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The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, August 15, 1850, Image 1

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BY JAMES M. GOODHUE & ISAAC N. GOODHUE.
VOLUME 11.
MINNESOTA PIONEER. j
VUILUHED EVKHV Tllt'MßAt MORtISO
Uy JiS. M. & ISAAC X. GOODHUE.
ornct ox third itkkst, near thi
eorKRKoaN ueiidbncc
terms:
pjjE piO\F.ER will be furnished to sub
scribers at Two Dollars per annum, inva
riably m advance. .
|r-j» subscription* received for less than one
ve«r. . ,
jrj* \\\ letters to this otbce must be fre-pait
to receive attention.
St JJaal lliatlt Dimtorn.
MABTERSON & SIMONS,
attorneys and Counsellors at Law,
Bench-street, St. Paul.
Jt. T. MASTKR.SON. OP-LANDO SIMONS-
ILLVR PIERSK,
A TTORNEY AT LAW. t. Paul. Min. .Ter.
Will attend to business connected with bis
profession in any part of the Territory of Mmue-
Mi. May 27. IH6O ly.
n. w. Lou,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law. and Uenerjl
Laotl Ageut. —St. Paul.
Particular attention will t»o ?"«» to collection*,
Paying l'axe*. Entering Land., Securing Pre-
Emption Claims, ami eotriea made by Military
l,and Warrant*. * l
Henry A. Lambert,
Attorney ami Counsellor at Law —St. Paul, Min.
lUrtatxcu-A. L. Collins. E»q., Madison,
Win. ; David Graham, Jr , Esq., J* Prescott
Hall E.«q , R M. *i E. H. Blatchford, f>qs.;
New York; Messrs. F. Cramer, Milwaukee;
Grinned, Minturn & Co., Jas. McCullough, Si
meon Draper, Jas, Bowen, N.York. bit
RICK, WHITALL & BECKER,
Attorneys at Law and Solicitors in
Uhnucery,
Will give their entire attention to the business oi
their profession. The collection of debts, pay
ment r»f taxes, buying and selling of lands Sc.,
prnmptlv attended to. Their offices are at
St Faul and St. dnthony, Minnesota.
in kick, c. o. whit all, oto. l. becrkf.
October 25 xxvii if
Babcock, Ames & Wilkiusoa.
Attorney* ami Counsellor* at Law.
St Paul, Minnesota Territory. 49 '
L. A. BABCOCK, M. *. AMES, M. S. VMI.KIN9ON
AMES A WILKINSON,
Attorneys and Counsellors at Law, and solicitors
in Chancery. _
Stillwater, Minnesota Territory.
Doctor Day .
Continues the practice of hi. profession at Saint
Paul and will be fonnd at his Office on Third
Street,
'"John J. Dewey, M. D.»
SltrSlCtAS AMO JOHCIOX.
Office on Third street
Louis Roberts.
Forwarding and Commission, and Dry Goods nnd
Groceries. —Corner of Jackson and River sts.,
~n the north side.
John Randnll «.V <o.
Forwnrdingand Commission, Dry Good* and Gro
ceries. -Corner of Jackson and River streets,
»nuth side.
W. H. Forbes,
Fur Company, St. Paul Outfit also Dry Com!*
and Groceries. — Bench street.
Cbm Irs Cavilrer,
fVtn'.s, Oils, l>ye-Slutfs, Drugs and Medicines.—
Tlurd street.
Win. D. Phillips,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law and Lund Agent.
Pre-emption claim* secured, and entries nmde
ov Military Warrants. Office on St Anthony
street, nearly opposite the Upper Lauding.
Wm. D. Phillips,
Procareur, Avocat en droit, et Agent desterres —
St. Paul. Reclame inis ensureie et des terre
eatrses par dcs ordres militaires.
€. D. BEVANS,
Dealer in Stoves and manufacturer of every de
scription of Tin and Copper Ware, a few doors,
below the American House, Saint Anthony
street. *®if
U. C A WOOD,
ON the street lending from the Upper Lan
ding. St. Paul, i» ready, on short notice,
to make hm<l repair buggies., wagons, and
sleds; nnd to ilo all amts of wheelwright
work. 36-ly
Dec. *2!>, 1849.
K. R. NELSON,
Att’yand Counsellor nl Law mid Gencr*
eral Land Agent.—St Puul, Mis.
Particular atter.tion given to the collection of
debts, payment of taxes, secu-ing pre-emption
claims, enter.ng lands by military warrants, ic.
its., —Office at present in tho rear of 11. \V.
Tracy & Co.’s store.
Valuable lots for sale in Leech's Addi
tion. 2-5-1
40 Quires lilaiik Deeds,
W (kRANTtr and Qcit-Clatm, for sale at the
PIONEER OFFICE.
N()T|CE
CHI ARLES W. BORUP, hae been appointed
/ by me to adiuslthe affairs of the \\ inneba
go nnd Chippewa Outfit H. H. SIBLLY.
October IS xxvi tf
StUlroaUr Business Pircctoni.
Henry L. Moss,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law, a-.id genera
Land Agent.—Stillwater, Minn. Ter. Land
Warrants constantly on hand and for sale—
twarranted genuine.
