The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-12-04
Letter from j. w. Bond.

Letter from j. w. Bond.
The following interesting communication
was received just after our last weeks pa
per was put TO press.
& BESros CRY, (SAuK RApTps,) D
November 24th, 1851.
JAMES NJ. GooDHuE, Esa. t.
; Dear Sir:-Being once more installed
in the good old comfortable quarters O
Bachelor Haldom at this place, after ms
long absence upon that tedious prairie triI
to Pernbina and Selkirk Settlement; and
subsequent visit to your goodly city fee
inclined to address to you ''partiug line'
or two, iD part repaymen, for the cotnpIi-
ment you paid ne in copying my Pem!ina
correspondence from the Democrat; and
first in regard TO the situation Of this place
aud its advantages, commercial, InaD9lac-
turing and agricultural.
FSauk Rapids, instead Of being situated
away up North an Indefinite and unknown
distance above the other civilized portions
OF the Territory in your neighborhood -
''a place somewhere in the vicinity Of the
North Pole" is really hut about one half a
degree to The North and same distance to
the West of St. Anthony and ST. Paul; but
SIX intervening townships OF six miles
square being between us; and the whole
distance of the new Territorial road sur
veyed last summer by Col. Emerson, being
but "A miles, and by the circiutous river
navigation, less than 100 to ST. Anthony, its
course from this point being due southeast
Benton City is situated at the real head
OF steamboat navigation. and Immediately
at the foot Of the Rapids, the most formida-
bic, rapid, and impetuous obstruction in the
whole river above St. Anthony. had oc-
casion 10 pass down them on pleasure
trap last summer, IN company with Mr.. n.
w. kittson, IN barge loaded with furs,
and was we'll satisfied Of The dangers and
difficulties of the passage. The steamboat
Gov. Ramsey, or any other boat, loaded or
light, conid no more pass up above this
point, at any stages Of water, than you could
SWIM against the current; the channel being
very crooked and the water strong; in fact,
in attempting to tow up Mr.. KittsOn's barge
with oxen, she was dashed among the rocks
and her valuable load saved with much diff
hcuiy. This then being the grand depot
for all the river trade; by which the Win
nebago anu Chippewa annuities aud most
OF the supplies for the whole population of
the upper country and Fort Ripley are
transported; and from here by teams to all
the points above; it becomes at once CEN
tral point, u focus, 10 which the trade aud
travel concentrates; aud il requires no
prophecy to foretell that in few years it
VIII become the most important point above
St. Anthony. With these natural advan-
tages, and more especially rs it is in the
hands of the right sort of men, those who
have the capital aud energy; which COM
/ inc 'or ,olt tk.,, 4
city; 1t must succeed. a hotel and other
buildings will be erected in time for next
seasons operations; the steamboat Gov.
Ramsey is to be remoddled and much i'm
proved IN her capacity for Transporting
freight and passengers-and good accom-
modatlons will he afforded to all who may
choose to pay us visit with the design of
settling or as pleasure seekers to our atirac-
tive neighborhood, where so many objects
of interest greet strangers eyes; after
passing through country and amid scene
/ ry IN his transit hither, which is unparallel-
ed IN the great Northwest. AS you paid US
a visit here in person in June last, you can
bear me out in the truth Of what say. As
regards the town site, it is excellent, the
landing good; lots to he bad cheap by ac-
tual settlers; and plenty Of good land for
those who wish to farm, to he had at the
usual government price, and within a mile
or two-the soil is good and produces well; !;
speak from the experience of myself aud
neIgbbors--and although have no interest
IN the embryo city, yet have "a claim in
the vicinity partly improved; and can say
that the great staples of Benton county,
oats, corn and potatoes, grow as luxuriant-
ly as in any other portion of our Territory; :;
and bring most excellent prices too, with a
home marker at our doors for all we possi-
bly can raise for years to come; oats this
early in the season, are worth IS cents, and
soon viii be 81; potatoes are also worth s :,
and as for corn, David Gilman and Mr..
Russell have 1000 bushels Of the finest
have ever seen, and Judge Meeker says he
has never seen 1t surpassed in any of the
corn growing Western States. Winter
wheat has not been tried to much extent,
yet am satisfied it will succeed with us as
in every other portion of the Territory, and
the crop become more certain one than in
the States, from the fact that our plentiful
and long continued falls of snow will pre-
vent It's freezing out, and that 1t will also be
less subject to attacks Of rust, the fly, and
all the diseases incidental to it elsewhere.
am very certain that our Territory will in
time become one Of the best ,cheai grotcing
'CtNtt5 ttf tHe VHOfe IUiOn, ana mat Sne
will take the place of Illinois and other
States where it can no longer it seems be
depended upon with any certainty; in our
own vicinity, some so acres have been put
in this fall by Capt. Todd, and Nessrs.
Sturgis, Depue and w. f. Corbeu; and
that we can raise it successfully, any one
may see who will read Mr.. Prescott's letter
on the Agricultural Resources Of Minneso-
tn, published la the Patent Office Reports
for lS49-50. Spring wheat produces here,
as at Red Lake and Selkirk, in ,atitudes IS
and 80 degrees--as bountifuity as in other
places further south.
FIGURING and saw mills are much wanted
here at present, and the demand for them
increases daily; one or two Of each could
he kept running constantly. We should
have farmers enough among us now, in pro-
portion to rest Of our population, to grow
sufficient wheat, with mills 10 manufacture
it into -four, to supply our own consump
ti0n as well as all the Indians within our
borders; we should also grow pork enough
to feed the lazy rascals; and then the vast
amount of money annually expended aud
=. l.