The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-18

foqa to the Indian. Wet meadows or marshes
Frequently connect Chains of these lakes. These
afs covadd With very ghg grass aA6ld4 fine
pasturase fstfarie ssd mailing exeellenf hay i
Some are toa narshy for grazing, but are cas-.
lily drained 1A NSsaA Is -
The lakes in this region occupy about one
sixth of the area, the marshes probably as
much, and the rest, gently undulating and
denseiy timbered, with soil Of inexhaustible
fertility, offers the best locations. for farms OF
any country we saw along the route.
Opposite Traverse des Sioux we struck
road, newly cut opt, froIt Bdckbend Ia short
distance above Traverse des Sioux to st. Paul,
by Captain Dodd, of minnesota. This gentscs.
man, with a surveyor, and ten men and two
teams, had been employed log days in cutting
out this road and bridging the streams. It
materially assisted our survey, and enabled us
to get through the Big Woods several weeks
sooner than We would otherwise have. done
without this-our- emily guide among this unex-
plored labyrinth of lakes and marshes.
l have included in the estimates the cost of
cutting out this road, and take pleasure in re-
commencing that Captain Dodd and his party
be paid for their labor out Of the apprOpria-
ton for making the Mendoza military road.
This division terminates near Lake. Eagle,
in the "Big Woods" and is 43 miles and 20e
yards in length, and is estimated to cost 1852,
Is per mile.
.,tHois - Srth Divis,o5,a.! z TEiif
Continuing for eight miles through very
much the same character of. country as that
described above, we enter the soak Barens,"
so called from the stuntcd character Of the
timber. This has been caused by the annual
fires which sweep over it, consuming the grass
and stnnting the timber. The surface Of the
country is broken, and the soil is not very rich.
There are but few lakes o. marshes along this
portion of our route, and no desirabl loca-
tions After passing over IA miles of this
kind of country, We entered the Vermillion
prairie, a most fertile and beautiful region,
traversed by the Vermillion river.
ThI; prairie has its northwestern boundary
about twelve miles from the Minnesota river,
and extends to the Mississippi on the east, and
to Iowa on the south. The surface is gently
undulating, and the soil rich. Occasional
groves of oak relieve its otherwise monotonous
appearance, and afford charming sites for resi-
dences. Here, after most tedious month
spent in the woods, during which we were ex-
ccssiyely annoyed by mosquitoes we were again
gladdened by evidences OF civilization. On a
beautiful lake, near the western boundary of
the prairie, town called Lakeville has recent
ly been laid out, and several buildings erected.
This lake is about six miles long, and connect
ed by chain of smaller ones with the Mime
sofa. We followed along near the northwest
ern boundary of the prairie for twelve miles,
and then entered the oak opening, SO called
from the thinness of the timber and the alb
sence of underbrush. Passing over nine miles
OF very broken country, interspersed with small
lakes, we struck tn Mendoza and Cannon riv-
er road, and, as it occupied the best ground,
we followed for about six miles into Mendoza.
Along It there are a number Of farms which
have been cultivated for many years by the
original French settlers and halfbreeds.
Mendoza is small village, near the mouth
OF the Minnesota river, opposite Fort Smelling.
Although one of the Oldest settlements in the
Territory, and possessing many geographical
advantages, it is completely overshadOwed by
st. Paul, situated six miles below on the Mis-
sissippi river. This is partly due to the Indian
title not having been extinguished, and the
military reserve preventing settlers from locat-
ing land in its vicinity. 1t has long been a
trading post of tue American Fur Company,
and the residence of the Hon. II. Fl. Sibley, a
gentleman to whom we, in common with all
recent-explorers of that country, are under
many obligations for valuable information and
assistance. l take pleasure also in acknowl-
edging my obligations to the Hon. MIR. Rice
and Captain Dodd, both of Minnesota. These
gentlemen have long resided in the Territory,
and are very familiar with its geography
They have taken great interest in our map,
and contributed much information in regard to
the position and size of lakes, villages, roads,
timber, &c. z'e
Our field labors terminated at Mendoza hay
ing traversed 224 miles of prairie, forty miles
of thick woods, and Is miles of oak openings
making the distance from the mouth of the
Big Sioux, on the Missouri, to the mouth OF
the Minnesota, on the Mississippi, 279 miles.
The estimated cost of constructing a good
military road between these points-including
tae sum of 1920 to Capt. Dodd and his party
- is S52,47a.69, being an average cost OF
Sl89.18 per mile. g
1t is important to the prosperity OF the Ter
ritory that at least that part Of the road be-
tween Mendoza and Mankato should be con
structed at once. 1t is also important in a
military point, as it is the most direct and
practicable route from Fort Rdgeley - the
new post on the Minnesota-to Fort Smelling
on the Mississippi and, as the river is only
navigable q few months in the year, it is alb.
solutely necessary that route by land should
be speedily opened. There are also several
thousand inhabitants along the Minnesota who
have no other direct outlet for their surplus
produce during greater portion of the year
But it is needless =, to enlarge upon the i'm
portance of establishing a road through this
region its increasing Importance is too well
known to require any additional arguments in
its favor. The 10000 Inhabitants Of the best
classes of our hardy pioneers and enterprising
farmers now scattered over its broad extent
and busily employed in making solitudes -
hitherto untrodden save by the savage