The weekly Minnesotian. [volume], December 11, 1852, Image 2

About The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858

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THE MISKESOTUK.
*aint #««&«?, ®rr?nij?: 11, 1852
PROCLAMATION'!
JPy'ALEXAXDER Ramsey. Governor of the Terri
tory of Minnesota.
Ia the numerous blessings find bounties of the
closing year, it becomes the people of Minneso
ta to recognize the Goodness and Mercies of a
superintending Providence.
“The Lord hath done great things for us,
whereof we are glad.” We behold cultivation
extended, the face of the country improved, la
bor fully and profitably employed j our towns
hare expanded, and villages springing up as it |
were by enchantment. Fertile lands, that were [
a year ago idle, are now being subdued be the [
strong arms and strong muscles of intelligent
freemen. The husbandman who but yesterday
was a “stranger in a strange land," and “sow
ing in tears, - ’ has “reaped in joy,” and now
counts his gains by the cheerful fireside. Edu
cation has not been overlooked. The institu
tions of our forefathers are beginning to take
root, and niauy things betoken a prosperous
future.
In accordance, therefore, with a time-honored
custom, I respectfully recommend to the people
of this Territory the observance of
Wednesday, the 22nd day of December,
as a day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer
“to the Author of every good and perfect gift.”
Given under my hand and the great seal of the
Territory, at St. Paul, this Tenth day
of December, in the year of our Lord,
[L. S.] one thousand eight hundred and fifty
two, and of the Independence of the
United States, the seventy-seventh.
ALEX. RAMSEY.
By the Governor,
Aixx. Wilkin, Secretary.
Tbs SUnx Purchase—Louisiana and Mlnnrsola
Railroad.
By the final measures of consummation, now
in progress in our midst, a new Empire is added
to, and brought under the full dominion of the
United States. The last act to fulfill the treaty
stipulations eutered into with the Dakota In
diana during the summer of 'sl—the payment •
of the money for their lauds—will be completed i
ere what we now write meets the eye of the
public reader. And then the curtain will drop, !
which forever closes the scenes so familiar to all 1
who have dwelt here in days past. The next
act of the drama is far different, but more deep
ly important and interesting. The rude Indian
tepee gives place to the neat und spacious
farm-house—the village of rough poles and
bark to the busy and prosperous commercial
town and city—the tardy log canoe to the ar
row-fleeting steamer—and the wild scalp
dance and savage rite in worship of heathen
deities, to the music of Sabbath bells and songs
of praise to the True and Most High God. The
red man flees to his new western heme, and the
*» of his pursuer smites the giant oak that
■hades the graves of his fathers. He is gone :
the footprints of pale-faced children mark the
sands upon the shores of the Mississippi and
the Minnesota ; the language of Shakspeare and !
Milton is breathed in soft and measured accents :
into the ear of Beauty beneath the tryßting !
bower, where the dusky warrior was wont to '
rehearse his deeds of daring, to gain the ap
proving smile of her he sought to win : and the
white mother, “in carpeted halls of luxury,”
rocks her babe on downy cushions, upon the
very spot where oft in olden time her dark, un
taught sister lulled to sleep, on far rougher
couch, the cherished hope and premies of brave
and warlike ancestry.
But this is not to our present, purpc.se A
minion has been cast upon us ; and it is not in
the visions of either the past cr the present that
we would deal, but the realities of the future.
It is not by the invocation of poetic fancies that
we can fulfill our destiny, and make the solitary
places to rejoice, “aifc the wilderness to bloom
and blossom as the rosebut by addressing
ourselves to solid and substantial facts—tc stern
realities. We have said, by the Sioux Purchase ;
an Empire has been added to the dominion of j
Christianity and civilization. Yes, more than |
an Empire, if we compare, by measured bounds, I
burs with the dimensions of empires that in
Olden ages ruled the world. Here we have fifty
thousand square miles. Egypt, the land of the
Pharaohs, and the builder of the Pyramids, that
ruled the universe in science and arms before
the days of Abraham, possessed not one-fourth
so large and no more fertile territory. Mace
don, that sent an Alexander forth to conquer
the world, is but as a speck upon one of the vast
prairies of our new Empire. The domains of
Xerxes, and his three million soldiers, was not
more extensive; the banners of Rome in the
days of the Tarquins and the elder Brutus,
floated over a less expanse; and Carthage, when :
Hannibal aßcended the Alps, would have been !
considered a scant pattern for any of the future
Cities, which, in embryo, already throw the
shadows of their tapering spires into the sky
colored waters of the Minnesota. The land of
the Saracen, when he drove his serried hosts
over the walls of the Eastern Empire, and
startled the Christian world with the war-crv
of the sons of the Prophet, was not more vast: j
and the monarchs of Castile and Aragon sway- 1
ed the sceptre over more limited bounds, at'
the time they despatched the Genoese ad
venturer in search of Western Worlds. Eng
land, the great mistress of the world in modern
times, is of no greater extent; and France, who
in the memory of men now living, exercised
dominion over these very Sioux lands, boasts
but a fraction of greater extent than this Pur- <
chase, combined with the State of lowa.
What, then, may not the Sioux Purchase be
come in a few years, if those holding its desti
ny in their bands are but true to themselves
and the duties required of them! Not a nursery
°f warlike ambition and scenes of strife, as
were the kingdoms of old we have named; but
w% ask what may not this land become at this
Age of refined progress, in forwarding the great
ends of modern improvement and humanity!
Why may it not, during our own day and gen
eration, burst forth a blooming, hopeful, happy
Empire, with wealth and prosperity teeming
in the busy streets of its cities; golden fields
and rugged health crowning its bills, and
••peace tinkling on the shepherd's bell”
through its luxuriant valleys!
