Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-01-19

For the SPY.
Movements in Minnesota.
FARIBAuEr, Ries County, M. T.,
D.. - No. ~

Mass. the 10th of last July, and. in meander-
ing about the 4" Far West have seen and
admired much of the States OF Ohio, Mich.
| igan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and
the Territory OF Minnesota each of them
rich enough in soil, and other, natural re-
sources, and broad enough in countless acres,
to become nindependent empire Of itself.
On my route l had the good fortune to
| happen along "just III time to attend the
| Annual State Agricultural Fairs. of Ohio, at
the capital Of the State, the beautiful and
| growing city of Columbus Michigan,
at the old, but recently REFRIGERATED city of
| petrolf,-- and of Illinois. at the young. but
already great, rapidly expanding, and truly
wonderful city of Chicago Such thrbngs Of
! sober, we'll dressed, orderly, and apparently
| happy people men, women and children,
- never before witnessed on such OCCASIONS
| They all seemed to be proud, as well they
might be, of these great agricultural, hort.
| cultural, mineral, and mechanical ex ambitions,
exponential as they were, of the wonderful
! fertility, boundless productiyeness, industry
skill, wealth, and prosperity, of their respec-
tive States.
OF all the States, and especially of all the
| prairie States and Territories, that have vet
seen, Iowa and Minnesota, an their combined
advantages, OF geographical position, richness
OF SOL, present and prospective healthlness,
and rapidly increasing population, are, in my
| opinion, for those seeking homes in the I" Far
| West, by farthe most beautiful, eligible, and
inviting. Of these two extensive, beautiful,
| and fertile regions. Minnesota is, haps, at
| present the more attractive, as her public
lands, during the past year, have been, and
during the coming season will he, rapidly ta-
ken up and g pre- empted" by actual settlers,
| while those of Iowa have been, are now, aud
NsI4l nNt fms, r..
tTy.' on speculat on, by non resident capital
lists In Minnesota, no lands south or west
OF st. Paul, can lie obtained. except by '',pre-
empton," one element OF which is personal
occuPttaoa, aud no one can obtain, then, as a
pre- emptlon, more than quarter section, or
one hundred aud sixty acres, while, iii Iowa,
| ana other prairie States, where the public
lands have been offered, but, not boughtia at
| auction, or r'public sale,' and consequently
are subject to "private entry at the MINI
mum price of S % per acre. any person can,
and many do take u, not onlyone hundred
and sixty, but many thousand acres, and
| hold them for higher prices, without residing
upon or improving them, and thus greatly
retard the settlement and prosperity OF the
State.
| The postponement of the public land sale
| III Minnesota, last Autumn was a gMeat bless
,
| should continue for year or more, as it prob
ably will, it will have resident for nearly
every " quarter section in it, while Iowa in
many OF its organized counties, will not have
| Oh the average. one to every section $50 that
| Minnesota Will, as Territory, have the ben
| etitof schools, churches, and other advan-
| tages of well settled townships, even before
Iowa can, as generally, possess and enjoy
| them as State.
Under the pre- emptonary statutes of the
| United. States, any head of family, any
male person over twenty one years, and any
wldow,--if citizen of the United States, can
select, claim, occupy, and purchase, as a pre-.
emptive right, one hundred and sixty acres of
the Minnesota lands, at 81 % per acre, and,
when thus claimed, occupied, and pre- emp
ted, 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 by non-resi.
dents, viz: from So to $50 per acre. Many.
Of these claims are sold, even before they are
pre-empted,'' for from 5000 to $4,000, so
that the right to purchase leo acres at 81 %
per acre, is, many times, very valuable one.
Whoever ayails himself aor herself of, it, in
Minnesota in compliance with the statute,
can ,notyery well fail either to find easant
and healthy home, or to make a profitable in
yestment
The tide Of emigration to Iowa and Minne-
sofa, during the last year, was high and broad,
and will, in all probability, be still more so
during the ensuing season. Minnesota will
soon have, and probably has nearly. already,
the " GO, 600 inhabitants necessary 10 entitle
her TO a Stateship in the Union but, ii
wise, she VIII not apply for It, until her good
Old "Uncle SAM shall have paid her terri.
torial expenses for a few years longer. Some,
political aspirante are doubtless anxious for
speedy change from Territorial to State
government, but the people seem disposed to
remain as they are, and thus "let well enough
alonel"
This place, Faribault, pronounced q Fari.
boo, is at the junction of Cannon and
Straight Rivers, sixty miles south of St.
Pauls, and one hundred and ten west of Wi
nona on the Mississippi River, and takes its
naaea from Mr.. Alexander Faribault, who is
now resident, and has been for many years
an 9 lndan trader" at this point--a 81 half.
breed hearing equal portions Of French and
Indian blood in his yeins-has an Indian lady
for vile, aud large family of brunetttsh,
but fine looking children--s part owner OF
the :" Town Plat" and gentleman, extern
slvely known for his intelligence. enterprise,
wealth, and high respeetability. Last spring,
there were only four or five houses on the
" Town Plot" while noe there are some thir-
ty or forty--sx or eight stores-one grog-
shop, (but destined soon to be knocked in the
head)zone hotel, two blacksmith's shops, a
cabinet shop, livery stable, school. house.
well filed with children, a SASH door, and
blind factory, boot and shoe manufactory
and, running night and day,oae stationary aud
three portable steam saw-mtls and several
other mechanical establishments. More than
one hundred houses viii probably go up here
next sea ion, as lumber will then be obtaina.
BILE and lower-being now scarce at 500 per
1000 tt.-and fill that number Of town lots
has been sold on condition of being built up
on next spling and summer. A public ha /,
for religious and other purposes, and two or
three additional hotels, will be among the
early and much needed structures of next
| spring.
Farbault, although less than one year old,
! is the County seat of Rice County, and is
even now the largest settlement within cir
! Gle around ii of sixty miles diameter and pos.
sesses the peculiar and combined advantages
Of wood. timber, water. water. power, prairie,
stone .quarries, brick and other clays, lime,
and other building materials, at convenient
points around it. The railroad from St. Paul
TO Dubuque, in Iowa, chartered aud partly
surveyed, will probably pass through tbs
point, or it cen thus, and thus only. run along
the high level prairies between the head wa.
tiers Of numerous rivers and streams, and be-
tween, and through two OF the longest, wild
est, aud heaviest bodies Of timber land in all
Southern Minnesota.
The settlers Of this region are principally
| New Englautlers or their descendants aud