Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-04-05

1 cannot tell how many home-seekers have low
ed these valleys, but the villages growing up
in so many of them, say that the number is not
insignificant
Leaving this bluff country, the next region
say sixty or seventy miles in width, is as beau
tiful and lovely as man need desire to live in
Farther back still are the prairies, as long and
broad and hoor-like as any one can wish-
| Queerly indeed must that soul be made which
could not love this second division of country
In it are no very high bluffs-no very deep ra.
vines, and no very large prairies. True, prai.
ries may be found, but they are small-just
large enough for small farms or large meadows
or pastures, and the country would not on this
account be Objectionable to the most inveterate
prairie.hater.
The soil is very much like that of this State,
or better than that of any part of Bradford
county, except perhaps the Susquehanna bot
toms. 1t is perhaps trife more sandy than
your river bottoms, but generally as strong and
productive.
Farming is yet in its infancy, and so it is
not fully known what grains are best suited for
the country. The principal crops raised last
Season-wheat, corn and potatoes-were very
good.
The climate is very much like that of Nor
thern Pennsylvania "a little colder in the
winter perhaps, but equally as pleasant and
agreeable the balance of the year. Occasion
ally in the mellow autumn time" the rising
sun opens the doors of Heaven and lets out
such delicious, soul-satisfying morning as
comes to no other country wherein have been.
Like all supremely good things, however, these
mornings are rare, and it is well that they arc
Many Eastern people coming to our State,
complain of scarcity of lumber, as if that
were the one thing needful )" but give our
citizens plenty of good water and We will man.
age to get along very well with a small quanti-
ty of lumber And herein is Minnesota more
than abuadantly blessed.
In nearly every place where you could have
wished, and in all manner of cozy, out-of-the-
way places where you would hardly have tho't
of looking, are to be found springs-not little,
puny, insignificant springs, which at the first
sign of warm day commence the child's play
of hide and SEEK" by hiding or stealing away
somewhere, or disappearing very mysteriously
and leaving you to seek for and yearn for them
Not such springs as these-forever away when
you most want them but springs true and
constant, from whose depths you may see the
clear, sparkling water come bubbling up very
merrily as though it were glad to get into this
world of ours ARd this same water leaves
" the place of its birth without any "sighs of
of regret" and starts out on its mission with
merry yet gentle song and just there is lit
tie creek-rery small may be, but still creek,
for all that and when you see it again, only
few miles away, You will see gravcliy-bot'
toned stream of the purest, best water, and it
will be enlivened by the sports of trout-plump
and sleek fellows, which you know, and every
body knows are capital eating. This abun-
dance of clear, sparkling spring water is not
confined to any one particular place ;-thereis
everywhere the same plenty, at least in this
second division of the country
Combined with this abundance of water,
there is great plenty of timber. Not such
very large, moss-covered, aged-looking timber
as you might expect to sec in country hereto
fore inhabited by Indians, but still very fair
sized timber and of good quality.
The game is such as is generally found in a
new country Hundreds of the finest kind of
Deer arc feeding upon the little bits of prairie
and in the groves "a few wolves are to be
found, but they are mostly of the small or
prairie kind ; occasionally bear is seen but
in this section they are very rare. Fifty miles
BILE Elk and seventy miles still farther on are
the Buffaloes
1t may be well enough to mention, in pass
ing, that the Indians are rarely ever seen with
in seventy or eighty miles of the river, as large
bodies of land have been set off by Govern
ment for their exclusive occupancy at distance
therefrom of about one hundred and twenty
miles
In reply to the question, concerning the IA
cilites for travelling, which will probably be
asked, will say that there are good wagon
roads all through this part of the territory
teams can be hired at nearly all of the villages
to drive almost anywhere within hundred
miles-for their own price, however. There
is daily line of stage running between Du-
buque (Iowa) and st. Paul. the Capitol OF the
Territory. The Railroad between these places
is certain thing, as the track is already graded
part of the way that there will be branches
from this to the river, at various points, no