The Louisiana and Minnesota Railroad
This is the point we wish to come at, and re
mark for a few moments upon. “It is a wild,
impracticable project” says Mr. Standstill—
“ the man is a fool that talks of its feasibility,
and deserves to be sent to & lunatic asylum!” 1
“It will ruin St. Paul,” says Mr. Selfish Short
sight ; “ and I will have nothing to do with it.”
But these are petty annoyances that all great
Approvements have ever been destined to en
-cotqtter, and will encounter to the end of time.
they are hardly worth alluding to ;
And shall certainly not deter us from advoca
ting and agitating, continually, this great work,
jiotil its final consummation.
This week we can only give a few general
outline!. The region which this road will tra
verse, after passing the northern boundary of
lowa, is the Land of Great Promise we have
just been speaking of Its fame has already
j gone abroad; and our friends farther south
| may rely, that the half has not yet been told,
j lowa has been thoroughly explored ; and its
| physical features and great resources are fully
known to the world. The general character of
' the Sioux Purchase is the same as that of Iowa:
but for agricultural pursuits; for grazing ; in
fertility of soil and abundance of good water
and excellent timber, and healthful climate, —
out of the influence of malarious, and with a
temperature too steady and dry in winter to
produce pulmonary diseases—it far surpasses
that young and growing State in practicability
as the future home of the producer. Farming,
manufacturing and mechanical pursuits cau be
carried on no more profitably in any part of the
wide world, than within the limits of this very
Purchase. There are the broad and fertile
prairies, ready for the plow, to produce the
grain ; and every mile over its vast extent runs
the mill-stream. And those thousands of lim
pid lakes, margined by luxuriant natural mead
ows—the very home for myriads of herds of cat
tle, where they can lx 1 reared for the Southern
i market fifty per cent cheaper than in Kentucky
! and Ohio. This is no fancy sketch ;if the peo
ple south of us do not believe it, let them come
and sec for themselves.
Face of the Country. —Over no portion of the
West can a good, eubotnntial railroad be con
structed with greater facility and more cheaply,
than from the lowa line to the valleys of the
Cannon and Minnesota rivers, and thence to
St. Paul. Until you strike the Minnesota, there
are no streams that cannot be crossed with
great ease: and material can be procured in
abundance all along the line. What few heavy
breaks might intervene can be easily avoided.
We venture the prediction, that when the route
is once examined, it will be found as feasible as
any railroad route in Illinois or lowa, and per
haps more so.
Distance from St. Louis. —Wc have made a
rough estimate of the distance by this line of
road from St. Louis to St. Paul, by way of Du
buque, aud also the difference in favor of a
more direct line to the Minnesota river, leaving
Dubuque some 75 or 100 miles to the east of
the road. We likewise give the distance to St.
Paul, by diverging in this direction from the
valley of the Cannon river :
Fro® St. Loot! to Dubuque, jaj allies
“ Dubuque to St. Paul, js6 «i
Total, «•
I From St. Loutd to Ottumwa, lowa, 226 «
* 4 OttumwA to lo«ariver, ...100 «
" low * river to Great Bend oi Minnesota,. .*.200
Total, «
Line dlverg n g to Saint Paul from the valley of
Cannon river will add, say, <<
T0ta1,... 655 «
These distances may be out of the margin of
what a practical engineer would conclude up
on ; but we feel certain the surveyed lines will,
at least, prove no longer than these. The dis- j
tance from St. Louis to New Orleans will no i
doubt be practically arrived at in a few months,
too we will let that pass for the present.
A Word to Old Mother Louisiana. —Stand- '
ing here at the summit of a high bluff, on the j
east side of the mighty river that hundreds of j
miles below washes, on either side, your sunny j
shores—upon a border fraction of the vast area
once a portion of the Old Dominion—St. Paul, I
» fnnr y.M old cilj, of three thousand inhabi
tants, overlooks the broad acres which once,
with your present limited bounds, together
with the great States of Arkaneas, Missouri and
lowa, bore your own name. They are your
children; and the portion of Minnesota em
braced in the Sioux Purchase is the youngest of
them. St. Paul, though net of you herself, is
to be the mart of th'l3 younger member of Old
j Louisiana's family ; and is now anxious to ad
! vance the natural ends of trade and intercourse
j by uniting mother and daughter with bands of
j iron—to bind together, by inseparable links,
j those whose early relationship, natural inter
ests, and undoubted policy would seem to dic
tate eternal union, social and political, as well
as commercial. The intervening members of
the family stand ready to lend every aid in the
furtherance of this great work. Will you meet
us with the affection of the true maternal pa
rent, or drive ns to seek an unnatural alliance
elsewhere!
Winter Travel to Minneoota.
For the information of those who may wish to
make the journey to Minnesota before the open
ing of navigation, and those of our citizens who
intend going dow n during the winter on office
seeking missions or other business, we will give
a brief sketh of our experience in regard to the
mail route and the accommodations upon it.—
At the outset, it ia but just to remark, that Min
nesota is eolely indebted to the enterprising
proprietors of the lino, Willoughby A Powers,
for the excellent advantages which the road
through Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien now af
fords for winter travel. During the past fail,
they bridged all the small streams that are not
fordable ; and where the dwellings of settlers
were too far apart for “stations,” they have
erected comfortable double cabins, and placed
excellent and accommodating families in th<>m,
in order to give to the traveler a desirable
home. So rapidly is the country settling all
the way up from Prairie du Chien, that this
expedient was only necessary at two points—
Beef river and the head of Rush river. These
two stations, for accommodations in everv par
ticular, are equal to the best houses on the
road. We arc under especial obligations to
Mr. and Mrs. Miller, of the Rush river house,
for extra attentions on the night of Wednesday
of last week, after a dreary ride of thirty miles
in the dark, part of the time through a drench
ing rain. The proprietors also expended much
I ' a ' lor in cutting the road through heavy forests,
aud rendering some of the worst hills' easy of
■ ascent and descent, eo that during the season
of hard weather and good sleighing, any re
spectable span of horses can, with case, draw
I twenty hundred over any part ofthe road.
