The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-10-25

Tor thirty dollars; enl0GIea SIX dollars
The farmers ar: .paying much atten
lion to stuck raising, making borses ano
sheep specialities. .... ..> .~. IT,. /
Tho Americans predominate il thi.
part of the county, while east and south
the German element is in excess.
The whole country south to the Min
nesota river except on the line of tht
Il. Il. land grant, is considered as well
settled. BY the time the Pacific road
| reaches Big Stone Lake there will b.
business enough to make that a profit
able investment A railroad to Sauk
Centre will soon be needed.
The hotel at Sauk Centre is about to
change hands, first rate house, well
kept, will be popular here. We stayed
over night At the Centre, and abou,
seven the next morning started fol
Pomme de Terre commonly known in
this section a. Pome de Rip. The
most delightful Of Indian summer ia.
vors US. A few miles from town We
came to a country somewhat broken,
much rolling prairie, giving one hint
OF those ''arid plains," l am in search
of. Fourteen miles brings us to Osa-
kis Lake, a beautiful sheet of water
about fourteen miles long, aud in the
widest part is four miles. The land is
all taken up On the shores Of the Lake.
A steam saw mill is building at the
south end Of the lake. A Post Office
is established here.
Soon after leaving Osakis, VS. enter.
ed belt of timber, and for twelve
miles We. had to 60 over 4 road that
would make Saint weep, but to . hu-
man being, troubled with torpidity Of
liver, it must be decidedly invigoratine
In five miles drive we come to Lakes
Victoria and Geneva, which are separa-
ted by narrow strip of land, over
which the road passes. The lakes are
each about three miles in length and a
mile broad, and thirteen miles from
Osakis.
Two miles before We reach Alexan.
dria, where we stop for dinner There
is here the old stockade, which is The
principal object Of attraction-a store
and good frontier hotel, built in the
primitive style: This is a good point
for sportsmen--there are plenty Of deer,
elk and bear, a few otter, plsnty Of
mink, coon, rats and skunks-of wild
fowl, partridge, prairie chickens, ducks
aud geese-no wild bees, but little wild
rice, and lots Of cranberries. Alexan.
dria occupies portion of level prairie,
well surrounded with timber. About
fifteen miles west of this place is Holmes
city, where there is a population Of some
four hundred people, most Of whom
have settled there this season, and /
hear Of settlements in all directions
where mail facilities are seriously and
Justly demanded.
Alexandra is on the shore of Lake
Agnes, another foe body of water,
about two miles in width. The lakes
are well stocked with fish, and have
nice gravelly shores. In tie village Of
Alexandra there are about fifty inhabi.
tants--in. the vicinity the settlers are
kept away, in many instances, by the
land being entered by spectators
These internal land sharks are the curse
to all new countries; they sacrificed
Itasca, and I'll bet they will Alexan-
dria.
At dinner, the landlord said, as I sat
down, 'Take hold and help YOURSELF
that's the kind of welcome that suits me,
particularly at dinner Of ducks and
prair;e chickens.
Lale Agnes is one Of a chain of lakes
that water this section Of country, and
add beauty to the scenery--they can
be made OF immense value to the coun-
try, as l will show at the end Of my
trip. y. ID X.