The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-08-25
Stops and Marks-NO. Z.

ST. PAUL, Aug, Is, 1868.
Tothe Editor orfhe Press:
My great want-fclt most severely on this
OCCASION is want of time: time to observe,
and time to record what l find worthy OF
marking. We reached ST. Paul yesterday
morning-just three days from Dubuque,
changing our boats twice for those of lighter
draft. The I'D Hine," with her commander,
Capt. - was in the service of Gen. Grant,
as despatch boat, and shows sundry bullet
holes in her wheel house, cabin, and elsewhere
The Captain has some of the same pleasant
impressions, received in the service. On all
the boats of this line the best attention is Civ
en- to passengers, from Dunleith to st. Paul.
The larger boats are palatial in their style, and
the smaller, used temporarily for the low wa
ter are good and sufficient" The officers
without exception seem intent upon serv-
ing their passengers. Your correspondent
has rarely enjoyed three days Of an excursion
more highly. But do not ascribe it to the
mere accommodations of the way, however
good these may have been. The new scenes
by river and shore, constantly opening, have
constituted the chief source of enjoyment.
Since my arrival at st. Paul, the fractions of
two days have been improved in exploring the
city and its surroundings. l am astonished
with the progress this city has made since its
settlement. Blocks Of brick andstone, church,
es, school houses and dwelling houses are seen
here which rival the solid structures of slow
eastern cities. A delightful ride OF six or sew
en- miles brings me to the mouth of the Mime
s~ta river; at whose junction with the Missis-
sppi, is Fort Smelling, high and strong upon
the bluff overhanging the two rivers. About
500 troops including invalids aud new recruits,
are now at this fort. There is also here under
guard Of the fort, a camp of a hundred or
more Indian women and children, belonging
to friendly Indians now employed as scouts in
10 f.<.. To-
news of Sibley's victories, is received here,
with depth Of interest, which we in the east
can but imperfectly understand. The barbar-
tiles committed by the savage Sioux last year,
on the borders of this state are remembered
and related with a frightful vividness. The
sentiment almost universally expressed here.
is that nothing but the utter determination of
the Indian tribes can bring peace TO the bor-
der Hence the dissatisfaction expressed that
the Indians in the late battles were routed
and scattered instead of being killed or taken
prisoners. The efforts TO civilize and chris
tianize these sons Of the forest and prairie are
lost upon their barbarous natures.
A mile or two above Fort Smelling are the
Falls of Minnehdhd - famous evermore as
wrought into Longfellow's "Hiawatha," who
sings:
"IIere the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and CLEAN among the oak trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley"
Another poet, young gentleman formerly
residing in this region, but whose name l
could not learn, has written with not less of
beauty;
Sweet Minnchaha, like a child at play.
Comes gaiy dancing er her pebbly way,
Til reaching with surprise the rocky ledge,
With gleeful laugh leaps from its crested edge.
The stream is only good-sized trout brook,
but it springs with one sheer leap about sixty
feet, and goes dancing on its pebbly way again,
as if nothing had happened. The geological
formation Of all this region is such-the layers
of hardened limestone near the surface resting
upon softer sandstone below-that the edge of
the fall is a protruding shelf, and the face of
the rock rccedes, some ten or fifteen feet, so
that one may pass entirely across behind the
sheet of falling water, with only the inconven-
ience of a little spray. The Photographic
views OF Minnehaha, sold in the shops of st.
Paul. are all very beautiful; but one taken to-
daywould be still more so, showing as it would
but a magnificent shower of shining pearls.
Four miles farther on, we reach the Falls of
ST. Anthony; the city of the same name upon
the eastern side, and Minneapolis on the West
ern. The railway from st. Paul passes through
the principal street of ST. Anthony, and is said
to have damaged the latter city. But what
ever may be the cause, the business interests
of ST. Anthony seem to be languishing, while
those of Minneapolis are greatly improved.
The Falls of St Anthony afford an immense
water-power, which is partially improved in
the manufacture OF lumber, foui, &C.
The natural beauty of the Falls as such, is
damaged by constant breaking down of the
superficial rock, on the wearing away of the
| soft sandstone beneath. The limestone is full
of fossil impressions of shell fish, triobites &c.
| In common with all the lime rocks of this re-
gion, it is much used in building Some varie-
| ties of it are hard enough to endure a long ex-
| posure to the assaults of time and the wealth
er, but other varieties cannot rery long en-
| dure the disintegrating agencies of the air
water and frost.
| We find in these cities and towns of the
| Northwest large population from Maine
many of them doing the highest credit TO their
native State, and some, l regret to learn, add
| ing nothing to its good name.
l saw at Fort Smelling and elsewhere, officers
and soldiers of Minnesota and Iowa regiments,
formerly from Maine. One officer said that
half of his company, and nearly as many ol
other companies in the same regiment-the Sth
Minnesota-were from Maine. He added, "The
Maine boys never falter in battle."-It is only
fair when the bravery of these Northwestern
troops is quoted, that we should remember
that the East, and Maine more than any Other
New England State, has furnished to these
new States the muscle and brain which are
/ conquering on so many battle-felds of the
South Yours truly, p.