; The journey in Willoughby A Powers’ line is
made in open sleighs. Some people down in
the States, taking into consideration the sever
ity of winter weather up this way, may become
intimidated at this announcement; but what is
sleigh-riding worth, if you are enclosed as in
a jail, and can see nothing of the beauties of the
winter scenery as you pass along? Of all the
abominations we ever knew in traveling, save
us from a covered sleigh. Those journeying
over this route, however, will need, of course,
to provide themselves amply with clothing.—
To commence at the foundation, they must, if
they would be comfortable, cast aside their
boots, put on two pair of thick woollen socks,
over them a pair of buckskin moecasing, and
over all a pair of buffalo overshoes. This will
protect the feet from tbe lean eensatioa of
cold, if they are not allowed to become damp.
One pair of woolen drawers is sufficient if your
pants are thick and heavy, though two would
be better. Over the pants, wear a pair of over
alls or leggings. A good thick overcoat as the
outside dress for the body is far preferable to a
cloak—in Cict, a cloak is a thorough nuisance.
Heavy “Indian.” or fur mittens (not gloves)
for the hands; a good cap (throw your hat
away or put it in your trunk.) to come well
over the ears, and snch other head, face and
neck rigging in the way of “helmets,” “com
forters,” Ac., as will suggest themselves toyou,
and then two Mackinaw blankets, which are
really indispensable for various uses, and yon
are completely equipped to stand, with com
fort, any degree the thermometer ever reaches
along this road. We have been thus minute in
describing the body gear necessary for a winter
trip to Minnesota, owing to the fact that some
of our young and ardent friends from many de
grees south of here arc going to undertake it in
a few weeks, and being unused to such extra
preparations while traveling in comfortable
railroad cars at home, they might, unless thus
advised, start out from Galena some pleasant
winter morning, and find themselves awfully
used up by the time they reached here. Then
they would have a dreadful poor opinion of
Minnesota, which we wish to prevent, if possi
ble, and will prevent, if they but heed our ad
vice.
j The rapid settlement of the country during
j the past two years, between Prairie du Chien
: and the Falls of Black river, has rendered the
I traveling over that portion of the rcute, so far
as accommodations arc concerned, equal to any
stage route through Illinois or the older por
tions of Wisconsin. In fact, we can safely say
that the fare, as a general thing, is superior.—
Accommodating travelers being a “new thing”
with the hardy pioneers of the Bad Axe and
La Crosse valleys, perhaps induces them to do
their utmost for the comfort of the wayfarer, and j
spread before him, at the cheap rate of two bits j
per meal, all that their luxurious fields and
prolific forests and streams afford. At all
events, venison, fish and fowl was the order of
the day all the way through, seasoned with
such kindly acts of frontier hospitality as to
make one feel at home upon almost all occa
sions. Before reaching Black river, we par
took at four stations where these remarks will
fully apply, viz : at Green’s, Tainter’s, ( a bro
ther and, living with him, the excellent old
j mother of our butcher,) Smith's aud Pettit's.—
I But heaven preserve us from ever again sitting
i at the board or sleeping in the beds of the pres
, ent landlord of the Black river hotel.' For the
j sake of brevity, however, in our remarks, and
! good feeling toward the proprietors of the line,
;we will “skip the hard places”—in fact, this is
the only one on the line ; and we hope the pro
prietors will also be able to skip it in a few
weeks. At least, we advise th»m to. Wc will
only further remark, by way of advice to the
parties ofthe two grand divisions of the Christian
church, who at this time appear to bo so zeal
ously contending as to which shall have the
honor of earing the souls of the Winnebago In
dians, that there is a still greater and more de
manding field now presenting itself for mission
ary labors at the Falls of Black river, than the
one over which they are quarreling. Hadn’t
one of these factions better draw off from Long
Prairie, and proceed down that way, where
there ifi mare labor to be dona, aadaoneequoat
Ily greater rewards to follow? We hope our
j friends Foster and Pierson, as well as the other
i party, will heed these suggestions.
I Well, after twenty-four hours’ residence in
| this sink-hole of filth aud iniquity, it is not
! necessary to aver, that Morton’s cry of “ all
: ready,” from his seat behind his tram at day
| light on Tuesday morning, was not a very uu
! w'elcome sound. Fifteen miles this side, we
! strike the fertile valley of Mountain Island
I river. (We, contrary to general custom, give
j the English name for convenience.) But one
j settler has, as yet pushed his way into this val
! ley, and he a Maine Yankee, you might swear
jas soon as you see his establishment. His
; name is Merrill, a clever, whole-souled fellow,
j He only commenced operations last spring, and
I now has some thirty acres broken and under
j fence, a neat and comfortable frame cottage fin
j ished, with barn and out-buildings attached.—
! Although early in the day, we are to take din
ner here, and before we enter, high expecta
tions are uppermost in our stomachs at the idea
of a good Yankee dinner, after four meals of
pine-bark soup, seasoned with saw-dust, at the
Falls. We enter the tidy dwelling, and are
kindly greeted by the neat and pretty wife of
our good Maine friend, and induced almost to
dance for joy at the savory odors of the dinner,
in process of cooking. O, ye generation of sin
ners, who about St. Paul and St. Anthony, last
summer, were wont to sneer at, and deride the
people from Maine—calling them “Greybacks,”
and other opprobrious epithets—merely because
of their attachment to a certain law—O, that
ye could once be compelled, as we were, to live
at the Falls of Black river one day, and then
partake of one of Mrs. Merrill's dinners! How
readily would you “take back” all you have
said, and swear that this whole north-western
country were a desert without an oasis, but for
the hardy, enterprising Yankees of Maine!—
Let no one who may travel this road, ever pass
Mr. and MrF. Merrill's w ithout eating or sleep
ing.
