Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-08-21

body of the soldiers wife to her desolate
home.
Who can paint the remorse of that weak
e,ring husband, who followed the remains O
50 much goodness and beauty, to her lonely
rest in foreign land His mind never recov-
cred from the shock of her sudden death he
became poor, pltifu inebriate, and soon fiji.
led drunkard's grave. And in one other
heart, this painful tragedy left an ineffaceable
regret-that of the thoughtless officer who
had led the poor soldier into Temptation!
The Frazer River Gold Mines---The
Overland Route from Minnesota thrO'
the British Possessions.
Under the above heading, the New York
Htraid of August 10th, received Saturday,
publishes the following editorial article
"We publish this morning the proceedings
Of the second adjourned meeting in the Hall
of the House of Representatives, at St. Paul,
Minnesota" on the subject of the Frazer riv-
or gold mines, and the overland communca-
ton from Minnesota through the British pos
sessions to the said mines and the Pacific
Ocean, including variety of interesting facts,
statements and opinions, geographical, geo.
'ogical con mercial and political, touching the
vast intervening countries and their wonder
ful resources, all Of which will be studied with
interest by all classes Of our readers.
ccording to the testimony and opinions
thus presented, from intelligent explorers the
gloomy description given by the London
Times of the repulsve barrenness, desolation
and Siberian frigidity of the great valley of
the Saskatchewan is false and imaginary
Instead Of blank and bowling wilderness,
rs the Times has described it, this vast and
hitherto generally unknown region, according
to the evidence "Of one of the earliest trav-
cllers,' "an experienced coyageur and practi-
cal man." is an exceedingly beautiful, attrac-
tive ard desirable country. This .'experienc-
ed Uoyageor and practical man" says that the
bid and whitish, ''is one Of the grandcst riv-
ers in the world )" that ''the banks are per-
| fectly charming, and offer in many places a
scene the faircst the most smiling and the
best diversified that can be beheld or imag-
ined-valleys agreeably embowered and en-
Drowned at evening and morning 10y the pro-
longed shadows of tho hills and of the woods
which aGorn them"-n a word, picture of
beauty, purity and salubrity which 'pours
contentment and joy into the soul of the en-
chanted spectator"
"Then, again, ex- Governor Ramsey of Min
ncsota testifies that the immense area west Of
the Red river of the North and south of the
Athabasca, with climate not inferior to our
own (Minnesota) is capable, according to the
estimate of Lork Selkirk, founded on a per-
sonal observation, 'of supporting popula-
ton of thirty millions, and will furnish the
world with trade not much inferior to that
which now passes between the Atlantic States
and the valley of the Mississippi" The diff
ference, too, between the fertility Of this re-
gion and the unconquerable sterilIty of the
extensive arid plains lying between the same
degree of longitude within the limits of the
United States is unsatisfactory accounted
for in the simple fact that the more northerly
situation of this Saskatchewan district and
the country west of it, between the same de-
grces Of latitu c, secures to them s'frrquent
and copious rains" The vast inland expanse
of Hudson's Bay and the contiguous seas,
doubtless furnish these supplies from their
evaporatOns whereas, from the width of the
continent between New York and San Fran
cisco, and from the interposing chains of
mountains, the evaporations from the Atlantic
and the Pacific are about exhausted before
reaching the great interior arid wastes Of Ne
braska, Kansas, Oregon, Utah, Texas and New
Mexico.
.:The statement Of Col. John H. Stevens,
touching the overland line of water commu-
nication from Minnesota to the Rocky Noun
tains, is scare ly less important, if practically
correct, that the Information of the natural
beauties and resources of the Saskatchewan
valley. Col. Stevens says that "a steamer can
depart from the mouth of Sioux Wood river,
Ca tributary of the Red river of the North,
at about the central point of the Western
boundary of Minnesota, descend distance of
five hundred miles to Lake Winnipeg, then
pass three hundred miles through that mighty
inland sea, and ascend the Saskatchewan to
the base CT the Rocky Mountains, at lea
three thousand miles of inland navigat on, in
cuding the north and south branches of the
said river.'
"But, after establishing the agricultural ca
pacties of the intervening country, and, with
a theory supporting the opinion that the Fra
zer river gold mines will prove to be exceed
ingly rich, the speakers at this st. Paul meet
ing proceed to the question of a Pacific rail-
road. Upon this subject they have evidently
made up their minds-first, that Congress
shall no longer overlook the general advanta-
ges of an extreme northern route and sec
ondly, that in the event of the continued neg
lect of Congress, Minnesota will fall back up
on English capital and English cooper alton
for Pacific railroad through the British do
mirions, connecting with st. Paul by the way
Of the Red river OF the North.
''In this connection, (including the Allan
tic telegraph,) from the resolutions adopted
by the meeting under review, we may antici-
pate most extraordinary ventilation of this
subject of Pacific Railroad between our
Northern and Southern politicians at the next
session of Congress. The probabilities are,
that in the conflict between the extreme
southern route, central route and north
ern route. the whole matter, as at the late
session, will be again and again postponed
and that while thus our sectional politicians
shall still remain at dead lock, our Mime
sofa pioneers, in co operation with their Can.
adian neighbors and the British government,
will have opened way Of communication by
steam, including boats and locomotives, from
St. Paul to Vancouver island.