The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-10-04


vestmcht and settiementsT AsSsoop>a Is the
country west is settled, the trade and travel
through this town will be immense. Carver
has lately, we understand, by act of the
County eqmniSion become the county
seat of Carver county.
At eight o'clock we were again on our
march towards the West and expected to
reach Glencoe that evening. We here enter
ed the Big woods most dense forest OF
oak, maple, lynn hickory. elm, ash, and
many other varieties. The road had been
cut out but few months, and was necees sSaa
rily pretty rough, but was much better than N
under the circumstances one would suppose.
Col. Stevens, Martin Mcleod and Mr.. May
all travelled over the route about year
since when there was no road and scare ely a
claim taken now it is pretty hard to find a
vacant one on the road between Carver and
Glencoe. Many of the settlers whom we
Intercepted as to the length Of time they
had resided there, were found to be from
six weeks to ten months, and the many
fields Of waving corn and potatoes spoke
we'll for the industry of the inhabitants and
the capacity of the soil. There is large
portion of emigrants who prefer the timber
to the prairie country, especially those
whose capital is incmvcniently limited. 1t
.
is said that man with his axe and grabbing
hoe will clear away and cultivate from six to
eight acres Of this timber land in one season
without tho use Of a plough or team.
There are great number of small meadows
throughout these woods, SO many as to be
on almost every quarter section, that viii
furnish an abundance of hay.
In the neighborhood of Carver: and for
many miles on our journey, the settlers are
all Germans Glencoe we come to the
Yankees and the points along tie route are
known as the "Six-mile Dutahman," the
" Eight-lliile Dutchman," &C., according to
the distance they happen to be from Carver.
Somewhere near the " Four-mile Dutch
MANS" where our train stopped to waters
we got out and walked few miles ahead,
and often met ONE Of the honest yeomanry
of the forest, but any attempt to converse
with them was stopped by the expressive
though unsatisfactory /" Mich for steigh." AZ
ter half anihour's walking, we met a young
German who, with an anxious countenance,
propounded certain inquiries in his native
tongue bat as we, could only answer,
|" Mich jt5r stfayh,," we both smiled-not as
some of our rea,lers occasionally do but ma
turall y ami like a Christian; had we wish
ed to smile otherwise, we must have swat
ed for the wagon.n We were at one time
quite startled at the appearance, a few rods
distant through the brush, of moving fig
ure about eight feet high, resembling a giant
in Turkish costume. On rear inspection
our fears vanished at beholding a Dutch
woman with an enormous squash upon her
head. Further On we encountered an Irish
man, who asked us more questions concern
ing our destination and business than any
Vermonter could think Of When he met
the teams, he eagerly inquired if they had a
printing office with them, for he had seen
the prainter " a little ways ahead. How
he OWNED our acquaintaneeshp with the
/" art preseryative Twas beyond comprehen-
sion. usJr
/, Along the road we frequently crossed
small creeks, but as a general thing they
were dry, and once in while lake the
largest of which is called Tiger lake, about
eighteen miles from Carver About the midi
die of the afternoon the appearance of the
heavens betokened the approach of a fearful
storN, for the clouds in the northwest were
as black as the soil beneath our feet And
1t soon came, but not till we had come to
partial shclter:at the clearing of neighbor-
ing set Ter, whose small shanty, with bark
roof, was but a. feeble protection from the
impetuous torrent. But such as it was we
occupied it for about two hours (; and it was
fortunate that we did, for the trees were
FRUSTRATED around us in every direction
even the oak, the monarch of the forest, was
unable to stand up before the fierce tempest.
1t was nearly night when we again got under
way, and the numerous trees WHICH had
fallen across our, path, and the approaching
rain and darkness rendered it almost impos-
sible to "crow" that night, for we did not
believe in doing it till we "got out Of the
woods" We were still eight miles from
Glencoe at seven O'Clock, when we were
compelled to stop for the night at the cabin
Of young man by the name of Wallace.
The cabin had neither foor,. stove or Chin
ney, but an apology Tor a iire-p ce and a
good roof. Its proprietor lives here all alone,
is scarce twenty years Of age, and although
he had been here but few weeks, had made
considerable improvement. We found him
busily engaged making oak shingles which
he finds ready market for in Glencoe, at a
good price. In addition to our own provi
sions, We here got some potatoes and green
corn, SO that we made a pretty good supper.
We were obliged tolstow ourselves away as
best We could on the damp ground for the
night, in our wet clothes, which came pretty
hard on some of the party who had not been
used to this mode of sleeping. lotoo1 atE
The next m ,rning we we're in mot on
O q, f-- (. .t4-