We tarried that night at the Company’s sta
tion at Beef river—called in honor of our dri
ver tbe “Morton House”—which is excellently
well kept by a Mr. Brown aud his lady ; and
taking an early start the next morning, drove
to Gilbert's Mills at the crossing of the Menom
onee, fifty miles, by three o'clock, P. M. Here
is another station at which the sumptuous farer
at the best hotels of the cities deserves to be
kicked, if he finds any fault with the table.—
Mrs. Gilbert is embalmed in the grateful recol
lections of every traveler over this road. She
is a Kentucky lady, and knows how to “do up
things" after the fashion of the far-famed hospi
tality and fine living of that good old State.—
Venison, both of elk and deer, with fresh trout
from tbe adjacent brook, coffee and tea—not
dish-slop—with sngnr and cream, and hot rolls
with good, fresh butter, are present upon her
table at every meal, and invite the weary and
hungry to a sumptuous feast in her forest home,
j Besides, she is a sociable, accomplished and
1 exceedingly entortaing lady, which would even
make much poorer fare than hers acceptable,
after a long ride upon a wintry day. Long live
Mrs. Gilbert! If provisions give out here in
St. Paul before spring, we intend going down
to the Menomonee, and boarding with her until
thawing-out time.
By the accommodating disposition of Elias,
who had driven us up from the Chippewa, and
the driver who was to succeed him, and take
us through the “ Big Woods"—commencing
where we then stood and extending to the
head of Rnsh river, thirty miles—we were,
contrary to custom, enabled to get through
that night. Starting at four o’clock, we had a
gloomy drive of seven or eight hours through a
forest the most solitary, heavy aud dense in the
North-West, and celebrated all over this coun
try as the haunt of elk, deer, bear and other
large gome innumerable. The next day,
from the Rush river station, we had an easy
drive to St. Paul.
We have only space to remark, that the man
who desires to visit Minnesota in the winter
season, and is deterred for fear of difficulties
and sufferings on the road, is cither a great
dunce, or is very chicken-hearted, and would
never amount to a great deal after he got here.
The road is in excellent order, the mode of con
veyance safe and comfortable, the drivers care
ful and accommodating, the fare plenty, and as
good (save in the instance w e have noted) as
upon any stage route in the West. What more
do you want!
FACTS AND FANCIES.
“ Toe Payment,” so far as the Indians are
concerned, with a few minor exceptions, was
concluded at Traverse dcs Sioux last week.—
The Governor, Mr. Tyler, and other gentlemen
interested in the disbursement, on both sides,
arrived from the Traverse last Saturday. This
week has been consumed in auditing the ac
counts of those having claims against the
Sioux, and providing for an equitable adjust
ment of the tame, as stipulated by the Indians
in the treaties oi Traverse des Sioux and Men
dota. W ben the payment to these claimants,
and the half-breeds, is completed, the great bu
siness of transferring the “ Sioux Purchase”
into the hands of the United States will be ful
ly consummated. We understand that trade
was quite brisk at the Traverse after the pay
ment. We also learn that Mr. Sibley will
probably leave next Monday to resume his du
ties at )\ asbington. Business that could not
possibly be postponed has detained him at
home thus late.
Thanksgiving ! —Just as we were about to
jog the memory of our trust-worthy Executive,
and remind him that in the multiplicity of his
duties in providing for his red children, the
white portion of his family needed a dav set
apart upon which they might feel thankful and
eat to their full content, the Secretary handed
in the Proclamation for Thanksgiving, to which
we give the most conspicuous place in our col
umns. Good ! By the merry crowing of the
cocks, all over town, of mornings, and the de
fiant antics of the turkeys wherever you chanced
to met them, we had supposed there was to be
no Thanksgiving in Minnesota this year. “An
other check to proud ambition!” With com
mendable propriety and good taste, his Excel
lency has fixed our Thauksgiving upon that
memorable old day, the 22d of December—the
anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims
upon Plymouth Rock.
St. Fit'L Mercantile Ei.terprise.— lt i-rath
er a “lick back on the “modern Venice,” (with
out gondolas) Dubuque, that almost the only
stock of seasonable and fashionable dry goods
brought within her limits this winter, was pur
chased for the St. Paul market—she only ga
ting bold of them by accident. Dubuque is
eternally talking of “ controlling the trade of
St. Paul;” the boot is certainly on the othpr
foot this time—St. Paul is controlling the dry
goods trade of Dubuque. A Frenchman and
an Englishman, after a rough passage across
the Channel from Havre, once arrived at Dover.
John Bull's stomach was awfully “ riled up,”
while Monsieur's internal parts remained calm
and quiet as a May morning. “Ha, ha, Mon
sieur John Bull,” said he, “your nation sing all
ze while, ‘Britannia rule ze wave!’ Be gar,
me tinks zis time ze wave rule Britannia!”—
So with the Dubuqners ; St. Paul, through
the branch of the “ World's Fair” there estab
lished, comes about as near ruling their trade,
if we may judge by what their own editors say.
as did the waves on that occasion to “ruling
Britannia!”
