Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-03-15

o. tneSaylng~-~tn s - graf CofntrEN-e new
Eng!, AIDE. 1s on, only e ' GUY zs 81 I.
fast July, and in ss1GndsI6g skoas the sFars|
West,' have seen and admired much of'the States
of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Iowa and the Territory of Minnesota; each of
them rich enough in soil and other natural re-
sousaas,- and bread enosgh IN coaasiess sores, 70
become an independent empire of itself.
On nv route, had the good fortune to happen
along sjust in time to- attend tho Annual State
Agricultural Fair Of Ohio, at the capital of the
State, the beautifui and growing city Of Coium-
bus; Of Michigan, at the old, hut recently rsju-
venated city of Detroit; and of Illinois, ut the
truly Wonderful city of Chicagol Such throngs
of sober, wel-dressed, orderly, and apparently
happy people-men, women and children, never
before witnessed on such occasions. They all
seemed to be proud, as we'll they might be, OF
these great agricultural, horticultural, mineral
were, of the wonderful fertility, boundless pro-
ductiveness, industry, skill, wealth and prosperity
of their respective States. <
OF all the States, and especially of all the prai.
RE States and Territories that have yet seen,
Iowa and Minnesota, in their combined advanta.
ges, of geographical position, richness Of soil,
present and prospective healthiness and rapidly
those seeking homes in the Far West,' by far the
most beautiful, eligible and inviting. Of these
two extensive, beautiful and fertile regions, Min
nesOta is Perhaps ut present the most attractive,
as her public lands during the past year, have
been, and during the coming season will be, rap
idly taken up and pre- tempted by actual settlers,
while those Of Iowa have been, are now, and will
continue to be, taken up at private entry, on spe-
culation, by nonresident capitalists. In Mime
sofa, no lards south or west Of st. Paul, can be
obtained, except bv re-emption,' one element
of which is personal occupation, and no one can
obtain then, as presumption, more than quar-
ter section, one hundred and sixty acres, while
in Iowa and other prairie States, where the public
lands have been offered, but not bought at auc-
ton, or public SALE and consequently are sub
iect to sprva.e entry at the minimum price of
ST. p per acre, ANY person CAM and MANY do take
up, not only one hundred AMI sixty, but many
thousand acres, and hold them for higher prices,
without residing upon or improving them, ana
thus greatly retard the settlement and prosperity
of the State. .. f
The postponemcnt of the public land sale in
Minnesota, last Autumn, was great blessing to
the Territory, and, il the posrpon"rnent should
continue for year or more, as tt~pr0baby Will,
it will have q resident for nearly every quarter
section IN it, while Iowa in many of its organ
lied counties, will not have on the average one to
every section so that Minnesota will,a Ter
ritorv have the bennett of schools, churches and
other advantages of well settled townships, even
before Iowa can, as generally, possess and en-
Joy them as a State.
Under the prc-emptiOnary statutes of the Z. S.,
any head of a fam amy male person over
twenty-onc years,--and any widow,-if citizen
of the United States, can select, claim, occupy
and purchase, as a pre- cmptive right, one hun
dred and sixty acres Of the Minnesota lands, at
ST. q per acre and when thus claimed, occupied
and pre- empted they will be worth as much as
those lands in Iowa usually are, that have been
taken up and held some five or ten years bv nom
residents, viz: So to $40 per acre. Many of these
claims are sold, even before they are pre-cmpted,
for from $500 to So ,0o0 SO tn 1t the right to pun
chase 100 acres at 81 % per acre, is many times
u very valuable one.
Whoever avais himself or herself Of it in Min
ncsota, in compliance with the statute, cannot
very well fail either to find pleasant AMI heal
thy home or to make Il profitable Investment.
The tide of emigration to Iowa and Minnesota,
during the Inst year was hi h an. broad, ind will,
in all probability, he still more so, during the
ensuing season. Minnesota will SOoni have, and
prob blv has nearly, already, the 100000 in
habitants necessary to cnttic her to Stateship
in the Union: but If wise she will not apply for
it, until her COOL Old 'Uncl, Sam' shall have
pail her Territorial expenses for few years
longer. Some pOlit cal aspirants doubtless
anxious for speedy chnnga from Territorial
to a State government, but the people seem dis
posed to remain as they are, and thus Set well
enouch alonen
This place. Farribault, pronounced Fariboo,
is at the junction of Cannon and Straight rivers,
sixty miles south of st. Paul, and one hundred
and ten west of Winona, on the Mi>siss ppi river,
and takes its name from Mr.. Alexander Farri
baut, who is now resident, and has been for
many years Indian Trader at this point-a
'half breed'-tearing equal portions of French
and Indian blood in his veins-havins an Indian
lady for his wife, and large family of brune;t-
ish but fine looking ch!l;iren--is part owner of
the sTown Plat and gentleman, extensively
known for his intelligence, enterprise, wealth aud
high responsibility. Last spring there were only
four or five h,uscS on the Clown Plat while now
there arc some Thirty or fortv--sx eight
stores--one grog -shop. (hut destined soon TO be
k,ocke in the head) one hotel, two blacksmith
shops, a cabinet shop. livery stable, II school
house well filed with children, a sash, door, and
blind factory, boot and shoe mandatory, and,
running night and day, one stationary and three
portable steam saw mills and several other me-
chanical estabIis! ments. More than one hum
Dire houses will probably go up here next sp ing
as lumber will then be obtainabe lower--being
now scarce at $50 per 900 #. and full that
number of town lots has been sold on condition
of being built upon next spring and Summer. A
public hall for religious and other purposes, and
two or three additional hotels, will be among
the early and III Ich needed structures Of next
spring.
Farribault. although less than one year old, is
the County seat of Rice County, and is even now
the largest settlement within circuit of sixty
miles diameter, and possesses the peculiar and
combined advantages Of wood, timber, water,
water power, prairie, stone quarries, brick AMI
other clays, lime an other building materials, at
convenient points around it. The railroad from
St. Paul to Dubuque, in Iowa, chartered and
partly surveyed, will probably pass through this
point, and it can thus and thus only, run
along the high level praires between the
head waters of numerous rivers and streams, and
between and through two of the longest, widest
and heaviest bodies Of timber land in all Southern
Minnesota. -# --..
The settlers of this region are principally New
Englanders, or their descendants, and have cmi-
grated hither. only from the 'land Of the
PiIsrns:' but from New York, Ohio, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Illinois, and even Iowa! found
many here from our sWorcestcr county, and
rmong them Alessrs. Re;dell, Armsby. ID ,rling,
Leavens, Crump, Goodel, Putnam, Woodbury.,
Harlow, Cooper, and DIR. Charles Jewett, the
bold and mettesome old swar horse of temper
ance' who is not only still saive, but is still eff
fectively 'kicking' as usual ut the 'Rum Devil
wherever he goes. His numerous friends, q
mean the Doctors and not the Rum Devils) will
be glad that he and two of his adult sons, have
by presumption and purchase of pre-emptors,
secured here Gao acres--equa! to a full section
of this rich domain. 1t is part timber and part
prairie, but all as fine and beautiful land as the
sun ever shone upon, and with judicious manage
ment and culture that it will doubtless receive at
thei: hands, it will soon b. very valuable, and