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

sale trade o. Saint Paul 10 with the Mime.
80 Valley. II is estimated that exclusive
OF transhipments, yielding commissions on
many thousand tons Of freight, annually
stored and forwarded, that at least million
Of dollars worth Of merchandise is now sup
piled TO the Minnesota Valley, from Saint
Paul.
rHs MISSISSIPPI RIVER TRADE.
Above the Falls Of ST. Anthony two
steamboats, Of small size ran regularly to
Saint Cloud aud Sank Rapids, distance OF
IS miles From this to Little Rapids,
further distance Of 40 miles, il is again ma
vigable by steam thence TO rokegama
Falls in high water, q distnco OF nearly 400
miles - making an aggregate uavigablc
chain OF 535 miles above the Falls Of 81.
Anthony, in three links.
In the summer Of 1858, the Arson
Nor,hrup, a small steamer Of 60 tons bur.
then, was pushed by its owner Of the same
name, over the Sank aud Little Rapids, and
assembled from the latter point, without diff
Guilty, TO within few miles Of Pokegoma
Falls thus demonstrating the value Of the
upper Mississippi as channel OF trade.
A we'll organized steamboat and in,erme-
date shipping connection, would utilize this
whole uavigable distance rs a commercial
thoroughfare. As yet the whole distance
above Sank Rapids is unsupplicd with
steamboating.
Navigation, however, is liable 10 inter.
ruptions in seasons OF drought. On this nc
count, the weight of transportation and
travel from 81. Paul, is by land carriage.
ST. Paul supplies annually, about $780,
600 in merchandise TO tho upper Mississippi
valley, exclusive Of merchandise forwarded
from the levee. There has been during the
last year, marked increase in the whole
sale trade OF ST. Paul with the Mississippi
valley,
Some merchants. long ia the trade. have
more than trebled their business with the
growing settlements OF this region.
THE RID RIVER AND N0RrnwEsrERS TRADE.
The frat experiment in using the Red
River as channel Of commercial communi.
cation is now in progress. The machinery
Of the Arson Northrup, above referred to,
in March last and during the pending
month was transported from Crow Wing 10
the Red River ut Shayenne, where parties
arc now engaged in reconstructiDg her hull
aud fitting her up for the navigation Of this
stream. From breckenridge to Pembina
the nayigable distance on this stream Is All
miles, II IL u hundred miles further 70
Lake Winnipeg. which is 200 miles long.
The whole navigable distance on this river,
its tributaries, and IAka Winning is 900
miles, The navigablc reaches beyond this
belong to another topic.
The Sekirk Settlement, situated 80
miles north OF the American boundary.
contains "a population of over G,000 souls.
Scotch, French aud Half Brscds, partially
devoted TO agriculture, but in the main con
nected with the fur trade operations Of the
Hudson Bay Company This settlement
was established In 1873 by Lord Sclkrk.
Tho stringent commercial monopoly Of the
Company has heretofore prevented the freq
commercial development Of this interesting
community.
The goods heretofore imported by the
Hudson Bay Company via Hudson bay,
are about 100000 per year, which has
been distributed along tbs posts on the trib
utaries to Lake Winnipeg. The gross value
Of The furs exported in return, has been a.
least 81 100000.
Before 1874 this whole trade was forced
through the difficult and unnatural channel
Of Nelson's River to Hudson's Bay, where
AL annual ship conveyed the furs 10 Eng
land. Ia 1874, Norman W. X ittson, now
Mayor Of st. Paul, started q post at PEN
biDn, on the international frontier.
The amount OF capital invested in the
first venture. 10 1874, waA only about
$1,000, and the gross proceeds OF the furs
collected in return, scarcely exceeded 81 400.
The next two years operations involved a
similar lo~s. the proceeds Of iurs collected
IN 1855 being only some $4,000, az inst Al
Investment in merchandise, &c. Of "a 900 49,
and Of fnrs in l84G, Of $4,000, against a
capital nvested oi ST. 900. From this time,
however, the stream Of trade began TO turn
in the direction Of tho Mississippi Valley,
and to break over the srtiliolal barriers In
trposed by the Company. In 1880 the
trade had increased ~ IA 10 involve q con.
sumption OF goods 10 the extent OF el0 600
and the proceeds 10 furs were at leas, 8l5.-
900. Five years later, (in 1859 the Penn.
bIna outfit engaged an expenditure e2l.
900, with return in furs Of nearly $40 900
The importance u the trade q. this time
sesmed 10 demand special depot at 81.
Paul, and accordingly In this year, the firm
Of Forbes and KitNon was organized. prin
cipalIy on this basis, sni Mr.. Kl,ison
abspd,ning the subordinate out6, TO young
or traders, took up his residence in this city,
and the enterprisipg firm Of Calver h
harrington aeon after established an agasy
in the same lucrative district.
Ia 1856 the total iurs received at IT.
Paul from this source amounted 10 nearly
$4,000, bring nearly four ii,bs Of the whole
for trade Of 81. Paul.
The total valae OF the Iurs wi eb passed
through ~. I'sul bo1ses 10 1851 for expor.
ta,ion belov amounted W ele0.000-of
which at Issat twothircis. or 1920, 900. was
the product II tbe Red River Valley. last
year, owing " the partial failure Of the Bal
4. u l..