The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-02-24
LETTER FROM MINNESOTA.
ST. ANTHONY FALLS, MIN. TER,
January 25, 1853

January 20, 1898.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
Several communications over the signature
Of 81. w. n" having appeared in your paper,
many letters asking more particular informa-
ton have been received and, at the request of
Mr.. n, have arranged the questions in some
order. and propose 10 answer them at length
through the Era, should YOU be willing to give
the requisite space The first question is about
THR CHARACTER OF OUR INHABITANTS.
Perhaps one-half the States of the Union are
represented. and we have a smart sprinklrng
from Canada Ireland and Germany, with now
and then substantial "beeEeater" But
majority of our people are from New England
and New York, and they have brought with
them love for the institutions Of home-the
church and the scboOl-house
Nowhere in the East ara religious privileges
greater or more respected. Nearly every de-
nomination IL represented, and has its stated
worship Baptist, Catholic, Congregational,
Episcopal, Free Will Baptist, Methodist (Amer-
can and Germany Presbyterian, and Univer-
salist. In this place are four houses of worship
80 far completed as TO be used. Ia st, Paul,
six are completed. In all New England there
are few, very few, villages ahead Of this village
in morality few, very few, villages in which
youth can be brought up with less danger.
In enterprise and public spirit, there is in
Minnesota a happy minging of Yankee calcu-
lation and Western go-ahead-atiyeness. In
business matters, year is "a great while"
here Every day counts; every hour adds or
changes something
The climate is anything but sleep
The veriest codger of all Down East wakes up
here like some old nag astonished with libe-
raj supply of oats, and he flies round like
new man.
The greatest drawback upon our prosperity
is the liquor traffic Without the protection of
law, the country is flooded with the yilest of
stuff, called whiskey, brandy wine, &c; but
in many cases it is no such thing being more
fatal to the body and debasing to the mind
than the genuine even. The Maine liquor law
was petitioned for one year ago Our Legisla-
ture passed it, to be ratified by the people. At
a special election, it was approved by major
ity Of electors. The Chief Justice of the Ter
ritory pronounced the submission uncOnstitu-
tonal under our organic act We are now
moving for n new law, and new law we will
have before temperance men will lay Oft the
harness.
In St Anthony there Is no place where liquor
is sold publicly, but alas for st. Paul the glory
Of being the head Of navigation is very much
furnished by the scenes daily and nightly tran
spring in her dram shops. That head is not
quite right nor will it be, 80 long as it re-
ceives such quantities Of villanous whiskey.
Saltwater, being at the head of navigation on
the st. Croix, is similarly affected, though it
has improved very much within year.
There arc some villains who sell liquor to
the Indians willing to expose community to
the scalpng-knife and flame for dollars; and
30 long rs there is no restraint upon bringing
liquor into the Territory Indians will have it.
Settlers upon the treaty lands are peculiarly
interested in having the traffic stopped by some
means though | do not apprehend the danger
30 imminent that it need deter any one from
going into that country, more especially as by
the treaty the Indians are to be so soon remov-
ed II is very seldom Sioux is any more than
insolent and that only when under the infu-
ence of liquor.
EDUCATION
There is Territorial institution located at
st. Anthony, called the University of Minneso-
tn. Its government is committed to twelve Re-
gents, chosen by the Legislature and made a
body corporate. The Board of Regents is d.
vided into three classes and the terms of Office
are 40 arranged that four are elected biennally
Congress has given two townships of land Ia
township is six miles square) to the University,
and the proprietors of st Anthony Falls VII
lage donated lots facing the public square for
the erection Of the buildings. Already, n fine
three story building has been erected, and the
preparatory department corresponding to an
academy at tho East is in operation, under the
charge of an efficient and popular teacher,
The University Bill was passed only two years
Al
ago. Some twenty-five hundred dollars have
been collected upon individual subscription.
The Common School law Of the Territory
was prepared with care, and il in working or
der. From Congress we have the sixteenth
and thrty-sixth sections in every township. One
fourth OF one per cent on the ad val0rem
amount Of the assessment rolls is levied for the
support of schools, and apportioned among the
several districts To this il added twenty-five
per cent. from the licenses for the sale of
liquors, and all fines for breaches of the penal
laws Districts may levy not exceeding six
hundred dollars in any one year for building,
repairing, and furnishing school houses; TWEEN
ty dollars year for library, globes, maps, &c.
and any sum requisite to pay for keeping the
school going Under this law, we have district
schools school houser, school. masters, school
ma ANS and scholars, lots Of them, after the
good old Yankee model. In the villages, pri-
vate schools are taught the year round No
parent need stay away from Minnesota, for fear
Of bringing up family in ignorance.
TOWNS AND POPULATION
81. Paul is the capital Of the Territory, and
the county seat for Ramsey county. 1t IL sit
uated on the north bank OF the Mississippi riv-
err, about six miles below Fort Smelling, and
about fifteen miles, by water, from st. Anthony
Falls. The river runs in northeasterly dircc.
ton from the Fort to St. Paul, and Just below
town it bends to the south west, making great
curve The population Of the capital is about
twenty-five hundred, and it contains strange
medley of handsome buildings and Western
shanties, all mixed up in hOtch-potch. The
site was very favorable for beautiful place,
but that beauty has been almost jTremediably
spoiled in the making up. St. FS0l proper
was first laid out "a snug little town" but ad-
joining landowners have tackled addition TO
addition, and 30 greedy were they 10 save every
foot Of precious space, that, rather than leave
any open spots for breathing holes, they run
the streets Of one part butt against the house
lots Of another part, and laid out the blocks in
triangles, skew-angles and botchos without
angles Many of the occupiers Of lots pos |
sessed Of the same saving spirit built thor
houses TO correspond and no four pages Of
Euclid describe a greater variety OF figures
than the city Of st. Paul affords drawing Of. |
But it 10 q very stirring, enterprisng town, and
is growing with astonishing rapidly. Many |
Of its buildings brick and wood, would do
credit 10 much larger and older cities; and
nearly every month adds new ones ~ the num-
Der. It il the present head Of navigation only
nearly every steamboat that visits the place
visits and leaves freight at Fort Smelling also.
1t is, however, the freight and passenger depot
for St. Anthony and all the country above, and
and is by far the largest, wealthisst, busiest
and wcksdest place in Minnesota.
S. AntAony Falls is nine miles, by land, from