Minnesota weekly times., 1856-08-16
western r.t,m.,., n aud ua,,ne. -. !.

PieaSahi anu promising home III the West, /
will do well To give their attention 10 Southern |
Minnesota, which, for richness Of soil, healthy
ciimntc pure water, md good building matcri-
al, is not surpassed by any portion of New
England, and seldom equalled by any region
in the great West. 6- uss s.d ssaa l
% The following extract from, a letter, which
lately appeared in the New York Tribune,
gives an accurate idea Of Southern Minnesota
though, to be fully appreciated, this country
must DC seen, and when seen, the spontaneous
exclamation will be, "the half has not been
told" se' 's' .9 aifi Ff5e
Rochester, the shire town Of Olmstead
County, is situated on the south fork Of the
Iombro, "a corruption Of the French name
Dcs Ensbarrass, the bosom Of a great plain,
surrounded by high and pleasant hills which
overlook the whole valley, and which afford
some OF the finest views in = the erritory
Rochester is As miles west Of Winona. 35 miles
southwest Of Wabasha, on the Mississippi,
and possesses the best natural advantages for
becoming city. Of any place for which nature
has done SO much as for this. Besides the
SZombro, there are three creeks putting into it
at this point, which, with the river, affords
ample power for manufacturing purposes, for
all time to come. Two or three Of the mill.
sites have, natural tail-races, which will re-
quire little or no excavation. All these
streams are as clear as crystal, abound with
speckled trout, and run rapidly over rock and
pebble bottoms. The we'll and river water
there is nearly as soft as rain water. There
are six easy approaches to the village, through
as many valleys and in as many directions.
These are all fine prairie roads, leading
easterly to Winona, southeast to Decorah and
Dubuque, southwest 10 High Forest, west TO
Mankato, on the South Bend of the Minneso-
to river, northwest to Farribault. north to st.
Paul, and northeast to Red Wing and Wa
basha. The farm lands of Olmstead County,
and indeed of Southern Minnesota generally,
are acknowledged on all hands, to be as good
as any in the Northwest. While at Rochest-
er, we heard of yield Of fifty bushels of wheat
to the acre the past season. The settlement
has Just fairly commencedthere and, being on
the great thoroughfare from Debuque to St.
Paul, it is u very important point. The popu.
lation Of the village and immediate vicinity is
now about three hundred, and Immigrants are
constantly pouring in. -Four of their water
powers changed hands during the month of
last November, and two Of the parties purchas.
ing, Gone Boston Company,) contemplate
putting up a fouring-mili the present season.
We were told while there, that Courthouse
| would be erected this Spring, and 5000 to
100000 expended there during the next sea.
son in building mills, stores, hotels, dwellings,,
! etc.
| The land in this part of the Territory is not
yet in the market for spectators, but Will
probably be offered at public sale in June next.
Meantime it IS being rapidly taken up by ac-
tual settlers; principally from New York and
New England who are enterprising and in
telligent people. Southern Minnesota is ex-
ceedingly well watered, and much better tim
bered than Iowa. Although we passed over
wide spreading prairies, all along the route
| from Lansing to Rochester, we were at no
| time out of sight of timber. We saw plenty
of oak, bass, elm, ash, black walnut, butternut,
hickory, poplar, and cottonwood. Pine lum.
ber has to be hauled from the Mississippi.
We also saw an abundance of sand and lime
stone suitable for building purposes the sand.
stone is very easily faced, and makes fine
looking building. ha'!ai ano-2H sa 81 81.
l have lived, during the past six years, in a
| Hat prairie country, where there is nothing in
the distance but the horizon for the eve to rest
upon. The face of the country in Minnesota
| is very different, and, to my mind, far more
pleasing. Fine, high, rolling prairie relieves
the eye In every direction, and, being suffi-
GENTLY removed from the great northern lakes,
the atmosphere is dry, rare and bracing.-
Besides, the climate of the territory is recon-.
mended to consumptives by the first physicians
in the country. 'a3E ~
Immigrants going west cannot do better
than to settle in Minnesota, as the best of the
land is not yet9h market, and is, consequently,
out of the reach Of SPECTATORS. None but ac-
tual settlers can purchase these lands of gov
ernment, and they can now select timber, wa
ter, and prairie to their liking. Actual set
tiers, by simply filing in the Land Office
declaration of their intention to claim certain
quarter section each, can hold the same with
out paying for it until the land comes into
market, which may be one or two years hence.
One of our correspondents, a sedate, natter
of-fact-man, briefly expresses himself as fol-
"The position Of Rochester is central, in one
of the most beautiful prairie valleys The eve of
man ever beheld; high, smoothe, prairie.
bluffs surrounding the place at from one TO five
miles distance, giving most enchanting pros
pect. Valleys diverging from every turn, end
ing in most beautiful prairie valleys, which in
the distance, are headed by high bluffs, closing
the valley only by giving it turn in another
direction, as if to invite our curiosity to pro-
long our examination; but it is idle to wish to
see the whole of it, for there is still in the dis.
tance world of the same cast" aa' tieasea
Industrious and enterprising men have i'm,
proved their pecuniary condition by emigratiug
to Minnesota more in one years time than bv |
a score of years at hard toll in New England.
Others can now do likewise. There are
broad, rich acres still waiting to be occupied.
Farmers and mechanics, by industry and en-
terprise, cannot fail to secure, at cheap rate.
choice home, which will fill the rest Of their
days with gladness. aoas sdas in esesa. ! % !
The VoIcE OF HEsRr CLAY.-In 1850,
Henry Clay spoke the following words: .,a
But you cannot put your finger upon any |
part Of the Constitution which conveys the |
right or the power to carry slaves from one of |
the States OF the Union to any Territory of the
United States.w Nor, sir, can i admit for !
single moment, that there is any separate or |
distinct right upon the part of States or indi. |
vidua1 members Of the States. or anv portion Of |
the people Of the United States TO carry slaves
into territories, under the idea that those terri
torres are held in common between the several |
1ooD NEWS FROM PENNsYLyAN1A.-The editors |
OF the Norristown Herald, one an old-line Wing, |
the other nm American, havc come out for Fre-
mont and Dayton. The Erie Constitutionalist |
c'pners Up the prospects for the Republicans ia
H..