St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-03-03

SlONA ~ VIC EOtiAl Ut WAlCu viz NCO 1tlS>
er trains cross the Mississippi on heir way 30
st. Paul, which proves it to bc the natural
junction Of land travel between tlcac lwO great
arteries Of trade. 1t is at the present head or
steam navigation Oh the Mississippi. Eoats
run regularly, during the Spring ant! early
Summer months, from St. Anthony to this
place.
The map gives its position correctly with
reference to al themo$t impor,an points in
the territory, hut the peculiar beauty Of it,
location, and fertility Of the surrounding coun-
try cannot be transcribed, Within. fifteen
miles Of st. Cloud, on opposite sides &t!lc
river, and ct different points of the compass
are eight lakes, varying in size from mile to
miles i'll circumference, all, save one, beau
tiful, exceedingly, three Of them at least, deep
enough to float a man-of~war. Wooded banks,
clean pebb!y shores plentifully mixed with
cornclian; and waters abundan!ly supplied
I with ;sh. .
ben Gov. Stevens made his survey of q
| northern railroad route to the pacific, in '53,
he campcd son the western side Of the Mis-
| sissippi below Sauk Rapids" The place was
! ran,eless--the present site Of St. Cloud: but it
| is here his route leaves theriver. In the sum-
mer Of '55 a claim cabin was built on the spot
where VIC now write, good saw mill, the
frame of q large Hotel and eight other dwell
ings were put up that summer. This last fall
| there were three hundred and thirty two votes
pollcd in the precinct. Not the votes of Indi-
ans or Half Breeds, Tivl there arc none here.
4 majority Of the inhabitants Of the county
| arc hardy Germans, with sturdy wives and
| children, cultivating the soil and working at
| mechanical employmcnts.
| The su5soil is sand and although the sol! is
from one to three feet deep, rich black loan
supporting rank vegetation, the drainage is
so perfect and the air so pure, that breathing
is perpetual pleasure. As yet, our physi-
clans have discovered no diseases PECULIAR tc
the climate, no Indigenous Complaint ex1cnt
the '.Minncsota Appetite" which REQUIRES ono.
fourth more treaf-lent than modest Pennsyl.
vanla or e.iio attack Of corresponding dis.
case.
Any body who wants to drink wlliskcy in
I peace had better not come here, for the treaty
by which the land was acquired from the Sioux
forbids its introduction; and the Legislature
has passed a law enforcing that provision; bu,
people of moderate means and industrious Aab-
its who have children to educate, will find few
places where the opportunity for correct moral
training, healthy development of muscle, and
the means of pccuniary independence are bet
ter combined.
There are immense tracts Of pine lying above,
| 4IOIl "HICH lHc Hills hC OIL dtll, ca ANtIOIy
and the Minnesota Valley ere supplied. These
employ large and evcr-increasing force OF
men, horses and oxen, who are to be supplied
with provisions clothing and feed The soil is
waiting for an opportunity 10 produce unlimit-
ed quantities of food, without troubling the far.
mer crushing clods while the Mississippi from
ST. Paul to Little Falls can afford to turn mill
at almost any !o:nt and has water power
I enough to do tie notwithstanding for Cont.
ncnt.
Our natural meadows produce grass from
four to six feet high and lie beef killed off OH,
prairies is quite eqaal to ANY stall ted VIC have
ever eaten Oar v:'ison IS Emo At ten cents
per pound rabbits, ,fa;rie hens. cartridges
ducks, &C., plenty. Thousands Of bushels Of
acorns for the hogs that are not here to eat
them Fuel for the labor Of cutting and haul
ing off the ground; ami there IS TT 'i,c!i.ooG
OF the supply running o';t soo1, a. T." 49,
"ooa:' extend 1rcD. :;is place some twah. )
miles or more, down this side OF the river, +it
from eight to twct~': e,l:les back. Cur H:.ir;:s
are all dotted win strips Of wooa la,.:!, 10" !.
Openings witch lust look like Old orchards.
dense tiiches OF plum trees bearing delicious
fruit, grape vines, doing likewise, thousand: G;
acres Ct .:z@: f',:s!a2 Ind strawberry vines, en-
gagged in The sa:H,, business; while some hun
| died acre: axe i. the cranberry trade and turn
out an article, which for quantity and qualitv
cannot be exccllcd. The blackberries, red rasp-
berries and hops tack up their shingles, in tho
woods; and seldom disarpo!nt the most san
guine expectations of Their customers. There
is still land ten or fifteen miles buck which set
tiers can get. at government price, by building
:, cabin AND living on i: INIT; il comes into
market. Actual settlers cen buy lots. here I'll
t.o,ts ne to five hundred dollars, and speculf-
| ( <1o Lots, &.>C G.
teen hundred.
in some of the river town oack, places that
will be pleasant villages, lots can be had gratis
by those who will build and live on them
This, III places where house can be built 70,
fifty dollars, that would be a palace compared
to the dens rented in large cities for and
dollars per month, while the lot, with only the
aid Of a grubbing hoe and a few days labor,
would bring vegetables to feed family, and
every township has 600 acres appropriated 10
me support OF schools.
Seventy thousand acres are appropriated to
State university. A fine building has already
been erected for the use Of that institution. 1t
is situated at St. Anthony, built Of stone on 81,
enincnce commanding view of the falls, and
no State in the Union has q better foundation
for a good system of popular education. No
other prairie State is so we'll timbcrca as Min
nesota and no State more abundantly supplied
with clear water. In the country surrounding
St. Cloud and as far North and West as VIC have
any reliable account, settlers find no difficulty
i'll locating land on a running stream OR trans
parent lake with plenty of timber at hand 70,
building, fencing and fuel, and as the land on
the West side Of the Upper Mississippi is only
open to presumption, there is little opportunity
for spectators, and settlers have assurance Of
ncighbors and that rapid increase in the value
of their lands and in social advantages which
arise from the system of land in limited guam
! titles to actual settlers.
| The country around St. Cloud, west of the
Mississippi was purchased of the Indians in a
treaty made with them by Hon. Alexander
Ramsey and Luke Lea in 1852 and ratified by
the senate the same year. The Sioux had
owned the land from 1927 but had not occupied
| it, and it was used as a hunting ground by the
Winnebagoes whose land reached within four
miles north Of St. Cloud. Their country was
celed TO the United States by q treaty. hpoan