growing prospects of success, until July following. It was the acknowledged whig sheet of the territory, and pos- sessed the confidence of the friends of the administration almost unanimously. At this time M'Lean, having some months previously been appointed Indian agent, became unwilling to 136 MINNESOTA AND IT8 RESOURCES. continue tlie Ijusinesa longer. The cstablishmont was sold to David Olmstod, a democrat. Owens went out witli M'Lcan ; and (\m\\)<; tlie few months which Olmsted owned the estab- lishment, tlie paper had different editors at different periods. Part of the time it edited itself. In November, D. A. Robertson arrived with his press, and early the following month issued the first number of the " Alinncsota Democrat." About this time C. J. Henniss, for- merly of riiiladolphia, became the owner of the Chronicle and llegistcr. Tlie printing was divided between the Tioneer and a neio whig oftce, to be established the following -spring. Out of this latter establishment grcAv the " Minnesotian." The Chronicle and Register went down — the presses and materials passing into the hands of Robertson. The first number of the Minnesotian was issued Septem- ber 17, 1851. Its publication was commenced by a committee J. p. Owens having charge of the editorial, and J. C. Teriy the mechar.ical department. The 6th of January following, the establishment passed into the hands of Owens & Moore, where it still continues. The Pioneer continued in the hands of its original pro- prietor till the day of his death, last August. His name still remains at his head, although the establishment has ceased to belong to his estate. The people of Minnesota are remarkable for the liberality with which they support their local newspapers. The three establishments of St. Paul all appear to be doing a prosperous business. The aggregate investment in printing-offices in this place, we presume amounts to twelve thousand dollars. Of the inlhience of the press, and its energy and usefulness in devel- oping the resources and advantages of Minnesota, too much can not be said. One of the best criterions at hand by which to jrulge of our sure and steady advance in business importance, is the rise in the value of real estate. A number of lots situated on the river below Sibley street, which less than six years ago cost Capt. L. Roberts not more than five dollars, were sOx(l by ,iim to a company of our oldest citizens for four thousand dollars ! ST. PAUL. 137 The purcliaspi ,kno^v the vnlne of property as well ns any men among ns. They consider tlu.t they have secured a great hargam. Others stood ready, witli money in hand, to grab tliis property, and were greatly disappointed that tliey did not se- cure it. Last fall a lot on St. Anthony street, a square below the American house, which Mr. Rice gave to one of our attor- neys in 1849, and paid him a dollar for making out the deed, was sold by said attorney for eighteen hundred dollars. Lots in that neighborhood now command a thousand dollars or more. In 1849, I could have purchased a quarter of a block, one lot of which the Pioneer office now stands upon, for two hundred dollars ; now the same property is worth three thousand dollars, without the improvements. Lots upon Third street which, at that time, could have been purchased at from fieventy-five to one hundred and fifty dollars, are now worth from twelve to fifteen hundred. No sort of a lot, even in the outer additions, can now be bought for a hundred dollars. But what has been is nothing to that which will le. There is plenty of chances yet — and better ones than ever — for "making money" here by investing in real estate. No one need be afraid to take hold at present prices. The advance is rapid and continual ; and, with the advantages which will accrue by the opening of the vast and fertile country beyond us, there can be no reverse movement. Lumber averages about twelve dollars per thousand ; shin- gles, three dollars ; bricks, six dollars per thousand at the yard. Common foundation-stone, seventy-five cents per perch, at the quarry ; cut-stone for windows, sills, &c., fifty cents per foot. Lime, one dollar and twenty-five to one dollar and thirty cents per barrel. Sand, twelve and a half cents per load at bank. Two horses and wagon, from three to five dollars per day — generally four dollars. Lathing, and plastering with two rough coats, and furnishing all the materials, from thirty to thirty-tAvo cents per yard. Journeymen carpenters receive from one dollar and seventy-five cents to two dollars per day. Stone-work, cellar-walls laid in mortar, one dollar and seventy- five cents to two dollars per perch. 138 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOT'RCrS. 1: Vacant houses are hard to find, and consequently rents are very high. A small shop or office, fifteen l»y twenty feet square, on any of the improved streets, will rent readily at from six to ten dollars per month. A one-story building, situ- ated in any part of the tow , containing four rooms, each say twelve feet square, with or without a cellar, pump, or cistern, will rent for from twelve to sixteen dollars per month. As a general rule, the rent of a small dwelling for two years will pay all the cost of its building. Rents can not fall until the supply more nearly approximates the increasing demand for tenements. The lumber and building-material market is much better stocked than some time ago, so that the pressing de- mand for buildings will be more readily supplied. Buildings are erected in St. Paul with telegraphic rapidity. If one makes a trip to the country on a fishing or hunting excursion, he is astonished on his return at the number of buildings and shanties commenced and completed during his absence. Many economical persons, with families, knock together, as soon as they land, a rude shanty, in which they live quite comfortably, until a better building can be erected, and thus avoid the expense of high rent. Eh'gibly-situated property in St. Paul has more than doubled in value each year for the past four years, and we have no doubt but much of it will continue to advance at a similar rate for the next two years. It may reasonably be estimated that our population and improvements have increased sixty per cent, during the present year. About live years ago, the land upon which this city is lo- cated was purchased at the land- office for one dollar and a quarter per acre. Before that, it was hold by no other title than squatters' claims. A number of town-lots have changed hands since the open- ing of navigation at prices ranging from one hundred to twelve hundred and fifty dollars. The lots are usually fifty feet front by one hundred and fifty deep. Those sold for one hundred dollars each are located in the additions to the original town- plat. On the squares around the capitol owners are asking from two to five hundred dollars per lot. I) , ■ ST. PAUL. 139 Tlio followinpr sales liavo lately been made : A lot on Fourth Ftrcet, oppoHitc the courtliousc, for five liundred and twenty-five dollars ; a lot on Third, above ]\[innesota street, for twelve hun- dred and fifty dollars; two lots on Fourth street (corner of St. I'etor's and next lot), with improvement worth two liundred and fifty dollars, for eleven hundred and seventy-five dollars ; '"lie lot on Third, below Wabashaw street, for one thousand dollars. Numerous other sales have been made recently for cash, but the above will suffice to show at what rates lots have been selling this season. The sales quoted are of property located in the central part of the town, Avhich, however, is not so closely built up as the thickly-settled parts of either " up town" or " down town." In approaching the conclusion of this rough and imperfectly- sketched picture of St. Paul, we must arrive at the further but consistent conclusion that a high and glorious position among the commercial and manufacturing marts of the great western valley is rapidly approaching her. In fact, it may be said to be already upon her. I have endeavored to present St. Paul as it now is. The historical reminiscences thrown into the background are gen- erally derived from personal observi^tion — most " of which we saw and part of which we were." The statistical results ar- rived at have chiefly been furnished by reliable citizens, and will be found correct in the main. Some inaccuracies will be found embodied in this sketch, but there are none of any great or material magnitude. The chief object has been to make the stranger acquainted with the history, rise, progress, and prospects, present and future, of St. Paul. I wish the immigrant, when he arrives, to know where he is — among whom he is — and what prospects of success await him by remaining with us. Also the compi- lation of historical and statistical data, as the foundation of future notations and speculations in regard to the onward prog- ress of this predestined emporium of the northwest. If what is here written and compiled should never be of future use to ourselves, perhaps it may be of some slight aid to those who are to come after us. I thus take leave of St. Paul at the 140 MINNESOTA AND IT8 RKSOURriDB. Opening of tlic luisinpRs senfion of the year 1853. " There she Ktaiuls !" Olio of the most intorcsting places in Mimicsota, aiul one tliat most who have como into tlio territory liavo seen and ad- mircd, lies between St. Taul and St. Anthony. It is composed for tlie most part of prairie and openings; and, after a tedious jonrney of several days by the river, a ride over this region is delightful indeed, especially when one has become weary of the monotonous succession of bluffs and densely-timbered river bottoms that have bounded the vision for several huntlred miles. The wayworn traveller longs for a change in the scene by the time he lands at St. Paul ; and if he will but step into one of the line " Concord coaches" always in readiness on tho arrival of a boat, to carry him to the great falls of the Father of Waters, he will soon bo gratified. In a few minutes he will be out upon the beautiful prairie, that commences about one mile from St. Paul, and extends nearly half way to St. Anthony and several miles northward. How invigorating the air feels that comes over the flow^ery plain, or the large fields of grain and corn ! The new-comer here seems to breathe with fresh delight, and he feels better and stronger than ever before. Here and there a little gem of a lake meets the view. Culti- vated fields and improved farms noAv appear quite numerous, among which is one owned by ex-Governor Ramsey, contain- ing some two hundred and forty acres under improvement. The prairie is soon crossed, and the openings commence and extend nearly to St. Anthony city. Farms now appear more numerous, while most of the land on either side of the road is wilder improvement. In a cluster of trees, just as we enter the beautiful opening, stands a neat, newly-erected building, which plainly tells that the " schoolmaster is abroad" in Minnesota. Many of the farms in this neighborhood are quite small, after the New England fashion, and the land is held at high prices. Gardening is carried on quite extensively by many, and great quantities of vegetables, melons, &c., are raised for the St. Paul and St. Anthony markets. The soil and situation of this place are both remarkably well adapted to horticultural pur- ST. PAUL — OBITUARY NOTFCK. HI MiitH. Tli(« quantity and quality of melons and tomatoes raised liore arc quite surin-ining to persons from the east. A nursery, the first in :MinneH()ta, has been cstaldished in tlii.s place by Mr. L. M. Ford ; and, in connection with the Scott nursery at Davenport, Iowa, he is prepared to furnish trees and plants to any who wish to plant orchards or embel- lish their grounds. Fruit-trees grown in this territory I think will be in demand for planting some distance south of this, as the soil and climate are calculated to produce very hardy trees. Most of the country lying between St. Paul and 8t. Anthony is known by the name of "Groveland," which i» quite an ap- propriate name, though a part of the prairie is included within the settlements. In connection with this history of St. Paul and its newspaper press, I present the following article from the annals of the Minnesota Historical Society for 1853, prepared by the secre- tary, the llev. E. D. Neill :— OBITUARY NOTICE OF JAMES M. GOODHUE, LATE EDITOR OF THE " MINNESOTA riONEER." " The body that once encased the mind of James M. Good- hue is no longer visible, but dwells in a narrow house, the silent and dreary grave. Until he ceased to breathe, his value to the community was not fully known. In life, he was viewed chiefly in the aspect of an individual battling for his own in- terests. In death, it is discovered that he was the individual, above all others, who had promoted the general welfare of Minnesota, and especially that of the capital. "In April, 1849, he found St. Paul nothing more than n frontier Indian-trading settlement, known by the savages as the place where they could obtain tninne-walcon, or whiskey, and wholly unknown to the civilized world. When he died, with the sword of his pen he had carved a name and reputa- tion for St. Paul, and he lived long enough to hear men think aloud and sav that the dav was ooiTiino- w'l»*^n s'^l"^olbo'"''""^"l'l learn from their geography tliat the third city in commercial 1 M it I 142 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. importance, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi, was St. Paul. His most bitter opponents were convinced, whatever mioht be his condnct toward them, that he hn-ed Minnesota witli all his heart, all his mind, and all his might. - The editor of the ' Pioneer' was unlike other men. Every action, and every line he wrote marked great individuality. He conld imitate no man in his manners nor in his style, nei- ther could any man imitate him. Attempts were sometimes made, but the failure was always very great. Impetuous as the whirlwind, with perceptive powers that gave to his mind the eye of a lynx, with a vivid imagination that made the very stoned of Minnesota speak her praise, with an intellect as yig- orous and elastic as a Damascene blade, he penned editorials which the people of this territory can never blot out from '"""'^ms wit, when it was chastened, caused ascetics to laugh. His sarcasm upon the foibles of society was paralyzing and un- equalled by Macaulay in his review of the life of Barrere_ H.s imagination produced a tale of fiction called ' Striking a Lead, which has already become a part of the light literature of the west When, in the heat of partisan warfare, all the qualities of his mind were combined to defeat certain measures, the col- umns of his paper were like a temfic storm in midsummer amid the Alps. One sentence would be like the dazzling, arrowy lightning, peeling in a moment the mountain-oak, and nving from the topmost branch to the deepest root ; the next like a crash of awful thunder ; and the next like the stunning roar of a torrent of many waters. To employ the remark made m a discourse at his funeral-' With the ingenuity of Vulcan, he would hammer out thunderbolts on the anvil of his mind, and hurl them with the power and dexterity of Jove !' - The contrarieties of his character often increased his torce. Imagining his foes to be Cossacks, he often dashed among them with all the recklessness of Murat. The fantastic mag- nificence of his pen, when in those moods, was as appalling m its temerity as the white ostricli-feather and glittering gold band of Napoleon's famed marshal. "His prejudice was inveterate against sham and clap-trap. ST. PAUL OBITUARY NOTICE. 143 He refused to publish many of the miserable advertisements of those quacks who seek to palm off their nostrums upon young men diseased through their own vices. When a ' stroller' for a living, or a self-dubbed professor, came to town, he sported with him as the Philistines with blind Samson. By sarcasm and ridicule, ' Jarley with his wax-works' was made to de- camp. "When he was unjustifiably harsh, his apology was that in the ' Medea' of Euripides :— ' Manthano men hoia dran mello kaka Thumos de kreiseona tone emone bouleumatone.* He was not hypocritical ; he never wore a mask. His edi- torials showed all he felt at the hour they were dashed from his pen. When untrammelled by self-interest or party-tie^ his sentiments proved that he was a man that was often ready to exclaim : — ^ 'Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor.' "As a paragraphist, he was equalled by few living men. His sentences so leaped with life, that when the distant reader perused his sheet, he seemed to hear the purling brooks and see the agate pavements and crystal waters of the lakes of Minnesota; and he longed to leave the sluggish stream, the deadly malaria, and wornout farms, and begin life anew in the tei-ritory of the sky-tinted waters. When the immigrant from week to week was disposed to dt.3pond, and give way to the distress of homesickness, the hopeful sentences of his paper in relation to the prosperous future, chased ihat dismal feeling away. ° " ^^'^ tleceased was born in Hebron, New Hampshire, March ^1, 1810. His parents possessed the strong faith and stern virtue of the puritans, and felt that an education was the greatest treasure they could give their children. After pas- sing through preparatory studies, he entered Amheist college, where he listened to the lectures of the distinguished geolodst Witcncock and other devout men of science. In the year 1832 he received a diploma from that institution. It was his desire i 1 \ 144 MINNr.SOTA AND ITS KESOUKCES. to have atteiulod a meeting of his surviving classmates in the halls of his 'Alma Mater,' but another summons came, to take *lus chamber in the silent halls of Death.' •« Having stuilied law, he entered upon the practice of the profession. He became an editor unexpectedly to himself Having been invited to take Mie oversight of a press in the lead region of Wisconsin, during the temporary absence of its conductor, he discovered that he increased the interest of the readers in the paper. From that time he began to pay less attention to the legal profession, and was soon known among the citizens of the mines as the editor of the Grant County Herald, published at Lancaster, Wisconsin. Wl)ile residing at this place, he became interested in the territory ' of sky- tinted waters' (Minnesota). With the independence and temerity of one Benjamin Franklin, he left Lancaster as sud- denly as the osteuGiblo editor of the New England Courant left Boston, and he arrived at the landing of what is now the capital of Minnesota, with little more money and few more friends than the young printer who landed at Market-street wharf, in the capital of the then youthful territory of Pennsyl- vania. This part of his life he has described with some miu- •atencss in the Phncer of April 18, 1852, in connection with a life-like picture of (I ( THE FIRST DAYS OF THE TOWN OF ST. PAUL. " ' The 18th day of April, 1849, was a raw, cloudy day. The steamboat " Senator," Captain Smith, landed at Ran- dall's warehouse, lower landing, the only building then there, except Roberts's old store. Of the people on shore, we rec- ognised but one person as an acquaintance. Took our press, frypes, and printing apparatus, all ashore. Went with our men to the house of Mr. Bass, corner of Third and Jackson streets. He kept the only public house in St. Paul ; and it was crowded full from cellar to garret. Mr. Bass was very obliging, and did everything possible for our encouragement. The^next thing was a printing^offico. ; and that it seemed im- posaiblo to obtain. Made the acquaintance of C. P. V. Lull, ST. PAUi. — UBITUAJiY NOTICE. 145 ami his partner, Gilbert. They furiii.shed uh, gratuitously, the lower story of their huihliii}^, for an ollice — the only vacant room in town; being the buihling on Third street, hince fin- ished off and now occupied as a saloon by Mr. Calder. The weather was cold and stormy, and our oflice was as open as a corn-rick ; however, we picked our types up and made ready for the issue of the iirst j)aper ever printed in Minnesota or within many hundreds (»f miles of it; but upon search wc found our news-chase was left behind. William Nobles, blacksmith, made us a very good one, after a delay of two or three days. The paper was to bo named " The Epistle of Bt. Paul," as announced in our jirospectus, published in the February preceding; but we found so many little saints in tlie territory, jealous of St. Paul, that we deternnned to call !r paper '• The Miiniesota IMoneer." One hinderance after another delayed our first issue to the 28th of April — ten days. Meantime, llev. Mr. Neill arrived. It was encouraging to find a young man of education ready to enlist all that he had or hoped on earth, in the fortunes of our town. Stillwater and. {St. Paul were then running nock and neck, as rival towns. Not a foot of pine lumber could be had nearer than Stillwater. But about this time one of the mills at St. Anthony was put in operation ; but there were then only a few buildings at the falls of St. Anthony. We looked about St. Paul to buy a lot. Mr. Larpenteur's house was built ; also, French's house and shop (now a tin shop), and the little shop, then the drug-storo of Dewey & Cavileor, recently Major J. J. Noah's office, next door west of Calder's (then our printing-office) ; ako the office of Judge Pierse (then the fur store of Olmsted and Rhodes). Mr. Lambert's house was partly finished. As you go up Third and Bench streets, the next buildings were two old tamarac log-houses, a little east of where Mr. Neill's church is ; then passing the schoolhouse, there were two more of the same sort in the street, in front of the houses now occupied by Mr. Ben- son and Mr. Ilollinshead near the junction of St. Anthony, Bench, and Hill streets. Beyond, Avas the house John H. Twine lives in, and nothing oLso but the symptoms of two or three balloon frames. The Fullers were at work putting up a I*' / tiilij :| 146 MINNKSO'IA AND ITS KK80URCE8. .1 'f ^ 1 ilte. H|ji|:;;i i KOjOBSM^I ^ I^^^^Hh ^^^■■1 i ^^^^HpBpTt i MW' h email store Avitli tl.oir own Lands. Kotnrninp:, on tLo right, was the old nndi v-ronnd dtsid-lall, in the. grcmnd opposite John II. Irvine's hoiise ; then at the jnnction of Third and Bench streets, was Vetal (Jneri.i's log-honse (now Lc Dnc's) ; then the bnilding in which IMr. Cnrran lives, at that time nn- finished ; then the old bakery nexi door east; then Mr. Hop- kins's at the corner; tnrning the corner to the head of llan- dall's stairs (not then built), was the old building, still there (now belonging to F. Steele), which Henry Jackson used to own. where he kept a grocery, postoflice, and a tavern, free for all the world and the world's wile. Up along the bank of the river stood, and yet stands, the building occupied as a store by William H. Forbes, the St. Paul outfit; next was a little log building, the nucleus of the " Central House ;" next the old log catholic church, where the Rev. Mr. Ravoux faithfully labored, and sometimes saw miraculous visions during the time of Lent ; then the log-house belonging to Mr. Laroux, which is now being metamorphosed into a neat building. This brings us back to Vetal's the junction of Third and Bench streets. Half a dozen other buildings along Roberts street, and Mr. Hoyt's neighborhood, in addition to the above, constituted St. Baul. But let it be remembered that the fashionable drinking- place then, was that little log-house next east of Goodrich's brick store. Mv. Bass was busy in hurrying up a new saloon, the building lately occupied as the clerk's office, on the spot where the Jilinnesota outfit stands. The ground west of Roberts's, and north of IMiird streets, was covered with any quantity of hewed timber stripped from the forest opposite town. We looked abi^it for a lot ; and saw that the two ends of the town must soon unite in the middle. Along the lower end of Third street, owners of lots had the coolness to ask from one hundred to two hundred dollars a lot. Between Lambert's and where the Sligo iron store is, on Third street, the price was seventy-five, and soon after ninety dollars. We bought a fractional lot with Dr. Dewey ; and on our half of it, built the middle section of the building where the Pioneer office is, for a dwelling-house, and lived in it through the uext year, without having it lathed or plastered. ST. PAUL — OlJIil AUV NOTICE. 147 "•But to return a little. Wc were at length prepared to isHuo our firsfnnniber. We had no ubKcrlhers ; for then there were hut a handful of people in the whole territory ; and the ninjority of those were Canadians and half-hreeds. Not a territorial ofiieer had yet arrived. We remember present, at the date of our first issiie, Mr. Lull, Mr. Cavileer, Mr. Neill, and perhaps Major Murphy. The people wanted no politics, and we gave them none ; they wanted information of all sorts about Minnesota; and that is what we furnished them with. We advocated Minnesota, morality, and religion, from the be- ginning. William B. Brown built a shell of a building (being the south end of the Sligo iron store now), which Mr. Neill occupied for a meetinghouse. It was half filled with hcearers on Sundays; for Sunday was like any other day, or perhaps rather more so. " ' This town grew rapidly. The boats came up loaded with immigrants; but then, as now, a great many feeble, weak-hearted folks, were frozen out and went back down the river, not being made of the right stuff. Mr. Owens came up with the " Register" press, from Cincinnati, one number of that journal having been piinted in that city. Colonel James Ilughes also came from Ohio with the " Chronicle," which was issued soon after, from the building where " The Minnesotian" is now published. Soon after the Register, by M'Lean & Owens, was issued from the building that is now the law-ofllce of Simons & Masterson, St. Anthony street. After a few months, the Chronicle and Register were united in the old Chronicle office, under the firm, name, and style of Owens & M'Lean and Hughes & Quay. Mr. Quay soon left the office ; and soon after Colonel Hughes sold out, and Mr. M'Lean became sole proprietor of both offices, and Owens editor; Major M'Lean being appointed Sioux agent at Fort Snelling.' " A short period before the deceased v/as confined to his room lie fell from his ferry-boat into the river, and had to use great exertion to keep from drowning ; this, in connection with a mind oppressed by the cares of one so active in life, is sup- posed to have shortened his days on earth. Not long after he I!! iiliii ;;, '1 ^l i ; i; [' I 1 J i; I US MTNNK80TA AND ITS EKSOUltCl':S. was on a bed of sickness, there seemed to be the presentiment that his heart might have commenced " beating its funeral march to the grave." " Some days before he died, with great calmness and clear- ness of mind, he conversed with the nnnister. whose servjces he attended when in health. In looking back npon Ins lite, he saw much to regret. He acknowledged Ins unworthiness in the sight of Heaven, and hoped that he had placed Ins trust in his Redeemer. He was desirous to live in order that he might show to the world that he had determined to act upon new resolutions. To the last, he felt an interest in Min- nesota. During his sickness he was patient, and freely tor- gave all his enemies. . - His spirit left his body, on Friday evening, August 27, 1852. at half past eight o'clock. His funeral took place on Sunday afternoon. A discourse was delivered in the presby- terian church, to the largest assembly ever convened upon a similar occasion in Minnesota. . - The legislative assembly of 1853 very properly recognised his services in bringing Minnesota into notice, by giving ns name to one of the new counties formed out of the recently- coded Dakota lauds." BT. Anthony's falls. 149 CHAPTER VIII. PniNCIPAL TOWNS CONTINUED ST. ANTIIONY's FALLS DOUGLASS, STILLWATER, MENDOTA, ETC. ■POINT A RIDE of an hour from St. Paul, over fine country, brings us to the celebrated falls of St. Anthony, a place of great re- sort for visiters from the cast and sunny soutli. In the way of cataracts, it is decidedly the glory of our west and north- west. T)«e pulse of the traveller seems to beat quicker as he feels himself approaching the scene, where Father Hennepin, i^f old, was so carried away with admiration as to call the red man's fiills after his patron-saint. The name has indeed a kind of sacred halo about it, yet we love the more sonorous and far more a propriate appellation of the Indians. (The Dakotas call the falls " Rara," from irara, to laugh.) Long before coming in sight of the grand scene, the ear is greeted by the deep, solemn roar, that truly resembles the " sound of many watei-s." It seems, indeed, as though some miglity strife were going on amid the elements of nature. A strange and indescribable feeling steals over the senses — a feeling tliat awakens a spirit of admiration for the Almighty's liandiwork. The falls at length burst upon the enraptured view — the noble falls of St. Anthony. We are immediately impressed with the peculiar appropriateness of the Indian's name, as he gazes on the " laughing waters." One is not here so completely overwhelmed at the incomparable Niagara, with the great height of the water's fall, their deafening roar, or the lofty character of the scenery. St. Antliony is more within the grasp of the human comprehension, and is therefore looked upon witb more real ploasv , Niagara appears to wear a kind of threatening frown, while the former greets you with a 150 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOUKCES. i ' : *;:i i more winning and coniplnccnt smilo.' Yot on account of the vast body of -svatcr continually rnshinjjj over the rocky niaHS in the river's bed, tlie scene is one of great Hubliniity, as well as one of beauty and loveliness. As we gaze on the scene, and listen to the warring elements, how forcibly are we im- pressed with the truth of Brainard's beautiful lines: — " And whnt are we, That hear the question of that voice sublime? O, what are all the notes that ever rung From war's vain trumpet, by thy thundering side! Yes, what is all the riot man can make In his short life, to thine unceasing roar! And yet, bold babbler, what art thou to Him Who di-ownod the world, and heaped the waters far Above its loftiest mountain? A light wave That breaks and whispers at its Maker's might 1" The Rev. Albert Barnes, in a sermon preached in 1849, uses this language in relation to the falls : — " I visited the falls of St. Anthony. I know not how other men feel when standing there, nor how men will feel a century hence, when standing there — then, not in the west, hut almost in the centre of our great nation. But when I stood there, and reflected on the distance between that and tlie place of my birth and my home; on the prairies over which I had passed ; and the stream — the 'Father of Rivers' — up which I had sailed some live hundred miles, into a new and unsettled land — where the children of the forest still live and roam — I had views of the greatness of my country, such as I have never had in the crowded capitals and the smiling villages of the east. Far in the distance did they then seem to be, and there came over the soul the idea of greatness and vastness, Avhich no fi-ures, no description, had ever conveyed to my mind. To an inexperienced traveller, too, how strange is the appearance of all that land! Those boundless prairies seem as if they had been cleared by the patient labor of another race of men, re- moving all the forests, and roots, and stumps, and brambles, and smoothing' them down as if with mighty rollers, and sowing them with grass and flowers ; a race which then passed away, ST. Anthony's falls. 161 having built no liouscs of their own, and made no fences, and 8(!t out no trees, and estahlislied no landmarks, to lay tho foundation of any future claim. Tiie mounds which you here and there see, look, indeed, as if a portion of thorn had died and had been buried there; but those mounds and those boundless fields had been forsaken together. You ascend the JMississippi amid scenery unsurpassed in beauty probably in the world. You see the waters making their way along an interval of from two to four miles in width, between bluffs of from one to five hundred feet in height. Now the river makes its way along the eastern range of bluffs, and now the western, and now in the centre, and now it divides itself into numerous channels, form.ing thousands of beautiful islands, covered with long grass ready for the scythe of the mower. Those bluffs, rounded with taste and skill, such as could be imitated by no art of man, and set out with trees here and there, gracefully arranged like orchards, seem to have been sown with grain to the summit, and are clothed with beautiful green. You look out instinctively for the house and barn ; for flocks and herds ; for men, and women, and children ; but they are not there. A race that is gone seems to have culti- vated those fields, and then to have silently disappeared — leaving them for the first man that should come from the older parts of our own country, or from foreign lands, to take possession of them. It is only by a process of reflection that you are convinced that it is not so. But it is not the work of man. It is God who has done it, when there was no man there .ave the wandering savage, alike ignorant and uncon- cerned as to the design of the great processes in the land where he roamed — God who did all this, that he might prepare it for the abode of a civilized and Christian people." The direction of the Mississippi at this place, and for several nules above, is nearly south. Opposite the village three islands, lying nearly in a straight line, one above the other, divide the river into two parts — the largest body of water flowing on the right hand of the islands. The upper island is small, containing less than ten acres of land, and is Btill uncultivated, though the trees with which it was but a 152 MINNESOTA AND ITS RE30UKCi:S. ^ n&s i W\i short time since densely covered, are fast disappearing, and it will soon be brought under tribute to the husbandman. The second island is some eight or ten rods below, and contains about forty acres. It is a beautiful spot of ground, covered thickly with a great variety of thrifty timber, among which the sugar-maple is conspicuous. The banks are high, b(dd and rocky on the upper end, gradually descending at the lower almost to the water's edge. Near the middle of the island a small bluff rises some ten or fifteen feet high, with a slope as nicely and beautifully turned as if it had been the work of art. It forms a semicircular curve at the lower end, gradually widening toward the upper, making one of the most charming building-sites that can be imagined. Near the lower end of this island commence the rapids in the main stream, the water foaming, bounding, and dashing over the rocks, which lie scattered across the bed of the stream as far as the falls. Franklin Steele, Esq., owns this island, having entered it in 1848, as soon as it was surveyed. It is considered valuable property, the proprietor having been offered four thousa^id dol- lars for one half of it. The third island lies immediately below, so near the last- mentioned that they were formerly connected by a slight bridge. It contains, on a rough estimate, some fifteen acres, tind is not yet surveyed. A small house has been erected upon it by the mill company, as a pre-emption claim. On each side of this island are the falls of St. xinthony. Below the falls are two small islands, near the right shore. The falls of the main channel are several rods above those on this side, the greater volume of water having worn away the soft crumbling rock much faster. The rccedence of the falls on both si'les is so rapid as to be almost yearly perceptible ; making the suppositions of some geologists highly plausible, that originally they were as low as Fort Snelling. During the high water of 1850, huge masses of rocks were torn from the islands washed by the falls, and carried a considerable distance down the river; lai-ge blocks of sand and limestone detached from the ledge of rock over whic' the water is pre- ST. ANI'HONY S FALLS. 163 cipltated ; and altogether, tlie falls underwent a greater cliangc than had been obHorved tor many years. Franklin Steele, Norman W. Kittson, and Mr. Stiimhoufrh, made a claim on lands in this vicinity, as early as 1836 or 1^:j7, soon after the Indian title was obtniued by government. ^J'he land, however, was not surveyed and entered till 1848. Charles Wilson seems to have been the first American who ever made a permanent residence here, having arrived in the spring of 1847. There vvas then but one house in the place, standing on the bluff some thirty rods below the mills, and built of logs. Roving Frenchmen and trappers may have temporarily resided here previously, but not as permavient settlers. Mrs. Ard Godfrey may claim the honor of having given birth to the first of the fair daughters of St. Anthony ; and her husband, A. Godfrey, Esq., that of having commenced the first improvement of the water pow er at the falls. Under his superintendence, in the fall of 1847, the dam and saw-mills owned by the St. Anthony mill company, were begun, and the iirst saw put in operation in August, 1848. Others were com- pleted soon after, making eight saws now running, of an average capacity of six thousand feet each per day. 11. P. Russell, Esq., erected the first frame dwelling in the town, in 1847, and opened the first store. There are at present four organized churches — presby terian, episcopalian, methodist, and baptist. Two school districts, known as Nos. 5 and 6, were organized in the village in 1850. In addition to the public schov.1.8 taught in these districts, several flourishing select schools have been maintained since 1850. The whole popu- lation of the place may be safely estimated at two thousand souls. The legislature, in 1851, passed " An act to incorporate the University of Minnesota at the Falls of St. Anthony." The law provides that " the proceeds of all lands that may here- after be granted by the United States to the territory, for the support of a university, shall be and remain a perpetual fund to be called the ' University fund,' the interest of which shall D6 appropnatcu to ihQ sup^un, ^i « «us,,....--^ . further provides that the object of the university shall be " to 7* I i' 4 ■^H ^H ^^B ;l ^^^^■^ iB ^^^^B I'^^^l ^^^^^^^^^^B\ ^'^^1 !^^^^^^^^^^E ' i^H '^^^^1 13^^^^^^^^^^-^' j|B H^HK iH ^^^H IB ■■^^■■■■■y «M^H ^^^^hV^I^^^^v' ' '^^^1 ^^^^H^^^^^^^^^B '''^^^^l ^^^^^D^^^^^^B' ^^^^1 ^H M 154 M1NNJ;SC)TA AND ITS UIvS'OUUCKS. provido tlic iiili.'iliit.intH of tliis tniitory with tlic menus of ac'(|uirii'{^ a tlioit»ii}^li kiutwlcclj^c nr soil is torpid, and a stranger to alter- nate thawing and freezing. During most winters it is covered with a thick mantle ol' snow . but there have been winters when there was little or no snow ; but during such seasons there were no winter thaws, and, as a general fact, the soil was not 8ubje(tto heaving on the breaking up of winter. 'J'he reason why most of our soil does not heave, is that it contains a duo admixture of sand — the kind of soil that neither bakes nor heaves : there is no better. The surface-soil in Mv. Bailly's wheat-field, as shown by the specimens, is a rich black loam, containing a large propor- tion of humus. The sub-soil is argillaceous — a friable yellow clay. I should like to see some of our farmers attempt the experi- ment of raising sheep. It ap})ears that sheep might bo raised in this country with profit to the owner. Of course the farmer would want sheds to keep them in during the winter, for the warmer an animal is kept the less food it requires to sustain life. The fjict that the ground is so long covered with snow dining the winter, would of course make it more expensive to keep them during that period of the year, but I believe it could be done with profit to the farmer. At any rate, I want to see the experiment thoroughly tried before believing to the con- trary. Every spring our butchers bring up a large nund)or of sheep. Having just been sheared, they are generally the poorest-looking animals ever beheld ; and it is almost enough to make one sick of mutton to look at them. But after they have run around town for a few weeks, picking oflf the short grass to be found in our streets, they become as fat as sheep generally get to be in any country. They could not be recog- nised as the same flock, milops one hhw them every d.^.y, although they might have forty ear-marks. AGUICULTrUE, MAMFACTrUES, ETC. 169 expe- Now is the time for the "Hli<»op businosH" to bo gono into in Minnesota with a cortuinty of hucccsh and profit. All tlio wool in the United Htatoa is hoin^^ bouglit up in advance of the clip, at enormous prices. The rise is mainly eirccted by the gold discoveries in Australia, wberc the shepherds have deserted their Hocks by hundreds and thousands, and gone to mining. The sui)ply of the coarser wools used in English manufactures is thus cut oft" to a great extent; and llio coiiscf|uencc must bo a rise in the price of the staple throughout the commercial world. In again referring to the subject of wbeat-growing, I would say that the doul t that has heretofore existed relative to the adaptation of Minnesota soil and climate to the growth of win- ter wheat, can no longer exist, as the exporienco of tb 3 two last years has fully demonstrated that winter wheat is as cci- tain and as profitable a crop in Minnesota as in New York or rcnnsylvania. Corn is more certain and fully as profitable as in either of those states. The cultivation is no more ex- pensive, the markets as convenient, the yield as abundant, the prices as good, and owing to the healthy climate, the life of the farmer is longer in Minnesota, than in any portion of the Union. In concluding this interesting topic, and most valuable of all the interests of Minnesota, let me refer to the agricultural societies already formed, and in successful operation. These societies were chartered by act of legislature in Ramsey and Benton counties, in 1851 and 1852. The Benton county society nuu for the first time on the 16:h December, 1852, at which session Capt. J. B. S. Todd, U. S. A., delivered an interesting address. Captain Todd, though occupied in the service of the United States, commanding the frontier post of Fort Ripley, deserves much credit for the personal attention lie has paid to agriculture —proving himself a practical farmer indeed, by cultivating a large tract of land in Benton county, with the most gratifying success. Captain Todd, referring, in his address, to the agricultural Ktatisties of Benton county, gave tlic society the following facts : — 8 m 170 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCEP. I' ■! 3 M " Mr. J. Russell, residing at Sauk Rapids, has under cultiva- tion one hundred and twenty acres. This is the second year of cultivation ; forty-five acres were this season sown in spring wheat, and yielded one thousand bushels — being an average of twenty-two bushels per acre ; forty-five acres were sown in oats, producing fifteen hundred bushels, averaging thirty-five busl'iels per acre; the remainder was planted with corn, winter-wheat, potatoes, turnips, and other articles necessary to a farmer for his own use. A part of the corn planted was the eight-rowed flint variety, and was successful. His main crop was the small Red Lake variety, planted the last of June. This was a failure, owing to the quality of seed, and the late- ness of planting. Most of the corn that came ripened well ; little attention was paid to it after planting. Last year the experiment of raising winter-wheat was not satisfactory, as was generally the case; and is to be attributed to the want of snow, so unusual with us. This year four or five acres have been sown, and thus far with every prospect of success — ruta- bagas yielding as high as twelve hundred bushels to the acre." Twelve hundred bushels of turnips to the acre is a good crop, and worth talking about ; but the other productions are worthy also of particular notice, as showing that the farm spoken of, although in its infancy, is capable of yielding a handsome income to the proprietor. The following is given as a proof of what can be done in beef and pork, and other productions : — «* The farm of Mr. Gilman lies six miles north, and is an example of our timbered bottom lands, lying directly on the river, and for fertility of soil is not exceeded by any ; it con- tains one hundred acres under cultivation. In 1850, there were fifty acres sown in oats, yielding two thousand five hun- dred bushels, averaging fifty bushels to the acre, and thirty- eight pounds to the bushel. Four hundred bushels were sold at fifty cents, and the remainder at an average of eighty-seven cents ; twenty acres were grown in corn, yielding one thousand bushels, or fifty bushels per acre, and sold at one dollar per bushel. This year it has uccn mostly piaiited m corn. - -i- seed was taken from last year's growth, cribbed in the usual AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURES, ETC. 171 manner, but from severe freezing, was so much injured as to require three plantings ; that which ripened is considered as good as can be grown. The samples before the societ)'^ speak for themselves ; the remainder was fed to stock. Mr. Gilman has killed six thousanr^ pounds of beef, and two thousand pounds of pork this fall, of his own raising and fattening. But a small quantity of oats were sown. Wheat has not 'been tried. The yield of buckwheat is as thirty to one. This farm was opened in 1850. " The farm of Mr. John Depue lies eleven miles north of this, and is an admirable specimen of the prairie lands in the northern part of the county. It lies on the north bank of the Piatt river, about two miles above its junction with the Mis- sissippi, upon the second bench in the edge of a beautiful growth of oak, and extending into a prairie destined soon to become one of the most thickly-settled parts of the country. It now embraces one hundred and forty acres of cultivated land, was begun two years ago, and planted in corn, oats, potatoes, turnips, &c. It produced twelve hundred bushels of oats, sold at one dollar per bushel ; two hundred bushels of corn which matured well, without special attention, for which two dollars per bushel was offered and refused ; five hundred bushels of potatoes, and one thousand bushels of rutabagas — the surplus potatoes, over the demand for the farm, were sold at seventy-five cents — the rutabagas werj fed to stock. This year it produced eighteen hundred bushels of oats, now selling at the door for seventy-five cents, and two hundred and fifty bushels of spring- wheat of superior quality. The proprietor has fattened and killed his own pork and beef, and with commendable resolution, determines to do so in future, or go without. Winter-Avheat was tried last year, but failed as a crop, under similar circumstances with that of Mr. Russell." This society is a valuable institution, not only to Benton cour.ty but to. the whole territory ; for by the publication of its proceedings, rivalry is created among the farmers of other counties, and attention attracted in the states, and in foreign countries, to tue ease anci rapidity with wuiCn a xiuSuuiiumaii can get rich in this inviting country j and renewed efforts will 172 AHNNESOTA AND ITS EE80UECE8. eac, county eulcavonng to outstrip tl,e oti.er, and inimigratio,^ w. lucrease to suel, an extent as to exceed the anticipation of tl.e most enthusiastic well .visher of the territory " '^ These statistics of Capt. Todd referred to tl,e yea 1852 and he .ncrease upon these facts within the past year, wli bo readily conceived by all. '' ° I can not close this agricultural chapter ,vithout stating, that « another year, settlements can be made in our valleys w! 1 ou I|a™,g Indians for neighbors. Thousands have bee'n ZZ tor these very lands to be purchased and brought into market who wl be on the ground early to make settlements. ' Ih.s temtory has not s„ many small streams as New Eng- la.id, but immensely more beautiful lakes and level countrv In many porfons, too, there is not so much, nor so gr "t ,' .anety of fmber; but we have fine prairies and natural meadows and sufficient woodland for all necessary 'po.e^ And we have one kind of wood here, which, thot,gh smau' promises to be of much value ; it is the ia./ccl.wi/lo,o Ihere is much said of late in agricnltnral and other papers abou the inimense profit of cultivating the osier.- and ituiZ ^a ed that five millions of dollars' worth of it isimport d ft m France and Germany every year. Yet there is considerabT of he bes variety of this article growing wild in our imrae! diate vicinity. This might be much improved bv Jw7Z and readily supply the place of the imported Villo!" We' have a German here who has been familiar with the cultivation of .t m his own country, and who has been busily engaged the past season lu making most beautiful baskets from our native growth. He informs mo th,t this is the best article rf he kind he has ever seen ; that it is tougher and stronger than the impor ed willow. It is not, of course, so straight and un " form in si.e as though it was cultivated, but tlL is eaX -medied, and the cultivation of it will be commenced ealy the coming spring. It will not be at all strange if within five jears the basket-willow should become an importa" artfcle of export from this territory. ^ FAX^TLITIES FOB TRAVEL. 