The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-01-03


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Drsrers, Dec. Is, 1855.
Having recently made atoar Of observation
through parts Of Northern lowe and Southern
Minnesota, bad thought that some comments
On tie general appearance Of the country, and
ASof its towns, although from stranger,
might Be acceptable 70 yosr numerous readers.
Some few weeks since. in company with q
friend. stepped On board . Mississippi steam
o. ct Dunlsith, and for the first time had view
OF the "Father Of Waters" Afer prodigious-
~ enjoying the romantic sossery Of the river,
We dissmbarked at lansing. Allamakee CO.,
Iowa, Q distance Of one hundred and ten miles,
after ride Of ashissm mortal hours,
Lansing Is situated between almost per-
pendicslar bluffs, some three hundred feet
In height, ID said to contain Eve hundred in
habitants, and Is celebrated among other things,
Tor it fever and ague and it, miserable hotels
Notwithstanding. 1t is smart business place,
and although II has bat little room to spread
itssli. sppsas to be growing sosewhat.
From lansing we came by stage TO Deco
rah, Winneshcik Co, distance Of thirty-fve
miles- Here We found . right smart chance
Of . place." with two passable hotels, several
6ne stores, and . population Of about four hun
dred. Quarter acre lots, situated three fourths
Of mile from the business part Of the village.
ore here selling for from SIS to $l25 each =
The 6nt fifteen miles from lansing to Deco
rah lies between high and abrupt bluffs, very
little Of which d suitable for cultivation. The
balance Of the distance is nearly all high roll
ling prairie, and l should Judge. the best Of
grain land
Leaving DEBORAH, we Travelled in north
westerly direction u distance Of forty miles,
TO Csrimons, DIETER known as Pickett's,) the
county seat Of Fillmore county, Minnesota
This place is "yearling," situated on the
south fork Of Root river--has q fine water.
power, ION which there is already q saw-mill In
operation and Touring mill nearly completely
. large new hotel, well kept by a Mr.. SrRosd,
two stores, and population Of about 100
The material for printing Office is already on
the ground, and the Fillmore County Pioneer
edited by II. 9. BUTLER, Esq, late Of Beloit,
Wis.,, will soon make its appearance Carimona
is approached rom the north and south, by
roads leading down high and difficult hills,
which must always be exceedingly hard for
loaded teams. The approaches from the east
and west, through the river valley, are oil that
could be desired. The village site is broken
and uneven, and not at all to my liking yet
they have room to and viil make here thriving
and influential town. Carimona was the name
Of an old Indian chief.
All along the route hither, we observed
vast number Of what are bereabout termed
sink-holes" which are shaped like tunnel,
with very steep sides, and commonly have tim
Der growing in them. A few Of them are filed
with water, being kd by springs, with which
this region Of country sbounds Their depth
varies from FIVE to fifty iect, and those that are
dry are literally bottomless pits, as all surface
water running into them is Immediately lost to
view I am told that deer commonly rrsort to
these holes for shelter from the pelting storms
Of winter, and here fall an easy prey to sports
men. There are various conjectures as TO the
cause Of these Expressions, some thinking they
are caused by apertures in the rock, into which
the soil has fallen; and Others that they are
caused by the action Of springs among the
sands. The face Of the country where these
,ieprcssions abound 70 closely resembles that
about Galena and Mineral Point that many
suppose Il will prove to he q mining region
Leaving Csrimona, we kept on in North
westerly direction, over the Territorial Road
leading from Dubuque to St Paul, distance
Of thirty three miles, and stopped at place
called Rochester, the county seat Of Olmsted
county. This place is situated on the south
fork Of the Zambro, 70 corruption ofthe French
name Dss Embarras,) in the bosom Of grea,
plain, surfvosaed by high and pleasant hills
which overlook the whole valley, and which
afford some Of the finest views In the Territory
Rochester h hfty miles west Of Winons, thir
ty-ave southwest Of wabashaw, aud possesses
the best natural advantages for becoming Z
city Of any place We saw, either in Iowa OF
Minnesota. Indeed, ! never aw q place ioi
which Mature has done 80 much ~ for this
Besides the Zambro, there are three creeks put
ting into il at this point, which, with the river
afford ample power for manufacturing purposes
for sn time TO some. Two or three OF the mil
sites have natural taiLraces, which will require
little OF no excavation. All these streams an
q clear - crystal, abound with speckled trost
and run rapidly over rock and pebble bottoms
The well and river water there are 5early N
sot ~ rain water. There are SIX easy sp
psosehes TO the village, through - many val
isys and In - many directions. These are 81
aDe prairie roads, lssaing sssteriy to winosa
northwest to wabasAau and Red Wing, nortl
70 st. Paul, northwest 10 RaTibsnIt west Z,
Msnkaio, (the Great Bend Of TIE st. Peters,
southwest TO High Forest, and southeast u
Decoah sod Dsbuqoe. The farm lands o
Olnaead county, sod indeed Of Ainpsesot'
geosraIly, ere aekseslesiged % Ill hasds 10 b
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