Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-07-31
From the Slui Rapids Frontiersman
NEWSON'S LETTERS.


LEGATION of series of letters written by the Edi-
tor of the St. Paul Times, who has recently
made Il tour of the " Up Country" and returned
to his post, evidently well pleased with the land
and scenery along the lanks OF the Upper Mis-
sissippi.
We begin with his impressions and opinions
OF Sank Rapids. We confess to not feeling
much fiattered by his remarks about us. He
plainly says he was disappointed. 1t was not
the town he expected to lind it. There are
not as many houses-not SO much business
not so much 'noisc and conitison"--- as he
hoped TO sec. But we thank him for his cam
did statement of the cause of that unobtrusivc
demeanor and appearance of the place Which,
after all, appears 10 have inspired kindly
feeling. Our people have never Toasted of
sores of buildings, or a large BUSINESS, but
have conten,cd themselves with plain state
ment of the facts as they exist in relation to The
size and business transactions of the place.
The fanfaronade which other new localities we
might indicate, have so Professionally INDUCED
in, the citizens of Sank Rapids have from the
beginning rcpuda,cd and avoided. We have
never said Sank Rapids was {" large place"
We have never yet descended to the idle folly
of calling it a city. We have never yet sought
to lure strangers within its precincts by fabulous
representations of its advantages. We leave
this sort OF putting to such as like it and think
it profitable. For our part we should despisc
it, if guilty of it ourselves, and we see no rea-
son why it should not be despised in others
So far as Sank Rapids is concerned we are
willing TO abide by the truth. If it has advan-
tages---and we believe it has---they will be
seen and appreciated by others without the aid
otpompous paragraphs and exaggerated eulogy.
Mr.. Newson assigns the want of lumber as
the reason why there are not greater number
OF buildings going up, more improvements Wis
lblc, and greater activity manifested. This is
very kind IN our contemporary-an he tells
the truth, whether he intends to do so or not.
1t has been impossible for our citizens 10 pro-
cure lumber except at exorbiiant prices. They
have taken the wise course, and postponed to
another season, what they designed doing this,
in hopes of change for the better in this re-
gard. We can safely say that fifty buildings
of one kind and another, would have been now
in progress of erection at this place, could
building material have been bought at any of
the mills at living prices
But Mr.. Newson was satisfied with the looks
of the land. He was pleased with the Sank
kaplds region: lie went out upon the line OF
the Great Railroad Survey, commencing at this
polill. lie PfonounCeS the country granu thrO
which the line passes. He takes up the advo-
cacy Of the route, as the Northern route, with
an earncslness and ability that greatly pleases
us. We overlook the expression of his honest
opinion that our town looked somewhat dull"
in consideration Of the good words he ut,ers for
Gov. Stevens Survey. And his proposition
for thorodgfare from Saint Louis River to
Sank Rapids to connect with that Survey, is
,oblp op, on1 IN accord,pco with Son,d ,,,ovc
and the best interests of Minnesota.
We hope to see our friend up here again one
of these days. If he will come, say in one
year from this date, we venture to say Sank
Rapids will make respectable appearance
both IN number OF Its buildings, and amount of
Its business; but whatever be its prosperity now,
then, or thereafter, we hope he will ever find it
in its pretcnsions, "modes, and unob.rusive. :"