The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-11-04
For the Pioneel
For the Pioneer.
ture.
BY JOHN w. BOND.

During residence Of two years past in Min
neso,a, have written letters descriptive Of our
Territory to the press, to individuals and to COM
muniiies in almost every State Of the Union.-
Some Of which afterwards heard wen, the rounds
Of neighborhoods till their pages would no longer
told together. Such is the eagerness with which
information about our virgin land is sought for in
the States.
In these letters have described to the best Of
my ability, the SOIL climate and natural advanta-
ges of our Territory its present and future pros
poets, ETC., together with everything that sup
posed would interes, the distant reader and serve
10 turn his attention from the land towards which
all were then rushing; viz California, and at the
same time give him an impetus toward Mime
sofa.
| Numerous letters have still arrived and accu-
INFLATED unanswered, during the past spring, sum
mer and present fall for want Of time to give them
due attention; all asking too 70. details, beyond
the power Of any one man to give, save though
the press. have al length in answer 10 all in
quirers. written hastily brief, general outline of
the Territory ;-irs PAsr--Irs PREsENr--
AND IFS FUTURE
As for minute details they are unnecessary -
Jet every man come and see us for himself next
sprns--then judge. If when here he will only
put himself at anything he iindeth for his hand to
do; and then DO IT, loith all his might, he can
not fail Of ultimate succ sss.
THE PAST.
very few years ago, and the present Terri
tory of Minnesota was an uninhabed waste of
woodland and Of prairie; save by the different
hordes Of savage tribes from time mmemoral
scattered through its expanss; with Of later years
few white traders only interninslei. At inter-
walls jealous missionary Of the Cross, or udven-
turou. traveller by turns found their way to the
Great Falls Of ST. Aa,hony, and even TO the
source Of the Father Of Waters hinself-and with
awe filling their souls at the grandeur and sub
hearts lifted ''lrom Nature up to Natures God, ;"
have returned to the bosom Of society in the great
world then fir-lar away TO the South and East
and recOunted there the wonders SEEN the dan
gers encountered the unculiivated and wasted
paradise they explcred-the legends and charac-
ter Of the Red Man among whom almost alone
they mingled.
! Minnesota has indeed been s'ihe home of many
a traveller and the theme of many Travellers
story" Here indeed, alone and solitary was
seen 70 glide the canoe Of the dark proved Indian
over ms own loved lakes; and from the rccky
bluff where stand the churches now dedcat ed 10
only arose the smoke Of the wigwam and the
council fire, while the whoop Of the savage re-
sounded over the flowing stream below across
whose still, smooth waters the soft sweet sound
OF the organs tones, the sonoEous tc!ling Of the
church going bells and the busy hum Of commerce
now alone reverherate. The scenes and sights
then witnessed have disappeared across ths river
TO the westward, and soon will be transferred still.
further from our gaze, and the home, the hunting
grounds, and even the very graves of the poor H.
dams will be oblitera,ed forever.
The two fierce tribes which now inhabit our
Territory, the Chippewas of the old Algonquin
stock, and their invetera,e and hereditary enc
mics, the equally fierce and more numerous Sioux
have for ages wage1 an discriminating warfare.
One which is well known spares neither age, sex
or condition. Our fair land has been the scene
of many Thermopyle though on smaller scale,
and the fierce cingor of the hand to hand combat
has resoanded far and wide. Here thousands of
the brave sons of the fores, have met death un-
complaininsly and sung their last wall Of despair
and agony amid untold horrors Their smoking
blood has enriched many a now fertile field as
like that of Lancaster it sunk into the ground:
when it should have mounted and cried aloud for
vengeance. That vengeance has been meted out
from time to time by either party, and many an
ensangulned story could be told of more than Ro-
man herOsm--of more than Spartan valor.
This fead, SO bitter has descended to our own
times, and Of It's continued strifes many Of US
have been reluctant witnesses, whilst of its bor
rors, ali have heard repeatedly We live and
move upon more than classic ground-ground con-
untutored victim-''who if they were the children
of the forest, still heard the voice of their God in
the morning breeze-they beheid Him in the dark
cloud that rose IN wrath from the West--they &C.
knowledged His universal benefccncc in the set
ting sun as he sank to his burning bed Hero
they lived and loved
THE PRESENT.
The Territory of Minnesota az organized by the
act of Congress Of 81 March, 1919, is an extern
sive region, being about four times as large as the
State Of Ohio, and Is 675 miles in exten, from its
Southeastern to its Northwestern border. 1t ex-
tends from the Mississippi and ST. Cfoix rivers
and the western extremity Of Lake Superior on
the east, to the Missouri and White Earth rivers
on the west; distance Of over 400 miles. and
from the Iowa line, (at 43 &c, } on the south. to
the British line, (at 49, to the north; also a
dll fcn oF