St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-02-24
co r e ESP ON D Eve e.
For the Democrat. t3e:.. .. !,54a l..ss-~-=
I Mail Route to Puget Sound.

for ING icn'ocra'. ts}3!% ~, .755o t.a~~=
Mail Route to Puget Sound. 3
I'D ~ I: !:,,ll.---. -. ....s u1a .@Efjs
/ noticed iii your paper Of last week,
the proceedings. Ola large and enthusias-
tic meeting recently held inst. Paul, in
which a Report was made, and Resolutions
passed, embracing many valuable statis-
tics relative to the importance Of an
overland Mail Route from St. Paul to
Puget Sound and, determination to
urge the General Government into active
measures in its behalf. -.
Congress established q Mail route,
during the Session of 1854, from St.
Anthony's Falls, .uio IT. Union, Fl.
Benton, and the Dalles, to Puget Sound 3;
being the same Route surveyed by Gov
Stevens. Tie Post. Office Department
has, almost every year since, advertised
the Route to be lst, and has. received
bids to carry the mails as advertised, for
q reasonable sum; but, in the exercise Of
their discretion, they have deemed the
Route Of not sufficient Importance, to
incur the necessary expense to put it in
operat,on:- r. +
Thus far, we have quietly acquiescedc.
in their decision, thereby admitting the
Justice Of their policy. Whatever argu-
ments would hcve been sufficient for the
pas past, can no no longer he justly urged TO
I postpone: this.greas National enterprise
The large and constantly Increasing 5i1 pop
.uIationsof Oregon and Washington Terri
tories, and the recent influx OF zs--Ameri-
cans into British Columbia, induced by
the discoveries Of the rich Gold mines OF
Fra zer river, in connection with the mar
,vellous and rapid strides Of Minnesota in.
population, commerce.; and wealth tho
settlement of the Red River valley, its
navigation by one or: more Steamers the
coming Summer, now bei2g All admitted
fact-the organization Of the Territory OF
Dacotah ana The extinguishmei't Of the
Indian title to most OF the Land in that
Territory, projects that will doubtless Be
consumated' during the present Congress,
the building the Military road from the
head OF navigation Of the Columbia to
IT, &l3enton,E a. distance eff five hundred
miles, which is now in process Of construc-
ton by the Govcrnment--the completion
Of which, and upon the opening, the
,,wesent Winter, Of the State Road from
St. Citsaud to Breckenridge, good route
will be furnished from St: Cloud to the
nayiuable Yates. Of the Columbia, for
Post coaches or. EN-. rant teams. -.
|, The opening Of roaos, ansss other other reasons
aforementioned, furnish additional induce y
nents, that could. not have been ur65eei
when Congress established this route,
! why the +. Department should now incur
the expense Of letting this contract.
What I have said, is independent Of
the well known fact, that this route is
much shorter than any other overland
route to the Pacific, besides being far
superior in cimate, ! soil, grass, timber,
and water. ,--. - =, ~
st: Cloud has more at stake, and would
be more benefited BY tho success Of this
enterprise, than any ether town in the
4 Northwest. "A glance atthe map, will
i i prove the assertion thata straight line
from Milwaukee, via st. Paul, Breckin.
! ridge, Ft. Union, and TT. Benton, te
], Puget Sound, would pass through st
i Cloud making 1t the starting point from
i the Mississippi: tss= i.ss.
d d In addition to the fact above stated
a the narrow beltof prairie extending from
q St. Cloud, Northswest up the valley 9
4 Sank River until il dntersectss The prairie
8 on the vaIla5 q. Red River, sfurnis hes th'
'I1enly natural 1optlst vest from The 1liissis
ippi; End North 81 .bo Minae.ota lrii,ver