Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-07-31
NUMBER a..


Minnesota state Items.
The Red Wing Republican of the 23d says
it continues to receive favorable accounts
from the gold diggings on the Zumbro Con-
siderable quantities of the precious metal
have been secured. Experienced miners con-
slider the indications of profitable yield
sufficiently promising to authorize the invest
ment of considerable capital in the building
of sluices, and supplying the arrangements
for extensive working. Some two hundred
men are at present engaged in the mines, and
the number is daily increasing. Many have
recently come in from abroad. The excite
ment however, is not yet very serious.
A BRUTAL assault occurred in Red Wing on
the 22l In dispute about swine lost bv
MIR. JAMES RIDLEY, he was assaulted by a
man named HENRY Brown, knocked down,
pounded in the face and on the head, stamp
ed upon the breast, and would have been
killed instantly but for the interference of the
oy-standers. AS it is, the physicians enter
tain but little hope of RIDLEY's recovery,
being quite an old man. Brown Immediately
lied across the river: but was pursued and
in the course of the chase was fired at five
or six times; he was finally captured and
taken to Red Wing, where Justice HoYr
committed him in default of $4,000 bail to
the City Prison to await the recovery or
death Of his victim.
TIE Winona Republican estimates that the
Transit Railroad from Sanborn's W arehouse.
the depot site in Winona, for ten miles west
ward will be graded in all this month-iudg-
Ing from the accounts displayed by the Con-
tractors.and the number of hands employed.
The Transit are after the first 100000 for
"eradirg ready for the Superstructure -
Sharp!
A NARROW escape from death by lightning
occurred near Rodeslie, Olmsted County.
recently. During heavy thunderstorm, a
Mrs. Eresser while proceeding to close the
door Of the house, was struck by lightning,
and thrown by the effects of shock to the
floor with considerable violence, and strange
to tell, escaped without the least personal in
jury except what was the natural result of
the fright occasioned by the occurrence. Her
clothing was somewhat torn, both shoes were
stripped from her feet and literally torn in
pieces. Her son who was in the hou Sc at the
time sitting at the back part of the room, also
received slight shock, rendering him insen-
sble for few moments. The lightning en-
tered the building near the open door and
made its exit through the floor under the
cooking stove, melting holes each as large as
buck shot through the stove in dozen
places. Several kettles and other articles of
| stove furniture, situated on and around the
stove at the time of the accident were COM
peted ridden by the passage of the fluid
through their bottoms on its way to the
ground beneath some of them having eight or
ten small holes melted through them. Judg-
ing from the effects upon the stove and furni-
| ture the amount of electric fluid must have
been very. great and the escape of Mrs. Dres-
Ser and her son very remarkable one.
In Goodhue county the Red Wing Rep,d-
lican Of the 23d says the farmers have fairly
commenced the harvest of their winter wheat.
A large amount has already been cut in diff
erent parts of the country. 1t has been
somewhat damaged by the rains and bad
weather of the past few weeks, but that the
rust is not as extensive as many had reason
to iear The amount sown being so much
larger than last year, it is probable that the
harvest will show q considerable excess, not
withstanding the damage it has sustained
Spring wheat and other crops are still in a
very perfect condition and promise large
yield.
A letter in the Rochester Free Press of the
2lst from the Oronoco gold diggings, dated
July 5, says:
Men are beginning to make it paw from
three, to eight and seventeen dollars per dav,
consequently, "the fever" increases, and dep
utations from all parts of Minnesota are here,
to prove that this is no humbug.
"There are now about one hundred and
fifty claims taken, and the men at work, the
claims being fifteen feet front, running across
tHc SulCH anu DUCK lutO tne DluH i've
hundred feet"
In regard to tho gold found in that vicinity
the Rochester Free Press of the 2lst saws:
"Some very fine specimens of pure gold
have been found at this place. The largest
we have yet seen, was worth ninety-fve cents
| and was found on the Zumbro in the neigh
borhood of the bridge on College street.
Many smaller specimens have been found in
the same locality, worth all the way from five
cents each up to half a dollar. We were
this morning shown by Mr.. Grant of Winona,
sample Of gold washed by himself at or
near Kalmar which indicates very rich gold
diggngs, and MIR. Grant is sanguine in the
belief that he can readily make twenty dol
lars per day, at several points in the neigh
borhood of the place where he washed out
the specimens exhibited to US. A party start
ed from here Tuesday last, provided with
picks, rockers and other necessary appurtan-
ces OF miners camp, prepared to do an ex
tensive mining business.