The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-09
The Upper Mississippi.

Inc writer says.
Il have been collecting specimens on the
Red River of the Nerth. | had indifferent
success, but trust | have done some little
good. | travelled from St. Paul in boat,
with one companion to South Bend of Red
River Here joined traders train, which
| accompanied to Selkirk Settlement, cross
ing the Plains some 50 miles west of Red
River, all the way down. Having gone
within about 80 miles OF Lake Winnipeg,
returned, passing by Pembina, where we
crossed 'he Red River to the east side, and
thence up the east side of Red River and
across to Cow Wing and Fort Ripley, Oh
the Upper Mississippi. l started the latter
part OF July, and got back in alb 'ut three
months. Had much fun camped out, OF
course. | carried no tent, and slept with
only blanket and buffalo robe for my bed.
We depended mainly on our guns for sub
sisterce. On the Plains we shot buffalo
killed one old bull alone in style. Sharp
tailed grouse are abundant throughout Min
ntScta and far to the north.
"rhe Valley of the Red River is very fer
tile, but unfortunately subject to inundation
above Selkirk, and below the mouth of the
Bots DIES Sioux.
'SelkiIk settlement is place that aston
ished me much. have found beautiful oaS
is of civilization in what had thought was
q very poor settlement. Indeed, many veal
thy families live at Selkirk in fine style. Ag
ricuitural pursuits are carried on extensively
and well. They have plenty Of American
reaping and threShing machines a steam saw
and Towering MILL numerous water and wind
mills, &c. The wheat crops here are almost
incredible, fifty bushels to the acre is not a
very unusual crop They count on harvest
ing from fifteen to thirty bushels for every
bushel of seed sown and this often on land
that las been cropped constantly for twenty
years Other crops, such as potatoes oats,
balrey, &C., are good-potatoes very good
The cattle and horses are numerous, and sot
excellent quality. Verify, the "terribln fro
zen North" is not so much of bowling wilder
ness after all. Selkirk settlement contains an
actual population Of some 1000 inhabitants,
nearly all half breeds, or grades between half
bloods and whites. | was surprised at the
intelligence Of the English and Scotch half
breeds. They are more intelligent, moral,
and better educated, as class, by far, than
the white population of many parts of our
Southern States where poor whites are plen-
=
trious and saving.
"Pembina is nothing at all. found there
but one American-the Collector Of Gus
toms-and he, think, the only full blood
white man. There were also few half
breeds and Indians, while few more whites
lived in the neighborhood; the whole not ex-
ceeding hundred, perhaps, and all French
half-brecds and Canadians
BY the way, at a recent Minnesota cleo
ton. Pembina County returned large vote.
Oh but are not the Democrats cool! | am
positive there is not one legal voter in the
county east Of Red River, and all the inhabi
tants of Pembina, ard for ten miles around
with white blood, would rot count up to the
number OF votes returned from "St. Vincent"
town supposed to exist opposite Pembna
on Red River but which really exists aowhere
Sav Int solitary Indian wig1cam Of SKINS on
tie spot ubere st. Tinceat" is said TO be, and
tbs Is annually corered nth tice, ten, and ecen
tce1ty feet Of erater."
On reading the above correspondence,
the public should note particularly the two
concluding paragraphs. Their contents sus
tain the position we took sometime since, as
to the fraudulent character Of the 81. Tiacent
return of POS votes alleged to have been cast
there, for HENRY II. SIBLEY, for Governor,
and for the whole Democratic ticket.
We then stated, from our own personal ac-
qnaintance with the ground where ST. Vim
cent was said to be located, that it was phys
icaiy impossible for any settlement of people
10 81 IL
null oyerilowing of Red River every spring;
AMI that to pretend population of 1000
people, which a vote of 205 would indicate,
existed there was we knew an impudeni
falsehood, part of the game OF fraud aud fer
gerry which tie Anne lean House Sunday
caucus of Democratic politicians originated
and which JOE RoLETTE and J. n. CHASE
and NJ. G. BRYANT carried into execution in
the rascally "Ottertail Canvass"
Well, after a considerable lapse of time,
here turns up an impartial traveller, without
motive TO deceive, who bears witness that
"tLe spot where ST. Vincent is sad to be- is
annually covered with ".fce, ten and ere,
treaty ftd Of qgater !" and that not one house
but only SOLITARY Indian ariguam Of skins,
comprised the sum total Of the human dwell.
lings in 81. Tincent!
Yet 205 votes for SIBLEY are returned
from st. Vincent precinct-205 votes polled
by the Inhabitants of this zone solitary wig
wan of skins y and as the Pioneer would
phrase it, sail for the Democratic ticket"
Is not such rascality transparent ?-and i:
it not too bad for patient endurance? Me.
DAIRY said "he knep the thing aras a id forge
Yy," still he and JOE BROWN counted the re-
turn Of 205 votes as genuine, and on the
strength Of that and other forgeries, gave SrB-
LEY the certificate as having been duly elect
ed Governor Of Minnesota What farce
holding an election will in future be consid
cred, if such outrages are allowed to succeed
At the time We first exposed the nature Of
The St. Vincent forgery, the Pioneer of Nov.
18th came out and defended it. To give the
forgery plausibility, it published the follow
ing:
Sr. VINCENT ELECTION RETURys.-About
the last Of September, we received a bust
ness letter from James M'Fetridge, ESQ.,, Col
lector of Customs at Pembna, in which he
stated that very general movement had
commenced of the people resident at Pembi
IA, across the Red River of the North, to the
new town of St. Vincent, within the bound
aries ofthe State of Minnesota, and that thi:
was produced by their desire to secure ant
take possion of claims at point esteemed
important as the terminus of the most i'm
portant of our railroad lines. Mr. NJ Fetridg
further stated that at the time of writing. tel
cabins had been built at St. Vincent, ant
twenty more were in process of erection.
We do not deem it all singular that 90
votes should be cast at St. Vincent precnc
We were led to anticipate fully as large
vote from Mr.. Fetridge'S letter.