The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-10-15

letttr lTplii WHICH W. tukc llic lolloWlnk tx
tract. The first portion Of the letter is Ne.
scriptive Of trip up Sauk River
The Sauk Valley, for 20 miles, is said to
bc held by claimants. principally actual set
tiers and her the gra>shoppers were not
nearly so destructive ~ on the east side oi
the Mississippi SO tina, the lovelcst country
| have ever seen is thickly dotted with little
houses and superb pota,oc and corn fields
When We passed there had bSn u throc-
weeks drcuih; yet never saw corn and po
tatoes in such luxuriaut growth. The PEG
pie are now eating green corn, and there is
every appearance Of its being ready for the
crib before frost. There are also thousands
of acres of hazel bushes. loaded with fruit
The cranberry marshes promise 10 yield u
great harvest their ~ n large supply, but
not the usual abundance Of grapes, goose
berries and pluns; but the strawberries aud
red raspberry, which. last wear were very
abundant, we're principally destroyed N the
bud. But, to return Ia The Sauk Valley; II
has many substan ial log house,, barns cribs
aud worm fences which would do no dscrcl
it To any rural district, while IA common
with all other portions that | have vet seen
Of this beautiful land. il " n succession OF
building SITES which. to he appreciated must
bc seen. Here IL grove ol oaks. unl close
by. beautiful. sunny opening, with several
acres adjoining which looks lus, hike gr,a,
old orchard skr,ed by clump ol shrubbcry
principally hanlbushcs, and all ADJOINING an
6fsT iIfairT laSi ,ca,is Ia tho prov. -~' '
The termination ot our trip was Grand
Lake one OF the lovely sheets oi water
which abound in Minnesota. II appears,
from measuring rivers with the eye, Al
points where their breadth Il known. 10 be-
two miles wide and thr,V mlcS long, with
part of the shore clear sand and pebbles
miNol with quartz and cornclIan part over
grown with rccd', which come up in two or
three fee, depth Of water, and grow three
and four feet above. ON the shore. we
found the remains Of an Indian wigwun,
which was inhabited last year and had been
built of poles. AMI covered and walled will,
these rusics and, in the thick bed OF them,
| caught fish Of the kind they call bass
AMI which tastes very like Susqu,hanna
shad 1t weighed four pounds lacking three
ounces. and was the third had taken in half
NJ, hours fishing all three No much akens
scarce to be distinguished,
felt no computations Of conscience about
catching them Tor the hook used was "a
"sIear hook, viz q common isll-hooh ias-
tened by "a common swivel to bit Of sill
vcreL copper shaped like II little fish and
these great rapaclous rascals' IN their eager
nes to swallow the supposed little fish. very
Justly fell prey TO larger monster lying
in wal, above. On one side of this lake was
some OF ia, finest ash aIpl oak timber have
ever seen in any place, aud growing very
,hickly upon the ground, whilc over the
limbcs chamber grape vines holding up bush
Ella Of grapes, and in the intervals the COOS"
berry bushes tempted me with their long
rod fall Of green fruit, but these treasures
of Nature are 20 yigilanily guarded by pyr-
n,s Of valiant muskctocs. that. having neg
lccted 10 furnish ourselves with broad.
brmunl hats curtainfsl with m,sketn, bar
and der skin gloves. We were glad 10 retreat
after penetrating some fifty rpir back. AMI
getting pick Of the green frat on the shore
where the hrc'2c drove the pest. back into
the forests. The mushc,oes here are very
troublesome IN all places where there arr
thick wood or un,hrbr'sh but this land
once cleared 80 that they are deprived ol
shelter. they are driven AVA 10y he strong
hrcozc whicl, seldom cease
one 81 the DAYS We spent ~ 'hl- vicinity
was sabbath AMI We had The pleasure %!
hearing the hrt sermon preached in Rocl
vile one ~ the Sank Rive, towns. aud n
plarc which already number. four inhabit
an,t la. "a comfortable ho'j +, 4ior'. nnd a
great heap of sawed timber which hoJrz 90
h. Jaw mill in very shor, l,rp, 80 1T IN
the nook 10y the babbling brook compel
tie dancing waters 10 turn a prea' wheel.
and manufacture ID" old trees which have
laughed and nodded tD them ~ thcy went
by Tor ocuIurirs, inru maufhis lDr buihing
another Kind Of canopy than that made by
the pr,sn curtains ot their foliage. and tor
.hnlteriDg oth,r orlcr oi bclnps than those
which have az long iouid ,hcir hom'~ amid
and beneath the branchc-. The sermou and
It. surroundings made rich specimen Of
Western lif. Forty eight people. counting
l,a,s. met IN The store-ro0n a rough board
l.ouse sixteen by twenty feet, the board,
ua.led up and down, and an Opiu crack be
twt7u Zach Two ,be 'iDor Of loo~' uni0iuieI
board, The roof. iw"ihirds ,hiDgIed. and
three large op"nings N one end. designed,
for windows and doof For I@st. w. had
bDar,i- laid on ,r'siles Our preacher cans.
H. i wagon drawn by two Oxen. AMI. in a
-.allow tailed coat Il tlnc cloth. with high
collar aA brass buttons sat lshird The only
table u the town which Sing upJnin,ei
pine and very PRIMITIVE. correspondent exact
" but, "a several lYlss arrived ~ OK wn-
ions ard on foot, W airing large hoopa white
kid glp'cs lace man,lcs. nrh al'ogethsr dis
playing a taste AMI tpiht which would i'ayc
las-sd muster on Broalway. 80 determined
On soun display Of luxury ~ suit the ocoa
.ion %. by tic AID Of a pair Of Maelinaw
blankets AMI -Dine carriage cushions, We got
up an elegant .carlst cIi,bi"neI pcw. For.
iuuatliy 10 AID our SNffs nj maVui'ceulp