Rertß to
Messrs. Woodward & Dosenbnrv, X.\ . City.
•• P. Choutean. Jr., & Co.,St. Louis.
•• K. M'Kensie fc Co., “ “
* 1 Hempstead Sc Washburn, Galena, 111.
•* James Carter if Co., 44
11. L. Dousuian, Esq., Truiriedu Clnen
lion. 11. 11. Sibley, Minnesota Ter.
If. M Rice, Esq., 44 “
MINNESOTA HOUSE,
Stillwater, Min.—By W. E. Haitimosn.
No exertion will be spared to ensure the com
.l of Travelers. Porters will be in attendance
at tho boats, free of charge. H*f
ABRAM VAN VORHES,
Attorney end Counsellor at Law and Solic
itor in Chancery. Will attend to all pro
fessional business entrusted to his care.
Stillwater, M. T.
M tf
B. ALLEN
ALLEN dr SEMMES,
•Attorney! at Lair, Willow River, St,
Croix Co., Wisconsin.
THE MINNESOTA PIONEER
MEDICINES.
St. Paul, Minnesota.
JUST received from the east a tresli supply o
Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, Glass, Gar
nishes and Dye-stuffs, which will he sold at the
lowest prices.
FAMILY MEDICINES.
Anti-bilious, cathartic, vegetable, mid ague pills
Coxe’s luve syiup, Stoughton’s bitters, Burgundy
pitch, Liuiineut—volatile, nerve and bone, poor
■nan’s and anodyne ;Am., Thompson’s eye water
opodeldoc, parugoric, castor oil without taste or
smell, rheumatic drops, Mexican Mustang Lini
ment, together w ith every article in the Drug line
for sale cheap for cash.
DEWEY & CAVILLER.
f*t- Paul, April 27, 1850. My.
riNHE subscriber would respectfully inform the
1 citizens of St. Paul, that he has taken the
shop recently occupied by P. It. Johnson, on St.
Charles street—where he is prepared to make to
order all kinds of GENTLEMEN’S GARMENTS
on short notice, from his long experience in the
business, he is confident of being able to give
satisfaction to ail who may favor him with their
cuitoui.
W 11. TINKER
St. Paul, June 11th, 1849. Btf.
h. ROBERTS,
CORNER OF WATER AND JACKSON STS.,
IS now offering for sale a large and beautiful
assortment of
DRY GOODS,
Consisting in part of Calicoes, Sheeting, Shirt
ings, Mouslin de laines. Silks, Alpacas, Broad
cloths, Cassimeres, Satinets, Jeans, Vestings,
Coat Trimmings, Linseys,
READY WADE clothing,
BOOTS AND fl! SHOES, dtc.
Selected w ith great < are and bought at extremely
low prices. Also,
GROCERIES,
\ full supply—best quality of Coffee, Teas, Su
gars of several varieties and prices, Molasses,
Spice, Pepper, Ginger,Cinnamon, Cloves ; Salt,
(very cheap ;) 50 bbls. winter Apples ; Nails,
Tobacco, fvc. Ac.
Also LIQUORS, on Commission ; viz :
American Brandy, American Gin, Common, rec
tified and Monongahela Whiskey, cheap for cash.
Goods at casn prices will be given in pay for
F ure, Hides, Wheat and most other kinds of pro
duce.
LOLIS ROBF.RTS would particularly invite
thb attention of Farmers and all others to his
stock ol GOODS, believing they will find it for
their interest to deal with him. lie has facilities
for doing business on (he river, unsurpassed by
any other establishment.
FORWARDING A COMMISSION.
I am prepared to receive, store, and make
advances upon Produce or any Goods consigned
to me.
LOLIS ROBERTS
St Paul, Minnesota, April 25.-ltf
SAINT LOUIS MAIIBLE WORKS.
91, Washington Avenue, Fourth st.
]l/T ARDI.E Mantle Pieces of every variety;
J.V M. also, Italian Marble Monuments, Tombs,
Head Stones, l urmture Tops, and Marble work
of every description, for sale low by
23tf * J.C. WILSON.
AT the Central House, desires to have it
distinctly understood, that thuse who are
indebted to bun for his past services with
razor and shears, are expected forthwith to
liquidate; and that hereatter, his business
will be conducted strictly upon cash princi
ples.
nl-vi-tf
ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE IN
SURANCE AGENCY.
Columbus Insurance Company of Co
lumbus, Ohio.—-Capital (J.IOO 000.
THE undersigned having been appointed
agents of this old and reliable Fire and
Marine Insurance Company, are prepared
to issue policies at fair and reasonable rates.
The character aud standing of this Com
pany have be< n well established for many
years, and we are prepared to give the most
Hjitisfiu torv evidence of its responsibility,
and liberalitv in settlement of losses
RICE, WHI FALL Sc BECKER,
2-2tf Agents.
TIL DEN A- SMITH,
General Laud Agents.
St. Paci , Minnesota Territorf.
H t ILL intend to the locating and Entering
of Lai.d, with Military Warrants, or
otherwise. Also, to the securing of Pre-
Emption claims, and tbo sale of Farms,
Town Lots, ike.
\ illage property for sale.