B inter. —The only thing now wanting to
clothe St. Paul in her full winter paraphernalia,
is a tight and substantial close-up of the river.
Although, for the present, deprived of our
smooth and level ice track to the fort, and
down the river, the sleighing on land is most
excellent—it having been greatly improved by
falls of snow this week. And our population,
of all ages, sexes and conditions, are improving
it, too. The boys are “coasting” on the hills,
night and day, to tbe great danger of pedestri
ans limbs; but it is wrong to get angry at
them if they do run overyou-just recall the peri
od when you were a boy yourself. The farmers
are hauling in their produce and wood—French
trains with tamarac and venison, prairie fowls
and pickerel—Yankee sleds with oak. grain,
dead hogs, beef, butter and poultry—middle-
a ß e d gents bringing in the “ old woman” and
girls “ to do a little shopping”—citizens driv
ing about with wives and babies wrapped up in
buffaloes—children let out from school to wal
low each other in the snow, and make day and
night hideous with their yelling—streets full of
people, moving off with a lively pace, hither
and yon, on business or seeking pleasure—and
at night sleigh bells jingling in every direction,
borne by high-mettled steeds, with the “young
bloods ’ of town holding the ribbons in tbe
right hand, while the left arm gently reclines
to the other side. The churches are holding
service nightly, and the more seriously disposed
gather within the solemn walls of the sanctua
ry—the less attentive to religious duties crowd
the assembly rooms and social evening parties— j
while from the toiling mechanics’ shop resounds 1
upon the clear evening atmosphere, the ring of'
the hammer and harsh grating of the saw and j
plane. So goes on St. Paul when shut out from the '
“rest of mankind”—a busy—bustling—thought-!
ful—working— pleasure-seeking praying lit
tle jade of a city, that can take care of herself: 1
do her own duty, morally and socially, and
have her own fun at her own expense. All'
welcome to the glories and social enjoyments |
of Winter in our North-Western Metropolis!
: Fair and Supper. —The ladies of the Baptist
I Church will hold a sale for the disposal of fan
cy and usefiil articles, on board the steamer
j Greek Slave, on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings, 22d and 23d inst. A sumptuous enter
tainment in the way of supper will be served
up on each evening. Capt. Roberts has, with
his accustomed liberality, tendered the Slave
for the occasion, free of charge. Th» la
ladies, for months, have been laboring to pro
duce an entertainment worthy the patronge of
the people of St. Paul and vicinity ; and we
sincerely hope they will realize a sufficient
sum to carry out the laudable purposes for
which the proceeds arc designed Particulars
next week
Winter Mails. —The Poet Office Department,
with « contract on its hands to give ns two
mails per week during the winter, are allowing
their officials at a certain point between here
and Galena to do just about as they please in re
regard to tbe matter of doing their duty. There
are certain one-horse towns along the Mississip
pi below us, some of whose people imagine they
are doing a great service to themselves and
their country, by taking all advantages that
circumstances may throw in their way to en
deavor to retard the progress of St. Paul, and
aunoy and perplex her people. We do not be
lieve the present Postmaster at Prairie du
Chien has the least illiberal feeling of this kind
towards us ; but he is surrounded by an atmos
phere pestiferous witii jealousies and hard feel
ings towards St. Paul and many of her most
enterprising citizens. We want, now, to know,
without equivocation, why it is, that every
mail for Minnesota is suffered to lie in the post
office at Prairie du Chien at least 48hours after
its arrival from Galena? Two mails per week
are promptly made up for us at the Galena of
fice. They arrive at the Prairie, respectively,
on Saturday and Tuesday evenings. The Sat
urday evening mail, by the present arrange
ment, rests there till Monday morning, and the
Tuesday evening mail until Friday morning!
Messrs. IN illougbby A Powers' teams are al
ways on hand at the time of the arrivals from
Galena; and these gentlemen, not only for the
accommodation of their passengers,—who of
course are always anxious to got through as
soon as possible—but also to preserve their
good name as contractors, are ready and
willing to start the mails up the moment they
arrive from below. It is proper, of course, to
state the fact, that the Postmaster at I’raire du
Chien has entire discretionary power from the
Department in regard to the arrangement of
the schedule over this route. It may as well
be understood now, at the outset, that we shall
continue writing and talking about this matter
—one of vital importance to the people of Min
nesota—until sufficient strength and vigor be
comes infused into our mail bags to enable
them to travel straight along from Prairie du
Chien without resting there 48 or CO hours.
The Dr. Franklin's Mail.—We find the fol
lowing in the last Democrat:
Stillwater. Dec. 2, 1852.
D. A. Robertson :
Sir—The S. B. Dr. Franklin did leave all the
mail at Stillwater which she had on board for
your city. And it was sent over by the first
stage. An inquiry at your own post office
would have saved you from appearing to desire
to injure any one.
Rcspectfullv vours.
A. S.‘PARKER.
M e did make inquiries at the St. Paul post
office, and there learnt the last Dr. Franklin
mail was not received here, and we are inform
ed to-day. (Dec, 7.) that said mail was never
heard of here. Mr. Parker,clerk of the Frank
lin, exonerates the officers of that boat, but
what has become of the missing mail l Was it
stolen or lost ?
j If our neighbor will examine matters closelv,
, he will find that his Galena dates, due by the
j Dr. Franklin, were received here some two or
i three weeks ago, and that in reality there is no
, mail missing. As to whether the mail was
sent over from Stillwater, or made the journey
I to Prairie du Chien and back, we have now
, nothing to remark ; but are quite certain that
Mr. Parker is entirely honest in the belief of
. what he says. We can convince the editor of
ilic Democrat tnat there is no mail Oac/c.
