The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-07-14

kHao,ia! co,'spoaae.e, of ne Piosssr gad Dsm1',a,
ALEXANDRIA, June 18th, 1853.
II Is bat twelve miles from Oaks Lake
TO Alexandria yet our carts have been q
day and half accomplishing the distance.
The first half Of the road lies over very
comfortable prairie the last six miles
writhes in the agonies Of the million-barbed
venom Of mosquitoes, through the intestines
Of q deep wood, and when the carts came
out to-day, they looked very much as II they
had been expelled by dose Of medicine
This road, which was cut out by Major
Patton this spring. Is, at least at present.
full OF atrocious mud-holes and exccrable
stumps. One thing the last two days ex.
pericnee has taught M. and that Is the alb
solute necessity OF broad felloes for the
wheels OF vehicles intended to travel over
our prairieS. The superiority Of the Red
River cart for prairie travel, depends en-.
tirely upon this fact, and il was with this
view that Col. MOBILES selected carts Of this
description for the party. The Colonel's
excellent intentions, however. were frns.
trated by the idiocy or rscality Of the
man TO whom he entrusted the making OF
the carts. For building these vehicles the
maker charged some twenty dollars each
One OF them broke down before the expedi.
ton reached st. Anthony, and since then,
the wheels OF soine one or other Of these
abominable contrivaLces have broken down
suery day since we started. You will OBJ
serve that Alexandris, where We are now
encamped, Ii about $50 miles from ST. Paul,
from which We started nearly three weeks
ago. A large share Of our delay has arisen
from the impossible state Of the roads !;
but at least six whole days Of our detention
10 to DO attributed entirely to the wretched
mechanism Of our carts. think, therefore,
II is due to the public, that the fellow who
imposed these miserable nuisances upon our
party should be exposed. do not know
his name. but he pretends to make wagons
in the rear Of EDDYs livery stable, on Fort
street. We have already thrown away
two Of these carts a. incapable Of being
patched up fur any service whatever, and
have supplied their place with large four.
wheeled wagon, whose icllocs were widencd
by the addition of false felOes riyeted on
the side. making total breadth Of over six
inches. The continuance more than an.
swcrs the end designed, and the wagon
runs with load Of nearly 5000 lbs. over the
boys and sloughs scarcely sinking more than
M inch or two In the softest ground. have
dwelt upon this feature Of wide fellocs, b..
cause II Is requisite Of the greatest i'm.
portance in vehicles for travelling in this d.
rection.
My companion, NJ, and myself leaving
the carts to their struggles through the
WOODS, emerged on Monday afternoon upon
beautiful little in,erglade OF Alexandria
where We were agreeably surprised to find
Capt. BLAKsLy with the passengers Of his
two coaches, which had passed us at Rich.
mond, encampei in three tents. From one
Of these, our enterprising friend j. W.TAY.
LoR emerged vita reckless abandonment
Of whiskcr which astonished me. The stage
party found had been waiting three days
Tor their "sappcn and miner" to build
some bridges and complete some other cross,
ings, within distance Of twelve or fifteen
miles west OF Alexandria. beyond which
the road is smooth and dry to Fort Aber.
crombic.
The stage party is decidedly an interesting
one. Beside Mr.. TAYLOR. there are hunt.
ing party Of English gentlemen consisting Of
Sir FRAScIs SYKES, and Mcssrs. SnwrrIn.p
and fsrkRs, on their way TO Red River to
hunt buffalo. All these gentlemen have
been spending years in different parts of
America, trying the metal Of various descrip.
tons Of costly IRE Arms, and accommodating
bear stories, and fox and geese stories enough
from Canada and Florida and elsewhere, TO
try the patience Of the most well bred audi.
snce Of cockneys tina, can be scared up.
But these monimanical Nimrods from Eng
land, are by no means the mos, interesting
al