The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-01-13
For the Emigrans Aid Journal.
An Evening on the VermtlliOn.

For the Emigrant Aid Journal.
An Evening ON the VernltlliOn.
It may not be known to your readers East, how our
settlers away from the towns and cities, pass their winter
months to make them pleasant. A week ago | was
invited to spend a day with a friend residing in the Yer
million Valley, and embraced the opportunity to sec
farm life in a Minnesota winter. The weather was jus
such as to make a few hours ride agreeable, and a little
more snow would have made the roads equally SO. Bur
in spite of the Eastern accounts the weather has not
been cold, nor the snow deep enough to cover the earth.
After getting on the prairie, the immense waste before
us, scarce broken by a settlement, seemed to speak Of
a desolation that had fallen upon the land that was so
enchanting in beautiful flowers and carolling birds a few
weeks previous. Now the roses had given place to the
dead grass that covered the bare ground or protruded
through the thin patches of snow which had ~withstood
the warm rays of the sun, and the dead silence was un-
broken by even the tiniest insect. 1t might have been
grand with an entire spotless covering; hut there was
no poetry in the sedgy patches of ground, or the twist
ed limbs Of the few stunted oaks that broke the expanse.
How uninviting thought we, as we hurried along as
fast as the nature of the road would permit, to the point
of our destination. Even the fences, which We began
to approach, made the gloom deeper, Invested Of the
rich treasures which they were placed there to guard.
And now we are at the door Of our friends log cabin.
A cheerful welcome from him, and the noisy greetings
of the children, in which the house animals all took part,
unrepressible by the subdued admonitions of the good
dame, told how gladly they met their ~neighbors, and at
once made me feel at home.
A cheerful happiness pervaded the whole scene now.
The duties of the field were over, and the profusion OF
tbo;, ~;oh r;ft, hos mad IN Tho harm sforn kouce and col.
lar, and in stacks around the premises, plainly showed
the propriety of the rest which the fields were p~artaking.
An hours chat with the host made me acquainted
with the success of the summers work, by which they
had a large supply of stores for man and beast, and to
exchange for other necessaries. The plans for the future
were explained, and the calculations entered into, that
would c~onsummate the hopes with which they began
their life in the wilds of Minnesota.
BY this time the evening meal was ready, for which
the drive over the prairie had given me an appetite al
most voracious. After p~artaking Of the substantials
and dainties so nicely prepared by the lady of the house,
the never-failing accompanied out West-a good smoke
was INDUCED in. l spoke Of the absence of neigh
bors, and inquired about the intellectual training Of the
children. l was informed that they had a good school
house, an excellent teacher, and an attendance of up
wards of twenty scholars. They had social gatherings
weekly, and n~eighbors were near enough to make visits
Of easy occurrence. l was then informed that they had
a Lyceum ia successful operation, which, met that even.
ing at the school house.
At the hour for meeting | accompanied my host to
the school house, something less than a mile distant
on entering we found a room well filled with The enter
prising settlers of that beautiful valley, and with them
their wives ana some Of the young folks. AZ interest
ing conversation was ~partaken in by all present, showing
the intellectual character Of the people. Punctual at
the hour, the President, John Mckay, Esq, called the
meeting to order. After some preliminary business
connected with the Society, the question for discussion
that evening was stated 1t was in relation to the en-
tire freedom of the public lands, in limited quantities,
to actual settlers. For two hours the subject was dis.
cussed in a mastery manner; almost every man in the
room had something pertinent to say, and all betrayed
a clear understanding of the subject, and showed they
had read and studied the matter as peculiarly affecting
their interest. The decision according the lands to th'
settler as his right, free Of all demands, except for &C.
tuai expense incurred for surveying, registering. and thu
like, was emphatic, and so would it be through the West
and also the whole nation, If once submitted TO The
opinion Of the people.
The mental sxsrtion produced a gratifying effect