173 CHAPTER X. FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL— RAILROADS THROUGH AND TOWARD MINNESOTA. To those who think of coming to this territory, it is a matter 01 interest to know what are the facilities for travel, where are our markets, whence we obtain our merchandise, and where we are to send our products when we are so prosperous as to have a surplus. To these questions we will endeavor to give as concise an answer as possible. Our present line of communicadou with the east is by the way of Galena and Chicago. Ihose coming from the east can reach Chicago, either by a trip around the lakec, hy the Michigan Central railroad, or Southern Michigan railroad ; and a complete chain ot railroad, around the south side of Lake Erie, from Chicago to ^ew York, Boston, and almost any other place you please. ^ rom Chicago west, the railroad is already completed to Rock- xord, between eighty and ninety miles, and within another year will be completed to Dubuque or Galena — thus connect- ing the upper Mississippi with all the cities of the east An- otlwv railroad is in progress from Milwaukee to Prairie La Crosse, a small but rapidly-growing town on the Mississippi river, nearly two hundred miles above Galena. This is beinff pushed forward with such enterprise, that it is expected to be completed in about one year. The eastern portion of it is already m operation, penetrating far into the interior of the (^tntc. Minnesota has already become attractive to the health and pleasure seekers of our eastern cities. But when these acihties for travel shall be fully realized, the fnll« nf Sf A.. tiioiiy will rank with Saratoga, Newport, and the White moun- 174 MINNESOTA AND ITS EE80UBCK3. tnm, as a place of summei- ,cs„rt. M„cl> of on,- niercl.andiso ha to I,„ o„„.,o,,l ,,ca,- a I,„„d,cl .nilcs by wagons across ill - no.8. J he amomit w.il of course le increased with the -ase and cheapness of transportation. But there is another enterprise commenced, which promises even more for onr torritorj- than those 1 have mentioLd ^.a con,nuo«. Une of railroad fro,. Neu, Orleans ,o tkefalh If St Anthony , ru.nnug on the west side of the Mississippi river J i "f It Th:'f7" •" "' ^'•'""'"-'' *''-"«"• l' -^ »"^' o o , 1 „-""'/""''^""g «-^"-«ct8 from the St. Louis News PO mt will' "■" "■" "" '''""^^"''' »«"'--'- "^ Octobe; 20, 1852, w.ll g,ve a more complete idea of the enterprise :- of ti?."!J • ^^ ^"''"'" "■"I g'---'"'l<'St railroad improvements of he age .s now engrossing the attention of a lafge number of the n,ost enterprising capitalists in the west. A work of vastmagnuude, which we supposed would not he contemplated for many years to come, is already in progress, and before sx poTtirT"; T '%'""' '" ^""■^"«'' "y ■-"-' *-- poita ,on tl e staple products of the northwest for the fresh and npe frmts of the tropics, and, measuring distance by tim St. Paul w,l be as near New Orleans as it now is to Galen! 1 he enterprise is truly magnificent. That it is practicable no one nc<,uan,ted with the subject can doubt. Tb «:" be accomphsbed, .s alrea.V assured by the intelligence we bis day present to our readers. The wealthiest ami morsag^ c.ous cap.tahsts of St. Louis have embarked in the enterp i^se .v.th a tar-seen,g and patriotic determination to achieve sue! cess Thousands of capitalists along the line of the proposed tZ -^r r" ."T"^'" '""' =^'" "■"' liberality Cv Or eaus Will embark „, the work with enthusiastic energy, and helore s,x mouths pass away the Nbw Orl..«s and IZt as one of the greatest improvements of the age. As the St L.M,,s News remarks, in a strain of enthusiasm, which the u',ec uaturaly inspires: 'No grander schemL wa e. r Fojected for the promotion of man's empire over the 7Z chmates of the earth, and no enterprise has ever been uZ FACILITIES FOB TRAVEL. 175 folded that will take stronger hold upon the hearts and imagi- nations of men. "A railroad from Minnesota to New Orleans, competing with the great Father of Waters thronghoat its course, and joining in close fellowship the six months' snowa of Lake Superior with the perpetual summer of the gulf of Mexico! That is the latest project to which the extraordinary enterprise of the republic has given birth, and one which, in its gigantic propor- tions, is little likely to be paralleled. Mr. Whitney's scheme for unit? fig with iron bonds the waters of the two great oceans, exceeds it in immensity, but will bear no comparison \/ith it in regard to feasibility. His route for tlie most part runs through arid wastes, now, and for generations to come, devoid both of necessities and facilities for an undertaking of the kind. The plan of which we speak is dissimilar to it in all respects save one. In proportion, the line from the extreme north to the far south yields the palm to the indomitable advocate of the Pacific line, but in every other particular u is immeasur- ably superior. It starts from a point just opening to civiliza- tion, it is true, but one that is manifestly destined to acliieve an unexampled growth ; and thence, running southward, it opens to market the broad prairies »f Iowa, exacts tribute from the fertile soil of Missouri, and, having stopped for breath at the commercial emporium of the west, proceeds to traverse the gorgeous savannahs of Arkansas and the rich plantations of Louisiana, finally pouring its accumulated treasures into the lap of New Orleans. A route, in round figures, of some two thousand miles, already possessed of an enormous river traffic, and more or less settled at every important point. " We are not dreaming dreams, or indulging in fancies at variance with facts. We record a project now occupying attention along I L barks of the Mississippi, which has re- ceived the cordia'i approval of cool business men, and which will shortly be ^resented to the country in a plain business aspect. The mcchants of St. Louis have taken the lead in its behalf, with a spirit that betokens early and good results. Their efforts must command the assistance of New Orleans, which is at length awakened to the necessity of land as well I T I I I * 1 ' 170 MINNESOTA ANT) rw RESOUKL'KS. as water communication. Arkansas and Iowa are pledged by then- action in other matters to a cordial cooperation, while the infant giant, Minnesota, enters into it with a spirit at once characteristic and hopeful. •' The project is pregnant with great considerations, political and commercial. It will unite climates unlike in their nature and products, and will give a common aim and interest to people differing widely in their circumstances and pursuits. it will form a new guaranly for the perpetuity of the Union and will contribute more than legislation to smother sectior.al strife. It will secure to the extreme northwest its legitimate markets, and will more rapidly attract to it the capital and labor needed to develop its magnificent resources. " In this grnud work the people of St. Paul and St. Anthony have a common and united interest. When it shall have been completed, ' the .ister cities' will be viewed as upper and lower towns of the same great metropolis, which will be to the northwest what New Orleans is to the south, and St. Louis to the centre —a railroad and commercial terminus, a grand centre of trr.de, and also, what neither of these points can ever become, the manufactory and -workshop r.f the west " N« portion of our flourisliing country promises to enjoy a more brilliant destiny than Minnesota ; and St. Paul and St Anthony conjoined must become the commercial and manufac- turing heart, not only of Minnesota, but of the vast domain surrounding it, stretching from Lake Superior to the Rocky mountains, and embracing the intervening area as far north as liuman enterprise can extend." ^ To sorne this may seem visionary; but on a careful exam- ir.at.on of the facts in the case, I am confident that o^-ery intelligent r an will agree with the editor of the St. Louis Ijews, that "no grander scheme wn, ever projected," and that It IS not only "possible," but "practicable," and "in- evitable." A raih-oad of one hundred miles, of easy and cheap construc- tion, would connect the navigable waters of the Mississippi with the navigable waters of the Red river of the north. Another road of one hundred miles would wed the Mississippi to Lake FACILITIKS FOli TRAVEL. 177 Superior. Already roads are in contemplation, which will unite Minnesota to the tide waters of the Atlantic and the giilt; bringing the best market to the door of the producer, and giving to our agriculturists, at all seasons of the year, the choice of an eastern or southern market. A road is also projected from St. I'aul to Green Bay. This will bring us within ten hours of Lake Michigan, and, as Boon as the road from Toronto to Georgian bay is completed, within lifty-six hours of Toronto. In addition to the argu- ments usually urged in favor of grants of public land to rail- rf)ad and other improvements, two particular reasons apply in this case, which should induce the federal government to aid the enterprise. The road would run through an unsettled and unsurveyed tract of country, and will open it to settlement. Few other roads are so situated. It will terminate in a terri- tory of the United States, and will so expedite its settlement, as to shorten the period of its territorial existence, and relieve the federal treasury of the burden of its support. Hitherto railroads have been constructed, because the settlement and business of their respective localities were supposed to demand them. The experiment of building a road in order to settle a o.untry and make a husiness, is yet to be tried. Mr. Whitney })ioposed such an experiment in his Pacific scheme ; and if we reflect what the Erie canal and the railroad upon its banks have done for the settlement of t^'C northwest, we have a siguilicant hint of the efficacy of suck means. The editor of the Minnesota Pioneer, in speaking of this subject, says : " Among the important acts of the last legisla- ture, may very properly be classed the various railroad char- ters passed during the session. We are aware that they are looked upon by many as chimerical, but we can not recognise anything as chimerical in the ..ettler/ient of the great valley of the Mississippi. Our long rcf^idencc in the West has enabled us to observe the rapid progress of civilization. The antici- pations of the most sanguine have been so far surpassed, chat we can not at this time concede the power of imagination to get beyond reality in western improvement, and western prog- ress. 8* 178 MINNKSOTA ANB ITS RKSOURCKS. ( 1 li -l Wc can look hack a few slioit of the M and years, Avlieii tlio conimcrco Ave 'ssiss.i.pi and Minsonri was carried on hy keel-1 once niatlc a qnick trip from St. Lou^'h to U >ontR. mnesota in lorty-one days. At tliat time ti.e idea of navigating tl.o Un- per Mississippi with steamboats, above the foot of the lower rapids, would have been considered much more chimerical than would a project for throwing a suspension bridge across Behrings straits at the present day. We maue a trip on horseback from the Mississippi to Chicago, and could get neither eggs nor pork to eat at any of the squatters' huts wo Btopped at. Now there is produce enough raised between the M.ss.ss.pj.i and Illinois rivers to feed half of the starving pon- ulafon ot Europe. We travelled in a stage (an open wagoi.) from Ga ena to Chicago when the trip was made in etl.t days, and when thepamM//^ of staging on that route was by no means clear to the proprietors, and each passenger was obl.ged to walk and carry a rail to assist the team through the sloughs. Now a railroad is near completion which will travel over the same space in eight hours. We were at one time one of the only three white men residing within the imits of the present state of Iowa, which now has a popu- ation of over four hundred thousand. In our own beautiful territory we have made many trips between Prairie du Chieu and Mendota, and from Mendota to Traverse d.s Sioux, when the hotels we lodged at were in the open air, and our table lurnishcJ from the supply we carried, or from the game killed on the route. Yet with the blessing of God, we hope vet to travel in a railroad car, on a continuous route from the Minne- sota river to New Orleans, and very j^roIMj to San Francisco. Each railroad charter granted at the late session, with one exception, is a cornecting link in some great chain of road ^^'l.lch IS not only contemplated, but progressing south or east of us. Does any one doubt the completion, at an early day, of the Louisiana and Minnesota railroad ? Does any one for a moment believe that the Illinois central railroad will rush up to the shore of the Mississippi opposite Dubuque, survey for a moment t^ie yast expanse of country west of the Father of \Vaters, and then, affrighted, turn and seek again the shores FACILITIES FOK TUAVRL. 170 of tlio Atlantic? No such tliiiig; there is nothing In those hcautiful prairies, fertile fields, or busy manufacturing towns, west of the Mississippi calculated to deter the ' iron horse.' 'J'housands are now living who will see him hound across the bridge which will bo thrown over and high above the surface of the stream, and rush forward to the valley of the Minnesota, through the most lovely, healthy, and wealthy agricultural portions of the globe. After a momentary pause, to select the route, his progress is again onward, with caloric speed to the shore of that copper-bottomed inland sea, Superior, where he will neigh in concert with his brothers from the Atlantic in the east, and from Puget's sound in the great northwest. " Does any one doubt the early completion of a railroad from the Mississippi to San Francisco ? In a few year; his doubts will be dispelled, and stern reality will show a revolution in the commerce of the world. Our teas, and all our Asiatic stuffs which we now receive by a tardy, dangerous, and ex- pensive route through Europe and our Atlantic cities, will be brought direct from the Pacific, and supplies will reach the Atlantic by way of Minnesota. " Those who may have doubts on the progress and early completion of these improvements, we ask to look back on the past. Examine the railroads now in operation in the eastern states, where the expense of constructing one mile of road will construct five miles over our flat prairies. If any one doubts the business being sufficient to support these roads, we would refer him to the debates in the New York legislature during the consideration of the charters for the road between Buffalo and Albany. The opponents of those charters based their arguments on the supposition that a railroad would destroy the business of the canal. But time has shown that the canal has not the capacity to do the business necessary, in addition to that done by the railroad. And while further privileges for transportation have been granted the railroads, the en- largement of the canal has been found necessary. " Of the St. Paul and St. Anthony railroad we need say but little. Although isolated and alone, its early completion is just as certain as that the sun will rise to-morrow morning ; i I ' " ■ ^m m' mm i mhx m',^ 180 MlNNlvSOTA AND ITU KKaOi liCKS. nml the foolish rivalry between St. Paul and St. Antlionv M ill then cease." "^ Eastern capitalists are now investing in thi« last enterprise and the contractors are expected on to build the road the en- suing spring. It is more than probable that before this vol- ume meets the rear er's eye, the work will be surveyed and under full headway. I desire to call the attention of capitalists abroad, and our neighbors at home, to the value, importance, and prn ticability of c.nistructing, at an early day, a railroad from St. Paul to Fond du Lac or Lake Superior. We are informed by those acquainted with the topography of the country between the two points, that the route is a good one for the construction of a railroad. ^ The Lake Superior country is the greatest mining district in the world, anu will support and soon contain ." vast popu- lation engaged in that branch of imlustry. Its mineral wealth IS inexhaustible, and its copper and iron ore the best that have^ yet been discovered. The copper ore of the famous nmies of Cornwall, England, yield but about eight per cent of pure metal — that of Lake Superior twenty per cent. The iron of Lake Superior is preferred among the iron- workers at Pittsburgh to that of Sweden, and commands a higher price. Its remarkable malleability peculiarly adapts It for boiler iron and machinery. Messrs. Foster and Wliitney in their late geological report to the United States government speaking of the iron of this .district, say : " It is to this source' that the great West will ultimately look for its supplies of the hner varieties of bar-iron and steel. The ' iron mountain' of ilissoun becomes insignificant compared with these immense cleposites This region also contains extensive beds of marble, which will prove of much economical value for fluxing the ores and m yielding lime, while, with care, blocks for architectural and ornamental purposes can be obtained. Flesh-red is the prevailing tint with veins of a deeper hue. The novaculite slates are valuable, afifording hones equal to the Turkey or bcotch stones." "^ A railroad from St. Paul a little more than one hundred FA<'Tr,l ,fi:S FOK TKAVl 181 miles ill leiij^tli, will unite the lake mid the MIsHissij pi, and piake ilie most important Imsiucss point on tlie MissisHippi ■\ St. Louis. It M'ni ](! be the tlivect and travelled route from the Mississippi vaHey to Lake Superior, and open up to the fanners of Minnesota a valuable market for their surplus products. They ha\ ithing to export now, but ,vill, in a few years, have an abundance. It can not '' " long before the canal around the falls of Ste. M.'uie will \> , onstiuctod, and then with the proposed road, we will have a complete lake and railroad communication with all the commercial cities of the east. I hope to be able to present facts that will tend to convince all that have the pro.sperity of IMinnesof xt heart, as well as those who are socking safe railroad investments for their capital, that we have not too soon called their attention ' *he proposed enter- prise. Ar^'ument is unnecessary to convince any person of common information, that the constructi' of this road is of immense iinj)ortan{>e to the prosperity of Minnesota in general, and St. Paul ii) particular. It is true that the road will not pay if im- inediatc'ly constructed, but now is the opportune moment — the very time to obtain the necessary grant of land from Congress. The sooner the better ; and then all doubt about the construc- tion of this vast improvcrnent will be removed, and St. Paul will loom up on the map as a prospective city of the first magnitude. Construct this road and the mineral of Lake Superior des- tined for the Mississippi valley, and gulf commerce, will pass through St. Paul, as well as a large proportion of the agricul- tural .>- 'pplies, and southern products consumed on the lake. On the other side of the river, we have a country destined ere many years, to become the most flourishing agricultural re- gion of the west, and this road will make St. Paul the depot of its products to supply the lakes, and for shipment east and to the North Atlantic. This road Avill bring St. Paul as near in cost of transportation to the eastern cities, as Galena will bo with her railroad finished, which will insure the continu- ance at St. Paul of the great mercantile centre for the trade % IMAGE EVALUATIO^J TEST TARGET (MT-3) .A^ ^A i.O I.I 2.8 hiUu IM IM 18 Lil IIIIIM 1111.6 riiUiUgiapiUC Sciences Corporation 23 WFST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ ^ ^ <,^'^ 182 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. H ' Of ti.e northwest. A large city will also grow up* at the head of Lake Superior, which will be a benefit to St. Paul, because It will be the depot of the lake trade. The two cities will be partners and mutual aids in prosperity ; and, making, at the same time, a monopoly and a division of the northwestern trade, they will sustain each other in its accumulation and possession. Their relative position and mutual interests will be the same as exists between Cincinnati and Cleveland, both of which cities have been vastly benefited by the iron road which unites their prosperity and destiny. This improvement, as well as all others that will secure cheap and expeditious means of travel and transportation to and from the states, will increase the productive wealth of the territory and the happiness of its citizens generally, and very soon obviate the objection to Minnesota that it is too far away trom the populous portions of the Union. Railroads will anni- hilate the formidable distance which separates us from our old homes and friends in the stites ; railroads will bring thousands and tens of thousands of people and millions of money to our territory, that would not otherwise come ; railroads will save our people millions of dollars in the value of time and expenses of travel and transportation ; railroads will increase our steam- boat business, and secure to Minnesota the numerous advan- tages of an old country combined with those of a new. If Congress could be induced to grant sufl5cient land for the construction of a railroad from St. Paul to Lake Superior, the tollowmg results would immediately follow : It would be uni- versally conceded that St. Paul must become the great com- mercial city of the northwest for all time to come. The cou i- try on the east side of the Mississippi would be very soon taken up and occupied. Property on the east side of the river would enhance in value far beyond the most sanguine expectations of IS present owners. No attempts would then be made to establish, on the Sioux side of the river, at Mendota or any other point, a commercial centre as a rival of St Paul ^ Now take up the map, and look at future results. * There 18 Lake Superior, the shores of which are more valuable in copper and iron than any other portion of the globe ; and will 'iii-.:,.!!' FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL. 183 soon contain a dense population of persons engaged in mines and incidental pursuits, all of whom will be consumers of the products of agriculture and manufactures. Here, then, is an- other California, with California customers. The soil near the lake is inferior, but farther to the south and west are the fer- tile lands of Minnesota, destined to become the most valuable grain-growing region of the United States. The experiments made already in the cultivation of wheat in Minnesota fully justify this opinion. Look at the map, and you will see that the mineral of Lake Superior may be transportea to the gulf of Mexico, via the proposed road and the Mississippi river, cheaper than by any other route. The removal of the obstructions at the rapids will obviate every difficulty The proposed road will there- fore greatly increase the demand for steamboat transportation, not only in carrying down the mineral of the lake, but also in bringing back the products of the south which constitute a part of northern consumption. The proposed road will open a new r ^e to the east, via Lakes Superior and Huron, and by railroad thence to Toronto ; thence across Lake Ontario, and by railroad to Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, where our future merchants will be sure to purchase nearly all their goods, except perhaps grocer- ies. The same route will provide our future farmers with easy access to the eastern Atlantic markets. One of the future resources of Lake Superior will be its im- mense and inexhaustible fisheries, the most valuable, all things considered, in the world. This branch of industry will em- ploy, at some future day, a large amount of capital, and a nu- merous population, dependent upon some other region for most of their agricultural supplies. It will also furnish a large amount of business for the proposed road and steamboats on the river. Construct this road, and all the fish, copper, and iron, of Lake Superior, consumed in the Mississippi valley, and transported beyond the gulf via the southern ports, will natu- rally and of business necessity be reshipped at St. Paul. Construct the proposed road, and St. Paul will be an impor- tant point, and, with St. Anthony's falls, a favorite resting- '^■m. 184 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUECKS. place for tl.e thousancls who in pursuit of pleasure or business will hereafter make tlie grand tour of North An.orica. i le magnificent enterprise of the North Pacific Railroad has been ah-eady commenced. Under the able and vigorous management of Governor Stevens, we may look for the sue- cessful completion of the survey for this route within a few months. The general plan is to operate from St. Paul, the starting- point, toward the great bend of the Missouri river, and thence on the table-land between the tributaries of the Missouri and Saskatchawan to *ome eligible pass in the Rocky mountains. Ihe route will connect favorably with the waters of the Mis- sissipp,. Red river o^ the North, Missouri, and Columbia, the most important navigable streams of the United States. 1 he expedition started upon the great work, provided with everything essential to its success. The result will be of in- calculable value to this country, and will open up a new and brilliant era for Minnesoia. One of the first objects to be accomplished is the opening: of an immigrant route from St. Paul to the north Pacific, which will be done by next season. The information gathered on the expedition will be pre- sented to the country at the earliest possible time. The gov- ernment has issued instructions that, after the completion of the field examinations, the expedition will reixlezvous at some point in the territory of Washington, to prepare the usual re- ports, and send to Washington at the earliest practicable mo- ment a summary of the principal events of the expedition, and a railn)ad report to be laid before Congress on or before the first of February, 1854. The tide of immigration on the Pacific is flowing northward to the neighborhood of Puget's sound, a fine country, aboundino. in great natural resources. The capital of the new territory of Washington, Octavia, will no doubt be located in that vi- cinity, on a site which will become a commercial city of the first rank. "^ The distance from St. Paul to Puget's sound is only about fourteen hundred miles, and a direct route would pass over a FACTr.TTTES FOR TRAVEL, 185 rich country, affording an ahnndance of pasture for stock, and good water for man and beast. No deserts intervene, and there is no doubt but that the best passes through the Rocky mountains are to be found on this route. This is tlie opinion of scientific men engaged in the work of survey ; and, relying upon otlier sources of information, there is sufficient reason to believe that such is the fact. It is now the opinion of some of the best-informed men of the country, and which is entertained by several of the most able and influential United States senators, that the Central Pacific Route, by way of the South pass, is impracticable. The country through which that route passes is generally inifit for cultivation ; the altitude of the summit is greater, the snows deeper: that route, in brief, is out of the question. It is be- lieved, however, that there is a route farther south, through Texas or New Mexico, and along the Gila to San Diego, or tlirough Walker's pass to some point farther north. The other route, upon which the public mind is becoming settled as the best road, is that now being explored by Major Stevens. It passes through a better country than any other named, and its eastern termination will strike the most popu- lous and productive zone of the continent. That its comple- tion will be witnessed in a few years we have no doubt. As the work progresses, population will Loop in its advance, open- ing farms, building towns and villages, thus uniting the Atlan- tic and Pacific by one continuous chain of civilization. St. Paul being at the junction of the road and the navigable head-waters of the Mississippi, must become a great central entrep6t of trade and travel, and soon grow up into a commercial city of the first class. If the route is found as favorable as is now believed, meas- ures should be taken at the next session of Congress to provide protection by next season for emigrants who may desire to take that road to the Pacific. A cordon of military posts will bo necessary to keep the Blackfeet Indians in check. This road (marked out by the exploring party, and protection ex- tended to emigrants) will at once become the great route to the Pacific. In the spring and early summer, our levee, from 186 MINNESOTA AND ITS EESOUECES. tlio lower to the upper landing, would be lined with steamboats, and the town filled with voyageurs and their effects. The progress of St. Paul, thus far, is without parallel in the infant growth of western towns ; but, in view of the reasonable prospects, its growth for the next few years will be far more remarkable, and with this progress the whole territory will ad- vance with equally rapid strides. I regard this Pacific railroad project as the great enterprise of the age, in comparison with which all others, however im- portant in a local point of view, sink into absolute insignifi- cance. The day which will witness the junction of the Atlan- tic and Pacific coasts, by means of a perfect railroad commu- nication, will be remembered as one on which the bonds of union between the extremes of our country were riveted for all time to come, and the commerce of the world secured to our own citizens. From the knowledge we have, imperfect as it is, of the to- pography of the region to be traversed, wo are justified in the conclusion that the northern route is far more favorable for railroad purposes than those hitherto proposed. The cele- brated Kit Carson, in a lately-published letter, denies the prac- ticability of any other of the southern routes than that through Walker's pass ; and we know that even that is liable to objec- tion, because of its winding and circuitous character, which will necessarily increase the length and the expense of railroai^. construction to an indefinite extent. It is stated that Major Ogden, a chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, long resident on the Pacific slope, and whose occupation required him to become acquainted with the nature of the country between Puget's sound and the Cascade mount- ams, asserts that it is eminently favorable for the construction of a railroad. Old trappers, who have many times traversed It, corroborate his impressions. The passage of the Cascade and Rocky ranges will constitute the great obstacles to be overcome ; but as the depression of these mountains is much greater in the high latitudes of forty-six and forty-seven de- grees, it is reasonable to conclude that the passes are corre- spondingly more practicable than those farther south. Little eamboats, Ilel in the easonable > far more Y will ad- mterprise vever im- insignifi- !ie Atlan- 1 commu- bonds of ed for all 3d to our F the to- 3d in the rable for he cele- the prac- through to objec- r, which railroar*. ludson's d whose e nature ! mouut- truction aversed Cascade s to be s much ven de- B corre- Little FACILiriES FOR TRAVEL. is known of the country between these ranges ; but the valley of the north fork of the Columbia extends through it, and will probably afford a line for a railway should all others present insurmountable difficulties. I know that from the base of the Rocky mountains, on this side, to the Mississippi, few obstruc- tions will be met with, as a continuous and for the most part level prairie is to be found between those points. The railroad across our territory to Puget's sound, and that from our northern boundary to the gulf of Mexico, once com- phted — and the latter may be regarded as a mere question of time — what bounds can be conceived to the prosperity of Minnesota ? The very fact that such measures are proposed, and will sooner or later be perfected, must have a direct ten- dency to increase immigration to our territory. We have a fine climate, a soil rich in mineral and agricultural resources, and a profusion of good wood and pure water. The men only are needed to profit by a proper use of these advantages, and to add by their industry and enterprise to the general wealth. We are daily receiving additions to our numbers ; and when it is known that Minnesota is to be made the great thoroughfare in the communication between the eastern and western con- fines of the Union, we may set it down as a fixed fact that immigration will flow in like a flood, and our fertile prairies and woodlands teem with the life and energy of a numerous but not redundant population. At a railroad meeting held at St. Paul, on the 24th day of August, 1853, Dr. Otis Hoyt, of Hudson, Wisconsin, the enter- prising president of the Northwestern railroad, addressed the meeting, giving a brief history of railroads and railroad projects in the United States. The railroad spirit had commenced in Massachusetts and rapidly spread in every direction, carry ir" with it wealth and prosperity. New York, looking with a jealous eye to the increasing wealth of Massachusetts, had, in the face of all the derision and contempt heaped upon the Erie canal, which was called " Clinton's Folly," *• Clinton's Ditch," &c., caught the spirit, and thoreby had herself become im- mensely wealthy. The cost of the various railroads in New England and New i 188 MINNT'SOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. York, rangfd from forty tlireo to sixty-tlirco tliousand dollars per mile, but are all payin;^ larp^e dividenda, and the immense profits of many of the roads in New York was truly wonderful. In the old states, experience shows that if the business along the route of a proposed railroad will pay three fifths of the expense of constructing and operating it, the increase of busi- ness before the road could be completed, would be equal to the remaining two fifths. I'he speaker had become well acquainted with the route of the proposed railroad from Madison to St. Paul, and from its feasibility believed the cost of construction could not be more than fifteen, or at most eighteen thousand dollars per mile. Ho had statistics (which he read) showing the business now done on the route, would pay more than fifteen per cent, on the cost of building and completing the road. The estimates below are compiled from data as accurate as could be obtained, and are certainly less than the business actually done, and will bear no comparison with the amount which the road would do when constructed. "WISCONSIN RIVER, LAST fEAn. Too tons freight at $7.50 per ton $6,250 1,000 passengers at $12 12^000 Total $17,260 BLACK RIVER. 800 tons frojjjht at $10 per ton, which is boated up from the Mississippi in flat boats $3,000 600 passengers at $3 1,500 Total $4,500 CHIPPEWA, MENOMINEE, AND EATJ GALA, EAU CLAIRE. 800 tons freights $13 per ton $10,400 1,200 passengers at $3 3,600 Total $14,000 ST. CROIX VALLSY. Freight estimates taken from merchants and lumber- "'en $28,400 Passengers at $4.40 19,050 Total $47,460 FACILITIES FOB TRAVEL. 189 ST. I'AUL. 163 nrrivuls from Gftlenii and l)elow and as many depiirtures, averaging 76 pusHengora each way at $4 per puHsngo ' $81,800 15,800 tons freight at $7.50 per ton 1'61,750 Total $1 lcvv out" Hliook with terror tho knees of the stoutest braves; and ill a twiiikliiif,', every red skin had vanished in tho woods, Bcreainiii},' and shoutinj^ with all their might. On tho 17th of iSei)teniher, 1819, Col. Leavenworth, with some troops, first came up, and estahlished a cantonment near (Jfimello's, at the ferry on tho west side of the Minnesota river. lie next removed his quarters to camp Coldwater, a little way up the Mississippi, at the phico where the two-story stone hotel now stands upon tho prairie. In tho winter of 1820 and ISSil, soldiers were sent up to Rum river to get out pine lumber to build Fort Snelling. In the meantime, square timber was hewn, of hard wood, along up the shore and on the islands of tho Mississippi, to make two block-houses, for immediate use, at the present site of tho fort, which were so far completed ns to bo occupied by the troops in the winter of 1822 and 1823; after which tho work of building tho garrison was crowded on with much vigor. The laboi- of tho building was done, nearly or quite all, by tho soldiers. The fort, however, when completed, cost about ninety thousand dollars. Tho following summary shows the least height of the ther- mometer, with the coldest days during the past seven years, together with tho closing of the navigation, the first arrival in the spring, and the total number of arrivals yearly : — In 1814, there were forty -one arrivals. Navigation closed November 24th. In 1845, forty-eight arrivals. The Minne- sota and Mississippi closed November 24th and 26th. The C')ldest day of 184r)-'6, was February 26th. Thermometer eighteen degrees below zero. In 1846, there were but twenty- four arrivals. The decrease was caused by low water. The rivers closed November 26th. The Minnesota opened again December 1st, and closed finally December 3d. Coldest day of tho winter, January 27th ; thermometer twenty-seven de- grees below zero. In 1847, there were forty-seven arrivals. The Minnesota closed November 24th, and the Mississippi the 29th. Coldest day of the winter, January 9th ; twenty-eight degrees below zero. In 1848, sixty-three arrivals. Rivers KTI.AMIJOAT AND KIVKU TUADK, Kl'vj. 11)3 closod November 8th. T' •' jVIiuucsotn opened ngnin, but closed ill a few days. Coldest day of the winter, February 18tli ; thirty-seven degrees below zero. In 1810, ei|j;hty-fivo arrivals. Rivers closed December Gth and 8th. Coldest day, December 30th; thirt)'-ono degrees below zero. In 1850, one hundred and four arrivals. Ilivcrs closed December 3d. Coldest day, Jaiinary 30th, 1S61 ; tliernu)meter thirty-two and a half degrees Ixdow zero. In 1851, one hundred and nine- teen arrivals. The ]\lississippi ch)sed November 28tli. lu 1852, one hundred and seventy-one arrivals. The Mississippi closed November 18th. '^riie last boat arrival of 1851 was the Nominee ; she left on the 20th of November. The last boat arrival of 1852 was the I^laek Hawk, Captain Lodwick ; she left on the eve of 10th November. The periods of the first arrivals in the spring are a8 follows, viz. : — 1844, April Gth, Otter, Captain Ilan-is ; 1845, April Ist, Otter, Captain Harris; 1S4G, March 31bt, Lynx, Atchison; 1847, April 17th, Cora, Throckmorton; 1848, April 7th, Sen- ator, Harris; 1849, April 10th, Dr. Franklin No. 2, Harris ; Highland Mary No. 2, Atchison, and Senator, Smith, arrived same day. 1850, April 19th, Highland Mary No. 2, Atchison, and Nominee, Smith, arrived same day, crowded with passen- gers. 1851, April 4ih, steamboat Nominee, Captain Smith, arrived at six A. M., with one hundred passengers. She left Galena March 31st, and arrived at Stillwater April 3d ; was much retarded by high winds, &c. 1852, April 16th, Nominee, Captain Smith, and Excelsior, arrived the same day. 1853, April 11th, West Newton, Captain D. S. Harris. The Missis- sippi was clear of ice this year, at St. Paul, on the 1st of April. The steamboat Greek Slave, which wintered here for the first time, started upon the 4th of April for the Minnesota river. She returned upon the 9th, with one wheel-house carried off from contact with the trees. She went up as far as Mankato city, at the mouth of the Blue-Earth river. On the 10th, she started down to force a passage through Lake 9 194 MINNESOTA AND ITS EESOUECES. I 4 W i! li i Pepin, met the West NcM'ton coming through, and returned iu company with her on the 11th. Average closing of the navigation. November 26th. The avemge spring arrivals of the above is the 8th of April. On an average, the boats cease running two weeks before the close of navigation here, and are detained below Lake Pepin the same time in the spring after the river opens at St. Paul; the navigation being interrupted from the 15th of November to the 8th of April — less than five months in all. Above and below the lake, the river is only closed on an average of less tiian four monlhs in the year, viz., from 26th November to 25tli March. The Mississippi closes unlike most streams. Its cuiTent being swift, the ice does hot stay fixed for many days after the river is nearly covered with it. But the ice keeps pressing along, and, if the weather does not relax, the ice becomes more thickly set ov< r the stream in patches ; then the patches huddle and crowd, and climb and dive, till the hour of sealing their destiny fixes them for four and a half months in statu. So the river is left rough with the protruding edges of the flakes which were suddenly arrested in their rampant career. The number of steamboat arrivals at St. Paul, in 1852, was one hundred and seventy-one. Of these, one hundred and thirty -one were from Galena, twenty-two from St. Louis, thir- teen from the Minnesota river, three from the St. Croix, and one from Lake Pepin. There were seventeen different steam- boats here *hut year ; about double the number that has ever been here in any former year. The Nominee made twenty-seven trips from Galena, including once that she only came to the Pig's Eye bar, and not including the trip in the spring that she only came up to the foot of Lake Pepin. The Dr. Franklin made twenty-nine trips. This does not include the last trip she made, when she left her St. Paul freight at Point Douglas, and carried the mail back with her. The Excelsior made nine trips from St. Louis. The Tiger made nine trins — three from Galena, three from Maukato, two from the St. Croix, one from Lake Pepin. STEAMBOAT AND KIVER TRADE, ETC. 196 urned ui h. The >ril. On the close epin the aul; the jmber to sd OD an •om 26th cuiTent lys after pressing becomes patches P sealing in statu. 8 of the t career. 552, was red and lis, thir- oix, and t steam- las ever icluding icluding of Lake oes not I freight ee from The Franklin Ko. 2 made seven trips from St. Louis. The Caleb Cope made five trips from Galena. The St. Paul made eleven trips — seven from Galena, and four from St. Louis. The West Newton made fifteen trips from Galena. The Ben Campbell made eight trips from Galena. The Black-Hawk made twenty-one trips — fourteen from Galena, three from Mankato, two from Babcock's, one from Traverse des Sioux, and one from the St. Croix. The Jenny Lind made five trips — two from Galena, one from Babcock's, one from Traverse des Sioux, and one from Holmes' She also made one trip to Point Douglas, which is not included in the above reckoning. The Martha No. 2 made seven trips from Galena. The Greek Slave made nine trips from Galena. The Luella madei^ifeii* trips from Galena. The Enterprise made two trips— one from Galena, one from Little Rapids on the Minnesota-* ' The Regulator and Geneva each niade one trip from St. Louis. From this it will be seen, that in 1852 there were fifty-two arrivals more than the year previous, notwithstanding the season was three weeks shorter, and an extreme low water for more than half the time. This is an increase of about forty- five per cent., and had the water been favorable for navigation, the season of 1852 would doubtless have showed an increase of over seventy per cent. Another fact worthy of note is observable from an inspection of these statistics. It is this : while the number of arrivals from Galena has been increasing yearly, and has almost doubled since last year, the number from St. Louis has been rapidly diminishing. The account stands thus: In 1850 there were forty arrivals from St. Louis ; in 1851, thirty-five ; and in 1852 there were but twenty-two. The rapid decrease the latter year may in a measure be accounted for by the low water ; but this does not explain it all. The fact is. Galena, with iier niteeii or twenty steaniuoats, nearly aionopolizes the carrying-trade between St. Louis and that city, and all points 196 BIINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. above ; and although our trade with St. Louis has l-'igely in- creased, yet the number of boats making trips from that city to St. Paul has diminished in as great a proportion ; and we consider it very doubtful, supposing next season to be favor- able to navigation, whether it will show much of an increase in the number of arrivals from St, Louis. It seems impossible that Congress can overlook the immense naiional importance of making the navigation of the Missis- sippi unobstructed from St. Paul down to the gulf of Mexico. Why is it ? Can it be because the states down the river are so ravenous for grants of public land, that the government is unwilling to give us an appropriation of money for the rapids, in addition to grants of land to the states, for fear of doing too much foi: the West ? The West wants cheap communication more than lands ; and the main artery more than little rivers. If we had a railroad from St. Paul to New Orleans, we should not rest quiet if it were obstructed atRockisland and Keokuk; but having a river, which is better, with only two obstructions in it, which might be removed for less money than the cost of a week's idle debate in Congress, we sleep over it, and let Congress sleep over it, for a quarter of a century, and continue to let our little steamboats crawl, and scratch, and scrabble over the rocky bottom of the river every year, carrying but a little goods at a time, and that in lighters. Make the navi- gation of this river what it ought to be, and our boats would double in size and capacity; insurances and freights, and the cost of pilotage, would soon fall one half. In every foot of lumber we raft, in every bushel of grain we ship, in every cup of coffee we drink, we are taxed, in consequence of the want of cheap navigation on this river. TJie whole west, from Pem- bina to the gulf of Mexico, ought to light down upon Congress, and sting that stupid body, besiege it, harass it, beleaguer it, into immediate compliance with ihe demand of half a continent. The number of steamboat arrivals the present year will be upwards of three hundred — of course including those from the Minnesota river. The increase from forty-one to over three hundred, from 1844 to the present timej certainlv sneaks vol- umes of the future navigation, besides the prospective railroads STEAMBOAT AND RIVER T 'JE, ETC. 197 yet to radiate to and from St. Paul, b )r seven steamboats have navigated the Minnesota river tins season, each loaded with freight on every trip. One boat, the " Clarion," has paid for herself several times from her freight and passenger pro- ceeds. It is no uncommon thing to see from six to ten boats lying at the St. Paul levee, all freighted. 198 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. t, ? CHAPTER XII. THE INDIAN TRIBES SIOUX, CHIPPEWAS, AND WINNEBAGOES. ^5 ; ! >■ ■' ' 4 * * * " Art8 shall every wild explore, Trace every wave, and culture every shore." In Mr, CamplDell's poem, "The Pleasures of Hope," we find this striking and very true prophecy; and, in Minnesota, before ten years shall have passed away, it will be well verified. A treaty Avith the Sioux Indians has been consummated, and tliat their stay on the ceded land will be short, no one can doubt. A new home will then present scenes which will pen- etrate the heart of every family ; while the pale faces, who occupy their new territory, will experience alike the usual pleasure and privation of frontier life. The change which is soon to take place, reminds one of tho sad reality and fatality which have befallen all the tribes of Indians in North America which have come in contact with the whites, and were of necessity compelled to sell their lands. Indeed there is no uncivilized shore on the face of tlie globe Avhere the white man has trodden, but his controlling influence has been felt by the people who inhabited it. What, then, docs tho history of the past present of the Sioux ? What, then, will the annals of the future reveal, of their wandering from region to region, of their poverty, of their vices and their degradation — outcasts and exiles from the home of their childhood ? About tliiity years ago the Sacs and Foxes resided east of the Mississippi river, and their number was probably twice or EBAGOES. ' we find innesota, be well ited, and one can will pen- ces, who he usual le of tho tribes of act with ir lands, lie globe nfluence at, then, What, indering nd their of their east of twice or THE INDIAN TRIBES. 109 thrice as great as at present. Their villages, their fields, and the unbroken forests, presented primitive life and primeval grandeur; but soon came the pale-faces among them, and the woodman's axe was heard to break the solitude of ages, and warn them of an impending fate. Their struggle against im- provement was in vain. And where are they now ? and what is their condition ? They were removed west of the Missis- sippi, and " Where prowled the wolf, and where the hunter roved, Faith raised her altars to the God she loved," Their homes, where old men had sung to youth the achieve- ments which they had gained in strife, and where they had repelled the attacks of deadly foes, were changed into fields for harvest, and their songs and their chivalry thought of only as dreams of things that were. Again, after a few brief years, the white man claimed the home that had given birth to the youth of their nation ; and since then they have been removed, until they have finally found a home — if such it can be called in this day of emigration — on the Missouri river, where they may linger out a few years of wretchedness. The fate of the Sacs and Foxes is but what has followed other Indian tribes, and the Sioux must alike share a miser- able destiny, and dwindle away, and, like many nations, once powerful, become extinct ; and then a few centuries shall sweep by, and, as mouldered empires of the earth, the glory of their chivalry and power will be known but in history and song. The Sioux number more than twenty-five thousand souls, and their territory extends from the ceded lands in Iowa and Missouri, to the territory belonging to the Assiniboin^ and other tribes, which divides their northern boundary from British America. Their limits extend vn-t-t. uo iieu. iv cs; vici„- -.