The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-07-12
TUESDAY MORNING, JULY s, 1856.
= Gross Libel upon St. Paul.

HicoIuih vi popular newspaper, we ma
a late number of the Philadelphia Ledger :
!, ST. PAUL's, MINNEsorA.-This village
situated on bluff on the east bank of tn
F Missouri, 400 miles above Dubuque, Iowa
1t is rough place, with an extensive collec
tlon OF rude wooden shops huddled 'togethe
chiefly in one thoroughlare, though they ex
tend two blocks in another, forming an L.
: AT the foot of the town extends a wild,
swamp, which at high water forms wha
they call sloo of the main river. The as
cent from the river is precipitous.. Nayiga
ton is troublesome in the usual dry sea
son for thirty miles below, and often fo
! much greater distance in late years thi
evil increases.
st. Pauls has some ouses of brick latel,
finished, and a few stone warehouses. The
bluff is full of springs. There are two goot
hotels, considering the rudeness of thu
place and the scantiness of the market
A great Geal of Philadelphia capital has
been sent there, by persons who meyer saw
the place, with discretion to invest in shay.
ing notes at four to six cents per month, and
IN specializing in lots at Chestnut street
prices.
These Investments will bear looking after
while they may yet be visible. A great
city there is talked of as some day sure, in
all the papers. But we were unable to SEE
the base of such hope. Nor could we fine
any one to give us one idea 20 Justify it, The
only reply is, j" We are 1T the head of navi
cation, and the Falls of St. Anthony must
always keep us So" But the Falls are
cheaply cannalled around through fiat prai-
rie, with steamboat locks and a trifling ex-
pensc will make the navigation to the Fal S
as good as it is now to st. Pauls, ten miles
below. At the Falls is water power OF
great prospective value in that flat country
and the river is nayigable for ninety miles
above, to a fine timber country. If town
of any manufacturing and commercial i'm
portance is to be sustained, it will not be at
st. Paups, where there is, not one thing to
Justify it, but at the Falls of St. Anthony
There is quite a town at this latter place
place, and the people confide in the future
Their prices for lots show fifteen years an
| ticipation Of bills to mature ahead, while at
st. Pauls it struck us that sixty days after
doomsday would not honor the bills they
discount upon futurity, We hooked in at
every shop there on fine sunny Saturday
afternoon in Day, and we found no business
doing. We inquired of Philadelphian who
! had been year there with stock of mer-
chandize. His story is one Of sorrow and
disappointment. Great fuss and no sales.
For ru e she'll of shop he pays ST. 200
per an!lum, and has. not reaiiZe-i any such
sum since he has been there. He offers to
sell out at heavy discount, but every one
else wants to do likewise.
st. Pau's is subject to frightfnl storms
with wicked looking lightning. The wind
always is fresh. The shops being of very
flimsy framework, fire would almost GER
| tainly sweep the whole away. This would
make a consumption of merchandise, which
else will be sufficient for many years. wants
of the small settlement it commands.
1t is unfortunate for place like St. Paul's
to be SO be-puffcd, that writer is necessari-
ly greatly disappointed.
But reliance seems to be placed in people
of capital, who will not endure the long ,voy-
age to look for themselves; but who get ex.
cited by florid representations, and who con.
stitutionally think luck and happiness, like
heaven, must be away off somewhere, any
place but at home. A deal of money has
been sent there by such people, and deal OF
merchandise, and we hope they are good at
whistling.
The whole country, for ten miles, out to
the Falls of St. Anthony, has been laid out
| in city lots, and out lots of five acres. The
few farms are neglected, and $500 per acre
| is the asking figure. The general feature is
dead fat. The soil is a black sandy loan,
like the whole western prairie lands. Tim
Der is scarce, and before You get piece of
land fenced and fit for home, you will find
| its cost to exceed what would purchase, out
and out, ready made farm home in Penn
| sylvania, where you would make double the
money, with less toll and an immeasurable
deal more of comfort and happiness.
| 1t is true that the soil of the Minnesota
prairies needs no manure for marry years
but simply an underwriting of clover every
few years. This may seem to make great
saving of labor and expense; but there are
drawbacks more than equivalent. Labor is
farming to ones own ability to work. Sick
In these fiat, undrained lands every rain spell
must have extra time to fit the ground for
| agricultural dressing. Early and late frosts
make destruction, and winter grain cannot
be raised. Spring wheat onlyis raised, which
! is inferior. Insects of every kind are innu-
merable, andnothing is so scarce as insectiv-
erOuS DlFaS.
Winter is long and dreary season, and
| fuel is so dear and houses SO leaky, that the
suffering, which cannot be escaped, leaves
its mark upon the constitution. Add to this
the vast distance from market, and to our
view the counterbalan,e is vastly against st.
Paups and its surroundings, in Minnesota
Territory. - '>,.~ i 80. ANTHRAX.
St. Paul is too we'll content with herself
and too prosperous in all her business de-
partments, to not heartily laugh at the folly
of the fool, who has only injured himself by
perpetrating SO contemplate string Of lying
and malicious SANDERS as are embodied in
the above. Mr.. Silver, the author-we have
spotted" the libeller-came here few
weeks ago, expecting no doubt, to buy "St.
Paul's" situated on the missouri river y
for about $4O0 as his highest figure. He
was, of course, egregiously disappointed, and
the simpIeton ilnagines he has taken full re-
venge by bold drive at wholesale slander,
against people upon whom he could not
succeed in playing the part of a highway.
man. =.
But we presume it is not necessary thai
we should do more than spread his falsehoodl
before our readers. The enormity of tn,
poisonous slander he has perpetrated upon .
prosperous and enterprising. young city-'