The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-09-01

ATrip = Midnesesa.f -
aSimon," st. louis genius d la Doe
stick, has been & way up to Minnesota ana
his many observations have beer communi-
Gated to the Republican Of That city, which
1t makes no difference to ahy one but our
selves low we got to Galena. 1t is enough
to say that we did get there, tired and very
thirsty, heads full Of cinders and disgust for
Bloomington, Our trip up the river, too
that, is nobody's business. We resolved,
however, to advise the travelling public, when
they are forced to take passage on stern.
wheeler to select state-rooms on the side
where the pantry is not. We were green on
the stern-wheeler question and didn't know
that on the two foot guard upon which our
state-rooms opened, the cabin boys and
cooks washed dishes, chopped hash with two
knives, to the tune of Jordan is hard
road to travel" fixed UP apple sauce, black
guarded each other and the chambermaid,
and whistled necessarily. We are better
1 posted now. The old hands told us stern
wheeler had great advantage over a side
wheel boat, in this, that one doesn't have
to climb over the wheel-house to get to the
afterguards. We didn't see the force of this
item, but concluded that it must have some
reference to the navigation of the boat.
| On the way we made many enquiries and
got much information, statistical, political
and piscatory, concerning the place at which
we had determined to stop. One intelligent
gentleman, who had taken passage on the
first story of the boat, was particularly OBJ
liging in stating facts. He lived near our
place and knew all about it. We were as
tonished to hear that its population was five
thousand; we had not expected to find it SO
large town, and when we got there and
saw that there were only fourteen houses,
and twenty shantics, in the city, we came to
ings to the number of families was rather
small.
The same gentleman obliged us SO far as
to communicate other facts. The grouse
were plenty, he said. He never shot any,
hoe. The largest number that he ever cot
at one blow was five. He told us, also, that
the brook in which we intended to fish was
so crooked that it could not run at night-it
needed daylight to find its way. This ap-
peared to be singular fact, and were sorry
that we had no opportunity of verifying it.
We only saw the stream by daylight, and
then it was running rapidly. We thought it
was probably obliged to make good time by
day, as it had to lay by every night.
We landed at our town about o'clock,
AM Our first impressions of it were not
pleasant. 1t rained too hard for comfort, but
then it lightened enough to show us how to
get out of the mud puddles which we f1oun-
dercd into occasionally. There would be no
occasion for gas in that city, if the lightning
would only keep doing SO. at our hotel we
obtained a very spacious rOom 1t was not
particularly water-tight, but there were some
eighteen beds thcre-all but three occupied.
Among the sleepcrs were six or seven musi-
clans, who played upon the Nasal trumpet
quite agreeably. / got into bed quick, but
d. hunted for pillow; at last he found one,
between two beds. He stopped down and
picked it up; as he did, heard something
90 Mump ON the floor, and | saw mans
head rise up from the spot where the pillow
had been; the man didn't seem glad to see
D.; in fact, lie made some very emphatic
observations on the subject Of being disturb
ed in his sleep.
After breakfast, we took conveyance to
the country. 1t was a new sort of vehicle
to us. 1t had four wheels, two in front and
two behind pole ran between the front
and hind wheels; over this pole was laid
long plank; we sat on the plank, our faces
at right angles to tie horses, and our legs
hanging down. 1t is very easy going
concern, and if Case & Co, would put few
like that on their line, they would soon SUI
percede the omnibi. 1t might be necessary
to have umbrellas fixed in the plank, to make
the carriage suitable for rainy weather.
On our way we stopped at a presumption
mansion. 1t was one story high, and built
of No. boards. The expense of windows
was saved by the ingenious contrivance of
putting the boards two OF three inches apart
This space is sufficient for both light and
ventilation. The mansion had flat hay
roof. The gentleman of the house, in reply
to our inquiries as to how it shed rain, was
kind enough to inform us, that in Minnesota
it never rains, except at night and that the
showers are never of longer duration than
one hour; that his roof would hold water
until the shower is over, and then, when it
commences raining inside of the house, his
wife and children get under the umbrella and
he goes out doors. In that way they keep
dry and comfortable.
When we got to the brook, we fixed up
our rods, and tried the trout with our flies
It's too new a country for flies. The trout
are not educated up to that point yet More
over, the weeds are higher than your head
and between hanging your hook in throwing
! it, and the care necessary to avoid stepping
OH rattle-snakes, it is not easy to use your
fly.
About dark we changed our bait, and
caught some fish, some whoppers. landed
two-pounder, who broke my hook, and
commenced a series of ground and lofty
tumbles towards the brook Determined to
save him, jumped into the stream, the wa
ter appearing to be about foot deep, and
went up to my neck. l felt somewhat as
tonished, and allowed my fish to give me the
slip. AS the temperature of the water was
forty degrees Fahrenheit, soon recovered
GOODNESS enough to scramble out. Here
made memorandum of the fact, that swear
ing is very good institution to warm one
up, when accidentally chilled.
After few days glorious sport, we re-
turned to the Mississippi On our way, d.,
who has an inquiring turn of mind, asked
the driver if the miles in that country were
not long2 The driver requested him to
look at the road and observe that it was