^^i-.. " Four of the real soldiers, or th( represented by the red 20 ^ MTNXKSOTA and T'l-a IfFSOrRCES. fsticks, arc chosen as principal men in tlic lodge, whose place is immediately opposite the door. The side, to the right of tlie judges, is npjiropriated to chief soldiers, while the left is occupied by young men. A cyunpalta, or crier, and cook, are «j)pointed, whose duty it is to be ever present in the lodge. All orders issue from the tiyotijn. The proclamations were made at this encampment by a man nearly blind, who has since been killed by the Chippewas. In the morning he stood out and publicly announced the name of a young man who was sent out to ascertain where the buffalo were. On his re- turn he spoke to no man by the way, but proceeded to the sol- diers' lodge, and after smoking with the red pipe stem, whis- pered his message in the ear of the cyanpaha^ who made proc- lamation of the same. " When meat is plenty in the camp, there is no lack of it at the soldiers' lodge, although it is entirely dependent for its supplies on the free-will offerings of the women. But, then, every woman who brings a piece of meat has her name and the fact proclaimed throughout the camp. "When tli, ^ are out of wood at the tiyotipi, the crier stands out and makes known the fact, and every boy takes up an armful from his mother's v^ood-pile and hies away with it to the soldiers' lodge. " When animals are hunted in this way, all engaged have of right some claim on what is killed. The laws regulating the distribution in these cases are set forth in the following extracts from a letter written some time since by WaumdioJciya : — " In the buffalo-hunt, whoever kills one takes home the skin, half the breast, a hind-quarter, the ribs of one side, the tongue, the paunch and the fat thereof. These are his portion. He who comes up second takes half the breast, the ribs of one side, one hind-quarter, and the large entrails. These are his portion. The third who comes takes the head, the back-bone, the rump, both arms, and the small entrails. These are his portion. " When one kills a deer, he takes home the skin, the«i-ump, and both the hind-quarters. These are his portion. He wlio conies up next takes one side, one arm, the neck, head, and paunch. These are his portion. The third takes one arm, TlIK INDIAN TUTUKS. 905 ose place right of lie left is cook, are 16 lodge. 0118 were who has he stood man who n his re- 3 the sol- 3Tn, whis- ade proc- k of it at it for its hit, then, ame and Y are out 5s known mother's t '• I have of ating the ; extracts a : — the skin, B tongue, ion. He 3 of one le are his ick-bone, Q are his ie«i'ump. He wlio ead, and )ne arm, one side, the back-bone, the lights, and entrails. These are liis portion. " When one wlioots a bear, he takes the skin, tlie heart, and the entrails. These are his portion. 'J'he man who conies up next after him takt^s the rump and both the hind-legs. These are his portion. The next one that comes takes one arm, one side, and the fat of one kidney. These are his portion. Who- ever conies next takes one arm, and one kidney with the fat thereof. If there are many people, the remainder is divided into many portions." These are the laws of division in the chase among the Dako tas. So well understood are they, that we seldom hear of diffi culties occurring among the claimants. But the common-prop- erty system does not stop here. When a man has bronglit home his portion of meat, it immediately passes into the hands of his wife, or other principal female of the family. Sometimes it is all consecrated to making a feast. But if this is not the case, and all tlie families in the encampment are not so fortu- nate as to be supplied, the neighbor-women gather in, " be- seeching and besieging" for a portion. And so it often hap- pens that the skilful and industrious hunter and his family eat less of what he brings home than his more indolent neighbors. The skin, however, is his, to use or sell. But, on the whole, it must be acknowledged that the community system, so far as Ave have regarded it, solely in connection with hunting, although less productive of injurious results here than elsewhere, does still encourage idleness rather than industry. In the hunter's life it may be pleaded as a necessity, but this plea can not be made for it in other circumstances. A Dakota boy is taught to shoot birds and squirrels, and whatever living animal crosses his pathway. They are com- mon stock; they have no owners, and each one kills what he can. In this v/ay he grows up with very loose ideas of the rights of property. If his uncle or his brother has two horses, and does not yield to his wishes in giving him one, it is no more difficult to shoot or stab the horse than to kill any other animal. The feeling that a man has a right to whatever ho Bees, and can lay his hands on, grows, in too many instances, %mL ,' '1 200 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOlTRCES. in u; '\t I; ! I'''1 _k i ^'M ^ « ;»;. witli an Tiul'mn's giowtli. And tlnH feeling is one of the out- lines of the connnon-proiterty system. All Indians are oxcessively fond of their own amusementa, and I append a description of a " round dance," at Traverse des Sioux, during the treaty of 1851 : — " The counnission, and in fact our whole camp, was present, and perhaps one thousand Indians of the various bands. The theatre of this religious dance was a circular enclosure made up of the limbs of the aspen stuck in the ground, interwoven with four arched gateways, one toward each point of the com- pass, making an area about the size of a large circus. "A pole was planted in the middle of the area, with an im- age cut out of bark, designed to represent the ' thunder-bird,* suspended by a string from its top. At each of the four arched gateways stood another pole and image of the same descrip- tion, but smaller than the one in the centre. Near the foot of the central pole was a little arbor of aspen-bushes, in which sat an ugly-looking Indian, with his face blackened, and a wig of green grass on his head, who acted as sorcerer, and uttered incantations and prophecies with fervent unction, and beat the drum, and played on the Indian flute, and sang, by turns, to regulate the various evolutions of the dance. " Before this arbor, at the foot of the central pole, were va- rious mystical emblems : the image of a running buffalo, cut out of bark, with his legs stuck in the ground ; also a pipe and a red stone shaped something like a head, with some colored shavings, moss, or other material, on the cranium, to represent liair. This red stone is said to represent the spirit of evil, to be appeased. At a signal given by the sorcerer, the young tii mi sprang in through the gateways, and commenced a circular dance, in procession, around the sorcerer, who continued to sing and to beat his drum ; and occasionally changed the order of dancing, or afforded the dancers a respite by blowing upon his flute. The 'Anx-iug h the same sort of double-hop, or shaker-step, wh.^u v** .ve in their medicine and scalp dances. After fifteen or twenty minutes of violent exercise, the dancers ran out of the ring, returning after a short respite. " In the third set, a few horsemen, in very gay, fantastic ura Tueu THK INDIAN TRIBES. 20T costiune, nccovnpnnipd tlio proceHHion of dnnccrs witMn the nrea, by riding around outside of the encdoHure. In tiie fo»u-th and last set, a uuiltitudc of boys and glvlw joined tlie band of dan- cers in the area, and many more horsemen joined the caval- cade that rode swift and more swiftly aroiuul the area, some dressed in blue-embroidered blankets, others in white; and every horseman, as he skilfully and swiftly rode, a subject for the painter, the music quickening and the excited performers HyiDi, liko a whirlpool of fantastic men and horses — an exhi- bition so rare and strange, that in New York a " Welch" would ninko a fortune out of it in a month, as an equestrian show. Suddenly, at the end of the fonrth act, several rifles were dis- charged at the poles upon which the thunder-birds were sus- pended, cutting them all instantly down ; wheu the curtain fell, and all dispersed. So ended the round dance — the most imposing exhibition, probably, that is ever seen among the Sioux." It would be 'useless to try to convey to the reader unaccus- tomed to savage life, an intelligible idea of the infernal noises and uncouth gestures of these red devils, when engaged in any of their dances. For a scalp-dance, at nightfall, they light tlicir camp-fire, and with naked bodies painted, some jet black, others bright red, or buff, or striped in the most fantastic man- ner, form a circle round the fire, holding the scalp aloft, sus- pended in a hoop ; and when they commence to leap and bound, set up the most unearthly yelping, whooping, and howling, twisting their bodies into every conceivable contor- tion ! The squaws, too, becoming excited even to frenzy, howl vv orse than a pack of famished wolves, creating a pandemonium, as seen from a distance through the gloomy forest by the lurid glare of the camp-light, more shocking and spectre-like than the worst scene described by Dante in his " Inferno." Tlic Medawakanhcan bands of Sioux or Dakotas receive ainiuitios under the treaty of September, 1837, amounting to ten thousand dollars in money ; and besides this annuity money tliey receive every year ten thousand dollars in goods, five thousand five hundred expended in the nurehase of provisions for them ; and eight thousand two hundred and fifty " in the JUMWii'ir^aiWi 20S MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. \iU I :i1 .-,! H i purchase of medicines, agricultural implements, and stock, and for tlie support of a physician, farmers, and blacksmitlis, and for otlier beneficial objects ;" and all these sums to be expended annually for twenty years from the date of the treaty. A stip- ulation in the first article of this treaty provides that a "por- tion of the interest" on the wliole sum invested, "not exceed- ing one third," being five thf>usand dollars annually, is "to be ai)plied in such manner as the president may direct," has been the occasion of much evil. Thus far, no use has been made of the moncv, and it has accumulated from year to year until it amounts to more th-'.n fifty tlumsand dollars. The seven bands of the Medawakantwan Sioux — the only branch of the Dakota family with whom we have heretofore had formal treaty stipulations — are scattered over a broad tract of country, extending from the village of Shakopee, twenty-five miles up the .Minnesota river, to the village of Wab- ashaw, one hundred miles below its mouth, on the Mississippi. The Dakota or Sioux nation (Dakota is the 'name they pre- fer, and the original one, Sioux being given them by the French traders long since) is the most mmierous perhaps of any Indians on the continent — numbering, the different tribes and bands, between twenty and thirty thousand. They are divided into numerous bands, and have separate interests in the lands they claim, but are united in a common language, intercourse, mar- riage, &c., and unite for common defence. At what time they came into the possession of the country can not, I think, be correctly ascertained. I have conversed Avith some of the most Qged among thorn, say eighty years old, who were born in the vicinity of St. Paul, and have heard of no other place as the residence of their fathers. They have been and still are a warlike people, and their wars with the surrounding tribes have been numerous in former years, but now confined princi- pally to the Chippewas, which can be dated back from time immemorial. Taking their country as a whole, it is a good country, and a portion of it not exceeded for farming purposes in any part of the Mississippi valley. The land is said not to be so good as you approach near the Missouri — prairies are large, with scarcity of timber, and too much sand. THE TNDTAlSr TRTBEa 209 With regarfl to Tniticrals, I can not say mucl. The red pipestoiie is found in abundance on a stream that dischargeiS itself into tlie Missouri. Many have seen this beautiful rock, and some blocks of it atlorn our national monument. That part of the nation that inhabit the plains, and over toward the Missouri, live mostly by the chase, raising only a small quantity of corn. Buffalo and furs are becoming scarce, and they will be compelled before long to adopt some other method of subsistence, or become extinct. That part of the nation who live in the vicinity of the Mississippi and lower Minnesota rivers have Indian farmers and annuities, which enable them to subsist without depending entirely upon the game. With regard to civilization and Christianity, the Dakotas {ire behind many other tribes of our northwestern Indians, al- though they have had considerable advantages of missionaries nnd schools. It can not be said, I think, that they are inferior to other nations, or even the white race, in mental capacity. I have s<^on many children, and adults also, tliat, it appears to me, would be susceptible of the highest culture, and that Na- ture has been profuse in her gifts. There appears to be^a ■want of effort, or motive, to stimulate them to action. The time must come when they will be incorporated with us as a people, living under our laws, adopting our habits, or disappear before the overwhelming wave of the Anglo-Saxon race. The Ghippewas, or as some write, the " Ojibways" are gener- ally reported to be the most chivalric of their race, and are a nation of whose dialects, mythology, legends, and customs, we have the fullest accounts. The sub-agency of this tribe was removed in July, 1850, from Lapointe, in Wisconsin, to Sandy Lake, in Minnesota territory. The Chippewa or Ojibway nation of Indians, constitute about eight thousand, of which near four thousand five hun- dred reside in this territory ; the balance in Wisconsin and Michie:an. They occupy both shores of Lake Superior; and the Ojib- ways, who live beyond the Assiniboins to the far northwest, -'mmkM,- 1 I ^ 210 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOUROEg. Mil and tlic Knistcncaux, or Kroes, who dwell beyond tliem again, are all branches of the same great people. A recent writer correctly describes them : " The Chippewas are small in person" — (This remark in regard to their size does not apply exactly to the voods Chippewas, west of the Missis- sippi) — " and of a quiet and meek aspect ; they have an indomi- table spirit, and a prowess that shrinks from no encounter; they are the Poles of the Nortl , whose wont is to stand, with- out regard to odds, and fall every man on his track, rather than fly." Migrating from the east late in the sixteenth or early in the seventeenth century, they first settled at the falls of St. Mary, from Avhich point they gradually pressed westward; and eventually compelled the Dakota nation to abandon its ancient seat around the head waters of Mississippi, whose rice lakes and hunting-grounds the Chippewas at this day possess, and beyond to the Red river of the north. In consideration of the cession by the two treaties of 1837 and 1842, the United States stipulated to pay them for twenty and twenty-five years, twenty-two thousand dollars in money ; twenty -nine thousand five hundred dollars in goods; five thousand dollars in blacksmithing ; one thousand two hundred dollars for carpenters ; six thousand dollars for farmers, and an agricultural fund ; four thousand five hundred dollars for provisions and tobacco ; two thousand dollars for schools ; and agreed to pay forty-five thousand dollars to the ChippeAva half-breeds, and one hundred and forty-five thousand dollars in liquidation of their just debts. For those made by the treaty of 1847, they were paid down forty-five thousand dol- lars ; and the Mississippi portion of them were allowed one thousand dollars annually, for forty-six years, to be paid in money, or to be applied toward the support of schools, or the employment of blacksmiths and laborers; and the Pillager band certain stipulated articles of goods, of the value of about three thousand six hundred dollars for five years. The entire Chippewa tribe are divided into fifteen families, upon the totemic principle, to each of which are four sub- divisions. Each family has a crest or symbol of some bird, liem again, Chippewas ir size does the Missis- an indomi- encounter ; tand, with- ack, rather arly in the P St. Mary, rard ; and its ancient rice lakes ossess, and ies of 1837 for twenty in money ; oods ; five v^o hundred rmers, and dollars for hools ; and Chippewa md dollars ide by the )usand dol- llovved one be paid in ools, or the le Pillager le of about 3n families, 3 four sub- some bird, THE INDIAN TKIBES. 211 fisl lal, called, th( 1 en elf th( totem ; to llic origin of each of wliich some legend attaches. The system is ancient, and dates as far back as their most unnatural and absurd traditions extend. Though divided by thousands of niiles, and unconnected for generations, members of the same totem can not intermarry or cohabit with ore another. The totem descends in the male line. A work upon the Chippewas was prepared by the late W. W. Warren, himself a quarter-breed of this nation, and is now being published. Upon the Chippewas, I have thus necessarily been brief, and refer tlie curious to Mr. Warren's bool for further information. The Chippewa country lies between the head of Lake Superior and the Red river of the north — from latitude forty-six to forty-nine degrees. The Winnebago Agency is located about forty miles back from the Mississippi river, on Long Prair'3 river, about one hundred and forty miles north from St. Paul. Long Prairie is about sixteen miles long, and on an aver? ge one and a half miles wide, stretching from the northeast to ihe southeast ; and from the high and central location of the agency buildings lying arovmd it, presents a highly picturesque and agreeable view. This tribe numbers about two thousand five hundred souls. The first recorded treaty by the United States with tills tribe was made in 1816. They were again included in a treaty made at Prairie du Chien in 1825, and at the same place, in the year 1829, another treaty was made with them, by which they received thirty thousand dollars in goods, and eij:hteen thousand dollars annuity for thirty years, and three thousand pounds of tobacco, and fifty barrels of salt annually for the same period. And again they treated in 1832, with an annuity of ten thousand dollar^ for twenty-seven years, with a stipulation to establish a boarding-school for them at Prairie du Chien, for the same period, at an annual cost of three thou- sand dollars, and three thousand seven hundred dollars more annually, for farmers, blacksmiths, physicians, &c. They also made a treaty at Washington in the year 1837, by which they sold ail their lands east of the Mississippi. Under this latter treaty the government paid two hundred thousand dollars in I'm Ii ■J p 1; 1 -J ! i, 'IP 213 MINNESOTA ANT) ITS IlESOUUCES. liquidntimi of tlieir doLtn; one, liundvfMl thouRnnd dollars to tl)(>ir vclatlmis of luiNod Mood; cxixMidod aevrn tliousnud dol- IniH lor tlioiv v«Mnoval woHt ; {jjavo tlicm fifty tlioiisand dollars in liorsoH and goods, and i)aid for provisionH, erecting a grist- mill, Itroaking and fencing ground, and incidental expenses, the Sinn of forty-three thousand dollars. It Avas also agreed to pay to tlunn annually, for twenty-two years, ten thousand dollars in provisions, twenty thousand dollars in goods, twenty thousand dollars in money, and fivo thousand dollars to bo devoted to education, agriculture, &c. They made a treaty at Washington city in 1846, by which they agreed to remove to the Upp-r Mississippi, and which they did in the year 1848. In this last treaty they disposed of all their interest or claim in any lands whatever, on condition that the United States should give to them " a tract of country north of the Minne- sota, and west of the :Mississippi river, of not less than eight Inuulred thousand acres, and pay them one hundred and ninety thousand dollars for the following purposes, to wit :— To liqui- date their debts, for their removal and subsistence, for breaking up and fencing lands at their new home ; and including ten thousand d(dlars of it for manual labor schools, and five thou- sand dollars for grist and saw mills. The balance, being eighty-five thousand dollars, is to remain in trust with tlio United States, at five per cent., for thirty years ; and the in- terest thereon is to be paid to the tribe yearly. The AVinnebago schools are now under the direction of cp^holic missionaries. It is a lamentabldfact that the educated of this tribe are the most worthless, which clearly shows that they should first be taught to labor and acquire property ; after which, they will see not only the use but the necessity of becoming educated. It is to be hoped that they may yet become a civilized people. They raised last year on Long Prairie, the following quantities of produce : — QQYJ^ 300 acres 12,000 bushels. Potato'es." !"..*■. ".*..**..' 50 " 10,000 " meat 10 " 800 Turnips 60 " 10.000 Oats. 40 ;; 4,000 " Gurden vegetnbles 10 " THE INDIAN TKIBES. 213 On tlio MisHiHsippi : — Corn 100 ncrcs '2,000 bushels. rofal.opB 10 " 1,000 " Tuniiim 80 " 8,000 " Tlio crops at tliis fifjjpiicy avo unusually good, and tlie In- dians can not want i'or food, '^^riioy liavo assisted in ploupjliing, planting, and liarvo.si .iig. 'JMioso that liavo liorsos i)ut up liay t'liongli to kcoj) tlioni tlirougli the winter. I find that they arc not only disposed but anxious to work ; and many of them Avill do as uiucli work in a day as a laboring man among the whites. This year notlnng of any consequence will be raised. The Indians have all left Long Trairie, through fear of the Chip- powas — two of whom they lately murdered — and everything at the agency is going to destruction. In August of the present year, a council was held between tlie Winnebagoes and Governor Gorman, by which the Winnc- ])agoes exchanged their old lands at Long Prairie for a tract on Crow river, witli the reservation of the right of way for the Pacilic railroad, and to which tract they wish to remove forth- with. Much confliction of opinion exists among the people of Mi. nesota, relaiive to the exchange, and many of the v/hite settlers are loud in expressing their dissatisfaction. However, it may turn out best for all parties, though it is doubtful whether the general government will ratify the exchange. The title of this Crow River tract was extinguished by the Sioux treaty of 1851, and this grant to the Winnebagoes com- pletely vests these lands in another Indian title, to the exclu- isiun of the original owners, the I akotas. The treaty of 1851 was made at a large expense to the United States, at the urgent solicitations of w^hite settlers, who were eager for the possession of good farming lands; but under the present Winnebago exchange, they are forbidden the Crow River country, said to l;e among the best for farming purposes. This matter is much mooted in St. Paul, and without expressing an opinion, I present the facts alone. I'i li mtM MlNNlCt^OTA AND ITS KKBOUKOliIti. CIIAT'TER XIII. TIIR SIOUX TREATY OF IHM COUNTIKH, COlIIiTH, llOADS, KTC TuK rollowiiig is tlio treaty of l^-avcrso dcs Sioux, botwoeu the lluitea States and the Src-.scc-toan and lVah-j>ai/-toa7i band of Sioux or Dakota Indians : — '• Articles of a treaty, made and concluded at l^-avcrse dca Si«>u:M upon the Minnesota river, in the territory of l^Iinnesota, on the twenty-third day of July, ei}j?hteen hundred and iifty- one, between the United States of America, by Luke Lea, com- missioner of Indian affairs, and Alexander Ramsey, governor and c\r-o//irio superintendent of Indian afl'airs in said territory, commissioNvn, duly appointed for that purpose, and the Seo- see-toan and Wah-pay-toan bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians. " AuTici-K L It is stipulated and solemnly agreed that the peace and friendship now so happily existing between the Uni- ted States and the aforesaid bauds of Indians shall bo per- petual. "Art. 2. The said See-scc-toan and Wah-pay-toan bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians agree to cede, and do hereby cede, sell, and relinquish, to the United States, all their lands in the state of Iowa ; and also all their lands in the territory of Min- nesota, lying oast of the following lines, to wit : Beginning at the junction of the Buffalo river with the lied river of the North ; thence along the western bank of said Red river of the North to the mouth of the Sioux-AVood river ; thence along the western bank of said Sioux-Wood river to Lake Traverse ; thence along the western shore of said lake to the southern ex- tremity there )f: tl lenee in a direct line to th pes ka lake with the Tchau-kas-au-data or S ction of Kam- ioux river; thence TUB SIOUX TliKATY OF 1851. 215 •ADS, KTC. nloiig tlio woHtoru bnnk of hh'kI river to Uh point of intcrHection with the iiortlu'in lino of tlio Htate of Iowa, including all the i.sIfindH in Haid rivers and lakes. "Art. .'j. In part consideration of the foregoing cession the United Htntes do hereby set apart for the future occupancy and lionu! of tlie Dakota Indians, parties to this treaty, to he held liy theni as Indian lands are held, all tliat tract of country on citiier side of tlie Minnesota river, from the western boundary (lithe lands herein ceded, east of theTcliay-tam-bay river on the north and to the Yellow Medicine river on tlio south side— to extend on each side a distance of not less than ton miles from the general course of said river : tho boundaries of said tract to bo marked out by as straight lines as practicable, whenever (h'cmed expedient by tho president, and in such a manner as ]ic shall direct. "AiiT. 4. In further and full consideration of said cession, the United States agree to pay to said Indians the sum of one million, six hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars (.Sl,G6r>,000) at the several times, in tho manner, and for the purposes, fol- lowing, to wit : — "1. To tho chiefs of the said bands, to enable them to settle their affairs, and comply with their present just engagements; .uul in consideration of their removing themselves to the coun- try set apart for them as above, which they agree to do witiiin two years, or sooner if recjuested by the president, without fur- ther cost or expense to tho United States ; and in considera- tion of their subsisting themselves tho first year after their re- moval, which they agree to do without further cost or expense on tlic ])art of the United States, the sum of two hundred and seven- ty -live thousand dollars (1275,000). Provided, That said sum shall be paid to tho chiefs in such manner as they hereafter in open council shall request, and as soon after the removal of said Indians to the home set apart for them as the necessary appro- priation therefor shall be made by Congress. " 2. To be laid out under the direction of the president for the establishment of manual-labor schools, the erection of mills, Llacksmith-shops, opening farms, fencing and breaking land,' and for such other beneficial objects as may be deemed most I ffll ■im»k^ (I' |r. i '' i i 11 !l ...,.s»%2Q:.~^'!s^iJ%^.z:^x:'.un ■t :i P fi:" 210 MINNKSOTA AND ITS HKSOUHCKS. 1 i.r,r,./iiiPRt of said Indians, conducive to the prospenty and happintss thirty thonsan'd dollars ($30,000). .. The balance of said 8um of one nnllion, six hundrea ana ine u.uHi"-^ / sa. — « ^^H:' 1 T^.:z^r :r;^s^^^ ^^^^^ ^^- ^^ ^-y-^ f dred and titt>-t\NO^ioo^;. tho said payments to he '"'f;' V;:: : go,.e,.,a .gHcuu„vM, ^r-;-™*' ^^^o;;""^"^- ti„„ toa. tbe .u. of twelve ^''-^-^^^^f ; ^ * ttl do.- «' 4. For educational purposes, the sum or six '"" rZ'L purchase of goods and in-ovWons, the sum of .e. thousand dollars («0,000) ^^^_^^^ ^^„^^^ "6. For money annuity, the sum oi loii-j i.1 -^ Tiifliant; narties to tnis iierix), :: : re'dtl!::;: man„er astl. president or congress of :Ue United States fron, t..>e to t.me sl.a U„ - ^^^^ ^_^^^ ^^, .. I„ testimony wl.creof, '''^^ ;;'';;;; ^j ,,,ieft and LeaJ- and Alexander Kamsey and *f ""'^"'f^?,,, „„,..toan bands of I'''ko'»/'-^^""'.f"ir. duplicate, at Traverse dcs =t:: ritot"""-!'--"'"'"'"" "^ " "'■ one thousand eight hundred and toy-one. ^^_^^^ ^ "Sig"-"l^y ..ALEX.BAMSEV, [sBAL.r TUB SIOUX TEKATY OF 1851. 217 Also by the principal chiefs and headmen of the See-see- toan and Wah-pay-toan bands. •' Signed in tlie presence of Thomas Foster, secretary ; Na- thaniel M'Lean, Indian agent." The treaty witli the lower bands of Sioux was signed at Mendota. Little Crow, who writes his own name, led off. These Indians receive for their lands an amount somewhat less than was paid for the lands of the upper bands. They will receive, after removal, two hundred and twenty thousand dollars to settle their obligations, remove and subsist them ; and after that, cash annuities of thirty thousand dollars per annum, or three fourths as much as was stipulated in the treaty with the upper bands ; and the same ratio, three fourths, as much of annuities that are not cash annuities, for fifty years. There will have been paid out in all, at the expiration of the fifty years, a little less than three millions of dollars for the entire purchase. The Indians were paid in cash thirty thousand dollars, being part of the funds unpaid to them, and remaining due, as arrearages, by the terms of their treaty of 1837. All the annuities guarantied in both treaties that have been made will be added together and paid out per capita to all of them together. These are the figures (nearly) : — The lower bands receive in all $1,044,010 Of which there is to be paid down at their remo- val (within one year aftei the ratification) 220,000 The remaining $824,010 will be put at 5 per cent int<^v.'st for fifty years — the principal then to re- ver, to the United States ; this interest will yield to them annuities as follows, for fifty years: Cash 80,000 Civilization fund 12,000 Goods and clothing 10,000 Schools 6,000 Whole payment to lower bands $1,044,010 «« " upper bands ." 1,665.000 Total purchase-money $2,709,010 To the people of Minnesota the most interesting political event that has occurred since the organization of the territory 10 r 10 ••^afcfe*;^,:' HK W r l|^^ : "• 1 'JHl' ' B^^^H i: i ya|!| 1 f! 5 'I -1. 1:1 'i ■•' iiliii [Mill i i li Pi .,! 218 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. by th Si reaties of Traverse des oioux and Meiulota, of tlie Bioux title to immense tracts of land upon the western side of the Mississippi. These treaties bridge over the wide chasm which coiikl alone obstruct the advance of Minnesota to the lofty destiny evidently reserved for her. By the two former treaties, the Dakota Indians relinquish to the government their right of usnfruct to all Mie country pre- viously claimed by them east of the Sioux-Wood and Big- Sioux rivers, extending over four degrees of latitude and five of longitude, and covering a superficial extent of forty-five thousand square miles. This vast district Nature has marked out for exalted destinies. Prior to the ratification of the Sioux treaties of 1851 there were but ten counties in the territory, viz. : Ramsey, Wash- ington, Benton, Chisago, WabashaAv, Itasca, Hennepin, Dako- ta, Pembina, and Cass. Of this number, but five, viz., Ilam- sey, Washington, Benton, Chisago, and Pembina, were organ- ized for judicial purposes. And in Pembina no court has yet been held. The judge assigned that district by the legisla- ture of 1852 refused attendance. Of the above counties, five are situated on the west side of the Mississippi, in what was then Sioux country, and were attached to Ramsey, Washing- ton, and Benton counties, for judicial purposes. The most important local measure of the session of 1853 is the organization of counties west of the Mississippi. There are now eleven counties organized in the territory recently purchased from the Sioux Indians. Their names are — Piercfe, Scott, Fillmore, Nicollet, Goodhue, Wabashaw, Le Sueur, Blue- Earth, Sibley, Dakota, and Hennepin. Pembina and Cass counties are also on the west side. ^ Since the consummation of the magnificent Sioux treaties, a new era has not only dawned, but come forth in full, refulgent light upon our territory. Eleven counties have been called into existence west of the Mississippi, where but a very few years ago there was not a regularly-established settlement, and where the savage was sole " monarch of all he surveyed." When I consider that all those counties, now but sparsely settled, will, in a very few years, be filled with a population COUNTIES, ETC. 219 from the states east and south of us, ancl that without the or- ganization of these counties no means would have heen afforded for the establishment of common schools, the location and im- provement of the highways, the establishment of ferries, or the enjoyment of judicial privileges, I am led to believe that the act organizing counties was one of the most important of the session. It is a well-known fact that an American, with a small family of children, will forego many pecuniary advantages, rather than locate where he can not have access to a schocx; and I firmly believe that the character as well as the numeri- cal strength of the population west of the Mississippi within the next year, will be very much affected by the passage of the law. Immigrants may now locate in any portion of the territory with a knowledge that any settlement containing^i-e families may be set off as a separate school district, and be entitled to rcfceive from the county treasury a pro rata of all the school- tax collected in the county. County commissioners and other couvity officers are to be appointed by the executive immedi- ately, that all the machinery of county governments may be put in operation during the summer, preparatory to the elec- tion oi" county officers next fall. The following table shows the amount of taxable property in the old counties for 1851-'52 : — Counties. Ramsey Bf'iiton Washington Chisago Hennepin Totals Taxable Prop. 1851. $782,113 64,775 335,172 new CO. new CO. $1,182,060 Taxable Prop. 1852. $1,060,820 103,170 843,760 46,890 43,525 $1,598,165 Terr'l. Tax, 1851. ^782 11 64 78 335 17 $1,182 06 Terr'l Tax, 1852. $1,060 82 103 17 343 76 46 89 48 53 $1,598 17 It is estimated that the amount of warrants issued in 1852 will not exceed in sum $885, leaving in the treasury a assets. 220 M f#i ;i n (- MINNESOTA AND ITfl RE80UROE8. Tin: COURTS. On tlin lOtli of ^ravc'li, 1849, Proflident Taylor appointed tlic r<)llowinj;-njune(l persons jnilgos of tlio supreme court of the United Htutes for tliis territory, to wit:— Aaron Goodrich, of Tennessee, cliief-justicc ; David ('ooper, of Pennsylvanin, » . . . ,, ,, ,, \r 1 i- 1- i 1 > Associate lusticeB. lirndh'y iJ. JMeeker, or Kentucky, ) •' On Sunday, 27th May, 1819, Governor Alexander Ilanisey reached St. Paul, and on the 1st day of June, he proclaimed the organization of this territory, recognised its officers, and re([uired obedience to its laws. On the nth June, 1849, the governor issued his second proclamation, dividing the territory into three judical districts, as lollows : — The county of St. Croix constituted the fust district, the seat of justice at Stillwater ; the first court to be held on the second Monday in August, 1849. The seat of justice for tko second district was at the Falls of St. Anthony ; the first court to be held on the third Monday in August. The scat of justice for the third district was at Mendota ; the first court to be held on the fourth Monday in August. The chief-justice was assigned to hold the courts in the first district, which duty he performed in accordance with the gov- ernor's proclamation. This was the first court held in this territory ; it remained in session six days. Judge Meeker was assigned to hold the courts in the second district, which duty he performed ; there was no cause pending in this court. Judge Cooper was assigned to hold the courts in the third district, which duty -was performed by him. No cause pend- ing in this court. There was at this period fifteen lawyers in the ten-itory. Up to this time we have had three trials for murder. The accused was in one case acquitted by the jury, and in another found guilty of manslaughter, and imprisoned in Fort Snelling for a period of one year. A Sioux Indian was tried in the November term, 1852, be- fore the chief-justice of the territory, for shooting and killing TMIi: ('(•l.'R'I'S. 221 a wlnte woman, niul iiotwiflistHiiding nMo tilTorts made to clcjir liim by liis Icgnl ndviHors (J. J. Nonli, and D. A. Sec- comhe, Esqs.), lie wnH convicted and Hcntcncod to be executed. His counnellors, however, filed a bill of exceptionH, upon which the final issue now hangs. Meanwhile the Indian has been confined in jail. The first term of the supremo court for this territory was held at the American house, in the town of St. Paul, on Mon- day, the 14th January, 1850, Judges Goodrich and Cooper being present. There are at this time two courthouses in the territ(uy — one at St. Paul, the other at Stillwater. Two terms of the supreme court are held at the capital each year, commencing on the last Monday of February, and the first Monday of September. Such other special terms are held as the judges may deem necessary, and shall from time to time order. In accordance with a law passed at the last session of the legislative assembly, the terms of the district court of the ter- ritory are held at the times and places following : — In the county of Ramsey, on the third Monday of April, and the third Monday of October ; in the county of Washing- ton, on the first Monday of April, and on the first Monday of October; in the county of Chisago, on the first Monday of June ; in the county of Benton, on the second Monday of June, and second Monday of December; in the county of Hennepin, on the first Monday of April, and the first Monday of September ; in the county of Dakota, on the second Mon- day of September ; in the county of Scott, on the third Mon- day of September ; in the county of Le Sueur, on the fourth Monday of September ; in the county of Blue-Earth, on the first Monday of October; in the county of Nicollet, on the second Monday of October ; in the county of Wabashaw, on the second Monday in June ; in the county of Fillmore, on the fourth Monday of June. The counties of Ramsey, Washington and Chisago, consti- tute the first judicial district, and the Hon. Wm. H. Welch is district judge thereof. The counties west of the Mississippi river, except tlie coun- 222 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUECKS. I m ties of Pembina and Cass, constitnte the second judicial district, and the Hon. A. G. Ohatfield is district judge thereof. And the counties of Benton, Cass, and Pembina, constitute the third judicial district, and the Hon. Moses Sherburne is district judge thereof. Either of the district judges are authorized and empowered to hold any of the district courts assigned to .any of the other district judges, or any of the special terms appointed to be held, not within his own district, or any of the chamber duties within each district, at the request of the district judge to Avhom such district is assigned. For judicial and other purposes, to enforce civil rights and criminal justice, the county of Itasca is attached to and made a part of Chisago ; the counties of Cass and Pembina are at- tached to Benton ; the county of Sibley is attached to Henne- pin ; the county of Pierce is attached to Nicollet ; the county of Rice is attached to Dakota ; and the county of Goodhue is attached to the county of Wabashaw. t •! iwm '1 GOVERNMENT ROADS. The policy which has been pursued in the application of the several appropriations made for the construction of roads in Minnesota, by act of Congress, of July 18, 1850, has been — firstly, to make the surveys, and prepare maps and estimates, for the use of the department at Washington having control of the appropriation; secondly, to apply the unexpended balances to the construction, as far as possible, of the roads. The surveys of the several roads have been completed, Avith the .exception of the contemplated one from Mendota to the mouth of the Big Sioux river. An appropriation of ten thousand dollars has been made for the purpose, and the road is now being surveyed, from the mouth of the Big Sioux, on the upper Missouri, to a point at the mouth of the Minnesota river, opposite Fort Snelling. They are ordered to report upon its adaptability for railway purposes, it being contemplated to make this the northerly branch of the Pacific railw ay. GOVEENMENT ROADS. 223 This country is unexplored, the surveys of government lands being four hundred miles east of the Sioux river. It will pass through the country lately acquired from the Sioux Indians, who still roam the " Traverse des Sioux" unmolested, but this progressive age will not permit those fertile tracts to remain in imdisputed possession of either Indians or buffalo. The party consists of Captain Reno, of the United States army, chief; Captain Tilton, late chief-engineer of railroads in Indiana, chief-engineer; Mr. Cross, formerly of the army, assistant- engineer ; and twenty men, principally of the fur companies of St. Louis, to be furnished with Colt's pistols and the patent rifle. Captain Tilton, chief-engineer, is intrusted with the duty of making a report upon the practicability of this country for railway purposes. The result of the labors of tne party will be placed before the department, in accordance with a reso- lution of Congress last winter, making an appropriation of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, for surveys and explora- tions connected with the Pacific railroad and its branches. Tho road from Wabashaw to Mendota has been surveyed, and a portion of the road, with a number of bridges along Lake Pepin, are now under contract, and are to be completed as soon as practicable. The road from Point Douglas to Fort Ripley has been ren- dered available at all seasons of the year ; and bridges, with suitable approaches, have been built over Coon creek. Elk river, and Rock creek. This road is a military and com- mercial thoroughfare, by which the Chippewa and Winnebago Indians, the troops at Fort Ripley, and the traders at Pembina and Selkirk receive their supplies. Thirty miles of this road are also under contract. The road from the Mississippi rivor to Long Prairie, here- tofore almost impassable in seasons of high water, has been much improved ; and bridges have been built at the two crossings of Swan river. Nine miles of this road are now completed. Twenty-four miles of the Point Douglas and St. Louis river road have been constructed, opening, from Stillwater north- ward for that distance, a good highway. The extension of l^* ■ ^^^^^^1 H fl P^=5>,«im: 1 H 1' .fU ' I 224 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. I'll this road is required to bring into market the extensive and richly-wooded, but inaccessible region, lying north of th« Marine mills, and open to settlement and the enterprise of our lumbermen, tracts of valuable land, now lying waste for want of means of communication with them. Nineteen miles of this road are under contract, and will be finished this season. This will complete it from Stillwater to the vicinity of Sunrise river. Forty thousand dollars have been appropriated on this road alone. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 225 If' '9 CHAPTER XIV. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. EvERif good thing has its alloy. The perpetual summer of the tropics produces inactivity in man, as well as a super- abundance of spontaneous fruits to supply his wants. The herdsman upon the pampas of South America, with his innu- merable cattle that are reared without the expense of feeding or shelter, with all his apparent resources of wealth, is poor — hut little better than a savage. The farmer upon the American bottoms, who turns over his hundred acres of black furrows in one field, which presently becomes as it were a young forest of green maize, waving and rustling in the sultry breezes of August, as he sits in the open space between his two log cabins, at noonday, feeble and enervated, and his little pale children, shaking with ague, gather around him, and he listens to the shrill cry of the locust — and sees far off upon the Mississippi river, the. steamboat — even the steamboat — hot, panting, exhausted, smiting the sluggish waters with feeble strokes; his very heart sinks within him — and he sighs for the cool, bracing mountain air, or the stimulating sea-breeze and the sparkling spring water ; and would exchange all his corn-fields and his acres for a garden among the sterile rocks of the north, with its rigors, its snow-banks, and its little painted schoolhouses. So Californii has its alloy ! ah, much more alloy than gold. It may be considered an axiom, that the richest lands are not found in the most healthful climates. Nature delights in making an equitable average in the distri- bution of her favors ; althougii ncr eciuivaieuts at may not all seom quite fair. 10* -i x1 3L LUUl *- i i n ill 220 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. Wlmt shall it profit Jiman to clioose lands, watered by creeks fi;ll of fever and ague, and horn-pouts and lily -pads, producing cue hundred bushels of corn, to the acre, and worth twenty cents per bushel, rather than lands watered by trout brooks and mossy springs, producing only fifty bushels of corn per acre, worth seventy-five cents per bushel ? Settlers, what do you want? Will it satisfy you to get land, as good as there is in New York or New England, where the climate is even better, and the market all you please to ask 1 Such lands you can find. We have warm, sandy loams, rich argillaceous soils, clay lands, precisely like the barrens of Michigan, all — all productive lands, far better than they look — and, in fact, such as will soon make an industrious farmer rich. Or will you be satisfied with nothing but the flat, unctuous prairies of Illiitois, extending in unbroken plains, and watered by stagnant creeks ,' If so, in God's name go there and settle, and when the great blazing sun sets, and leaves you there upon the chill naked prairie, your children sick and uneducated, and without one hope or aspiration rising above the dead level that surrounds you there, re lember — remember that these things have been told you. This immense region is bountifully watered by the Missis- sippi, Minnesota, and Missouri rivers, and the Red river of the north, and their numerous tributary streams, which traverse it in every part. At a point about seventy or eighty* miles above the falls of St. Anthony, west of the Mississippi, commences a large and remarkable forest, which extends to the southward, nearly at a right angle, across the Minnesota river, to the branches of the Mankato or Blue-Earth river. This vast body of woodland is more than one hundred and twenty miles in length, and from fifteen to forty in breadth. Many beautiful lakes of limpid water are found within its limits, which are the resort of myriads of wild fowl, including swans, geese, and ducks. These dense thickets along its border afford places of concealment for the deer, which are killed in great numbers by the Indians. The numerous groves of hard maple aiiOrd to the latter, at the proper si ason, the means of making Bugar, while the large cotton-woods and butternuts are con- MISCICLLANEOUS MATTERS. 22T by creeks producing h twenty- it brooks corn per 3u to get id, where please to 3y loams, B barrens ill an they idustrious t the flat, in plains, name go sets, and children ispiration •e lember le Missis- *^er of the [•averse it les above mences a (uthward, ;r, to the rhis vast nty miles beautiful vliich are IS, geese, sr afford in great rd maple r making are con- verted by them into canoes, for the transportation of them- selves and their families along the water-courses and lakes. At the approach of winter, the bands of Dakotas or Sioux, save those who rely exclusively upon buffalo for subsistence, seek the deepest recesses of the forest to hunt the bear, the deer, and smaller fur-bearing animals, among which may be enumerated the raccoon, the fisher, and the marten. In this beautiful country are to be found all the requisites to sustain a dense population. The soil is of great fertility and unknown depth, covered as it is with the mould of a thousand years. The Indian is here in his forest home, hitherto secure from the intrusion of the pale faces ; but the advancing tide of civilization warns him, that the time has arrived when he must yield up the title to this fair domain, and seek another and a strange dwelling-place. Minnesota now occupies no unenviable position. The gov- ernment granted us, secures us all in the full possession of privileges almost if not fully equal to those enjoyed by the people of the states. With a legislative council elected from among our own citizens, our own judicial tribunals, with ample provision for defraying the expenses of the territorial govern- ment, and with the right of representation in the halls of Congress, surely we oan have no cause of complaint so far as our political situation is concerned. It is for ourselves, by a wise, careful, and practical legislation, and by the improving the advantages we possess, to keep inviolate the public faith, and to hasten the time when the star of Minnesota, which now but twinkles in the political firmament, shall shine bril- liantly in the constellation of our confederated states. As a territory, but yesterday without a name, or political existence, our growth has been of the most satisfactory charac- ter. Health has prevailed within our borders. Our new soil has not failed to respond gratefully to the labors of the hus- bandman ; and already in places, our prairies, scarcely aban- doned by the disappearing buffalo, are assuming a robe of cultivated verdure. The enterprise of our hardy lumbermen has met with a liberal retuiii; and there has been a rapid, augmentation of this important element of wealth, and rich ll< . 