St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1858-08-05
MINNESOTA I'M 1853.


. Mrs. Swisshelm's ST. Cloud T:sites Of
the Sd inst is before us, hailing from
Stearns County, Minnesota, coffee On the
River, opposite the steamboat landing; but
what river that is, ard ia what section Of
Minpesota St. Clouds located we can find no
Gazetteer no Atlas, sufficiently modern to
inform US. A standing account il the pa
pers Of that city inform US, however, that
St Cloud is the point ut which the Red
River trains cross the Mississippi on their way
20 st. Paul, which proves it to be the natural
junction Of land travel between these two great
arteries Of trade. It is at the present head Of
steam navigation on the Mississippi. Boats
run regularly during the Spring and early Sum
mer months from st. Anthony to this place
We further learn from this article that
Gov. Stevens camped and left the Nississip-
50 pi at this then nanleless point when be sur
7eved the Northern route for Pacific
Railroad in 1858. The first cabin was
built on this spot in 1855. and in 1857, 332
votes were polled here, and in the county
,2o7. We guess St. Cloud is some fifty to
eighty miles above the Falls Of St. Anthony
aud just below the heaviest Pine region OF
Minnesota, while large tract Of misccllane-
ous forest and "openings" here heavily
belts the Mississippi. The soil is rich and
deep, the natural meadows producing very
rank grass. The climate is cold bat health
ful and invigorating. Wild grapes, plums
and berries are abundant. The people OF
Stearns county were frightened by clouds
of grasshoppers last season, which for a
time threatened to devour every green
thing; but they abseonded in July, and do
not seem to have left any progeny. And,
though The crops Of 1857 were uuch shor-
tened by them, so that appeals were made
to she charity Of Folder aud richer commu-
mites for aid to save the moneyless pio-
aeers from famine, yet there seems to be
bread enough in 1858. Wheat selling at
St.. Cloud = = :, g.; e.; Cv:;: Com :t and pota
toes at rs cents per bushel.
~. :. TIE leading article in The Nsiter before
as is graphic account Of q Buffalo Hunt
which came off few days previous on
nthe Red River Of the North, "a hundred
miles OF so west of St, Cloud, on the Daco-
tab side Of the river, and on the site Of the
embryo city Of Breckenridge. It was an
impromptu afffair-the horses being propell-
ed by clubs and riAe-barrels instead ofspurs,
and being disqualified by fear Of the game
for hunting it properly. Of the five buff
a.ocs pursued, one only was killed. bull
whose meat weighed 900 pounds, and was
pronounced capital fare Butfaloe are said
tto be plentiful il that region; elk and deer
still more so; a herd of 4 hundred elk were
q, seen last Winter SO miles west Of st. Cloud;
IS several were killed within few yards Of
1he ps;ss;ter Office, while bears were repeat.
edly seen but not taken. The NsN,
says: s3.4. sI5 ..s..l .35;7 .| j s..,.s..
i sg.s.We have promise Of most abundant crops.
Wheat and grass are very, very tinc the prair-
II "a are besprinslea With strawberry blossoms,
and The woods aud thickcts with other fruit. :,
We have no frost to injure the buds in the
least. /" LII il ss szs .s@-44.s 3f.~
The Retail Price Current gives the fol.
l.5ving among other prices:
sugar--Maple 25c., Crushed 2Oc., Brown :
per 10, lac. salt per sack Of 200fb, 81, ,l2..--
Rice per IL, llc Nails per ID, ~ csc. But
ter l5fa17c. Chccsesl sc. Goldfish loc. Driee
Apples 15e. 81 29S s.1 y.
Among the ST.. Cloud advertisers, II
h the number before ~, are erocers, survey
ora, carpenters, dry.goods men, hotel el-keep
s srs, boot snd al 50 sellers, dealers in rea
ostate(to too ma1y offhem) J, painters, 2 watch
\ maker, q .dru $3.50 q merchant tailor, &c.
&c These ar locav d resp ectively in East,
s 81 West, !" and Lower ST CLIQUE, " while St
Anthony and Minneapolis also put in thei
q april ications fer custom Ri. ..5s & ss #s