The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-04-04
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The Boundaries of NIfIiiiesota. IS


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The Boundaries of nIiIiiiesota. is9d
In the article published in your paper 0
last week, an attempt was n1atie' To show from
tie map tkat' the State II Minnesota, Vi pr-
posed by Congress, witu the north aSsl sontl
bline, would in point of regularity ard com
pactness Of form possess q decided rsupeii-
ority over the State proposed to BE s.,rined
by an east and west division, as stelp IL over
asfarec majonty9df the States nnw TN. the
Uniol. Iris unnecessary to ep!e. ,ujF5ll aay
lepgthy discussion to prove tic Obvious i!nI
portance Of this geographical fact. We will
only say, by way at once OF isfuktrstion and
bargument, that the sauie convenience and
economy which would render it desirable
that a farm should liesin a compact torin,
Sonpaathsss Ys 81 SAFE II. tss, iss 5 geo. q
graphical fact is established, and any mar,
who doubts it can refer to the map for HIM
self, were no other reasons to be offered in
behalf of the north and south line, this alone
would be sufficient to demonstrate its supe-
riority in the absence of other prevailing
considerations. We might stop here and ask
the friends of different line to produce
those considerations, and if they failed to do
so the balance would be against them. But
waiving the advantage and all logical rights
let us endeavOr to asc rtain as near as may
be, what kind of State an east and west di-
vision would give us. The eastern portion
lying between the Mississippi and Big Sioux
rivers has been thoroughly explored under
the authority of the United States govern
&c o1c H.
large portion of that tract of country has
been tested by actual settlement and i'm
proyement. No citation of authorities is
needed to show that so far as agricultural
capacity is concerned it is superior to any
other equal extent of territory within the
limits of Minnesota. While the prairie pre-
dominates there is tolerable supply both of
wood and water, except west of the Blue
Earth river, beyond which, according to the
report OF travellers and the field notes of the
Mendoza and Big Sioux road, open prairie
prevails to the almost entire exclusion of
timber We are not aware that any official
exploration Of the country between the Big
Sioux and Missouri rivers has been made
The researches of Nicollet, Capt. Pope and
Robert Dale Owen, were entirely confined
I to the section lying to the north and east
Our only sources of information are the ac-
counts given by travellers who have passed
across the country or up the Missouri,
and by hunters and Indian traders. The
information is meagre but if it be objected
to on that account, the only question is
whether We had better act by such light as
we have, or because that light is dim and
imperfect, utterly refuse it's assistance g.
Sunlight is better than moonlight, but moon
light is better than darkness. SO far as we
have been able to ascertain, all accounts
agree in representing the region between
the Big Sioux and the Missouri, to he very
poorly supplied with water and wood. AS
usual, the margins Of the rivers are skirted
with narrow fringcs of timber, while the
balance of the country is prairie without the
lakes which mark the prairie of many other
portions of the Territory. So far as can be
gathered from the narrative of the United
States expedition and the harmonious testi-
mony of travellers, the valley of the Mssou-
ri is SO sandy as to be almost worthless, and
the section adjacent both on the Nebraska
and Minnesota side is of similar character
On the Nebraska side the "Mauvaise Terre,"
or bad Lands" are situated, and it would
seem that they extend from the Black Hills
on the west to or near the base of the
"Coteau des Praires," or "Prairie Hills" on
the east side Of the Missouri. We have
been informed by gentleman Of intelli-
gcnce and ability now living on the Mime
sofa river who has resided upon the Big
Sioux three years, and has been at great
pains, by personal survey and travel as well
as by inquiry to collect information on this
. IL A. a..
OF the Big Sioux is extremely broken, that
there is a remarkable scarcity of water and
timber amounting almost to desttution, that
the valleys of tie Big Sioux and James riv-
es and the highest lands upon the elevated
p!ateaus possess rich and fertile soil, while
the slopes and the balance of the country
generally, produce short, stunted bunch
grass three or four inches high, the surface
of the g round being covered with what he
describes as broken slate. After residence
of nearly thirty years in the territory, and
extensive travels over the greater part of it,
the same gentleman gives it as his opinion
that the tract lying between the Big Sioux
and the Missouri is the poorest part Of
Minnesota without exception.
To speak Of the commercial advantages of
the East and West line State, we should
have on the East the navigation of the Miss
issippi, on the West the uncertain, difficult
and dangerous navigation Of the Missouri,
and the limited navigation of the Minneso-
ia, Big Sioux and James rivers in the interior.
Except at St. Anthony and St. Croix
Falls, we find generally admitted and re-
gretted deficiency of water power in the
southern part of the Territory. We have,
then, upon the whole, by an East and West
division, State embracing within it's boun-
daries the finest agricultural portion of the
Territory upon the East, and on the West
the poorest. We have the navigation of the
Mississippi, of which it is unnecessary to
speak, as everybody knows it to be of very
great value. If we can believe accounts, the
Missouri, Big Sioux and James rivers flow
through region which furnishes no mate
rials for an extensive commerce, even if the
rivers themselves were adapted to it. We
are not aware that any other resources than
those enumerated, are claimed for the East
and West line State. To repeat the ques-
ton with which we set out, what kind of a
state does that line give us The answer
must be, an almost exclusively agricultural
State. 't5 s .s
Now let us inquire, on the other hand,
what kind of state the North and Southline
would give us. 1t will be recollected that
the southern part of this line, as proposed
by the Enabling Act of Congress, runs a
few miles East of the general course of the
Rio Siouy river So that II ernhracas tho