Office at the Centre House.
HENRY L.TILDEN,
J. VV. C. SMITH.
44-tf
Fth. 16, 1850
ST. PAUL AND STILLWATER.—Those
who wish, to travel across the fine country
between these towns, a distance of only 20 miles,
while it is sixty mile* around by steamboat, will
find a stage leaving each town for the other, eve
ry morning after breakfast, except Sundays.
ROBERT KENNEDY, Proprietor.
Saint Paul, July 18, 1850.
JOSEPH BOWRON,
Notary Public nnd Land Agent,
Willow River, St. Croix eo., Wisconsin.
Pre-emption claims secured and entries made by
Military Land Warrants. Blank Deeds an-
Mortgages constantly on hand, and conveyau.
ces carefully and promptly attended to.
references:
Hon. Caleb Cushing, Mass.
“ I. P. Walker, Wisconsin
" Charles Dunn, *'
11. L. Dousnian, Lsq, “
Gov’r Nelson Dewey, •'
Oct 18 xxvi tf
HOUSES, Signs, Carriages and Fnrnitnre;
Imitations of mahogany, maple, oak, rose
wood and marble.
Glazing, done (juicl'l]! and very cheap.
Paper I tanging and Wall Coloring. Roofs painted
with fire-proof paint. Tablo-covers and floor
cloths to orde.r. Fine transparent painted win
dow-curtains of the beautiful scenery of tbe North-
West.
Prices for all work will bo moderate, and
terms accomodating. Paints ready mixed, of any
color, for sale. Shop on Bench street.
J. HOLLAND & CO.,
May 12 3-tf Late of Galena.
NEW ATTRACTION.
MR. CHARLES CAVE informs his (riends
and the public that he has just opened
A Splendid Ron ling Saloon,
with appropriate accompaniments, in Robert's
new building, near the new Post office, in Saint
Paul. The lovers of the recreation of Bow ling
will find the accomodations and entertainments of
the most complete and ocrfect description. jy(*2
W. H. REMMES.
DRUGS AND
TAILORING.
M M. ARMSTRONG,
STAGES.
PAINTING.
ST. PAUL. MINNESOTA TERRITORY, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1850,
From the Pioneer of August Ist
Explorutiou of the Minnesota River
300 miles up from its mouth—The
Country about the Blue Earth River
-•-Discovery of Unrivalled Agricul
tural Resources in Aliuuesota—Spe
cimens of Caunel Coal—-Untiring
Enterprise of St. i’aitl.
OBJECT IS EXPLORING
The people of Saint Paul, mostly con- |
gregated here within the year and a
hall last past, from every quarter, drawn |
to this town by a conviction now ripen- j
mg into absolute certainty, that here is
destined shortly to be the emporium of
the trade of ull that portion of the tem
perate zone lying north of it, and ex
tending from the shores of the great
lakes to the banks of the Upper Missis
sippi; embracing a larger area of trade
without a rival, that too, in the very
heart of a continent,) than any other
town perhaps in the world; situated in
the centre of the temperate zone, and at
the extreme northern point of steady
steam navigation, by the class of boats
profitably employed in the trnde above
Saint Louis, have deemed no sacrifice
of time or of money too great, to explore
the interior of Minnesota. While the
enterprise of Saint Anthony has opened
navigation by steam the present season
to Sauk Rapids, on the Upper Missis
sippi, nnd demonstrated the practica
bility of running small steamboats up tiiat
river to the Falls of Pukagoinon, a dis
tance of GOO miles above us, Saint Paul
has explored the other branch of the
river above us, the Minnesota, (hereto
fore more often called the Saint Peter,
a name which it will probably now cease
to be known by,) for a distance of 300
miles; for the first time startling vvtth
the noise of the steam pipe, the most
| glorious wilderness that ever smiled
! under the hand of the Creator
We have deemed the exploration of
the Minnesota river an object of prima
ry importance on several accounts As
citizens of Saint Paul, lying but 5 or 0
miles below the junction of the Minne
sota and Mississippi rivers, the natural
and inevitable point of transhipment
from the larger steamboats running be
low, to the smaller boats of different
construction, adapted to the navigation
of the rivers above us, we wished to
know, and that the world should know,
that tiie navigable waters above us,
tributary to our trade, irrigate an extent
of land as great and nt as fertile
as the whole length of the Mississippi
from St. Louis to St. Paul All this has
been demonstrated.
| Again, it will be remembered that the
whole of the west bank of the Missis
sippi river, from the lowa line to the
northern boundary of Minnesota, is In
dian territory; and that the whole coun
try w atered by the Minnesota belongs
to the Sioux Indians; that it is a portion
of the continent hitherto almost unex
ploied and unknown—and that Govern
ment has now' appointed commissioners
to treat for its purchase. A better
knowledge of its situation, resources,
and true value, seemed indispensable
to enable the Commissioners and the
Senate of the United States to estimate
properly what might be a fair and just
t equivalent for the lands to he treated for
The first exploration was made 3 or
j 4 weeks since, by the Anthony Wayne;
which boat went up to the head of the
; Rapids, a distance of about 65 miles by
'the river and then returned. Shortly
: after, the Nominee went up still higher,
i left her shingle upon the bank and re
turned. The Anthony Wayne on her
• return from below, was again chartered
by our people, and reached a point
w ithin about 15 miles of the Blue Earth
i River; where she plantid her shingle
jupon the shore, announcing herself as
the first steamboat in those waters, and
■then returned. In the mean time ar
i rangements were made with the steam
boat Yankee, Capt. Harris, to corne
! prepared w ith fuel and provisions, to
take a party as far as possible up the
river. It is of this voyage of the steam
boat Yankee far above the Blue Earth
river, that we are now writing. The
| aggregate cost in cash actually paid by
j Saint Paul, in these four expeditions up
the Minnesota, much exceeds £2OOO.
