The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-28

the Superior from the Mississippi basin.
The 81. Louis River which empties into
the head Of the Lake, pssses through this
mountain chain ,ransyrsely from north to
south, presenting u series Of magnificent
views and cataracts 10 its descent. All the
ranges are separated by valleys d from 200
feet TO miles 10 Width, eoursed by small
streams expanding in'o beautiful iakos and
tumbIing 10 picturesque cascades. The
hills are sandy and sterile, supporting
small growth Of soft and hard wood. The
valley. have good s0il, bat often vaiueless
from the swsmps which intersect it, and
covered with thick growth Of soitwood.
A large portion Of the Rainy River val
ley lies north Of the mountain ranges. or
this Sir George Simpson in his overland
journey writes:
"Frum fort Francis downwafds, q stretch Of
nearly q hundred miles, IL IL not interrupted ny
n single impedi,aeatt whiio yet tho current Is
not strong eDough materially 10 fs,afd an AZ
csndiug traveller Nor are tho banks los. favor
able 10 agriculture than tho waters themselves
10 nayiga,ion, resembling, in some measure,
,b5so nf tho Thams. near Richmond From the
very brink Of tho river thero rises gentle slope
81 green .ward crowned In many places with
plentiful growth Of birch, poplar beech elm and
oak IL L too much" DO continues with en-
thusasm, "fof the sye Of philanthropy 10 discera
through tho vista " tutnJity, this bohia stream,
connecting "a II does the fertile shores ~ two
spacious lakes, with eru~sd steamboats, upon ils
Ippnlous towns On it's borders r.
7. The Red Rrcer Faihy--Tbe Ameri-
can valley Of the Red River is about three
hundred miles from the north TO south, and
on the Minnesota slope bounded by II line
drawn from tho head Of Red Lake to Otter
Tail Lake, is about seventy miles vide,
"In ia whole extent, says pope In his official
report 10 Congress, ~ pi eseots m almost IN
broken level Of rich prairie, interseotsd at right
angles by all tho heavily tmbetcd tributaries "
tho Red River from tho east and west, tbs Rcd
River itseli running nearly north through iis
center and heavily tlmberod IN both sides with
elm. oak, maple, ash, Re This valley from its
yast extent, perfect uniformity d surface, rich
ness Of soil. and unlimited supply Of wood and
water, Ia among tho tnest rheaf countries in tho
world"
Again b. says
# assembled tho Red River in boats from our
northern frontier Mt Psmbina h. otter Tail Lake
and foaDd " saVlgabio tor boats for nearly four
hundred miles Vi ,ts pourse Ia the mouth VI tho
SouI Wood River, present site Of Breeken-
ridge
The Red Lake, Wild Rice Buffalo, and
Otter Tail, the principal streams on the
Minnesota side, all head 10 forests Of pine.
Al the great pinin Of the Red River is al
laval resting on DRIFT md limestone, with u
black, strong soil. one 10 three feet deep on
u clay subsoil; below tho mouth Of the Red
Lake Fork, strong ehaly beate springs oonc
from the clay banks; saline springs have also
been discoveries; and in addition to these
particulars, DIR. Owen mentions that "the
air along Red River from the mouth Of the
Psiha % the Fcmbina settlements. latitude
AZ to I9) ia scented during the months Of
jane aud july, with delightful perfume
arising from tho wild roses, which form
thick shrubbery along its banks. Very
probably the margins OF the Red River
will he subject 10 inundaiioa Ia the spring,
but all accounts concur that no more pro-
ductive region or better adapted to the small
cereal grains exists in the northwest.
The region around otter Tail Lake, il
thus dcscribcd by Pope, whose praises are
amply corobora,ed by Owens:
"fo the west, northwest and northeast, the
whole country is heavily timborei With oak
elm, ash. sugar maple. birch, tc,
To tho east tho banks II the Lake are fringed
with heavy oak AMI elan timber 10 tho lepth Of
nile The whole region Of country fr forty
mtes In all directions, Is ono Of tho most heautl.
tul and fertile in the world The hus scenery Of
takes and open groves Of oak timber on the prai-
rios, at winding streams connecting them, aud
beautifully rolling country Ga ait sides, renders
this PORTION Of Minnesota tho garden SPOT II the
northwest II Is impossible in report # this
character, to describe the feelings of admiration
AMI aStouishmcbt With which We first teheli this
charming country, snd were 10 give expression
10 my own ieehngs respecting It, | fear they
would be considered tho tssipg, If q visionary
OF All sn,husssi"
sOiL oF MINNESOTA.
Minnesota has II greater arabic surface
in proportion TO ',s ARIA than almost any
State in the Union. Two-,hirls vt lis solid
surface is highly productive Of all cereals and
roots OF the Temperate zone
It Is generally black or dark calc,,.
rioas loam Astounding in organic and saline
ingredients with sufficient, basis vt clay TO
make il rc,cntiye of moisture. while its wy
etative capacity Is stimulated by the inter.
mixture OF tine PARTICLES Of sand. /, il
owing to the quickening inaaencc OF this
siliceous element which ahsotbs and dissent.
mates the beat Of the sun through its light
and porous texture, that the soil oi Mime
sofa is able TO compete successfully with
any western State in average productive
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