The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-10-25
Northwestern, Minnesot9
A TRIP FROM ST. CLOUD TO PoMxE
DE, TERRE. :-@
INTERESTING DESCRIPTION or
TIE COUNTRY.

From the st. Paul Pioneer.
St. Joseph, (called for short St. Joe)
is the first town northwest of St. Cloud,
as We 20 towards Sauk Centre. The
village contains about two hundred peo-
ple-comprising German population,
in fact, in the township containing up
wards Of 1000 there are but six Amer
ican families.
The village has a church, and nun
merry, and school.
Cold Spring, nine miles, is village
of two hundred inhabitants. A grist
mill, with four run Of stones, is building
here, to be propelled "y the sauk Riv:
or. The farms in this valley are capi-
tai, and the country attractive in sce-
merry. Cold Srrings takes its name
from magnificent springs that come to
the surface, forming stream two miles
in length and emptying into the Sauk
River. Inhabitants consist chiefly Of
Germans and Dutch. Game is plenty,
particularly geese an.l chickens: quails
are plenty, also deer and bear, while the
river is we'll stocked with fish.
Richmond, Eve miles further drive,
contains about one hundred and fifty
inhabitants. 1t is pleasantly situated
on Sauk River. Population nearly all
German. Within mile Of town a vein
of coal about three feet thick is report
ed.
A train Of Government wagons is
here loading with vegetables for Fort
Wadsworth. There is large Catholic
Church here where spiritual food is
regularly furnished to the wayfarer on
his pilgrimage through life Lager is
the tavorite beverage in this section of
country. After leaving Richmond, the
surface Of the country becomes more
rolling, and there is an occasional op-
portunity for the Road Supervisor: to
display his ability The farms are gen.
orally decorated With log cabins. no
tioe fine hay meadows occasionally
Sheep are in 6ne condition, though not
in very large focks. In all directions
are large stacks Of grain. and every one
hundred and sixty acres boasts Of a
thriving farmer. The road for some
distance extends on the moderately high
ridge of land overlooking the Sauk !;
south of which an extensive view is OBJ
tanned. AS far as the vision extends,
farm-houses are visible; while the low
lands of the river, subject to annual
overflow, furnish magnificent hay6elds.
When the prairie fires have been kept
off by due precautlon, I notice fine
groves OF oak aud poplar growing quite
thrifty, which in a few years will afford
an abundant supply Of fuel and fen>ing
At twelve o'clock We reached Ken
aebec, Is miles; which name Of course
indicates Yankee settlement-ot three
families. They appreciate mail iacili
ties, and have post Office. I believe
there is no competition for the Office Of
post master, although the Office accom-
modates the settlers for several miles.
r At Oak Grove Station we
eat dinner. Eleven miles from Ken
nebec Post Office We stop at New Mu-
nich, a German settlement of about 100
Inhabitants, a Catholic church--and St
Cloud supplied tho lager. The great
church-bell here is the most striking
feature of attraction. Suon after leav-
ing Munich we cross the Sauk by meaus
Of long bridge covered with tauarac
poles. The country ought to improve
the bridges and culvcrts on this route,
nothing speaks more in favor ofa couu-
ty than good roads and bridges.
Eight miles from Munich we come to