The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-09-26
Territorial yf0l(crS.

1t is stated that a contract has been made BY the city OF
New York to keep that port free from ice during the
winter. 1t is now time to do something to have Lake
pepin open as long as navigation continues good on the
Mississippi, and to open it again in the spring when the
ice leaves the river. When the thirty or forty boats
were living at the foot of this Lake last spring, two or
three weeks, loaded with valuable freight, there was
some talk of preventing another like detention by hav-
ing the Lake hereafter opened early. The loss then In
CURED would have paid for such labor ten times over.
There should be some concert of action either on the
part of the shipping interest or the States interested, to
have it attended to in season. We have not heard a
word, however, since the boats commenced running, and
may not again, for aught we see, until this Territory is
losing thousands Of doll us daily, and the citizens are
again feeling much anxiety on account of the same
impeachment to navigation.
The weather has undergone quite a change since our
last issue. Last week there was a cold rain storm tor
several days it afterwards cleared up quite cool, and
slight touches of frost were felt on the goth and
21st inst. . We have not heard Of but triAing damage
being done to vegetation but corn and vines in some
low places must have been somewhat injured. as a
general thing the corn is safe from injury, being fully
ripe, except in some few spots. We have heard no
serious complaint. o yet, and believe the yield of corn
will be on . par with the large crops already harvested;
At present We are enjoying delightful weathcr-as mild
and pleasant az early June.
The river this summer has been uninterruptcdly nav
ieable several times as the captains of the boats were
expressing their anxiety, opportane showers brought
them relief. So far as this part of the Mississippi is
concerned, there has been no excuse for charging high
rates of freight. The late heavy rains are beneficial to
raftsmen, as they can float their logs down to market.
A paper in Pennsylvania says that a gentleman from
Minnesota stated that snow fell last winter, at st. Cloud,
to the depth Of seveny fret! It's we'll he told his story
strong, while about it if other Interpretations only
bore their own comment, as this does, there would be
less credulity exhibited by our East I'm friends. In reply
to the above, the we'll known Mrs. Swisshelm writes that
there was not overthree feet there at any one time last
winter. The usual depth is about one foot:
To farmers, this matter Of snow is regarded with sat
isfactiop, as being a beneficial protector of the ground
from the severe cold weather Of our winters. 1t is in
dispensable, also, to the lumberman, without which their
logs cannot be hauled. The complaint is of too little
rather than too much snow, especially in the northern
part of the Territory.
There are at present forty three weekly, and four
daily papers published in Minnesota. OF these eighteen
are Republican, fourteen Democratic, and twelve indc-
pendent. More than half of them were started within
the last year. Our citizens are a reading class, and love
to patronize and encourage the printer. We believe
more than half our readers take from three to FIVE diff.
ferent newspapers-always one Of them from the East
We do not know, but should Judge that at least foul
thousand N. Y. Tr1u"es circulate in the Territory.
The stone piers Of the new bridge to cross the Mis-
~sissippi, at St. Paul, are nearly finished.
Pearl fishing has turned out to be . great humbug-
most all Of tho pearls being worthless stuff, both in this
= Territory and elsewhere.