The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-02-19
Corresp ,ndence Of the Northampton Courier.
Letters from Mime sofa. No. Q.
Sr. PAIL. Min II


DEAR COURIER :-One could hardly believe
1t possible, that after travelling three hundred
and nifty miles, into the wilds away from all
civilization, he would suddenly find himself in
city ofthirty-five hundred inhabitants, presen-
ting all the appearances ofrefnement, furnished
by any OF our more eastern cities.-Three years
ago, ST. Paul contained but about dozen hou
ses, now, its population is as above stated The
city is advantageOusly situated ON bluff, ex-
tending back mile from the river, leaving in
front, bottom enough for levees and warehouses.
The main street is over mile in length, rum
ming parallel with the river. Wholesale and
retail stores, four-story brick blocks, handsome
dwelling houses are spread around, with
sprinkling of public buildings, consisting of a
State House, just built, Court House, and sew
en- churches-Last season, there were ITO arri-
walls OF steamboats,, and even through the win
ter there is regular semi-weekly line of sta
ges TO Galena, and mails are received with the
same regularity as in the summer, though not
as frequent. We have forty lawyers, twenty
doctors, a dozen clergymcn, and all the trades
which so to form good society. Carriages
and omnibuses rattle in the streets, and minglc
with the whoop of the savage bands that fire.
qnent the place, eager to spend the annuity
which Uncle Sam has just paid them. A resi-
dence often days in this city, has given me some
opportunity of obtaining information on those
points of most interest to Eastern farmers.
There are plenty of adventures and specula-
tors who have laid out any quantity of towns
and cities, and are ready to sell you any num-
Der of fine city lots, at almost any outrageous
and abominable price. But permitting these
gentlemen to make their fortunes as they can,
an intercourse with the actual settlers, the far
mers, and simple cultivatOrs of the soil, gives
more correct knowledge of the advantages and
capabilities of the Territory, than can be derived
any other way.
Any thing that can be raised in any Of the
Western States can be raised here in the full
lest perfection. The quality of the soil is such
as to bring forward with great rapidity, what
ever seed is placed within it, and the warm sea-
son once commenced, it grows s.right on" with
out any danger of cold, wet times or late frosts.
The season is sufficiently long to bring to ma
turity the southern Dent corn, which grows
from twelve to sixteen feet high.
All the cereal grains flourish as we'll as any
one could wish, and the various vegetable tribes
grow without any bounds. We're to repeat
the account Of the produce Of potatoes, turnips,
onions, and parsnips, raised BY the farmers in
the immediate vicinity of this place, your rea-
ders would perhaps charge me with telling ''ish
stories.' All have to say is, let them come
here and see, and they will forever be sick of
attempting to cultivate the rocks and stones Of
the .'hill towns" of Hampshire county.
Let me here give you the price current of the
st. Paul market for the present week pork
10 to II cts beef IA cts, lard 20, butter 30 to
40, potatoes Is cts, corn S 90, oats G5 cts,
wheat 81 90, -four Sc tot.
Thus you see farmer has nothing to do here,
but grow fat in purse and larder, barn and gra-
nary. And it really makes but little difference
in what part of the Territory he locates himself;
there are so many favorable localities. he can
hardly 60 amiss of finding good timber, prairie,
and water, anywhere. The great multitudes Of
lakes of clear, pure water, over all the Terrific
ry, is feature which is unknown to us at the
East. All these lakes are fed by springs, and
all have outlets. The banks come down, slO.
ping gently to the waters edge, sometimes with
turf and sometimes leaving walk few feet
in width of clear white gravel. These lakes are
of all Sizes from those containing half acre,
to those one or two hundred miles in crcum-
frence, and all stocked full of fish of every pos
sible variety.-The kinds that abound the most
are pike, pickerel, bass, trout, sunfish and cat
fish, the latter weighing frequently 100 pounds
apiece.
Dcer-hunting this winter has never been ex-
celled, and our market is full of venison. One
Indian has already killed seventy since the
snow fell, and many white hunters take from
| five to ten week.
Prairie chickens are numerous and are the
most delicious eating the feathered tribes afford
us. Then there is sprinkling of bears, but
they are so fat, they are not good eating; rae
coons. squirrels, and all the fur race unmen-
| tiOnable.
In my next will give you some statistics Of
the produce per acre. Yours, II. NJ. N.