The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-03-13

tract and will be worked in the SPRING
For mile or two about Osceola Mill,
the land Is somewhat billy and broken
but the soil is good; then commences ;
fine prairie OH which Mr.. CUMMINGS
Mr.. Arnold, and another gentlemen hay,
fine farms commenced, and have from
twenty to thirty acres broken, which
produced bountiful crop last year. 81,
miles below the Falls we strike into fine
timbcred land again, which extends back
as far as Apple river twenty-three mile.
from the Falls, and how much farther
am unable to say, and above the Falls
to Wolf creek, fourteen miles from thi.
point. The writer seems to think there
Is no good land for cultivation about the
Falls Of st. Croix. Had he taken lit.
tie pains, he could easily have been un.
deceived. Had he passed back over the
about one-third Of mile from the riv.
or. he could easily have found farms ant
inhabitants "visibly to be seen." He
could have seen Mr.. Seabert's broac
acres under fine state of cultivation
The Jerusalem Farm, $50 called Mr.
Worth's farm, formerly the johnson
place, MIR. Weymouth's farm, Mr.. Sam.
uel's farm, and several others just begin
ming their openings, and as fine soil fol
cultivation as lays under the canopy oil
heaven. To be sure the bluffs immedi-
ately about and close to the river, look
little like New England, but what Of
that: People don't usually calculate 10
farm very extensively in village. The
writer says there arc about four hundred
inhabitants at the Falls, and houses with
smokeless chimneys enough for as many
more; whereas the truth is, there are but
two unoccupied houses in the village.
aside from the large Hotelnot yet finish
ed. The people here must have suffered
very much for want of wood with which
to make fires on the day the gentleman
was here, or his vision must have been
very much obscured.
The big mill as he says does not run
at present, and l believe it never has
run in the winter season, yet this "levi-
athan in handouts. as the gentleman is
pleased to express it, cut ont about four
million feet of lumber last summer, and
did not commence running until towards
the last of April or first of May and
stopped in October. 1t is capable to
make and probably will make next sea-
son, at least six million feet of lumber
The water-power is almost unlimited,
and two or three more mills as large as
the present one could be put in below
where it now stands, and by charging
the race be supplied with water from the
same dam. There is no difficulty in
holding as many logs as can be manu-
featured in a season by using proper pre-
caution and finishing the work already
begun. The river is navigable for such
steamboats, as the Senator, at all seasons
of the year when clear of ice, to within
one mile of the mills; which makes this
point the head of navigation on the St.
Croix. A good road can easily be made
through to La Pointe from this place,
which would bring an immense amount
of eastern travel through the lakes into
Minnesota. The natural location Of this
place, will ere long make it an impor-
tant point, in spite of the unpleasant
litigation the mill property is in. The
pineries above here are almost exhaust
less. Twenty teamswent up last autumn,
and are all doing first rate business,
and there will probably be double that
number up next winter, as the lumber
on the St. Croix and its tributaries is far
better than that on the Mississippi.
Farmers cannot help doing well in To-
eating farms on the St. Croix, as every
thing they can raise on their farms will
bring the highest prices for the supply
of the lumbermen.
This much, Mr.. Editor, l have said of
the st. Croix and its resources, much
more might in justice and truth be said.
1 have not attempted to write up one
point in the Territory and write down
another, as though the life and existence
of the St. Croix depended on inveig-
ling settlers into this sect ion, but would
simply say "Come and see for your
selves" H.
This word was a mis-print; and should have
been "habitations'