The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-04-03
Minnesota Letters,-No. XIV.

DTOCG7HeHtS-FeCIHc H1nt TO EWIgTGntS--JVeUI
Disease in Poaltry-E Education, Heather, etc.
DEAR DocroR:-During the last fonr days,
we have had comfortable weather, and the
streets are quite muddy in town. Sleighs are
disappearing and wheels once more coming in
to nse. To night there are favorable signs of
rail- AS to news, there is but little transpiring
to n.tarAst you. | must not omit to mention
that tn. ton. Mahlon Black ofStilwater, while
riding witt. friend in cutter on the st. CrolX
last week, un, lckily took a cold bath in the riv
er, by the ice giving way-the horse and cutter
were lost, but the gentlemen were fortunately
rescued.
In this place building has commenced in good
earnest. The houses going up are generally OF
substantial character. large pier is being
built at the lower landing, and the street
BILE last season, has been we'll graded and will
vastly benefit the lower town. The merchants
are getting ready for good bushes season, and
general appearances are, that this year will be a
prosperous one for Minnesota. Emigrants will
undoubtedly flock to the territory in vast num-
bers. Let those with families and household
goods look to their interests and bring their cats
with them, for they will find before six months
roll by, that pussy will be a valuable member OF
the family by destroying the rats and mice that
abound in these parts.
last, omitted to mention the feline race. A
good mouser readily demands five dollars, but
they are a scarce commodity. The Canine por-
ton Of the community are becoming scarce and
so arc sansages, which by the way, decrease in
quality as they advance in price.
have pcrused with much pleasure the COL
umn in your excellent paper devoted to agricul-
ture. In number "a you publish directions for
feeding poultry; allow me to say few words
relative to my own experience in, to me, ncao
disease, in poultry. I have among others, three
pullets of the s'widow breed" two of which have
been troubled with what term the cramp; o. e
has fallen from the roost twice, but before l no
ticed any complaint. Day before yesterday the
first indications had was, the appearance of one
of one of them being unable to walk but few
steps, and then fall down; her wings and tail
dropped, her back seemed to be drawn up, beak
partially open, tongue moist and breathing hard;
her head feathers ruffed and digestive organs in
order The most definite information l have
been able to gather from works upon the dis
eases of poultry, led me to believe the complaint
to originate from worms. therefore turned a
feather twice stripped nearly to the end,) in
the throat, but no worms were visible. Smok-
ing cigar at the time, made her insensible by
blowing the smoke into her mouth and nostrils.
AS soon as she revived placed her on the roost,
and the next morning she appeared we'll and
ate heartily. This morning the second subject,
troubled in the same manner, was moping about
having been taken during the night. Without
delay gave her dose of smoke, and half an
hour after she was well, and to night flew up to
the roost. I note this for the perusal of others
of your readers who may take an interest in the
rearing of poultry, and also to ask information.
1t may have been new symptoms Of pip or !gdpes
or perhaps of acorms; but be it what 1t may, the
cigar smoke effected a cure. The pullets COM
menccd laying in February-have warm clean
house and well supplied with grain, fresh water,
sand, gravel and we'll ventilated.
1t may be new to many of your readers who
keep poultry, and therefore l will state, that
some of the most eminent authors upon the dis
eases of hens have recommended tobacco smoke
in the case of worms. Two doses never failing
to effect a cure. By the way it will not be amiss
to recomend to poultry keepers the perusal of
an excellent work entitled 'The American Poul-
terers Companion, by G. N. Bement, fifth edi
ton l am not aware that later edition has
been issued.
Friday, g. The gallinaceous portion of my
family is in excellent health and no further signs
of disease.
We have been favored with bright sun to-
day, and a strong wind blowing from the South
east The snow on the surrounding hills is fast
disappearing and we need but heavy rain to
raise the river which is very low, and give the
ice a start. Last year at this date, the weather
was very cold, and yet the river was open some
fifteen days before the first boat arrived (Apr 10
Such warm days as we are now enjoying, would
have been luxury then: we may therefore an
tcipate the opening of the river about the Goth
of the present month. By the last mail, several
letters were received from persons intending to
emigrate to Minnesota, but were deferred from
so doing by the supposition that no provision
had been made for the education of children in
Public Schools. At the last session of the Leg
islature act was passed to s'establish and man-
tain Common Schools which is extremely lib
eral in its provisions. "Every township con-
tanning not less than FIVE families shall be con-
sidered school district" Each school dis
trict is authorised to expend six hundred dollars
annually for the erection of school house and
the support of a school. A tax of one fourth Of
one per cent is laid on the advalorum amount of
the assessment roll of the county. Fifteen per
cent of the money arising from liquor licenses
and fines in caiminal prosecutions is given to
the support of common schools, and every in
habitant twenty one years of age, both male and
female, who shall have resided in any school
district three months previous to district meet
ing, and who shall have any tax assessed against
them, are constituted voters. The last clause
secures proper respect to widows and moth
CTS WHO always Icel an interest IN the lnStruC-
ton of their children. These provisions of the
Legislature and the wise donation by Congress,
Of sections l6 and 36 in every township, to be
reserved for school purposes, certainly secures to
the children in Minnesota every facility if right
ly used, for liberal education, and doubt if 9TH
cr territories ever offered equal advantages.
Monday, IL. We had snow storm last night,
depth one inch. This morning warm sun
causes it to disappear and mud to take it's place.
There is truth in the saying that March has
''winds and clouds and changing Skies for the
skies are so changeable here, it is impossible to
do more than tell by them when it is daylight
and when night.
Our mail last week was but a small one, much
of it being unable to be crossed at the Wiscon.
sin owing to the breaking up of that river. We
anticipate q heavy mail to day. \
~ Yours truly, w. II
Some years ago, when Mississippi explosions
were So appallingly frequent; when on the
western waters one hundred lives month were
lost on the average man was sleeping in the
upper room of a thin board house, on the bank of
the river of rivers. A steamboat going by took