228 IS XriNNliSOTA AXI) ITS KESOUK0E8. source of revenue, so invaluable to ourselves, as well as to tlio country on the great river to tlio south of us. In the eyes of the world, Minnesota is a peculiar country It is to their view elevated morally as well as j>liysically above the horizon of other new countries, as it were in an illusion of 7niragc. The world regards it not as the Eldorado of gold, but of a happy home for cultivated man. Emigration to the West has heretofoi. i nauseously associated with the idea of low latitudes, t.i« miasms of flat lands, and consequent disease and heart-sickening disappoint- ments. It has, too, been associated with back-woods institu- tions — lynch law, the bowie-knife, uncertain means of educa- tion, and a gospel ministry on horseback. Minnesota presents another picture, and is truly a phenomenon in the eyes of the migrating world. It occupies a high latitude, has a quickly- drained surface, and is the inviting home of intelligence, enter- prise, good laws, schools, and churches. In a moral view especially, the world anticipates much for Minnesota. For a people, like trees, are exponents of the soil on which they subsist and the atmosphere they breathe. The observation of the world has made this an axiom — like coun- try, like people. Considering then our location upon the earth, is it not evident that our territory is not only a peculiar land, but that it is to be the home of a peculi people 1 We who are here, migrated with that idea before us, and we are still guided by it. That portion of the emigrating class who entertain the same idea, will of course come here too. California is a phenomenon too, but she addresses her claims to another and a different class of people from those who appreciate Minnesota; besides, she is not materially unlike the other Spanish provinces which have in earlier times been famed for gold alone. Kut our territory addresses itself to a wiser and a better class than the mere seekers of gold. It .addresses itself to that class who value a good home for a man, a^ land of moderate affluence, law and order, intelligence and virtue. If its destiny is to be the best home for that large class of people toward thp, visiTio' cnn wi,^ on«i, ^ i „ does it not behoove us to see that this destiny is well carried MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 229 out. Tlie pilgriins at Plymouth did tlicir duty to tlicir posterity, and that peoi)lo liavo been prospered. William Pcnu and his followers did their duty, and tlieiv posterity have been prospered. The present population of Minnesota are responsible for her future prosperity. It is for us to lay the foundations of good institutions or of those planted in error which in time will fall. Let generous and good men be sustained in their philan- tliropic purposes, but let individuals who seek personal aggran- dizement at the expense of law and order be rebuked. Minnesota is destined to assume a high rank among the states the Union. The high-toned character of the population, Bo different from that usually found upon the frontier — their ol)edience to law — the zeal manifested in the cause of educa- tion, the disposition universally shown to make every sacrifice to place the prosperity of the territory upon a sure basis — the aversion felt to all schemes which may in any wise entail embarrassment or debt upon the future state, and the general anxiety to maintain the character of the territory unblemished, afford a sure guaranty of the moral principles by which the people will always be guided, and upon which their govern- ment will be conducted. The munificent grants of land made by Congress for the university and for the maintenance of CDmnion schools, will be husbanded with great care, so that the benefits of education may be extended to every one who is desirous to avail himself of such privileges. The population of the territory has more than quadrupled since the census of 1850, and it is morally certain that there will be an addition to it of thirty thousand souls in the lapse of another year. The immigration to Minnesota is composed of men who cyme with the well-founded assurance that, in a land where Nature lias lavished her choicest gifts — where sickness has no dwel- ling-place — where the dreaded cholera has claimed no victims — their toil will be amply rewarded, while their persons and property are fully protected by the broad shield of law. The sun shines not upon a fairer region — one more desirable as a home for the mechanic, the farmer and the laborer, •''•' "liere thcU" industry will be mofc surely rcquitcu.— ~tlian Minnesota territory. 1 ( I r .1 ,1 i 230 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. • We shall raise cattle for those states where they can not do it so well. Our b^ef and horses will he as innch more val- uable than the same products of tlie states below us, as are the agricultural products of New England su])crior in quality to those of the general west. Our meats will have a higher flavor, and our horses more activity. We shall grow wool to great advantage, all the way to Pembina, five thousand miles north. Wo shall grow flax, and prepare it for the eastern market at our numerous places for water power. We shall ex- port potatoes, a source of income which of itself would sustain us, as it now nearly sustains Nova Scotia. But I believe that our chiefest reliance as an article of export, will be our manu- factured lumber. We have facilities for this branch of busi- ness that can scarcely be found elsewhere. All the states on the Mississippi, two thousand miles to its mouth, and the West Indies and Mexico, would be our natural markets for this pro- duction. No section of the world could compete with us. The pine may here be converted, and principally by machin- ery, into a thousand forms — from a meetinghouse to a noggin. St. Anthony will delight to fill orders. In the order of things it can not be but the mines on our lake shore will be the foundation for wealthy towns, the lake itself the field of the most important fisheries, and as a conse- quence, there will be avenues of trade opened between the head of southern and northern navigation. The capital of distant cities emulous for this trade will be invested in these works. Labor will flow in at the call of capital, and popula- tion will increase in ratio with the profits of such investments. There are a hundred topics of intellectual speculation like these, that I might take up, but our chickens are so many that I will not attempt to count them, but ask the world to come and see them hatch. We have the attractive country, and with these sources of population at our command, who can even approximate to a correct estimate of our future increase 1 I will certainly be safe to anticipate the proportional increase for the next five years, as equal to at least double that of any other portion of the west during the past five years. THE PUBLIC LANDS. 231 I hope tlifit tlionsancls of immigr.ation companies will be formed during tlie present year, and that those engaged in organizing them will not overlook the superior advantages of Minnesota. I sincerely believe that no other portion of the west presents so many attractions to the enterprising immigrant as our own territory. A large portion of it is situated upon the navigable head-waters and tributaries of the Mississippi, thus being in intimate communication with the richest and most thriving portion of the Union. Most of the lands so situated are in the Sioux country, and may be taken possession of by actual settlers before they come into market, and fall into the hands of speculators. Those who enrich the soil by their labor ought to be its own- ers. Although we entertain this opinion, we condemn no man for speculating in land. While the system of land speculation continues, every one is justified in striving to share in its ad- vantages. No fact is more evident, than that both the settlers and the territory would be in a far more prosperous condition, if our lands were owned by none but those who occupy or improve them by their own labor and capital. The Sioux treaties having been ratified by the senate of the United States, more than twenty millions of acres of land are open for settlement, before it can he surveyed — be- fore IT CAN BE MONOPOLISED BY SPECULATORS. The SUn never shone upon a more beautiful or fertile land. A more salubrious country, old or new, exists not in the broad domain of the east or west. Go to work, men, in the states — men of industry, enter- prise, and intelligence. Organize your emigration companies, shake the dust from your feet, and hasten on to the wild lands of Minnesota, which bid you take them, without money and without price. You will have nothing more to do than come and take pos- session of the lands. Your " claims" thus made will be a sufficient title till these lands shall have been surveyed and brought into market. Tn,.„^. fi,o Trtwn livjp. tft thft Minnesota river — from the Mis- X LKJli-i t xi^w M\r v.i 232 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOrRCES. ^ sissippi reachhip beyond the head-waters of the Bhie-Enrth, layH a broad scope of territorvi unsurpassed in all the neces- sary qualities of a richly-favored agricultural country — rol- ling j)rairies, heavy timber, /ell watered, and quite exempt from malarious inlluences. So easy of access, that navigable rivers wash two sides for hundreds of miles in length. Those who settle upon the Minnesota will have steamboats at their doors, while those who fill up the more central portions will not wait long for the iron road. No kind of evil conduct on the part of the press or individ- ual writers, is more reprehensible, or should be condemned with more severity, than that of deliberately planning the inveigling and misleading of immigrants by false representa- tions and exaggerated coloring to valueless property. The majority of home-seekers from foreign parts have a nice little sum of gold carefully stowed away, the fruit of years of toil and saving, which, upon landing in a new and strange coun- try, is their present dependence, and upon the wise disposal of which their future happiness and prosperity mainly depend. While our newspapers and writers have said very much in favor of settling in Minnesota — have insisted strongly upon her agricultural, mercantile, and lumbering interests, they have dealt very little in exaggerated statements, or inflated inducements. Much excitement prevails about this time on the subject of towns in the valley of the Minnesota river. Now, honestly speaking, there is not a city from its mouth to its source. Tliat bustle, activity, and enterprise, are busy at many charm- ing eligible points is true, and it is not less true, that townw will grow up in the valley, which most of the older writers call a second Nile. But the towns are yet infuturo. The offering of lots in these sites for sale at reasonable prices, can not be considered an illegitimate speculat' .n. We all know that the Minnesota valley is unsurpassed in beauty ai\d fertility, and as a charming place of residence, where in- dustry Avill be rewarded by an overflowing abundance, which has but few places to equal it. That a dense nonulation will soon crowd the bark" "^f ^^'e THE OT?rMTJLF,R — A SKETOH. 233 le-Enrtli, 10 ncces- ry— rol- I exempt avigable Those 1 at their ions will individ- idemned iiing the ireseuta- ve a nice years of ige coun- sposal of depend. much in ^]y upon its, they inflated ibject of honestly ) source. y charm- at townn iters call asonable m. We L beauty t'here in- e, which .a ox iiUXj river, and that, at the favorable points, these people will con- gregate together, forming towns and cities, there can be no doubt ; then, should the rise in property hold in any proportion to that in St. Paul, it is hard to say what lots really are worth in the best located town-plots at this moment. It can not be expected that we shall feel as much interest in the creation of these towns as the settling of the agricul- tural portioii of the country. It pains me to think that tens of thousands are toiling in the far East, upon a stingy, beggar- ly, wornout soil, yielding scarcely sufficient to keep soul and boily together, while in that delicious valley the most luxuri- ant growths fall uncropped to the ground. With the voice of a Stentor, Minnesota might proclaim to all nations, " Come luito me all ye who are hungry and naked, and I will feed and clothe ye." But she should add, "Bring a good stock of industry, ambition, patience, and perseverance, and don't ex- pect to find large cities, with marble palaces, bui a rich, open soil, with plenty of wood and stone for building." Armed with fortitude and a small capital, we say come, and when you come, go to work, and blessings will rapidly multiply around you. But there is a class of immigrants who are deserving of re- proof, for their desire to cavil and find fault with everything not suited to their ideas of accumulating wealth without trouble or difficulty. The following article from the pen of Major J. J. Noah, from the Minnesofa Pioneer, gives a correct idea of the "grumbler" and his reproof: — " Minnesota must create some noise in the world, and some anxiety on the part of adventurers to visit and examine its resources. Every boat comes thronged with new faces, all eager in inquiring what and how chance may favor them in their whims, caprices, and predilections. Mr. Simpkins, an old citizen, meets a friend from the east, a schoolmate and boy-companion, just arrived from home to take a peep at this region of bears' meat and buffalo. Simpkins is naturally glad to see his old friend, Mr. Codger, and after the natural in- quiries of bygone days, they walk up Third street, arm-in-arm. " Meeting Mr. Enterprise, another old citizen, Simpkins in- troduces Ooderer. and dialomies as follow :— ! f 234 MINNESOTA AND ITS RKSOTTROES. 1 :■ ■,■ ^ ( j '•'Mr. Enterprise, this is my old friend Codger, from old New York; boys together; come up iiero, wishes to see the country, locate a land-warrant, build a farm, get married, &c.' "After Messrs. Codger and Enterprise shake hands, and the compliments of a now acquaintance have passed. Codger puts Enterprise upon his cross-examination without mercy or justice. '"Fine country this!' quoth Codger; 'how long have you been here — three years, eh ? town built up in too great a hur- ry. Any back country to support all this? Potatoes raised liere? Corn won't gro^\ — too cold! Wheat thrive hero? Plenty of buffaloes and deer, I suppose; no trouble to kill them? Afraid of Injuns — won't they tomahawk a fellow?' And so on through a multitude of inquiries, until Mr. Enter- prise is seriously troubled which to answer first, or to inform Simpkins that his friend is either aberrated or foolish; and as Boon as he can get a word in edgewise, he quietly remarks :^ " ' Mr. Codger, I came here some three years since from the state of Pennsylvania, with my family and a little money. I bought a town lot in St. Paul, which was then in embryo, con- taining a few scattered houses, a government just formed, and laws scarcely fledged. I found a scant population, mostly men of intelligence and energy, who assisted and welcomed my advent^ among them. I became possessed of the presentiment of a bright future for Minnesota, and building a shelter for my famUy — rolled up my sleeves, and worked at anything I could get to do. As my ch,nracter was known, so my credit and standing increased. A slight acquisition of capital gave me opportunities to speculate in town property ; but I worked all the while, drove a team, chopped wood, and not linding society as exacting as in the east, I progressed in means as the country progressed in importance, and as other men of different occupations followed the same course, you see that St. Paul has become a metropolis, and the country filled with enterprising farmers, breaking prairie, raising crops, and ma- king themselves useful citizens. All this has not been done without labor, nor has there been few obstacles to this sequel. Poverty has waged her bitter war against us —jealous countries A WOKD TO NEW-COMERS. 235 lijiA belied and attempted to injure our growth, but it is some Bati.Hfrtction to know that we liavo succeeded, built up n country and a name in the far northwest, and made it of such impor- illey feels our slightest tanco, that the whole Mississip pulsation, and gazes with eager eyes upon our minutest trans- actions. ♦"Do not fancy for a moment, sir, that the progress of these events has been a matter of course. We all have fought for tlicm, and battled for their success. The farmers, the pine forests, the Indian trade, the lumber interests, the magnificent water power, the manufacturer, the tradesman, the physician, the lawyer, the editor — all have combined jointly and singly to bring about these results, and to each belong their share of praise and their quota of remuneration. If you Avish to settle here, locate your warrant, build your shanty, plough up a few acres, fence tiiem, sow some potatoes, live economically, and work your way quietly into affluence, possessed of a fine farm, a good name, and bright prospects. But if you have come here with a desire to cavil and find fault, doing nothing to advance yourself, you Avill discover your error too late to retrieve. Be enterprising, and do not foresee difficulties, but rather prepare* to surmount pyramids of disadvantages I' " A word to new-comers. It is wholesome advice, and will prove true. If a man comes to Minnesota to settle, his way to fortune will not be smooth. Let that be clearly understood. Do not cavil or find fault, but come prepared for work and labor. Be enterprising — and persevere. If you go back to your home in the East, underrating our country merely upon a cursory glance, you do us great injustice as well as yourself. Let your motto be ' onward ;' time will accomplish all ; and when by population our internal resources develop themselves, you will be proud of your remote home, the ' New England of the West.' " As for minute details, they are now unnecessary ; let every man come and see us for himself — then^W^e. If, when here, he will only put himself at anything he findeth for his hand to do, and then do it, icith all his might, he can not fail of ultimate success." •Ml}", li I i % ! F Ml ti^il MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. THE HEALTH OE MINNESOTA. As heaitli is the peculiarity of the territory, and its enjoy- nient being the greatest blessing bestowed by Providence, we have cause to be thankful to him for casting here our lot. It is the constant remark of visiters among us, old and young, that there is something in our atmosphere or climate — they know not what— which exhilarates the mind, and sharpens the appetite. I have seen many persons arrive here in feeble health, languid and depressed in spirits, and, after a short stay, depart renewed and refreshed in body and mind. It will no longer be unknown, or doubted, that Minnesota possesses, in a degree unsurpassed, the two great elements of health : — a climate in harmony with the most perfect condition of the human body, responsive to the demands of every phys- ical necessity ; the picturesque scenery, the topographical grandeur, and the charming variety of natural beauty, com- bined with allurements to active enjoyments — the ride, the walk, excursions by land or water, fishing in silvery lakes, the hunt, and the innumerable rational sports suggested by our climate and natural advantages. These unite to gratify and exhilarate the mind of the invalid, and are of -all physic the most pleasant, soothing, and curative, for the body. In addition to natural advantages, Art will contribute by her handiwork, the appliances, elegant and useful, essential to the comfort and gratification of visiting invalids. The accom- modations of the hotels in St. Paul, St. Anthonv, and Still- water, are not surpassed, if equalled, in any towns of like extent in the West. But these establishments do not satisfy the luxurious wants of the wealthy classes who fly from the heat of the South, and the dust of thronged cities, to more healthy, pleasant, or sequestered summer retreats. The in- creasing demand will soon supply hotels of the first class, furnished in the most sumptuous style. As a resort for invalids our climate is peculiarly inviting. When the summer comes, many citizens will be fleeing away for a few weeks from the sultry beams of a city solstice, and seeking refreshment and repose in more congenial climes. THE HEALTH OF MINNESOTA. 237 its enjoy- dence, we ir lot. i, old and or climato nind, and rrive here and, after and mind. Minnesota jments of condition ery phys- (graphical ,uty, com- ride, the iry lakes, ;ed by our 'atify and •hysic the ribute by sential to le accom- ind Still- IS of like ot satisfy from the , to more The in- rst class, inviting, ing away stice, and I climes. The limpid lakes of Minnesota, and the cool and sparkling spray of St. Anthony's falls, should no doubt attract a large lunnber. I hope the day is not far distant when our friends living in the cities toward the southern end of the great Mis- sissippi will build country-seats in our vicinity. There is no place on the globe more healthy or more beautiful than Minne- ' sota. Her prairies are studded with silvery lakes and traversed by pearly streams ; flowers of almost every variety meet the eye. We have mineral springs equal to any in the world ; our lakes nbound with fish, and our forests and prairies furnish ample amusement for the sportsman. Gentlemen residing in New Orleans can come here by a quick and delightful conveyance, and bring all that is necessary to make them comfortable du- ring the summer months, and at a trifling expense. For a small sum of money they can purchase a few acres of land on the river, and build summer-cottages. I am satisfied they will find it the cheapest, most convenient, and pleasant mode of spending their summer months. Here every facility Avill soon be offered for educating their children. A university that will vie with the best in the Union has been liberally endowed by the government. But a short time will elapse before many of the children of the southern valley of the Mississippi will be sent to this healthy region to be educated. Let them come — they will be cheerfully welcomed as kindred who drink with us out of the greatest river in the world ! Pleasure-seekers will find Minnesota a joyous Eden during the summer months, and from present indications myriads of them will turn their steps hitherward the approaching season. The etiquette, expensive dress, and formality, of eastern and eouthern " watering-places," &c., can here be thrown aside, and men and women both look and act just as God intended they should, without let or hinderance from anybody. There is now living at Prairieville, on the IMinnesota river, an old voyageur by the name of Joseph Montrieul, who is ninety-four years of age. Seventy-four years ago he came from Montreal, and has lived ever since within the bounds of He has never resided but among the Dakotas, except when 'I'V 2a8 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUKCES. iii Jie made a journey to the Pawnees with a trader by the name of Campbell, the year after his .arrival from Canada — that is, seventy-three years ago. A very strong proof of his honesty and ftiithfulness is, that during upward of seventy years he has lived with but three or four employers, in the humble capacity of voyageur and laborer about the trading-posts. Thirty years ago ho lived with Mr. J. B. Farribault, of Men- dota, who resided on the island opposite Fort Snelling. The island was then well and beautifully wooded. On it they planted corn and vegetables, and sowed wheat, all of which was very productive ; but in the year of " the high water," as it is remembered by the old inhabitants, all the buildings were swept away. With the exception of that year — ai'ter which it appears to have been abandoned — the island was seldom overflowed to such an extent as has been the case of late years. The old man says *• he never saw the falls of St. Anthony," and boasts of it with something of the same feeling which the man did whose only claim to notoriety was that he had never read the " Waverley novels." Although still vigorous, he is quite deaf, and one of his eyes is much dimmed ; but he man- acled to shoot a duck last fall, and said that ** he hoped to kill a number in the spring." In his young days he is said to have been an excellent shot. The accounts he relates of the state of the country on the Minnesota river seventy years ago are very interesting. The traders on that river then were Colonel Dixon, at Mendota; Campbell, near Little Rapids; Fraser (father of Jack Fraser), at Traverse des Sioux ; two brothers of the name of Hart, and Mr. Patterson, at a place now known as Patterson's Rapids, forty miles below Lac-qui-Parle. He seemed to think that there was no trading-post higher up, but further inquiries will, we think, prove that there were trading-posts near the sources of the " St. Peter's," as the Minnesota was then called, at least one hundred years ago. Long subsequent to Montrieul's first arrival at Traverse des Sioux, there were thousands of buffalo in that neighborhood. They were even sometimes seen on the prairies in the vicinity COUREUES DES BOIS. 239 y the name a— -that is, liis honesty ears he has le capacity of where Fort Snell ini Lilt, of Men- ling. The 3n it they 1 of which water," as idings were appears to erflowed to Anthony," : which the had never •rous, he is ut he man- iped to kill aid to have itry on the ting. The Mendota ; ck Fraser), i" Hart, and I's Rapids, think that uiries will, die sources ed, at least averse des ^hborhood. he vicinity , . , . ^ "ow stands. The land was then ex- tremely rich in aninials and game of all kinds, but yet both the traders and Indians sometimes suffered great privations for want of food. The fur-trade engendered a peculiar class of men known by the appropriate name of bush-rangers, coureurs des hois, half- civilized vagrants, whose chief vocation was conducting the canoe of the traders along the lakes and rivers of the interior • many of them, however, shaking loose from every tie of blood and kindred, identified themselves with the Indians, and sank into utter barbarism. In many a squalid camp among the plains and forests of the west the traveller would have encountered men owning the blood and speaking the language of France yet in their wild and swarthy visages and barbarous costume see ning more akin to those with whom they had cast their lot Ihe renegade of civilization caught the habits and im- hbed the prejudices of his chosen associates. He loved to decorate his long hair with eagle-feathers, to make his face hideous with vermilion, ochre, and soot; and to adorn his gieasy hunting-frock with horse-hair fringes. His dwelling, if he had one was a wigwam. He lounged on a bear-skin, while his squaw boiled his venison and lighted his pipe. In hunt- ing, m dancing, in singing, in taking a scalp, he rivalled the genuine Indian. His mind was tinctured with the supersti- tions of the forest. He had faith in the magic drum of the conjurer; he was not sure that a thunder-cloud could not be lightened away by whistling at it through the wing-bone of an eagle ; he carried the tail of a rattlesnake in his bullet- pouch by way of amulet, and he placed implicit trust in the prophetic truth of his dreams. This class of men is not yet extinct. In the cheerless wilds beyond the northern lakes, or among the mountain solitudes of the distant west, they may still be found, unchanged in life and character since the day when Louis the Great claimed sovereignty over the desert empire. Probably the world has never produced a race of more hardy, athletic pedestrians than the voyageurs and trannp.rs who v^n- through the wild regions of North^America, between the great 240 MINNICSOTA AND ITS RESOURCES. r ' lakes and tlie Pacific ocean. The unwritten legenrls of their experience of border and savage life, and of their perilous ad- ventures, would, if written, make volumes of stirring romance. One of the duties performed by voyageurs is the transportation of baggage, supplies, and canoes, across portages. For tliis purpose they use the " portage-collar," which is a strap passing around the forehead, attached at each end to the burden or pack to be carried, which is also partly supported upon the back. In this manner a voyageur often carries (in packs) a barrel of flour a distance of five or six miles. Squaws carry burdens in the same manner. In this way we have often seen them in St. Paul, carrying heavy loads of cranberries, or of corn, in a sack. The voyageur often finds '* a repose," that is, something to place his burden upon while he rests, every three miles in crossing a portnge. This mode of transporting was not only common among trappers and voyageurs, but until lately it was universal among the Indians, especially the Chip- pcwas, who, until recently, had few if any horses. We saw in St. Paul, not long ago,. Jack Fraser, of whom Captain Mar- ryat makes mention in his travels in the northwest. Jack is a wiry-looking man, aged about fifty-two years, the son of a highland Scotchman by an Indian mother, and one of the most intrepid of the Sioux braves. At the war-dance, Jack wears thirty-two eagle-plumes, each plume representing a scalp taken. He never engages in the medicine-dance, or any of the Indian orgies except the war-dance, and he dresses invariably in the fashion of the whites, although he has a stronglj'-marked In- dian face. He is a nephew of Wakouta, chief of the Red- Wing band of Sioux. The prospects for builders and mechanics are certainly in- viting. All building and other town improvements have heretofore been confined principally to St. Paul, St. Anthony, and Still- water. This season, however, there will be a very great de- mand for mechanics and laborers in other portions of the terri- tory, and there is no doubt but the steamboats will be perfectly crowded after the opening of navigation. The towns of Red- Wlng, Hastings, McndotajMir.noapoHs, Shakopoe, Henderson: iifls of their perilous ad- 11 g romance, insportation 3. For tliis trap passing 3 burden or id upon tlie (in packs) a ]^uaw8 carry e often seen erries, or of )se," that is, every three porting was s, but until ly the Chip- ). We saw aptain Mar- st. Jack is he son of a of the most Jack wears scalp taken, f the Indian iably in the -marked In- )f the Red- ;ertainly in- e heretofore y, and Still- ■y great de- of the terri- be perfectly vns of Red- He ndersoDs PKOSI'KCT Foi: MJ^CIIANICS. 241 Lc Siieur, Traverse des S for a t) 10 u vigorous inipio\einont, and will X and ]\rrtnkato city, are prep arinjr give employment during >c summer to a great number of mechanics and lab "'blition to the above, Capt. Dana will prob al)()ut fifty mechanics, and orers. In probably employ, f th e new fort on the Minnesot IS many laborers, in the consti uc- a river. The Indian tion o c Icpartment will also give employment to many persons in the erection of the agency buildings, mills, &c. Connected with the improvements in the valley of the Minnesota, mav bo noticed the transportation of supplies which will give en.ploymci.t to fVom fifty to one hundred persons dufin.. a great portion of the summer and fall. It is a well-knowu fac , that until the Minnesota river is improved at the rapids ami the snags taken out in many of the bends in the river' steamboats, in ordinary seasons, can not navigate the Minne- sota above the rapids, ..... than three months during the sum- inu During the remainder of the season keel and flat boats wil be used which will give employment to a great number of boatmen. At the Mississippi Boom from eighty to one hundred per- sons are employed, exclusive of those necessary for runniuir ra (s^of logs and lumber down the Mississippi. The booms on t .0 bt. Croix, Rum nver, and at the falls of St. Anthony, and he lumbering business of the St. Croix, require some three laindred men. As many more will be wanted on the govern- ment roads. ° In addition to all enumerated above, ten thousand persons are required to raise flour, pork, beans, and potatoes, to feed the lumbermen mechanics, laborers, merchants, troops, Indians, and loafers of the territory. The Indians' days of residence about St. Paul are numbered. 1 l.e.r auds are nil purchased, so that in a very short time they u ill take up their hue of march in the direction of the Rockv mountains; and the forests over which thev roamed the ;vaters by which they dwelt, will know of tliem no morl! ll.o.r mausoleums of the dead will be trampled under foot and f.)vgotten. and not a monument will remain to record the his- tory of a great iiatian that IJ sing aw ay for ever. A feeling 242 MINX smt.v and rra RKsouRCEa. of commiseration steals over me wliile contemplating their actual condition. Needy, improvident, ignorant, superstitious. Witb sorrowful hearts they hear the exulting cry of the for- eigner, that •• Westward the star of empire takes its way," and as the hungry crowd of mixed nations press forward, with gladdened hearts at the prosj)ect before them, with this trium- phant motto emblazoned on their banners, dispossessing and slvoving onward the moody savage — what tears, what suffering, ■wliat gloomy forebodings of the future — what home attach- ments broken up for ever, load the soul of the helpless child of nature, is with the Avhite not esteemed a matter WQi'thy of instant thought. The good missionary who labors for their spiritual good, and who asks no home out of this sterile portion of Christ's vineyard, takes up his bible, his prayer-book and cross, to follow these homeless creatures to the still more cheer- less regions of the remote north. l!i CONCLUSION — A VISION. 243 CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION A VISION SCENE IN ST. PAUL TWENTY YEARS HENCE, ALL OF WHICH I SAW, AND PART OP WHICH WE ALL EXPECT TO BE. " Coming events cant their shadows before.** " I would recall n vision, which I dreamed perchance in sleep — for in itself a thought — A slumbering thought, is capable of years. And curdles a long life into one hour." — Byron. I WAS seated witinn my study during a late cold and stormy afternoon, in tliat melancholy portion of the year — November. The blazing fire leaped and crackled joyously upon my hearth in pleasing cortrast with the raging storm without. Sitting in my old arm-chair I watched the descending snow-flakes ; and the rapid hurrying to and fro of the many dashing sleighs and other equipages ; musing the while upon the many scenes of life thus constantly presented to my eyes, and moralizing upon the hopes, the fears, and the future of the busy throng that floated by so rapidly. From musing, I soon fell, " as is my custom of an afternoon," into a pleasing slumber, silent and undisturbed for hours. And now, while sleeping in tliat comfortable old arm-chair, all of a sudden my fancy portrayed the following "vision." Methonght that time had shot his arrow suddenly forward some twenty years and odd, and in manhood's prime, and life and health, I siood upon the lofty bluffs, overlooking the great and populous city of St. Paul. Beneath and around me, on every side, a hundred lofty spires glittered in the morning sunlight, while still farther in the distance countless habita- 2-U MINNESOTA AM) ITS KESOUICOKS. tious of liumlile pretensions, suburban cottnges Jind lowly jjardiMis secnictl vying in a common race to cover all tlie plain, and 'from the grassy vale and shady nook Icxdced chceriiigly up, or from gentle hill slope, or clinging to the steeper sides of tlic semi-circular bluffs, looked down and smiled. The sum- mits of the bluffs were crowned with the residences of the merchant-princes of St. l»aul — the homes of luxury, taste, relinement, ease, and elegance. Just below, and almost at the doors of these merchant-i)rinces, a hundred richly-laden boats, from all parts of the upper and lower Mississippi, the St. Croix, and Minnesota, lay proudly at the levee, loading and unload- in"- freights, while the song of the laborer reached even to the bluff whereon I stood. Other steamers and sailing craft of every size were constantly arriving and departing, or passing to and fro, while ferry-boats were crossing and moving about in all directions. From opposite to Fort Snelling away down to Carver's Cave, the city stretched her snowy front ; and then across the river to the south, and away oft" over the bluft's to the north, as far over the plain as the eye could reach, villages of lesser note, the rural palace and the princely mansion, with here and there a single cottage, with lavish and benignant hand were strewn along the vale. City, town, and hamlet, the hill, the valley, the bluffs, almost like mountains, and the far-off plain, with the mighty Mississippi and the deep blue of the far off Minnetonka, were before me. The sky above me was unobscured by a vapor — " So cloudless, clear, and purely beautiful. That God, alone, was to be seen in Heaven." And from the crest of Minnetonka's wave, on zepherous foot- steps wandered to my lips a breeze refreshing and sweet. • It was morning. The sun had scarcely cleared the horizon, and already every street and avenue of the city was crowded with a joyous and excited populati.m. ^Men, women, and children, in gaudy apparel— the aged and the youthful--all classes, castes, conditions, and complexions — were mingling in the utmost confusion. ' And there was the passing to and fro of squads of military in full uniform ; firemen in gay shirts CONCLUSION — A VISION. 245 and caps ; Tncmherfi of l)OTievolcnt and civic societies, in rich r(><^alia and insignia of tlieir several orders ; oftlcers of tlie Jinny and navy, soldiers, pollcenu-n with hadges and inaces ; iiiarsiials on horsehack, in gandy sashes and rosettes ; while s(jnadi^ of monnted cavalry and lancers were charging hitlier and thither. A thousand flags and banners floated over the city, and from the boats along the levee ; and the flashing of tinseled uniforms, of bayonets, of sword and lance, of fire- engines and gay equipage of every kind, threw back the sun- light. The ceaseless roll of drums, and the clangor of martial music, were mingled with the roar of artillery, which from early dawn had continued to peel from one end of the city to the other; and on the river, and from St. Anthony and Men- .!ota, and from where Fort Snelling used to stand — the lofty site now covered with a growing town — cannon answered cannon, and in tones of thunder reverberated from bluff to bluff — from plain to plain, and from shore to shore — dying off at length toward Lake Pepin to the south. It was the Fourth of July, eighteen hundred and seventy- six; and on that day, representatives from the several old Mississippi valley states, from Nebraska, and the other new states and territories extending westward to the Rocky moun- tains ; the people from the North, too, from Pembina, and the old Selkirk settlement, formerly so called — now the state of Assiniboin (pronounced Assin-i-bAvaw), and even from old Fort York, on Hudson bay, together with the people of Minnesota, generally, had congregated in St. Paul, for the twofold pur- pose of celebrating the centennial anniversary of American Indepci dence, and to witness as well the opening of the great Atlantic and Pacific railway, from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, via St. Paul, to Oregon and California, its ter- minus being San Francisco. In connection with all this was the first despatch, to be sent in words of living fire, upon that day, along the wires of the Great Britain submarine, and North American telegraph line, from London, via the states, to San Francisco. The full time for the consummation of a mighty ai.d glorious event had finally arrived, which for twenty years had been :ii I 246 MINNESOTA AND ITS RESOUHCra. anxiously looked for, liopcd for, Kigliod for, ny died for! Tlio lumr was iionr at linnd,iu wliidi the most sanguine expectations and lonj^-clierislied desires of the civilized world were about to be conijdetely realized ; and a great '* national highwry," for travel and conimercc, as well as for thought and intelli- gence, opened and established from the rising to the setting sun. More especially was it a consummation which Minnesota, since the hour when her first constitution had been given her, the third of March, 1849, had long devoutly wished. The ratification of the Sioux treaties in 18o2, and the formation ot other treaties in 1860, which extinguished the Sioux and Chippewa titles to all the land within her limits, from the Missouri on the west to the old boundary of forty-nine degrees to the north, had also been events of considerable magnitude in their day, and aftbrded great joy to youthful Minnesota. But the great enterprise was now completed, and never in all her history, save at the incorporation of the •* Republic of Mexico" into the American Union, some ten years previous, or the annexation rf "Canada and Cuba," which happened some five years before, St. Paul had never seen such a day of rejoicing. The sun had scarcely reached the zenith, when the roar of the cannon, the sojiuls of martial music, and the approach of an immense procession, with banners floating to the breeze, attracted my attention far up the river to the southwest. I tin-ned, and beheld a scene which for a moment rendered nie almost delirious with excitement. "When I recovered myself, the pageant had approached so near, passing immediately in full view of the eminence on which I lay, as to enable me par- ticularly to survey what I shall now attempt to describe. Spanning the mighty Mississippi, juut above Wabashaw street, was a splendid suspension bridge, with a pier upon tlie sandy island in the stream, and a magnificent arch on either side. Frona Mendota (now a town stretching its summit up around Pilot Knob), down along the bluffs on the south side of the river, was the great railway ; extending across the river by a double track ^me twenty feet apart, and thence, CONCLUSION — A VISION. 247 tliron{»]iout our own St. Paul, away off to the Boutheast toward tlie Atlantic sealoard. Bupportod on each liand by an immense encort, composed of our cnlirc pojyilatitm, came the " first train of cars from San Francisco," the departure of which had been announced here by ttdt'graph a short time previous. First came an open car, or platform, extending across from one track to the other, richly draped and ornamented with banners, and containing a band of fifty musicians, who played " Jlaif Co/umhia." Next came two splendid locomotives, one on either track, moving abreast. On the one upon the right, I road ** Atlantic;" on that upon the left, "Pacific." Over these, extending across from track to track, and for three hun- dred feet in the rear, was a continuous platform, supported on wheels, covered with rich and gorgeous tapestry, forming upon the most magnificent scale " a grand triimiphal car." Immediately in front, on the right and left of this platform, arose two columns of beautiful proportions, about thirty feet in height, and of alabaster whiteness. On the one I read " The Unim ;" on the other, " The Cumtitution." From the tops of these columns, the intervening space was spanned by an arch, composed of the " coat of arms" of the several states of the Union, carved in bas-relief on separate blocks of marble ; and upon the keystone of the arch, I read the familiar motto, ** E P/u/ibus Unum." On this point perched an immense spread eagle, glittering with gold, and holding in his beak a likeness of "The Father of his Country," in a plain gold setting, enwreatlied with laurel ; while high above, and over all, iloated the " star-spangled banner." Immediately under the arch was an altar of pure white, upon which I read " Free- dom," and from the top of the altar arose a square shaft of white, some four or five feet in height, and on the several sides of which I read, "Peace, Prosperity, Happiness," "Truth, Justice, Equality," " Education, Arts, Commerce," " Agri- culture, Manufactures, Mines." On the top of this shaft rested a vase of pure gold, bearing the inscription, " California and Minnesota, the twin sisters, are this day indissolubly bound together by an iron band." In this was contained water from ill ri M f it 2 IS MrNNKSOTA AM) MS HKSOf ucrs. tlio raclfie o('(>aii. On oiilicr sMn of tliis sloo«l a lipantlful vnmin; woinnii, in tlu« Moom cl' licaltli, dn'sscd in nniHlin rol.oH of mowy >vliitcncHH, tiininuMl witli m,l,l and cvcigiiMMiH, and \ Ix'arinj,^ appn.idiatiMMnldcniH, tvpical off lie pcnins of" I'racMi' nnd •• ConinuMcc." Ininicdiahdy in (lie n«ar of tliowo a fi;;ino, r»«|>ros('ntin{; Nrptiino with Ihh tiidt-nt, wnn standinj; in a rich nnd pn-^'oons tdiariof drawn hy dididiins; and falliiifj; from (lie rear of i\w chariot, and Hlrovvn over tho entire Inijjftli of tho groat platform, were shells and prcclouH Htoncs, and gold and silver ores. This was to typify that our advancement in the arts and Rci- ences had induced even the "god of the ocean" to forsake liiH native element, and, availing himself of human skill, to tako the overland rout'^ from one part of liis dominions to another; and, further, (hat the commerce of the seas Avouhl liencefor- Avard take this route; while the shells and j)recionH stones fal- ling from his chariot seemed to remind us that this great un- dertaking was destined to be literally paved with the riches of the deep. Immediately in the rear of this group, arranged on either side of the platform, ivere separate jiedestala, four feet six inches in height hy three i'vvt s(juare, j. laced at a distance of nearly six feet apart, ami extending in parallel rows over two hundred feet in the rear. These j)edestals were lifty in Tunuher, twenty-five on either hand, and were emldematical of the "fifty free and independent tstates of the American Union," wliich included the Canadas on the iiorth to the isthmus of Darien on the south, and from Cuha in the southeast to the llnssian settlements in the northwest, from the equator to the fr.-/en regions. Upon each of tliose pedestals I read the name <'ra state; and on the tops, standing erect, were fifty beautiful young women, between iho, ages of eighteen and twenty years, in the full bloom of health and womanhood. These were dressed in flowing drapery of white, adorned with roses, and on tlie head each wore a crimson-velvet cap, ornamented with a single star of gold. Each Ixu-e an emblem (vegetable, niin- oral, or artificial) (.f lier particular state, while an endless chain of roses and orange-flow(>rs, in graceful festoons, extended from a*^ iM'imtifiil illii rol)(>n iMUiH, and •• iVnc«" ill ft rich iii^j: from llMl^tll of nnd ^(>l(l 1 nnd fici- iHnkc lii8 1. to tako nnotlicr; liciK'ofor- toiics fal- great uii- le riches >n cither f'oct 81 X itancc of o\('r two miuihcr, I of the Union." hiniis of st to tlio >!' to the lio name )oautifiil y years, se wore SOS, and ed with le, miii- ?.s chain ed from liaiid to hftnd, njid CONCMTHIONf A VIHKIN. wftK crnhlonintical ui' the 249 otTimon intcrcRtfl wliu-li unite UH fts ft iMM.jdo. The l.hie v.yoH nxu] fair corn- ph'xioiiH of the north in union, though in contraHt, with the dark vyvn nud olive coinj)Uixi<.nH of the Month. Immediately in the rear of thoHe, and occupy inp; the remaining portion of the "car triumphal." was the president of the United States, liiniself ft citizen of Minnesota, memhers of the cabinet ftiul heads of departments, deputations of memhers from both houses of Congress, foreign ministers resident at Washington, execu- tive ofliccrs of several of tlio Pacific states (all returning from nn excursion trip from Washington to San Francisco); nnd lastly came a delegation of aborigines, consisting of the chiefs ftud headmen of the nations of the plains. 