“Going to Town.” —One cannot realize the
important position that St. Paul is beginning
to assume, unless he occasionally mingles with
people residing some distance from her. Down
in Wisconsin, more than a hundred miles from
: here, people refer to St. Paul as their future
trading point in winter time, and speak of
“ going up to town ’’ when starting upon a vis
it to our metropolis. On the Chippewa and
Menomonee, enquiries were made as to wheth
er we thought there was a chance of procuring
any fresh butter, or any pork. Ac., “in town.”
I W e passed a man forty miles from here with a
! load of venison, and upon hailing him, learned
j he was hauling it “to town ’’—meaning St.
; Paul. The winter trade—and it is considera- '
I ble—of all the region referred to, can easily be '
i controlled by our dealers, if they are so dis- j
; posed. This portion of Wisconsin should have :
: been part and parcel of .Minnesota geographical- j
j ly and politically, and it can easily be, commer- 1
! cially.
j Oakes A Co.'s Mills. —At the invitation of
. Messrs. Oakes and Champlin, two members of
| the Company, we were induced one day this
| week to make a thorough examination of these
I mills, recently greatly enlarged and improved,
I and now nearly ready to be put in full and
complete operation. The old machinery has
been replaced by new, of much greater power,
finer finish, aud practical utility. The engine
has three feet stroke, with cylinder of sixteen
inch bore; and throughout is as complete a
piece of workmanship as we ever saw. It
is from one of the best machine shops in
the city of Buffalo. Three boilers are attached,
which will give sufficient power for even much
larger operations than the Company at present
intend undertaking. In the mill, are two up
right and one circular saw; one lath and shin
gle machine; one of Woodworth's planing ma
chines. and one turning lathe. Every thing
about the mill has been got up in the most
j costly, convenient and durable manner. One i
j of the greatest conveniences and comforts we :
j noticed, is a long shed to shelter the workmen
1 while getting logs into the mill in times of in
clement weather. This extensive addition to
the manufacturing resources of St. Paul will !
j be in full operation in a few days, when we
: have no doubt it will fully come up to the ex- ;
J pectations of the exterprising proprietors—the
| best and most profitable steam-mill in the
I North-West.
! St. Pacl Manufactures.— Winslow's Flouring
Mill on Trout Brook, adjacent to town, has been
repaired, and is now in operation. The saw
mills at the upper and lower ends of town,
when in full operation, will drive six saws,
which number will be increased early next sea
son by two more, in the new mill of Messrs.
Ames A Co., the frame of which is now up, 1
near the mouth of Dayton's creek. Yet all
these, with the eight saws at St. Anthony, will !
come far short of supplying the demand for
lumber that will exist here next season.
When St. Paul was a scattered frontier j
village of ten or a dozen houses, with no cer
tainty of its ever amounting to anything, an '
enterprising family of brothers from Philadel- j
phia pioneered in the fancy Dry Goods business,
although the whole community prophesied ',
against them, and said it would never pay. |
Onr old friends, and the old friends and earlv !,
improvers of St. Paul, Elfelt A Brothers, de- ,
serve to be remembered as well «s men of more ,
recent Hate.
Milwaukee and La Crosse Raitjioad. —The
preliminaries and surveys preparatory to com
mencing this great work are being rapidly
pushed forward ; and if the company meets
with the same success in securing stock during
the winter that has attended its operations the
past three months, the whole line can be put
I under contract early in the spring. When we
j came through the La Crosse Valley, last week,
. a company of engineers were on the route, and
had nearly completed their work in that quar
-1 ter. This road can be tapped, by a line over a
\feasible route, only 160 miles in length from
Lake St. Croix. Let the people of St. Louis,
vitally interested in the construction of the
great work west of the Mississippi, bear this
fact in mind. The East will come to us without
scarcely an invitation. The South aud South-
West, less alive to their interests, appear to
need a continual “ stirring up” to induce them
jto view these great lines of improvement in
, the proper light. Is not this strange, when we
call to mind the fact, that the trade of New
, Orleans is already declining rapidly, and that
of St. Louis is likely to go the same way, un
less she looks to it in time ?
The Capitol. —Secretary Wilkin informs us,
that there will probably lie nothing to hinder
the Legislature from meeting in the new capi
tol building at its approaching session. The
Halls will be so far finished as to be at least !
available and comfortable if not entirely finish- j
ed. The day of meeting is three weeks from
next Wednesday. In the meantime candidates
for the various offices are setting their traps foT
a general onslaught upon the members. Ap
pearances indicate that the usual number of
gentlemen anxious to serve their country in the
capacity of Clerks, Messengers, Firemen. Ac.,
is likely to be increased rather than diminish
ed. Under this state of circumstances, we
would advise members from the country to stay
out of town as much as possible, until the final
hour of meeting.
I “A High Caper.” —People about town with
| nothing else to do, have found abundance to
talk of this week, owing to the singular freak
of the Mississippi in changing almost its entire
I volume of water from this side of the chain of
| islands opposite the city to the other side.—
Where the old “Father” was wont to pour his
flood—collected from a thousand limpid streams
and crystal lakes far to the north of us—along
at the base of the high bluff fronting Ft. Paul,
is now a stagnant,currentless pool; while over
to the other side of Harriet, Barnes, and Rasp
berry Islands roars and rushes the angry waters,
swollen by the late thaw, crushing and bearing
down before them ice and every other impedi
ment. At the foot of the last named island,
and across the high bar which divides it from
Boal Island, the whole force of the current has
been thrown for several days—cutting a deep
channel through the sand of some fifty feet in
width. The current sets from thence with Mis
souri rapidity across to the foot of Jackson
street, and then sweeps away close in to the St.