A LI. aboard!
The steamboat Yankee, of Galena,
was ready on Monday morning, the 22d
ultimo, for the Saint Paul exploring
party. The names of her officers are
as follows: Capt. M. K. Harris; Clerk,
G. W. Gi’don; Pilot, J. S. Armstrong;
First Engineer, G. W. Scott ; Second
Engineer, G. L. Sargent. The Yankee
is a stern wheel boat, of light draught
and powerful engines, about 145 feet
long, and 200 tons burthen. She was
provided with 200 bushels Rock Island
coal, and had her hold full of dry wood;
and w’as supplied with a great abun
dance and variety of provisions, and one
ton of ice. It was not until nearly the
middle oftlie afternoon that all the men,
and women, and children, with trunks,
travelling bags, and band-boxes, were
on board and the lines cast off. The
Yankee floated across the bridge lead
ing to the Upper Landing, and passed
out into the river above, by a new route
I through the upper end of the slough.—
Touching Mendota, we took on board
Joseph Lafiamboise and family, bound
jup the Minnesota river to his trading
post at Little Rock. At Fort Snel
ling we were joined by a part of the
6th Regiment hand; after which, the
Yankee turned her prow into the quiet
1 current of the Minnesota, and ran on
until mid-night, tying up not far below
the Rapids. At length the music and
the dancin'? ceased and all wa" hu«hed
Democratic Principles, Democratic Xllenjani) Democratic fflcasnrcs.
in slumber. At the earliest d|awn of,
day, the Yankee was again in jmotion, !
passing Sixes village and alltheidelight
iul lands which we described ir the Ist,
trip of the Anthony Wayne. Above
the Rapids, vve soon came into l region
we had not before seen, and moije beau- ;
trful, if possible, tiian that jthrough,
which we had passed, being aj varied
landscape of prairie and woodland, evi
dently of the best quality. j
Tho company all seemed delighted j
with each other and with all that they !
witnessed. The river continued nppar-! (
ently of the same width, without sand j
banks, without islands, without tributu- j j
rres.but with a current increasing in ve- ■
locity as we ascended, and the channel (
crooked beyond parrallel, and with ,
many snags and logs in the short bends. j
At length we came in sight of the mis
sionary station at Traverse des Sioux j,
(the Sioux crossing) on the north! fide of!
the river, situated upon a wide siope of
prairie, which rose gradually from the '
banks of the river and extended far, far ',
back, covered with luxuriaut grass.— ;
Three neat white buildings belonging to j.
the mission, and several Indian huts :
and lodges were distant a few rofls from
the bank, amidst fields of well cjultivat- |
ed corn, beans, and potatoes, as jirornis
ing crops as we ever saw. There was
also a small patch of wheat, just reap- !
ed, which looked very plump and heavy. j
On wc sped. Upon the south side of
the river, were Indian corn fields, un
fenced, upon the river bottom, the corn '
planted very thick and looking like a '
perfect jungle —almost a solid njass of
dark green vegetation, crowned with'
countless spindles. Spreading f way a
mile or so, this bottom, which is jdoubt
less sometimes covered by the* flood, •
(perhaps annually,) is encloses by a'
| circling amphitheatre of hills, covered
with forest trees; while on the; north
I side of the river is Traverse deslSioux, I
at the neck of a large peninsulaj made
by a bend in the river, which tjfter a
progress of 3 or 4 miles further, fcjrought
us back again within half a mile{ of the
! mission. A little above this point we
istopped to wood; passengers, crejw, nnd
i all, assisting. Two or three uninted 1
j Sioux horsemen came galloping trip from
the Traverse and seemed to clafn tri
bute. We made them a present cjf some '
corn. At a short distance above this
place, vve found on the north sljore a
I quantity of old rails; which, they
' seemed useless to the owner, as tljicy of-
I fered no protection to his corn-fitfld, we <
Itook, the Captain paving a fair price for
Ahem to a gentleman on board, lo give
to the owner.