'J'hen came ftnothor detached car, similar to that described in the first instance, containing a band of fifty musicians, playing the " Star-span- gled lianner." Thus appointed and arranged, the train arrived opposite to the business centre of the city, advanced uj)on the bridge, and halted. Then a Christian minister (the Rev. E. D. Nidll, I think), accompanied by the president and secretary of stftte, with heftds uncovered, i)rocecdc(l from the extreme rear through the long avenue of young women representing the several states ; and as they passed along, each successive state stood with head uncovered, in token at once of their respect for reli- gion and their fidelity to the general government. This move- ment served also as a signal for the multitude to follow suit, and who accordingly acquiesced during the following ceremo- nies : — Arrived in front of the triumphal arch, the minister briefly invoked the blessings of Jehovah upon the great enterprise before them, and for the welfare of the country at large. He then stepped aside, and the chief magistrate of the nation hav- ing closed the discoursive part of the ceremonies with a few appropriate remarks, a signal was given, whereupon the sisters " Peace" and " Commerce" gracefully inverted the " golden vase," and the waters of the Pacific ocean were mingled with the waters of the mighty Mississippi. The bay of San Fran- cisco was wedded with the Atlantic and gulf of Mexico, and U* 2r>o MINNKSOTA AND ITS liESOU RC i:S. the bright drops of the Sacramento were mingled with and flowed with those of the "Father of Running Waters." At that instant another immense train arrived in fifty hours from New Orleans, sixty from the Rio Grande, am\ fou?- days from the city of Mexico. It contained a pleasure-party, nun,- horing- by thousands. Among them were the wealthy planters, their wives, and little ones— the dark-skinned creole gentle- men and ladies — together with the dark-eyed senoritas and gayly-dressed caballeros from the old halls of the Montezumas. They were coming to spend a few weeks amidst the noise and spray of the 'Little falls," or Minne-ha-ha, and of our great St. Anthony. The eastern train from Philadelphia, New York, ajid Boston, and anoHier from Lake Superior, and still another from Pembina and Assiuiboin, near Lake Winnipeg, also came r;i tiling in, alive with human freight from the east, the north, and northeast. Then the mighty throng of assembled thousands raised a loud hosannah, and methought the chorus of their mighty voices re- sounded adown the flowing stream, and over the gulf and broad iVtIantic, and then re-echoed across Europe's peopled surface with redoubled force, till in the wilds of Russia it reached the last and only liome of the despot— the descendant of the Nicho- las of lSo3 — who had long since laid mouldering in a tyrant's grave. Then did the heart of the last of the line of kings and emperors which this fair earth shall ever witness, grow faint within him, as he saw his inevitable doom portrayed as plain as the " handwriting upon the wall," and heard his death-knell pro- claimed in tones of might and wrath, which told him that an avenging God was nigh ! Ay, he listened, while the pallor cf death stole over his guilty features, and the craven-hearted usurper of the rights of man, eind violator of all his Maker's laws, did tremble for very fear— ay, trembled like an aspen- ]enf,a8 he heard the voices of the mighty host exultingly jubi- late on that " centennial anniversary" of a nation's birth-day — the greatest nation, too, which old Time and events liave yet given to the world, its population now being sixty millions. Then rose the serf, the Cossack, and all the republicans of 1 -' - J "i*- "o^" nvjioes ivyaauui and Mazzm*, and CONCLUSION — A VISION. 251 ?entle- a host of others, and struck a tremendous and final blow for freedom — the goddess of Liberty flitting and hovering over the scene — until at length a loud, triumphant shout came ringing back across the ocean and gulf, and up the noble river to tiie spot where the multitudinous host were still pouring forth their anthems of praise to the God of hosts — proclaim- ing to them that the final victory between Liberty and Despo- tism had been fairly won, and that Tyranny had sunk his fright- ful head amidst a perfect cataract of blood. The prediction of Napoleon had been verified in one sense— and, in 1876, all Europe was at last republican Louis Napoleon had long since sunk into insignificance, oblivion, and contempt; and poor, unhappy France, now so no more, had become a true republic. At that instant, the ceremonies being over, amid the roll of drums, and the clangor of martial music, th. discharge of mus- kets, the roar of artillery, and the deafening huzzas of an ex- cited and countless multitude on tho land, upon the bridge, and upon the water beneath — the train moved on toward the eastern seaboard, and I aivoke from my dream. i M fjl p., ■;' I Ml '^'\ :^^ 1 1 I:' CAMP-FIRE SKETCHES, OR NOTES OF A TRIP FROM ST PAUL TO PEMBINA AND SELKIRK SETTLEMENT ON THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH; TO WHICH ARE APPENDED A DESCRIPTION OF PRINCE RUPERT'S LAND, ETC. mhi i )' ; 1 NOTE. Thk ol.ject of thn rx],o,.,ur Rinnsey was apj-ointe.! commissioner to treat with them, and Dr. Tliomas Foster appointed secretary. The treaty was foimed, but wa* afterward rejected by the United States senate. " SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. CHAPTER I. THE OUTWARD MARCH. Our party consisteJ of the following persons, viz. : Governor Ramsey, Hugh Tyler, Dr. Foster, Rev. John Black, of Mon- treal, J. M. Lord, F. Brown, Pierre Bottineau, Joseph Course- role, and myself. Our escort consisted of twenty-five dragoons from Fort Snelling, commanded hy Lieutenant Corley, and ac- companied hy six two-horse baggage-wagons ; our own bag- gage and provisions being carried on light Red-river carts, with eight French-Canadian and half-breed drivers. In num- ber we comprised about fifty souls in all. A portion of the civil party took the steamboat '• Governor Ramsey," at St. Anthony, on Monday, August 18, 1851, and proceeded to the Thousand isles, below Sauk rapids, where the balance of the party, with the horses, carts, and a light riding- wagon, awaited their arrival. After uniting, we all proceeded on to Russell's, above Sauk rapids, and on Wednesday crossed the Mississippi, and camped the first night about two miles west, in the Sauk river valley. Thursday, 2l8t. — Fine, clear, cool day. Wo struck tents and were away early ; rode fifteen miles over prairie, and along the valley of Sauk river, bordered on either side with thick woods, and interspersed here and there with strips of 256 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. '' 1 'I woodland and a thick undergrowth of bushes. Then passed oyer tlic worst piece of road between Sauk rapids and Pem- bina. The dragoons were busy for several hours in repairing it for the passage of the teams. It was a piece of swamp-land, about fifty yards in width, and covered by a bad " corduroy'' road. '^ Three, P. M.~ Proceeded on three miles, and found the dragoons encamped for the night at another bad crossing of swamp-land, near a creek. It took them several hours to re- pair^ it with bushes, grass, &c. Encamped near by also, to await oar turn to-morrow. Our march to-day was eighteen miles. Friday, August 22.— Clear, cool, and pleasant. The weath- er is now delightful— the sun quite hot at noonday, and the nights cool and bracing. Up at daylight, and away on our march at seven, A. M. The dragoons off before us. After proceeding two miles, we crossed Sauk river, passing over to the southwest side. We found a good ford, about four feet deep, the bottom being gravelly with a few boulders. The hills are very high, and skirted with heavy timber, on the right bank. We then emerged on to a beautiful rolling prairie, extending as far as the eye could reach ; bordered by timber' stretching in belts on either side ; that to the right bordering on Sauk river, and bearing away off to the northwest. We soon came to a swampy place, where the dragoons mired their horses. Grass was then mowed, a causeway made, the horses crossed on it, and the heavy teams drawn over by ropes. We soon after discovered a he-bear, « loping" off over the prairie at full speed. Several of us gave chase at once, and after pur- suing him through swamps and marshes for half an hour, and wounding him severely, the dragoons came up, surrounded him and finished the job by killing him with pistol-balls, ly ler, m a two-horse wagon, joined us in the chase, and came m just at the death. We halted at noon, and took a cold bite and a cup of tea. In the afternoon we rode ou some twelve miles farmer, and encamped in some brush and timber, where the water was bad and mosquitoes worse. The country passed over to-day was TTIK oriWARD MARCn. 267 5n passed and Pem- repairiug imp-land, iorduroy" oiind the )S8ing of urs to re- ^ also, to eighteen 16 weath- . and the 7 on our , passing 30ut four •s. The » on the J prairie, ' timber, ordering St. We ed their e horses 5S. We prairie ■ter pur- )ur, and 'ounded ol-balls. d came of tea. er, and '^as bad ay was rolling prairie, thickly interspersed with marshes and small, sluggish streams, the ground ascending for fifteen miles, then descending to the camp five miles. We found it a very hard march, with the bear-chase, the bad roads, and much detention in passing ovor the swamps and marshes. Saturday, 23d. — Fine, clear morning. Up, as usual, at day- light; breakfasted on tea and herring, and supped last night on herring and tea — rather hard living. Dr. Foster, on being asked at noon yesterday if he would have a piece of the neck of a cold goose, replied, " Yes, sir-ee, it is neck or nothing — of course I will !" We to-day rode over the rolling prairie, full of strips of marsh, when, after a march of ten miles, we came to an almost impassable swamp. We crossed with some diffi- culty, by pulling the carts and horses across by ropes, during which the Rev. Mr. Black and I completely mired our ponies, and canie near going with them to the bottom, if there was any. After this, we took a cup of tea to refresh ourselves ; proceeded on twelve miles farther, then encamped on the banks of a lake, where we had fine spring- water, and altogether the ])est camping-place we have yet had, the situation and scenery around being very beautiful. The carts arrived at sunset ; we then erected tents, cooked and ate supper after night, amid hosts of mosquitoes, Avhich were finally driven off by a strong southwest breeze. SuxXDAv, 24t]i. — Cloudy and cool, with rain in the morning, with thunder and lightning. All hands busy fixing tents moi-o securely, digging trenches around to drain off the falling water, &c. Being Sunday, we remained in camp all day. Last night four of our horses broke their lariats and ran homeward at the top of their speed, but were caught, most fortunately for us, by the dragoons, at their camp twelve miles behind us, Ilail they not been there, we should have been obliged to have folloAved the beasts clear back to Sauk rapids, ere we could have overtaken them. To-day, our French-Canadians and half-breeds, who have charge of the provision and baggage-carts, have been shooting pigeons, ducks, &c., also makinir new cart-axlfs; and the day has not seemed much like Sunday. Yesterday afternoon, 258 SKETCHES BY A OAMP-FIBE. II' J^ i' 'I ■• I ? It f ^Inlc several of us were riding on ahead, we started „„ , k. „1< a „ng the road, and immediately gave cl.ase, when sncl, shy.ng and dodging, ,o keep to windward of the heart was never seen before. We nearly rolled off our horses lith laughter Now ean,e the doctor, sidling up very cautiously, and fired two shots with a revolver, then beat a precipitafe re reat as the skunk fired at hi.. Lord then pranced up on B.lly. and fired one shot at the spot where it smelt the loudest then urned ta,l, too, and fled. Gabon finally despatched the varmint with a tomahawk. MoNDAV, 25th.-Up and away early; once more upon the road ; had a very. fine ride of about fourteen miles to ', bite Bear lake, as it is called, from the fact of white bear be' i..g so plenty, perhaps. This is a teautiful lake, eight miles long and severa wide; the banks of woodland and roi in! pra r,e. We halted on the north shore, about one mile dis tant, for several hours. Dined on roast skunk (not the one «: k r ^„'"--''7' "-g"')' d-ks, and prairilhens, ham ro it ; • r' "". P"'^' "'" '^'y *'"»'> °f «knnk, either oasted, fried or stewed, and attribute the peculiar smell of the meat to the fact that the animal lives on garlic-a,very garlicky explanation ! ^ ' In tlie afternoon we rode to Pike lake, twelve miles farther' wc reached it at sundown, and found a very beautiful spot, in^ deed, and heavily vooded around a portion of its banks. The nke IS full of Pike fish, hence its name, which was given to it l.y Captain Pope. The dragoons are encamped quife near us, .avmg been ahead all day. Mosquitoes are very had, aC though the weather is quite cold and bracing. The conntry passed over to-day was a rolling prair.e, with small streams of water running through the ravines ; all of which are tribu- tary to the Minnesota. To-night our carts failed to reach us, and remained about four miles behind. Fortunately, BrowJ came riding up at dark and informed us of the fact, and also brought two wild geese and some prairie-hens along. The atter and one goose were roasted, as we sat huddling round the fires (for the evening air was cold), and were devoured witu great gusto; a little boiled ham, salt, and hard bread"; THE OUTWARD MARCH. 259 were obtained from the dragoons, which added additional zest to tlie camp-fire meal. Some of us tlien betook ourselves to tlic dragoon camp, and slept in tents; the rest disposed themselves around the fire, and in the carriage, and so passed the night. Dr. Foster, for one, half frozen. And this is life upon the prairie ; riglit ready and willing are we to make the best of everytliing, and suit ourselves to circumstances. Tuesday, 26th.— Up early and breakfasted with the dra- goons, on a cup of coffee and piece of hard bread. The morn- ing very cold for the season. Overcoats necessary, and all hands sitting around the fires. Wind east, and very fresh ; a fine, bracing morning, the best for travelling we have yet had. Tho carts soon arrived and passed on ahead, and at eight, A. M., we follov ed, and after a fine ride of ten miles, we arrived at Elk lake, and stopped to feed and dine upon the prettiest spot we have yet seen. It was upon the western bank of the lake, upon a knoll, high above the Avater, the banks of the lake being high and covered with a skirt of woodland ; the waters, agitated by a strong breeze, rolling wildly below. This lake is some two miles long, and full of headlands, and small isles all heavily tim- bered. A most charming spot for a residence when the coun- try becomes once settled ; at present the whole place is wild and beautiful. Since writing the above, the rest of our party have arrived, and I find it is not " Elk" lake, but one new to all the party, and to us nameless. Governor Ramsey, there- fore, called it Lake Fillmore, in honor of the president ; quite a -.ompliment, too, by-the-by, considering that it is much the finest of the kind we have yet seen. We had a very good dinner to-day, consisting of bouillon, made of geese, ducks, (fee., with ham, pork, coffee, bread and butter, &c. This afternoon we pursued a very circuitous road t>ver a more rough and rol- ling country than we have yet passed, broken by deep ravines and full of lakes, ponds, &c. Some of the lakes were very beautiful ; our road passed over the outlet of one of them at its mouth, where it poured over the rocky bottom and formed a creek thirty feet in width. At sundown we reached the banks of a large creek, or perhaps of the Chippewa river, and 2(10 BKKTCHF8 BY A. CAMP-FIRE. m J i , ■''! i's, and one hundred and forty frorn Sauk rapids. The Buis des Sioux is a stream about thirty miles in length, and floM» from Lac 1'ravorse into Red river, hy a course due north. "VVc crossed about four miles above its mouth, whore it was fifty yards in width, and four and a half feet deep, its course being very crooked. We camped on its bank, along- side the dragoons, all hurry and bustle in the midst of a gust; supped on soup made of two wild geese, with onions, potatoes, and condiments ; called bouillon by the half-breeds. At ten, P. M., a very hopvy storm of thunder and lightning came up suddenly from the southwest. The rain descended in torrents, the winds blew, thunders roared, lightning flashed, the tent flies snnpped, flapped, and cracked ; the water rolled in under our oil-cloth floor, while we remained all safe and dry and went to sleep amid the r.iging and roaring of the tempest. Friday, 29tb. — Cloudy and very damp early in the morn- ing; cleared up about ten o'clock; fine, cool, and pleasant, with a good breeze from the north. The troops having made a raft yestenlay afternoon, they began to cross early this morning, rafting over their goods, and drawing the wagons over with ropes; swimming and wading f e horses over at two diff"erent ford;^, about one hundred and 'ifty yards ai)art. They were all over at half-past ten o'clock, and then came our turn ; all our goods, provisions, baggage, &c., were turned out on the grfu to dry, which opportunity I availed myself of to examine .md take a list of all. The carts were dra^vn over by ropes, the goous taken over on the raft, and the horses swam across all at the lower and deeper ford. After all was again repacked we started at two, P. M., and after pursuing a northwest course about eight miles, over a flat, marshy prairie, Ave crossed over the Wild Rice river on a rustic bridge id camped on the other ^Ide, near the 'gs, Jgoons, whom we found already there and comfortably fixed. The 262 8K10TCI1K8 BY A CAMl'-FIKE. !i h ' f 'i Wild Rice is a narrow and very crooked stream, with hid, banks, and rosen.bles a deep ditcl. of dirty water. It i^ fikirtcd with woodland at intervals. We are now three or four miles down Ucd river, below the mouth of the Sioux wood, above which it takes the name of Ottertail riv<'r. Our distance from lied river, to the west, is some tlireo miles ; the woods bordering its hanks being visible during our ride' this afternoon. Our whole journey to-day has not exceeded ten iniles; to-morrow, we have a march of twenty-five miles to the Shayenne, which we cross thirty miles above its mouth • and 1 am told that we will not see Ked river until our arri\,ii at rcmhina, as our road skirts along the high ground on the western slope of the valley, distant on an average some thirty to torty miles. This detour is necessary to avoid the marshes swamps and bad places along the bed of the valley and nearer to the river. Saturday, 30th.~A fine, clear, warm, day — the finest we have yet had. This morning a false alarm raised all the camp at half-past one o'clock; a fire was made, the kettle put on water boiled and after putting the tea to draw, we all returned to bed again, determined that nothing should " draw" us out again till morning. Our road to-day lay over a flat and marshy prairie, with no lakes or streams, the woods along Red river alone being visible, away oflP to the right. At noon we halted at a stagnant pool of dirty water, cut down two small dead poplars (all the timber we could find), boiled our coffee and had a cold bite for dinner. The sun was very hot huge bottle-flies and gnats very bad, and our horses most used up. At three this afternoon we started on again, and rode twelve miles, to the Shayenne, that is, the Rev. Mr. Black and I, who ride together. Here we found the dragoons encamped on the top of the steep wooded bank, on the south side of the Shayenne; the turbid, narrow, river rolling rapidly about two hundred feet below, and a vast expanse of rolling prairie away off to the north on the other side. The country passed over this afternoon was a level, marshy prairie for the most part, with sand-hill knolls like mounds, and excavations as though done I. J -..„«, at xxxtcxvaio. A« wc approached within six miles of THE OUTWARD MAROir. 263 the Slmycnno, the timber in groves became more abundant, with rolling prairie, hills, mounds, and valleys leading us to Huj)poHO wo were immediately on its banks. The dragoons were deceived in common with the rest of us and thus led some ten miles beyond their umial march ; making a distance of thirty miles. At their camp we found Dr. Foster and a friend, who had rode on at noon in search of the Shayenne. After partaking of a good supper in Lieutenant Corley's tent, and waiting till nine o'clock for the arrival of our carts and balance of the party, the Rev. Mv. Black and I re-caught our horses, and rode back by the light of the new moon, in search of the stray wanderers ; after a ride of some two miles we came in sight of their camp-fire, to our great joy, and soon came to the camp, at ten, P. M.; the tents were pitclied on the opeiuprairie, just on the side of a swamp, where the water was prett • good ; also some wood handy, and but few mosquitoes, which at the dragoon camp were far worse than I ever saw before, or heard of, or imagined ; in lact, no imagination could do them justice — they must be seen and felt to be appreciated. I rode a cream-colored horse, and was unable to distinguish the color of the animal so thickly was he covered on my arrival there. During supper they swarmed around like bees hiving, and entered the mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, and had it not been for a cool, fresh, evening breeze, they would have been un- bearable. Dr. F. remained with the lieutenant at the camp all night, and I have since learned that they were almost literally devoured alive, albeit they had the protection of mosquito bars ; which on this occasion did not amount to much. Dr. F. wns phlebotomised to the extent of several pounds of blood ; and finally took refuge on the open prairie, muffled up in a lot of blankets, and exposed to the keen night wind, which still proving ineffectual in resisting their attacks (as he says they even penetrated through his boots), he finally, at daylight, threw off all disguise, and almost distracted took refuge in a smudge among the tents. He to-day looks dry, and has very much of a smoked appearance, besides being weak. He feels that he has been victimizf.d by hordes and legions of winged devils— -a mosquitoed martyr. At our own camp I slept com- I 264 8KI;TCIIES by a CAMPFUiE. n '' ij ' 'I '- j^ ,u.-'.juifei&^ : fortably M'itliout a bar, and Iwul no nioro bills pr -nted than I could settle, without disturbing pleasant slumber. SuNDAv, 31st.— The last day of summer and a cool and pleasant one — with a fine breeze, the very counterpart of yestenbay, which was exceedingly warm. We rose late this morning- and started about seven o'clock — soon came to the Shayernie again, and after passing the dragoon camp, and down the high, steep hill on the south side, we passed the river on a rough log bridge ; the muddy stream flowing below deep and silently, like a large canal, the banks steep, muddy, and heavily wooded. The country through which the Shay- enne flows is much broken and quite hilly, with knolls and sand^bands rising upward in much confusion. On tlie north side of.the stream the country is quite low and flat, almost on a level with the river, and forming a strange contrast with the high bank opposite. It rises, however, in the course of a mile or more, and we ascended another level prairie when our hun- ters discovered two bull-buffalo about a mile ahead. Thev immediately equipped and started, and soon surrounded and killed both. The carts and balance of the party then pro- ceedcd to the spot; about half a mile from the road, and on discovering water, we encamped on the open prairie for the balance of the day. The buffalo were skinned, the choice parts cut out, and the liver and kidneys fried for dinner. It was not as good as that of beef, and I must taste the steaks before I decide as to the merits of bull-buffalo. As this was the first buffalo seen or taken, it aflorded for a time much excitement. Guns, pistols, etc., were reloaded, handkerchiefs were tied around heads, waists belted, stirrups tightened and away they went, best fellow foremost, and Dr. Foster himself in the carriage this time (instead of Tyler), in hot pursuit. MoNDkY, September l.~The mosquitoes this morning were almost as bad as on Saturday night, the air being warm a/id sultry, and weather cloudy, and our camp being on the flat, marshy prairie, near a swamp. There was no satisfaction in eating eveii bufialo meat, which, by-the-by, is not so good as a beef-stoak, hy any means, being dry, tough, and more taste- less. Jf broiled, and we1l-scas..n,.d, it miglit answer better. i'ti^ 'f^^ i I' 1; THE OUTWARD MARCH. 265 r ad ; the mosquitoes, as usual, very bad ;e.^a t, poo. ,eno,. .„ . /XfoTo!; L!::7eaf: feast on. Our liorees now look lank and lean ; between lon^ marches, fl.es and n,„sq„itoes, and no grain, t hey ,ave V:^"! l-adly; we hope to have cool weather, ani ned,'™ a Z ::;: altd^^ "■-■■-^'■^o- «,«, have beenS ™e'd : lauie all day. The weather is warm ; mercury was sixtv five degrees at sunrise, and our march only abou"^: fi te " mt" Soon after camping to-night, our hunters rode out and sho"t another buffalo, which had been discovered lying in the 1 tl gn,ss about a nule off from camp. He proved to be a b d »d ran most furiously for a mile or two before he was sur ounded and brought to bay. During the chase, PieTre Bo g ZV h" ^"' -t'; '"' ''""'' ""^ "^- "olenti: to tt n . ud, iTT ,7 '"f """"-'"-""^ ^'""-d though and put to bed t' "'? '"'' ''™."^'" '" '""^ '" "'« »'-"4. -en.! t e-ea.tr IXLrZdttrS ^Zf t>.e flies an'd ^ostu:^ Zlt^'eT^r ^^ ■'-•-'' ahead 1 hey had just killed another buffalo, and were cook! "g large quant.t.es of the meat for m.pper- buffalo uow bccming quite plenty. " uunaio uow bo„ndlc..,s p,an-,e-no wood in sight, and none to use 8avo II '.* I 266 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. what we carry with us. The country is flat, and very unin- isresting, the water stagnant, and prairie marshy. No signs of Red river, we being still away off some forty miles to the left. The mercury at sunrise to-day was down to forty-three degrees, not quite cold enougf however, to deaden our tor- mentors, yet, who arc almost as active as ever. Wednesday, 3d. — Up at four o'clock, and away at five, A.M. Rode ten miles, and halted for our noonday rest ; dined on a knoll above the prairie, near a small stream of water. The mercury this morning stood at sixty-six degi-ees, the air very warm from the south, and a thunder-storm away off to the north. The mosquitoes, as usual, very bad early in the morning. The wind, however, was strong this afternoon, and blew the most of them away, and we were not troubled so much till night again ; very glad for that respite any how our tormentors are continuous and excessive generally. Made a march of ten miles this afternoon, and camped on the prairie near a pond of water, though we had no wood, save^vhat we carried with us. Most of the party started on a buffalo hunt this afternoon, and did not return till after dark, when they came in shouting and yelling like wild Indians. They killed two bulls, and the dragoons killed three. The country passed over to-day was more interesting, being high-rolling prairie. Our road led over a ridge of rolling land, running east and west, though no timber has been visible since at noon yesterday. Thursday, 4th. — Up at daylight ; the mosquitoes being too bad to allow of much sleeping. They kept us awake, in fact, most of the night ; the inside of the bars containing quite enough to worry a man, and keep him slapping and fighting instead of sleeping, while the tent was black with them, and their humming noise sounded like bees hiving. Six buffalo were discovered this morning Avithin a few hundred yards of the camp, but as our horses had run off we could not follow them. Some of the hunters went out on foot, but could not approach near enough to get a shot. After riding some eight miles this forenoon, we came to a branch of Goose river, and found the dragoons there, and busy drvincr their buffalo I THE OUTWARD MARCH. very imin- No signs liles to the forty-three 8n our tor- ay at five, I'est ; dined n of water. ;es, the air Lway off to I early in afternoon, troubled so iny how — ly, Made tlie prairie e^vhat we afternoon, n shouting bulls, and ver to-day Our road and west, iterday. being too ce, in fact, ling quite id fighting ^ith them, ing. Six V hundred could not but could ding some oose river, iir buffalo 267 meat over smoke. Here we found the first timber seen in two days; it bordered the high bluff on the south side of the pretty valley through which this branch of Goose river mean- clers m a very tortuous manner, in common with all these pra.ne streams. We crossed the valley, and ascended the high hill on the north side, where we dined and took a bath in the clear cool stream besides. The wood on this side being scarce, we cooked no dinner Our meals to-day consisted'of cold bo led poi;k and buffalo. The streams and crossings in this valley unlike those between the Red and Mississippi, flow deep through the prairie, and have for the most part' hard sandy or gravel bottoms. The soil is lighter, and contains more sand; there is also far less woodland, and a less lux- urious growth of vegetation. We came up to no more had ;V«c.. where horses swamp and teams get mired ; but pass over all obstn.tions in the way of streams and swamps.'" out any aifHculty. This afternoon we rode some twelve mile and camped on a knoll above a small stream of clear good water (though very warm). Having no wood, we were obLd to boil our ket le, and the French boys their pork and buffalo over a fire made of dried buffalo chips. Only a few mosquitoes on hand, and those driven to leeward by the strong smoke and smell of the buffalo chips. We kept them all out of the tents too, and had the most comfortable sleep we have had since starting; which makes amends for last night s torments and is like a change from purgatory to the third heaven. A splendid aurora borealis was witnessed from the camp last night ; a glorious display which is very seldom equalled. -^ Our escort, which is always far ahead or out of timely reach in case of need behind, passed us at our camp at noon, and are out of sight ahead to-night. After supper we were sere- naded by a large band of wolves, which prowled round our camp, and howled most fearfully all night long We utterly disregard all wolves. Indians, and other varmints. riiis afternoon, I chased a large drove of greyish brown wolves tor a mile or two, and shot a number of them. Li the disfnn..A wneii iirst seen, they looked large like elk or deer, and one 268 SKETCHES BY A OAitP FIRE. 1*1 black one moved like a bufxalo. Our march to-day was from sixteen to eighteen miles. Fkiday, 5th. — Clear, fine, and pleasant ; sun very hot, with a good breeze from southwest. Rode ten miles in the morn- ing, over a gently-rolling prairie, ascending one ridge and down another, with nothing but level prairies and ridges ahead one after another in succession, with knolls, ponds, and a small Jake or two by way of variety, and a strip of woodland away off to the right. Halted at ten, A. M., on a branch of Gooso river, though not so large as the one passed yesterday ; in fact It IS now a mere rivulet of three or four feet wide. The water good and rather cool. Having but little wood to cook, we dined on herring, tea, and crackers. This afternoon we made about ten miles, and camped at dark on the brow of a hill near a small stream ; the drao-oons were encamped in the edge of some timber, about Uy.^ miles ahead. A very pleasant, clear evening, and the mosquitoes scarce ; supped on buffalo-meat and tea, and slept comfortably and soundly. "^ Saturday, 6th. — Cloudy and cold, quite a change since yes- teiday; mercury forty-eight degrees at dawn. At eleven, A M., rain commenced falling, and a heavy thunder-storm passed around the horizon, a portion visiting us. Wind fresh from the north, requiring gloves and overcoats. Up at daylight, and away on our march as usual very early Rode some twelve miles and overtook the dragoons at ten, A. M. ; made a temporary halt till eleven, then proceeded some three miles farther and awaited the arrival of the carts, which came up at three, P. M. We then camped on the south side of a small stream, a branch of Salt river, and prepared for a comfortable night's rest, and a quiet spending of the sabbath. The dragoons had previously encamped on the north side of the same streun., and had just killed another buffalo in the midst of the thunder-storm. Our route still lies over prairie Hiterspersed with belts of timber, and stretching north: The bankL of the brook upon which we ha^ e encamped are also slightly wooded, and I believe we will now have nl^nt^ THE OrrWARD MARCH. 269 rest of our journey. We have now been four days without any, save what we carried with us, and all the old empty bar- rels, boxes, &c., have been brought into requisition. We were amused this morning by Joseph Courserole, a young halt-breed Sioux, who is our chief cook, &c. fle was making a speech to the camp in the presence of the French boys around the fire. He spoke and gesticulated with all the earnestness ot the real Indian, and was encored by loud "hohs" from the awakened sleepers in our tent. He spoke in Sioux, and I suppose from his manner, he told wonderful things. He was born away out to the northwest of our present camp at Devil's lake, and was raised at Mendota by the Hon. H. H. Sibley He IS now an excellent hunter, the best shot in the party, and promises to become a celebrated voyageur, and unrivalled in tiie chase. One of the party was taken sick to-day. We camped together this time, and medical attendance was at once on hand. Among the fifty people who compose our party are an old Oanadian Frenchman, and a companion younger than himself. 1 he old man passed nearly all the earlier portions of his life on Ked river, and till some twenty years ago, when he moved to Jlissouri territory, and has been living ever since away out among the Blackfeet Indians. He is now returning to live and die at the Selkirk settlements. He and his companion ride in a two-hoi^e wagon, drawn by two grays, and, althougii they camp with us, they cook and eat at their own camp-fire, and sleep without a tent, either under their wagon or alongside on a bed of robes and blankets on the ground. The old gentle- man IS active and yet vigorous, though his head shakes with age. Pierre Bottineau, who contracted to take our goods and provisions from Sauk Rapids through to Pembina, is a half- breed Chippewa u." i highly-nervous temperament, with Indian features stroro :y marked, very swarthy, dark hair, tall, rnu«cular, and active, and is about thirty-seven years of age. He Js an excellent huntvir and voyageur; was born in, and has spent his whole life in wandering in and exploring, this terri- L.-^. .,(!j„ioni LOisuiij. iio nas aioiig eight carts, each 270 SKliTCHES BY A CAMP FIRE. h: ; Hi , Mi ] '}■: i 1 1 r' '■■ 1 i-^cinadiaii ±rei)cli boys as d ' the 01 uppewa tribe — one liis own broth rivers ; also two half-breed men of The finest exhib er. n of the aurora borealis I ever witnesspd occurred to-night, beginning at nine o'clock. ^^^^^^^^^d To attempt a description, however, is the height of vanitv Ihe Rev Mr. Black and I ga.ed long upon^it as Im^ remarkable manifestation in the heavens, before we couldTear ourselves away and retire to rest. How long it continued after midnight I can not say. Mn Black, who has spent his life in Canada and Scotland, says It IS much the finest exhibition he has ever seen; and rierre has never seen its equal this side of Hudson's bay where tliey are extremely common and very beautiful. We are now in latit.de forty-eight degrees north, and I suppose will have frequent exhibitions of them. Sunday, 7th. ^ A most beautiful, cool, clear, calm, and quiet day -the pleasantest . o have yet had. The camp is quiet • the people are all reading or sleeping ; no mosquitoes to anno; us-the cohl, fresh air from the north, having rid us for a while of then- aateful presence. Our camp is a most beautiful one, and is situated on the south side of Saline river, a small sti-cam only a few yards wide. On the opposite side near by IS he dragoon camp, with the horses grazing in the little valley Ween ; the whole forming a pretty and very interesting It is three weeks to-day since we left St. Paul. Three weeks of daily travel across prairies, swamps, and streams, up early and down late. Three weeks of a bold, wild, free Jt of hfe -which I enjoy the more the further we ad^ance, and could travel on to Oregon without tiring. We have no lon^ and. tedious ma^-ches, made amid "the winter of discontent '' and in rude, rough, and boisterous weather, but all is Indian summer, amid joyous ease, comforts, and many pleasures Another aurora to-night- .oon over; a brilliant moonlight evening ; air cold, mercury down to forty-five dc-rees Some of our party of French boys have been "out gunning to-day, and returned with lots of geese and ducks ; others THE OUTWARD MARCH. 271 t. and six ed men of witnessed of vanity, as a most could tear lued after Scotland, een ; and on's bay, ful. We I suppose md quiet is quiet ; to annoy us for a beautiful < a small near by le valley teresting Three jams, up free sort ice, and no lon^ ontent," Indian easures. aonliglit ^unuing ; others I have been busy putting on new cart-axles, their usual Sunday employments. With these exceptions, things in and around both camps have been religiously quiet. Monday, 8th.— A most beautiful, clear day, with a cool and pleasant breeze from the north. The morning the coldest we have yet had, the mercury being down to thirty-six degrees at sunrise — almost a frost. We were up early ; struck tents, caught the horses, which were quite refreshed and strengthened by the rest and good pasture, and at seven, A. M., once more took up our line of march to the north. The dragoons sound- ed bugle, and were off ahead of us. After a march of four miles, we came to a stream supposed by us to be the Big Salt river. It flowed over a hard, and in places a stony, bed, tlirougli a deep and narrow valley ; the hill-sides in some parts being heavily wooded with good-sized oaks. A range of cone-like hills, extending from the left of the road, resem- bling a line of mounds. The road then lay over a gently- ascending rolling prairie; a small stream of water, and a stony granitic ridge occurring occasionally. Some of the boulders in the beds of the streams, and especially on the ridges, were quite large. Some of the latter were painted in red stripes, and on one I noticed a blood-red hand, and four horse-shoes of a yellow color. We then passed into the pretty valley of the Little Salt, and halted for dinner on its banks, after a very pleasant ride of about twelve miles, according to our usual mode of computing distances, viz., three miles an hour, on a slow walk. The banks of this small river ^ve also heavily wooded with oak, and we have found amidst tiiem some few more of those curses to a voyageur, warmed into life and energy by the noonday sun— I mean mosquitoes. We started on again at three, P. M., and proceeded about five miles ; and encamped for the night on the north side of quite a stream, called Cart river— the water clear and cold, and flowing over a bed of sand and gravel, and through thick woods, at times emerging and breaking through the open prairie in large, deep ravines, one fourth of a mile in width and over one hundred feet in depth, the stream in some places I 272 SKETCHliS BY A CAMP-FIRE. I teing very deep and broa.!, and .l.ickly bordered with an un- dorgrowtb of busbes. The scenery around to-nigbt is y,Z rom«„t,e and quite beautiful. A furious thunderstorm is eon'.' ■■;g up : the low mutterings are heard, while the forked lid.t mngsar-e played all around the horizon in the distance, and the mght ,s as black as the '■ dark, unfathomed eaves of ocean " And now comes down the deluge, a perfect avalanche of falline tT'thrLol'tT '" '"" "^ "" "°™ '"' P''""' "^"""'l "« TuBsuAv, 9th -Another fine, clear, cool day; mercury for- ty-eight at sunrise. We made a march this morning of about fi een rnUes, and halted for dinner near a beautifuUtream f cold clear water flowing over a sandy bottom, intermixed with elate and gravel, m common with all the streams we have crossed to-day. The country travelled over has been very beautiful -a rolling p,airie, interspersed with heavy belts of timber on all the numerous streams, with a thick undergrowth ;.. many places. The country is much better adapted tt farm 2rZ7f ' "":' ''"^"' ""' "" "'" "'Ige between the .■a.ch >\ e are now descending the slope into the low lands b rdenng on Red river, and the country since Saturday mo™! n ,''nKt"'"'"''t "?""" ""'"■""'^ '■' "PI"'"'-''"'=e and the land in quality. line farms could be located in the country we are equalled, femall lakes are abundant, and veget.ition good. Ihis afternoon we proceeded about five miles, and halted TrlZ ? r f'"'^ "''«' "*■ '™'""-'«l ''•"«'' ^I'ove a wide p aiiie before us, bounded on the far side to the northeast by the Poplar isles, just dindy visible in the distance. These islands are groves of young poplars thickly collected together for .01^^ over the low, flat prairie, like the wooded isles of ocean. T\ .o^sn^v, lOth.-Cloudy, cool, yet very pleasant. Up at half-past three o'clock; breakfasted about daylight, and off m. our march at s,.i,ri.,o. Kode ten miles, and rcLlld Tongne rner, as It ,s called-a stream of cold, clear water and a eaniped, they having been ahead for several days. Here we '*^:,!|. THE OUTWARD MARCH. 273 ith an un- it is wild, I'm is corn- ■ked light- ^ince, and of ocean." of falling around us rcury for- of about stream of ixed with Ave have een very 7 belts of ergrowth to farm- ween the it week's 3w lands ly morn- ? land in '7 Ave are rcely be ^ood. I halted a wide least by ; islands her for P ocean. It. Up and off rongne , and a )ns, en- ere we also found the governor and Tyler, they having gone on and left UH yesterday, to overtake and stop our escort — and com- pel tliem to accompany ns into Pembina, from which we aro now diritaut only some thirty miles. This afternoon we travelled eight miles, when the horses giving out, Ave camped on the open prairie, without wood, and no good water, and the mosquitoes nearly as bad as at the Shayenne. To-night we have had a heavy thunderstorm, to avoid which and our unremitting persecutors we betook our- selves to the tents, and thence inside our mosquito-bars, and lay secure from both. We passed through the " Poplar isles" to-day, and found it to be a flat, swampy, and uninteresting portion of country. Tl«e dragoons are out of sight ahead again to-night. Thursday, 11th. — Cold and cloudy, with rain aod mist nearly all day ; wind northeast, and by far the most unpleas- ant day we have yet had. Up late, and breakfasted in the rain for the first time on the march. Rode about twelve miles, and at noon reached Bottineau point, a prominent point of woods on Tongue river. Here we halted and dined in the high, wet grass — our last meal out. It consisted of ducks (of which we shot about fifty on the banks of Duck lake, near by), also pork and boiled buffalo-tongues, potatoes, tea, &c., with wild plums for dessert which we found on some scrubby trees on the river-bank, and, though not fully ripe, were quite a luxury. At two, P. M., we started on, and soon found the dragoons again. They were encamped in the edge of the woods on Tongue river, where they remain till to-morrow. "We now had eight miles of swampy prairie to cross, and at four, P. M., came in sight of the first houses at the Red river settlement, much to our great joy ; as a house was as much of a novelty to us after a tramp of five hundred miles across the unpeopled prairies, as the first sight of laud is to the weary and tempest- tossed mariner. The houses were full of half-breeds, who saluted us with the discharge of guns, &c. Dr. Foster and Mr. Lord rode on ahead, and were treated to milk and potatoes — a treat equal 12» jiijiii ,i I ^:l 'h.ii I 274 bKK'IOIlES BT A OAMP-FIRE. to H,«t Of tl,„ ,nilk „,Hl l,o„ey received by the w«,„leri„K c.il- .1 on on«,.aeI of „|,1. A ,„ii„ l,oj.„„ V C^^ % 1.0 ^ I.I 110 == 1^ IIIIM 1:25 lllll 1.4 m 1.6 riiOtOglBpiliC Sclencos Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 V ^^ -^^ 1;^ \\ ^ .^. <^^\. '-^Ci ;\ "^'C^^'^^'^"'" wv^ ^ ^ 276 SKKTCUliS BY 4 CAMP-FIRE. «> kindly placed at o«r disposal, and celebrated our arrival bv . ™n,ptuo«s dinner, i„ „,,iel, ;,„, ,„„ „„. arm and comfortable, and built around an open square. Here we found an old Scotch gentleman, named Sittare, an employee of the Bay Company, and who has charge of this place. He is a native of the Orkney Isles, and has resided in British America the still longer term of forty-eight years. A lifetime spent amid such solitudes is enovgh to make a man a misanthrope, and no one need wonder at it if I were to say that the old gentleman was not the most agreeable personage that I have met in this direction. His only companions were a few half-breeds; the trading- house was closed, no trade, or business of any kind on hand, and the whole place was dull and desolate. Slept in our tent 278 i;i I i SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. tl.e man, b,.,l 1 ng», w.tl, large fires burning around, and at eacl,, „ „,, ,,,d , „„,,^^, ^^ ^^,^.^^ fe balf-breecirand I"dm„s, ubile in the distance, tl,e dogs are howling the b ayes and younger squaws are daneing promiscuously around the,r lodges, singing and beating drums for their amLement and perhaps as a lullaby to us. They succeed most admtabT'' ... making the black night as hideous as possible. OuTe!c«; of dragoons, are encamped about one fomth of a mile back npon he prairie, and their camp of snow-white tents, with the A,ne..can flag flying gayly in the breeze, present qM a odgos wluc , are dotted here and there, separately, audi" httle hamlets of a dozen, all around as far as the\e can day. The wind is keen from the northeast, and feels like that to fi"f^"":, ^"^ "■ '""^"- '""'»''''»■ The mercury was d w„ to fifty degrees at sunrise, and only rose to sixty-ffve degrels In/ : Tf"^- ^ '"^^ ^"^''""'^ •"">* started fo? tie liX7l/l ■'".?'■'"' ^"''"^''- T''« »«"" ^a» canned by eight half-breeds, six of ^hom were oarsmen. They wiU occupy two days in going down; two more in collectiifgZ barley a„a getting it thrashed, as it now stands out if te fields :n shocks; five days to ascend the crooked, sluggish stream and will bring about one hundred and sixty bh! on then second arrival, say about the 1st of October, we wiH start homeward. To-day the half-breeds and Indians wee o7ttrT"""'K •'"' ^"'^-■'"--ved flour and pem Jca„ wUhanad/f- f',f'"™' ""'' *'"' '■-"•-'"■eeds the same; ith an additional allowance to each family of four pounds of sugar, and one pound of tea, they all being great lovers of that beverage. This occupied all the morning^ The Indians number some five hundred, and the half-brfeds, who d ew mtions about fifty families. The latter are living here during their attendance on the treaty, in skin-lodges; though I am I i THE OUTWARD MARCH. 279 told they have comfortable log-houses, when settled perma nently at home ; and when not out on their semi-annual hunt 1 have observed a number of their houses along the banks of Pembina and Red rivers, and understand the rest to be at the Mountain and away out at Devil's lake, about one hundred niiles to the southwest. Their occupation at present is exclu- 81V ly that of hunters; and their life is naturally a free and easy, an I a careless one; hunting buffalo and making pemmi- can and ox-carts, occupy all their time. These carts are made entirely of wood, not even an iron nail is used, wooden pins, and thongs, and bands of hide, being substituted. The only tools used are an axe, a hand-saw, a three-quarter, and an inch auger, with chisels of the same size. The carts are sold for thirty shillings; which is the average price, except in the hunting seasons, when in demand, they sell as high as ten dollars. A pair of wheels alone, are then worth five dollars Ihey are very strong, and will carry twelve hundred pounds ot buffalo and pemmican. The fall hunt comes off soon after the conclusion of the treaty Ihe usual time for starting upon the summer and fall hunts, is the 10th of June and September. Nothing but pemmican and dned meat is secured on these two hunts ; the robes being all taken m the winter, when the hair is long; the party returned from their summer hunt just before our arrival here They were unsuccessful too, for once, and returned quite poor and empty-handed. 'Che had a desperate fight, about the 20tL of August, with the Yankton Sioux, who were one thousand sti'ong, and all mounted upon horses ; the affair took place away off upon the Missouri plains, upon the western slope of the Coteau des Prairies, and resulted in the victory of the lialf-breeds after they had been entrenched behind their carts and an earth embankment, for a day or two. I did not ascer- tain the number killed on either side. Sunday, 14th.