Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-27
From the Northern Gazette.
MINNESOTA.

here now over ten months, and during that time
have seen much of our new territory. have seen
crops growing and being harvested; Ihave camp
ed out for weeks ON the broad prairie, beyond
where the white man has marred the face of ma
ture, with either the plough or the axe; and now,
what say in regard to Minnesota, will be the re-
suit of my own observations, rather than what
may have heard or imagined.
That portion of our territory, lying north of the
falls and city of st. Anthony, including vast prai
ries, immense forests, with our pineres and cop
per mines, have not examined; therefore of
that, shall say nothing. But that portion, lying
south of the parallel of As, down to our southern
boundary, is as good for agricultural purposes, as
any land to be found in the United States. We
have no mountains, but the surface of the cOun-
try is what is called out here, rolling sometimes,
especially near the Mississippi riyer--rising in
abrubt bluffs several hundred feet high but,
more oft n, made up OF long swells or ridges,
with inter mediate valleys. A great deal OF our
territory is prairie perhaps too much of it but
in most sect ons, there is timber sufficient for fen
eng, fire wood, building purposes, &C., &c.
Around st. Paul, fencing timber is scarce; but
as you 90 back west of the Mississ pp, across the
prairie which extends for niles along its bank,
the timber is sc Uttered in groves, around the
lakes, or in belts, along the streams, in quantities
sufficient for all necessary purposes. Then, we
have the big woods, large body of timber 40 Or
!. i: being some thirty miles to its n9afe t
edge. But usually, timber or ''openings'' are the
exception, while prairie is the rule, in all that
portion of the territory, have visited.
As 70: the soil, ii is as good as the best. have
sen crops growing, in some twenty differtn mt
States, but have nos better corn, wheat oats,
potatoes, turnps, or melons, than what have
witnessed this last season, in Minnesota. Pota-
toes not only grow large, giving an abundant
Weld, but the; are of the very best quality. OF
melons, no country can produce larger or better.
saw hundreds last autumn, in garden near St.
Paul, ,hit would m a ure l., l6, and Is inches IN
diameter. Our co II has no cold, chilly weather
to stop or re ard its growth, as at the east, but
grows right alonr, oar summer being made up OF
what tn Old farmers would call regular corn
weather. For example: planted the 2O:h OF
May some Of tn yellow 6 fint corn" which l
brought from Essex Co., \. Y. 1t was up on the
c. nth day, and in u days from the time it was
up, or 80 days after planting, measured blade
% inches in length. 1t was ripe and dry, stalks
and all. weeks before we had a frost. l need
only add in regard to the length of the season
for corn growing, that the Ohio dent corn, that
will not ripen at all in Northern n. Y, Is raised
here in large quantities.
No country can be better adapted to stock rails
ing, for there is grass enough in Minnesota to
pasture all the cattle in the Union, and hay
enough for the cutting to keep them through VIM
unsurveveI, and open to all who wish to select
portions of that beautiful prairie, or timbercd
land for their future homes. 1t is now being sur
veyed, and portions of it will no doubt be in mar
ket this year or next when it can be bought for
the government rricc, or 81 % per acre.
The price of labor here is high: common Ia
borers ret 81 p, mech mics 2, ) and dollars a
dav: n man and team 81, and other labor in
proportion. Prodlc, brings about the same here
as in y. Y. Wheat and corn 81 per bushcl, olts
30 cents and potatoes . cents, tOur from TO 81
per barrel. Cattle and horses are high. Cows
bring from $50 ~ so, and horses from 500 to
5000, so that farmers coming here had better buy
tn ,ir stock in Wisconsin or Illinois.
You will see from the above that here Is the
place for steady and Industrious young men, who
wish to have IL hone of their own and be indie
pendent, instead of leading the life of Il serf in
the East. For if they are 50 unfortunate as to be
without IL trade when they get out here, common
labor' commands the pre- Of an acre OF land
for each days wo k, and # the do not get Il
home of their own, under su h circumstances,
thew will deserve t. de in q POOR house or Ill.
Single Ecn have only to pack up "ni come out
II NJ, no matter if they have not five dolltrs on
landing; but would advise all who have FAM
les 20 come and take 10 * at the country before
Bringing their families. The trip can BE- made
ut an exp nse Of from 52j to $50: and after
house HIS been bull: AMI 9th, necessary arrange
mont, made, il viii &c much easier AM Oh apcr
getting strrted in this new country than it would
b. to br ne the family along at frs. Families
should leave everything behinl, except clothing
AMI lei ling, and this should he c'osely packet
in trunks. Then the mo t comic: table and cXre
ditiouS route Will n the cnl be cheapest, from
Lake Champlain, through Sch meet idv to Bnf-
falo by railroad; th:olgh Lake Erie, and then
by lallrcad to Chicago, and from Chicago to Rock
isl and or lena, when the steamboat brings yol
III 10 D.,,,ll x-t |, 1,,.,,r
The Indians were removed to their new home
last fail, 50 that people with weak nerves even
can visit Minnesota without the fear Of the tom
ahawk or sch ping knife before their eyes. They
occasionally. however. come down to look at their
deserted village, shake hands with their old
friends, and say of their new homes, bad! bad !!
have cndcavored so far to keep up Il running
fire at the numerous questions which have been
asked me hy eastern people, whose lett rs are
touring in upon me by every mall and believe
have hit most of them, except those in regard to
the health of the country. Allow me to add then
tn this is very healthy country. Ague, with
all its train Of malarous diseases, is as rare here
as in New England, and where it exists at all it is
confined to the low marshy bottoms on the Nlissis-
sppi and Minnesota rivers. Coughs, colds, con-
sumption, and long list of diseases incidental to
the tickle climate of the eastern and middle States,
are rarely seen originating here. We have of
conrsc some sickness, for disease is an inheri-
tame, of our race, but families may remove here
from the east without fear of suffering from a
change of climate, unless it be in the consump-
ton Of food and shoe leather, a kind of cOnsump-
ton which follows a matter Of course the in
creased mental and bodily activity, which our
pure and bracing air produces in most persons,
after short residence under the bright skies of
Minnesota.
We have here no regular autumnal or fall
weather, no raining and showing, freezing and
thawinS before winter sets in, but instead comes
our quiet, dry Indian summer, the prairies con-
tinuing to burn till snow falls, and then we have
winter, real genuine winter, colder, it is true,
than at the east, but still the sun Shines the air
is dry, and move about when the mercury is
%, 80, or even 40 degrees below zero, without
any of that chilly, shivering feeling which is felt
during winter in more southern attitudes.
We have had about ten weeks sleighing this
winter, with the greatest depth of snow l6 inches.
This gradually vanished about the LIST of March,
when we had few days of muddy weather. re-
curing thick boots, but since that time the ground
has been dry, the prairie fires are again burning,
and we have Il second edition Of Indian summer
in March. 1t is said that portion of April and
May is damp and chilly, but making due allow
ancc for this, am confident that if there is any
part oil our country where the healthy can live
and enjoy life, and where the s;ckly and delicate
can regain health, it is here in Minnesota.
Allow me to answer a single question proposed
by an old friend, in regard to myself, and have
done. 1t is this, s'Do you regret leaving the
scenes of your childhood? If so, own up and
come back" Now, with many thanks for the
invitation to return, beg leave to decline, as |
can answer the question emphatically, NO!