The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-23

We have received the fourth and iifsh |
numbers of the or-Nssssr," published 1T
the Red River settlement they are 'ddted
respectively the 18th and 18th Of Febraary.
and contain large amount Of interesting
local matter. Mr.JAxEs Ross, Postmaster
at Selkirk, and an old settler has become
associated IN the publication Of the journal,
with Messrs. BUCKINGHAM and CALDWELL.
The following extract from IN article on the
geographical features of the Red River
country, very graphically presents its ad.
vantages;:
On lookiBg on this map, we notice particu-
larly the grand network of water communica.
ton which oveTspreads it, andwhich points out
this very Settlement as the future headquarters
of all central British America. The Red River
connects us, on one side, with Minnesota, ana.
on the other, leads into lake winnipeg, ana ont
of it, through Nelson River, into hudson's Bay.
at Fort Garry, and carries us westward and
northward almost to the Saskatchewan. From
the southeast corner of Lake Winnipeg we can
easily reach Lake Superior by Winnipeg River,
Rainy Lake, and the cnaln OF waters IN tnat
line land once on this the greatest of the great
lakes,of America, we are, of course, on the
highway to the Atlantic Ocean. At the north
west end of Lake Winnipeg comes in the great
Saskatchewan, which takes us to the foot OF
the Rocky Mountains. Magnificent network OF
water communication is q real element OF future
greatness, and should be ranked among the
first of our great natural resources.
A course of lectures on Italy by Rev.
JOHN BLACK, has been delivered at the
"Foray Plain School house" in the settle
ment.
The fact that the Selkirk settlement is to
be created into crown colony, and to have
judges, governors and necessary officials
of her own, Imported direct from Eng-
land" has created considerable rejoicing.
The idea of local Legislature, and small
dose of popular sovereignty, has evidently
inhamed the minds of the Selkirkers politi-
cally inclined with visions of future renown.
An explosion of several bags of gunpow>
der, carelessly deposited near stove by a
couple Of Indians, on the 2lst of February,
nearly destroyed the residence of the Cath
Ole Bishop Of st. Boniface. Some thirty
or forty persons were in and. around the
building, all of whom narrowly escaped be-
ing burned in the ruins.
The last outgoing mail from the settle
.ment, via Pembina and st. Paul, was the
largest ever dispatched. 1t contained 246
letters for Great Britain and ireland, IS for
the United States, 100 for Canada, and
some for France and Norway. 1t also con-
tanned 434 newspapers for Canada, about
260 for England, and liz for the United
States, or q total of 46l letters and SO6
newspapers.
A correspondent of the Nor Wester,
Mr.. DONALD, GgNN, communicates the fol-
lowing interesting article on the importa-
ton Of merchandise by the first settlers:
During the first tbirty.six years of our
existence as Settlement, all the foreign
articles used here,were brought from Great
Britain, the greater part being forwarded
by an agent from London, while the balance
was obtained from merchants residing in
Edinburgh and. Glasgow.
For the first few years, goods were sent
out to this country by the Earl of Selkirk,
and store was kept by his agents in this
place, for the purpose of supplying articles
of European manufacture. These articles
were sold at extortionate prices. After the
coalition of the Northwest and Huds0n's
Bay Companies, in 1874, the latter under
took to supply the Settlement with mer>
chandise but for many years the supply
was inadequate to meet the demand. This
evil, however, like some Others, brought
about it's own remedy. Enterprising indi-
viduals who had money saw that it might
be safely and advantageously invested in
goods, and that while they woald be enrich
ing themselves, they would be beneftting
their fellow settlers. And thus the number
of private importers, which was at first very
small, soon increased.
Some of your foreign readers might, per-
haps, wish to know how we manage to
transmit the cash for these outfits. In the
fall of 1923, the Hudson's Bay Company
introduced paper currency into the coun-
try, consisting of one pound, five shillings,
and ore shilling notes, payable at York
Factory. in Bill of Exchange on the Gov.
ernor, Deputy Governor, and Committee of
the Hudsons Bay Company, London, at
sixty dayss sight.
1t may be difficult to state the exact
amount Of our annual imports For some
years past, they have exceeded EXC, 900 stg.
rather more than half being the HudsOn's
Bay Comparys. Let it be understood that
in mentioning this sum / speak only of the
prime cost. The expense of freight from
London to York Factory, on Hudson's Bay,
has varied at different times. The Hudson's
Bay Company once professed to charge G5
stg. per ton; afterwards, 98 per ton.
There is, however, good reason to believe
that instead of 98, the settlers have paid
from 4l0 to eco per ton. Once landed at
York Factory, the goods are conveyed from
thence to the Settlement in boats or barges
made expressly to suit the rapid and shall
low rivers through which they have to pass.
They carry from Is to IS pieces each,
which ia general cargo might be equal to
100 or lilo pieces of 80 lbs. each-this be-
ing the standard weight Of piece
The navigation from London to York
Factory is .di6ienlt and dangerous. After
crossing the Atlantic, you meet with huge
icohor0o IN The ahoppa Of Labrador a cnlIi.