Paul shore, as tar down as Dayton’s Bluff. The
effect of this sudden change will be to improve
and extend the lower landing, aud to entirely
alter the steamboat channel below and in front
of St. Paul.
A Sharper. —We have heard of an attempt at
„ swindling the Government officers on the part
I of a Sioux Indian, oonnoctod with the leceut
J money transactions between the United States
i and these people, that would do credit to the
; ; veriest sharper who finds a home and profession
-1 al employment among civilized and Christian
1 , nations. A few days ago, Mr. Buck Indian
1 goes to one of our principal merchants—an old
■ trader among the tribe—and says : “ I want a
f j horse very bad, and have no money to buy one
- with; you have always been my friend, and
I are my friend still. You have traded much
- : with us, and it is easy to make the officers bc
; 1 lieve that I owe you a hundred aud fifty dollars.
’ , Now, if you will make out your bill against me
1 j for that sum, and date it back two years, you
I j can get the money ; then when you get it, I
wish you to buy me a horse worth a hundred
- dollars, and you can keep the other fifty for
'your trouble.” The merchant, to see how far
■ j the fellow would go, made out the hill as re
■ ! quested, which he acknowledged by putting his
■ , mark upon it. The affair of course ended here.
■ Who says there is no improvement among the
Indians from the civilizing influences of the
- whites!
Provisions. —As we expected, when the hue
1 and cry of •• Provisions short at St. Paul,” was
raised in Galena, at the close of navigation, we
’ come home and find that these ideas were all pre
dicated upon a wrong basis, and that there is
; amply sufficient in the country to supply every
1 one with full and plenty until spring. The
Galenians should be aware that we are now
beginning to produce something within our
own borders; and that by another year we will
not, perhaps, be compelled to buy scarcely any
thing of them in this line, and by still another
year we will be aide to sell to them. Some as
fine hogs as can be found in the West have been
grown in Minnesota this year. We noticed a
lot brought into town one day this week by
Hon. Jas. S. Norris, raised by himself, that
would have been considered fine samples even
in the Cincinnati market—the great pork mart
|of the world. Other farmers on “ the Prairie,” 1
we understand, have still heavier animals,
i w 'Mch they intend marketing soon. Beef, poul
i try, wild fowl, venison. Ac., are all plenty in
j t,le country, and coming in in quantities quite !
[sufficient to supply the demand. In the grocerv '
line our friends Tyson, Brunson, Rey A Farmer,
Wait A Co., Farrington, Irvine, Ac., have i
good stocks—some of them large. We guess
we'll all live! We annex from the Pioneer, the
; St. Paul
Retail Prices, —Hams, 15 cts ; fresh pork.
10 a 12 cts; salt pork, per bbl., S2B a S3O; beef !
Hots, per lb; lard, new 20 cts; butter, 300 40; i
potatoes, (j 0a 75 cts per bushel; corn meal $1 ;
, per hush ; candles, 15 cts. per lb; star do 30 ;
tallow. 0 cts per lb; sugar. 10 a 12J ets per lb; 1
flour sfi a $7 per bbl.
Express. —The first freight through from be
low, since the close of navigation, by Burbank !
& Co.’s Express, arrived with the mail on ;
| Thursday evening. The snow having disap->
peared below during the late thaw, Mr. Hoi-'
combe, the messenger, had quite a time of it, !
j but he brought everything through safely and !
in good order.
| “Throw Physic to the Dogs!” as Macbeth j
1 rcmar k e fl, is a motto that most of us in this I
j health-favored region can generally adopt, from j
year to year ; but if any one should need a i
I 'i l "®"ght of the miserable stuff, we can with safe- j
I ty and confidence, refer them to the advertise- .
i ments ofDrs. Jarvis A Day. a Arm composed Of
j experienced and professinal gentlemen, in the 1
strictest sense of the term, who know their busi- '
net? thoroughly and attend tn it
—The last batch of our letters from Galena,
which should have been here in time for the
last issne, are published on the first page to
day.
—lf any one wishes to present himself, or her'
self, as a holiday gift, to friends, relatives or
other cherished favorites, call on Whitney. He
is fixed for any number of customers.
Errata. —A typographical error occurred in
our publication of the decision of Judge Ilav
ner, last week, which we now correct. In N 0.4
of the points, second line, for “reserve," read
resume; and in the seventh line, for “reserved,”
read resumed. — Democrat.
Minnesota in Yankee land. —We are not sur
prised to learn, taking into consideration the
fact that Minnesota is, in every essential partic
ular, “ the New England of the West,” that
many hundreds and thousands of the hardy
sons and industrious daughters of Yankeeland
are preparing to migrate hither the ensuing
year, and settle upon the Sioux Purchase. Let
them come—we can have no better population-
On our journey home last week, we traveled in
company, a portion of the way, with Mr. H. M.
Nichols, President of the “ Minnesota Claim
Association,” recently formed at Northampton,
Mass. A large colony will follow him in the
spring. The “remarks” below are embodied
in a circular issued by the Association, and ex
plain the objects to be attained in forming it, as
well as Mr. Nichols business here this winter.—
lie can be found at Mr. Howe’s, and will be
glad to receive information in regard to the
various favorite localities west of the Mississip
pi :
REMARKS,
1. The Association will send out an agent
this I all, to reside at St. Paul during the win
ter, to transact any business which the Associa
tion or individuals may desire.
