The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-06-20
sELKIRK's SETTLEMENT.

SELKlRK'S SETTLEMENT
In connection with news from the head
waters ofthe, Mississippi we occasionly hear
of this settlement. 1t is located on the nor.
them slope ofthe high, central table land Of
this continent, where the waters desce d ia
Hudson's Bay and the Frozen Ocenn in the
North, the Mexican Gulf in the South, AMI
the chain of great Lakes in the East. The
chief settlement begun BY few Scotch
Highlanders sent out about thirty years ago
by DouGLAss. Earl Of Sclkirk, is on the Red
River Of the North. The soil and clitnute,
inhospitible as the region would seem from
! it's geographical position. allowed the produc-
ton OF course grains and roots, game was J..
bundant, the coontry was healthy. and the
settlement has thriven npace. until it now
numbers more than seven Thousand nllabit-
ants. The iginal stock was Scotch. but
it has become corrupted by mixture with the
French Canadians and by intermartiage with
the Indians, so that the greater part a re half.
breeds. constituting, by reason oftheir or
igin. habits and isolation race marked by
many and strong peculiar characteristics
Taken as whole they may be considered
the hardest race o! people in the world. ca
pable of enduring incredible fatigue, admi-
rable marksmen, and in the event of war
with Great Britain would be by far the most
formidable foe we should have to apprehend
on our North Westcrs frontier.
Officers of the Amy who have been sta
toned on the upper Mississippi, and have
had opportunities of learning, by pers ,nal
observation, something of this people. have
told us that during the pending negotiations
about Oregon, when collision with Great
Britain seemed possible nothing gave them
SO much uneaslness as the apprehension, in
that event, of the result ofletting loose these
Red River moss-tr troopers upon Wisconsin
and Iowa. They have schools and churches
among them. and are civilized after fash
ION, but their women, though strictly train
ed, are ainazons in the field or the cha se. and
the men are free and daring in proportion
Their trade and intercourse with the States
are increasing as our settlements advance
Northward, and with the organization and
population of Minnesota, which, on the North.
joins the Red River colony, intercourse will
increase, If as there is reason 10 believe will
be the case, many of the colonists should not
remove across the line into our territory.
In this the colony will probably before ma
ny years lose many its distinctive traits.
and become assimlated to the people that
Will press upon 1t from ;arious quarters, bu,
It It could be allowed to remain issoi:ttad Ms
1t has been, and increase for hundred yea RS,
the probable development fits civilization
would afford curious subject for specula
tion. The following brief account Of the re
I'g'ons and educational privileges of the COL
ony is copied from the Boston Traveller:
The settlement lies on both sides Of the
river, and extends more than FORTY miles
There are four Episcopal churches, Catho
lie cathedral, and chapel. The Papists
are the most numerous. but the Episcopa
hans are, BY far the most influential. The
Scotch had the promise of Gallo minister
when they left Scotland, and they are very
much dissatisfied shat the promise has no,
been fulfilled. Nearly all of them nnderst nc
English now. and they meet with the Eps
copa1'ans for worship. but none of them ioir
IN reading church service, and only par,
come to the communion. They all have
their children haptsed, and it is oneu done
when the child is very young-ALwAYs, il
there is probability that it will not live
long.
There are only seven schools in the settle
ment. Most of these are supported, in par
by the Caurch Missionary Society. Rev
Mr. Cochran has been there more than q
years. Rev. MIR. Maccallum, principal ofth,
Academy, succeeded Mr. Jones. He hal
been in the school fourteen years. Most q
his pupils are children of the fu. traders
Some ofthem. otcourse, are from a great di is
lance. 1t is boarding school; and but YER,
few o. the settlers think they are able to a
vail themselves of its privileges. The ex
pense is twenty five pounds sterling per o.
mum. They live in what would be consider
ed good style in any New Englond village
Neatness and order are visible throurhou
the whole establishment. The buildings ar.
sufficiently large to accommodate nearly one
hundred pupils, but at present they hive no,
half thatnumber. The schools are not quite
as flourshing as formerly. Mr.. Maccallun
has two assistants, a gentleman from Eng.
land, and lady (hnlf native) who was edu
Gated in the Academy. She is the only fe
male teacher III the " hole settlement Their,
4 is another school in the mission premises =,
few rods lra,n the academy, which is also
under Mr. MaccaIlum's su2rryision except
that the settlers have the privilege Of cho,s
ling their own teacher. 1t is now Ike pit By on
OF MIR. NJ s. former pupils. 74as.a',. e9-:sf
Inc great reforms the day have not We,
travelled as far as Red River. All with few
, exceptions think it right to drink a little
and smoking and shutting are quite fashion
ab|e.-Several cart loads Of alcoholic LIQUORS
were drawn across the plains during the
last summer from ST. Peters 10 the Colony
''ne young Scotchman, who has had tract.
and temperance documents from the mission
to read, seems to be fully aware of the evil.
of ever, temperate drinking. know Of bu
two others in the settlement who abstail
from oil intoxicating drinks.
4 but notwithstanding all this, there see mi
to be spirit Of improvement about them
Last year premiums we're given out Of tn,
public treasury, to the individuals who man
ntactured the best CLOTH, yarn cheese, DC
thirty sbillings7-nbout seven dollars-wa,
awarded to one woman for very fine wooer
yarn. about as much a. q lady could rul
through her :himble. The family that vii
make, during the present year one hundred
YARDS OF the best cloth of different kinde
'as the promise Of 90 pounds sterling and
= good market for all the cloth they wish &
B sell. The Scotch are the principle manu-
facturers. ay
II The f0nriny IN III. ~ <bn sott1o~a.x. =.