St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-04-04

concerning the advantages and disadvan
tages fife here. Everybody writes home
And what shall our hardy settlers say tx
their friends? What shall they say-wha1
have they: sald to the parents and brothers
and uacles and cousins In the Old World
Have they said that they were better of
than ever before? Do they feel that they
would be justified in encouraging theii,
friends in the Old World to hasten oui
here? Many of them have not 50 said. -
Many do not so feel. It depends upon us
all whether they can in the future say So
It depends upon us all Individually and
collectively whether these ten thousand
voices that are constantly going forth, and
which speak to many more thousands shall
say we are alive and active, or rusting out
Whether in fact we can'b be able to say that
there is here earnest endeavor and enter
prise and concert of action and regard fol
those things that make life comfortable,
| cheerful and refined. '.'..' i... :
Has not the fact that asteamboat was
launched upon the Red River of the North
two years ago, and made to navigate its
waters successfully, helped us abroad p
Has not the fact that route of travel has
been opened from the Mississippi to the
distant settlement Of Selkirk, whereby the
trip Of 500 miles is made in nine days
helped us abroad? Is it not of advantage
to us abroad that we have 235 miles Of
Railroad graded and ready for the super
structure? And would it not be Of addi.
tional advantage if some of these roads
were in. operation, whether they were IN
the Northern, Southern or Central part Of
the State? -
It cannot be denied that our people have
been enterprising and public spirited in
works Of improvement, both in town and
country. In few instances perhaps they
have been too self.sacrifcing Let US con-
slider then what now lies in the scope of
our means and ability; and first in regard
to towns. -, T.:
The proprietors of Superior at one time
contemplated the erection Of. an expensive
hotel. But they said to themselves here
is vast forest that separates us from the
fertile prairies of Minnossta. Let us take
this money and build wagon road to, the
Mississippi. They did so. They expend-
ed $40, 900 in building the Mile Lac road;
terminating at Crow Wing; and the coun:
ty in which the town is situated expended
Sis, 900 more in turnplking the military
road leading south towards St. Paul. How
infinitely better under the circumstances
was it to build road instead of new ho-
tel. They now recommend cmigrants to
Minnesota to come to Superior by water
without transhipment, which they could
not have been justified in doing without a
convenient road for an outlet. If the mon.
ey which has been expended in most Of
our large villages in grading streets and the
erection of buildings not yet needed, had
been appropriated for the construction OF
important routes of inland travel, thei,
trade to-day would have been much more
prosperous. A want of foresight has led
many towns in the West to incur large in.
dcbtedness for local improvements, such as
public buildings, street grading and gas
light; and their bonds widely scattered
and tardily paid have injured the credit o1
the North West. Avoiding such errors
we shall advance the future interests of ou,
towns better by making'it convenient fo1
settlers to reach the public lands. In this
way the country will be developed. W.
must have country before we can have
town-and we must have good routes O
travel to that country. Although Ncbu
chadnezzar laid Tyre, the queen Of the sea
in ruins, the people were enabled soon t.
rebuild it to its former splendor, becaus
it still commanded the great routes of an
cient commerce. But in after times whel
commerce was diverted to other routes,
dwindled down to dozen huts. Loui
} Napoleon undoubtedly wishes and expect
to make Marseilles much greater cit
than it is. If he should act on the princi
pie that has governed many Of our Mime
sofa town builders, he would erect fe,
splendid marble palaces, and lay out som
I additions to the city, procuring at the sam
time an elegant map Of the additions Blu
he is pursuing wiser plan. He begin
by cutting ship canal between the Med
I itorraneap and Red seas, so as to shorte
+ the route to the Eastern world. This done
he knows that the commerce of Marseille
and the greatness Of the French natio
will be wonderfully increased. 1t is o
: this princi pie that England is now endea,
oring to augment her power by expendin
twenty-five millions of dollars annually i
pnblic works in India, where besides th
construction Of Railroads, she IS openin
canals for the irrigation of 400, GOO squar
miles Of cotton growing land-an area a
large as that devoted to cotton growing
this country. Then if we would build
: town we should devote the main expend
, , lures at the start in improvements outsid
of its limits.
I But there are many works of culture t
Ebe accomplished in town, that are alway
. within the boundaries Of preseat needs an