The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-26
New and Direct Road from the Lower
St. CrOix to the Rum River and Upper
Snake River Pineries.

New and Direct Road from the Lower
st. CrOix to the Rum River and Upper
Snake River Pineries.
To the Editors Of the Minnesotian:
GENTLEMEN:-Allow me to avail myself
of the use of your columns to state that du-
ring the past two months, l have surveyed,
located and made ready for travel road con-
Meeting the ST. Paul and Kettle River road
with the extreme east bend of Rum River, at
Cambridge, Isanti county. The southern por-
| ton of this road has been somewhat used the
past year by the settlers on the north branch
of Surise River, and adjacent thereto; but it
has never been put in proper order for load
ed teams until now. 1t DIVORCES from Star
keys old survey of the St. Paul and Kettle
River road on the north shore of Fawn Lake ),
near the south east corner of Isanti County,
and about a mile or mile and half north
west of Wyatt's. 1t is proper to remark,
that the St. Paul and Kettle River Road has
never been opened or at all travelled north OF
the point where the new road / refer to d.
verges therefrom, and probably never will be,
owing to it's impracticable locaton-crossing
as it does an almost interminable labyrinth
of swamps 1t is thus altogether probable
that that portion Of the new road just open
ed extending from this diverging point some
six miles north to my settlement on the north
branch of the Sunrise, will eventually be adop-
| g L. - c,,I K1kfl l.
River Road. have located this road upon
the only dry ridge that divides the chain of
swamps lying between the middle and north
branches of the Sunrise for four or five miles
on either side of where said ridge passes; in
short, l happened to strike the only key to al
low practicable passage through from the
St. Croix to the waters of Rum River at the
point designated in the law authorizing the
road to lie constructed and defy any en-
gineer in Minnesota to successfully disprove
the assertion here make.
From the point where this road strikes the
North Branch of the Sunrise to Cambridge,
the course is due west upon a section line
some six miles, and thence northwest abont
four miles to the designated point. 1t has been
cut through the timber and brush at least
twelve feet wide, and all the streams are well
and substantially bridged the entire length of
the road. In short, it is as good winter
road as there is in the country, and weeks
work next spring of two men and yoke of
cattle, will make it fully ready for summer
travel
1t is proper to state in this connection, that
a road has just been opened by the authori-
ties of Chisago County, some six miles long,
connecting Chisago City with the st. Paul
and Kettle River road, at Wyoming A
good road, 1 believe, has been some time
open to travel between Chisago City and
Saltwater so, that with what have just
accomplished above Wyoming and north
west from the St. Paul and Kettle River
Road the lumbermen of Saltwater, Arcola
Marine, &C., have nearly the whole chain of
their "near CUT to the Upper Snake River
Pincries completed. Brunswick, eighteen
miles due north of Cambridge is in the heart
of these pineries, and to that point Mr. Sta
pies, of Saltwater, informs me he intends to
! continue this road forthwith. If the coun-
try through which he is to operate is as fa-
vorable as l suppose it to be, he will not be
many days in doing his work. This route,
when fully opened, will shorten the present
travelled distance between Saltwater and the
scene Of her heaviest numbering operations at
least twenty miles. In the course of another
year, there will be as good accommodations
for travellers along this road as can now be
found on the old route.
In conclusion I would alude to the fact,
that no unsettled county in Minnesota offers
at this time SO grea inducements to actual
settlers as does the county of Isanti. The
lands within her borders are subject only to
presumption. Her acres, generally speaking,
stand No. l for fertility; large proportion
of her surface is covered with dense growth
of hardwood timber, comprising white and
bur oak, butter-nut, sugar maple, bass wood,
white and black ash, elm, &c. Pure rum
ming spring brooks, which never freeze in the
coolest weather known to our climate, are a
common Characteristic Of this county. Ex-
tensive meadows of blue joint grass, growing
to the height of five feet and from which
three or four ton of hay to the acre can be
cut, border these creeks, thus rendering stock
raising almost laborless occupation in Isan-
ii. Ple-ty of that almost indispensable tim
Der for fencing and building-tamarack-is
also accessible from every quarter section, by
not going over two miles.
have thoroughly explored the eastern
part oil the county, and state above strictly
the character Of the land, without exagera-
ton. The nearness of these lands to the
pineries and to all the largest towns in
Minnesota, will make an everlasting market,
at high prices, directly at the door of those
who will open and cultivate them. l have
plenty Of good claims picked out, and will
take pleasure in locating settlers upon them.
Yours, respectfully,
J.P. OWENS.
St. Paul, Dec. Is, 1857.
PUBLISHING NEWSPAPERS ON CREDIT-The
Rochester, N. Y, Democrat, whose office was
destroyed by fire last week, has re-appeared
on handsome sheet. The editors state that