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

during which il has fall Of but four
inches per mile, with width of from $40
feet TO 1900 yards and with an unintsr-
rupted navigation for first class boats to
New Orleans.
The Mnne,ofa R,rsr The Minnesota
takes its rise In the Coutcau dcs Prailies
in Dakota, and expanding into big StoRo
Lake on our western boundary, flows with
an immense sweep TO the south through
the heart Of Minnesota, omptying 470
miles from Its source into tho Mississippi, :,
five milcsab 81. Paul. From Big Stone
Lake 10 its mouth II has fall Of only
222 feet, or less than six inches per mile.
Forty miles above Its mouth u ledge
Of rock obstructs navigation at the lowest
stage Of water. In ordinary stages boats
Of u small size run freely to Patterson's
Rapids q distance of pos miles from its
mouth. Beyond this at slight expense Il
might be made navigable to Big Stone
Lake, where a portage not q mile In
width separates It from the navicabls
waters Of the Rod River. Along its nav.
igablc course il sustains an average width
Of GO yards, expanding below Shakopso
to 800 feet at its mouth.
The Red River. The Red River rises at
Elbow Lake, within six miles Of the source
Of the Mississippi, whence IL flows south.
ward through Otter Tail and other con.
adorable lakes, and breaks throu n low
range Of hills westerly to its confluence
with the Sioux Wood, on our western
boundary. where IL starts with replsn.
ished volume upon its navigable career,
and washes our western boundary for All
miles, with depth Of from six to fifteen,
feet, and interlocking In Lake Winnipeg
with navigabls rsac' ss that stretch west
ward TO the Rocky Mountains.
The ". Cro,x R,psr. The ~. Croix and
its lake expansion which contributes sixty
miles of na, igablc waters TO Minncsota, and
over . hundred miles Of our eastern boun.
Diary, is less important for these than the
unrivalled water power and timber man.
ufactures Of which it Is tho seat.
Lake Superior. Lake Superior, which,
considered ~ an expansion Of the st.
Lawrence. rises with the 81. Louis River
in the magical ring Of the IIAuteurs des
Terrc,, and is fed by tho Rainy Lake chain
Oh the international frontier, washes 200
miles Of northwest border, and with Nh area
Of 81 900 square miles links s with great
systems Of the east.
Valley Slopes and Miner H,,nm' These
great hydrograpbcal subdivisions suggest
obvious groupings Of local features.
!. The io,er M'""pp' paii,y f,om The
Io,ea 10 n. mouth o) the Minnesota, smb,ac.
ing the tributary poi''y' Of The Roa R'Usr,
N. Mnneska. he Zumbro, The Cannon and
Jum,Aion. wh'h dram The eastern range "
Southern CountO. The progressive ele
vation Of the blun ranges from $50 feet
above tidewa,cr at Fort Smelling To 200
on the Iowa line, indicates the general
slope Of the country.
Below Lake Pepin where these bluffs
rise three and four hundred feet above
the river, the ealcareous exposures Mt their
submits, broken by intervening ravines
into grim, grey peak. and craggy mural
turrcts, crowned with trees, and rounded
At their sides into fantastic shapes, with
every variety Of picturesque combination
and grand and graceful outline, they make
q scenery the most magnificent and I'M
posing in the world.
The terraces which .knt the base Of
these hills or the decliyities Of the hills
tbcmselve. sloping gently TO the waters
edge, afford convenient utes for thriving
towns.
The lateral valleys share in the features
ofthi. gradual elevation. The VerrnilliOn
and Cannon Rivers flow through smooth,
wide prairie. almost to the very mouths.
The course Of the Iumbro. Mlnnciska and
Root River. are marked n they approach
their outlet. by deep sInuous rayine-, cut
through the series Of s"dimcntary rocks,
whose ca.tellatsd submits towering above
the intervening valleys seem like huge
Titan. guarding the sleeping beauty be-
meath. The soil of the valley bottoms is
slluvial very deep, and a'toni'hiogly fertile
Upon the slopes. ridge. and prairis. " here
Il !. derived from the magnetism limestone
which it overlays, Il /. scarcely less So