New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-10-08
MINNESOTA.
A LETTER FROM MRS. JANE 6. SWISS


HELM.
Cons'ronetnee Of The N. y TIibus.
ST. CLOUD, Min Aug y, 1867.
The g1assboppers have lefs Northern Minnesota.
The last of them disappeared in July. The cora
and potato crops appear to have awaited themselves
Of the very first moment of their absence to set
about growing after fashion that would make
Pennsylvania farmer think something was gong 10
happen. The Sauk River empties into the Missis
sippi, about ten miles above st. Cloud. have
been twelve miles up the valley and found it about
as thckly inhabited as the back townships 10 Ale
ghepy County, Pa. The land has not yet been sur.
yeyed BY Government; but, as nearly az men can
calculate, there 10 claim sbsuty Oh every quarter
section. Some of them have three, and even four
~ the first claimant must build a house with
door and window, and may sell bis right to sec.
ond, who must also build house, and 50 on with
each successive purchaser. Some Of these claims
have brought ss high a. $1,000; some Of the
houses are not worth tEenty-nere huts, erected
BY claimants who do not live 10 them, and do not
intend ever to reside on the land, but, by some
hocus. pocus, hold the right to presmpt when it
comes into market. Ii is not considered dishOnor-
able for men to take claim, erect shsnty, visit
it occasionally, pre6mpt the land, and then eel 1t
for all il will bring. So far az / know, there are
but few men in any of the cities towns. matter
what their occupation, who have not preempted
lard or do not now hold a claim. Even our Honor
able men are no exceptions; and az We rode, We
were shown the claim. shanty of. the Hon. Mr.
Wait, the Republican Democratic representative
from Steans County to the Constitutional Conyen-
ton. 1t is something larger than W. packing
box, and large enough, certainly, TO contain Mr..
Welt should he ever conclude TO reside there,
which nobody supposes he has ever thought seriously
Of doing. He has already taken up and then sold
several claims, finding the operation profitable; but
the actual settler, who pays four or five times the
price of the land to one Of these enterprsng claim
Makers has but little to ad nire the state Of
morals which admits OF such q gross violation Of
the spirit of the presumption laws. Sometimes the
actual settler Jumps" such claims. e., disre-
CARDS the bogus claim, erects a shanty and settles
on it; but the process is attended with trouble, for
there 10 Claim Association which appears to favor
original claimants. The law does not define the
time man may be away from his residence, or the
time he must spend there in order to make il his
residence; if he does sometimes eat and sleep 10
his shanty, and complies with all the other require
ments of the law, he keeps the claim, and those
who would reside UPON and till its fruitful acres
pay him for the privilege or go further.
Ibe Sauk Valley for forty miles, 10 SAID 10 ne
held by claimants, principally actual settlers; and
here the g1asshoppers We're not nearly 50 destruc-
ovs as on the east side Of the Mississippi; 90 taas
the loyeliest country have ever seen is thckly
dotted with little houses snd superb potato sud ccrn
fields. When We passed, there had been three
weeks drouib; yet never saw corn and potatoes
in such luxuriant growth. The people are nov est
ing green eOm and there is every appearance Of It's
being ready 70! the crib before frost. There are
alec thousands OF acres Of hazel bushes loaded With
fruit. The cranberry marshes promise 10 yield
great harvest; there is large supply but not the
usual abundance Of grapes, gcoseberres and plums;
but the strawberries and red raspberry, which lss.
year, were very abundant, were principally de-
str ysd 10 the bud. But to return 20 the Sank Val
ley: il has many substantial log houses bsrns cribs
and wonn-fepces which would d. no discredit "a
any rural district; while, in common with all other
portions that have ye. VI this beautiful lsud
il is succession Of building sites wh,h, 70 be ap.
preciated, must be seen. Here is grove Of oak,,
end close by, beautiful, sunny Op.rins with several
acres adjoining which looks juss Ike grea. OLD or
cbari skir.ed by q clamp Of shrub5ery, principally
hsEel bushes ard al adj lining an open prairie jss.
ready for the plow.
The termination OF en-! TRIP was Grad Lsse--
one Of the lovely sheets Of water wbie. abound IN
Minnesota. II appears, from measuring rivers With
BE eye, 81 points where the breadth sltoTu. b.
hs two pi,es We and .aret iong, WITH ~, VI ~