St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-07-18
Corrtspon
MELRosE, MIMI, July IL, 1861.

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DEAR DEMOCRAT On last Monday
at l03 o'clock in the forenoon, our party
left St. Cloud. There were but four of us
at the time-the cook, two mound-build-
ers, and your correspondent. When COM
p!ete, the party consists Of seven persons,
two surveyors, two chainmen, two
mound builders Gone of these serves as
driver until we arrive at our camping
place, and when we commence work orr
will act as Aagman) and the cook-the lat
ter by far the most important parsonage
in the camp. Arriving at St. 10 at g.!
o'clock p. NJ, we took dinner at Lime
mans in order to save time, and in about
an hour started again and camped four
miles :.west. Just beside US camped a
couple of Fort Abercrombie teams the
driver had fifty pounds of pork on the hind
end of one of the wagons and during the
night scme OK in wandering around eat
all but about fifteen pounds, AS the dri.
yer was taking it up for his own consump-
ton during :he summer, it Was rather a
hard loss to him. We rather think it Was
not long before those oxen would just as
lief they had not partakcn so largely Of
raw pork-that is, it this lot operated in
the usual way.
Next morning at 81 o'clock, We reached
Cold Spring. About midway between
this and Richmond, B, one of the
surveyors and contractors, both of WHOM
had remained at St. Cloud: overlook US in
the stage, and passed on to Richmond.-
We reached this latter place little after
II NJ, and after cooking and eating din
ner, rcpacked our wagon and at 4 o'clock
resumed our journey. During the after
noon, while B-t and myself wcro walk
ing some distance ahead of the team, we
saw just before US a beautiful doc and two
young fawns They stood watching us
for several minutes, within shotgun Dis
tance, and then bounded slowly a short
distance up the side Of a brushy hill, when
they turned and viewed us again. AS
there is game law c. We did not attempt
to shoot them. might add in this con.
nection, that our guns were in the wagon
more than mile behind. Camped that
night about eleven mills west of Richmond
in the midst of smart shower. Without
any special adventure We arrived at this
piece about seven o'clock this evening
fifty miles from St. Cloud.
All the party are in capital health an6
spirits. We have met with no accident.
to impede us, or mar the pleasures of tn.
trip.
1t would be amusing for you to SCI
some Of the party who have been acc US
toned to "a small piece Of tender steak
| if you please" with Worcestershire sauce
now take full slice from chunk of mes.
pork, with relish of half cup of tn,
genuine grease, fried out during the cook
ing, and in short time transfer it's upli
cate from the skillet to his plate, and from
thence to the resting place of its prede
cessor. The meal is generally finished b,
"Cook, another small piece Of that pork.
In order that you may know that we ar
not likely to suffer for some time, I vii
tell you that we have on board one barre
of mess pork, (besides twenty-five pound
for use until we reach our camping place
four hams, eight sacks of -four, ten 0
beans, one of dried apples, besides sugar
coffee, tea, etc., etc. The contractors hav
also made arrangements for getting u
i about fifteen hundred pounds more PROV
sions, as we shall need them.
There is a strange enchantment in thi
camping out. One gets up in the morn
ing, after having done his work the prect
. ding day, eaten his meals Of the usu'
camp fare, and in the usual camp manner
and slept in the tent rolled up in hi
s blankets, feeling fifty per cent. bette
than though he had eaten more sumptuou
food and slept in a more luxurious name
in town. Though perhaps one might nc
r. prefer to live in this manner continual,
d there is nothing to equal it for change.
Crops are in very promising condition
Especially as we approach this porto
of;the country do they appear most favor