A sunset as glorious as ever shone
upon Italy, found the Yankee on :he 2d !
evening, making fast on the soutr bank 1
of the river, at the upper end of i n ele- |
vated prairie. Here we all w< nt on !
shore, and crossing a narrow stVip of,
bottom land, making a speedy: trail ;
through the long grass, gentlemen and
ladies, old and young, streamed up the (
side of the bluff, and from its t<q sur
veyed a lovely expanse of prair e and
woodland far in the south. The full >
moon was up and the music bci-ig on ’
the spot, several cotillion selsj were
formed upon the grass and there we ,
“danced by the light of the moitn ”
But there was other music als{>, for
which we had not bargained, the{ hand
of musquitoes, and as those who dance
must pay the fiddler, we thought »t host
to adjourn before they had presented all
their bills. Wo v ent to the boat'; In
deed, indeed, that was a terrible • night
for those, not a few, who were noi pro
vided with musquito bars. But within;
the cabin of the Yankee, the poetry of
motion ceased not until after mid-jiight;
and hearts there are that received im
! pressions as indelible ns time, that jniglit,
!at Cotillion Prairie, where all “jdauc-
I ed by the light of the moon.”
TURTLE REND. *
By sunrise on the third morning, tho
| Yankee was again in motion, fjrenk
;fast; and most excellent fare, hjaving
[beefsteaks, veal cutlets, snlmonj new
J potatoes, cucumbers, excellent coffee,
and in fact the very choicest fare, ad
'mirnbly cooked, from the beginning to
! the end of the excursion. Here we
•turn shoit to the right then to the b*ft—
| the boat under excellent management.
, Now we come to the shingle which the
i Wayne first put up, hut of which she
I afterwards repented, having the fear of
i the Yankee before her eyes—; on a
i few miles further—and there, op the
south bank,is the shingle of the Wayne,
:nt the foot of a snaggy bend,from which
jthe Wayne turned hack, defying any
boat to go higher. Here was a sharp
'bend in the river, and in it four or five
'snags and imbedded trees. We rccon
'noitred. The Yankee laughed right
out, and just screamed and bellowed at
| the idea of Stopping there. We went
! ashore on the north hank, it being a de
posite of coarse, clean, sharp sand, the
i best ever seen for mortar, and in the
' sand found turtles’ eggs. Judge. Good
rich proposed that the bend be called
Turtle Bend; and so Turtle Bend is it
J from henceforth. By way of extreme
but needless precaution, the passengers
\ anil crew took a line ashore upon this
j sandy beach, and held the Yankee’s
hend up to the north shore, the snags
being in the centre hend of the stream,
I while she rounded up, hugging the shore
] and keeping entirely aloof from all snags;
after which we went on our way rejoic
ling; hut by this time the heat was be
'corqing intolerable
traverse des stoux. ;
COTTII.LION PRAIRIE
BLUE EARTH RIVER.
What unrivalled beauty of landscape;
now we pass through dense forests, oow
through prairies, and anon stretches
away a vast savanna of tall prairie
grass, thousands of acres in extent,
with a vista of high prairie opening in
the distance between forests, as far as
the sight can extend. Approaching the
mouth of the Blue Earth river, never vis
ited by any exploring party before, since
the days of La Caeur, in 1603, we saw
a high mound, almost a mountain, loom
ing up in the distance, which we soon
found was near the angle of the conflu
ence of the Blue Earth and the Minne- i
sota. Here our company were startled!
by a cry of buffalo; which, however,
proved to be nothing but a drove of moss
covered boulders, far away upon the
sloping prairie. A log house became
visible upon Blue Earth mound, and a
person (some French trader) was look
ing down the river in mute astonishment
no doubt, to see the approach of a stearn-;
boat. Now we have reached the mouth I
of Blue Earth, the first tributary of'
the Minnesota from its mouth up. It is;
a stream apparently about half as large'
as the Minnesota, and not navigable'
for more than a mile or two, certainly,
being small and rapid; but in looking,
up its charming valley, there seemed to!
be resting there a kind of poetic beauty'
unlike the rivers of earth. We stopped j
not, but plowed the waters of the Min-!
nesota, still deep, and of a width but
little diminished, changing our course
now from the southwest to the north
west. Wood! On the south bank of the
river, the shore now resounds with the
blows of axes, and all hands and the
passengers are busy in cutting and car
rying fuel for the boat. Here, in the
woods, we found the red raspberry, and i
the choke-cherry, and precisely such a|
growth of wood and of grasses, as we j
used to see in the rich little intervals:
of New Hampshire. With a small sup-j
ply of wood, we flurried on again, being'
now in the Great Woods; that immense'
body of timber, twenty or thirty miles,
wide, which commences at or near Crow ;
Wing on the Mississippi river, and runs
100 miles south, here crossing the Min-j
nesota river, like a vast belt. Wonder-1
ful stream! We still thread its deep,;
crooked channel, measuring 8 or 9 feet
deep, with no difficulty except the too
groat length of the boat. The face of
the country everywhere denotes great
fertility. Here we see fresh tracks of
the buffalo, where they have crumbled
down the steep bank of alluvion, in their
haste to drink at the river. Now, far
to the north of us, opens a vista of wide
interval covered with grass, reaching
away between the forests on each side of
| the river, until the scene dissolves in
the hazy blue of the far-off horizon.—
Hot! Oh, how hot! We stop for more
wood; not a breath of air. Such heat
we never before experienced ; and as
for assisting to wood, it was wholly out
of the question. The least exercise
produced a violent throbbing of the tem
ples and darkness of vision. We tho’t
of Calvin Edson and “sighed for such a
frame as his.” That day, at Traverse
des Sioux, the thermometer stood nt 104
Farenheit, in the shade.
