Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-04-17
From the Pioneer of 1851.
DESCRIPTIVE EXTRACTS.

The following extracts from tho Pioneer
of four years ago, are from the pen Of the late
Col. James NJ Goodhue, the talented editor of
that paper at that timc-and will interest our
readers abroad:
the end of the first syllable, and letter also at
the beginning of the second syllable and the
in the first syllable Is pronounced short, us in
pin.
St. Paul is named for the old Apostle of the
Gcntilcs himself, and for him alone; and is there
fore neither in the possessive case, signifying
that that respectable Apostle either is or was the
proprietor of the town. is it in the plural, sig
nifving that there is more than one town Of ST.
Paul: and therefore it should be spelled without
apostrophc and without an at the end of the
word.
The st. Peter river is the Minnesota river, and
has been for more than year. The latter,
which is the Indian name, is agreed upon unvcr-
sally rs the appropriate name for it, the word
signifyng Sly tinted water; wherefore it is clear
~ proper to name it the Minnesota, aside from
the fact that we need to save what few names III
the calendar OF Saints that are not appropriated,
for the brood Of next-year villages and st.
Peter will be wanted to christcn Il town to rival
ST. Paul.
large enough for Il understanding through more
than six degrees of latitude. and in width from
the Missouri on the west to the St. Croix on the
eist--thlt is, it extends east of the Mississippi
river. The portion lying east of the Mississippi,
OF between Wisconsin and the Mississippi, is
comparatively narrow segment: but of the part
on the east side all the northern portion still
belongs to the Chippewa Indians, and embraces
forests of hard wood and of pine, through which
the Mississippi and its tributaries roll their dark,
solitary waters.
In the north is Red river, sluggish, deep river,
nayigablS for battcaux, Durham boats, and steam
boats. 1t rises in Minnesota, and flows northeast,
that river and the Mississippi flowing off in oppo-
site directions, and the portagcs between their
waters being very short.
The Missouri river is not navigable for steam
boats rs far up as the Minnesota line, ordinarily,
without the removal of distractions.
The Mississippi river is navigable always when
open, to Fort Smelling, which is six miles south
west of St. Paul, and yet up the river AT Fort
Smelling the Minnesota pours in its deep, quiet
volume, being stream about the same size as the
Mississippi, which comes hurrying down from the
falls OF st. Anthony. nine miles above, to Join it
below the promontory on which sits Fort Smelling
like lazy old sentinel.
The Minnesota river is navigable ordinarily to
to Traverse DIES Sioux, one hundred miles, and
extraordinarily another hundred miles and more.
1t seems about the same thing as far up as you
choose to run boat-gencrally deep, rather mar
row, rather sluggish, and uery crooked; suitable
only for short boats in any stage of water, and
very likely in low water not nayigable at all,
without Improvement, above the rapids, forty
miles above its mouth.
The st. Louis river, emptying into the west end
of Lake Superior, is navigabe to the falls, TWEEN
ty miles, for large vessels.
The St. CrOix is navigablc from it's mouth
nearly to the falls of St. Croix, sixty miles, but
is shallow above Saltwater. Boats such as now
navigate the Mississippi, therefore, seldom 90
above Saltwater. a small boat ran all last sea-
son from saltwater to the falls.
Minnesota abounds III lakes. Between the st.
Croix and the Mississippi they seem to be innu-
mcrable, and they are also frequent west of the
Mississippi Their shores are chiefly of gravel or
pebbles, AMI usally one or the oth,r side of the
lake is covered with growth Of timber. The
water is shallow, clear, cool, and entirely desti
tutc of the qualities of the Doggy marshes and
sloughs Of the south. Many of the lakes are COW
er d with wild ,and are alive with waterfowls.
Frequently the lake opens at one end into a tam
arac swamp, filed with young tamaracs Ga tree
resembling the spruce) as thick as they stand.
Through this swamp the water then passes out
into another basin, little less elevated, which it
fills, and makes another lake: and thus there is
often formed Il succession of lakes, connected by
Il spring stream that runs through them all.
Near Lake Superior there is an elevation of land
that approaches the dignity Of mountain; but
the nearest approach to real mountains else
where is in the towering bluffs along the shores of
the Mississippi, and from Dubuque to st. Paul
these bluffs really the grandcst feature of wcs-
tern scenery. Except these bluffs, and the dense
forests of the great woods there is no portion Of
this vast territory where loaded wagon may not
be driven, provided the streams can be crossed.
. Three years the present date.
Cs5= Bulwcr leads bachelors life in Paris,
and many stories are told Of his eccentricities-
He is at the age of fifty, the same dandy he was
when he wrote " Pelham and really makes up
exceedingly we'll. His fortune is very large, and
he performs many acts of ostentatious charity
lie is fatalist, and believes firmly in certain Pc
RODS being hazardous to bis destiny. One day