— Cloudy, cold, raw, and windy; quite un- pleasant and unseasonable. An over-coat is necessary out of doors, this morning, and fires in the house, for comfort; the weather, as well as other matters, serves to remind us of our northern latitude. To-day we had preaching by the Rev ■h 280 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. John Black, in the dining-room of the governor's house- a novelty most certainly, in this far distant region. The con gregation consisted of abont a dozen whites, and three half- breeds Ihe Ilev. Mr. Tanner also officiated, sang, and prayed, in English ; and this afternoon, he preached in the open a.r, to tlie assembled Indians in the Chippewa language Some of them paid close attention, sitting in a circle upon the ground; while others were listless and wandering, and others stood looking on from a distance, with the dragoons and half- breeds. Ihe Chippewa is a beautifully sounding language, like the Italian. Mr. Tanner uses the Chippewa testament and hymns, which were translated by his father, who was for many years a prisoner among them, and wrote a book thereon. Mr lanner is about thirty-five years of age, and a very superio; man for his class ; he was born on the east side of Red river opposite this place ; was educated at Mackinaw, and has actea as a missionary among the Indians at Red lake, for the last five years. He removed to this place a week ago, and intends farming, teaching school, n.o ,,lacoH ,1,0 t„nl,cr nicroly skirt- tl,o bank, on both „ide, nmla bromi ox-m„«<, oxtondH Car on ci.l.or baud; at otbcrB 'i ;:::;:,;'•''''" 'r:'";."' ""•" "'" ">■« ■="» p"--'"- ""-' aobtndo of dead and ,ly„,g skeleton trnnks of leafless trees 1 bere are son.o trnnks in tbo river ,„„ f,„,„i„g „ ^,,„ ^■ater ,., very ,leep, current sluggisb, „„y about one n.ile an Lnur generally and in some places aln.ost in,|«rce,,tiblo, with ^ot n,ore tbau balf a mile of straight channel at i tin,;, for t>lnle ,t» g,.neral course is .Ine „„rU, it twists «„,1 turns in a very serpenln.e n.anuer, to all points of tbo compass. The mer contains no islan.ls, and the only rapids arc .lown below Selk,rk sett en,ent. A ,iue s.eau.boat navigaliou will be fmnnl tron, there „p to the junction of the Bois des Sion.. a .stauce of nearly four hundred miles j and one far better l.nn that of the Mississippi above St. Anthony. We passe, by the months of a nun.ber of small strean.s, vi... the Ile,l Grass, Marms, (Jratn,ro, &c., which all resemble deep crooked .1. ches, and ),our out additional quantities Of thick, dark nmd- colore, water, the washings of the rich aud fertile prairies, now bloouung with numerous flowers, through which they This is a splendid evening, tbo finest wo have had for a long t.me ; the sun ,s setting beautifully into the bosom of the far- off pran-,e, as .t were, while all Nature is enlm, still, and com- the occasional ch„-p,ng of a bird, and the rapid rising of the scared w.ld fowl from out the smooth, calm surface of the wa- ter as wo approach. Wo halted at sunset, about forty miles distant from Pe.ubn,a, and have a good camp in a thick woods, where the only drawback to our comfort is the mosquitoes, which THK (UJTWAUn MARCH. 286 nre nn iisiml extremely nnnoyinp to n«. The warm mit. to-day unlort.inately rcvive.l tl.ein (Voin ti.e torpid «tate in vvliieh the Into col.l Hlonn Inul tl.ro^vn then.. Wo have our har nut up, t«M.t-faMhiou. the cornei-N heinp faHteut,.! to four Htaken, and the raised apex or centre h Hceured to a hin.t pole, which keepH it npnght and tightly Htretched. Our bed con«iHt8 of a roho and three blankets, with our coats and overcoats, &ic., for pillows Wo are upon an old can.pi,,^ ground, whoro two hun.lrcd and fifty cords <,f woo.l has been cut and piled around for the uso of the settlements below this winter. The night is very clear and hue, the face of heaven is smiling amid myriads of twink- ling stars; the i.orthern horizon is lit up with the rays and dnncing bcan.s of an aurora, while the woods and silent flow- ing river are illuminated by our camp-f.re ; our voyageurs are fast asleep upon the ground before us, and not a sound is heard, save that of the crackling, leaping flames and the low tone of our own voices as wo chat merrily. And now as my companion reads a chapter in his French pocket-bible, and 1 poMcil down these sketches of fact and fancy by the light of the burning fagots — but hark! we have company it seems nnd are not so lonely as I thought— that was the hoot-owl's' n-y ; and sounds like the wailings of a friend in mhery — tAat wf.s the cry, long drawn out and dismal, of a distant wolf- and now they are heard yelping and barking furiously, like a pack of hungry curs. And what was that- more unearthly than the fierce war-whoop, which almost freezes the young, warm blood, and turns the stout, athletic frame to stone ? Was it a " demon-spirit or goblin damned," or the mere liowling of the rising wind, the precursor of another storm, I see arising in the distant horizon ! Ha ! I see two gleaming, fiery eye- balls in the thicket of the underbrush : " Take that, to light you to better quarters;" I hurl a blazing fire-brand toward the varmint, who, with another dismal ci:y, leaves us to quietness, and to repose and sleep. Thursday, ISth.— A fine, clear, beautiful day; cold early in the morning, and warm through the day, with a pleasant breeze; the storm has blown over for the present. We were up and away at daylight, stopping several hours to dine and i !!Iil 286 SKETCH liH BV A CAMP-FIIIE. t,i; t ' ..eakfast. Wlnlo cooking „„r morninR ,„cal, ,o,„„ Imlf ,1„„„ .or«„nen cmnc galloping down tl,« ,on.l „lr,„g ,I,c „e„tom bank, and ,„.„«„,, on ,|ow„ without calling on n,; they w ^ .alf-brccU retmn,ng from .ho treaty. There is le«.^wood and along ihe bank» to-day, and wo have a fine open view of the imn>cnso prairies on either »ido. Occasionally we nass Ijay-stacks, enclosed by a rndc fence, to which the settle jIZv " "'" """" *•""""' ^''"" "'« -"'-"«"' The banks are still very low and muddy, and eovereJ with a line of the same young dead willow. We camped to-night «ga.n, on the top of a high bank we found after a long search till dark for a choice spot. It was covered over witif busie and heavy timber, and alive with ravenous mosquitoes. The evening ,s damp and cloudy, heavy masses of dark c.juds are rising m the west, and a storm is coining, sure. We retired early very much dissatisfied at not reaching the settlements to-inght, which we ought by all means to have done. Our voyagcurs, l,o,vever, being paid so much per day, have not liumed themselves; and, besides, our canoe is so leaky and out of order that we have frequently to land, empty all our goods upon the muddy bank, and gum the bottom with melted epinette. We are, consequently, about twenty miles above iort Garry, and some ten miles above the nearest house, at t be upper end of the Half-Breed settlement, which extends along both sides of the crooked river, in the shape of a long serpe„t.ne_ village, down as far as Fort Garry, at the mouth ot the Assiiiiboin. ^ Friday September 19.~This morning we arose at daylight, in the mu St of a dense fog and mist, wind northeast ; cold and raw and has the appearance of another regularly built north- easter At five, A. M.. we started, anxious to get down to more comfortable quarters; and at half-past seven we came in siglit of the first houses j stopped, had breakfast, and while eating the barge came up with a large sail hoisted, moving slowly against the current, without the asnistance of the oars. She contained a hundred and sixty bushels of barley, and will be ten days upon the trip; some of the men being sick, detained Imlf dozen tl»o wentern ; they were 1 less wood- pen view of •ly we pass tlio settlers ) flettlcment overed with ed to-night, long search vith bushes itoes. The : t-juds nro We retired settlementd done. Our , have not leaky and pty all our rith melted liles above t house, at di extends } of a long the mouth t daylight, ; cold and uilt north- vn to more le in siglit ile eating ng slowly ars. She id will bo , detained THE OUTWAKD MARCH. 287 them lon:^^ ■ than they should have been. We then proceeded on dow t,, ,,^.^^^ .^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^ ^^ P _ cee d uge rolling waves, nearly all the balance of the day, although the distance by land was but nine miles to Fort Garry As we were much retarded, we at length deserted our voyageurs and canoe, and taking to the shore, we walked on down the sett en^onts on the right bank of the river, at times foil Z ng a fie tr; f "^ ''" "'"' "^^ ^"" ^^'^"^^ ^ -- ->t through he woods from po.nt to point, and cutting off the bends. After losing ourselves several times, and only finding our way w th considerable search and clifficulty, we Lally arrived op^posie he fort at three, P. M., heartily fatigued aiul glad to rest It be house of M. Narcisse Marion, a French-Can'ad U and tl e ^. l.er.in-law of N. W. Kittson, Esq. We found him v " kind, hospitable, and communicative, and anxious to hear the .ews ft-om above; i. e. from Pembina, St. Paul, and elsewhe In an hour our boat arrived, and we then proceedod on down to he residence of Mr. Alexander Ross, on the west side o^ us on the bank welcomed us to Selkirk, and escorted us up to Ins house ; a white, rough-cast, two story stone, which stands upon a large bend of the river, and command a W w both rjUg timr ''-'' " ^^^"^"^^ ''' '-^^ ' '-^ -- '- FIRST GLANCE AT SELKIRK SETTLEMENT. A Village of farmhouses, with barns, stables, hay, wheat, and barley-stacks, with small caUivated fields or bts we fenced, are stretched along the meandering river, while the pra,r,os far off to the horizon are covered over with herds f cattle, horses, &c.. the fields filled with a bnsy throng of wh, es, half-breeds and Indians-men, squaws, and children -all reaping, binding, and stacking the golden grain; while hundreds of carts, with a single horse or ox, harne^ssed in their shafts, are brought m requisition to cany it to the well-stored barn, and are seen moving, with their immense loads rolling along like huge stacks, in all directions, Add to this the nu- 288 SKKTCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. ■;'« K ''■' < ■ 1 S, .f. meroiis windmills, some arms, while others motionl ill motiou whirling nround their giant 'ess are waiting for " a grist." J„8t above, Fort Garry sits in the angle at the ..... , ^ " — ^..f^.^ «„ L,ic junctior of tlip Assuubom and Red rivers, with a blood-red flag inscribed with be letters H. B Co., floating ga.ly in the breefe. Opposile is t.ie cathohc cathedral, built of stone in 1832, and still unfin- i«hed. Ihe bare, rough, nnplastered wall, in front, is cracked and shattered, and is surmoupted by two steeples ; one fin- ished and containing a chime of bells; the bare timbers of he other tower aloft, dark with age and nakedness. I visited the interior this afternoon, and found a very spacious nave which was being remodeled, as also the galleries; and men were at work on scaffolding, painting the arched ceiling of a deep mazarene blue, and ornamenting it with wreaths and festoons of flowers ; the work, so far as completed, is done in a very artist-hke manner. A number of priests reside upon the spot ; a large trame convent painted red adjoins it on the so- til and the congregation is composed principally of half- breeds from up lied river. ^ r j For a distance of two miles up the Assiniboin river, to the west are seen the farms and dwellings of the pensioners; the former well ^.nced and cultivated, the latter of frame and logs, cue story high, mostly rough-cast, or white-washed over with gardens, &c., attached, and comfort and plenty attend- ing and smiling around them. Many other objects of interest worthy ot notice stnke the eye, but the above suffices for a fiist glance at Selkirk. The scene that has met my eyes this afternoon, has become daguerreotyped upon my optics, never to be effaced. As I saw thee to-day, Selkirk, so shall I al- ways see thee; and to the latest hour of my existence, thy beauties, as faintly portrayed above, will, to my mind's eve at least, remain indelibly imprinted. We spent the night with Mr Ross and family, and found him to be a very intelligent and interesting old gentleman, full of information as regards h.s northwest region, and of Selkirk colony in particulai: He has published a book descriptive of the country west of the Rocky mountains, Vancouver's, and the Pacific coast, where he spent some fifteen years of his life, prior to 1825, since THE OUTWAKD MARCH. 280 and Mc.s." Pe fey,TrV„JTo"' " '' •'" '"'' °'- ^''-"' fort i. tl.o fi 1 "^ ' -Logfi", junior. Close by the toit IS the fine large mansion-house of Mr M'Dprm.ff of the set«e. ent T;.,if Tf "f I '"""'"' "^""^ ''''' ''"J-'- eon.pn.hedrrrof it'' o t .nT fa^*^;"!' t-'"" ""<• "■•'- aronnd, an.l „,uch pleasant on«™toti„Z"". "'' f^'f' a .t.-a„go,., found .n^elf ataost . ol wfo e^Jdt' '' ...ott can talk mo.e and fo I^,,! , ??" , uf'' ^''- "'^^^• »et befo..e, and would 1, "" J VZ J^f, r^" ^^ ' -« "orrow, without tirins. I had all H V ^^^^ ^' ^'"™ '"• "aketheaccjuaiutancf of It'll T T' '? ""'' ""^ the ili^fr.„/iK™W, the n,os, ^1 , ' ^ '' ^'/'T^'-'j' «- "'"^ « frontage of six chains npon ;;.e fort ; t„f .,a,a::"r XtioL'rr t J:: ;:: :r^: :,^r» coulrlTp f 1 ^^\^'^"gh much better off than they ever couifi be at home, vet T am f^lrJ *7.^, -^ I'M. as a pol.ce force in case of an emergence ^ '" 1 had tlie pleasure of meeting the ladies of th. f„ . .i • ' noiv.rer, and remained brigi.t, clear, and 292 SKFrcm-:s by a camp-fire. m ' warm, and now at last seems like a delightful Indian summer. After buying up all the half-breed and Indian curiosities, and everything else of interest I could find, I bade adieu to every- body ; wrote a hasty letter to the people of St. Paul, by an express which starts immediately ; dined once more with the very clever fellows at the fort, and then with much reluctance started homeward. And now, in leaving this hospitable colony, I desire to pay this tribute to its people. Amid all my wan- derings over this earth of ours, I have never been more kindly treated, nor made the friendship of a more whole-souled peo- ple ; I have never in so short a time become so much attached to any place, nor left it with one half the keen regret, I now do this. As I pass slowly along the lonely road that leads me from thee, Selkirk, mine eyes do turn continually to gaze upon thy smiling, golden fields, and thy lofty towers now burnished with the rays of the departing sun ; while the sweet vesper- bell reverberates afar, and strikes so mournfully pleasant upon mine ear. I feel satisfied that, though absent thousands of weary miles, my thoughts will always dwell on thee with rap- turous emotion. Prmbina, Thursday, S^th. — Cloudy, with rain, thunder, and lightning, in tlie afternoon. I reached here yesterday even- ing, stiff and sore from the long march of seventy miles ; and found that most of our party had started down Red river, on Monday morning last, in two canoes, with eight Boif Brules in each. As I came by land, I missed them all. The treaty M'as concluded on Saturday evening last, having occupied «11 the week. The Indians and half-breeds have all left. Friday, 26th. — Cloudy, cold, and windy from the north; very unpleasant. Mr. Kittson's ten carts started for the fall hunt of buffalo, and will wait for the balance of the ]t.".!ty at the mountain till our arrival next week — at which pl.uc the governor promised to meet and speak to the assembled half- breeds. The brother of the Rev. Mr. Tanner arrived from the plains yesterday, with his cart surmounted with an immense pair of elk-liorns, which we intend to take with us to St. Paul. They are the largest I have over seen, have some ten prongs, and measure about five feet from point to point. Alth(tu-h THE OUTWARD MARCH. in summer. >sities, and I to every- aul, hy an e with the rehictance l>le colony, 1 my wan- ^re kindly mled peo- 1 attached ret, I now t leads me ^aze upon burnished 3t vesper- sant upon Lisands of with rap- in dcr, and ilay even- iles ; and river, on Brules in reaty M'as d «.]] the le north ; r the fall ]ir.rty at [)l.-u'c the lied half- from the immense St. Taul. 1 prongs, A.]th(iU;;h 293 Tanner is a half-breed, and dresses like them, he ranks as a chief among the Chippewas, and should have been present at the treaty. lie says he kept away on purpose, apprehend- ing difficulty : a wily sort of politician in Indian tactics, it seems, like some of our own vote-dodgers. He is a very tall, muscular, and active fellow, with a very dark complexion,' long, dark hain and black eyes, and is from forty-five to fifty years of age. ^ He is one of Mr. Kittson's most successful and reliable hunt- ers, and brings in annually about five hundred dollars' worth of furs. Unlike the res^, he is very careful and prudent of his money, rather close in his dealings, strictly honest, with an aversion to getting in debt. He has a family, consisting of an Indian wife and half a dozen children, who accompany him upon his hunts, and spend the winters out on the Missouri plains, and aJong the As'^ini- boin, inside of the British line. He left to-day for the Mount- ain and Selkirk settlement, to get such of his supplies as were not to be obtained at this place; his brother, the Rev. James Tanner, accompanying him. I feel much interested in them, on account of their father, John Tanner, whose own published narrative I expect to have the pleasure of reading, and of whose history I have read an interesting sketch in Major Long's second expedition to these regions, besides gleaning considerable verbal information from different persons here concerning him. Saturday, 27th.- A fair, clear, and very pleasant day; the sun warm, atmosphere hazy, and a pleasant breeze prevailing — regular Indian summer, superlatively fine in the fortv-ninth degree. Things are very dull here at present, and all hands long to be off. The dragoons are busy cleaning up carbines, pistols, knives, &c., and getting ready for the homeward march, and lots of buffalo-cows and . -r. Some twenty-five lodges of Indians are still present, " loafing" around by day, and singing and dancu.g all night long, beating drums, and making the dark ness generally as hideous as night was ever made xli} iied-iake Indians have all left for home. They are a 294 SK11T0IIF3 BY A CAMr-FIRR. better „„,] n,orc provia™* ela-M, it scms «,»] raise Urg, „„.„. gro«- wmter «,„l „pri„g „i„,„t i„ ,,nfrcti,.,>. Tl,e Rev J P «-,hvell, t ,e agent f„r tl,c Oberli,, i,„ar,I of ,„!,«„„«, „„d lUv' b. «x. Wng ,t, who ,s stationed at Red Lake, left l.ere for tl,a plaee on Monday last, ti.ey Laving been down to Selkirk for Bomo stock-eattle. Bed lake is about one hundred „ est .1.0 southeast of Pembina, and is in latitude forty-eigh, deg e -be.ng far to the north and west of Lake Itasea.'thc son „ ot tlie Mississippi. Sunday, ^^Sth.-Another fine, clear, beautiful clay; the mer- ciny rose to seventy-two degrees. I am told tliere was ice tins morning, though I did not see it. The first frost in this valley, north of the line, occurred on the morning of the 24th and It was a very heavy one. I gathered wild-flowers in the gardens at Selkirk, two days previously, in latitude fifty de- grees. ■^ ^ I took a ride to-day into her majesty's possessions, and called at the Hudson Bay Company's post just across the line. Snout some hours very pleasantly with the employers, who are in the service, as they term it. The party of Bois BruUs, sixteen m number, who accompanied the governor's partv down the river, returned by land this morning, with their canoes on carts. Ihey left on Thursday, and reported that his excellency and suite would be here to-night. They did not come, and to pre- vent our disappointment we were treated to another brilliant display of aurora borealis. almost equal .to the one described on the 6th instant. Monday, 29th.- Cloudy, foggy, and misty, till ten, A. M • the rest of the day warm and fine. The mercury rose to sev- enty-seven degrees. Hugh Tyler and Lieutenant Oorley arrived on panting and foaming steeds, at ten, A. M., having rode from the Rmere l^ratuiro, thirty miles, since six, A. M. The governor, Dr Foster, and guide, arrived an hour after. They left Fort Garry on Saturday afternoon; camped out two nights by the way ; had a tent and cart, plenty of provisions, and got along right pleasantly. They were much pleased with fl.n r.u.1 I'irg* quan- iiiiHsioiinrieH e Kev. J. p. 18, and Itev. lere for tliat Selkirk for ed miles to gilt degrees > the source THE OUTWARD MARCH. 290 and people and were feasted to perfection - were almost knled w. h k.ndness, and are still suffering from the effects of . 1 hnd they were nearly as much pleased with everything they saw as I was myself, and were made perfect lions of, com panng their reception to that of old Kentucky and Virginia hospitalities of fifty years ago. ^ y; themer- Jre was ice Vost in this f the 24th, ivers in the le fifty de- and called ne. Spent are in the ^cs, sixteen down the 3S on carts. Ilency and md to pre- ;r brilliant described * 3n, A. M. ; )se to sev- nting and e Hivihre irnor, Dr. left Fort its by the got along ;hn place m 1 296 8KrOTCHF.;8 BY A CAMP-FIJtE. f » . ( CHAPTER II. THE IIOMEWAHD MARCH. TunsDAv, Sf.pt. 30. -Wo aro busy to-|)aring otir freight and I )a p:R»g m\ and gott.ng .vady for a start homeward. 'J'he carts are all loaded and sent over the Pend.ina. together with the horses, all ready for a start to-morrow. This evening is wild and tempestuous, with rain; the howling winds sound dismally, ano are prognostics of the approach of rude, rough winter. It 18 time we were off for the city of Bt. Paul. We expect fine weather yet, as the Indian summer is to come. We are well prepared at all points to make our journey pleasant; have a good stock of provisions, which, with plenty of buffalo-cow and bear, will feast us most luxuriously. Well, " a good digestion waits on appetite, and health on both." We are all improving finely, and hope for a still pleasanter journey homeward than we had M'hen outward hound. TjHHisDAY, 2d.- Weather cloudy, cold, and windy; very raw and boisterous from the north. A very good hint for us t«i^ be upon our southern march. We took it, and left imtantcr, after a three-weeks' residence at Pembina and Selkirk settle- ment. Governor Ramsey, Mr. Tyler, Dr. Foster, Pierre Bottineau, accompanied by Mr. N. W. Kittson and Charles Cavileer. Esq., left for the Pembina mountain, or new town of St. Joseph,' thirty miles to the west, on Pembina river. They expect to meet there the assembled half-breed hunters,, who are about starting on their buffalo-hunts, and afterward rejoin us at our second night's camp, on Tongue river. The dragoons and the balance of our party, with the carts, are also off, and are dimly seen ftir away upon the prairie. I am alone in the deserted camp; a solitary half-breed hunter holds my horse, as, lying by the blazing fire, I write these random sketches, and rumi- nate for a long, long time. But I must put up book and pencil, and away. Good-by, my. lonely half-breed — good-by, Pem- bina : I shall never, perhaps, set foot within your bounds again ; and although I have almost left my heart at Selkirk, far be- yond thee, I still turn gladly with my back to the rude north blasts, and look forward to a meeting with older," warmer, and truer southern friend' to whom I hasten. Adios I 13» cttl I II II -I? * '^ ii 2DS II r l>rA'ty f=KETciii<:s nr a campfirf;. Jh increased I,y M.o addition of M. I .y;"«ng- cntl.ollc pri.Ht, who J.as I "I. I-ielcoiirl » •'••"I is now on I "•e» living at St. J„8(.nl ccombe, a "nil tli(! stiitM. IIu ■ IN W I'" ivitli messes with ,|s, „„(| ■"« ^a. I .,e ,„ a-1 -ea., "Si.pso^^i^tf/o^. -^f; "^ ^Ta '^"'"^ '"""'' llie spot w iprp tl.o f,.„ • ^"^liies. vVe are now near cioati; and n . ^ r,?:;::n •""""' ""-'=" ™'""' '» ■■' I Lave felt much tc,- It ".'■ - »">"ranio„s, J„„e 14. 1840. >""". and Ms nntinX eatl ' ll"'™ ™ "'', "■" ""^""""""^ ;et".n to tl,e states, with tte 'ews o 'r" t V"''"" "" '''" locame deranged from ovo, ev , "" "''""^ries, I.e e.ldoratious,a^Kli„riitrfmrdne?", °" "'^ ^""•J"''"^ '"» and then committed suicilHeT *T" """^ ^"^"S™™ at;.;e time, to -.muni:!: .^^ ^ ^ ^^V" ^r'^"''' MoNDAv, 6th.-Most beautiful weatl.er T„ ^ set fire to tlie urairie, 1„. ,„ •. " .""^'- -lo-day we liave !-rs it bae. on „3 witl fsToti „:r;;;":'. t\--=" ^in,, 111 immense clouds of smoko H„ ° 7",^' «'» are enveloped tlie after„oon-the fire roaw; T,'^ "'""'' '™ "avelled all l^eeidedl, bot and un^ XSe T': au"" ""'^^^ "'"• ^-'• mometer to-„igbt I found it t„L We ,! °"' T "'"" carried in t.: ;llZ o;^:^!':;""™ "''"" "^ THE nOAIEWARD MAi,;CIT. 299 Tuesday, 7tli.--Tli iiiovniji 8iin rose red and fiery through the ig's miBty Imzp, and ap])..nr(Ml to be of the shape of a perfect dome, like that of the capitol at Washington— it was extremely beautiful. This morning, when near Goose river, we discovered our first two buffalo, about a mile to the left of the road. The dragoons gave chase to one, and killed him after a long run At noon our hunters, who had been on a scout ahead, returned with the tongues and a portion of the flesh of five buffalo they had just killed, and reported large droves ahead. We of course had the meat for dinner, broiled and fried, besides pork and ham, potatoes, coffee, etc. ; in fact, a first-rate dinner. Wo are cenainly living on the fat of the land, though as far as the buffalo are concerned, it is decidedly the lean kind of the prairie — the flesh being both lean and tough—as we find nothing but bulls — the cows at this season of the year being all to themselves, and undisturbed by their brutish lords. After dinner we soon came among the buffalo, and found large numbers along both sides of the road. We immediately darted m among them, pell-mell, each fellow for himself, and then such yelling, shouting, firing, shying of horses, as their riders, with belted- waists, and handkerchiefs round their heads swayed to and fro in their saddles, loading and firing while at tiiU-speed, and in a manner that would have done credit to Kmggold's flying artillery at Palo Alto. We soon had a number down, and then I reined up on the brow of a hill to reconnoitre. Horsemen were scouring hither and thither over the -rairie, in all directions, the smoke of then rifles curling up above their heads, as, riding at full speed, side and side, and neck and neck, with the savage, shaggy, beasts, pouring in their broadsides into them, till one by one, the huge animals went down and bit the dust, while a hurrah, and wild, triumphant, shout came ringing across the prairie-surface, proclaiming the success of the elated hunters, feingle buffalo, small droves, and large herds, were tearing around full-speed, occasionally halting to paw the dust, and bid defiance to the pursuers. I helped run down anrl nil r.,,, share at leas The last I ran a mile or two, and finally, ho 800 ^KFTCMKS BV A rAMP-FIRF. •"•1 plunging w 1, n L O ''""-"-"• '— -nng encl.cn.LcI hi» «1, !l .i,: 1"":' "'7*''. tl.o «ir, „,„I ,, liill, and l,o„,IIong pitel„.,r!'l ' " "f^ff '"g -'"wn tU «i.le, mingling ™ ami Z T '^"".'""^ '" J"'' ''•""• »"' ''i" cock, ifwas!::" :;-':■- T •---' " ^'--"^ Button," a8 Lord «nnl,l ,1, 1 1 • ^ '''' " '""•"« " Billy till atU-acting 1 :t^„ ':'""'"{• 'Z"'' "'" ""■""'•-" ''"-^ giving a „,.,n1,cr of s ceo sh'e 1 „ '5 "''"■''' ''"^'' "* ''""• Lobbied horse, wh . li ,,; jl.^'"'''' ""^ "'""'"^ »''% Hko « Thus repeatedly would L^hI, "J'" '"" '"' "'"' «'"■ yards or more, leaWng no^, ^ 'v.^^" f '"' '"'■ " '"'""'■''' wuch the «rectators^:3;;?;:i:r;:v''' t •;:;';/";•' -' all, about twenty, anrl foot ^ * .1 • ^•>- *^ ^' Killed, m carcasses to the^'wtul "Ve" a'^" in'^f'T' 'T"' '"" tliousnnd, the plains as f-,r IT' ' ""^ "" '" 'c" dotted wit,.the':;''v:„i:;t„r.t'i:''' ""^ '^-'-^ us, some within half a mile. ^ ^ "" "" '"•"'""i M-EDNESD.iv, Sth.— A beautiful warm cle- ,. i -nr up at daylight, but did not rret off I , ' ''■ ^^ "•«■■« which is a very late st JfLf /• "" ''""'' """■• •■"'"■'■"e, boys all being up ll 'nit r'"" '' r'"^ "^^ "'« l"--'! One of them, fvLl^J^'siS^ i; tf^fi eru"- ' '" f"'^"'- abort ,n. l.'ght, was certain 1,e saw t,™l^dt^^- '■"','' ""'"'^ and a,pe..ed toVe st^ L ^and rt:""' '""' ''''^- """■■ aei^ing one of the horses. The a arm 1"-^' ''''P"™""^ «» ine aia.m was given, g„ns loaded. Tim iioMRWAnn MMtcti. 801 P - oI« pnmr., afiosl,, „n' ''"' -'H'' -"■ - southeast rain- We rose7, ^^'^ f '■"^"'"'' "''W-l'io-'ed equiuoctial. MMy at that hour-no one kn„,vi„g the right tin'e We hen had breakfast, and Dr. F. and I st.aned onlhel 1 a't le!st hadto fust to our horses altogetbe,-. At daybVbt it boL^an .ode some four „„lcs, and then awaited on the top of a lonrr o;fh;';:.r;;? ''"''"• '-- "-^ "•■'-' «^ "- -- -""^»>-e all" 'rt':L"r *'"■'"■■ "';f '^^P ""■ ^P""^ ""• '-mg ..one on rorrebl k of'th '""''t''"' ^'^ " ^'"'"'*»- -''i^i'-" on ..o.sebaek of the most pathetic sceues fro.n "Hamlet" Romeo and Juliet," "Kichard III." .< 3i„cbetl,. H^jX of the i.yo,.," and "the Men of the Buffaloes"- varjiu. be ''1 302 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. f { 9l^ performance witli a specimen of " Bombastes Furioso," and a tarce or two, including the -Dead Shotr Tl.e doctor an proved ,n the proper places, like a most excellent critic according to the merits of the various parts. About ten o'clock, A. M., a large herd of buflfalo cows were discovered to the left of the road ahead, several miles distant! Preparations being hastily made for an attack, our hunters after a s^n-ited chase, captured five. The herd contained from' one hundred to one hundred and fifty, among which were a number of calves. After dinner we rode on four miles, and came up with the advance party, assembled round the carcass o one of the cows, the meat of which had been cut up, prepar- atory to being jerked at leisure, and eaten fresh. The cow was very fat, more tender, and much smaller than the bulls killed previously; also resembled more clo.ely the domestic anima 1 he portions we were unable to carry with us were left tot .e tender mercies of the wolves, which were already in sight, attracted by the scent of blood, and only awaiting our departure to fall to work. . ^^ 6 * The afternoon was cold and rainy, chilling us to the very marrow ; our road being over flat, swampy ground. We camped just before night at Rush river, in a grove of majestic trees immediately on the river's bank; the dragoons had already camped, and some one of our party had previously built a large fire, by which we stood in the drenching rain drying ourselves in front, while taking a soaking in the rear' Our tents were pitched, horses staked, supper cooked of buffalo' cow-s eaks, etc., and we passed the night amid the terrors of the elements and they made a time of it. We marched a distance this day of twenty-five miles, equally hard upon the liorses as ourselves. ^ o-y'T"; "'''— C'«»'ly ""d ™" a" day. and from eight o oek . A. M„ a rain-sto™. We should have remained can,ped all day, n.stead of marching; the dragoons, too, were far ahead of us. I walked as usual several hours, but finally took refuge in the carriage from the pitiless storm. Wind strong, and cold enough for snow. Alter proceeding ten miles, we m.red our horses and carriage in eudeavoring^o cross ^ THE HOMEWARD MAUCH. rioso," and a B doctor ap- ellent critic, lo cows were tiiles distant, our hunters, itained from liich were a r miles, and the carcass t up, prepar- The cow in the bulls be domestic ith us were i already iu waiting our to the very >und. We of majestic igoons had previously jhing rain, n the rear. I of buffalo terrors of narched a I upon the Tom eight remained I too, were )ut finally n. Wind ten miles, to cross a 303 innddy stream and Lad to draw them on. with ropes We vere a „,serable. and pushed ahead, without haltingfor Z .or, a distance of six ,„iles, to the banks of Maple rfver !,, before us, endeavor ng to kindle a fivp n,.o i ^A^ ■ ^'^^ "'^'^^ i^^^n 1 M , b ^^ iviuuie a nie, one holdine" an iim- piling on the wet twigs and limbs. To those who are unac qua,,, ed w,th the mode of lighting fire upon the prai e in a together with a little tow, or paper (if to be had), is placed in Zn ' T r P"""""' '"''' ^•"^''^«'' fr"" the ain W hol^! ng over ,t a hat, or cap, or blanket; some wet powder is hen thrown on, together with a little of the dry explosive and the whole ignited with flint and steel Fine ch^ i' ? «-;-S.C; "'.;: : i .t-".:^:'-ri• ing he flames still higher, then gathers closely around wlile" SHLt ''-''"' ''■•"" '"^ —-^.-ents ascent Sattob^^, 11th.- Again cloudy and cold, with rain and a gieeable. We detei-mmed not to travel to-day, and lav abed CI ''.rP.^Tf " ™'-'"- '^'"- •''•-'"■-' -nsistedTf list rest of die 'd, ".'-*-?"'»'»-. ^ffee. &c., and we spen tie rest of the day drying our wet bedding, coats, boots saddle, and blankets; the half-breeds busily occupied c Ung up .l' bufi-alo-meat and jerking it, by spreading it over a ffame of poles, about four feet from the ground, and'buildii g fi^-es undei ..eath, which were kept burning day and night. We have had a storm of much severity, and being upon the prairies, unprotected by nnv timicv -, ' ^ , • *'■ " force Tn nio-l.t . ^ ? ' ""^ '^'^ " '" ''« f"" torce. lo-n.ght the sun set clear, and the western sky was 301 SKKTCIIES BY A CAMP-FIRE. most bn hantly illuminated. Fine weather will undoubtedly follow, the equinoctial being over now for certain. Indian sununer will now return and resume its sway, after this tempo- rary disruption of the elements. Herds of buffaloes are around us to-night, and have even wandered m among our horses, close to camp. We are obliged to chase > iem out occasionally, for fear of accidents. Yester- day afternoon I could have shot them from the carriage, as they crossed the road continually, often being within fifty yards ; ,„,ieed I often feared a herd would run us down in their mad, headlong career. Sunday, 12th. -Fine, clear, and most beautiful day, and more to be appreciated after the disappearance of the sun '"or three days. Our carts were hauled over Maple river brido-e and up the steep bank on the south side, by ropes, all hands laying hold, albeit it was the sabbath. But all days are alike to us ; the powers that rule our expedition having left their religious scruples and proprieties behind them. We then set out, over the smooth, level prairie, for the tehayenne, distant from twelve to fifteen miles; the buffalo- bulls, cows, and calves -all around us, and running across the road in herds. A number were killed, and the tongues and a portion of the flesh secured. We reached the Shayenne, the southern boundary-line of the buff^ilo in the Red river valley, at noon. The dragoons had just crossed over, and their teams' were winding up tlie steep bluff on the opposite side. We dined, rested two hours, and made a march of eight miles in the afternoon. We stopped at the only clump of timber on the whole prairie, between the Shayenne and Wild- rice river, and here we found the dragoons encamped. Being out of the buffalo country, a portion of the excitements of the trip are over, ^ And now, if I can throw enough interest into our monotonous journey back to Sauk Rapids, to interest the reader, I shall be happy. Be it remembered, however, that these unpretending, rough notes, are written with pencil, with my knee upon the grass for a writing-desk, amid the smoke of evening, noon, and morning camp-fires, sometimes unon mv hr.r-cf. ,.,i,:]^ ]„: u. mdoubtedly in- Indian this tempo- have even are obliged ts. Yester- carriage, as vitliln fifty wn in their 1 day, and the sun '^or VGv bridge, i, all hands s are alike ; left their ie, for the ! buffalo — across the jues and a ^'enne, the 'er valley, leir teams I of eight clump of md Wild- i. Being nts of the )notonous [ shall be etending, upon the noon, and urely THE HOMEWARD MAKCTT. 305 pursuing my lonely way apart from the rest of the company; and as first written, they appear to you. In consequence of our resting yesterday and travelling to- day, amid all the bustle and confusion of the camp, besides buffalo-hunting, etc., it is extremely hard to realize it is the holy institution of the s bbath that has again dawned upon us so beautifully. I think of the quiet Sunday far away at home, and in the crowded cities of the East, where the bells are gayly chiming in the ears of their thousands of hearers, who should be worshippers, and answer to their call. MoNDAv, 13th. — Clou \v, cold, and windy, all the morning, with rain-showers at noon. Overcoats and exercise on foot necessary to comfort. We started early, and reached the "Wild Rice" at one o'clock, P. M., having made a march of sixteen miles. Drew the wagons, carriage, and carts, over by ropes ; then camped in double quick time, and all hands fell to cooking. Dinner and supper combined, was ready at four, P. M. It consisted of boiled buffalo cow and potatoes, fried cow and hearts, coffee, stewed peaches, and a hash made of cold meats, potatoes, onions, lard, pepper, and salt; all well mixed, prepared, and cooked by Dr. F., assisted by the young priest, Mons. Lecombe, Gabon, and Pierre. All hands then fell to with an avidity unexampled in all the hungry, voracious feats on record, and devoured the meal ravenously. I have been thinking that we will scarce know how to live in houses, or eat at table, when we get into civilized life again. There is a romance and strange wild pleasure in the life we lead at present, so that the ordinary every-day routine of business life among the busy haunts of men away down to the southeast (St. Paul), will seem irksome and monotonous; and we will all lia^e to be broken into the traces of quiet, sedentary, domestic life again, — which will perhaps prove all the pleasanter and more to be appreciated, after undergoing a temporary interrup- tion to its eniovments. TuESDAv, 14tli. — Election day In Minnesota, for memliers of the house and council. Well, they have a delightful day for it; sun warm, air cool and pleasant. Go it — organizers, disorganizers, and coalitionists— to the mark, ye whig whij^s 306 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRTi:. H I ■ii e erovernar'a «ri.;r.i ^ i«Ke a "horn, ' ^-^^ Xv ZL t^^ZnT ^^PP^^^'P-"- --t gathered, " If sprt o "^ ' / etandmg toast being that of Falstaff If sack and sugar be a fault, God help the wicked f'' We crossed the Bois des Sioux four miles south nfwl, crossed coinp- nnf o«;i , , "'" ^* where we Imlf a mile to camo T1,J ' "'' '° '"""^ "" ^«<>d first time. It co^L'^edlf 1^,'""/ ^'"''r'"^ '^'""^' ^»^ *'■« boiled. t..e„ fried iapan^i:; L dT^' ""'''r^' "'^^ ?- excellency, about the .*«/fc4 of the dish Ld ?. ^ ^. " ity -f kidney fat over all other fats Doctor Td- .•"*"'""'■ >-rging that the admixture of so much ftt ^-^''""T^' *'"' t>.e whole into good tallo:! Uesa'd iTe'^^Ztr '""" be cast into moulds, and each man LlloweTIn . , """ candle, as he pleased T,.ll -T f ,"■ ^ «»' or burn his was none of h s bustss- To'n '"'' ?' ""' "'■'' """ '' " Don't let it bur':rb „ z::z::t7-:\ "■: ^-''■" will be first-rate '" D;.n,,f J ^^""emen, if it don't burn, it ought to he madV, altedSedro;^:'"^;^^ was sustained by the ouas! cnok . i T J^' lord's plan big black bear waldiscovered i:: to :"''• ^"1,"""' * started in hot pursuit Tl ! '»«■"?. and all hands Doctor F., his cam Is a.Td • TT' ^'"^'" ^''" ^''^"'y f"'- bin^self in' a neiSS.^t'e" ''LtrX'T^l'l^^'. ^"'^"^'^ — " ^'d iuj[gu[ ju IS gravy, THE HOMEWARD MARCH. 307 tie stew was burnt, and in a minute the devil was to nay • Lx^t ]^ruj„ got fits ! Pierre and Gabon took tbe lead on horsiback wlnle the rest of us ran down and along tbe banks of like Oonstantia, till we were fairly out of breath thf.Ti!!! ''"t1-^' "" race-horse, but could not save his bacon that t me Pierre shot first, and his ball only tore off a toe fiom the beast's fore foot. Gabon then fired, and his two balls passed hrough poor Bruin, who leaped, and fell headlong down the hil -side, and was dead before we reached him. He was skinned and the meat placed on the carts; when, after the kidney dinner, we once more moved on rRii,Ar, 17th -Cloudy, with rain all day. We made a short march and camped early, to avoid the storm, on the borders of a lake near Potato river. All hands then fell to at cooking Doctor F. could be seen, with great slices of ham on a forked stick. Tyler was parboiling and frying the ham and eggs. Ihe French boys put up elk-ribs to roast, and Pierre a skunk; he having killed two yesterday for the governor, who had taken a great fancy to them, and was very desirous to have another taste. The regular dinner consisted of broiled bear-ribs, eggs, coffee, &c. The whole was eaten except the skunk, and his e:,celle,rcy refused to partake of it, on the ground that it was 'very good when he was very hungry, but that an ordinary appetite could not relish it. It would be a very ordinary one that co«Jd. He also says, there are too many kinds of meat about, and too much ot It, for any one to fancy skunk. r)l^ F. and Tyler were appointed a committee of two, to see that he eats OK. at least before he goes to bed to-night, and not let him off without. It is but meet that everv on^ Bhould have plenty of that which is most to his taste, and also skin and eat his own skunks, and not leave them for his friends We then spent the rest of the day within our tents, and had a good time of it. The governor ate his slunJc ior supper, though he thought we were coming it rather sfron^ over him Our salt gave out to-day, and there is great grum"- ing in the camp. We have plentv of wbi'^ke- l^ft uncle being very liberal in his supply o{ spirits Mn^h > jiowevcri IS a very 308 SKETCHES BT A fiAMP FIRE. i, I ■1) and useful and necessary article j as all our party are medium, go r„pj,,^g at tl,c «pi,.it-kegs, filling „p their flasks and bottles' as regularly as clock-work. "oities The governor has now, however, locked up all the spirits in wooden boxes so .hat the spirit world is closed to "^ tie n.edn™a save h.mself. He still ,aj,s three or four times a day and always gets very satisfactory answers. He is, therefo^^^' a firm believer m M. spirta. Lord, however, if he can not tan ':r ''>"'"" '" ""^ ""^ -=— '» -'" tl-en., and Z Sattodav, 18th._We marched twenty miles to-day nas sn,g by Lakes Pike and Fillmore, and camped on a „^' mmldy stream^ The dragoons left us two days ago, and are out 01 s,ght. They have been of no use to „s whatfv , dur n! - jo^Tewi^h^o^r" '""■ '-'' '" "• '" - '-y <"■— SUNOAV, 19th.- Cold and windy, but good travelling weath- e . We camped at Lightning lake, so called because the l^^htnn,g here struck the camp of Major Woods aud Capta n 1849 We also camped here over Sunday on our outward march. Onr supper to-night was cold bear-ribs. crackers a, d coffee, eaten while sitting on a log around the fire. _ 1 his IS our last sabbath west of the Mississippi, and we be gin already to feel near home. Mo™.„, 20tli._ An extraordinary day. Weather variable • nio,stly cloudy, and quite cold, with a rainy mist and sn„w t len ha.lmg till the ground is covered ; the next the sun !« s lining warm and pleasantly. There appears to be a gene" disruption of all the elements. We rode ei^ht mil„. *f ^ m-er, aud found the crossing very bad. Dr! F t™ :::^p:: B ss,e, was completely mired, and was pulled out with a rpe llie governor and Dr. F. were carried over on the back rf Pierre and Jarva, and I forded, with the big long India rubbets _hel,.d around the waist, and occasionally stickitg fast w h l"e X^ord took off coat, boots, pantaloons, and drawer' a, , w d a la model ams,e-i. the midst of our immoderate l»„.ht. THE HOMEWARD MAROH. 300 and bottles e spirits in to all the rnes a day, therefore, an not tap i> and lias -day, pas- 1 a small >j and are er durinsr dragoons ig weath- auso the Captain immer of outward kers and d we be- 'ariable; id snow- iiriously, e sun is general to Crow H'e, poor a rope, •acks of rubbers ; while waded ughter. We then proceeded two miles, and camped upon the prairie; helped the doctor along with the old mare, thrashing her along at every step with a long strap, and had hard work to get her along at that. Poor Bessie ! with tail between her legs, and head hung down, she seemed shrunken by her bath to about one-half her former size, and, as the cold winds swept around her, she trembled, and looked most piteously. But cheer up, brave beast ! Uncle paid a hundred dollars for you, and if yoj should now keel over, it would be truly a dead loss to him ; besides, the doctor would have to walk the balance of the road', and he would be perfectly inconsolable — his grief would be' greatei than he could bear ; so bear up, brave Bess ! We dined and supped together at three, P. M. ; fare was fried ham and buffalo, coffee, etc. Spent the rest of the day around the fire, drying our moccasins and stockings, and fixing up generally. Retired early. The grass being all killed by the frosts for some time past, our horses have nearly given out. We are obliged to stop a dozen times a day, on the banks of streams, and in the little sheltered valleys where the grass is green, and there refresh our exhausted animals. Tuesday, 21st. — Cloudy and windy, and very cold; snow- squalls occasionally. We started early, to 'keep warm ; and Doctor F. came near drowning his mare in attempting to cross a stream. She swamped, but after being lightened of her burden, to wit, the doctor in a saddle, with a knapsack and two overcoats behind, and a coil of rope of thirty feet and a stake, for a lariat at night. On the removal of all this, she rose to the surface, and, a rope being fastened around her neck, she was drawn out choked, with a " Yo, heave O !" and a "Pull now, boys, altogether, out she comes !" by all our force. In doing this poor Bess struggled and floundered considerably, and the mud and water flew as though a dozen porpoises just harpooned wei-e there ; the doctor meanwhile standing along- side of her, at a safe distance, over his boots in water, crying, " Pull, pull, you devik, pull — a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether ! out she goes !" We then took turns in driving her along, the doctor riding myjiorse, and I wading the swamps and streams in the big boots. i:ach one in his turn abandoned 310 SKETCriKS BY A CAMP-FIRE. k I m occasionally consult;,,,. ,L •! f ^ ^ """■■ '""'''^'' ""'l bnt j„st ,„ e„y, ,,o„.e,„, t,,„j ^ le'avins tiren. T tool i^iiiuiea at Ua\id lake, m a piece of woodlan.l Wo i t.ees tl,c fire roared, and the snow commenced falling fu"f„, 2 ";iTarc:r.rrSr -oS -ri -"' ^"-■ ManUet .avin, i„ .,. .ind.t'a ^r':! : ru Tr,r d.ed yards, and occasionally a creature that apne re t bl" an I„d,an wo.dd spring „p, and waving his b a„ket at ,,, again fell quickly down into the grass E- Til ' «^.,,,.p.„. ,„„,,„,j~,;:ir..r.;-it£; — and believing it to be somefool-caper of one of til „7 ^ party I rode ahead, till Gaboi fina/i;.:drov t theTr and after a sort of parley with the creature-d", g thi fu eaped about and waved the blanket, and then squaHilg std in as small a compass as possible, forming a living ball envel oped .n a blanket, and so remained c^.iet and^ mo i„ , I " a m 1? ff rd'r t"" T'" '"'"'' '" ' ''"^ "' -"^^^ «* nine on, and motioned us to ^o there We fm-,,,^ +i „ po.ed Indian to be " Amab," on! of the Frl„ bo -f w W Z £: ":::•„ r:- 1 ''--i "" ^^^-^ "•-'■--*,;":'::' gone H e, therefore, followed their trail, leaving the silent blanket-euve oped sentinel as a sort of living fil ,o « direct the others still behind. On a„-ivi„g a! the'woods wo THE HOMEWARD MARCH. 311 found the carts and carriage— the horses picketed in the woods for shelter, and a huge fire blazing. The governor, lyler, and the old mare, soon after arrived, and dinner being ready, all hands ate with their accustomed avidity, some in their tents, and some around the fire amid the falling snow In the midst of our enjoyments, we could not but regret the loss of one of our party, who had come along the road, walking and leading his sick mare, before the fantastic sentinel was posted, and not observing that the carts had left the road, he kept on, although two guns were fired, and blankets waved, and shouts sent after him from camp. Much pity was bestowed on him, and a great deal of won- dering and speculation indulged in as to his whereabouts on such a night as this, without fire, food, or shelter. He is sup. posed to be at the crossing of 8auk river, fifteen miles ahead, l^abou set oif, however, on his Indian pony in search of him, the snow falling in wild, fitful, gusts. We are yet some forty miles from the Mississippi, and are uneasy at the rapid giving out of our horses. Two of our half-breeds started on ahead tins morning in hopes of reaching the river by night. However, as we lie warm and comfortable in our tents to- night, upon our beds of mattress, robes, and blankets, with overcoats, boots, and saddles, for our pillows, we can listen undismayed to the keen bowlings of old Boreas, and the pat- terings and rattlings of the gliding snows overhead -the first rude, rough harbingers of the precocious winter, disturbs us not. 13 ow, winds, blow, snows may fall, and the winds may howl for ourselves we care not, only for our poor beasts, and our absent voyageur. Wednesi>ay. 22d.-A beautiful, fine, clear, day. after the storm, cool and bracing. The old mare. Bess, was found standing in the same spot and position that she was left last H.ght, She had apparently not laid down, or moved a muscle. She stood, in fact, a statue of a mare -perfectly rigid through- out the night, and exposed to the fury of the storm, we beL unable to get her under shelter. The Dr.. getting desperate! started on ahead on foot, while the governor. Lord, and Tyler .-J. ^..^.s „xong v>ini blows aua suouts; but finally rii t 1,1- V I r ■v t f, .■ ,« ':", III ,1 I 312 fViilh with Billy SKKTClira BY A CAMP- FIRE, g in tl.ifi. they hitched IJilly Button (Lord's I iOYBd), to her "tck, and attaching the rono around if ♦!,«„ .i.. s iieck, and attaching tl. pulled the mare hy force ; Bill d opo around it, they tl rawing as if his life d 1U8 ded bod,-.he-'-^''™ extremity of Lake W.nn.peg. It ,s to be forwarded immediately to the ndm,ralty department, via St. Paul and the states. MTldl Klyn ,s the bearer, and will reach you in fifteen dayf^a 1 nous opportunity for communicating a few lines to you -as' good as .t was unexpected ,- my time, however, is very precions and will not admit of details. ^ precious, Our party reached Pembina on the llth )n.f„„f • . lravell!no.,1.„=f.„„ ,1.- ,,. . ." ."^"^ ^"n 'nstant, in twenty ° "•••'° *'^""' "lu iiiississippi at Sauk rapids. We had I • It J t k1 : 9 .