The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-02-27
Engineering I'm Minnesota.


Under the above head, Mr.. J. GOODWIN
is contributing to the Boston Common
aceaM series of articles descriptive of
Minnesota having been engaged in
railroad surveys in this State during 81
and '5S. From the second paper we ex-
tract the following paragraphs:] .
The growing season in that portion of
Minnesota lying in the latitude of St. Paul,
is some weeks shorter than that of Massa-
chusetts, and considerably more limited
than known, usually, in the most northern
parts of New England. Notwithstanding
this, excellent grain crops are ripened in
the Minnesota and Mississippi Valleys, and
corn, except occasionally, is brought to
maturity; sorghum comes near enough to
a completion of its growth to render it a
valuable crop, but its seed asks more
favorable climate to bring it to perfection.
On passing from region some degrees
south of that of which | speak, one would
find, in July Or August, the corn-felds
along the Minnesota in as forward state
of growth as those Of the country favored
with an earlier spring and longer summer;
the plants, though late in breaking ground,
develop with rapidity that reminds one of
the effect of a hot New England August
night on similar crops when just watered
by copious showers. The farmers say,
You can hear the corn grow" in Min
nesota, one can see it grow-almost.
The rlpening season in this country gives
the perfection of weather. In the early
morning the night mists, from the river,
and the innumerable bayous along it's
course, lie in soft, cumulous masses upon
the bottom-lands, making a river of cloud,
that follows the windings of the hidden
stream, its banks the opposing lines of
bluffs that bound the valley but the COM
ing of the sun is the signal for the disper-
sion of the fogs, which break and rise, and
drag their tattered skirts away through
the dripping branches of the trees, and are
gone.
Standing on the high land at this time
of the day, one watching the disappear
ance of the vapors, turning to the east
sees golden-edged clouds floating up into
the sky, in lines one behind another, the
carnations of distant and more distant
streams, and, as soon as the sun is fairly
above the woods, finds himself bathed IN
an atmosphere rosy with light and tinged
with an opal hue, while away on the hori-
ION lie shades like the bloom on a permain
or grape, but translucent and transparent
as sphere of Japanese chrystal, and ike
the chrystal, deceiving the eye in its esti-
mate of distances, and size of objects.
The hues of the horizon did not suggest to
me the chrystal; on the contrary, the
chrystal was seen by me, first, after my
Minnesota experiences, and look through
it brought to mind the tinted atmosphere
OF the far away prairies.
While the purity and ineness of the air
gives one an idea of what his sensation
might be if enabled to exist in the pure
ether of the theorists, there is something
tangible, or rather portable, in the quality
of the golden elixir, and one finds himself
inhaling with unnecessary vigor, and in
dulging in breathing as a luxury. I am
persuaded that something enters into the
composition of the air, hereaway, that is
unknown elsewhere, and that caught,
would be a specific to be used against de-
spondency, lassitude and disbelief in the
fitness of things.
AS the day advances, and the rays of
light become more perpendicular, the opal
tint fades from the air; distance, if at all
considerable, must be measured to be de-
termined with any accuracy, for the rarity
Of the medium of sight is SO extreme that
bluffs ten miles away seem near at hand,
and man or team approaching, appears
to be the victim of "jumhie," which,
allowing apparent progress to the bewitch
ed traveller, fixes him to spot, while he
walks and walks, like horse in the tread
mill of a threshing machine Keepers of
livery stables always say that a Journey
across prairie country is "hard on the
horses, because a person not familiar with
the road will urge his cattle to distress I'M
der the impression that the pace must be
at fault since prominent knoll appears as
distant at the close of half hour as at its
commencement.
The close Of the day is not less beauti-
full than the morning, and the heavens at
night, are wonderfully brilliant enjoyed
the sight of the magnificent comet of 1853
through the medium of the peculiar at
mosphere of Minnesota, and am sure, since
comparing notes with friends in other
States, that for us the spectacle was much
more splendid and striking than for the
gazers in other parts of the country
milwaukee Appreciation of Mimne-