The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-07-21

as We might expect from confirmed old bach
elor, such as he. But we give the whole of it
on account Of the many practical truths and
facts which it contains. We would, however,
caution our Wisconsin neighbor to keep his
'scalawags" at home.
From the Daily Wisconsin.
st. Paul Its Appearance-The Bluffs The
Speculators--A Financial q s--Soil Of Min
nesoia and Wisconsin-The Society Of Saint
Paul, sc.
ST. PAUL, July 5. 1855.
have been in this city sufficiently long to
speak understandingly. 1t is without question
a beautiful city. have wandered all over its
upper and lower town. and the more I have
seen OF it the more am convinced that it can
be rendered one of the most beautiful and thri-
wing cities in the Union. 1t is not only divided
into upper and lower town. but there is anOth-
er terrace above the so-called upper town.
which crowns the whole city. and which affords
a magnificent site for residences. few hOus-
es are already erected Oh this upper terrace
some of wood and some of brick. These are
placed amid the natural forest trees, and are of
most tasteful design. In the early morning sun
the view from the upper plateau is superb. 1t
extends fer miles up and down the valley Of
the Mississippi.
The Minnesota State house is built of brick;
is considerably larger than our Capitol at Mad
ison and is good building. but its situation is
contemplate one. 1t is too far from the river
aud there is not single tree within thirty rods
OF it. Its natural situation will bear no com.
parison with that Of our Capitol at Madison.--
We have Park of seventeen acres. and taken
altogether. as pretty site for capitol as there
is in the Union. Thus our Capitol. of the rich
tod Mnl rrk-. / L
of govern" ent. while that of Minnesota at st.
Paul adds nothing to the city. The govern
meut only reserved two acres, which are now
unenclosed, and which in very wet we thcr
must be porous muck heap But if the gov
ernTeut has done but little for St. Paul, the
citizens have done great deal. The manifes-
tatiOns OF substantial wealth are amazing in
city OF barely seven years old. The dwellings
are neatly built and quite large. and their
churches. with the exception of our Cathedral,
are as large as in Milwaukee. A new and i'm
posing stone hotel is now being built in the low
er town. 1t is l20 feet in frontage and l2O feet
in depth. and is to be five stories in height
The first story is already up. The cost of the
building. &c, will be $4,000. The citizens of
the lower town givea bonus of SIP 600 to have
it constructed. a first class hotel has become
an institution of the first Importance to the
prosperity of any city. and the citizens Of ST.
Paul in the erection Of the WinslOw House in
the upper town and this new hotel in the lower
town. proue their faith in this axiom. The new
house is to be opened in May next This will
render tour to the Upper Mississippi even
more pleasant than now. although it is already
one of the most agreeable to be found in any
country. But in laying out St. Paul. the pro-
prietOrs have made a serious mistake. The
streets are too narrow. Third street. the lead
ing business street. is only As feet wide. and 80
feet is the width OF st. Anthony, which is de-
signed to be the main avenue and promenade.
This was a monstrous bunder. If st. Paul is
10 be the ST. Lons of the North. the streets
should have been wide like those of Cleveland
or Milwaukee. When the st. Anthony street
bluff is built up. and thus the view from the
present esplanade will be shut up in a narrow
street OF TO feet, then one-h half of the beauty
of St. Paul will have passed away--we fear
never to be recovered. This portion of St. An
thony street should have been reserved for
levee--cOst what it would.
Just now. st. Paul is filed with SPECTATORS,
both resident and nonresident "Lots, lots" is
the constant jingle. This man is pointed out
as having made $4,000; that man $4,000. or
that one 100000. and some even 100000 in
real estate operations This. of course. fevers
Others and by some i. is stated thai half OF the
city of 10000 inhabitants are SPECTATORS Re-
they are in Chicago. and that is saying some
thing. and the innocent are taken in aud done
for in the most approved style. We also notice
a great number Of billiard and drinking saloons.
Men who speculate must have something to
whet their appetites thus one pas sion aids the
other. By the way, we observe one of the
most prominent signs which must arrest the at
tention of even the unobserving. and that S.
".Niltcaukee Lager Beer" This looks quite
friendly to those who love that popular Mil
waukee beverage.
Rents are nearly as high as they are in Mil
waukec. The Winslow House proprietor pays
SD 600 rent. His house is about as large as the
old I'm ted States. A store 20 feet front and
100 feet deep, Oil the best business street. rents
for S600--to $500 for the first floor and cellar.
Some shanties Is feet front and 20 feet deep.
rent for $3.50. The best corner lot would COM
mand $3.50 per foot front. Money commands
from two to four per cent. per month, In the
Spring time the rates run up to per cent a
month. These rates are considered satisfacto-
ry. One of the leading bankers Informed me
that they loaned at per cent month now.
Their rates are sometimes per cent, but he
says that they do not go above that standard.
Paper is, of course, shOit date. People here
say that they can pay these rates, inasmuch as
they realize quickly. There are no usury laws
here This. of course, leaves the interest 10
be dictated by the necessities of the borrower
The truth is, the rates in st. Paul and San
Francisco are about the same. Wisconsin has
been through the grinding mill of eXhOrbtant
interest for money. and before Minnesota gets
ont of these moneyed tolls she will have to sui
fer even as Wisconsin has, and California is now
suffering.
The enormous prices for lumber. $40 per NJ.
at the mills, and SIS in this city, and of all
farm produce combined with the support OF q
heavy immigration. may enable the MinnesO-
tiaas to stand up against such drain for some
time. But let lumber come down to $40 Der
Mas it assuredly will. and farm produce be
raised in greater quantities than the inhabi-
tants can consume, then We may expect 6nan-
cial crisis in the condition of the State. A
large decline in prices must assuredly come
not this year or perhaps the next, but ~ 1857
we shall witness change in their ability to
meet such rapidly accommodating obligations.
asked the proprietor of the greatest saw mill
in Minnesota. what could you do if lumbe
should fall TO So he replied that lit would
b. ruinOus." Minnesota i now receiving a
vast and profitable immigration. This year it |
will be from 40 900 to 10000. The soil is fer
tile and beautiful-we will say almost as the
handsOmest counties in our famous State. Its
warm and light sandy soil is similar to that OF
Marquette county. 1t is this popularity of
warm sand mixed with alluvium wh ch bring |
the crops sO astonishingly forward in this
colder climate, as Gov. Ramsey appostely re-
marked, I'VE can grow fine corn without bill
lious fevers." New potatoes are now to be
fam dor, fknk - hos L.