New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-20
grtu .a)orls ps,ilp orihnne
THE MINNESOTA RIvER COUNTRY
COMMONPLACE ofTlc n. Y. Tribune.

! EpIrOR: There are many VI lVut
whom INV caption viii be familiar. There Is ! isnd
her. the fame Of which has reached them win insf-
veIos stories Of its fertility, its beant! ana ,ne wom'
derfIl heathiness Of its climate some Oh tnrh 'aiA
/ Of coming and OF them are coSihs 70 snare III
this heritage TO make home IN TINS suppose. eA'ou
s;yc GARDEN patch of which Uncle Sam is Jet the sole
mOnopollsf. c.l .,,;o,. 4.
These folks are curious 10 find out and anxious 70
know beforehand something definite ana particular o.
the real character Of the country IN" climate 'ae
settlements on the river their pretensons snu so'au
soe with the best route hitler and the probable cos'
Myself being recently Of this class, can bespeak
their wants and would lend my eyes for thsr oenen,.
7 WAS one of some half dezen VINO ieit ot' faui'
sbout the middle Of May, for the region OF the Dig
Repdr of the Minnesota. On account OF the 10" s''go
Of water on the Rapids boats were not running aoUre
Sbakopee (boats can always go up TO Shah"Pee) we
chartered team crossed the ferry at Fort Sneing'
and took the river road This is the best route AZ pre-
sent and the one commonly trayeled when ooats are
not running this is the mail route orr Sneiins Is
situated on an eminence at the mouth OF the MIME.
sofa and on the right hand side rs you go up snail
SAY right and left all the time in writing oil TINS river
for il is contoundedy crooked thst you eau Keep
track of Yourself in any other way. The tort com
mands fine view. On the opposite SIDE, the slope
from tho river is gradual with fine sprinkng OF OAK
openpcs very pleasant 10 the eye. On TINS sde nav
ng made an abrupt ascent we found ourselves Ga
sandy il vet so fine that wondered TO see II mn
claimed until knew that the land hereabout Tor SIX
miles square belongs TO the military reservation AT
Sache 70 the fort Having never before been 80 near
sort looked with interest at its solid structure with
;t Grim bastions and port holes, Germs better under
stood uow) and the way being open, walked In 70 seq
how look ed inside There was sentry 10 ana
fro at the entrance his xngs gtterng IN the NOT noon
tide Toward the middle Of <he open space Is wen;
and having taken drink of good cool water stopped
to observe the pleasant look OF the officers quarters
and the air of sunny peace and quiet which persaded
the whole scene made the sentrys warlike perform.
ance seem silly thing to me; Ana !. occurred 70 me
as | went out and hurried after my companions
that IL would be filter thing for him and his fellows
IN he out cultivating the prairie, than IN the cult
vston the art Of war About the time the twilight
bepan TO drop of the shy we reached shakopee 20
Ill from 81. Paul and about 20 above the Fort The
road pretty much the whole way is prairie; and no
better road could De- ,
Sbakopee is on the left bank of the river aud con-
sequently we had to cross ferry TO get there.
II is hich above the river, aud fine town site.
There are about fifty houses here, aud some fine
springs Ii commenced raining IN the night, and raned
all the next day, and the next. But we didn't stop for
rain except the wife OF one oil our compan! VINO
stsid To take boat When We were ready to start,
the citizens of Sbakopee who were gathering together
TO Law the cornerstone of church that day, with
kindly soicitude suggested that were already at
the head of navigation. They told us the Rapids
knew better and told them Then they
would have us believe We were at the head
ofland navigation any way. With one accord they
asserted their knowledge Of a terrible bottomess
marsh be crossed which wasn't crossabe; OF an ex
ceedng mpetuous stream called Sand Prairie Creek
TO be passed which wasn't passable; and, beyond
all the horrors OF the big woods" in muddy times;
and, to ''cap the climax" certain obstinate HILL
which had got its back up to such pitch that the ut
most care and contriyance alone would save horses
and wagon from turning destructive, promscuous
somersets from top to bottom.
We told them we should "try it," We left them at
10 O'clock and in spite of impossible torrent and bot
tomless pit and ncessant rain, we put up that night
at the cabin of RObare, just the edge Of the "big
woods and % miles from veracious Shakopee The
road however by means as good az that OF the
day before. All night the sound OF rain was on the
roof and all next day it rained; and we delayed our
journey till Thursday morning.
There were two Sioux encOiined in bark and sus-
pended lust on the confines Of the wood with the flag
of the Mon waving above them One OF them had
been Killed by Chippewsy. As passed them a
Sioux brave overlook u.s. just returning from the war
path and from his paint and the single eagle feather in
his hair it surmised the man in the tree had been
avenged He feroci0us looking fellow and my
mind REQUIRED to the sentry and his comrades at the
Fort with respect This forenoon we got through
the "big woods" here fifteen miles wide making the
descent of that awful hill without special Inconvenience.
After all the ran the road through the timber was
something muddy.
The character of the timber in this forest does not
differ essentially from that Of Western New-YOrk
except that here is found neither beech chestnut.
There is good deal Of sugar maple, intersprinkled
with bass wood, hickory, oak, iron wood and black
and white walnut (thcy call butter-nut white walnut
here, elm and ash with the addition of cotton wood
which grows the bottoms. believe these are the
principal varieties.
At noon camped at the margin of LIE Seur Creek.
If could that the rest Of the route lay over
dry prairie. But we couldn't; we were obliged to
get ourselves down to the river, mile distant and
wait for a boat. We remained here two nights and
Oh the morning Of Saturday taken on board the
Black Hawk. Just the creek is the pretty vii
lsge of lie Seur. From here by land the distance to
Traverse is some ten miles, LIE Seur Prairie,
which extends up to the bluffs opposite Traverse.
We reached Traverse des Sioux" on the afternoon
of this day. Saturday May 20.
fact transpired here noteworthy not only as evin.
eng the character of this people, but making pub
lie what it imports the emigrant much to know.
The retail of ardent spirits is prohibited in the Miu-
nesota River Country (SiOux Purchase) by treaty spu
latioD. To the labors Of the good Missionaries and
the sagacity OF barbarOus chiefs indebted for
our Maine Law" And-here it is enforced. No sale
Of liquor is allowed here, and when the boats come
into port they have to shut up their bar. This
witness Of on the very day of arrival. The bar
war shut on landing, but afterwsrd an attempt was
made to carry it on slyly Information given,
and without a moments delay or conference with
others the manly citizens went on board and mmedi-
| ately put stop TO it. The same night, by hap, the
semi.monthly meeting Of the NicOllet Co Temperance
Society had it's session. The occurrence OF the
afternoon was spoken Of in proper terms and action
taken upon it. In the morning the captain was
waited upon by members of tho Committee
Fine and imprisonment upon conviction, and power 10
Tie up the boat until trial were the weapons win winch
the citizens went armed The captain was told In ex
pcit terms that crime had been committed, which
endangered the happiness and h'es oi 'ss irontier