The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-03-07
MINNESOTA TERRITORY.
Correspondence OF CDr Californian.
SAUK RAPIDS. NJ, T.,
Feb. 18th, 1857.

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SAUK RAPIDS. NJ. T.,
Feb. 18th, 1857.
A stray number of the CALEDONIAN com
ing to hand few days since. suggested the
idea of giving some account of this portion
of the New England of the West, as Min
nesota claims to be.
And first, of the weather. We sympa;hize
with YOU in this terrible cold winter, though
our sympathies are rather chilling. and set to
the tune OF $50 to 4Oo below zero. Men
who came into this region so or 40 years
ago, in the employment of John Jacob Aston,
in the fur trade, say this is the deepest snow
and severest weather :hey have witnessed
here. Snow lies about three feet deep. Many
people are poorly housed here and therefore
have to experience the merits of getting used
to pioneer life find it is not SO easy get
ting accustomed to digging myself out of
your Indian blankets under two inches of
snow but as the old settlers say | expect to
! like it when get broke in. Houses are
made useful here. In two hours walk could
take YOU to where German family of four
persons. also three pigs and dozen hens,
besides cats and dogs are living in the same
little log house of one room. Such cases |
am glad to say are not common, though many
of the inhabitants in this region are from
Vater-land.
Sank Rapids is pleasantly situated on the
east side of the Mississippi eighty miles be-
above St. Paul and at the head of steamboat
navigation above the falls of St. Anthony.
1t has steam saw mill, three stores compile
ted, and two more going up. The Z. S. Land
Office for this district is located here. Pop
ulation about 100 The town was laid out
in 1854.
Two miles below here on the west side of
the river i. the thriving town of St. Cloud
containing about 500 inhabitants, with seven
stores and two hotels. About GOO acres are
laid out into lots so feet by $50, prices vary
ing with location, from ten to five hundred
dollars. The proprietors are energetic men.
and say ST. Cloud is bound to be place
The mind work is well done, and if the gas
manufactured here was of combu>!itle ma
ture it would illuminate the country from
Maine to California. 1t has fine farming
country around it. There is also a railroad
chartered from there to Superior CITY, dis.
tauce of 100 miles. On the whole think
her prospects are quite good. Towns, most
Of them on paper, are very numerous alon"
the upper Mississippi, and such is the town
site mania that it is seriousl Y proposed to re-
serve leO acres in each township for tsrm,ng
purposes.
The soil in this vicinity is dark, sandy
loan, about two feet deep, resting upon a
reddish-white sand, which has evidently
been subject to igneous action. VIVA. is call
ed hard-pan is found about 90 feet from the
surface. Lime stone IN stu disappears at the
falls of St. Anthony and here the granite
crops out, formin. :he bed OF the river al This
point. Scattering boui,lers are also found
occasionally on the prairies. Timber is rath
er scarce here on the east side until YOU Get
back some distance from the river. Much of
the country between here and Lake Superb
or is heavily timbered. On the west side of
the river what are called the bi. woods ex-
tend from Minneapolis to some distance
above here. They are said to be forty
miles wide in some places, and dotted with
small praires. The timber is Oak, Butter
nut. Poplar, Maple and Black Walnut. Wa
tab, five miles above here, and the present
County seat, was An old trading post Of the
Winnehssoe. Col. T. II. French. Gen
Walkers unreccsrized Fillibusre- extraordi-
nary to Washington, has landed interests
near this town. He seems to be quite ar en-
ergetic man, though thought to be little
blusterish, which may result from his militia
~ habits. His right hand is missing. Across
the river on Watab Prairie Uncle Sam had
quite respectable Indian farm which was
sold when they were removed to their Reser-
walton south of Mankato. The new town of
Winnebaso is laid out here, and the stork
subscribed for bridge at this point. The
river could be damned at this point, afford
ing any amount of water-power. Thirty
miles above, we come to Little Falls, thru
wing village, having good water power
The Pine region of the upper Mississippi
commences here, and much of the lumber
used here and below here is manufactured at
Little Falls. From this point the river is said
to he navigable for small steamboats, 200
miles toward its source. There is not an in
exhaustable quantity of pine above here, and
it will contince to bring high price-ranges
at present from SIG to S25 per NJ according
to quality. Less numbering than usual is be-
ing done this winter. The pine lands above
are vet unsurveyed, and last Spring the Gov |
eminent agents seized the logs on the bank
before the ice broke up and sold them at auc- |
ton. But the lumbermen collected at the
sale, and no one daring to bid against them,
they bought their own logs at one cent, per
the officers not realizing expenses
in the operation. Crow Wing, 40 miles