Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-07-03
TUESDAY, JULY ). 1866.
flH UP c15Nx1r-Do1rlraSasr THE way

81 ANVAAs .Suue SOs 10OOs
In my last promised you { letter from Ano-
ka, one Of the most thrifty and busy places on
the East side Of the Mississippi, above ST. An
thony. A part of the town is built on the
banks of Rum river, which river comes curving
gently round the foot of bluff, and passes UNI
der "a bridge off to your left. The other part
is built on finely elevated ground after yoa.pass
the bridge on your way up. Thus far have
seen, no place, not even. St. Anthony, which
denotes so much taste and industry % this little
busy, active, busting town of Anoka. by
George :" says the Colonel, " that's a fine place
see how beautifully that ground swells up on
the left, and then those well-formed trees
Jupiter and scissors, isn't that nice :" g Pshaw"
CALCULATES Maj. o., whom we observed was
getting little piqued at our praise of the place
-" pshaw. Sank Rapids is much handsomer
place; you need MT burst your boots nlaudation
Of Anoka; it is true it is smart place, but it
is MT the whole Valley of the Mississippi, not
by any means, and you act as though you had
never seen town." Fearing that we might
arouse the military spirit Of the Major, and
|
ject was dropped, not however until the Colonel
had slyly repeated the remark" it IS devilish
fine place, anyhow" We are on the bridge
which crosses Rum river, looking upthe stream.
Just above us is the great stoppage or outlet
to all the logs from the Upper Mississippi
These logs are closely wedged together, with
scarcely water enough to float them, and seem
to be as dry as the topper before his morning
bitters. In the middle of this dam, there is
gate or sluice-way, and when the water is suf-
fciently high, this gate is opened, and the logs
come tumbling down like so many sheep, and
are then made into RATS and foated to the
Mississippi and then down that river to the va
rious mills. The peculiar location of the town,
being situated at that point on the river where
all the logs from the Pineries must stop, renders
it highly probable that the citizens will never
want for lumber, and this is sufficient Of itself
to induce many to locate here, and as the Yam
KEGS say, to ''rut things through" Inaddition
to this, there is a fine saw mill in full blast,
owned by Woodbury. s. Larnard, and learn
that another mill and large Grist mill is soon
to be erected on the ruins Of the one which
was recently destroyed by fire. Anoka con-
tains two hundred inhabitants, has large hotel
called the Farnham House, some twenty neat
and tasty dwellings, three stores, and a Post
Office. The distance from St. Paul is between
twenty-five and thirty miles, and lots arc priced
from S25 to 500, which, in view of the pros
Hpective prosperity of the place, the beautiful
land which surrounds it, and its fine location,
young men of enterprise, WHO desire to do
something for themselves, and who can get
nothing to do in St. Paul, to remove to Anoka,
take off their coats, and like those who are al
ready located there, to "pitch in" and if they
are sober and industrious, success will surely
crown their efforts. Methinks hear some old
croaker say-"Oh, you have an interest in
Anoka or you would not praise it So" Not
so fast, neighbor; we don't own ore inch of
land nor are we acquainted with single indi-
vidual in the place. Our views have been
formed after a careful observation and some
inquiry-so take them for just what they arc
worth.
The shades of evening which began to gath
er about us, warned us that we must be on OUT
way, and it was not long before the dim outlines
OF Anoka faded from our view. After you
leave Anolla some three or four miles, the
country assumes an entirely different appear
ance. The soil appears to be less productive
and there is a barrenness uncongenial to the
lover of Nature. The oak openings disappear
and on bleak, blank prairie, within short dis
lance of the Mississippi, is Itasca, town of
seven houses, and nothing about it to invite
settlers or to induce them to remain after they
come. ltasca may grow into importance, hut
if it does, shall miss my calculation, for GER
tainly see but little Of interest or in the least
degree calculated to awake enthusiasm. 1t is
80 miles from St. Paul, containing small tav-
ern, Post Office, and an apology for store.
am informed that there is good agricultural
land in the neighborhood, which sells for $75
per acre. The size of most Of the towns on
the East side Of the Mississippi River, have
been greatly exaggerated, which exaggeration
is calculated to not only disappoint those who
may visit them, but to injure the places them
selves. The truth will always bear its own
weight Should some energetic capitalist take
hold Of Itasca possibly it could be made smart
little town, but this will never occur until the
dark cloud of speculation which now hangs
over it has been removed and farmers have
been induced to develope the resources of the
vast prairie back and around it.
= ID J -
cradle place-light soil-sour grass could mt
support goat much less cat-would starve
to death here" and giving an extra crack to
the whip away we ratified. But these terms of
ridicule brought out the Major, who insisted
that the land was excellent-better land than
any we had seen on the route. The Colonel
denied it and here was the argument "Do
you see that fine grass scattered all over the
prairieT "Yes," replies the Maj. "Well
a ora CO NOES