St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-02-27
Editorial Correspondence.

Editorial Correspondence.
MADISON, WIS.,, Feb. 18th, 1862.
Arrived on Thursday the 18th after
dark after three days travel Stage leaves
St. Paul at 8 o'clock in the morning and
~ was a mile and half out of town I
must come down to meet it. For fear Of
being late was up at half past three, had
breakfast and was at the American House
quarter before six. Burbank started two
four horse eleighs that morning, one load
cd with baggage, the other carrying
twelve passengers, the driver, and Capt.
Prince, the gentlemanly, good-humored
express mes, enger who makes it his bust
ness to attend to everybody's comfort
A. the sleighs have close box lids, strong
tight canvass tops, cushioned seats with
backs, plenty Of hay and buffalo robes,
there is not much. chance for adventure in
tho way Of suffering from cold. Then, as
the teams are first class, harness and vehi.
Gle sound and in good repair, drivers so.
Der aud sensible, responsible messenger
to superinteud everything and road mas.
ter with the baggage team in front to see
to defective bridges, drifts or other like
causes Of mishap, one misses all the pleas
ant excitement Of hair breadth Escapes,
and interesting somersets over frightful
precipices, Of which there ore not few on
the route Altogether, the ride from St.
Paul to La Crosse is rather humdruu,
comfortable affair, in which could find no
reasonable excuse for WEAKNESS which
would call Cor stopping on the way, as l
had thought might he necessary. But
there is one outrage perpetrated on this
route in common with all other routes |
have ever travelled in Minnesota, and this is
the invariablc habit OF hotel keepers in
furnishing blue milk with which to dilute
tea and coffee. I believe I have never
seen cream in any Minnesota hotel except
the Stearns House, St. Cloud, and the
Merchants Hotel, St. Paul, when kept
by Mr.. Belote, the present proprietor Of
the International. This blue milk swim
die il about the smallest which could be
perpetrated and is Que which does our
State serious injury: Tell q traveller
visiting the State on tour of inquiry that
Minnesota is fine stock country, fiae
dairy country, that our grass is superior
to that Of more southern ATTITUDES, and he
laughs in your face and refers you to the
dairy products Of the last hotel. When
you come to the next he pours out stream
of this libel on milk and asks about the dali
~ qualifications Of your soil and climate
Now, Messrs. Burbanks have done and
are doing a very great deal towards devel-
oping the resources Of Minnesota, but they
might double their efficiency by simply
making rule to patronize no hotel that
doe, not furnish an abundant supply Of
cream and good butter. This would be a
very reasonable demand. Just look at it
There in st. Cloud this winter sled loads
Of butter could have been bought for 7
ets per pound which would make cream
suitable for coffee worth about five cents
per quart yet all tho way from St. Cloud
70 Lacrosse it is blue milk, blue milk, aud
blue milk again. Arrived At aCrosse you
get more blue milk-with little more of
the Same all tho way along. have not
ssen spoonful Of cream in hotel since I
left St. Cloud. Personally, it is matter Of
no importance to me but it is 4 continual
public misrepresentation Of the resources
Of our State, and ~ such should be put
down By those interested in advancing ito
welfare. 1fths travelling portion Of the cit
isens Of Minnesota, generally Of that class
specially interested in the settlement Of
The State, would take this matter 10 hand,
b carrying lunch and refusing to take
ssa)s whore no, ersau i furnished they