shone
the 2d !
bank 1
ii ele- |
COTTON WOOD RIVER
Sunset found us emerging from the
Great Woods, and all exhausted with
the intolerable heat. The Yankee stag
gered up against the north bank of the
river, and there lay panting in the wa
ter like a weary Newfoundland dog;
while the great sun with his furnaces
tdazing, sunk behind the distant Mis
soni i. That night, there was no dancing
upon the Yankee, but there were several
musquitoes to combat, and there was no
sleep till morn. The ice was nearly
exhausted ; much of the dry fuel was
exhausted, of which it was indispensable
to have a supply to make a full head of
steam on our return down the river, in
I order to run the short bend 3 and pass
the snags with any sort of safety. At
about 9 o’clock in the evening, some of
| the ladies being almost sick, a spirit of
mutiny which had been all day gathering,
came to ahead; and a party was organ
ized to oppose the extension of our trip
200 miles further, to Lac qui Parle.—
After discussing the subject, a vote was
taken, however, and a very large ma
jority were in favor of proceeding. Wc
were then near the mouth of the Cotton
Wood River—in a region becoming
more beautiful every mile we should
progress, and were approaching a point
where the river widened into a sort ol
lake, affording very easy navigation for
at least 80 miles higher ; nnd we had
j reached within 15 miles of Joseph La
[framboise’s house, where we wished tc
leave him and his family, and especial!)
as he promised to make us a present
when there, of afresh slaughtered steer
All were anxious to seethe remaindei
of this glorious country, of which Nieol
let says: “The w hole country embracer
by the lower St. Peter and the Undim
: region (or valley of the Blue Earth oi
Mankato river) exceeds any land of th<
[Mississippi above the Wisconsin river
as well in the quantity and quality of it;
timber, as the fertility of its soil.”
But then the excessive heat, the wan
| of dry fuel, the want of ice, the preva
lence of musquitoes, the chance of sick
i ness amongst women and children, th<
great distance from St. Paul, nearly 3CH
miles, and the possibility to say the least
jof soihe accident to the boat by whiel
wc might all be left in a far-off wilder
j ness, were urged as reasons for return
ing. The third night brought no rest
[Sun an hour high, the next rooming, tin
[Yankee was still moored and but jus
getting up her steam. The crew of thi
boat were weary and disheartened,and there
was a degree of reluctance manifested,
which made it evident that our further pro
fireas would be very slow. The great ex
pense #f the trip, although not urged,
doubtless had also its influence; and at
about 7 o'clock in the morning, it was de
termined to head the Yankee down stream.
VVe accordingly nailed h board upon a tree,
stating the date of the boat's arrival, her
name, etc., and the name of the Captain and
some of the passengers, and turned hack.
homeward bound.
Now leaps the Yankee down the swift,
crooked river. A refreshing breeze springs
up—the band discourses enlivening music,
the women are again in high feather, and
the men also; for there seems to lie some
thing of the excitement of danger mingled
with joy at our returning, as the boat sweeps
the short ci rves and now steers through a
grove of willows, across an obtruding point,
or is swept from how to stern by the obtru
ding branches of a tree, or plunges into the
darkening shadows of a forest. Now the boat
seems rushing with suicidal
upon a bristling snag in the shortest bend of
a curve; a back stroke takes her stern bark
against tire willows on the shore, where she
lies until the current swings her bow into
tho right direction to run clear of the snags,
when she again strikes down stream as if
her life depended upon her speed. All safe.
Anxiety of passengers is relaxed; but not so
of the Captain and the Pilot. The Captain,
always at hi* post on the hurricane deck,
through the whole trip up and down, stood
watchful as a spider. In his memory and
the Pilot’s, was a chart of every bend,
every sung, every change in the river.—
It is not too much to say, that in the exer
cise of all the memory, and all the judgment
of the force mid bearing’ of the currents,
mm! nil the prompt coolue.-s requisite in the
management of the boat, constantly, but
especially in emergencies,
no Captain but a Harris, seconded by the
prompt action of such a Pilot and such en
gineers ns he had on bis boat, would stand
even a reasonable chance of conducting such
a boat SOO milps down such a .river for the
first time without damage. Mr. Armstrong,
the Pilot, was assisted at the wheel by Mr.
Brissette. We would do full justice to Mr.
Girdon, Clerk, who, by his constant and
careful attention to the wants and conven
ience of the passengers, so well compensated
for the absence of the Captain from the
cabin. Our pleasure was much enhanced
by ihe stirring music of Messrs. Foster,
Morgan, and Kirk, of the 6th Regiment
band, aided by Mr. Ethridge with his violin,
who also called the changes in cotillions.
CANNEL COAL.
At noon on the 4th day, we reached the' j
mouth of the Blue Earth river, up which '
the Yankee ran for a few rods, mid nailed 1
up a shingle. Much did we de.-ire to vvhii- j
der *«i\ mil** up that stream to the ruins of |
the trading post —a spot made historic by the
adventures of La Caeur, in 1653; hut time
forbade. We contented ourselves with
wandering for an hour along the pebbly
beach in search of curiosities. We saw a
very perfect specimen of petrified wood, :
anti some cornelians and agates, ami <1 va- !
riety of otld shelly hut what interested us j
more, was the discovery on the shore of
several small specimens of what appealeti !
