Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-01-02
Sr.sPAuL, MINNESOTA TERRITORY, Nov. 1854.

the right bank of the Mississippi.s The dozhes
and spires look beautiful in the sun, while the
bells were ringing the time of service for the Sab
bath afternoon. A gentce appearing assemblage
greeted the boat as she neared the shore, and We
were in the far famed city of St. Paul, the CAPT
toll OF Minnesota Territory. The city is situated
on high table lands hundred feet above the riv-
er, with streets and avenues running parallel and
at right angles with the river. The buildings are
we'll built of brick, wood and stone, and in the
most 1oodern style Of architectural taste. Some
OF the principal hotels six story high, inclu-
ding the basement all finished and furnished in
manner that would rival many of those in east
ern cities. There are seven churches, three of
which are furnished with organs. The Baldwin
School is a commodious and wellendowed Insti-
tuition. The Capitol is substantial brick build
ing, three stories high, including a stone base
ment with four wings four Ionic columns front
the main buildings and support roof and large
dome. e.. - .5.l IL atni7 ,aaaTO
There are many beautiful residences on high
elevations in the rear of the town. The city il
supplied with four daily papers, good ma ket
and good water. 1t now contains about six thou
sand inhabitants, and it is estimated that forty
i've thousand passengers have arrived from steam
bouts during the present season, AMI have left, in
cessary expenses, $4,000, which has added to
the currency of the place.
No one can fail to be struck with the trcmcn-
dous strides the city has taken, and the extent
and variety of her so suddenly acquired possess
sions. 1t is growth of solid gathering, of in.
dustry and capital. The pulse of business beats
in fn!lDess in her veins. Everywhere there is
health, AMI the votaries of business find their en-
ergies and minds taxed to keep pace with the
rising metropolis of the North West But six
years in her infancy, yet there is scarcely paral-
lei to her career. She is only to keep onward and
upright to her high and brilliant destiny. In the
nature of things there must be at least three great
cities on the g Father of Waters,' to develop the
resources of the Valley of the Mississippi and its
tributaries, ST. Paul, the head of navigation ST.
Louis in the centre and New Orleans at the foot
st. Paul is surrounded with q soil of exhaustless
fertility which characterizes the whole Territory
The climate is bracing, the scenery delightful. and
the population intelligent and enterprising. Min
nesOta possesses external resources which destinc
her to rank among the first States of the Union
The whole territory is dotted with beautiful sheets
of water, around which might be found a cool Sc
qucstcred spot for cottage home. Here is found
in state of nature, the park, the pond, the lawn,
tho copse of wood, tho venerable and Sc aristo-
cratic oak, the fertile meadow and the boundless
pasture, grouped together in such manner that
the wealthy European might be proud to call it
| his own baronlcal estate.
After three days. sojourn in the city we passed
on our way to st. Anthony, nine miles farther up,
through the city gardens and nurseries and over
beautiful farming country. The land is being
held at from S4O to 500 per acre with but few
| improvements. The city of st Anthony contains
nearly 5000 inhabitants, and is closely built, cx-
tending nearly three miles along the river. 1t
contains several churches, an academy. three
| newspapers, and large Touring mill with six or
eight run of stones the city saw mills, with ten
saws constantly in motion several manufac
ing establishments, with a number of fine hotels,
stores and private dwelling.
A new and beautiful suspension bridge is near
ly completed above the falls, at cost of nearly
SIS, 1000, connecting st. Anthony with Mnneapo-
lis. The last named place is a small village of
800 inhabitants, on the opposite side of the river,
| and which year ago contained dozen of build
ings all told. Now it contains dozen stores,
two hotels, one church, with goodly number Of
mill. The river has q fall of IL feet perpendicu-
lar, or 60 feet to the bottom Of the rapids.
There are several springs of excellent water
gushing out of the rock just below the Falls. i'm
pregnated with iron, and other medicinal quail
ties.
After crossing the river We took a crcutous
route over an extensive prairie, to Fort Smelling,
"Mnne Tia Ha - or "Laughing Waters" which
precipitates itself sixty feet perpenlculary into
ravine near by the Mississippi. As we annroach
ed within two miles of the fort we first saw the A.
merican flag waving gloriously over the ramparts
as though gloriously protecting the North West
Nearing the fort we passed over the rich, extern
| sive military gardens, the military stables. dra
COON horses, cannon, armory and equipages. We
then passed out into the fort, which encoses sew
cral acres the walls built of dressed stone and
piquted. The officers and soldiers Quarters and
the magazine are commodious stone buildings.
neatly built and kept, with clean, gravelled walks
crossing at different angles the open area in front
OF them. The fort is substantially built on
high, commanding prOmOntory or point of land
between the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers
whence fine view may be had up the Minnesota
valley, over prairie and wood land, for 6fty miles
to the South West.
The pioneer settlers are exercising the souatter
sovereignty over the choicest lands in the terrific
ry. Already the villages of Shakopee. In Sem
Travers dcs Sioux, San Francisco and Mankato'
have begun to grow into respectable notice. on the
Minnesota river which is navigable ninety miles.
or to Mankato, at the great South Bend. The
soil is warm, very rich, and easily titled in this
valley, producing abundant crops of every kind
that can be raised in Pennsylvania, cxcept ncr-
haps peaches, grapes and some oher kinds of
fruit. The soil is generally black, sandy loan
with large mixture of lime and magnesis. which
are extremely fertilizing. This character of soil
gives it a warmth and genialitv which do not no.
long to the soil of the Northern and Eastern
States generally, and hence the farmer is abIc to
raise crops here which are prccarious in similar
ATTITUDES farther East. We noticed excellent crons
VI COTu, odtSS pOIotocS, wheat ana vegetables of
all kinds. Corn and oats will yield from GO to lO0
bushels per acre. Fields Of finer corn are not
seen in Indiana or Ohio than here. -
Frosts are some weeks later in making their an
pcarance here than they are in the New ENGLAND
States. The Indian summer is said to last here
for several weeks in autumn, and sometimes on;te
up to December, but when it disappears winter
sets in and holds on with tightening prasp nm.
til spring. 1t then suddenly breaks up, and veo.
citation springs forward with wonderful randity.
as it does in all Northern climates. -
In some parts of the country timber is scarce.
and the prairie extends many miles. Fuel and fen
cling can only be obtained at inconvcnient diston-
ces. Pine is found up the ST.. Croix, the Missis-
sippi, and Rum rivers, in vast quantities. and
foatcd down to different points on the Mssssppi.
and is worth from $l2 to $50 per 1000 feet
Provisions of all kinds are comparatively cheap !:
labor of all kinds is in great demand, and wages
from ST., to $3.50 per day. Horses and cattle
bring high price, and are all in fine order. Ma
ny of the pioneer settlers make it business to
pre-empt the lands by building a cabin or house.
plowing and building some fence, and then sell.
ling their claims for from $50 to $500. There is
much litigation growing out of the different claims
and matters are growing worse, and are frequent
ly referred to Washington for decision How
the time is not distant when these difficulties
will cease, and the rich planter from the South
will luxuriate in his summer residence, feasting
on the finest fish, caught just by his door and up
on wild game, the produce of his gun, with an APP
,4k.k ~1s1- L.