The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-09-04
THE MINI SOTIAN.
Correspondence Of the st. Anthony Express.
West Of the Mississippi--Sauk Rapids.
SNuK RAPIDS, Mn, }
August IA, 1852. (

West Of the Mississippi--Sauk Rapids.
SNuK RAPIDS, MIN.,
August Ia, 1852.
Ma. EDITOR Through the columns
of your paper, l desire to call attention to
most beautiful tract of country, hitherto
little known and little noticed namely, a
belt of land lying on the west side of the
Mississippi river, bounded north by Sank
river: running west on Sank river about
ten miles, and from the mouth of the
Sank, south, on the Mississippi thirty or
forty miles, including the steamboat land
ing and the entire water power of the
Rapids on the west side.
Without the least wish "wilfully to
misrepresent," your Sank Rapids cores
pendent asserts it as his honest convic-
ton, that no other region of country, here
or elsewhere, Of equal extent, combines
SO many elements for making beautiful,
productive, and valuable farms. Unlike
some sections of Minnesota, otherwise
desirable, it is we'll wooded and well
watered. While there is an abundance
of rich prairie land for farms, such farms
as old New England men own and till in
the valley Of the Connecticut, and the
Kentucky hemp growers on the banks of
the Ohio, there are, also, close BY,
groves of beautiful timber, and lands COW
cred with stately forest trees, while clear
lakes, unsteady murmuring rivulets, and
perennial springs enrich and beautify the
whole.
There is marked popularity in the
soil of these prairies. The only obiec-
ton | have ever heard expressed by emf
grants, TO Minnesota prairies, has been
that they are too sandy to last. This OBJ
lection can be urged with some truth to
few localities, within my own knowledge.
The little prairie few miles this side of
St. Paul, and small portions of the land
adjoining Fort Ripley, are examples. In
both places the proportion of sand is GER
tainly too large, and after few yaars'
use, they will present dry surface of
dead sand. There is no denying this
The composition of the soil is standing
refutation of every other supposition.-
But these are exceptions to the general
rule applicable TO our prairie soil. The
soil, however, of the prairies on Sank
river, is not liable TO this objection. 1t
is not only not sandy, but it has the APP
pearanc Of bottom lands cleared of heavy
timber, such as border the St. Joseph, in
Michigan, or the Maumee, in Ohio, deep
and loamy; while at the same time it is
high. dry and undnlaiing There is a
charming lake about four miles distant
from the mouth of Sank river. A beau-
tiful stream traverses the claim of John
c. Hanley, known as Hanley's creek,
possessing important hydaulic powers
Farther down the river, twenty, thirty,
and forty miles, such is the beauty and
fertility of the country, that feel assur-
ed, could the toiling hundreds on the
mountains of the far East, once behold it,
they would, if they could not sell them,
give away the rick ty old lands of thier
grandfathers, for the privilege of coming
and making homes for themselves and
children in this delightful country. Many
are coming, but many more ought to
come. wish your paper could be read
in every dilapidated old house in New
England, and by every young man now
hoeing his acre of poor corn, in that
most respectable, but worn out and rusty
region. l think you would open their
eyes to the folly of eternally digging
among rocks for living. The rotten old
around the base of the frown-
ing Kearsarge, and in the shadows of
shaggy Hoosac, with their appurtenances,
would be left to the bats, if their owners
knew but half the true story of our prai-
ries and rivers in Minnesota. Merely
as philanthopic act, can you not send
the Express to some of those moth-eaten
corner towns in New England, whose
only merit consists in Gen. Washington's
having stopped over night in them, on his
way from the Continental Congress or
some other old gathering in Revolu,iona-
ny times. In SO doing, verify believe
you would be doing Gods service. II
would tell them of a country which they
perhaps have never read of.
Our enterprising neighbors, Messrs.
Lowry and Gilman, are now having two
hundred acres broken on one of the prai-
ries above named, and nearly opposite the
landing. Mr.. Lowry also designs erect
ing large warehouse at the landing, on
the west bank of the river, and men are
now engaged in getting out the materials
for the building. John c. Hanley, our
efficient Sheriff, has also the lumber
drawn for substantial dwelling on his
choice claim opposite Ewing's landing
We therefore soon expect TO see busy,
growing community settled up and down
the western bank OF the Rapids.
Of "our s!de," l am happy to be able
to say, that large substantial building,
block, designed for the common Jail Of
the county, is in course ,t erection, and
will be completed in two or three weeks.
1t is built on the site selected by the
County Commissioners, for the county
buildings.
We are all pleased at the prospect of
having a Land Office ere long established