The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-01-20
Correspondence Of the National Era.
The Northwest
If' .fNTiONf ALL<, ISOZ.
T. the Cdi.,y of The Nafi1nal Era.

T. the Edi.'r IF the Nui1nal Era.
DEAR SIR:-In the last number of the Era. I
notice letter from H. Mdtvn, If Massachusetts
calling for information in resaid TO Minnesota -
which communication is accom- lied with a request
from .self that j.. W. n. VIII please 70 at
tend.''
Your correspondent that s'tllere are thol an
Of f,m'lies ii New England, who would gladly move
est, il for that d.eIdcd scourIe Of emj.
grants-the f-ver aud a2ue. The Lands, TOO, in In
diana and Illinois taken ur, that a favor
able location costs mush fr the means of ,no.t
Eastern fnmers. They aEe now Just b-gilnn, TO
hear Of Minnesota, With it, perfectly healthy climle
its ie.t.ic SOIL AMI excellent fciiites ,r access. and
s1cd nuk@t; and If half that dn'y con.cs to us be
tue, II Is uld iubtedy second paradise.
All that Is needed t. stat tide OF emigration,
Such AS w,s never seen b.i1c', 10 Minl,<ot, i, til
sprn. Of 1S53 Is some deiuie accounts from actual
settlers in thr Territory.
We want inlu nation to the advantages afford
ed, descriptions OF the c,utry, AMI statistics and
facts; AMI huareds oi cot,nics Ill b. orIed this
winter, 10 proceed at the earliest possible period
In" spri 'g'
Now, whether "haif that dim'y comes 70 our
Eastern i.icnds be true not II impossible Tor
me to But, f. ON thr eea:s - resd ,nce in the
Fenitmy, am prepared II say that all have ever
published IN the Esa, favorable 90 OFF soil eli
mat =, and the general advantages OF the COUNTY, is
>inci'y tlr: and yet theie has been gre, deal pub
"a
wh lly unii',F. Aud those who come here under the
ilu,ncc If such Information, SUPP osing TIL. he in
tact ''sccoud Iaiadiss," rt suiier iii an,
potlt nent. They d, not always stop to consider
whether tai> county Is hnd cuolI btler than the
they have left, but the question with them j..
whether it equals the iieas thev have ioined IT,
Let uie say. then, to Eastern friends, 70 begin
WITH hat this Is no such IA adlSc s,ne have
drt am'd Of. Men have 10 earn tier b: cad bv the
".Ne;tt Of th"r brow" in Minnesota well as
er.whc;e; AMI we not en,iicly fee oln '.ihs
Ills that icsh is he'll to' in other pats Of tn. Un-
ion And vet, f.ily believe, with ycur correspond.
eni that i. ali the facts Known III regard to
thai i;vry, SSthere would he Hundreds Of ca sits
formed this Winie TO proceed at the ea lest pcss bic
period in the snins' 10 Minnesota.
Oar climate uis,rras ed by ANY in the Union
We have col weather in winter, and hot weather il
summer; and more supshin: than n any Country ]
ever saw. But ia al III. changes OF our seasons
eXpeiisn little noth'g of that assitGde AM
p,0st alton 81 gv common M tver aud az ,e
eli mates. / cannot say that ,hc.e viii be i vel
and a 5Ie in any Ia:tu this Territory; but have
not yet hca d Of case that igna,ed here; and
have hesitation in laying that believe tins coun-
uy vii ever be fee fom that disease as New
En-, land As t. the cOnsu NJ ltIon, have ao., the,
,hs advantage the { istcin States tho, ,ins
the al ge lake.. Beng remote ON laf &c bodies
/ of water, mt SUBJECT to those sudden and
extreme changes, and damp wnds. that are pro-
dutiye Of co,sunn,ih at the East.
The soil l. sandy easy to cultivate, and general,
veiy productive. Thcle me IalonS Of acres now
open for settlement, the Soil Of which E.. tile
ANY in the West. that can be had at Government
price, and III locations along the Missi sir aud MIN
nesola rivers, that t,w yeas viii be vaiaiL =.
/ Back ON these rives the Country abounJ. in mos,
beautiful iakes, ar und which ae cha: nnng iani-
,capes and SITES admirably adai ted 70. The location
OF cn,,uies. These lakes abound in the che icest VA
Iietes If fish, and some 4 them nearest the towns
are much rcso.ted b, vi,cis to the Ter itoI,. -
Lake Calhoun and Lake iianirt, l,in. four mes
west of this lace, objects of g-ne al ad.n alton
/ They each f.om one 10 Two miles in length, AM,
on: mile Wild, rlentily surped With pike, Iicke e
bass, and other smaller varieties ot fish, and the
road to them lies Of the mott beautiful pi
res IN the Territory. Most persons who visit the
Flls, visit these lakes, p nd days in admi Ing tie
leasant scenery around them; and yet there ace
hnnd eds in the Territory sInila to tncsc, and
tar sur asslng them IN tine scenery. One OF these
lakes, which Is new aCtrg consIde al !e attention.
is situated m,les west ON TINS place IL ir
said T., be 40 miles in length, ani contains many
beautiful slands The lndIan name for il is, as |
nioI med by oi the i,lss O1a Ies, 'Mda aka,
which signifies large i,ss Ii Is usually ca.lsd
b, the whites sMnnc tonka,' which in the Dakotah
language signifies large water. ] am n!o; M d tina;
there is colony If 200 fam'hes Coming hom New
lok, settle the banks Of that lake early y,
spins. Whether my inio nation is correct B. not,
l cannot say: give 1t AS ] have received II, f ON
who accoml aned the agents ot the colony when
they went select iocation. But OF one thing |
Am yery ces ,aia that il tho farIncls of New Eng
Land knew hall much about thi, TIE ritoi, those
who live hc,c, there would be two thousand families,
instead Of two hunIed, around that Lake in less than
twelve months.
speak pa.ticu!uly Of farmers, because believe
that this ToriItoiy presents greater inducements 10
firmeis than any State or Territory of the No tn
wet. Ii combines the hcathulncss Of New Eng
hrd with the fertility OF the West, and the cheap
lands Of the West With Ea team prices for produce
The .. aii lcs are SMALL that TIMBER and
easil, access ble. And the natural meadows afford
al abundance of cd hay. farmer may cone on
ear, in the pring, " h team and stock enough fo'
a well cultivated IA. NJ. lie can readily find oca
ton whe,e he rlow the land and mt in bis seed
lie has abundance OF good asure dni,5 the suns
mer and iaI, for the whale Territory Is nIturaIl,
! ada, ted to azins, and he easily fod na;ufa
meadows that will supply him with all :he hay h'
uecds-so that h.. cany fiimIrg, in all IT.
dcpa, tmcnts fom the commencement lie will o
co, Sc need fences for his ells, and house TO lv,
in; bu, the materials for these easily obtained
The lands west Of tha Mississippi river, heretofore