The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-12-31
The 81. Anthony Express and the Territorial
Roads.

The 81. Anthony Express and the Territorial
Roads.
In The st. Anthony Express, OF the 18th in !
slant. there is an editorial in regard to the !
roads Of the Territory, SO untrue i'll its state |.
ments, and 80 injurious to Captain Simpson as
an officer ofthc government and all honest ci,i- |
zen, that We cannot. as pabiic journalists. re-
frain from replying to it, and stating the facts
as they are.
1t is true that Capt Simpsons name doe. not
appear in the editorial but as it is generally
known that he is the General Superintendent
Of the Government roads in the Territory, and
therefore responsible On their account, any con-
demnation of the policy by which said roads
nave been administered, or any insnuations of
dishonesty in the application Of the public
funds committed to his charge for the benefit OF
those roads, cannot but reflect upon him, and
upon him alone. The language the Express is
pleased to hold in regard to these roads is a,
follows
why talk of railroads when our main tho
ronghfare is in many places barely passable:
Why urge the construction of new roads. when
so much is imperatively demanded on the old
Why call for new appropriations. when we see
10 advantage from those already made. 1t is
a lamentahle and diSgracctul fact tuat we have
not single government road in the Territory
completed-nay, so far ar we are aware, scarce
ly commenced. Our delegate has obtained large
appropriations from Congress for laying out
and constructing Territorial roads. but to what
end: Where are the roads. Who has rcceiv-
ed the money: In what has it been expended
What has become of the $4,000 granted for the
Point Douglas ard Fort Ripley road A few
trees spotted and stakes stuck to indicate
where the road sh0ud be, and two or three
bridges built over inconsiderablc streams, al
ford the only indications Of an expenditure al
ready said to be exhausted and which should
have been sufficient to work splendid road. at
least considerable portion of the distance. At
this rate half Il million will be required to put
! the road in passable condition. With such a
misrepresentation nf public funds. we have no
patience. especially when their most cconom-
cal and available application isso urgently de-
manded TO promote one of the most important
Interests in the Territory
. Surely in The above there are grave imr,,ta-
tons Of incapacity and dishonesty. According
to the Judgment of the Express, 10 advantages
at all have accrued from the appropriations
which have been made! Large appropriations
have been granted by Congress yet it does not
appear for what end !: there has been no result,
and the money must have been pocketcL 10y
some one. Thirty thousand dollars have been
granted for the Point Douglas and For, Ripley
road, and sc: the only indication Of an cxpcnd-
iturc already said to DC exhausted, are few
trees spotted and stakes stuck, to indicate
where the road should be- and tuo or three
hrfl l.,;lt i. D. p.
/ Now asscrt--and the remark has been
made repeatedly hy persons who have recently
travelled over the road That a rsry great ben
eft has already resulted TO the public by the
application Of the appropriations which have
been ms'ie. Surveys, maps, and estimates have
been made of all IF them, and the results have
been transmitted to the War Department
y fine road has been constructed from three
miles south of Saltwater to point twelve
miles above The Falls Of St. Croix, or for dis
lance of forty seven miles and this through a
country the Greater portion Of which was before
perfectly inaccessible on account of thick woods,
swamps and marshes. 4 bridge has also been
: made over Sunrise river, five miles beyond ::
and more remains to be done upon this road
under lie present appropriation, which is not
yet exhausted.
The road froln Point Douglas to Fort Ripley
has been made passable a: points where before,
at certain seasons Of the year, teams could not
pass at all on account of swollen streams, or
could get along but with the greatest difficulty
on account of mirc and marsh. Bridges with
their embankmcnts have been made over Coon
: Creek (ifty feet widc) Rum River. (the bridge
over this river is one of a SINGLE span of
! 1877 feet, aid cost $500. and considered
cheap AT that : Elk river O7j feet wide) and
Rock Creek G5 feet widc): and th;rty-cight
miles OF the road have been thoroughly made,
including the numerous bridges. And yet the
( Express states that but two or three bridges
built over inconsWeraJhc streams, with q few
trees spotted and stakes stuck where the road
should he, afford the only Indications of an OK
pefiiiturc OF an appropriation of Mirfy Mou-
s"''" aoffajs granted for this road.' The pub
TIC can no" sec how far this paper has been
ui-Poscd to be careful of its facts and it will
note still further the injustice it has done Cant
simpson, by asserting as it has, that as large an
H.
piopiia'c" Tor this road when if its editor had
s"N'i ',ie pains to look at the acts Of Congress.
ne would have found that the only appropria-
tons which have been made are two Of $40 coo
each, or $40, 900 in ALL
The road from the mouth Of Swan river T.,
the Winnebaso Agency at Long Prairie, which
before. on account of high water at the eros
sings of Swan River. at Swan Creek. and other
points, and on account Of thick woods, swamp
and n:re, at the cast end for three miles, and
at the west end for seven miles, could at times
not be passed at all, has been made easily pass
able and we have only to appeal to the team
sters and others who are in the habit of passing
over this road. to say whether any benefit has
accrued to the public from the appropriations
which have been made forit