2. The Colony propose to emigrate on the
opening of navigation in the Spring. Time of
travel. 5 or (i days.
3. The route is very direct, —Springfield, Al
bany. Buffalo, Detroit or Monroe. Chicago, Ga
lena, St. Paul.
4. Expenses, probably about $25 each. The
agent will pass over the route to make arrange
ments. It is supposed the freight on goods will
not exceed $1,25 per hundred pounds.
5. Location—On the Sioux lands. The pre
cise location is not yet decided upon—probably
in range of the Cannon River and Blue Earth
A alley. Explorations will be made and report
ed.
C. Climate—essentially New England, but
free in a great measure from our dampness and
sudden changes. Asthma, consumption, bilious
fevers, aud fever and ague, do not prevail
there.
7. Soil good—water privileges abundant
timber plenty—prairirs numerous—navigation
through the Mississippi and its tributaries with
all the Western States.
8. Each person may improve his claim till
surveyed by Governraeut, without pay, tax or
rent, and be sure of obtaining it then at $1,25
per acre. If tbe Homestead Bill passes before
the survey, each claimant will have IGO acres
without pay.
9. Persons communicating by letter, either
with the Secretary or Agent, will pre-pny the
postage, and if they desire an answer, will in
close a postage stamp.
10. The business transactions of the Associa
tion, with all notices of meetings, and commu
nications from the Agent, will from time to
time be published in the Northampton fourier.
Persons wishing this information, will secure
the reading of that paper.
A Cemetery. —Judging from the following,
w hich we find in the Democrat of this week,
the plan adopted nine months since to secure a
suitable place for a cemetery, has been virtual
ly abandoned. If this be so, we hope by everv
feeling of decency and sense of Christian duty,
that the liews of Mr. Hoyt will be carried out
at once :
Mr. Editor: From the interest heretofore
manifested by yourself, in common with the
conductors of the other presses of this citv in
a city Cemetery, I take the liberty of address
ing the public through your columns on th"
subject.
In connection with Mr. Bullin, now in the city
or Philadelphia, but who will return next
spring, the undersigned proposes to appropri
ate forty acres of the cast half of the N. W. or.
of section 30, being about a mile north of the
capitol, for tlie purpose of sepulture.
W e propose to clear, fence and lav out ten
acres of the same as early as practicable next
spring, and the remainder from time to time as
it may be needed. Through the kindness of his
honor Judge Meeker, we have the promise of a
plan of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Boston, and
from other gentlemen, we w ill receive certain
plans, and intend from them to select or mingle
until wo got a plan second to none, according
to which wo will lay out the ground. Lieut.
Simpson has kindly promised to aid us in our
efforts in this respect.
In the meantime, should it be necessary to
bury any one before the grounds be laid out, it
may be done, subject to re-interment afterwards,
if in laying out the grounds it should be neces
sary.
It is perhaps proper to allude to the fact that
last w inter a spot was selected for a cemeterv,
and an organization effected. But the general
sentiment appears to be that it is too far from
•?u n A ai V? In an ,nter, ’iew the undersigned had
with Dr. Borup, the President of that organiza
tion, he concurred in the plan here submitted,
and expressed a wish that it Ijc carried into of*
feet.
Any person wishing to sec the ground, or to
bury their dead during the winter, can get the
necessary information by calling on Truman
M. Smith, Lsq. y ourSj 0
St. Paul, Dec. 4, 1852. B. F. HOYT.
Mr. Blum, of tbe “ New York Bazaar,” is
fixed up in grand style for the Holidays. He
is constantly receiving, by express, large addi
tions to his stock.
Arrival of the Hermann—Loai* Napoleon
Emperor.
! _ New York X0v.23.
French Empire declared by Senate Commit
| tee. and Louis Napoleon named Emperor Third,
j which he officially accepted.
| Webster s death had created a profound sen
( sation in England. \ A W
MaaachiMlb.
Boston. Nov. 23.
| ” c have returns from sixteen more represrn
! tatives, which show a gain of one for the Whigs
and four for the Coalition. Tbe Whigs have a
majority of forty over the Coalition, and over
1 all, ten. 1 here are fifty-two representatives
yet to hear from.
■ Ti 'k Japan Expedition.—U is stated that the
i ex P < *fl | tion of the I . s. Government vessels will
sail for Jeddo about the Ist of December, under
tbe command of Com. Perry. The fleet will be
a formidable one. let the object be w hat it mar.
The IJ. S. «hip A ermont, four steam frigates,
three sloops-of-war, one razee frigate,one brig
ak ar ’ arK * store ships will compose it.
About 4.000 men. and above 330 guns, most
heavy ordance, will make a formidable array for
a peaceful mission. Tbe English look upon the
expedition with a suspicious eye, and think
there may be “a cat under the meal.”
Fatal Accident. —We are informed by >( r
Rohison, Postmaster at New Diggings, that Mr.
Andrew Dalton, of that place , lost his life on
tbe 24th inst., by the caving in ofthe diggings
in which he was at work. The accident occur
red in clay ground. No furtherparticulars are
given.— Galena Advertiser.
Through.—^ The Toledo Blade is informed
that the construction train on the Toledo and
Cleveland Railroad runs through to Monroe
ville, and says “persons may now go from To
ledo by rail to all the rest ofthe world.”
Throi gh -As promised, the steam-horse r.n
nto Eric from the West last evening, and
tram with passengers arrived here from Erie
thi« morning.— Cleveland Herald ,V* P