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

It is stated that a contract has been made by the city OF
New York to keep that port free from ice during the
| winter. It 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 foo, 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 .rs daily, and the citizens are
again feeling much anxiety On account OF tic same
impeachment to navigation.
The weather has undergone quite a change since our
last issue. Last week there was a cold rain storm for
several days it afterwards cleared up quite cool, and
slight touches of frost were felt on the 10th and
2lst inst. We have not heard Of but trifing damage
being done to vegetation but corn and vines in some
low places must have been somewhat injured. AZ a
general thing the corn is safe from injury, being fully
ripe, except in some few spots. We have heard no
serious complaint. .; yet, and believe the yield of corn
will be on a par with the large crops already harvested:
At present We are enjoying delightful wcathcr-asm mild
and pleasant a. early june.
The river this summer has been uninterrnptcdiy nav
igable 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 aost 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 seventy fret! It's we'll he told his story
strong, while about it if other misrepresentation only
bore their own comment, as this does, there would be
less credulity exhibited by our Fast IN friends. In reply
to the above, the we'll known Mrs. Swisshelm writes that
there was not over three fee: 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. Il these eighteen
are Republican, fourteen Democratic, and twelve ind:.
pendent. More than half of them were started within
the last year. Our citizens are a reading class, and love
to patronize AMI encourage the printer. We believe
more than half cur readers take from three to five diff.
ferent nswspapers-always one Of them from the East
We do not know, but should judge that at least foul
thousand ". Y. TrjIunes circulate in the Territory.
The stone piers Of the rev bridge to cross the Mis-
s. ssippi, at St. Paul, are nearly finished.
Pearl fishing has turned out to be q great humJus-
most all of tho pearls being worthless stuff, both ~ tbs
! TERRITORY and elsewhere.