:o be mineral coal, precisely resembling the j
kind culled caunel coal. ('apt. Harris has |
•me of the specimens; the Rev. Mr. Neil!
has a small specimen of it, w hich will be j
examined by a chemical test. A French- j
man living there, said there was a large, ,
solid hotly of it in the bank of the ri' er, u i
ftvv miles up the Blue Earth.
Again, we are on our rapid way down ’
stream. Fifteen miles below the Blue F.arth,!
we came suddenly upon Turtle Bend, the i
high-water mark of the Wayne. Here ?h*> 1
captain used the precaution to warp the boat (
| down stern foremost below the snags, by
the use of anchors and cables. Wo took
i down the board which the Wayne chal- j
i lengetl us to bring back to St. Paul, and put
j another in its place, and sped onwaid.
! At the place where we took rails for fuel
! on our way lip, we landed and took on board
i all that remained; and speeding onward
i soon rounded to for ihe night at Traverse
; dea Sioux. ’Having been destitute of ir e for
several hours, we hastened to the mission*
! house of the llev. Mr. Hopkins, where we
j found plenty of cool well water. Mr. Neill
land others had a pleasant interview with
j ihe fa miles of the missionaries, remaining
i with them ovei night, while in the cabin of
j the \ unke**, nil who w ished joiued in the
joyous cotillion.
THE FJfTH DAT,
Bright and early on Friday morning.with ,
a supply of cold water and new milk on
hoard, having distributed ureunite amongst
the Indiana on shore, the Yankee was again
on her way, plunging rapidly along. We '
passed an hour or so at the village of Little
Six, where we found very eturdy beggars,
and were annoyed with demand* upon in*
for the satisfaction of various promise*
wetch had been made by passenger* on the |
Anthony Wayne. Little Six and a hundred i
more came on hoard, when In* majesty ,
made a long «pcenh to Mr. Wells, the .-only 1
person present who could understand him
He said “ho demanded presents for wliarf- '
age—that they must he paid for haring their
cornfield* trampled down by the white*, !
ahhough it wag true, their corn was not J
much, being damaged by the freshet—that j
it had been en:d about St. Paul, that his
people heltevrd that the freshet was a judg
ment sent upon them by the Great Spirit on
account of steamboats coining up that river;
hut hi* people in fact believed no such
thing, but were glad to see steamboat.*, es
pecially if they brought suitable presente.”
Having distributed two bolts of calico, and
other presents among the Indians, we were
off again, and at sunset reached Fort Snel
ling, wh**ru a shade of gloom was thrown
i over the company, bv news of the death of
i Mrs. Cooper, wife of Judge Cooper, of our
company, and of the death also of Mr*.
Ethridge, mother of another one of our
company. Touching at Mtndota we again
proceeded homeward; hut liefore rounding
to amidst the enthusiastic shouts of wel
i come, such as St. Paul knows howr to greet
: her friends with, at the Lower Landing, the
I following resolution wa* unanimously
adopted and agreed to be signed as a card
i by the whole company:
The undersigned, fellow passengers on
board the steamboat Yankee, on the excur
sion just made by that boat for a distance
of nearly 300 uilcs up the Minnesota river,
nnd back again, without the slightest acci
: dent, while the boat encountered the con
stant hazard of navigating waters never be
i fore traversed by a steamboat, express their
1 unqualified approbation of the skill, p.i-
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.
NO. XVII.
tience, and untiring attention of the Captain,
officers, and men of the boat, to their com
fort and snfety.
Henry F. Landers; Mrs. Horr, Win. G.
Hendrickson, L. A. Babcock and lady, C.
S. Todd, Geo. Douglass and lady, Miss M*
A. Scofield, J. W. Bas* and lady, Ja*. M.
Goodhue, Miss C. C. Knedand, Alexis
Bailly and sons, Miss Lucy Ann Badly, P.
K. Johnson and lady, A. Goodrich, Mrp
E. C. Parker, A. M. Mitchell, B. W. Brun
son, Ed. Douglass, Edwin Shelley, Win.
Bathgate, John Trower, M. Sherman and
lady, David Day, A. Farrilraidt, D. Farri
bault, Peter Hopkins, Jesse Lowe, Georgo
Farquhar, Ed. Delano, C. P. V. Lull, N.
McLean, Ed. D. Neill, C. (Javileer, John
Seesholt, S. H. Sergent and lady, Mrs. Bu
rton, Joseph Mosher and lady, Jcs, Gibbons,
D. Olinslend, Jas. Wells, Miss C. Cratte,
H. Jackson, S. H. Dent, H. M. Rice and
lady, Miss Ellen Rice, \V. G. LeDuc, Miss
E. Miller, M rs. E. Young, Misses Arabella,
Mary and Martha McLean, Miss L. Rowe,
Miss Julia Barnum, Mr. Ethridge and lady,
Mr. Knox, Geo. Humphrey, D. Cooper,
J. M. Boal, Mr. C!a<k and lady.
Thus ended this eventful voyage of ex
ploration, so replete with novelty and stir
ring incident, that it will be remembered
while life Inst*; and thus by a series of ef
forts, has been demonstrated the enviable
commercial position of our young town.