< i'i n 31G buffalo-lmnts, b dcllglitfuJ wofitl SKKTCIIES BY A CAMP-FIKK ear-cliasos, plenty of small icr, aiul every other pl( er game, good roads, itli ^ ?asure, with sonio wx n.t exc, en-iits and accidents attending a prairie trip, .vith noth- ing, however, of a serious nature; scarcely any sickness, and no annoyance except from the legions of winged devils in the s >ape of mosquitoes, gnats, and huge, tormenting flies, which all existed m swarms of countless millions throughout the trio Ihe treaty began on the 15th, with the Red- lake and Tembina bands of Ch.ppewas, numbering in all about two hundred and fifty. Several hundred half-breeds were also present, and ex- pected to participate in the making of the treaty, and were exceedingly disappointed when informed that their claims would not be respected, and that the government only recog- msed the Indians as the rightful owners of the soil, and in- tended to deal with them accordingly. The half-breeds had counted on the reception of a portion at least of the annuities as almost certain, and had hoped for the consummation of a trea- ty, m case their claims were recognised, with that view only • not with the more manly intention of coming into the full pos- session of the lands at an early period, and bettering their pres- ent miserable condition by their cultivation, and, as independent ti lers of the soil, subsist without the poor, miserable pittance M'hich It would be, at least in the shape of an annuity doled ont to them from year to year, the very receipt of which would degmde and lower them as men and citizens of our territory, iheir dependence upon annuities in prospective, and their keen expectancy of receiving them in common with their red relations, with their unwillingness to become honest tillers of the soil, shows them at least to be very deficient in self-respect, and to possess a very low and I think erroneous estimate of their own character. I hope, however, better things of this tree, liardy, and very energetic class; and that they will take advantage of what will be done for them by government to improve their present wandering condition and mode of life, and elevate them among the ranks of "Nature's noblemen,"' for which positi( i they are well qualified. The land proposed to be purchased includes each side of tiari »>iv"" *l.?-..f— . -1--, — iiuS = i V vi tii i; I V tiie east and west, and as far south WITEKS FnOM PEMBINA ANTl SELKIEK. SIT as Goose river. This include, a portion of Pen,bina monntain ami 1 1,0 new town „f St^ Joseph, thirty miles west of Pembina. An otUM- was made then, of eight thousand dollars down on the rat,fieat,.,„ of the treaty, and yearly annuities of several thou- sands for twenty years. fl,e l'7M l7'"".^' "' """'"'"y ''"'' "'« ^^^- J"'"' Blaek, on the 1 7th, before the consummation of the treaty, and have since hoard nothng definite. As the express passi; PembTna you W.11 have later news. We were three days descending «,e Red r.ver (n.nety miles); and, although we have been suffer! I hair ™ t'!"!,?"", """' "" "'•'" """"l »' Po-^bina, yet 1,7 T I\^ P'""'"'' "'"■ «^-«7'h"'g Pertaining to this settlement, and I assure you I have seldom left a plfce with more reluctant feelings than those I experience at present I am about starting up the river in a bark-canoe, with two ?he 2,T ™^'"^™""'' "T' '"" '•''""'' ^^'"'''"'' 0" *'"= evening of now de'l-Tf"! "f /'"■f' "'■^'"' ^y *'"' '^^y- The weather .s now del.ghtful, .t having cleared off this morning, and is IL ::tre ;:eTa ''^''^^■""- -"»""• ^he cathel^l-beH mZ f f,7 ""^'"^ * """■y <^''™''' ""d I almost fancy Selkn-k settlement, amid the very centre of the continent and a whole month's march of twenty miles per day to the west of snndown — thatis, St. Paul. t"e west ot I and it very hard to be brief amid scenes like these but my fme and the circumstances in which I find myself si uated rLw. " "• '"' ^"" "'« ^"-« «-t necessity knows I have been treated in the most ho,,pitable and kind manner the i.eople throughout the settlen.ent, and by none more so Mr ",T i'^bS "':'] ''""• '''""" ' ^•■•'"' '«"^ -member T a tf ., n i" "' """"•'""^ "^ ""'e company's- p„,t at this place. Dr. Cowan, Mr. Pellev and nr,. T„ • ^ \ also to Mr. .fDermott and Mr. AleTa'n" uLZZ'J-jt t:iiZ:TX'it""!-..-i''''^^ ":^""""-' "'"^"eea worthy ge;:tie:r IrhaTSdT^-; - ::* - I 318 BKETCIIES BY A CAMPFTEE. ' .f I i cnmTnnn with tlio otlior momLpis of tlio sevoral churches, of which tlievo niv. ihroo, is very highly csiceined. The clnirclies wc.ulil do credit to any western settlement in the states. The congrogatious of each are large, and the character of the peo- pie for industry and morality is most excellent I have found more of the noble traits, which dignify and exalt our race, ex- isting among the people here, than any one unacquainted with them would imagine. Not to ho too eulogistic, however, I will close ; if I am deceived in them, it is an error of the head, not of the heart. More of this anon. We expect to leave Pembina on the 1st of October, and to reach St. Paul on the 25th, perhaps not until the 1st of Novem- ber. Our route will be out to the westward of the one we came, to Devil's lake, among the buflalo-cows and probably the bears. We anticipate a pleasant time returning, as the Indian summer soon sets in, and tho mosquitoes will all bo killed by early frgsts, or else too much benumbed to "present their bills" with vigor ; we expect to " settle" all that are pre- sented without drawing upon Uncle Sam's treasury for an addi- tional amount of funds. Governor Ramsey comes down by canoe to-day or to-mor- row, accompanied by Mr. Hugh Tyler, Dr. Foster, and Lieu- tenant Corley. The people here Avill give them a warm recep- tion — one of the old-fashioned sort, such as you might have expected from men before human nature became corrupt. They are most heartily welcome, and their arrival looked forward to with interest and pleasure. A letter from Governor Colville at the lower fort has just arrived, offering our governor and party the hospitalities of Prince Rupert's Land ; and Major Caldwell, governor of the colony, is here upon the spot, to extend the same. But I muwt close, hoping to find you and all the good people of St. Paul " all correct" on my return. LETTEBS FEOM PEMBINA AND SELKIRK. 819 Pkmbina, Wednesdaij, September li, 1851. 11, P. M. Dear Sir : I ],ave just arrived here from Fort Garry, after one of the heaviest marches I have ever before experienced. It happened in this wise : I was detained at the fort on Mon- day till four o'clock, P. M., as I was obliged to stay and once more dme with the very clever folks there stationed. I then left, and after crossing Red river on the ferry-boat, at the mouth of the Assiniboin, I proceeded on up, through the half- breed settlements, on the east side of the river, for about ten miles, over a good road ; and when night fell, secured a guide, who piloted me for several miles to the camp of my two voya- geurs, whom I had already sent up to the head of the settle- ment that morning with the canoe, and orders to await my arrival there. I also camped immediately, heartily tired of the tramp ; and yesterday morning was oiF again at daylight, assisting the men to paddle, and going up against the cun-ent at about three miles per hour. At seven o'clock we stopped for breakfast, being just out of sight of the houses, which ex- tend some fifteen miles by water above the fort. As our canoe leaked badly, the men informed me that it would take live days to reach this place, and proposed deserting her and taking to the prairie-road on foot —stating, too, that we could easily come up in about two days. I was strongly inclined to let them come, and go back, or else in the canoe to Selkirk ; ur either proceed on up by water until I met the governor's party, or await his arrival where I was. But not liking the uncertainty attending the time of his arrival, and being loath to beat a " retreat backward," even if It were within the hospitable walls of a friendly fort, I decided very unwisely to go on. I therefore employed two Chippewas, whom I found camped upon the bank ; and the party of four then tied the baggage bedding, and provisions, into four large bundles, and each ta' king one upon his back, secured by a strap passing in front over the forehead, and sometimes across the chest, we began our march: the men ffoinc nlnno- wi'fli ♦l.^;,. v,«j,v„ :.-„i:--j . an angle of about forty-five degrees, moving with a long, loping 820 SKETCTIKS BV A CAMr-FIlJi:. trot, wliicli I at first found rather difficult to keep pace with- at tunes passing througli a swamp or across a prairie-stream' when one of the party would drop his pack, and, returning take me upon his hack and carry me safely over. At noon we stopped to prepare our dinner of tea, old ham dried buffalo-meat, and hard bread, with a few condiments and extra fixings for a relish ; and here we met a half-breed goin^ down with a cart and two spare horses; he was also dining upon the road, where it passed a large bend in the river, and informed me that the governor had just gone down in two canoes, eight men paddling in each, and went very quick I was by this time very sore and tired, as we had made a forced inarch of fifteen miles since eight, A. M., and I therefore nego- tiated with the man (who said, in answer to my fir,^ . question, that ' he spoke English a little piece") for the use of one of Jhs horses to carry me back to the settlements. Feeling re- freshed, however, a^ter dinner, I determined to go on we made the same distance in the afternoon, passing through a swamp at sundown, which was about half a mile in length knee-deep at that—a mass of tenacious mud and water. We' camped soon afterward upon the open i rairie, with no wood to make a fire except a few mshes to boil our tea, and I re- tired wet and too fatigued to sleep or keep one moment in the snme position. I fortunately had a bed consisting of a buffalo robe, hree blankets, and a cnnvas-covered mosquito bar, which served to keep off the heavy dew, already falling. If you were ever too tn;ed to be still, you can appreciate my situation. Well, I worried through the night, and on rising ar, daylight this morn- ing, I found my pantaloons and things all frozen as stiff an horn and having no fire, I was obliged to j^ut them on to thaw. Wa ked on througli the tall wet grass six miles, to breakfast on he Prairie Gratiaro, forty miles from Selkirk. I there over- took my men, and Mr. Adam Klyn and- his companion, with a spare horse loaded with their baggage and provisions, the mail, &c„ all en rontv for the good city of St. Paul. They had previously passed me two miles beyond, having left the fort yesterday at nine, A. M., and cam„ed four m\L hnl.'n^ me; but as they couhl not help me any, it was at least some LETTERS FROM T: :srBINA AND SELKIRK. 321 I satisfaction to know they Lore <;i;o letter from me to you, if no more. I also met there Mr. James M'Coy going cloAvn with three horses, one of which he very kindly oft'ered me, saying, " It was better to ride back forty or fifty miles, than to go ahead to the ' Prairie an Maurais,' abont twenty -five miles on foot." I proposed going that far at least, and wrote to Mr. N. W. Kittson, by the express, to send my horse immediately. I theiefore thanked him very kindly and pushed ahead with a staff, and a firm determination to get through ; forded streams and swamps with a perfect contempt for all obstacles, and at noon came to the lodges of two half-breed families, situated on each side of a deep stream, with any quantity of dogs and children, cows and calves; and I afterward, when too late, saw some horses in the distance. A pretty-looking, half- breed woman came paddling up the stream, in a log canoe, and soon put us all, bag and baggage, safely over, when, not accepting pay from us, she threw her arms around the neck of one of my voyagcnrs, named Laundry, and kissed him thrice — very tcmching and pathetic, truly ! I walked on solus much refreshed, thinking of love and romance in the wilderness and prairie, and of Jacob and Rachel at the well. At two, P. M., we stopped to dine on the banks of the only lake along the road ; after which I distanced the men out of sight, and at five, P. M., reached the River Maurais, the hour and place I had fixed by letter as my resting-point. The men soon came up, and at sundown we started on, when I soon fell lame and was obliged to take off moccasins and stockings. The men were now out of sight ahead, on a full run, and night fast closing in. At length, at dark, after proceeding about three miles, I was overjoyed at meeting a half-breed mounted on my good old horse coming at full gallop. I quickly mount- ed into his place, and leaving him to camp upon the prairie, with the others, I returned in haste at least ten miles of the weary road through her majesty's dominions, and crossed the line two miles to the north of this as quickly as I would liave done if one of her best regiments had been upon my heels. I reached here eventually at eight, P. "M., as near 322 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRE. i i .1 ca usea-up man as well can be, without becoming entirely de- funct. When you consider that I was entirely unaccustomeil to such tramps, and was but about twenty marching hours upon the road, and much impeded by the long prairie-grass at that, you will conclude I made considerable of a march. I was CRi)Ccially desirous of reaching here to-night, in order to write a number of lettr-.. ^^ome bj this express, and those who receive any of this u ' 11 value them accordingly, for they have cost me dear, I a>,oare you. I have written a detail of my journey, for the reason that rny lower extremities are aching as though compressed within a two-horse-power vice, and serve to remind me of the one thing continually, having bathed them in spirits and hot water, and anointed them with precious ointment, I will branch off at something else, merely remark''np that the whole road up lies over a wide flat prairie of rich soil, bordered on the left with a belt of timber extend- ing along the river; none of the other rivers, except the Mau- rais, are timbered. I met large numbers of carts going down to Selkirk to join the lov/er half-breeds in their fail hunt up the Assiniboin, keeping this time north of the British line, in consequence of a fight they had with the Sioux, over one thousand in number, in July. The summer hunt was un- successful. Very little pemmican was made, and but few robes secured, and the soor r the buffalo becomes entirely extinct, the better it will be for them. They will then give up their wandering, Arab mode of life, and go at farming or some other useful occupation for a living. At present they are as restless as regular Bedouins, and if they wore long beards, and had flocks of sheep and goats- one might think he was among the patriarchs of old — "the fathers of all such as dwell in tents." The treaty was concluded on Saturday evening, after the usual amount of talk, and the following are its provisions. The Chippewas cede all their land from the line north, to the Goose and Buff'alo rivers, and thirty miles each side of the Red river— say a strip sixty miles in width by about one hun- dred long— and they are to receive thirty thousand dollars LinTERS FROM TEMBINA AND SELKIRK. 323 cash on the ratification of it by the senate ; eight thousand dollars thereafter cash, and two thousand dollars for schools annually for twenty years ; the whole amounting to two hun- dred and thirty thousand dollars, I have not had time to ex- amine the treaty yet, but suppose they remain upon the lands and have all the advantages as before, excepting where they may be settled upon and. cultivated. They may eonsider it a present of the above amount, as during their own lifetime they will be but little intruded upon. It is midnight and my space is full. Pkmbina, Thursday, September 26, 1851. We leave for St. Paul on Wednesday next, 1st October; our first day's march will be to the new town of St. Joseph on the Pembina mountain, as it is called, thirty miles to the west of this place, the governor having agreed to meet the half-breeds there, a number being about to assemble for the fall hunt. I have just learned that those from the settlements across the line are also coming up, and that there will be some three hundred lodges there. They will hunt, however, along the line, and on the British side, the buffalo being found on that side as well as ours. Captain Pope to the contrary not- withstanding. St. Joseph contains half a dozen houses and two stores. Rev. Mr. Bellecourt resides there, and is erecting a log church ; and I have heard of Mr. Kittson's determination to break up the post at this place, and remove there too, the ground here having overflowed for the last three years succes- sively, Red river rising thirty-one and thirty-three feet above low-water mark, and houses on the point between the junction of Red river and Pembina, being flooded to the depth of one and three feet this year and last. Mr. Kittson was obliged to leave and live upon hills near by for more than a month, last spring. The heaviest floods known in the country occurred in 1824, '25, and '26 ; the latter year the waters rose sixty-six feet in UCigili, iiuu liic WiiOic uuuuixy waa liuiiijjiciciy uiuwiicu. vui. J a large party left Selkirk in consequence and made an over- ffl 334 Innd SKKTCUH8 nv i CAMI'-FiriK. jouniej' ncross the jilains to St. Pefei wliich Inst place tliey scttle.l riM ti ■, ^ 'a niid Galen a, near Til ni l[oiitipal, ivho ncconi|iniii,.,l IIM 11 A» we p.i:,.,e,l .!„wn tlio ficltl«i!ont on our first arrival „„„ plo came out and took „, I,y tli„ l.an.I, ,„ld .is ,v« wore atfa" ge.» „„.l ask.,, f tlio new niiuiMcv waa not soon coZgZ fo y foot ., licwi, ]„g,, wu,, „,,i„g|„ ,„„f, „,,i^,, y .^ a ure 1 tin, winter, an.l aftorward as a rcsldoncc. tCZ tciul to build li,„, „ue of stone next year. Tliey made ,L1 ....juiries concerning Iii.n of „„, „„d j;ere all ni icl itap i X ea at finding he did not speak tlio Gaelic. That 1 c w« " gei. einan and a Christian, a good LVeiich scholar a^'ko tlie Knghsh flncntly, did not make amends altoge her Vriiis tt; .::7 ■" ""' "'"•«-'™'>-e Gaenc, which fs the ttlgue The episcopalians have three fine churches surmonntod bv .gb steeples, two large ones built of stone, at each ei d ol t e li-nglisb part, an.l near the forts, and one of logs neiu the c „ tre 1 , shop Aiidersoii, who resides at the upper cii^ d ;::::d:"rtt:::ir- ■^"" " -' ^"''" '--' '"^^^^-^''^ The catholics have a large cathedral opposite the npner fort a . the mouth of tbc Assiniboi„; built „f st„„e, i„ Tg^a t a' til unfinished; the Iiuge, massive, prison-like wall infi;^^ being cracked and shattered, and is surmounted by twl stee p OS-one finished, the bare timbers of the other Z.Z a ft, dark wrtli age. The interior was being remodencd- carpeiiters were at work; the high, arched ceiling just pahfted of deep mazarene blue, and men at work on scafeldintw C'lnLViitc 7'"'" "t" '"'"""' "^ «"-- p'i..to/ a" veiy aitis .like manner. I was told tl ..t the nuifa at the con vent jnst by were to have done that part of the wo^ though they were not present when I was there. ^ borne five or six priests are connected with the chnrch and "£' mo xfcou liver. THK HKI.KrUK SKTl'MaiENT. 827 I clcoincd ; y known ival, peo- orc straw- iiing also, tliirty l»y ill use us 'J'l»ey in- de many sappoint- 20 was a ihI Kpoko !!• for his 3 tongue nitod by id of tlie tlie cen I'cli, had »ig» with per fort, 32, and in front vo stee- )wering cilled — painted ng dec- d in a lie con- though '\h and omenta * V- At tlio fort thoro are tiiirtcon rf.sidc.nt fainiljcs of pensioners, and the r('n:nindcr, to th(5 number of seventy, reside within (wo miles' distance, up the Assiniboin, on the north bank, 'i'hey have each twenty acres of ground, and those most dis- tant up the river have forty acres, well fenced and cultivated, with neat one story log and frame houses, j)ainted white, nnd everything around them betokens plenty. None are incapaci- tated for manual labor, and many are quite young; and while some have lost nothing but a finger or thumb, others perhaps Jiave lost less useful members, and are sound, active, a id hardy fellows. Still they have done the state same service, and they know it too, and growl continually that they are not better off. I can say no more concerning Selkirk or its people, for the express is ready to start. The following is some additional information concerning rembinawnd Selkirk: — The attention of traders and merchants is at this time turned with a good deal of interest toward the northwest, more par- ticularly the Red river or Selkirk settlement, and to Pembina which IS now merely a small trading-post within the American line. Before the running of the line of division between the American and British territory, on the forty -ninth parallel of latitude, Pembina was the headquarters of the Selkirk settle- ment. Since that time it has steadily declined, till within a year or two. The government has contracted to run a regular monthly mail, twelve times in the year, between St. Paul and Pembina, and hereafter communication may be considered as regularly established. The journey is made -n the summer on horseback, and in the winter with dog-teams and show-shoes. Ihe more difficult season for performing the service will be during the high-water months of May and June; for between Penibnia and St. Paul there are fifteen or sixteen rivers which have to^be crossed otherwise than by fording— usually by rafts and buffalo eanoos. Many of the streams arc annually bridged over by the caravans of traders, and as often swept away. I .Ok. » J • i 828 The Rod »*^<'lkirk SKKTCHKS ny A CAMP-FIKE. river Hottloment wnn > a H('ottinli iiolil «"i''s Hny C'.,ni|.n.i3'. Thoy I.ohi iKiimlly projoctcd ],y Lord f^rnm,, Inrg^dy interested !„ tlie Hud- n vnst extent of Inndt -I uc main settlement, known as " T?n,l i?:. » • about six,,. „,i,e, no,,I, of Po„,bi„„, „,!":„ tl Hv /, ^^ of June, «„d lastn.g two n,o„H,s, and tho otl.er on ! ,n of September, and lasting till the 10th of Nove" b r Z ■ve wholly on bnffalo-n.eat. and are engaged IX in ore ^ pound, both faita- r^J: s':., -r : -:::;,;-: J xi>e cenrs, and a good robe is two dollars Tl,« hunters lead a free, happy, wild, romantic life, and a.^ Jen ...the settlement, temperate and welLbebaved. ' ""' 1 be farmers raise wheat, oats, potatoes, barley, cattle and sheep. Oxen are worth from fiftv to sixtv dolll ? , cows from twelve to fifteen dol J. "a go^^ ct t rsV; ^J or fifty dollars; and a horse trained to hunt buffalo w 11 S one hundred and twenty-five dollars, and sometimes mo e " Iheu- wheat .s equal to any in the world, weighing from 8.xty-five to seventy pounds to the bushel. Barley ami on^ are also heavy; and potatoes and all kinds of g" den vi f b s grow luxuriantly. TAe Und is never mlnnrel From ' ,1 If ""^ t ^''".^^«« "^ -0- Mis in winter, and ra" .. -....,„„„ ,rum i^ovember to April. Corn is raised, but it is THK SET.KIRK STTlLOirNT. ^29 not re Vm\ nil ns a 8111-0 crop. 'J'lio TltidHotrH Bay Compnny pay rejriilurly only, Imwpvor, for wlint tlipy wIkIi to cnnsimio, osccpt ill S0.M8OIIH of Kcnrcity, oiglity-seven centH a buHliel for wlicat, fifty f(»r (tats and barloy, and twenty-five for potatoes. Tlioic is no export trade. They receive tlieir supplies of dry g ods, woollen clotlis, and liquors, from York factory, a storo of tlie Hudson's Hay (Company, situated on Hudson's '>"v, seven liiindred miles from Red River. It requires two months to make the journey, and there are tliirty-six portages to Le made in goin^^ tliat distance. The title of the settlement is "The Red River C^olony," and it is ruled by a governor appointed by the queen. 'J1ie magistrates, counsellors, and officers, re- ceive their commissions from the committee of the Hudson's Bay Company. 'JMie jurisdiction of the governor extends a hundred miles in all directions from Fort Garry, except over tlie American line. Seventy pensioners at Fort Garry is all the military force, and they are under the command of Major Cablwell, the governor, who is also a pensioner. 'JMie wheat and other grain is ground by windmills, of which there are eighteen, and two water-mills. There are no saw- mills, all the deals used being cut up by whip-saws. There are no fulling mills, or manufactures of any kind. Above and below the settlement on Red river there are ex- tensive tracts of timber— of pine, oak, whitewood, poplar, and cedar. The ice gets out of Red river about the 20th of April, and it is closed about the 1st or 10th of November. Tlie cold is sometimes excessive in the settlement. Mercury freezes once or twice every year, and sometimes the spirit thermome- ter indicates a temperature as low as fifty-two degrees below zero ! When such a low temperature occurs, there is a perva- ding haze or smoky appearance in the atmosphere, resembling a generally-diffused yellow smoke, and the sun looks red as in a sultry evening. As the sun rises, so does the thermometer; and when the mercury thaws out and stands at ten or fifteen below zero, a breeze sets in, and pleasant weather follows that is, as pleasant as can be while the mercury keeps below zero as continually as a fish in his own element, and up above the surface just about as often. conim S 330 SKETCHES BY A CAMP-FIRR. ■ « length of tijfro J:lt n^th "; d '""Tr' *''' "'"'' "'"'» Hea nve. wU. have H^^l^Ci^it^X::^!:'^,' same th.ng occurs when the wind blows frTm the saTe .V Nor^lSctSct tot: Lrr' "" r '--^-^ ■•» V wate. flowing it: H:tn;rt;:rtL?rd::nt''r'' to deal 'and taT:,! rnaT^^^B' m" "T?"'™ "^''^ they have extended tl eir t ;"d 2„ ^ .T ,*'"' '''"'"'y- by the rivers that flow "to'ti; A«Hc "L A^f" 7'"''^ county west of the Rock/m^ntt Tt^C^'^^ZtTr embraces all North America (with the except o"ofTh:R"'' 6.an possessions in the extreme northwest and p!! T ?™' the northeast) that lies north of ZcZ!';, *?'f "'«'"' *» States and its possessions. TCl'iXZt omf"^ pany commences on the Pacific coast om>„I .^ ^ ■ , '''""" Vancouver's island, at latitude forty nrea'nVLt 7"'"';"^ parallel to the southeastern point of Le Lke of .f w "^ thence on the highlands that 'ivide tl wa te" wMch flo '/' Lake Superior and the St. Lawrence frimtholfl •'""' Hudson's bay east to the An„ ? *® """"'"S '"'» boihood. ^ ^ **^ "® ^'^^ our neigli- Lord Selkirk, having obtained a e-ranf fmrr, *i, a territory extending Lm Fort Gaf "1 t^dre'ST "' circle, on certain conditions, came oui with M, „ 1 \ * fore remarked, in 1813 Thev L • i j I ""^^ ** ''«■ some time. I.; ISSs! 1826, a d^srihrR T^- "'""'"'' '"' its banks, and produc d universal dtore! """l T"^"^'^ of the most wLlthy and iZe t c -rirftle'r""^ party of whom, con.io„v~ ^^ nf.^ jcitizens left the place ; a " ■ ""s "' ^luBsrs. irancis Langet, Philip P. THE SELKIRK SETTLEMFNT. 331 ScLntner, Louis Chetlain, Peter Iteindshacker, Antoine Brickcr, raul Gyrber, John Baptiste Verain, John Tyrey, and others, with their wives and families (German Swiss from Geneva and that vicinity, speaking the French language), came down and settled at Gratiot's Grove, near Galena, Illinois. At that time there were large smelting operations carried on by Colonel Henry Gratiot. The party named came out to Selkirk in 1817 — the first hand being nearly all Scotchmen, but the second from the con- tinent. Those emigrating to Illinois, the most of whom are now living, have been among the first citizens and worthy members of society, handing down their virtues to their chil- uren. The origin of the floods which did such immense damage on Red river, in the years before named, has never been satisfac- torily accounted for ; but it is surmised that* they came from the superabundant water of the branches of the Missouri, burst- ing over the low ridge which divides the waters flowing into the gulf of Mexico from those flowing into Hudson's bay. The only tax which the colonists of Red River pay is four per cent, on all the goods they import, whether from England or elsewhere ; and the Hudson's Bay Company pay the same on all the imports they sell or consume within the limits of the Red-River Colony. The company import goods and merchan- dise from England, and charge the consumer in the colony eeventy-five per cent, advance on the London invoice prices, for freight, insurance, duty, land-carriage, and profit. They sell bar and sheet iron for twelve cents a pound ; sugar, Lon- don crushed, twenty-four cents; tea, from fifty cents to two dollars ; and other articles in proportion. The imports for the last five years have averaged one hundred thousand dollars, from all sources ; and the one thousand dollars revenue is de- voted to schools, roads, bridges, and internal improreTnp.nts, all salaries being paid by the company. The colonists export comparatively nothing — the only article that will pay being furs (not including bufi-nlo-robes), on which the Hudson's Bay Company have a mononnlv. nvav mihioV, *!.«,, — a-u —•ii. ^ jealous eye. 533 SKKTCriES BY A CAMP-FIRE. d "I L T " ^'^ " commenced to bring forward „,e;- Oyuuhse. Iweuty per cent, duty is demanded of the Sel sh^ R:d r^^^-^"^^ ^"' thirty per cent., on thei^lfet «ms. Red River gentlemen express the assurance that thev never can pay that tax, ans researches, he penetrated five hundred Teales' ar her north than any traveller had done before h m it wa Some time after this period, the English, in order to nrofit ttn,t=edt!f. .til-1-.^^.t ^^ .-- "-4 .ou.bay,andenteredinioTl^To;t*;aZr;2:;,f;t 336 APPKNDTX. T Kl.ans, wl.o clc..oo,ulc,l, during tl,e sumn.or season, the various stronms winch pour their waters into this hay, bringing with them these trophies of their success in the chase These settlers built at first only a few houses in which to pass the winter. Here they suffered greatly from the scurvy. M nch broke out ainong them. But the strong desire of gain ^vhich actuated them, rendered them regardless alike of the rnvnges of disease and the rigor of the climate. ^ The French of Canada also wished to establish themselves in this region, pretending that, as that country formed a part of the same continent as New France, they had the right to trade with the natives that high up and even higher. Several of tbe.r adventurers had penetrated as far north as the bay of Hudson, as early as the year 1656, and in the intermediate time between that and the year 1680, when Groseillers and Kmlisson left Quebec for the above-named bay with two ves- sels, which were but poorly equipped for such an expedition 1 he persons engaged in this enterprise only succeeded in erecting a few forts, whence they sallied forth and attacked the English settlements in the neighborhood, and were in their turn attacked by them ; thus exhibiting, in the horrors of civilization, more cruelty than the savages with whom they had come to trade. Such have been, at every period, among the sad effects of an inordinate love .of gain. These dissensions between the English and the French did not cease till the ratification of the treaty of Utrecht. The result of these wars between the two contending people .was, that the English obtained the sole occupancy of the neighborhood of Hudson's bay, and both shores of Nelson river. But many French companies, established partly at Montreal, continued the commerce in furs ; which they prac- tised almost exclusively in all the rest of the northwestern part of North America, extending their expeditions even so far as the Rocky mountains. Many places in these regions still retain the names of celebrated personages and houses which existed at the time of their discovery; as, for instance. Lake Bourbon Dauphin river. Fort la Reine ; and a missionary, of whom 1 have not been able to learn the namp.. m^d^ s4--l ^ PUNOE KUPKlil'b LAND. 337 (lays' march up the river Saskadjiwan {Kisiskadjiwan, current which turns- round). We have no evidence that the French ascended higher up tl.an three days' march above Lake Bourbon, ahmg the river 1 as, or Saskadjiwan. The first who left Canada with views of coinmerce m, this country, was Thomas Ourry, who ascended the river Saskadjiwan, in 176G. Up to this time the Canadian traders did not venture any higher up than Grand Portage, at the northern extremity of Lake Superior. His voyage, which proved to be very profitable, encouraged others to follow his example James I'inley made a voyage also, which was equally happy. But as these adventurers, in travelling thus far into the interior, intercepted the furs which had before this time been brought by the Lidians to Hudson's bay, the English traders became jealous of them, and advanced farther into tiie interior. From this we date the commencement of a long series of disorders and excesses, of which the details were the moi-e revolting as the certainty of impunity gave free course to all the passions. Joseph Frobisher undertook to penetrate farther than any ox his predecessors had done, and went as far as Churchill which 18 beyond the fifty-ninth degree of latitude. The fol- owing year his brother went as far as L^IIc a la Crosse. In 1778, 1 eter Pond entered English river, thus called by Frob- isher, and pursued his course to the river L'Orignal, where he passed the winter. One day, after he had made some of the Indians drunk, he was so annoyed by them that, to rid himself of their importunity, he gave one of them so large a dose of laudanum that he was plunged into an eternal sleep. This murder cost the life of a trader and all his assistants. And any trader, or any white man, who would have dared to show Ins face in this place, or on the Assiniboin river, would have fallen a victim to the sanguinary vengeance of these exas- pel^ated savages, had not the smallpox broken out among them and produced a diversion in favor of the whites. This dread- ful scourge spread terror and desolation among all these people. IM.oever was nor attacked by it fled into the most profound depths of the forest, far from the presence of the whites. iii V ^1 338 APPENDIX. ■ » About two t]„r,ls of their population perished. Their corpses lay on the ground ; the masters became the food of their own dogs, or of the wolves. From this period is dated also the army of the great pieotte (quarrel). This was abont 1780 Ih.s same year Peter Pond formed a partnership with Mr. Wadin. ll.ese two men were of a character too opposite to be mnted, as .t soon appeared. At a festival given by Pond to Wad.n the latter was killed by the former, who sl^t him n the th,gh w,th a pistol. The ball broke the artery, tl" lond was tried and acquitted at Montreal, but be was not ncquuted .n the eyes of the people who heard of the trans! action. And ,n general, the judgment pronounced in his case was cousnlered as unheard-of, or as containing too much of the myster.ous to do honor to the judge who pronounced U In 1781 four canoes filled with traders went up as high as ■Portag. de la LoC.c," some high lauds between ?he Safkad J uan nver and the Polar sea. At last, in 1783, was formed the company, which has since become so famous, nnder"he Be2m 7r"'"r'"" ^""""""y- ™» fi-' factors were Benjamm and Joseph Frobisber, and Simon M-Tavish it was first composed of sixteen partners. P. Pond and P. Pans- MKef,:i:-i„^l4*"^™''"J°'"«'' -">■ «-S-y, M.Leod, and These opposing interests were the cause of disorders of every knul ; so much so, that these companies rendered them- sehes despicable even in the eyes of the savages, who weTe astonished to find that their own manners were^much bit er than those of men whom, in other respects, they regarded as ties, Giegory saw one of his companions killed before his eyes, and several of their assistants wounded. It was eL to be concetved. that their common interest demanded a Zee and cordial union. This they comprehended somewhat ate arid at last, in 1787. all these companies united together a"i thus increased the number of partners to twenty six The forty thousand pounds sterling, which their commerce vi.ld PBINCK BITKKt's land. 839 1798 the cmpany .ncensca the nnmber to forty-six wh,V Coi^l '. '?."""" "'""P""^- Nevertheless, the Northwert Co„,pa„y I,„,] become too powerf.,1 to dre«d any such .livisions H-zx t::^: ■■" «"'- -n 0. the oLositio;:rt';: Tins last company took advantage, as !t still -„„ „f . cLarter granted by Charles 11, to Ws cons n rI:,; ' -^'.i! powers ami "^T ""'"'""'• ^' ^^""'^ «'« ">»«« «l>«'l>.te powers and concedes a sovereignty more despotic than Charles Inmself possessed. Thongh the governmental department 1 riTo" f, "^"""' """'"•^"'' "p"» "- -Meet 1.:';: ga y of tins contract, yet the friends of this company hav^ e^go a d,8cu.ss,o,, m court. Thus, those who are opposed to 1.0 pretensions of this company, „„t having enough of money pro™tr t ''"""• '""""' "'"* «""»'' favor TouU prove the stronger argument, find themselves obliged to sub- . ""' " =* ''^-'-Pafon which they can not prevent, bv ueMH 7- 'r^^'"'f "f '^'^'0 abuses a tew years ago ofcfsioned a 1 T'. ^ "'*""'' "' '"'"''"■• ""'^ -'"'' occasioned a good deal of excitement in England the onlv effect produced i>ere, was to abate in a small deg ee the bold^ ness of the pretensions of this company, whic. tended to t cnects of a hunter, upon suspicion that he might exchin-.e me of them with the Indians for furs. On another octlf: tlcy caused a hunter to be imprisoned for having given „,e of Is overcoats to a n.aked Indian, for about its v^ake n r t! skms I hey also refuse to allow the missionaries to receive L err; iir'"'"' "' p-'*-" --■"•" -^■^>' "- i-- c ans can no obtain any money from the company for tlieir furs; and forbid the missionmies to bu- i—.- - ''^ . • protect iheir feet from the cold T1. ' T 7 " '" cci irom me cold. These, and a thousand other II i APPENDIX. piovm.ce» cll «, lo.ully f,,,. ,.(.,I,e«», ||„„ I t|,i„u , ,,„^i, «» ns l„gl, „,, „, Slave lake, wl.c-o they suat.ai.icd a ,„„^ pe™,s c„„,,„erce. Tl,i, „„cee«s only i„(Ia„,e,l still more the jen o„„y „f the ir.„l»„„ n„y c,„n|.nny. Kvco.lm,« tW ec«. .1 be ,„,„gi„ed t„ ,li,co„r„ge th'h- ih-.r..u-;L „. hi, e l.c.r i„o,pcnty, wa, vesoHcd to without scn,,,lo, or the lei!t regm-.l to h„,„a„ life. They we„t »„ far a, „ i„n, „„ he «..k canoes au.l destroy their traps which were in the wa er tl.o sole means „f subsistence in many places. ii.o hostilities which existed hctweeu the two companies . t.f the colony o Lord Selkirk, that is, fron, 18la to 1816. in 1815, eatables beuig very scarce in the establishment, the governor of the colony issued an order, forbidding any o, e o ake any provt.ons whatever of food out of the boumlary of fl,e colony. Now ,t was well known that the company of the ^orthwe.t, onght to try to send provisions through this colony, f„r the numerous travellers who were con.i,^ f „ e t jHo i"", ^''"'^"'^'"^ "P™ "■«- »ecor, to enabl! them e.t e, to cor.tnme their rente or return to Canada. The agents of tins eon,pany having been informed in time, of the ordfr of tl e governor of the colony through which they had to pass when t ey were descending the river Assi niboin. ha d ^l^Z :f ',"" '""'"^ "' "■« ~'""^'- "■"1 ->" » cont™ of rutl 1 r^''' ""'"^r'^ "^ ''alf-Lreeds, under the eomol of Cuthbcrt Grant, at that time clerk of this company, .th orders to go by land to the mouth of Ked river, in orde e ery day 1 bough hey made a large circuit in compassing pany <, half-breeds were recognised from the fort of the colonv w en hey reached the month of the river Assinibo , . i^! mediately upon seeing them, Governor Semple ordered o"t et Cirtl '^""1"," T' r" '" ^'■''"' '"'^""» '-- W t e settleis in the neigbborliood, and wi'tlnmt woU,v^ ^„-. .i . ... , PRTNCE RUPERt'b LAND. 341 come together, took tlie field witli sucli persons as he could collect Mt the moment. The halt-brcetls, who saw from a dis- tance these nK)vement8 near the fort, stopped to make obser- vations. At last seeing an armed force coming out against them, they prepared to make a vigorous resistunce, with orders, nevertheless, not to make an attack. When the English came within gun-shot, Mr. Grant sent a cavalier in advance, to make some arrangement with the governor ; but the messenger, far from being listened to, received a discharge from a gun, which he avoided only by precipitating himself from his horse. He then hastened back to his companions. A combat immediately conmienced, which lasted only a few hours, and was so well- conducted on the part of the half-breeds, that it cost them only one man ; while on the part of the English, the governor and nineteen of his men lay on the field of battle. This took place in the spring of 1816, at the time that Lord Selkii-k, who had come to reside in Canada, was on his way to visit his colony. He was encamped at the extremity of Lake Superior, on an isle called " Ih de Traverse " opposite, though at a distance from Fort William, the principal dep6t of the Northwestern Company, when he learned the news of what had taken place at Red river, and the death of his protege, Governor Semple. As he was escorted by a company of v(iterans, he re-embarked with the intention of taking Fort William, which he effected without a blow; for as his ap- proach was unsuspected, he found the gates open. He thus took possession of this post and passed the winter there. The next spring, he visited his colony, where he left some soldiers, and returned to Canada by way of the United States. After his arrival at Montreal, he insLituted a suit against the Northwestern Company, much to the satisfaction of the bar, both of Upper and Lower Canada, who were the only persons benefited by it ; for the case was removed to England, where it was never judged, after having cost enormous sums. During his sojourn at Red River, Lord Selkirk had remarked that this little community were altogether destitute of the principles of religion and morals; accordino-]y, he gnn.jroqtod to the catholics of the place that they should address a. petition 84g APPENDIX. 4 ■ tlien vicar of Ouobec Tin v.-.. • ,1' ^- '^^ ■'^- l->umoulii), J'«r. th.y re«el,o « „ W f ,?'""f """"•^"' "- 1»"' "f At tl,cir nrrival ,1 o co m,„ , '^•'«"'""™ J«Iy IC.l.. «:• p.oc„re aeed f„.. L f.,n„w f,;' "'^ '.!;:■ »•"' "'»' «"'r tive years, tlie (rras«Iionr.er» .„„? I' , '''^"""g '»''> coiisccii- crops, that tlK/di< ?C;;„' ""' '"•""""'■"" »"'""? "•« about , thousand n, 1 Lt „t Ti;;" '/" .*"'"™'PP' "™■•• fio.n tl,„t j,l«cc, «.I,ieI, „ ,S., ^ " '"■"'«'" -^''^'kena 1882 was passable, (^ "1 '1 ""?' "'"'"^- '^''"^ ""P "' tl.ey l,ad .ILt yet , J u d ca^ Zeo 'T ''"*™'"™- ^» these veimiu. ' "'^ ""'""•>' *«« "'fested by co.tetllr'lti^t,/'"':, ''"T '^ "■" «-'«" 'ling years, they we7e „bl ' d to ^ '™"''''' "^ "'« P'"'^''- Chien. Some LlMd.n sflr/r""' """" ^""^ ^'"-"^ <>« some co,vs. At that 1 1 » 'T' f""' "^ "«". ""'1 cows to that place. The e„ws tl I /' T^""^ '^^'^ "'"J each. Thei. number las Zl . ' ■ , "^^ ^""^ '" '«" P<'>"><'» I" 1826, the »ow V th ISth rfO?,"^ ■""''^^''• and remained „„ the ground S ill m /n'T"' ''"'"'"'y' ter. which wasoneoft1,ecohiesfwIi„r;% ''"f ^ '"" ^'''■ five years. The snow mX^ j , "^ 1"'''<"^ '''"• ""enty- Thelater had Za^i; l' t tre^"'""' *'" '"^"'^^P'"- bnnks, when the ice, which ha, . TT "' ""'eh as the ness, was dragged away bv tl 1 T^ ''""'■'i^hed in thick- tnkingastraigMcourTe roote] T"'""™ "^ ">" current, and and whatevef found u/e;'' I i::: ""i,?-""^'-" ^O'^ces feet in the ehnrch of St Bonif.,.! '> '™""' ''°''' *™ of the river Assiniboh wh h i^' o^IVT''"' ''"' ■""""' spots in that viciuitv "^ "'^ ""^ "">«' elevated Ill PRINCE KUI'iatr's LAND. 843 Tlio fisli, the principal rosoiirco of the inhabitants at this season of tlio ^ ear, wore (liMpersed in tliis immense extent of M-ater, and tlio fiHliermen were not able to take tliem. To crown their nnsfortunes, the bison that were ordinarily found in abundance near the river rembina, wont away, anil nUmt fifteen persons who had calculated on this resource, periHhed from hunger. The waters did not retire entirely till the 20tli of July ; when some persons risked sowing bailey, which came to maturity. After so many scourges of different kinds, one would think that the survivors would have been ready to abandon for ever a country which offered only disasters and difficulties. Some of them did indeed leave, and go to the United States ; others lived, like the savages, by hunting and fishing, for several years, after which they returned to the culture of the earth : at last, having had good crops during several years, the remembrance of their misfortunes was effaced. The same scourge has not visited the place in a general manner till last year, 1852. The water rose a foot higher than in 1826, and the losses occasioned by it are still greater, and more difficult to repair. A greater quantity of fencing, grain, and property of all kinds, has been carried away and destroyed by the water ; then the lumber being all destroyed or carried away to some distance from the colony, the expenses of building are much more considerable. We, at St. Joseph of Pembina, are beyond the reach of these misfortunes. We have seen that the visit of Lord Selkirk to Red River, occasioned missionaries to be sent to that colony. The pro- cess which he instituted against the Northwestern Company, though never judged, was also productive of some favorable results. The great expense of sustaining this process, joined to those occasioned by the constant opposition of a rival inter- est, and still more, weariness of a life of incessant contentions, induced these two companies to unite, under the name and privileges of the Hudson Bay Company. Some of the members of the Northwestern Company, not willing to be known under a title w^hieh they Lad despised, preferred to retire from the commerce. (• 844 APPrXDiX. it J" PS T' f •If , ■•>. ti The union of t]i»>«o f«,^ Since tl,atped„4 U^lrors rfX'"" ""■' ,''''"'' '" l^^^" great ; b„t, on tl,o othe. "a„ 1 fl T^'T ■■""■ ''<"'" ^'^■•y offered by it in i„v ^ X; .'"it °'."'%^-«'y 1-™ «3 that of merebandiseVven b exJ^™'""""'"'"^" entirely by the company Til '" '''°'""'g<'' ''•''^ regulated f".s. and took fton, the t^de^-' et" "• ""',""'' "'"""^■'"^ '"^ stopping when he was told he h.f ?" T'"''''*^' "'"l power engendered as can L i-T """S""' ^^'^ "l-^'^I'ite 'i'l.c 'radel.seei'tre peopier r ~"''"^"'' '"''"^ «^-- and gave then,selU "u;;;"^ J^tr:,"™' ''"^'"'' '"™^-'- of immorality. At last ml! il?, • ^, *"""' *" "^^''y ««ss direction, men who had bin -T, *"'"« ^'''" »"* i" «very tl.eir first edncatin a reform i;;™''" """^'' '" ^'=™™''- honesty recovered its right: """'"" "''' *''« '■"^-"^ and There was a mission formed near the T?„ i above the river Saskadjiwan, on the li M , ,^ "■"""tains, It was established in 1843 by M T B if' "'^ ^«""»"- of the diocese of Quebec who I ;..?'" Thibault, a priest ;;> I;is place. Mr.lour::'sa : S of'l"' '''^. «" '^" Quebec. An..thcr mi«,i„„ „,, .' f '""" '^'"'=«»e of Crosse, by Mr S Lafleri? ' """ ^"'"""^ »' "'e isle of La Rivers, a.fd Mr. Al^lt e 'a^fw ' /.^ *''f. <"^*"<=' "( Three They both received a mTs i„u IT " '\'"''' '^ """'''^a'- tLemselves in 1845. S Ce t^ ' r' ^""' "''"'•'^ "''^ '•'="'''''^'1 society of Oblats, of MarseiMes tvlT' ''™™' f™'''^ "^ "'« these mountains. Fatl, I 1' t' ^""^ '""' "" « '"i^^on to than any of the others irrr"""'"""^ '''"■'her north Chapels'for worsh?? h:;. t^ectf i,:??^' ^'"^ ""=«■ missions. Among „1| „,„, „i„„!,, ' ""' "'' "'"«« of St. Boniface) fs built osT,', Tjf T ^""' "^"■''■'™' edifices. ^ ' ^^^ t^e others are wooden The parish of St. Francis Xavie- of P • • . r. Blanc, about eighteen mJln« f, ^;7'^" of 1 rairie du Oheval ^^-•n- existed a' e~7r posed to inundation of ail tl,!' . ' T '' *^'^ ^'''' «^- Pan-sli is composed .f J^^. TZ^^^'^ ^-"*^T. This igrants from Pcmh ma, where U lere pniNCE RUPiair's land. 315 m 1822. 3en very iry have , as Avell sgulated 5ited his h things ity, and absolute abuses. iTogant, excess 1 every nember lit, and ntains, anitou. '' priest le left ese of of La Three itreal. dered 'f the on to north lake, these 3d ml 3den eval isin- ex- t^his I ere were several commercial houses, and quite a number of farmers. But when Major Long, of the United States, had verified the point of the forth-ninth degree of latitude, Pembina proving to be on the American territory, the Hudson Bay Company caused the whole population to remove to their side, by mena- cing them with a refusal to let them have any supplies from their stores if they remained. Their missionary, Mr. Dumon- lin, being returned to Canada, the whole colony finished by emigrating, though very reluctantly, to Prairie du Cheval Blanc. Twelve miles higher up on the Assiniboin, I built a chapel among the Sauteux, where I had a very flourishing mission from 1832 till 1848, when I quitted this diocese to go to Pem- bina. Dnring this time, built another chapel, and founded a farm, about three hundred miles from the colony toward the east, at a point called Wabassimong, on the river Winipik. This mission was committed to the Oblats of Marseilles the year before I left it. At last being arrived at Pembina,, in 1849, I constructed a chapel on Red river, a mile below the mouth of Pembina river, on the most advantageous site we could select. The inundations having decided us to establish ourselves near to Mount Pembina, about forty miles from Red river, I built another chapel of wood, fifty feet by twenty -five, two stories high. The total population of the colony of Selkirk is about seven thousand souls, of which little more than one half are cath- olics ; the others are divided between the church of England, Presbyterians, and methodists. There is on Red river but one society of nuns not cloistered. These came from Canada, and are of the order of the sisters of charity called " grey mxna" {soeurs grises). Though instruction was not the object of their institution, they have been invited to this calling, and have fulfilled its important functions with success since their arrival in 1844. 15* I I ii 346 APPEJfDIX. ,,■*,' MANN.