The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1854-02-23
Thursday. February q. 1854.
Emiyrant Routes to the Pacific.

Emigrant Routes to the Pacific.
From the statistics which have been laid before
the public the fact has been fully established thai by
Ear the shortest, cheapest, most feasible and most
healthy route for cmgrants to Oregon aud California
is through This Territory, by way Of Fort Rdsely,
the White Earth river, the South Pass, Soda
Springs and Mobiles Pass. By this ron,e, there is
doubt the trip can be made with much less travel
with better supply Of wood, water and grass, and
consequently with much less fatigue to the teams,
than by any other route now known, and the neces-
sary preparations have been made the loca
ton OF good road this route next spring but
there is another class Of Migrants that will pass
through Territory for whom little has been, thus
Ear, done to ensure them plain road through Mime
sofa to their point Of destination. We refer to the
emigration to Washington Territory.
The route pursued last summer by Gov. Stevens, it
is true, is open the enigrants, bu, very much
doubt il there will he any traces left the prairie
next spring, By which it can be followed; and if it
could be followed without difficulty, it is certainly not
the best route for engrants, because the hand travel
is much longer and the road so good as that up
the valley of the Minnesota river.
The best for emissants to W ashngton Terri.
tory will be the that to Oregon and Caltor-
MIA as far rs Fort Ridyey. At that point il will
leave the Oregon and California road, and pursuing
along the valley of the Minnesota its source, will
thence pass along the foot OF the Cotcau dPraire to
It's western terminus thence and along the valley
Of the James river until i, inicrsects the trail Of Lieut.
Grover, and thence on his trail to Fort Union
This route is at least one hundred and fifty miles
shorter than the route pursued by Gov. Stevens and
possesses the great advantage OF having few rivers to
cross.
On the route pursued by Gov Stevens, besides the
Mississippi Sank Rapids, crosses the Sioux w God
river, the Wild Rice river the Cheyenne river twice
the Maple and the Elm rivers, all bad streams in the
spring OF the year, while there is but one-thc Chip
pewa rivcr--to cross the route designated above
that is at all bad that cannot be ior,ed lh teams
at almost all seasons OF the year. Beyond the Chip
pewa, over which there is a ferry, there are but two
streams in the whole distance, and they are both
small.
/ The route by way Of the Minnesota Valley has
other characteristics that the cmigrants will find
OF much Importance. Ii is free from marshes, is well
supplied with wood, and grass, and is over q
level country the entire distance.
! We have travelled over both routes between thi.
place and Bald HILL on the Cheyenne, with loaded
teams, aud We speak with knowled Of the conn.
try through which each route passes, and therefore
we have no hesitation in stain. that the emirrap,
VIII gam much IN time, and have much less fatigue
on the route we have designated than on that trav.
eed by Gov. Stevens.
/ We have every confidence in the feasibility of the
road 10 Puset's Sound, by land. The report of Gov
Stevens Is clear on that point, and the only question
that presents itself TO emgrants, i. whether they
viii undergo the expense and incur the risk of steam.
boat travel to Fort Union, or will take the more Ger.
tam, economical, and viii add expeditions route
10y way Of this city and the land route above rerrred
10.
1t Is well known that the navigation Of the Mis-
sour to Fort Union is Impossible except dur
ms very high stage of water, and then the time
necessary Tor the trip almost equal to that required
Tor land trip from Fort Kldgely, anu the teams
must be much less capable Of enduring the fatigue OF
travel after being penned up alongside tn. boiler Of
steamboat for twenty-five to forty days, than they
would be after hauling their loads, with good treat
ment, from the Minnesota to Fort Union.
Gov. Stevens found an excellent wagon route from
the Mississippi through to Puge,s Sound. On ,bi,
subject he writes as follows, to tn: Puga,'s Sound
Pioneer
Iron the head Of navigation on the Missssinn;
to the head OF navigation of the Missouri through the
Territory OF Minnesota and the region ocrun;cJ bv
A'sineooincs The Grosvcnrcs aad the Backfeet, the
em,Sran VIII md grass over every mile Of the route
and water at never greater distances than fifteen and
scarcely ever greater distances than ten miles.
"Myrads OF buffalo occup, this vast reoion. and
Their numbers have not sensibly diminished, thougb
1000 Red River hunters, each on his fast buffalo
horse Tour months each year, pour death into their
some 25 900 Indians -
-Four routes within the Territory of WASHINGTON
are pursued by the Indians passing from the valley
ut the western base of the Rocky Mountains IN the
palnS and valleys between the Cceur d'Eleiene and
Cascade Mountains. The Cnur d'EIeiene Nous
ains, an extension Of the Blue Mountains TO Clark,
Fork of the Columbia, north of which the ranor Is
known as Komeny Mountains, occupy the whole
width OF The Territory for distance OF from 100 10
I'D miles, IS covered with heavy timber aud numer
Gus well grassed though narrow valleys
The Nez Percez, the Srokans, the Peude d'OIc;l-
les, the Ceur d'Eelenes, and other tribes in cross
n5 these mountains, have from three TO four horses
tor each man. woman and child. and even children of
year and hall old, will be guiding their hors
es, one hand only on the rcn entirely unconscious
they were exciting the wonder and admiration of IN.
passei by.
The cascade mountains have two good passes. and
on fusets Sound is found climate of extroord;nary
sanbr'ly, miider than that of Virginia and the same
average temperature, though more eq,,abe than that
OF San Francisco, and soil which Yields rich re.
turns to the h,,sbandman
Appointments by the Governor.
by and 'uth The ad,1ce and consent Of IN. Cou,J
Robert A. Smith, Territorial Librarian.
Lafayette Emmett, Attorney General.
julius Georgii, Territorial Auditor.
Charlie. q. Leonard, Territorial, Treasurer