The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-01-24
UtSDA MORNING. JAN. 20. 1857,
The Country North Of st. Paul---The
NIIlage of Columbus.

| ME COuntry NOfth OF 81. Pau1...Tht
| Village of Columbus.
We have neglected, since our return some
days since from weeks triI. up to the "New
Survey north Of st. Panl, to mention the
vast changes that have been made in that re-
gion since we visited it last Spring. In Nav
last there was but one :claim y made north
Of the thirty-five mile post on the St. Paul
and Kettle River road; now there are up
wards Of one hundred. From point on the
north branch Of the Sunrise, nine miles
south-eastSof the new town of Cambridge,
tpn the east bend Of Rum River, a party of
us attempted upon our first visit to the coun-
try in May last, to find our way with team
to the latter point. We failed at the time,
owing to large proportion of the land being
covered with growth of heavy timber, and
the remainder, except what is meadow and
lakes, having upon it dense and luxuriant
growth of quaking asp and hazel-a sure in
dlcatlon in this country of the very best
quality of soil. Now, claims are taken along
this route, advancing from the north branch
OF the Sunrise one way, and from Cambridge
the other, until the border claims almost
join each other. Next year the gap will be
closed up, and the new road from Saltwater
to the Upper Snake river worked through
this space Of timber and brush, which will
make it passable the whole distance, and
save forty miles Of travel from Saltwater to
her heaviest point of operations in the pine
ries.
AS we have remarked again and again,
this country has been greatly abused and I'M
derrated. There is not too much swamp
land mixed with the arabic for general USE
fulness. IF our neighbors upon the large
prairies south of US had interspersed with
their rich acres some Of these meadows and
tamarack swamps, they would be much bet
ter Oft. The greater portion of the dry land
upon the new survey is as fertile as any in
the Territory-a fact which will be fully es-
tablished when it is cleared and put under
cultivation.
But the great argument in favor of the
settlement Of this country by farmers, is its
nearness to the great Pineres, which will
ever afford a market at the farmers door,
and at high prices, for all he may produce
1t is not necessary to dwell upon this point
as it presents itself at once to the most or
binary mind.
The land upon this new survey has never
been offered for sale by the government 1t
is only subject to presumption. In this state
we hope it may remain until every acre of it
is taken by actual settlers. We are glad to
know this is the policy of the General Land
Office at present.
We have no doubt the advantages here
presented will be seized upon and improved
by large proportion of next Springs en-
igration. If they are not, it will be owing
to great short-sightedness on the part OF
the men who will comprise that emiera-
ton. But we have no fears on this subject
and where there are hundreds of settlers
now, there will be thousands in a wear
hence.
To show how short a time it has been
since this country began to attract attention,
we will mention the fact, that the St. Paul
and Kettle river road was first laid out in the
spring Of 1855 by James Starkey and r. c.
Knox, Commissioners. At that time there
was only one settler beyond the Rice Lakes
north of St. Paul. At this time there are
considerably more than one hundred settlers
who have opened, or are in the act this win
ter Of opening farms along the road or with
in one or two miles oft, and who travel this
road to and from st. Paul exclusively. We
give below an imperfect list of the names of
as many Of those settlers as we have been
able to obtain: