The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-08

CLIMATE AND SNOW.

safe and reliable communication with the
East all the year round, and the impor.
lance of such communication to the whole
country cannot well be 0verestimated The
route then that is most favorable for win.
ter travel is the one the Government and
the people of tie United States will be
most willing to aid in opening and
sustaining. The chief obstruction to
winter travel may be named as deep SHOWS
and long continued storms. Every reader
of newspapers knows that on the plains
and along the route of the overland
stages, through Nebraska, southern Da-
kota and southern Idaho, severe storms
are occurring every winter; that the stages
are blocked up and detained by snow
that men and horses suffer with cold and
even freeze to death in the mountain
passes of the overland stage route. This
fall, commencing about the 18th of Novem-
Der, there was twenty days of continual
snow on the stage route in the Black Hills
country. Such continued storm and
equal fall of snow was never known from
north of the Black Hills to the British
line 1t lis well known that as we go west
in the same parallel we find a milder eli
mate, at the same attitudes. And another
fact is well known that the fall of water
in the form of rain or snow is much less
in Minnesota than further seuth-also that
there is a much less fall of snow here than
in the same latitude east of US. Now
| hunters, voyageurs and Indians all unite
in saying that in all the country along the
45th parallel from here to the Rocky
Mountains, the fall of snow is no greater
than here, and that the climate is gener-
ally milder.
The mountain passes at the Big Hole
of the mountains are passable the year
round, and have been journeyed over
every winter for fifteen to twenty years
past, by men now living in that country.
Here are the only passes of the Rocky
Mountains really practicable fer winter
travel They are the best of all the passes
over the mountains, and are so pronouno-
ed by miners from ali parts OF Colorado,
Nevada and Utah.
In tie valleys and plains of the Big
Hole country and the Deer, Lodge country
north of it, snow has not been known to
depth exceeding twenty inches, in the
twenty years since the first settlers made
their permanent home there
WHAT TRAVEL WOULD GONE BY THU NEW
MA ROUTE. r
On &C count of the greater ease of COM
munication, and to avoid the mountain
journeys of present routes, it is probable
that not only travel to and from Idaho
would go over this route, but for the lar
ger part of Colorado, Utah and Nevada,
it would not Only be the most convenient
and safe route, but actually the most d.
rect and cheap.
WHAT MUST BE DONE TO OPEN THE ROUTE
Ferries must be established on the Mis-
souri, and Yellowstone rivers with military
posts and garrisons to guard them, and
loo to 100 mounted men must be sent
out to take and hold the country along
the route. The Indians of the country
are deadly hostile to the whites, have
killed many, have driven miners and ex-
plorers out of the Yellowstone country,
and regard the whole country of the 45th
parallel, between the Missouri and the
Mountains, as their most valued lands,
from which they persistently drive every
invading white man. 1t is Captain Fisk 8
opinion that 800 mounted men, or per-
haps 1000, would be entirely sufficient
to conquer the Indians and secure peace
along the route. He did not think they
would give route by treaty. They were
sworn enemies of the whites, always had
been, and always would be until respect
for the Government was whipped into
them. a go ia..' 3nl 45o.i
If the Government would appropriate
$4,000 and furnish an escort of 1000
men, Capt. Fisk stated that he would un-
dertake to open permanent and always
practicable route, nearly di ect from Fort
Ridgley west to the Big Hole country.
b5 EMlGRANTs' ROUTE FOR NEXT YEAR.
| Capt. Fisk states his opinion that the
route he travelled this year, or any route
crossing the country of any branch of the
Sioux nation, will not be safe for parties
of emigrants not provided for Indian fight.
ing on large scale. If, however, the
Government should send him, as he pro-
poses on the new route, or even by tht
route of this year, with sufficient escort
he should hope to conduct another part,
safely and pleasantly to the gold fields.