St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-03-24

s AINT CLOUD. 4
St. Cloud is the point ut which the Red Riv- !,
or trains cross the Mississippi on their way to
st. Paul, which proves it to be the natural
junction Of land travel between these two great
arteries Of trade. It is at the present head OF
steam navigation on the Mississippi. Boats
run regularly, during the Spring and early
Summer months. from ST. Anthony TO this
place. s 6 T. TSS So z.5 s.:
Tho map giycsits position correctly with
reference to all the most important points in
the territory, but the peculiar Beauty Of its
location, and fertility Of the surrounding .coun-
try cannot be transcribed Within fifteen
miles Of St. Cloud, ON opposite sides Of the
are eight lakes, varying in size from mile to
miles in circumference, ill, save one, beau-S
tafu1, exceedingly, three Of them Of least, deep
enough to float q man-of-War. ?. Wooded banks,
clean pebbly shores plentifully mixed with
cornclian; and waters abundantly supplied
wi,,, : :.;.: ..,.,. 5. ~ ..r9a, 5,s+a ,z
20 When Gov. Stevens made his survey, Of! 0
northern railroad route to the pacific, lin 3d.
he campedd con the western side Of the Mis-
sissippi, below Saul Rapids. aa1T The place was
Inamcless-the present site Ct st. Cloud; BUTT
is here his route leaves theriyer. liz the sum
MGR Of '55 claim cabin was built on he,spo:
where we now write, a, good saw mill, the
frame of q large Hotel and eight other dwell
there were three hundred and thirty two votes
pollcd in the precinct. Not the votes Of Indi
ans Or Half Breeds, for there are none here;
A majority Of the inhabitants Of the county
arc hardy Germans, with sturdy wives and
children, cultiyating the soil and working at
mechanical employments. 2.lHLil
The subsoil is sand and although the soil is
from one to three feet Deep: rich black loan
supporting a rank vegetation, the drainage is
so perfect and the dir so pure, that breathing
| is q perpetual pleasure. As yet our .physl-
clans have discovered no diseases peculiar to
the climate, no Indigenous complaint except
fourth more treatment than a modest pen"s"'-
vanla or Ohio sttae! of a corresponding dis
Any ncdy who wants to drink whiskey in
ts";; mad :.,etter not come here, for the treaty
ny ":.h1ch the land was acquired from the Sioux,
/ 1orbids it's introduction; and the Legislature
has passed law enforcing that provision; but
people of moderate means and industrious hab-
! "
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,
from which the mills at St. Paul, St. Anthony
! and the Minnesota Valley arc supplied. These
employ large and ever-increasing force Of
men, horses and oxen, who are to be supplied
| with provisions clothing and feed. The soil is
waiting for an opportunity to 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 point and has water power
enough to do the manufacturing for Cont
| nent Us 'r' i'1'i l-i' '''''A ''>' ',>fl'',>'1 q
| + Our natural meadows produce a; grass from
four to six feet high, and the beef killed off our
pcairics is quite equal to any stall fed we have
ever eaten. Our vcnison is dne, at ten cents
per pound, rabbits, prairie hens, cartridges,
ducks, &c., plcnty: Thousands Of bushels: OF
! acorns fertile hogs that are not here to cat
| them. Fuclfor the labor of cutting and haul
ing OF the ground and there is no likelihood
of the supply running out soon, as the '.Big
Woods" extend from this place some twenty
miles more, down this side Of the river, and
from eight to twelve miles back. Our prairjes
| arc all dotted with strips Of wood land, coax
oi'SiiAuSo NA4Cu JUST 1OOA l1hC Oiu OCCuuIUS.
dense thickcts of plum trees bearing delicious
fruit, grape vines, doing likewise, thousands. OF
acres Of hazel bushes and strawberry vines, en-
gagged in the same business; while some hun
drcd acres are in the cranberry trade and turn
out an article, which for quantity and quality
cannot be excclled.E The blackberries red rasp-
berries and hops tack up their sizing in the
woods and seldom disappoint the most SAN
guine expectations Of their customers. There
is still land ten or fifteen miles back which set4
tiers can get, at government price, by building
u cabin and living on it until it. comes into
market. Actual settlers can buy lots here at
from one to five hundred dollars, and specula-
tors can have the same lots at from FIVE to ff-
teen hundred. !. ..., %z.;,,r* z--sitsUf 4
/, 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, in places where house can be built for
fifty dollars, that would he q palace compared
to the dens rented in large cities for 4 and S
dollars per month, while the lot, with only the
laid of a grabbing hoe and a few days labor,
would bring vegetables to feed a family, AID
every township has GOO acres appropriated to
the support Of schools. IL .*f,e,.,, :l..rs :.
|. Seventy thousand acres are appropriated to
State university. A fine building has already
been erected for the use of that institution. It
Is sACuuteA w Ct' hhtAoAy, OUlIC VI eCOnc OH III
eminencc commanding a view Of the falls, and
| no State in the Union has better foundation
for a good system of popular education. No
other prairie State is SO vel e.. tt.lnDered as Min
nesote anu no State more abundantly supplied
! with clear water. In.the country surrounding
St. Cloud and rs 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 fucl, 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 fromthe system Of land in limited guam
titles to actual settlers s.sr;.,.S.f.S ~
! The country around ST Cloud west of the