The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-12-16


YORK GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.
On the md inst, Gov. STEVENS, Delegate
in Congress from Washington Territory,
delivered an interesting lecture in New
York, before the Geographical Society, on
the subject Of the Geographical Features Of
the North Western Territories. We find
the following report of the lecture in the n
Y. Herald:
After referring TO the wonderful progress
of the great Northwest during the last
twelve years, and to the early explorations
which had been made in that part of our
country, Gov. Stevens entered in detail into
consideration of the geographical features
of that wonderful region. On the north
western coast we have, said he, the most
extraordinary series of harbors and road
steads in the world while the forests have
an inexhaustible supply Of lumber and spars.
The coast fisheries of cod and halibut stretch
from the mouth OF the Columbia TO Van
couver's Island. There is coal to be found
along Puget Sound, and men who have
practical knowledge of it say it will do for
river navigation, aud are Of the opinion that
it viii be found suitable for ocean steamers.
In regard TO the spars, | may add tina. we
have sent three large vessels loaded with
them to French and English nayies, and
their inspectors nave pronounced them the
best and sOundest spars they have ever seen.
The climate of The country along Puget
Sound and Columbia river, is 50 mild that
there is DO ice in winter, and the people have
to send to Sitka, in the Russian possessions
for their supply. The farmer has from
September to March to SOW his wheat, and
the poor man who goes out there will have
with six months,ot seed time large harvest.
The summer Is without rain, 50 that the
grain never mldews or rusts. East OF the
Cascade Mountains we have vast pastoral
and agricultural country, which only require
the simple labor Of man to produce in great
abundance Father DE Smet, the Jesuit
missiOnary--a man whose name is tower
ofstrepgth and iaith-has stated cmphatical-
ly that that whole country is rich in mineral
wealth. You are familiar with the fact
that the Jesuit missionaries are men ofgreat
intellgence--men of high scientific attain
ments They have great practical know
ledge OF the country, and in that region are
most admirable farmers. 1t is father DE
Smet and the other good fathers who have
labored 80 hard among the Indians, and who
have endured cold and hunger and continue
ly, that they might do Christian work
among those savages. They are the wit.
nesses who give evidence in regard to the min.
eral wealth of this country and its agricul.
tural capacity. 1t is a grateful duty TO me
to perform in this presence, to bear my
humble testimony to their services. ZAP
plause.) The lecturer here went into a con-
sideration Of the subject Of the Pacific Rail
road and the character Of the climate along
the route which he proposed. The great
objection which had been made to that was
the intense cold OF the winter, an objection
which he contenhed was not based on facts.
He then proceeded to prove, by observa-
tions made at different points, that the win.
ter was much mlder than is supposed and
than has been stated.
The mean winter temperature at Fort
Benton, said he, in 1884, was Is deg. 80
min. above zero. The average at Montreal,
on the Grand Trunk Railroad for the same
year, was l3 deg. % min, aud for mean Of
ten years. IL deg. 81 min. above zero. At
Quebec it was IN '53 and "a, Il deg. 03
min. above zero; and for mean OF ten
years g deg. 80 min. above zero. On the
great Russian railroad from ST. Petersburg
to Moscow, the comparison is very similar.
The mean winter temperature for a series Of
twenty one years at Moscow. is Is deg. 20
min, and at st. Petersburg for a mean OF
twenty-five years, lS deg. 10 min. above
zero.
At Fort Smelling, on the great lines
through Minnesota, from st. Paul TO Penn
bina, and from ST. Paul to Breckenridge,
now actually in process Of construction, the
mean winter temperature OF 1858 and 1854
was | ! deg. Ga min, and the mean Of thirty.
five winters l6 deg. 10 min. above zero.
Thus in the winter Of 1853 81. an unusually
cold winter, Fort Benton was IL deg.
warmer than Montreal, II deg. warmer than
Quebec Ia deg. warmer than Fort Smelling,
10 deg. warmer than Moscow, and deg
warmer than ~. Petersburg. Looking 10
the Bitter Root Valley, wc find its average
Temperature in the winter Of 1853 "a to be
"a deg 30 min, and in l654-55 30 deg. 80
min. above zero, making it for the two win
tiers respectively 10 degrees and Is deg.
warmer than Moscow, and : degrees and
IL deg. warmer than at 81. Petersburg, IL
degrees warmer than a, Montreal, and IA
degrees warmer than at Quebec. But will
not content myself with giving you the aver
age winter temperatures. let Us consider
the greatest cold observed. The greatest
cold during the winter 1884 was % de.
grees below zero at Cantooment Steveus.
Al Fort Smelling it Was sc degrees, at Mon.
trcal "a degrees, and at Quebec % degrees
below zero from which you will see that
on this route the greatest cold Is no, equal
TO the greatest cold on the rou,eof the Grand
Trunk railroad Of Canada The same fact
ia unqstionably true Of Dhe great artery Of
Russia, from Moscow 10 ST. Petersburg :.
but have not been able TO obtain the daily
observations Tor purposes Of comparison.
We will look al II in another point OF
view Take the number of cod DAYS When
L Il