The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-02-10

Of the graded road, the COMPANY viii -,
celve S64, 900 acres. These lands az.
among the best, perhaps, as body the ~
in the State. They are estimated now 1e :"
be worth about five dollars per acre .nS
with the road completed and an increase
OF population on its line, they will probable
realize. II sold on credit at future dav
eight or ten dollars per acre.
Ihe length of the road from st. Pan,
may be stated as follows:
st. Paul to Mendoza. ...... smn..
4. R0o.............. % 4"
:, ouo ialne. ........ 46
s. I4. o.'.............. 81 6:
o....... ITO "
When the Road is completed IN Monh.
to, an important business point Tho 60
Pany Will be entitled to $40, 900 acres of
land. 1t is the purpose of the Companv
10 use vigorous efforts to reach that point
at an early day. Some delay NAV ar;ss
from the difficulty of obtaining labor ond
from the high price of Railroad mate
rails. 'u l'a'e-
In connection with the estimate of the
value of the lands belonging to the Road
We submit statement of the Auditor ~
State, showing actual sales recently maSa
OF public school lands. These lands Il
will be remembered, are sections 16 and
36, set apart for schools. They are but
the average of the lands in their respect.
i've towns, are wholly unimprcved. and
sold at public auction at the most unfa-
vorable period, while SO large a part of
the men of Minnesota are in the army:
STATE OF MINNESOTA. LAND OFF1CE.l
SAINT PAUL, Dec IA, 1864.
=, SIR-ln answ er to your enquiry concerninp
Inc sale OF School Lands in the several conn,
ue LIES OF the State, tributary to the line of the
minnesota Valley Railroad, " have the honor
10 say, That the whole number of acres sold in
tnose counties to date, is 37,946 38-lOO. the
20 octa amount OF purchase money is S2S9, 555
per acre. w
Very respectfully, your obedient servant
CHARLES McILRATH,
rrD Commissioner
tbs not intended in this brief outline of
the condition and prospects of this Road
to make any extended estimate of its pros
pective business. It is proper, however.
to say that the first hundred miles on the
line OF the Road contains comparatively
dense population, with wheat and other
products for export that will find an outlet
on the Road. Large supplies of wood and
lime will find their market at St. Paul,
and furnish available business.
Recent discoveries of coal on the Cot
tonwood, near the line of the road west of
Aankato, promise to be valuable source
Of business for all time A company with
ample means is now opening the mines,
with entire confidence of success. It may
be proper here to say that the coal region
is embraced within the company's land
grant, and doubtless the company will own
hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of land
containing coal.
The company may fairly expect an unu-
sual passenger traffic on its road, running
as it does in the valley of the Minnesota
river, which, from its fertility and owing
to the partial navigation of the river,
attracted at an early day large popula-
ton. Upon the line of the road, within
the first eighty-five miles, are the following
villages and cities: Mendoza, Hamilton,
Shakopee, Chaska. Carver, Louisville,
Little Rapids, San Francisco, Jordan,
St. Lawrence, Belle PLANE, Albright,
Faxon, GAINESVILLE, Henderson, LIE
Sueur, Ottawa, Traverse de Sioux,
St. Peter, Kasota, Mankato and South
Bend. The population of the towns
and counties through which the road
passes have intimate relations with Saint
Paul. 1t is the business point from which
their entire mercantile supplies are drawn.
1t is their produce market; it is the capt.
tai of the State; and, in short, the COM
mercial centre: while from the Falls of
Saint Anthony they must draw their inn
mense supplies of lumber and domestic
manufactured articles, for all time to
come