St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-03-28

WnO Aau Deeu accustomed 10 luXurles, lived
without -four or groceries; but very few of
them sswere disheartened.s While there, and
looking on the mex haustible resources Of the
country it was impossible not to feel that bet
ter days were coming. These came tteadily
along. 1n.the spring of '58 company sent
down the river and brought up seed to distrib-
ute amongst the farmers. In the spring of
go our little town exported SO, 900 bushels of
produce; and the pressing question with us
now. is the means of carrying off the surplus:
This is likely to be done by way of Lake Su-
rerior, which is distant from st. Cloud $50
miles. But the old specializing days have left
their mark. An immense amount of property
is mortgaged aud must Be sold.
No better time can offer to men and women
OF small means who want to acquire homes.-
$l,OOO will make q home in that country equal
to a $50, 900 establishment in the Middle States.
You have an idea that St. Cloud, q little town
Of less than 900 inhabitants and near 100 miles
North: West Of st. Paul, is away ont West. and
pretty nearly out of the world; but this shows
how little you know about it, St Cloud is
quite q way down East, so much SO that when
there, feel very much like emigrating to the
West. Carts come to St Cloud which have
travelled 100 miles eastward to get there, and
they speak of q c0untryTWest Of theirs. These
carts have no iron about them, and are drawn
by single oxen in shafts and harness of raw
hide, tied together with straps instead Of buck
les, They come hundreds in string, driven
by Half and French Canadians and
loaded with rich furs. They are rough, prim-
tive looking affairs, but occasionally one is
painted blue and has nice white cover. In
it you may find lady from the Saskatchewan
or Red River Valley, going to st. Paul to do
her shopping. Maybe she has been weeks
on the way and maybe only 2, according to
the point at which her equipage joined the
along, and these are generally strapped fast to
Tit of board to- make them grow straight
The little creatures look happy but it is awk-
ward work to hold them. However, it is bet
ter than setting baby in an upright posture,
and compelling the soft spinal column to bear
weight for which it is entirely unfit. These
travellers cook their meals on the way, and
sleep in their carts or under them;j and most
of the Hudson Bay Co. 8 furs are sent to mark
ct BY these conveyances.
4 4
We have the building material in Minnesota
'for constructing an agricultural state of unsur
passed wealth. Our proximity to Lake Su-
perior, and the vast Territory Of British Amer
lea, with its unknown and almost unlimited re-
sources-the unbroken fertility which extends
to the Pacific coast and the light SHOWS of win
ter, mark that Northern route as Railroad
line to the Pacific. Thousands of farmers are
pouring in to the wheat lands between the Mis-
sissippi and Red River; and if the agricultu-
raj surplus continues to increase in the ratio
it has done for the past three years, the people
who want to buy will combine with those who
want to sell in improving the means of trans
portation and Railroad from Red River to
Lake Superior, will be necessity. But all the
prosperity of that State must rest directly up
on her agricultural wealth and for the pres
ent those who are not farmers or who do not
contribute something to supply the wants of
farmers, have'no business there. Our young
State edifce wants. no more builders Of the
specializing class; and those capitalists who
may be led, by the approaching Land Sales, to
buy up the homes of our settlers and hold them
for speculation will, most assuredly, wish they
had kept their money.