St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1858-10-07
I.NTI' CT ,C0IJ=TO-

SAINT O. ~ e.
st. Cloud il the point at whichthe Red Riy-.
er trains cross the Mississippi on their way Go
st. Paul which proves it to be tho natural
junction Of land travel between these two great
arteries Of trade It is at the present head Of
steam nayi CATION on the Mississippi Boa,ts
run regularly during5the Sprin and eaasly
Summer months, from St. anthony to t,ais
place. 355
The map gives it's position correctly with
reference to all the most important points in
the territory, but the peculiarsbeauty of it's
Location, and fertility Of the surrounding co,in=
try. cannot be transcribed. Within fifteen
miles Of ST. Cloud, on opposite sides OF the
river, and st different points Of the compass
are eight lakes, varying in size from mile to-
Smiles in circumference, all, save: one. beau
tiful, exceedingly, three Of them at least, deep
enough to float man-of-War. Wooded anks,
clean pebbly shores plentifully mixed with
cornelian; and waters abundantly supplied
with fish, fS .s.s
When Gov. Stevens made his survey of q
northern railroad route to the pacific, in SO,
he camped son the western side of the Mis-
sissippi below Sank Rapids" The pla he was
nameless-the present site Of St. Cloud but It
is here his route leaves theriyer In THE sum
mer Of SIS claim cabin was built on the spot
where VIC now write, good saw mi II, the
frame Of large Hotel and eight other dwell
ings were put up that summer. This last fall
there were three hundred and thirty-tw votes
polled in the precinct. Not the votes Of Indi-
ans or Half Breeds, for there are nome here.
majority Of the inhabitants of the county
arc hardy Germans, with sturdy wives and
children, cultivating the soil and working at
mechanical employments.
4 The subsoil is sand and although the soil is
from one to three feet deep, rich black loan
supporting a rank vegetation, the ORA image is
is perpetual pleasure. AS yet, our physi-
clans have discovered no diseases pc uliar, to
the climate, no Indigenous complaints except
the minnesota Appetite which requires one
fourth more trea tment than "a modest ilPennsyl-
yania or Ohio attack Of a correspon ling dis
case. '
7 Any body who wants to drink wlliskey in
peace had better net come here. for the treaty
by which the land was acquired from TIL Sioux,
forbids its introduction; and the Lee sislature
has passed law enforcing that proyis ion; but
people Of moderate means and industl.i GUS hab-
its who have children to educate, will find few
places where the opportunity for corre ct moral
training, healthy development Of mu sole, and
the means of pecuniary independence are bet
ter combined. i. e.
There are immense tracts Of pine lyir e above,
from which the mills at ST. Paul, St. Anthony
and the Minnesota Valley are supplied These
employ a large and ever-increasing force of
men, horses and oxen, who are to be supplied
with provisions clothing and feed. he soil is
waiting for an opportunity to produce unlimit-
ed quantities Of food, without troublir the far
mer crushing clods; while the Mississ ippi from
St Paul to Little Falls can afford to to IN mill
at almost any point and has watc o power
enough to do the manufacturing for a Cont
nent. .s..,
Our natural meadows produce a gr ass from
four osix feet high, and the beef killed off our
prairies is quite equal to any stall fed we have
ever eaten. Our venison is fine at ten cents
per pound, rabbits, prairie hens cartridges,
ducks, &c., plenty. Thousands Of bushels OF
acorns for the hogs that are not here to eat
them. Fuel for the labor Of cutting a nd haul
ing off the ground; and there is no Ii likelihood
of the supply running out soon, as ;hc s:Big
Woods extend from this place some twenty
miles or more, down this side of the river, and
from eight to twelve miles back. Our prairies
are all dotted with strips Of wood lard, coax
Openings" which just look like old orchards.
dense thickets Of plum trees bearing delicious
fruit, grape vines, doing likewise, thousands OF
acres Of hazel bushes and strawberry 5ines, en-
gagged in the same business; while S pme hum
dred acres are in the cranberry trade and turn
out an article, which for quantity and quality
cannot be excelled: The blackberries, red rasp
berries and hops tack up their shingles in the
guine expectations of their customers. There
&c To TON fffoon rni1oo ,phich cot.
tiers can get, at government price, by building
Il cabin and living on it until it comes into
market. Actual settlers can buy loss here at
from one to five hundred dollars, and specula-
tors can have the same lots at from five to- ff-
teen hundred ...'29f~Tt!5fs& - ,z,A@I s3522
In some Of the river towns back, places that
will be pleasant villages, lots can be had gratis
by those who will build and live Oh them
This, in places where n house can be built for
fifty dollars, that would be a palace compared
to the dens rented in large cities tior 4 and s
dollars per month, while the lot, with only the
aid of a grubbing hoe and few days labor,
would bring vegetables to feed a family, and
every township has 600 acres appropriated to
the support Of schools s'.@ tS1@
Seventy thousand acres are appropriated to
State university. A fine building has already
been erected for the use of that institution. It
is situated at st. Anthony, built of stone on an
eminence commanding view Of the falls, and
no State in the Union has a better foundation
for good system Of popular education. No
other prairie State is so well mbered as Min.
nesota and no State more abundlntly supplied
with clear water. In the country surrounding
St. Cloud and as far North and West as We have
any reliable account, settlers find no difficulty
in locating land on q running stream or trans
parent lake with plenty Of timber at hand for
building, fencing and fuel, and as the land on
the West side Of the Upper Mississippi is only
open to presumption, there is little opportunity
for Spectators, and settlers have assurance Of
neighbors and that rapid increase in the value
of their lands and in social advantages which
arise from the system Of land in limited guam
titles to actual settlers. SSs
T. The country around St. Cloud, west of the
Mississippi was purchased Of the Indians in a
treaty made with them by Hon. Alexander
Ramsey and Luke Lea in 1852 and ratified by
the senate the same year. The Sioux had
/ Al y. I,