„S OP THE INHABITANTS OP THE COUNTRY. The population of the country divides itsnlf i f ., classes, viz. : tliP mlnnicf i "J^ines jtseif into throe tl.e l.a f-b eed „ ° tw ^ '", f'"" ^"'"' ^^"'^'^ "r Europe ; Lo.Hlo,,. Th!hMC:Zl ' " """"■'' """""g ■■" like with «..co„™„„ , eaw t.ul"T """T — ■o-.a..d endowed lords of tl,eT™d T ' :/'■'"!";• ^^^"'«"' "'omselves the -.amy, they are as ,L ^s .Z^Z^^^^^ [" character is gentle and benevolenf TI.J '^ '^ ■"'*" r;o.lig«..-ty, they have also T tU" 'n/el?:' f« " of strong drinks; nevertheless, the vivacitv of 1 f t^ T ivronght wonders among the-n in thU v^ ^ / "'/" '^»'"' ••«» tl.e.n have taken a pl'lge To ab ' 1 T , f »»»''« "^ of all intoxicating lionof '/ ""toely from the nse done as m«ch sti r,old 7 "'T ""'"■'' **"«"" ''»""§ j".o„gh the haif-brisToit ^^2.r^ r' "-"4 tio not think this nx^^^^ ifo • • "'/"^" ""^e m idleness, I -e; eo the'ier :ra7!ire! raittetlr^trL? -:a^"-trtt::::hCS.r"'-^^™ vice. They have a taste L ! . 7 ^''^''' ^^^ *^'^« ™..-n . an/ a grrat".':,: ^ oOl.rT™: otX-S '^^ ;::;:ii:?;-:;:r;r'---ic:- them what thev oul-I.f fn , • t ? ^ ' '■^^'^'^" ^^^^^^^s ^ ciL iney ought to think about these thinp-s tl,^.. f i invincibly impressed with a .spnfln,... ^^ ' - ^'•' ^ ''^ i^„, o* uupu or lear, accor- PRTNCE Rupert's land. 347 ding to the nature of the dream. The third class of the population of the country are the savages, who have a still stronger spirit of nationality than the other two, though they admit that they are not so skilful in other respects. • The Immense valley that empties its waters into Hudson's bay is inhabited by a great number of savage tribes, who all spring from four mother nations, absolutely distinguished from each other by their language. 1. All the people who border on the northern sea, from Mackenzie's river to the Atlantic ocean, belong to the trih > of tlie Esquimaux. All speak nearly the same language, have the same usages, same superstitions, and the same manners. Small in stature, their physiogomy is entirely characteristic ; and offers nothing which attaches itself i^p the other American nations. They never form any alliances with other nations ; who regard them as being as far inferior to them, as they themselves are inferior to the whites. The name of the Esqui- maux is a corruption of the word Weashkimek, the eaters of raw fish; this word is Sauteux. They have, like the other savage nations, the use of the drum. Their habitations are usually made of snow or ice, and are warmer than one would be tempted to belie /e; hut they have a humidity which is insupportable to any person not born in them. As they drink whale oil with great delight, they expose themselves to great dangers to catch this animal; which proves that they are not destitute of bravery. Without occupying themselves with the reflection that the fisherman and his canoe would make only a mouthful for one of these marine monsters, over whom they often pass in the chase of the whale— nor that with one blow of his tail, the whale himself, could throw them to the third heaven, like to the feeble bird, which strikes with its bill the crow who comes to deprive it of its young— they throw their slight darts at the back of the enormous fish, till they have rendered themselves masters of it. As no missionary has ever lived among this people, it is impossible to form any just esti- mate of their mental capacities. sa. . ijii ^;i xtivriiiagixcD, ttiiu iiru uiv'.uuu luio severai different tribes, are the neighbors of the Esquimaux, and in- 348 ArpENDTX. I, ft M" ," (5* ^J% Hifli^ TlMs natural dispos kiln i , f *""" "^ """='' "« ""'y eon. p.-oj„.l;ce, has Z to r"^ the absence of all relics over, adva„ta/e2;:„ I IZrZl'""' "" ""' "'"■^• Christians, excentin/ , „ . • ■ "^ *'" "»«' "ea'Iy all bonds of poT/gamy'wLTh r "7.'","' '""'""'^ '^•-" "- »till at a dltr,fce^' "^ *'"'' ''"^""" *" l"'^«k. bold cap. which S ,ei.:Tear^ *"7"'''^''-''''^^''- 'be or sack which ey w a whlh TT ""' """' '" => ^■°»'' tbem appear po „M at tl,o to a^^- '""""' "^ '''''' "'"^^^ Saut.„i language Thev I '^^ T " *°'''' '" •'^"> "^ 'be eorne hy ha„fr„Tthe 1 ^ '" ^ *"'"""« "'« <=''"boo, and tbeir lai 11 "iCs? '"",""""' ^^l" -"> »bich ail tbantheEsqniZl ^"^'^ "' ""' '™"'''«' - ""ore 3. The Crees who inhabit the two side, of fl,„ • o , Jiwan, and with whom w. , , , f . '"'^'be nver Sasfead- who belong to thl ame f r^ J,"'" ■■•" "'" Mashkegons, country whllrbrderther^of'^^^^''" ^'f"'' "' ^>"be ana east, in a word. ^1 tW^ml!;'::;" ""^^r"' ^°r'" nation of these two numernno * -i ''ountiy. Ihe motlier tbe Santenx. which extend? n '"T '" ^' "'^ ■">"» "^ jiwan. wher; they a e :i«?;?t,fr p" '" "" ?"'' ^^^l^"^- ". 'ler the name of C/ " '^™'''' ""'' «■«' k"own .•aces. The torf "(f .^^''^•^■«-""--«'«*-the n,en of divers word m.i^z'3z::^ i:\i *™t'-r^ «■" --«« tbe inhabitants of thZ , T " '*'""''- ^''a' ''" 'o say, tbe,n f.-on:::::. i grf^'::;,.:: "':: "■« ^%'"-' --^ ^-,^3 "■■iginally inhabited ««!r .1 '''"'"''' """ "'" Crecs Superior; pe.tps lo c T ^'"'' ^''^''- ^"''' '' ^"^^ Woods, ^hfcl one ean * ''""'''"' "^ "'« '"k^ °f tbe very c^hn. :'a :hi:,:VI^~^"?f.' r.'- the weather is " -^ -'--''*^""> innaoitod at one time. PRINCE Rupert's land. 349 ^ Tbe Avoid Mashkegon is a corruption of Omashkekok— tlio inhabitants of the marshes. T]ie only way of travelling i„ all the imn.ense region >vhich they inhabit, i« in canoes. I have met old men, in travelling through their country, who had never seen a horse. The word Sauteux, which seems to have been given to this nation from their having a long time inhabited the Sault Ste. Mane, is not a translation of the savage name Odjibwek. Ihis word has been the object of a great many suppositions: some say it was given to this nation on account of the form of their plaited shoes -^..•^..a, plaited ; but this interpretation is not admissible, for the word does not contain the least allusion to shoes. ^ Others say that it comes from the form the mouth assumes in pronouncing certain words, wishing always to hold on to the adjective teihwa ; this is not more satisfac tory. It IS not uncommon that a word is somewhat changed when applied to a man or a nation. I could give a number of examples of this. I would venture then to say that the word 0- v — "lormation. ^ ^^_„„, .,j^ „„^^ v..« jiccepteaj and after PRINCE Rupert's i-and. 351 saw the number tlie ordinary formalities, the juggler said of the liorsea, and described tliem otherAvise faithfully, naming also exactly the place where they could be found. They were in effect found in the place he had indicated. Now this old man had himself hid the horses, in order to obtain from the owner, the net which he knew he possessed ; and which he himself needed. I could cite many other instances of the same kind. Dreams are for the Sauteux revelations ; and the bird, the animal, or even a stone, or whatever it may be which is the principal subject of the dream, becomes a tutelary spirit, for Avhich the dreamer has a particular veneration. As dreams are more apt to visit a sick person, when the brain is more subject to these aberrations, many such have a number of dreams, and consequently many tutelary spirits. They pre- serve images, and statues in their medicine-bag, and never lose sight of them ; but carry them about wherever they go. The faith of the Sauteux in their medicine is such, that they believe a disease can be thrown into an absent person, or that certain medicines can master the mental inclinations, such as love or hatred. Thus it is the interest of these old men to pander to the young. It can not be denied that the Sauteux have some knowledge of medicine. And I have myself wit- nessed several cures, which did honor to their physician. I have, above all, followed with great interest the progress of a cure which an English doctor had pronounced incurable, nevertheless the Sauteux doctor pronounced its cure very ea&y ; which indeed he effected in a very short time. The disease was erysipelas, degenerated into oilcers. The Sauteux language is much richer than is commonly thought. It bears a great resemblance to the ancient lan- guages. It has, like the Greek, the dual and the two futures. And, like that language, it has but few' radical words, but their manner of forming words for the occasion by the aid of these radicals, gives a great facility of expression, the seme as in the Greek. The conjunction " and," either by hazard or otherwise, is the same as in the Grpp.k. Tin's lancynnrro ;« - - — ^.,.,^... ,„ formed of radical and compound words. The radical words I 353 ni APPENDIX. e commonly emplojd in the familiar style ; b„t m oratorical ftyle, tlie con.po,,,,,! ,vor,l» are usod. A» for example, islr. le mountain is liigh nuuljn,,m impound style is /.v;.y.«/^,«, tl_.. „... ,«.„„„. «^...i^W.vA, ..y.,, tl.o river is largo, in the compound style is ^na.^>U.^^-ya, &c Tins makes the learning of the language nther difhcult at first, nearly equal to the acquiring of two languages; but in return for this, one acquires an extreme fHc.l.ty m expressing his thoughts with all the force he desires. i he Sauteux have also their poetic style, which consists more ,n suspension and enigmatical phrases than in words. Iheu' scnigs contain only a f,w words. ^ :t.h a groat many not^es. Ihe.r music is very strange, and consists more in guttura smuwls than in modulations. Their intervals are generally de Uerce en tierce, accompanied by a great many unisons. 1 hey have songs of war, of love, and of worship. 1 he,r writings are composed of arbitrary hieroglyphics and the best writer is he, who is most skilful in using such signs as most fully represent his thoughts. Though this manner of writing IS very defective, it is nevertheless ingenious and very useful, and has this advantage over all other languages, since It paint the thoughts, and not the words. For it remai is for genius to discover the means of writing the thought, and not tlie word; just as figures represent numbers in all languages, liiou^^h the Sauteux have no idea of the state they sliall find themselves in after death, they believe in the existence of a tutuie life. They have very strange ideas on this subject • m consequence of some of these, they place near the deceased Ins arms a,nd the articles most necessary to life. Some have even gone so far as .to hav^e their best horse killed at their death, in order, as they said, to use him in travelling to the country of tl.e dead. It is the general belief that the spirit returns to vi.it the grave of the deceased very often, so long as the body is not reduced to dust. During this space of time It is held a sacred duty, on the part of the relatives of the deceased, to make sacrifices and offerings, and celebrate fes- tivals before the door of the tomb. In the time of fruits, they carry ^them in great abundance to the tomb, aud he who nourishes himself with them after they have been deposited (■" (■ PRINCE RUPEKtV TAND. or 9 oi)0 there, onuses groat joy to tl.e parents and relations of tl.e docense.l. AlllM.ugli I liave seen an old man who believed in metempsychosis, it is not a belief of the nation ; he probably received this thought elsewjiere. The Sauteux have also some knoM-ledge of astronomy ; they have names for the most remarkable constellations; they have names, also, for the lunar months ; but their calculations, as can be conceived, are very imperfect, and they often find themselves in great embarrassment, and have recourse to us to solve their difficulties. The electric fluid manifested in thunder, the rays of light of the aurora borealis, are in their imagination animated beings ; the thunders, according to them, are supernatural beings ; and the rays of the aurora borealis are the dead who dance. Their idea of the creation of the world goes no farther back than the deluge, of which they have still a tradition, the nar- ration of which would fill volumes. This account is extremely amusing, and filled with wearisome episodes. Without at- tempting to narrate the whole of it here, I will tell that part which relates to the creation : -An immortal genius, seeing the water which covered the earth, and finding nowhere a resting-place for his feet, ordered a castor, an otter, and other amphibious animals, to plunge by turns into the water, and bring up a little earth to the surface. They were all drowned. The rat, however, succeeded in reaching the bottom, and took some earth in his paws, but he died before he got back ; yet his body rose to the surface of the water. The genius, Nenabojou, seeing that he had found earth, brought him to life, and employed him to continue the work! When there was a sufficient quantity of earth, he made a man, whom he animated with his breath." This genius is not the Great Spirit, of whom they never speak except with respect ; while Nenabojou is considered a buffoon of no gi-avity. This account contains one thing very important. It is that in speaking of the creation of plants, &c., it speaks of their nutritive properties ; and thus offers a resource for the suste- nance of life in times of scarcity ; showing what rnots, plants, and mosses, can to a certain extent preserve life. I'mprovi- 854 APPENDIX. I 'i dent not to say mor« of them, like all savage nations, tTie b.yiteux pass rapidly from abundance to want. Thnre grows in the prairies a kind of turnip, which can appease huyr When this root is chopped up, dried, and beaten, the Bauteux make a soup of it, which, when mixed with a little meat, becomes very nourishing; and thus, the food which would scarcely have sufficed a single day, is n.ade to last several days. There is also a wild onion . of which they make much use. The p^r;^y which grows in the woods, is employed as pepper In their repasts. In the spring, they find a kind of root, the shape of which resembles a ligne, vulgarly called a ral's tail. It is very abundant, of a good flavor, and very nutritive. Another root, named asUihwah -that which 18 eaten raw— is very abundant, and contains much nutritive substance. The fibres of the trees, above all of the aspen are used by them in time of scarcity; also a kind of bush or shrub which is found in the woods, called /w«a/^//t. In the rocky countries, there exists a kind of moss very well known to travellers, of whieJi the utility has been appreciated m more than one adventurous circumstance. It is the famous tnpe de roche. This moss is of the nature of the mushroom As there are some mushrooms whicli are real poisons, so there IS a kind of tripe de roche which, far from nourishing, produces death. Ihat which is green, and has nmall, round leaves, is tlie most nourishing, and nio.t easily digested. With ^his and a duck, a partridge, or a fish, one can make a succulent soup sufhcient to nourish several men. The Sauteux have a great passion for gaming. They pass whole days and nights in play ; staking all they have, even Iieir guns and traps, and sometimes their horses. It hn^- happened that, having nothing more, they have staked even their wives upon the play. Their love of intoxicating liquors is, as among all the other savage tribes, invincible. A Sauteux, who was convinced of religion, wished to become a Christian ; but he could not be admitted without renouncing indulgence in drunkenness to excess. He compkined bitterly, that the Hudson I^ay Com- pany had reduced Lis peoule to eucu a pitiable state, hj PRINCK RUPKBt'b LAND. 365 •ringing rum info tl.e country, of wl.ich they would never liavc tli..ugl,t if ihvy lind not tasted it. Tl.e Sauteux are one of tl.e most ^varlike of nations. From time immemorial, tl.ey liavo l.ad tl.o advantage over their numerous enemies, and pushed them to the ..orth. They treat the van^ ished wit! the most horrihle harl.arity. It is then that they arr cannibals hy virtue ; for thougli we see sometimes among them caspg of anthropophagy, they have such a horror of it, that he who has committed this act is no longer sure of his life. They hold It a sacred duty to put him to death on the first favorable occasion. But during war they make a glory of cannibalism. iheTeast of victory is very often composed of human fle«h. One sees a trait of this haiharity in the names they give to their principal enemies; as, for instance, the Sioux, whom th.y call WanaL As I have remarked before, it is not rare tliat they add to or retrench a little their proper names, wh'ch renders their interpretation rather difficult for strangers. In the word I have mentioned, Iman is put for ol?van, which sig- nifies a piece of flesh put on the spit; thus the word a/m^apak, which they have finished by calling hvanak or pwanak, signi- fying those whom one roasts on a spit. In their great war parties, after the victory, the Sauteux build a great fire, then plait all around spits laden with the thighs, heads, and hearts, &c., of their enemies, after which they return home. 4. The Sioux, to whom wo must join the Assii 'loins, in- habit a portion of the valle. of the Hudson bay, viz. : the iipper part of the Red river, and the river Chayenne, which is tributary to it. But many endeavors have been made to conclude a solid peace with the Sioux ; and though each time HS been with the appearance of success, their acts of treason have .ways destroyed these bright hopes. The Sauteux complain bitterly of their want of faith. The nation of the Assinil oins, who separated themselves from the Sioux, according to tradition, on account of family disputes, took its name from the rocks of the lake of the Woods, where they first lived after their separation. Their name comes from assin, rock, and hwan, Sioux — Siovx of the Rmhs. it 18 impossibk to fix i e d*te of this separation; for at the f 8o0 III' AVVKSmX. ninyul of tl.c first mls^iormrioH to Il.nlfion's hay, F.atl.cr Ga- briel MnrcHt in JOni. .rot., sp.aklng of the AsninihoinH. vl.o,n lie c.ll.Hl .l.v.v...y..,A, that tl.i« tradition was regarded as IxMiig nlreadj- vary old. ** Tli., AsHiniboi.is aro immorous, a.id from tlioir l.abit of Imn^^ ,n lArj^e encampments, are formidable to their enemies. Ih.s tribe, like the Hanteux and the Cree«. their allies, arc not hostile to the whites. A traveller can pass through this nation with n.ore security for his life than in a civilized conn- t.y, which can not bo said of the Sioux. One can not travel ^'I'ou he highlands of the Missouri and Red rivers, without often being seized with horror by the narrations occasio.red by the view of places and scenes of a crowd of acts .)f barbarity and treason, that have been perpetrated by this people, of which one sees in history but an example from time to time. It IS a horrible sight to see, as 1 have seen in difierent plaros the skeletons of human beings, confounded in a heap with the' bones of savage animals. Without these immin( ut dangers, which such sights recall to the mind of the traveller, these prairies would appear a paradise. Filled with game of all kinds, they offer at each moment a new point of view, and a variety of perspective most astonishing -lakes, where the herds of bison come to slake their thirst, and where the inajes- tic swan and the wild goose repose themselves in passing- the limpid streams, where the beavers expose their ingenious work to the admiring gaze — petrifactions, minen.l waters of .various kinds, flowers, and strange plants, all unite to amuse and interest the intelligent traveller in search of the useful and the agreeable. The nature of the territory separated from that of the United States by the 49th degree of latitude, is such, that it seems necessary that one should have first visited the country before determining the line and making a choice. With the exception of a straight strip of land, say a degree parallef to the 49th degree of latitude, all the rest of the country of the bay of Hudson is filled with lakes, marshes, savannas, and rocks. Except a small portion, on which is established the colony of uclkirk, there is not a spot of land that will produce rurxc!: uli-kui's land. 857 tlicr Gn- iiniboiiiK, rcgHrtled Imbit of enemies. llicH, aro ugh til is Buntry are subjected, wlio can never count on the reHOurces of agriculture, being «ix hundred miles from any point where they can obtain supplies. It is thus that the people north of SaskHdJiwan are exposed from time to time, to the terrible altern.'iti\ e <.f dying of hunger or of eating one another, when in the intervaj that the fisheries fail, it happens that the chase fails also. It is for this reason that our neighbors of the colony of Sel- kirk view with envious eyes the beautiful territory which ex- tends south of the forty-ninth degree, from Rainy lake to the Kocky mountnins. The left bank of ihe river of Rainy lake, for the space of about eighty miles, is covered with all kinds of wood, of which the extreme height ; -dicates the fertility of the soil. The country which belongs to the United States, IS filled with advantages in respect to water-power. It is on accouni of the inferiority of the advantages of their territory, that our neighbors feel a strong opposition to our establish- ment. At the foot of the beautiful mountain of Pembina, which is more than tM-o hundred feet above the level of the river Pem- bina which divides it, and on its first table rises the little village of St. Joseph. It is divided by squares of twelve chains, and subdivided by lots of six chains. Its streets are one chain (sixty-six feet) wide, which adds to the beauty of the town, rendering the extinction of fire easier and favoring the free circulation of air and the health of the citizens. Everything wears an air of vigor in spite of the little protec- tion they have thus far received from the general government. The least effective step, such as a garrison of soldiers, however feeble it might be, the construction of a public edifice, a court of justice, a prison, a house of correction, or anything that would prove the indubitable intention of government to protect us, would draw to this place a great portion of the population of Selkirk and elsewhere. The soil is very fertile, and the frosts never occasion any damage. Our gardens yield us an abundance of melons of all kinds; a fruit which is not known in tlie gardens of the Selkirkcrs. In 1851, the first frost felt 11 :f^ym. 358 APPKNDIX. ' ii at St Paul was on the 6th or 7t^ of September; while at St Joseph the first frost was not ant.l the 2d or 3d of October I hey raise potatoes which weigh about two pounds each, and carrots eighteen inclies long and four in diameter. If the country were explored it would shew, without doubt, great mmeralogical advantages. At a short distance from %m establishment, there are certain indications of iron and coal- - these two articles are the most important for this country. I he river Pembina furnishes water-power for any force re- quired ; there is also stone in abundance and very easily ob- ir ■. $ THE MOUNDS OF THE MINNESOTA VALLEY. *i ^^Tu ^^•' ^' ^- ^'^^'' "^ *^^^ Lac-qui-Parle mission, gives the following interesting account of the mounds of the Min- nesota valley : — In the Minnesota valley mounds are numerous. They may properly be divided into .—.First, natural elevations, pahas, or pazhodans, as the Dakotas call them ; second, such as are partly natural and partly artificial ; and third, elevations which have been formed by certain processes. Pahas, or pazhodans, are found scattered over the prairies, some of the more prom- inent of which may be seen from a great distance. Such is Heyokatee, the house of Heyoka* situated near the Maya- Nrakan or Chippewa river, some ten miles or more above its junction with the Minnesota. This natural elevation appears at some distance to the right of the road, as one comes from Black-oak lake to Lac-qui-Parle. But even this is hardly * Heyoka is the anti-natural god of the Dakotas - represented by an dd nian wearing a cooked hat, ^.-ith a quiver on his back, and a bow in his hand. In the winter, it ig .aid. he goes naked, and loves the northern blasts ; while m summer he wraps his buffalo-robe around him, and k still sufformg !rom cold. MOUNDS OF THE MINNESOTA VALLEY. 859 to be compared with the " pahawakan," or sacred Mis, in the valley of the James river, which are more than one hundred feet high, and can be distinctly seen from the farther border of the Coteau des Prairies, a distance of about forty miles. In passing from one point to another on the prairie, the ^a^^a* are very serviceable as guides to the traveller. These natural elevations, where they are found near Indian villages, have been used as burial-places. Among the Da- kotas, the native way of disposing of the dead is that of placing them on scaffolds. A paha, or conspicuous point, is preferred as the place of erecting such scaffold, that it may be seen from a distance. At the present time, burial soon after death is practised to a considerable extent by the Dakotas of the Minnesota valley, including those still on the Mississippi ; and where they still prefer to place upon scaffolds at first, they not unfrequently bury in the course of a few months. But their graves are so shallow that, to cover the dead suffi- ciently, they are often obliged to carry up earth ; and it is probable that formerly they carried up more than they do at present. To prevent the body from being dug up by wolves, they generally enclose the grave by setting up around, in a cone-like form, billets of wood. The decomposition of the bodies, and the rotting of the palisades and scaffolds, enrich the groand, and cause a more luxuriant growth of vegetation, which, of itself, directly tends to add to the size of the mound. Then this rank vegetation forms a nucleus for drift. Then the grass and dust which the wind blows over the prairie, lodc,3, and make the elevation still greater. On the hill, a short d'is- tance east of the ruins of Fort Renville, to the northwest and in sight of the mission-houses at Lac-qui-Parle, there is a paha of this kind, in which, in years gone by, many persons have been buried. It now presents on the top a very irregular suiface, partly owing to the interments thus made, and partly to the burrowing of the gophers in it. On the southwest side ot the Minnesota, a short distance back of the Wahpetonwan vihage, there is another mound, which has been long used as a burying-place. Similar ones mav be found near all Dat-^« villages. I I < I 360 APPENDIX. If tl I le question be askeil, Why flo the Dakotas prefer these mounds as the places of deposite for their dead ? I answer : — First, as before suggested, that the place may be seen from a distance all around. As they wail morning and evening, they can conveniently lo .< to the abode, not only of the body of their departed friend, but, as many of them believe, of one of the spirits also. Secondly, aU pa/ias are under the guard- ianship of their god Heyoka. And thirdly, a hill may be regarded as a more congenial place of rest for a spirit than a valley ; and thence, too, the earthly spirit may the better hold communion M'ith the one which has gone to the east along the "iron road," or is above, making progress on the " wanagi tachanku" (the via lactia), or .ynrit's road. The third species of elevations which I shall notice, have the form of embankments rather than mounds. They are artificial, found usually in the river bottoms or low planting lands, and formed by carrying out, spring after spring, the corn-roots and other trash from off the field, and piling them along the outer edge, or on the row between two fields. In many instances of patches that had been planted for ten or twenty years previous to the introduction of the plough, I have seen these embankments from two to three feet high, and of all conceivable shapes; some rhomboidal, some hexagonal, some oval. I remember having noticed them first, many years ago, in the old plantings at Little Six's village, where I pre- sume they may still be traced, as I am not aware that those d fields (which were on the opposite side of the river, and about two miles below the site of the present village), have ever been ploughed. The thought has occurred to me that, perhaps some of what have been regarded as Indian fortifi- cations in other parts of the country, may have a similar origin. In connection with these remarks on mounds, it is proper to give some description of a very interesting excavation and tortification, which is found a few miles above the mouth of the 1 a-zhe-hu-ta ze or Yellow Medicine river. It is on the south side of the Minnesota, and within ^ight of the mission-station lately connnencGd by Dr. Vniliamson. I vi«iled this memorial M(JUND3 OF THE MINNKSOTA. VALLEY. 361 of another race. The excavation extends around three sides ot a somewhat irregular square, the fourth being protected b^ the 8 ope of the hill, which is now covered with timber. After the hlling-up of years, or perhaps centuries, the ditch is still about three feet deep. We found the east side, in the middle ot the ditch, to measure thirty-eight paces; the south side, sixty-two ; and the west side, fifty. The north side is consid- erably longer than the south. The area enclosed is not far from half an acre. On each of the three excavated sides there was eft a gateway of about two paces. The earth was evidently thrown up on both sides ; but the embankments have now almost entn-ely disappeared in the level of the prairie. With- in the enclosure there are numerous very slight elevations, which seem to mark the places occupied by the dwellings of those who were once entrenched here. It would be interesting to know what were the form and character of these houses, but all we can learn from the present appearance of things is, that they were probably partly made of earth. .u '^}r!^ ^^ ^^' *^'^ ^^''^''^^ ^""^ "'^^^ interesting fortification that I have seen in the valley of the Minnesota. How long ago was this ditch dug, and by whom ? It evidently bears the marks of some antiquity ; and it was not probably made by the Dakotas, as it must date many years beyond their occu- pancy of this country. Some band of Indians, perhaps a ittle in advance of the Dakotas in civilization, here entrenched themselves against the attacks of their enemies. As we stood wi hin the enclosure, and contemplated the work, we natu- rally asked the question. Who did this ? And from the deep silence of antiquity the only answer we received was, Who ? 16 M H i I i! 'll -"^^-^mf-'^pf^fm**'- 362 APPENDIX, THE BROPIIY SETTLEMENT. This flourishing farming settlement is situated six miles northeast of St. Paul, and four and a half miles ""rom St. An- thony. It was first settled by Michael Brophy, a soldier of the Mexican war, who went into this wild region, accompanied by a beautiful a?id accomplished wife, in the fali of 1850. He here entered a warrant for one hundred and sixty acres of land amid this beautiful region of woodland, prairie, and charming lakes, and, like Blannerhasset, dwelt alone away from the noise and bustle of the rising towns. No " Burr" was there to trouble him, save the burr-oaks in groves, which he soon cleared away, and putting up his cabin, commenced a perma- nent improvement. He soon attracted the attention of other adventurers seeking for homes and fortunes. Through his obliging manners, and his readiness in conducting strangers through the country, and giving them all the information in his power, as well as by the hospitalities extended at his home he drew many settlers to his neighborhood. The earliest pioneers succeeding him was a company of enterprising young men, known as the " Bachelors," who located there in the spring of 1851. Their names are, James R. Lawrence, Henry M'Kenty, Patrick Powers, C. E. Shaffer, a..d Andrew Jackson Morgan. The latter forsook "the art preservative of arts," and the setting of types for the setting of stakes, the following of the plough, and a residence with the other " Bachelors" in a house of tamarac logs. Here they opened up their farms and flourished amid the beauties of Brophy. By industry, untiring perseverance, and a rapid meeting with and battling all opposing obstacles with resolute hearts, and with contented ihinds, they here dwelt peacefully, and laid the foundations for future wealth and independence. Other settlers followed, and the la. .a is now being rapidly taken up. To those in search of a good farm, witn all the necessary requisites of soil, wood, and water, com- bined, with an easy access to two good markets at very con- LIST OF OFFICIALS. 868 a that are seldom met with elsewhere. The soil consists a rich clay and sandy loam — the two being often found on t..e same quarter section, it produces well— nay luxuriantly, as any one may see hy a few hours' ride amid the fine farms now opened. Oak openings and rolling prairies are interspersed to suit the various tastes of all, and many fine locations on the various lakes are yet unoccapied. It is destined to become the most flourishing farming settlement in the neighborhood of St Anthony or St. Paul, from the fact that a number of enter- prising men are no^ located there, and all other things being equal, it has obtained a start which nothing can retard. The whole settlement for many miles is beautifully interspersed with lakes, of all shapes and siz«.s. The most beautiful of these is Lake Johanna, situated in the very midst of the settle- ment. It is three miles in circumference, and is surrounded by beautiful headlands, peninsulas, and high bluffs. The waters are of a crystal clearness, and abound in all kinds of fish common to the territory. The shores are sandy and full of pebbles, among which cornelians, agates, etc., are occasion- ally found. Lake Johanna is indeed a most romantic, lovely spot, and your eye loves to linger upon its quiet, peaceful, sur- face, while the ^' tting orb of day throws on its surrounding scenery a flush of variegated light, which glows and kindles like the rose which tints the fair soft cheek of an eastern kmri. m LIST OF OFFICIALS. The organization of the territory of Minnesota having been made during the administration of President Taylor, the first oflicial appiintments were made (as is the precedent) from the ranks of the political party then in power, consequently the iust executive ofiicers of Minnesota were whigs. But the ad- T-inistration of General Pierce succeeding, the first incum- bents were removed, and the important offices of the gov- ernment of Minnesota were filled by appointment of the democratic president, and otherwise, as follows:— Governor and Supkrinx indent ov Indian Affairs— Willis A. Gorman of Indiana^ vice Alexander Ramsey, formerly of Pennsylvania. 364 APPENDIX. i Secretary of the Tekritory— J. T. Roeser of V Wilkin, of Minnesota irgiiiifl, vu-e Alexnncler ClllEK-Jl -Willi lesota, vice ) UhTICE- nierly of New York. AssociATK.hrsT,rp:s_A. G. Chatfield, of WisconBin, vice I)avi8t respectfully, W. A. Gorman. (From Isaac ^ Ooodfiue, Enq., late Editor of the Minnesota Pioneer.) Tap, -p 7. o. T , ^''- ^-^"^ '^""^ 20, 1863. J. H. IlKDFiELn, Esq.— 7)<>«r S,r : In the states east of us there are proba- bly more innuines for information respecting Minn- ota than for any other point of sottlenient in the i.ew localities of our continent. As editor of the JVlinnesota Pioneer' newspaper, I have had occasion to observe a renuwk- al)le T. r^ ^ , ®^- Pa^ '^""« 20, 1853. .1. b. Kedfikld, Esq.— Dear Sir : I take pleasure in submitting to your careful nerusal the MS>S nf np Dy.-naoi^iy\tfh' J.^f^"-cf,'-, — , — i- -- n'*- . Which 1 think it would prove greatly to your interest to give to the world COMMENDATORY NO'nOES. 8 in a pernmnont form. TIio niithor is nn oxocUent writor, and has been for years n rt'sidt'tif. of Mi« ttance of (he same, I feel perfectly confident of its certain success, stored as it is with laformation more perfect and varied than the casual, speculative writer cares to fill his volume with. Mr. Bond has devoted a long residence here to literary pursuit?, and liia "Ciimp-Fire Sketches" were looked upon as ably written, as well as instructive and agreeable. As an editor, I have had abundant oppor(unity to note the cra- vings of popular taste ; and tlie lapse of time since tlie publication of a " pla- giaiisni" on Minnesota, by Mr. Seymour, of Galena, has developed this focus of western civilization, until it has become an object of much attention throughout the United States. Consequently some(hing really original and Sractical is in high demand ; and, upon a careful examination of the effort of [r. Bond, I do not hesitate to urge its speedy publication. With respect I subscribe myself your ob't servant, Jacob J. Noah. (From Hon. K Z. Hayner, late Chief-Jmtice of the Territonj of MinneMta.) St. Paul, June 22, 1853. J. S. Redfield, Esq. — Dear Sir : With feelings of pleasure, permit >ne to add my testimonial to the alilo effort of J. Wesley Bond, Esq., who has be- stowed much care and labor upon " Minnesota and its Resources," and which he contemplates offering to you for publication. The production of such a work, witli information known to be peculiarly correct, aside from any pub- lic character its statistics may assume, must, in my judgment, meet with suc- cess and unbounded puljlic approbation. The eyes of (he Atlantic popula- tion are continually gazing, in the dim obscurity of distance, toward the Great West, the immense resources of which remain yet to be developed by the hardy sons of New England and the down-trodden masses escaping from tyranny to find happy, peaceful homes within our vast domain. I know of no country better adapted to the confidence of western immiijration tlian Min- nesota ; and, in order that such confidence may be generally diffusa 1, I can safely recommend the work of Mr. Bond to the inquiring public. The liter- ary reputation of the author is enviable, and I trust you may find it conve- nient and profitable to embark in his enterprise. Witli respect, your ob't servant. H. Z. Hayner. I I i I ■■*:-,«>''4»«^ in 1 ,5» I *t, s i i & ^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A /, {./ y. u. % (/jt 1.0 I.I ■- lilM u I— 2.2 11:25 i 1.4 2.0 1.6 V] <^ /^ .% fc, ' -x'^ #. ■^i^^y // Photographic Sci^ces Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 4^ V \ c\ ^^^ <^\ ^\ <^ ^^ &ll I'.eI,I/.4^ MEN AND WOME'N OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. ^■"l tTiv ""^^'4''^' """^'^ beautifully Engraved Portraits of Louis XV., and Madame de Pompadour. Two volume 12rao. 450 pages each, extra superfine paper, price $2.50. ^ noZVfffl^''"'"?;-^"'' o""' Mnrivaux, Piron, The Abbg Prevost, GentiI.Bem.rd. Florian, Boufflers, Diderot. Grgtry, Riverol, Louie XV., Greuze, Boucher, The Van^ loos Lantara, Watteau La Motte, Dehle, Abbg Trublct. Buffon, Dorat. Cardinal de Bernis, Crgbillon the Gay, Marie Antoinette, Made, de Po:upadour V»M M 1p r? njargo, Mile Clairon. Mad. de la Popelini^re, Sophie An.ouXc./biL he^T agt trcbrvX?de'?:srr^'^^'^'"'^^ "A more fascinatin? book than this rarely issues from the teemina% !< j^«t^' ^''^ P"^""^ '*^''''"«' ^^ """t challenge the atteution of tb* RBDFIKLD'S NKW AND POPULAR PUBLirATIONi. jI -8C ort, im ibi. hy are 301 It. tie re re .8- >o ra le r h d e r NOTES AND EMByUATfO.X.S OF .SIIAKE.SPKARE. Notes and Emendations to the Tt-xf <.r shuU-.o^ , m the Early Ma„a.cn,.C,,;'rc.il;rVcy7rM^^^^^^ in tKe possession of John Pavne Collier E,nir Si T?^ J " The corrections which Mr Colh'e? has hero fnv.^n ,t ^""^ ^•["'''•"-^"''rf. Exam. thinii, of more value than the labors of neaX»lffhiV>- ^"^ ^"^'^ a"-", w" venture to tog"ther."- Londo,i Library Gazette ^ ' ^^^ ^"^""' "" ^hakespeare-e text put " It is a bock absolutoly infli.,,en-ab|M to pv< rl 1, .!. '^"'T^'^ pooX.'^Ch'xtoa Cour. to read hi.n u..der8t.n,li4lv;'-L",S;7/rcSr " "* ^hakospearo who wishe. FhUacLlphi , P°' ""*' *' « '"*"y o« f »e corrections."- Register, By rffE HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES read u m its oriffinallani^uace. Another wo k on tbll. ^'"iK ^"^ «" who could as a new hiatorv of the Decline m.^Pu - »T.n" "'" """'*' s"bJoct is as lmprobftbI« ^".?J-: --PA 'arfa^;,A;a Amcrina^i Colrilr ^ ^""^ ^""'^^ "^ ^he wild wara for the Holy aent m„.t now resort for copious and authenTcfJct^ Ind"?*^ •'^''' "'•« ''""«"<=*1 «tu- !^ MARMADUKE WYVIL. iln Historical Romance of ]651- bv He-^ky W W., of the -Cavalien, of England,- &c 51 ^^-^^^^^Fu^^t.^'^'' Kevised and Corrected. ^ ' --. ... ^ar^nuiiiKT, autnor &c. Fourteenth Edition. dent'^nd^ronJulJ: inlnSint 'Lei"' fT '"'^^ T^- '-''-f"" «f terming incl- mado the works o f Mr h!' be t so JoSar " r^'r/'J/r'^r "'"^ '" *^"^ «'yJ« whS hi . " The work is disiinguish(-d bv the saml hlTf ■ / ^^^^nn. BoMon. pictorial benuty of style^, whicS ha>?cl,a acte; Sd »n .V^^^'^'l^^*-'.''!"'""*? '•"eident. and of deeMi';;Vtrd'of"crsid'lil?e"hiS^^^ ^'^ constructed a novel tEDFIELD's NEW AND POPULAR PUBLICATIONS. y nr I. ^^.^'"^^^^^^^"^ ^^D EXPLORATION Q«e«e!'SS^ With the Ordinal Narratives of Mar- John gYlmarv ^^'''"^'^e, Hennepin, and Anastase Douay. By Of ^^^- ^^-Sv^r'cJ^rZ^ - ^0.,i.i MaJ "Vi' rF^"-^^^^^^^^^^^^ to .no. the ear,, hUto., .ubJm^otE i?rc£!," ' ItTSKr 1?°?*, *''°'""«^ '^-'' ^1>"» '"« -appeared o„ tJ.o no legitimate -ource onnformaSoS has KnVo """^ cliligentVeaearch and " r sl;Tar„r^'''^ ^^^^^^^^^^ Sor-^ins jt:^. -"^^^- '^« praise by!he exceS'LlnVr"^' which hi hLT °' '"'^'^.t*' "'«'•"«'•« -^--'hy of all the vxea»."-Bo$ton TVarX ^*' ^® ^** prepared thl« important publicatiou for (Jr NEWMANS REGAL ROME. An Introduction to Roman History. By Francis W Nvw^.« Sll!"63le^t:'" ^" ''^ Univrrsit/colCLi^---^^ reSon';rd !' r^lSLlTqurirn^'^iftl^SrLtr"^ "J^ «^^«^ — »> -"^ "A work of great erudition and nnw.r v. m ''"-'f»»"'-e."-C«Mr/«-fl,/rf £«y»,v«.. man hintory un'der the kings" We^ZcWtli^i^ZVi^^^^^^^ T'""^'"*»> '-•« "' «"• »it, and eminent interest-a work th«f t^m a.* » tu "' P^^'ound scholarship, L^.nial reader."-,V. Y. Evangelist ° ^ ^^^^ "^'^^ ""^''^ '»»« '"-'^"l'"- ""d I'lease the general tai^^'tre^l^LS^.^S- ^^ »Lou,d be banished, and such as this should th:SSr„^oWe"i;^„^^^^^^^^^ from the light it thrown on ftreet Journal, * ^ ' "*® "''''*• "°<» ^^^ history, of ancient Home,"— W'o/^ ^ THE CHEVALIERS OF FRANCE. Tt? £® Crusaders to the Mareschals of Louis XTV R„ tj Crom .th;fcounS^^Xli'';ra2,^^^ °^ ^^^'^^^^ *«'- -d legends in this or «a pa'^^l^^f rh°etn1/»ZFl^Kj«^^^^ 't is a movin. " The series of works by this author iZfr„H ^1 ^ ''^ chiVHlry."_^/A„„y Spec Ihe .uthort oumerou, romaiii™.'?!^,,^;"^^,^."'' •''""■■on among ih„ reiidBi-. J ,1 REDHIOI.r'H Ni;W AND P0P[TI, An I'rrnr.icATTONB. I MOOIiJC'S LIFE OF .S///;AV/;.liV. Rfomoirs of flip riff. ,,(' fli,. lu ti ., t>- \ ■ i, . , J wo vols., l-Jnio, eloili, $•>.{>(). JvtynoKig. ~"£'?r4' ^^ ""^^^^^^ aa Moore.. in tin. work juatice dol/o Air/urpa'ssi^.'^^^eT.-'T K IbZS^' «''"^"'' ""'' *>- BARRINGTON'S SJ{ ETCHES. Personal Skctchrs of his own Time, bv Sir Tonah n.^r. Judge of the High Court of Adrniraftyin f Z" wkh HuJtra' tions l,y Darley. Third Edition, 12r«c{ cloth, $1 25 ""'''*" tho most striking an.J graceful outlin"/'- JLSX»" ' '""" "'■*' ^'' ''^' ^ " fie W(t« a vrry nhrcwd (ibeervpr and c-fct-ntrir- writ,.'.. o„^ u- lifp. and skptrhre of8..ri,.ty in Ireland during his timnil'.. *"' "^T't'^'^ "^ hia ow„ lnterestins."-/V. K Co,«mLi«r!ir^ v d j JOMINIS CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO. The Political and Militaiy History of the Campaign of Waterloo frorn tlje French .>f Gen. Baron Jomini, by Lieut^. S^ w' U. S. Ordnance, with a Map, IS^o, cl(,th, 75 cents. * a;g;rr::!^;;5r«l?'-'*^^^«^«''^-'^'- -^^^^ acknowledged fmp„rtl.llty."- Ket-rsiti-;^^^^^^^^^ genera reader it po-.^esses gr-at value and intero8t."-Vo,^"« rr«,Sr"^^^^^ ^"'^ ^""^ ^^ V:P'S^.r^^il-;j^^:::^^,-:-^^^^ n^imary and -It is nbly written and skilfully translated."— j'aw^tee filadt. Redfikld's new AND POPULAR PUnMCATIONg. MACAULATS SPEECHES '•V ihe Ri.br Hnn. T. B. Macaulat, M. P Speerhps Tw„ vols.. I'Lo, ,.;!?'; sioo. ^"^' '>^ Ancent Kome." dec, dec. S I^IP"'-' ";;? j'l'i'." ""••J"''' thathedoS in hf. S"at^^^''? '^^ 'fT ^''''•' ""^ ^ ■ TRENCH ON PROVERBS. «nnrL V, .''°?'' "^ ""^e profoundly instrucUve and «??. '^ ^^ before."- F««Aw flZarf«. hiBo^vrroTi'iii'CururbtwSro?^^^^^ wen cultivated, «dding not only to " The work shows «„ acu e perZfon « i''?',"^-"""- ~.^'*«"y ^*»«^^ TVoSi ■i^ THE LION SKIN And the Lover Hunt ; by Charles de Berivard. l2mo ftl 00 -A'«rfon«f (WorSenor, MassV^^f/ ' '""" """^ «° provocative of honeet Uiought!" ..OS l^r It'Sat t' ,^"^n^tl,S?^ Rre^r^JT^-'^'^ *" ^'^^ P-^-ipa. person- *^:^^-.^''Y^>Bo»ton Olive flraJl^^ '° ^"^ '^^ ''""^ '^o«'° «»»" he baa learneS S . «oV: -S^n^^rre^se^'lTcS^^ «tory which is written for oaded in the handle with a pound o f nhil^nth^ *'P''*^ "^''^ "^« ""•PP'"'- of a mo7^ or \ohyr-Springfiad ReplSlican. '^^'^'^^'m: or an equal qui^tity of lea^e!, pW V r i «« DPreiD'i NEW AMD POPULAR PBBlICATIOlli. A STUAY YANKEH IN TEXAS. A Stray Yankee in Texas. By I'hilip Paxtow ' wwl, hi ^ f JV/CIf OF THE WOODS. Nick of the Woods, or the Jibbenainosay ; a Tale of Kentr^olr^ u- >BERT M. Bird, M. D., Author of ..Calavar •' ^Ce I^^^^ :. New anr Rfiviap^ f,i;m,>., ...:*u TiK ' .. ' ^ Jie inhdel," OBER'L .... „...„, ^,^, ^.^ Aumor or "uaiavar " »' Tho I^ra^ volume, l-2mo., cloth, $1 25. ^ J-'aney. I » ira/ri;, RED, AND BLACK. ^'pS^c^^^."srJA"^;rK^?;:^ judiciourbSVhic''win^°TeC'^^^^^^^^^^ Pljoduced an eminently candid ani tic."-;V£„ Y^k Daily Times P'^"'""^" """^ P"""^' °» both Bides of the Atlan- have gfven u^a viow o'l'th/ HuS'^ " ""'""'^^^^ °^ '^^'^''^^'^ '"terr.t and value Thev 'il^^P'"^^^^^^^^^^ 1- at once the moat n.«n^';ircfsp:tf.%?eri^»\£;^«„S^^ of our Institution.. °"^ter'a1>;Ui;rL'.:r.^l''-'^«^"^^^^^^^ ev^cea pretty tho/ «.»r.EL0'. HtW AND PCOIAR PUBLICATION.. POETKJL IVOKKS OF FITZ-ORMEIVR IIAIIECK- on.^ ,l„ll,ir. ' coll, clc^d. Orio v,)l., lamo., ,,rwa T/ZB Syj/ijy OF WORDS. By Arol„Ieac„„ R. c. T„k»c„. One vol., 12„„., p,ie„ ,5 o„ BRO.VCff/ra, AND KINDRED DISEASES In lan,7iio!;e n.Iaptwl to common reodcrs. Bv W W H,. ,» t^ One vol., IS mo. jirice Sl.OO. ^ Hni., M. D. -hi'l'' "",'"'■" '" " '''"'■"• 'li'"''- common .m,B ,„,„ .„j ,. , , ' It 18 full Of hints .jii J,e niiture of the vha\,rjRnIZ,\ T ' '^'^^'^'"'dor. KXTGHTS OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND SCOTLAND. l3y Hknry Willi.am Hkrbert l.i>5. ..-rw^ , O^^" vol., 12mo., price ^i.v&. iir^ Irn.n tl„-ir r...r,a.u-o.''_^rt„„/;^„X3^ ''"-"^ 'Hustrate, and interct: Jourval. ^' ^'' ^ "^^ '"^'n '» ■ vigorous, bold, and da.sliing «ty)e "-flJtoi ri^Tnfeok^fp'r^ o[ the finest tales which th. -DttroU Fret Frus. «erDert tias yet given to the lighter literature of the ra at i RKDHELD' a NEW AND POPUL AR Pl-BL.CATIOW LYRA, AND OTIIER POEMS, By Alick Cahkt. In one volume, 12mo, cl„th, price 75 ct« til.; imnj,m«ti<.n. Alico Carey [» Inconti'.tHhlv «V.? . '" "<»nil.,Htfvl by pr<,cf.«,si of " I'h.. gHi.uiii., iimpirntlon of poetic f.^-lir J r..rt^^»r»""'.'''''''' "''''''• '''"'»'> .^.neHtn.^M an.l trutl.fal Himpllci y, and all hf 'atf ril . 1^1 „f "' tondfrn,... and |„.,,„y ^ Ono LILLIAN, AND OTHER POEMS. By WiNTHRop Mackworth Prakd. Now firof n ii . j Volume l2mo. Price One Dolhr. Collected. « ^^'"^^ajK^irS^, j™,^ the ahape o, " Then- in n I.I illimit piny of fancy in ' / ilHHn^ .?^ > " —'^"'"'Md Courant. ^ for whirl, it wouM h. Lr^ to lJ",7,!qnni; '\V welcZ;'?^^ t'^mlon.eH, in • Jo.ophine.' edition of hifl ^ym]i^:'-Albnnu Express wUcome, therefore, this first coflectod n<^p::^:^z::l^^:jL^r''''''^''''' *« »«• -'^^out «„ equal H^ong ^.,. ^^^^i^^o^r^^S::{T;,^^ p-^u that ^y ^^>;^an.l ai.^. and hla imagery not ,ea. JordSy ^^^^^S^^^^^ ^ THE CAVALIERS OF ENGLAND: ^'wTj'^U^i'^" Revolutions of 1642 ar,d 1688. ' By Hfnht WILL. am Hkrbert. One vol., 12mo., price $1 05 ^ "^^RT common onkr; the romanc, of hint on' o«^. noth/nV ^f K-P'i!''*'/"^''" •"•« "f "" "» pow,jr^ v.nror, nn,l effect of a master "i-rKC/ ^ " ^'""^' ' ^« ?«*"*« «'i'h thi. the ^iXX^&:iS'l^-^S^^ reader and ™pres. npo„ whf,«e earnest cl.arnet.>r a7.d no),le d^.p ^lend Lrh i hI .""• f "^"'^ "' ^h" t-'iVHlil'r^ th. gj.j .n wluch they .ivod and ion^X^ATt^^rZ ri^lefe^' I / / REDFIELJ'S NEW AND POPUl IR PUBLICATlJNi. CLOVERNOOK; Or RecoUections of our Neighborhood in the V^est. Bv Alick CARKf Illustrated by Darlet. One vol., 12mo prke «J Jo (I< ourth edition.) i^mo., price ^l.QQ. " Thpy bear the truo stamp of eenius-BimDle iwtin-«1 v,^Tf j _. ^«. DBE^ilf-i^JVD BY DAY-LIGHT: A Paijorama of Romance. By CARottNE Chesebbo'. Plustrated uy Darlet. One vol., 12mo., price $1.25. (Second editfr) it By 'i^rS OF Tif^ SCOTTISH CAVALIERS. William E. Attoun, Professor of Literature and Belle^j-Let. tres in_ the Lniversity of Edinburgh and Editor of Blackwo^^ Magazine. One vol., lOmo. cloth, price $1.00. ""^'^'^wood e chief historical incidents of Scotdrhhi«torv ,fc, """^'u""'" ^^^ "'"^ "'"'•"''" the TTorda thHt burn.' They are fufflvrK^^ "'"' ^''-^''t^e Hnd big."-Home Journal ^ ^ "'''^' ^'"P^"' description, and genuine feel B^'JJ^'AZs^X °'*^*'°^°««' '°*^^' -"-«- '« «lo- worth thepriceof the book.' (W^ riy£ ROOK OF BALLADS. By Bon Gaultier. One volume, 12mo., doth, price 75 centa. "Herein a book for evervbodv who loves clasBiV fun ino j ^ . .. -Ill sorts, each a cHpital pnrodj upon the sTX of some one H f^ '"'"^«;VP 9^ ''""ads of Ae time, from the thundering ver ificaLn of LorkTir^nH v "' 1^ 'yric writer, of and Bimpl.-.t strains of Wordsworth and TennTsnnTi? '^'f""l"y to the sweetest .cholnr., ,,nd one of the most finished wriirTXhodav an/rh^"" h T "^^ '^^ ""' frohr of his ce.niuB in plny-time "-Co«r'^ ^"dSj.t^ ""'^ ""' production is but the Of ni'^Toir^ ro-r/'-pr£i^"5L^:t;:'''" '^ ^'"^^ "^"^ ^- '« -^'-'^ -^ »»«-^ n »h ti f/ ee CK 10. em -J 5M n Bd p. to th .d REDFIELD's new and popular PUBLICATIONf. >'' . ■ . ISA, A PILGRIMAGE. By CAROi^iNE Chksebro'. One vol., 12mo., cloth, price $1.00. • .„r ^^^ f 'lgr''"*fe'« '8 fraught throughout with scenes of thrilline Interest— romanUi, yet possesbing a naturalness that seems to stamp them as real : tbi stvle i^ flowi^".^^! ea,