Not 20 years ago, near the south end of
Lake Michigan, a few cabins clustered upon
the low sandy shore of that lake. Well do
we remember the time. Upon one sido
was stretched the restless lake, and else
where, in every direction, a vast expanse of
mar-hy prairie. The picturesque scenery
of Fox river, the enchanting valleysTof the
O’Plain and the Dupage rivers, and the be
witching loveliness of the Rock river ral
ley, had yet yielded no allegiance to the
husbandman. Chicago actually suffered
for want of the necessaries of life. Tran
sient steamboats arrived there with cargoes
of restless Yankees. Hundreds of those
who arrived, glanced at the forlorn hopes
of a town which had no trade, in a cocntry
which produced nothing as yet but swarms
of tnusquitoes; took in a bird’s eye view of
the marsh, or rode out perhaps ns far as
Berry’s Point or Flagg Creek, and then
taking the first boat, bade forever farew'ali
to the “Eelenoy in general and to Chicago
in particular.” Precisely such, is the his
tory of the growth of St. Paul. With at
least equal commercial advantages here,
hundreds of those who arrived expected to
find Minnesota a cultivated Eden, without
a barren spot—-and St. Paui a Milwaukee
or Chicago, in which, however, corner lots
j could be had on time at a merely nominal
! price, and quarter sections adjoining the
‘town, lie entered at SI 25 per acre. Such
people have been disappointed. They have
I been blown aivay like chaff before the
i wind. They are gone, carrying with them,
| doubtless, unfavorable report* of a country
1 about which they know nothing ; but they
have left behind them in Minnesota, hun
dreds of substantial, energetic men, who
have the foresight and judgment to eompre
hend the advantages of our town, and who
I wdl stand manfully up and aid in develop
ing th« resources of Minnesota. They are
the men to build up a city and to profit, ul-
Uimately, in its growth. Ten years hejice,
i when Si. Paul is numbered, as it will lie,
jwith the great cities of the Mississippi,
j their enterprise and their sacrifices will be
gratefully remembered.-
[Communtcatei! for the Pcaasj Want* Teiegnph.J
Original Sketch of the History and Go*
opraphy of Minnesota Territory.
BY DR. THOMAS FOSTER
( Continued .)
NUMBER IV.
THE CLIMATE
The climnte of a country has so immense
nn influence upon its productions, upon the
henlth of its inhabitants nn«l their pursuits
for a livelihood, that it is very properly n
first subject of eager enquiry, whenever a
new region is opened for settlement.
Our observations upon the climate of Min
nesota, therefore, will bo ns full and clear,
as the short space allowed for our remarks
will permit.
We will limit otir investigations, also,
chi* fly to that portion of the Territory,
w hu h is nearly nil arab/e land, fit for tillage
ami the plow, and in which only settlement
will be made for ineny years to omno, and
from which, probably, the future State of
Minnesota will lie formed.
This portion i# a northern section of the
great valley of the Mississippi, between lat
itudes 43 <bg. SO min. nnd 46 deg. 30 min.
north, (though the Territorial boundary
line extends op to latitude 46 deg.)
The climnterial centre of this agricultural
oasis, embracing three degreps of latitude,
may, for practical purposes, be fairly con
sidered to lie at Fort Snelling, at the mouth
of Minnesota river, 6 miles above St. Paul,
the capital, about the same distance from
Sr. Anthony 1 * Falls, and in latitude 44 deg.
58 non. The surface of the Mississippi at
thi* point, i* 744 feet above the level of the
Ocean, and the plane of the country imme
diately above, upon which the fort i* situ
ate*! at the edge of perpendicular bluff*, i*
106 feet higher, or 852 feet above the level
of the Sea.
At this point, for over twenty yenrs,daily
meteorological and thermometrical obser
vations have been regularly made and re
corded, by the physicians at the fort, ami at
the neighboring Indian Agency; affording
! valuable data for comparison, and for d*»
j termining with some precision, the pheno
i rnena and nature of the climate during a
! eerie* of year*.
But thi* data and these meteorologies!
statistic* would l*e of small value, if the
I common idea was correct, that a knowledge
[of the latitude of a country, or of its dis
tance from the equator or trom the poles,
' s nli that is requisite for forming a ju-t and
accurate opinion of it* climate—a* for in
! stance, the remark i* often heard in regard
to places of, ‘ it* so far north, it nm-t be
aery eold ,” or “its so far sou ih, it must he
very hot.”
Burh a narrow theory appl e*! to the eli
! mate of Minnesota would lead to very er
'rnneous conclusions; for it is demnnstrahU*,
j that it* temperature and season* differ cott
jsiderably from all other lands in the sent*
latitudei around the globe—while these
1 again severally differ from one another—
showing the fallacy cf the position that
relies on latitude entirely, for climateriat
deductions.
As «n example, Fort Snelling is in about
the same latitude, nearly, with Green Bay
jin Wisconsin: Plattsburg in New York;
Concluded on fA* fourth page

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