The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-03-20
MINNESOTA LETTEPS--NO. XIX.
TIE WEATHER--MARKETs- MURDER
HE UPPER CoUNrRy-Town OF IrAsKA
-THE PRosPECrs OF MINNESOTA.

HE UPPER CoUNTRY-Town OF IrAsKA
-IHE PRosPECTs OF M.NNEsoTA.
SAINT PAUL, February 23
DEAR DoCToR-The Minnesotians are at this
time enjoying delightful weather-in fact, the
whole month, with the exception of a few days
at the commencement, which were cold, has
been as agreeable could be desired.
| promised you sketch of the Rev E. d.
Neil's Address to the Historical Society, on
New Years day; but as it has been published
in pamphlet form, together with many interest
ing statistics, | will mail you copy with this
letter The first edition is exhausted and Sc
cond will be issued from the Pioneer Office in
few days.
The anticipated early opening of navigation
is having peculiar effect upon the markets.
Provisions are becoming cheaper; pork and flonr
can be purchased at a very slight advance above
cost, owing to the large supply on hand. l learn
that flour can be had by the single barrel for 0uy
fifty; corn, however, remains as at last quota
tons, 81 .25 per bushel; while oats have dccln-
ed to so cents;-Buttcr is down to 20 cents;
CoAi@N
to the accounts of scarcity below as we'll as the
advance in the St. Louis market A large lot
OF Hams and Shoulders sent up from Galena on
consignment, and smoked here, will prove rot
ten speculation for the owners, as nearly all
have, in some manner, been spoiled. am sor-
ry for it, as good hams would be luxury here
at this time, and would sell rapidly as high as
| nine and ten cents. Fresh meat is becoming
scarce commodity; beef ranges from to II cts
and fresh pork demands the hogish price of 12
livcly-indecd it is rery lively;-robbing hen
roosts appears to be an innocent amusement a.
mong certain class, better known in commu-
nifty than described in letter A friend tells
me, that he has had upwards of seventy fine
hens stolen during the winter, and have TO re
grct the loss of highly priced hen Turkey,
which undoubtedly has made feast for some
dishonest man, and deprived me of the anticipa-
ted pleasure Of raising an improved breed By
the way, must mention feat performed few
weeks since by the departed turkey AS they
are Of an untricndly disposition towards the hens
| separated them by means of a network ofcom-
mon white twine, stretched trome one side ofthe
room to the other this allowed the sun to pone-
tratc both apartments. The roost | had provi-
ded for the Turkeys was not in their opinion
probably high enough, and the hen turkey pois
| cs herself on string that was tightly drawn a.
bove the network, which had placed there to
prevent them flying over. She probably weigh
ed ten pounds, which caused the string to sag
considerably; and when | had found her in the
| evening, she had been on this fral roost nearly
three hours Had barn-yard fowl performed
the feat on the slack-rope, it would not have at
tractcd my attention, but to see a turkey roost-
ing on one strand ofcommon twine, six feet from
the floor, rather surprised me; how she managed
to preserve her equilibrium, and cling to the cord
SO long time, appears curious. Such q 7cou.
dertM turhey could not be expected to lirc 1ong
The Heathens in the Territory are fast being
converted and becoming civilized. man by
the name of Gordon died to-day, from blows re-
ceived yesterday, in fight with one Mcleod
/ understand the cause of the trouble was as fol-
lows: Gordon was driving loaded team, and
accidentally upset it; whereupon Nc crack
ed joke at Gordon's cxpense-thc latter re-
scnicd it by cut of his whip this reused the fl-
| ry of the former, and blows followed;- ;-one gv-
en- on the temple, broke blood vessel, and death
ensucd. If have been credibly informed both
We're under the influence of liquor.
The District Court at Saltwater closed its
sitting last Monday The most important trial
was that of the boy McMillcn, for the murder of
a school-mate, Herman Snow, last September
He sentenced to twenty days solitary, and
one years close confinement l clip the follow
ing from the Chronicle:
at should be stated, in connection with thus
finding, that The prisoner (who is only fourteen
or fifteen years of age) appears to have the most
strangely constituted mind Of any human being
we ever beheld. He is not an idiot, but his ap-
pearance and conduct will strike the most casu-
al observer, that he has no idea whatever of mo-
raj responsibility. He has undoubtedly been
reared in the most degraded school Of ignorance.
vice and pollution and has never learned the diff
| ference between light and wrong, or that he is
| accountable either to God or man for his con-
duct. What terrible reflection! Thank Heav-
en-, such instances of depravty are rarely met
with during mans lifetime, in our free and IA
| Vored land.
Since my last letter to you, have been on a
tour in the uDper regions (of our Territory and
with the knowledge gained last August while
going over the same route, believe can give
you some reliable information regardingit. The
Indian lands north of the late halfbreed purchase
Gncluding the western shore of Lake Pepin,)
cannot be brought into market this season, as a
treaty has not been made, and emigrants will of
course, after arriving at st. Paul, ascertain if
possible, the whereabouts of the best locations,
For the information Of farmers, will say, that
there is reputed to be large body Of excellent
land lying beteen the mouth of the st. Croix
river, nearly up to st. Paul, a distance of %
miles, and extending back some 10 or 12 miles
large portion of this land is vacant, and settlers
can do well, probably, in taking advantage Of the
pre-emption law in making claims. Within q
circuit Of five miles of st. Paul, nearly all Of the
land North haynr ;ascoyorod In, land yvarra,,t,