The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-07-07


follows the left bank Of the river TO Munich,
name which designates nothing palpable to
the eye or ear but the second crossing Of
the Sank, about Fifty miles from St Cloud
BY our route. BY the State road which was
cut out last winter by the exterprisiDg peo-
pie Of St. Cloud, through an intervening
body Of heavy timber twenty-five mikes in
width, the distance to Munich is sborted 10
winter to about thirty miles, on nearly an
air line from st. Cloud, but for summer use
the road is At present impracticable.
Crossing at Munich to the right bank,
We followed its windipgs to Kandotts, ca
miles from ST. Cloud, where we crossed the
Sank third and last time. At all these
crossings, the river at ordinary stages is
fordable, but since the recent food travellers
must rely upon other means Of passage. At
the first Sank crossing there is sort Of
ferry, at Munich the stream is about 100
feet wide at the crossing and was about eight
feet deep at the deepest part when we
crossed. A portable boat, such ~ will an
swer the purpose Of cart body, is the usual
expedient for the passage OF streams. In
one case, rope suspended across the stream,
by which our Chsron could pull the little
boat backwards and forwards, very much
facilitated the passage Of our "traps." The
animals, OF course, are made TO swim across,
and the carts are dragged over with ropes.
At kandotta the stream Is only few
yards wide, but quite deep aud here We had
TO resort again to our boat. Parties who
follow Us in week or two viii probably
not need boats, as, If the rains cease, the
streams will be- iorjable for the rest Of the
season.
From kando,ta TO Osakis Lake, dis
lance Of ten miles, the road passes over Il
hump.backed knobby prairie, but generally
free from bogs and sloughs, and with lew or
no evidences of settlement.
With Osakis Lake, which is the main
source Of the Sank, terminates the beautiful
Sank valley, which is q splendid panorama
Of charming sylvan pictures oil along its
course. In the character Of the soil, IN the
abundant distribution Of wood and water
and all the incidents Of model farming
country, | have seen nothing in Minnesota,
nor in the west, TO compare with the north
ern slope Of the Sank valley, II the Blue
Earth region and Crow River valley be
excepted, and these do not surpass the Sank
valley in the traits most attractive to the
farmer. The entire valley has been occu'
pied by settlers within the last two or
three years, and Notwithstanding the
fearful havoc Of the grssshoppers in
1856 and 1857, the country along the
Sank presents evidences OF remarkable thrift
and prosperity. The Pixies Peak mania
completed the devaststions Of the grasshop.
pers--by drawing of great many OF the
sufferers by the latter calamity-only to
plunge them into worse disasters. A good
many Of the Pixies Peak victims have re-
turned TO their abandoned homes, or are on
their way 10 them.
What surprised me most was the large
performance Of Germans in the population
Of the Sank Valley. You may travel fifty
miles from ST. Cloud out, and every man you
meet will be German, and for the most
par, utterly ignorant OF the language OF thei'
adopted country. To lose your way, Or gel
hungry, in an exclusively German neighbor
hood, is, for all practicable purposes, the SAINT
as being lost in the woods, and remaining
hungry. The most graphic pantomime anc
expressive gesticulation fails to supply
medium Of communication with them. Th'
Demostbenic rule Of" action" as the essenc'
OF oratory, vas. well enough for the keen per
captions of the Greek or the subtle discrimi
nation Of the North American Indian. Bu
the immobile intellect Of the phlegmatic leu
ton has no sympathy with motion IN any 0
It's forms. The complex chiromaDcy OF sign
and gesture 10 which the Indian or French
man reads your meaning at glance, onl,
confases and sppals the Dutchman. wh'
simply wonders from what lunatlc asylum
you have escaped, and II you really mean Il
strike him.
We encamped On the 9th inst. at Osaki
Lake the source OF the Sank, when the vale,
culminstes in q landscape Of SURPRISING low
liness.
Osakis lake is about twelve miles lont
and four or five miles wide, and with tb'
deep shadows Of its sombre fringe Of woods
presents one OF the finest sheets OF water
have seen IN Minnesota. Like oil the lakes it
this region, the shining beach, paved viii