The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-31

G1NsENa-CAusEs OF THE GINSENG Ex-
cITEMENT.-We take the following curious
account of the ginseng movement in this
State from Minnesota its place among
the States
"This plant, the root of which is in favor
with the Chinese for its medicinal virtues, is
found only in wooded districts, and is pre-.
pared exclusively for the Chinese market.
"The plant is found in great quantities
and exceedingly we'll developed in the Big
Woods in this state, where it remained un-
noticed except in the notebook of the bot
anist, till the fall of 1858, when sudden
impulse was given to its production, from
some mysterious quarter, and the woods of
the Minnesota river valley were filled with
an eager crowd of ginseng diggers. This
sudden movement in the production of this
obscure plant, forms singular episode in
its commercial history, and we are now for
tunately able to explain the mystery of it.
"The trade in ginseng in this country has
been controlled entirely for the last fifteen
years by single firm in Philadelphia, in
whose warehouse the article is prepared
and stored for the Chinese market. Twenty
years ago the plant was obtained in Yer
mont, with depot in Boston. Being ex-
hausted in that locality, the Boston trade
declined, or was transferred to PHILADELPHIA.
the root being now procured from Western
Virginia and Pennsylvania. Sixty cents
per pound was paid for it in its raw state,
at the Philadelphia depot, sufficient proof
of its rarity. Familiar with the range of
the plant and the resources of the localities
where it was found, the dealers in the article
contracted with shrewd Virginian for all
he could furnish. In few months after
ward, they were surprised at the receipt of
enormous quantities, the root being of re-
markable excellence. Accustomed to fur.
nish it for the local as we'll as foreign mar>
ket, they were soon after astonished to find
extraordinary supplies of ginseng in the
market from some mysterious quarter. The
Philadelphia dealers endeavored to arrest a
movement which threatened to ruin their
trade, by buying up all the ginseng that
was offered, at high prices. They paid as
high as 80 cents for it, but could not exhaust
the market nor discover whence the extra>
ordinary supply came, until detective
force was organized, and the source of the
repletion was traced to Minnesota. The
Virginia contractor was found at the bottom
of the movement. He had managed to OBJ
tain his ginseng from Minnesota at 6 to 8
cents per pound, and to sell it in PhiIadel-
phia for from 60 to 80 cents. For reasons
which will suggest themselves, the shrewd
contractor, in order to conceal the origin
of his packages, found it necessary to dis
guise their contents and place of deporta-
ton, by frequent changes of marks. Hence,
the actual quantities exported did not APP
pear. One result of the operation was a
thorough canvass of the state by an expe.
rienced agent of the Philadelphia dealers
and the discovery that the Big Woods con-
tanned large quantities of ginseng every
where. The valley of the Grow River was
found to be peculiarly rich in this plant,
where it attained remarkable growth. St.
Peter was the principal depot of the Mime
sofa valley for the collection and preparation
of this plant, and it was shipped chiefly
from st. Paul and Hastings. The ware
house books at these points show a total ex-
port of 100000 pounds"
Apropos of the above, the Virginia gen.
tleman has been sued on complaint of
fraud under bis contract, and commission
is now engaged in this city in taking testi-
mony in the case.