St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-10-06

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Of various kiuas, executed on short notice.
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s. A:INT CLOUD.
81. Cloud is the point At which the Red Riv~
or trains srass the Mississippi on their way to
Gt. P.al, which proves it to be the natural
junction sf land travel between these two great
arteries Of trade. 1t is At the present head Of
steam navigation on the Mississippi. Boats
run regularly. during the Spring and early
Summer months, f:sm st. Anthony to this
place.
The map gives its position correctly with
reference to ali 'hclnost important points IN
the Territory, but the peculiar beauty OF its
location, and fertility Of the surrounding coun-
try can not be transcribed. Within fifteen
nne Of St. Cloud, on opposite sides Of tie
river, and at different points of the compass
are eight lakes varying in size from mile to
miles in circumference, all, save one, beau
it'll, exceedingly, three OF them at least, deep
en- ough to float a man-of-war. Wooded banks,
Gle an pebbly shores plentifully mixed with
coraelian; and waters abundantly supplied
with fish.
When Gov. Stevens made his survey of n
northern railroad route to the Pacific in '53,
,issippi below Sank Rapids The place was
nameless-he present site Of st. Cloud; but it
is here his route leaves the river. In the sum-
mer Of SIS claim cabin was built on the spot
where we now write, good saw mill, the
frame Of large Hotel and eight OF er dwell
ings were put up that summer. This last fall
there were three hundred and thirty-two votes
p,lled in the precinct. Not the votes Of lndi-
ans or Half Breeds, for there are none here
4 majority Of the inhabitants Of the country
are hardy Germans, with sturdy wives aud
children cultivaiing the soil and working at
mechanical employments.
The subsoil is sandy and although the soil is
from one to three feet deep, rich black loan
supporting rank vegetation, the drainage is
80 perfect and the air 50 pure that breathing
is perpetual pleasure. AS yet, our physi-
clans have discovered no diseases peculiar to
the climate, no indeg :nious complaint except
the ''Minnesota Appetite" which requires one
fourth more treatment than a modest Pennsyl-
vania or Ohio attack Of o corresponding dis
ease.
Any body who wants to drink whiskey in
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 q law enforcing that provision. but
people Of moderate means and industrious hab-
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 pecuniary independence are bet
ter combined.
There are immense tracts of pine lying above,
from which the mills at St. Paul, St. Anthony,
and the Minnesota Valley are supplied. These
employ large and cver-increating force OF
men, horses snd oxen, who are to be supplied
with provisions, clothing and feed. The soil is
waiting for an opportunity to produce unlini-
ted quantities Of food without troubling the
farmer crushing clods; willie the Mississippi
from St. Paul to Little Falls can afford to turn
r,ill at almost any point a:1 has water pow
er enough 70 do the manufacturing for Con-
tineut.
Cur natural meadows p:o3rcs grass from
four to six feet high, and the acetkilled of our
prairies is quite equal to any stall fed we ave
ever eaten Our vcnison is fine at ten cents
per pound, rabbits, prairie hens, partrldges,.
ducks, &c., plenty. Thousands of bushels Of
srerns FOR the hogs that arc not here to eat
them. Fuel for the labor Of cutting and haul
,rg Of the ground; and there is no likelihood
e the supply running out soons as the Big
Woods" extend from this place some twenty
E:,cs or more, down this side ociLe river end
from eight to twelve miles back Our p-alrics
are al dotted with strips Of wood land, Coax
Openings which just look Hike old orchards,
dense Tickets Of plum trees bearing delicious
fruit, grape vines, doing likewise, thousands OF
acres of hazel bushes and strawberry vines, ZEN :
gagged in the same business; while some hun
dred acres are in the cranberry trade and turn
out IN article, which for quantity and quality
eonnot be excelled The blackberries red rasp-
berries and hops tack up their shingles in the
woods and seldom dissappoint the most SAIL
guine expectations Of their customers. There
is still land ten or fifteen miles back which set
tiers can get at govcrnwent price, ny building
cabin and living on it until it comes into
market. Actual settlers can buy lots here at
from enc to five hundred dollars, and specula-
tors can have the same lots at from five to if
cen hundred.
In some Of the river towns back, places that
will be pleasant villages, lots can be had gratis
by those who will build and live on them
This, in places where house can be built for
fifty dollars that would be palace compared
10 the dens rented in large cities for and 5
dollars per month, while the lot, with only the
aid Of q grubbing hoe and a few days labor,
would bring vegetables to feed family, and
every township has 600 acres appropriated to
the 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 St. Anthony, built of stone on an
eWiNeuCe coluuiAnulnS-A view VI tEe 1aAls, anu
no State in the Union has better foundation
for = good system of popular education. No
other prairie State is so well timbered as Min
nesota and no State more abundantly supplied
with clear water. In the country surrounding
kt. Cloud and as far North and West as we have
any reliable account, settlers find no difficulty
in locating land on q running stream or trans
parent lake with plenty of timber at hand for
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
neighbors 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 81: -"
The country around ST.. Cloud, west of the