The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-12-11

! WINTER MAHs.-The Post Office Department,
with q contract on its hands to give us two
mails per week during the winter, are allowing
their officials at certain point between here
and Galena to dojust about as they please in re-
regard to the matter Of doing their dnty There
are certain one-horse towns along the Mississip-
pl below us, some of whose people imagine they
are doing great service to themselves and
their country, by taking all advantages that
circumstances may throw in their way to en-
deavor TO retard the progress of ST. Paul, and
annoy and perplex her people. We do not be-
lleve the present Postmaster at Prairie du
Chen has the least lliberal feeling of this kind
towards us but he is surrounded by an atmos-
phere pestiferOus with jealousies and hard feel
ihss towards St. Paul and many of her most
enterprlsing citizens. We want, now, to know,
without equivocation why it is, that every
mail for Minnesota is suffered to lie in the post
Office at Prairie du Chen at least As hours after
its arrival from Galena? Two mails per week
are promptly made up for us at the Galena Of
nee. They arrive at the Prairie respectively,
on Saturday and Tuesday evenings The Sat
urday evening mail, by the present arrange
ment, rests there till Monday morning, and the
Tuesday evening mail until Friday morning i,
Messrs. Willoughby & Powers teams are al
ways on hand at the time of the arrivals from
Galena; and these gentlemen, not only for the
accommodation of their passengers,-who of
course are always anxious to get through as
soon as possible-but also to preserve their
good name as contractors, are ready and
willing to start the mails up the moment they
arrive from below. 1t is proper, of course, to
state the fact, that the Postmaster at Praire du
Chen has entire discretionary power from the
Department in regard to the arrangement of
| the schedule over this route. 1t may as well
be understood now, at the outset, that we shall
continue writing and talking about this matter
one of vital Importance to the people of Min
| nesota-until sufficient strength and vigor be-
| comes infused into our mail bags to enable
them to travel straight along from Prairie du
Chen without resting there As or GO hours.
The DIR. FRANKLIN's MAIL.--We find the fol-
lowing in the last Democrat
SALTWATER, Dec. 2, 1852
D. A. ROBERTSON
Sir-The S. B. DR.. Franklin did leave all the
mail at Saltwater which she had on board for
your city. And it was sent over by the first
stage. An inquiry at your own post Office
would have saved You from appearing to desire
to injure any one.
Respectfully yours,
A. S. PARKER
We did make inquiries at the st. Paul post
| office. and there learnt the last Dr. Franklin
mail was not received here, and we are inform
ed to-day. dec, ~ that said mail was never
heard of here. Mr.. Parker, clerk of the Frank
lin. exonerates the officers of that boat, but
'rhat has become of the missing mail? Was it
stolen or lost?
If our neighbor will examine matters closely,
he will find that his Galena dates, due by the
DR.. Franklin, were received here some two or
| three weeks ago, and that in reality there is no
mail missing AS to whether the mail was
sent over from Saltwater, or made the journey
| to Prairie du Chen and back, we have now
nothing to remark but are quite certain that
Mr.. Parker is entirely honest in the belief of
what he says We can convince the editor of
the Democrat rnat there as no n,afI odck.
"GoING TO TowN"-One cannot realize the
important position that St. Paul is beginning
to assume, unless he occasionally mingles with
people residing some distance from her. Down
in Wisconsin, more than a hundred miles from
mere, people refer to st. Paul as their future
trading point in winter time, and speak of
going up to town" when starting upon WIS.,
it to our metropolis. On the Chippewa and
Menomonee, enquiries were made as to wheth-
er we thought there was chance of procuring
any fresh butter, or any pork, &C., sin town"
We passed man forty miles from here with
load of venison, and upon hailng him, learned
he was hauling it TO town "-meaning St.
Paul. The winter trade-and it is considera-
ble-of all the region referred to, can easily be
controlled by our dealers, if they are so dis
posed. This portion of Wisconsin should have
been part and parcel of Minnesota geographical
ly and politically, and it can easily be, CONNER
cially.
OAKEs g. Co.'S MILIS.-At the invitation of
Messrs. Cakes and Champlin, two members of
the Company, we were induced one day this
week to make thorough examination of these
mills, recently greatly enlarged and improved,
and now nearly ready to be put in full and
complete operation. The old machinery has
been replaced by new, of much greater power,
finer finish, aud practical utility. The engine
has three feet stroke, with cylinder of sixteen
inch bore; and throughout is as complete
piece of workmanship as we ever saw. 1t
is from one of the best machine shops in
the city of Buffalo. Three boilers are attached,
which will give sufficient power for even much
larger operations than the Company at present
intend undertaking. In the mill, are two up
right and one circular saw; one lath and shin
gle machine; one of Woodworth's planning ma
chimes, and one turning lathe. Every thing
about the mill has been got up in the most
costly, convenient and durable manner One
of the greatest convenences and comforts we
noticed, is long shed to shelter the workmen
while getting logs into the mill in times of in