The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-09-27
THE MINNESOTA PIONEER
Thursday Morning. Sept. "a, lSl9.
The region back of st. Paul.

Whatever direction we take among the
localities of Minnesota, we fini subjects Of
interest, whether in awaking the spirits of
the dusky past, or alighting upon the i'm
provements Of our own times. There is
scarcely section of the world newer than
this; and, we may add, there is no SECTION
which has started upon The horizon Of civil
lied life more suddenly.
We receive frequent letters of inquiry, in
which we are especially requested to de-
scribe the country about ST. Paul. Though
the soil and the face of the lands in the rear
Of St. Paul are not Of such character as
to improve the general picture we have from
time to time attempted to give of Minnesota,
yet like the back ground to a complete
painting, they should have their place.
n From the lower landing of ST. Paul, we
rise upon n bench some seventy-five feet
above the river and come upon the site of
the lower town, wbch-with the extension
up the river AS far as the upper landing, a
distance Of three-fourhs Of mile, where is
a most vigorous young town Of later growth
completes St. Paul, the present capital of
Minnesota. Retiring from the lower town,
about half mile northerly, across plain
which appears to have once been the basin
of lake, for it is nearly walled in by a bluff
fifteen feet high, we suddenlyrise upon a
third bluff nearly two hundred feet high and
some three hundred feet above the Missis-
sirpi. This ascent is wooded, and so is the
region beyond, for perhaps twenty miles.
From this point we overlook St. Paul; ex-
tending the vision down the river some
twenty miles, taking within the compass of
the eye, a wide stretch Of the Sioux lands
and tire biuish hills far away up the ST. Pc
tiers, in the west.
\ To the north, though the grounds descend
from the bluff, for some three miles, there
are but few objects Of distinct outline. At.
ter viewing small lake, lying about mile
to the northwest, as a setting to border Of
oak openings. we proceed through con.
lstantly alternating succession of oak cover
ed knobs, marsby dells. and around the
margins of small tamarack swamps. These
swamps though dismal, for their size, are
the most curious objects to the eye of the
stranger, which this region presents. The
trees grow SO ,hirk that they choke each
other out Of the chance for "a subsistence, or
else they die a natural death after certain
age, so that they resemble a scene of ship
ping in seaport. most strikingy. 1t is
easy, when in a dreamy mood of mind, to
fancy these bare poles rs the masts of some
Ideluvian squadrons, whih had lost their
reckoning, and finally getting discouraged,
moored in the mud.
There are no guide-hoards on this road.
ami the angler or sportman-who cau't par.
fe= .ffcncais with the Fremcf, residents, whose
cabins nestle in some of the sly retreats
along the pathway thank the stars if he
does not get lost over night.
The region is spotted all over, ut distan.
ces of one to three miles, with bright and
cool, little lakes, that abound in fish; among
which is the real White Mountain trout.
Having had personal observation no far
Their out in this direction than some four
miles, we must take a tack in our descrip-
ton, merely adding that there is settle
ment, two miles beyond our discoveries,
called Little Canada, composed of French
that, sixteen miles from St. Paul is lake
famous for fish, and somewhere else in thar
vicinity are the extensive cranberry mead
ows, temporarily occupied by the Sioux In-
diaus, who have already sent into ST. Paul
1000 thousands Of bushels Of cranberries
this season. &.
The scene over the bluff in the rear of
the upper town of ST. Paul, is the delightful
prairie which extends off about six miles
towards ST. Anthony Falls.
& The true quality of the soil of the COM
paratively chaotic lands in the rear of St.
Paul, is, after all, better than that Of the
lands of Western New York. II has less of
the black a!Iuvion than our lands generally.
yet it is highly productive; and so far as ex-
perience has tested it capabilities, it does
not depreciate at all by cropping. It is
strongly impregnated with lime, aud pos
sesses in high degree the active principle
impaired by a variety oc mineral substan-
Ices. s s.9
This soil can be made, by tho applica-
ton of manure, of which an abundance eal,