The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-13

~ Browns LAHf NfA ~ ELK isIyfT3 eJEf
September n. 1S63.ssssbc"
To tie Editor Of the Pioneer: ,.. ....,...,,. \
ASH promised to become a correspondent.
andfriye Won for the benefit of ali readers some
inkifnss of my journey TO-. and residencetdufI
ring the coming winter among the hyper,
boreah inhabitants of the Red River OF the
North Fort Garry and the country imnle-
diately adjacent, including the rich country Of
the Saskatchewan. / propose now to redeem
nv promises, and take your: readers zen route.
with mtin my journey, per OK and hefse cart,
via Fort Abercrombie, and northward TO the
land,Cf promise, yelcptthe New Canada, now
in process of perturition among the kanuck $50.
lons--I may say, pr parehthesis, you Of the (
Sanity City Of St Paul don't seem; to realize
the importanceto Minnesota generally OF the
immense Significance of the movement now In
progress, by which the franchises OF the stu
pendous monopoly OF the Great Fur Company
of the North West are TO be thrown open %
the public and private enterprise peremeating
that vast region heretofore almost shut up by
the crushing i&&eightof exclusive ideas, backed
up by enormous capital. The rich, coun-
try of the Valley of the Saskechawan and the,
country adjacent to the Red River of the North
is almost terra incognita, except to q few en-
terprising ones, who are, and have been for
years, coming money by the prosecution of,
various commercial enterprises 9in that direcs
ton. . 1t is my purpose to enlighten Gas far as
my observation goes), the public as to the,
country between st. Paul and Fort Garry-and
give you the jottings down Of: 2 winter away
up North, and hoping you may find my ICY
nosura" letters. readable, as I shall !" moth.
lug extenuate." Leaving St. Paul on Sat,
urday, after sundry, libation S among my
friends, l found myself: on the train, snoring
iron horse, and all that. At 616 PaNst and all
my traps, guns, dogs, and the various parapher-
MALTA Of a travelling bachelor, under the kindly
care of Conductor Rice, was safely landed at
Elk River might become paetical over Elk
River, its location, beauty, &C., but, as facts
are the theme now, Il leave poetical efusions
behind me-. must say can't say ''muchly ,
about Blk River, except that il is town ip
embryo. Luffkin hotel is small, but well
kept-the cookery is not equal to Delmonicos
rooms not % large as the great saloon at the
White House but take II all and all, Ihope 70
fare no worse, and if do grumble at AZ tsisa
national privilege. e"?51u. Lrts.1 geo /! oyn tsa
found .. Elk River our; train for tie, jour
ney, our {: Tain, Higgins, busily engaged in
loading his carts with all the MISCELLANEOUS
ventures, indicative of the wants of the inhabi.
tants of Fort Garry groceries, nails. stoves,
shot, powder, Yankee notiops. dry goods, Sc,
and after an incredible amount Of left handed
expenditures, those wooden carts, which your
readers are doubtless familiar With. seeing
them annually IN the streets Of your city-are
filled up and it comes my turn to set my things
in order, on wheels. Having taken the pre-.
caution to get me steady, sedate animal of
the Equine race-as did not know anything
about gee and haw Of male cows, especially in
harness, and having him properly appliedao
the cart, found the process Of loading and
getting into line comparatively easy-my tent,
traps, boxes, gums, camp chest and an2duy
housed-I enjoyed the musical scene Of the
voysgeute with sufficient gusto to make me
relish an out of door supper first rate. $50,
20 Our train consistspof long string OF carts
generally harnessed to oxen, although a horse
may be seen OCCASIONALLY. Still, were you not
sure of the form, you would think the spout
of the OK had entered into the frame Of each
pag-so quickly does the monotonOus march
tame down the esprit dn chera Iof the Bucepha-
his attached to our train. - '3>2 s2T1l
" The attendants Of The train HE If, the usual
mixture OF whole; halt and 'quarter breeds
nationality, Scotch French and Occasionally
keen Yankee OF so. The half breed ,voyager
of the North, in his ensemble of flannel shirt,
red sash, moccasins and all sorts of o cap, pre-
senss the most perfect picture of ''happy,go'
lucky sort of fellow it has ever been my good
luck to meet. A little pemiean, stubby pipe,
a fiddle, song and dance at night at the camp
re-Gnter-sardwitche with an annual visit to
St. Paul, which in this whole country is re-
sgarded as ''the event,D comprises his sstnsun
6onua Of life. have lost myself IN reverie OF
ten, thinking of the birth and, death, OF these
people. AS to their death, l don't believe they
ever die. Who ever saw one in auticulo morris
never. heard of one. They probably bio"
away,--or, like Elijah OF old 50 up some higt
hill and are translated. These are my com
opanions.-and there is the train-s'retched ou
ike an Aexandrine measure, sinnousaover, thu
; prsirie country around Elk River City await
ing the stragglers ?, q s,9iI,e1I &c = ,'sl
eeo Being in, q cotemplatse mood, LIZ, n1risingl!
:, iwepded my way to .'mine host at the hotel
r, and disbursed various greenbaST and started
81 on foot after the carts, which had orders II
saoonal up at Browns Take. 7 5 overlook then
> at six =. NJ and initmsed myself 'again in tn
mysteries Of camp,keiIe iedlhlss x frying pc
a., tatoes and trying the virtues OF spemiean, an
Z, getting things in order s pr the Ion
At s Z. NJ. went to bed under my cart,
a, nights canopy of gems spread roNt ana twlnR
sso ltngiy seeming to say, - New, odd fellow. AIN
. + this fun = and amid the 'smeiHhfaa css of Au'
sss tralian life. Boomerangs han. breeqsafs Pau
a Benz Saloon. and Other g;fttefipg sseneral
lss ties, .-amd the quiet OF the pralies 4dro
asleep, after first endorsing over 70 ypn. des
Piscator, my first letter en- rputesfor ~ Carr,
AZ G..-