Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-09-18
The Steam Engine Moving Northward.

We had a call few days since from Rev
j. p. Bardwell, who is connected with the
Missionary Station among the Ojibways on
Lake Winibigoshish, in Northern Minnesota
This lake is situated in latitude All north
and forms the most nOrtherly bend OF the
Mississippi Something like year ago a
number of our liberal citizens contributed to
purchase q small steam engine and sawmil
| from the we'll known establishment of Gates
| Warner & Chalmers. We were deeply in
terested in the facts in regard to the uses
made of this engine, as stated by Mr.. Bard
we'll, but we prefer to lay them before our
readers in the language of the veteran NJ is
slonary, himself, taken from letter address
| ed to Mr.. Warner in July last
L found the Missionaries all in comfortable
health. L had my steam engine and machin-
cry brought through to this place last win
ter. The Missionaries set it up, and we have
sawed out some forty thOsand feet Of lumber.
Our little engine will cut two thousand feet
per day easily. The brethren have built a
small boat that will carry about six tons OF
freight, and have tire engine now in it. They
have made three trips with the boat around
to Leech Lake for supplies. You may have
seen some account of the steamboat North
Star on the Upper Mississippi, running as far
up as Pokegoma Falls, which was pulled as a
great enterprise, but we are ahead of the
North Star, and can run from Pokegoma
Falls to Cass Lake, about 100 miles. This
lake is beautiful sheet of water, about 10
miles across. When the boat was first launch
ed, the Missionaries gave the Indians free
ride around the lake on it. 1t was to them a
great curiosity, as very few Of them had ever
seen anything of the kind before, and had no
conception of Ishkoda Mabekwas, fire vessel)
as they call it. Iii great improvement on
bark canoe navigation on these lakes, and has
saved us already more than the expense of
building the boat We shall have the ma
chinery in the mill again in a few days. If
those friends in your city, and other places,
who contributed so literally to secure this
Improvement, could realize the immense ben
eft it is, and will be, to the Mission and In
dams, | am very sure they would consider it
money well invested, and never wish to with
draw it,
We not only use our machinery for navi-
eating these lakes and rivers, and saving
boards, but one of the Missionaries has invent
ed very simple machine to attach to it, for
saving out shingles, another for saving stove
wood, and will ere long have turning lathe.
The mill makes as smooth lumber as any [
ever saw. In a .dition to the advantages above
named, think the steam engine will have an
important moral infuenc upon the people,
and stimulate many of them to industry and
enterprise. The Indians around this lake
will raise, this year, about 1000 bushels of
potatoes, where they have never before rails
ed as many hundreds, and considerable corn
in addition. Their gardens look finely and
most of them are well attended. Their land
is covered with a heavy growth oftlmber, and
they have no means of clearing and breaking
it, without help. The Mis- ion School is
small tn summer, as we have no dwelling
houses completed, and cannot take many
children into the mission families. We are
weak handed and as the Missionaries, in adj
diton to all their other labOrs and the care
of their families, must cut their own logs, saw
their lumber, make shingles and build their
own houses, it takes considerable time to get
things fairly in operation. But we will not
desplse the day of small things bat hope for
enlargement in the future, assured that " in
due time we shall reap If we faint mott
thus the steam engine is moving nOrthward
keeping even pace with our Christian civil
cation. In .he opinion of this excellent mis-
sionary, 1t not only ministers to the physical
comfort Of man, but it infuses a healthy moral
tone among the people. There can be no
doubt that this opinion is correct. While it
is the exponent of energy aud enterprise, it
affords wonderful stimulus to these cardinal
virtues.
When in Minnesota in June 1857, we
heard tnat project was on foot to carry
across through Big Stone Lake the machinery
for steamer to be placed this seas II on the
Red River of the North. We have not heard
whether the plan has been carried out; but
within five years it may he confidently pre-
dicted that parties will leave Chicago for u
summer tour down the Red River of the
North, through lake Winnipeg and up the
Saskatchewan, or the AssinboiD, to the base
of the Rocky Mountains. I here is a vast rich
country Northwest of Minnesota that will,
within very few years. become as familiar
to Chicago merchants as Minnesota is now. -
Put us down for that trip, steamer or no
steamer, at our earliest possible convenience.
Chicago Press and Tribune.