The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-09-07
From the Elnira my Gazc,t

"
Holbrook, of this village, who is pcrambulat.
ing the {" Great West"
Falls of ST. Anthony, July &c, 1853
The Railroad from Chi.
cago TO Rockford distance Of 80 Mills, is one
of the best in the country. The train upon
which came, was directed b. MIR. II. Harvey,
formerly resident ofElmira,) who's. wh,lebear.
ing marked him as modelConductnr. This road
passes through prairie 40 miles square, which
is one of the fms. upon which the eye Of man
ever looked. 1t is adorned with loveliness,
and glowing with smiling residences. Every
farmer seems prince, and every farm para
disc. Only think of corn fields these charm
ing g land-seas" of the West, mile square,
and the land so fat, that cnrn-stalks grow even
more than ten feet high. Farmers, who pur-
chased here but few years ago at Government,
prices, have now become luxurionsly wealthy.
This prairie opens field of unequaed mag
nificence upon the vision. 1t affords YOU a
plentI,ude Of sky-room, with air as pure that
which played around Eden, and filled the rob.
ust lungs Of Adam. Leaving Rockford, beau.
titul village of about 5000 inhabitants, by Stage
Coach, at o'clock, P. NJ, we travelled the
whole attern oon, and al night until 10 o'clock
next day, over the great and verdant prairie to
GaIena. Gaena city Of 1000 inhabitants
II is built upon the Fever River, upon the sides
used to pass from the street below to those
above. The reefs are very narrow, and many
of the buildings very old, yet it Is most evil
dently place of great business capacity. The
lead mines near the place have made her citiz-
ems wealthy At Galena, took pass" ge on the
"Nominee,' Capt. BlakeIy, fine western boa,
commanded by sterling officer for trip of 467
miles up the Mississippi river 10 ST. Paul, the
Capitol of Minnesota Territory. Six miles
from Galena, we came out upon that noble riv-
er, which is commonly called the Father OF
Waters he idea is right but the expression
is wrong. If itwere the " Father of Waters, .
it should have been named Mr.. Sipp. Blu, time
would now fail me to speak with any minute.
ness of the eternal and never-tiring grandeur
and beauty which the God of Nature has lavish.
ed throughout its entire course in this upper
country. The water is clear as glass, and tecm-
ing with fish The face of the soil is clothed
with the rich greenness of a second spring A
sight of the bluffs and praries is worth the ex-
pense nnd trouble Of long jaunt to visit them
There is wealth enough here to make every man
in Christendom a nabob; but it requires good
heads and strong hands TO gather it. Western
RATS are worth seeing. They are much larger
than those that go down the Chemung Only
think of RATS on RATS Of pine lumber, ranging
from 209 to 500 feet in width, and from 800 to
800 feet in length, chasing each o her down the
river. Most Of tits plundered from Uncle Sam
by honest industry, and I'D at ST. Louis at
high prices No wonder these Westerners are
too rich to soil their fingers with cents Du
buque, 20 miles from Galcna, is city of some
5000 inhabitants, pleasantly located and grow
ing rapidly. Prairie Du Chien, IN old French
town, with some 1000 inhabitants is lust wax
ing up from Rip Van Winkle selp New
towns meet your eye up the river. Speculat.
ors are out here and are at work like the devil.
At L1nsing, place with not more than go
buildings and those very small, a lot 40 by 80
which is the size Of business lots there, is held
at $500. This great West is the locality for
money shavers. per cent per month is the
common rate OF interes', and men with little
brass in their face'have gotten as high as l | per
cent per month Three days from Galena
OH the be at brought me to ST., Paul; once we
were detained on sand bar, eleven hours. St
Paul is beautiful and growing place, and well
worthy of the good name i, has honorably ac-
qured. From ST. Paul, went at once. with a
fine company of six gentlemen. to Fountain
Cave, thence TO Fort Smelling with the daugh-
ter of he Rev. Mr.. Geer, chaplain of the Fort,
then to Little Falls, which all pronounced ex
ceedlngiy beautiful, and then to the great Falls
of ST. Anthony. Well, by ginger, they are
worth looking at if they don't quite come up TO
the Falls of Niagara. The village here was
Stated but two years ago, and now numbers
some two thousand inhabitants. A good hotel
Is here and Southerners of the West are making
This their Summer Watering Place of resort
Above the Falls, | saw, as was told some Is
million feet ofpine lumber, only waiting slight
rise OF the river to be cut by numbering saw
mills into boards, and sent TO market There
are great water privileges here to be occupied
by factories. have just visited four miles
above here, the farm OF Maj Gridley, ex-In-
dim Agent, formerly of Gibson, near Elmira
His farm is a mile square, in fine state of cul
tivation, and handsome picture. The Maj
is rich. return this morning to ST. Paul, to
send this sheet by the boat | intend to spend
few days here, and feast my eyes on this great
and glorious country. More hereafter. Adieu.
H.