St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-08-09
a TRIP TO sAUK VALLEY.
Obrrespondence Hasti,sgs Union.

WeIe uenxAIcO Will IAo npPearauco Oh G1e
city-the site is beautiful nature has been
bountifnl with her work and. taste, and
man, charmed with the beauty, has COM
menced to improve it by works Of art. g.ts I
The city contains about 900 Inhabitants,
the houses are tastefully and substantially
built, some Of them costing several thou-
sand dollars. Amongst them is the elegant
residence Of Mr.. Burbank, built Of brick.
The stores are large, we'll stocked, and
have city like appearance. Crowds Of
people were in town purchasing goods and
making Investments in property, while the
business men with that genial hospitality
and friendship known in the Northwest,
made it pleasant for ever one, and We felt
convinced that st. Cloud was no ordinary
city; but must at an early day, be Oh 6. Of
the large cities that Minnesota, isedestined
to have, With the st. Paul and Pacific
Railroad completed from st. Paul to st
Cloud by September, and in q short time Q
Railroad from there to Lake. Superior
(Which is a certainty,) u know Of no place
that has brighter prospects than st. Cloud.
Rich land prairie; timber, and water, all
that man could desire.e
The,people are first class and industrious,
as we'll as refined. In the evening We saw
fourteen ladies on horseback, handsomely
dressed, riding through the streets in q
body. They, were: pretty; and pleasing,
while their horses and horsemnnship was
superb. Everything about the city has. q
neat and business look, and the people
have not forgotten in their prosperity the
"giver Of Ill good for the bounties that
He has bestowed upon them. Churches Of
all denominations are erected to Him, and
on the Sabbath the city is quiet and peace
full. The churches are filled, and prayer
ascends from humble and contrite hearts,
full Of thankfulness aud devotion to God
for the comforts and benefits that they en-
Joy: The Roman Catholic Church is q
mangnifcent Structure, built Of brick, and
Iperhaps the finest. this side OF Chicago
On our arrival at st. Cloud. We set about
getting tent, wagon, provisions, &C., for
our journey up the Sauk Valley, We soon
found all that was required: Our friend
Capt. Grovenor, formerly Of this place,
but now Of ST. Cloud, furnished the neces-
sary outfit in the way of eatables and
dripkables, and on Thursday afternoon,
with two additions to. our company, VIM.
Mullikeu, Esq, and James Holes, We
started for the Gland Of promise west of
st. Cloud. tsezs
We soon arrived at Sauk Cen
tire, very prettily located town on the
Sauk River. The sound of the hammer
and the anvil was music to our ears. Car
penters were busy erecting houses and
stores, and the town had business look.
They have good water power, saw mill
and grist mill, four stores, . hotel and
about fifty other houses and places Of busi-
ness. We were again greeted by parties
formerly of Dakota County, and could
hardly imagine that we were hundred
and fifty miles from home. We asked the
price of corner lot and was informed that
$1,000 was the lowest price Here then we
thought was the promised land flowing with
milk and honey, only three miles away
from the corner lot and only $1.25 per
acre, all was excitement The Doctor for
got his patients and his pills, tie ssFinni-
GAM forget the wrongs Of poor distress
ed Ireland, and her suferings, and soon
the rest of us were carried sw ay by excite
ment and the horses and lumber wagon, in
the direction Of the land office at st. Cloud.
We had seen enough. Dame fortune that
had been SO tickle had now deigned to
smile upon us, we wanted land and had
found it, it was rich land, and of course
we would be rich when We. owned it. the
idea Of taxes and anxiety for purchase did
not terrify US, we hastened back, stopped
at night near q small creeF and were near.
ly devoured by mosquitoes, eat, slept,
arose, eat again, and about o'clock was on
our way. We were delighted with the
country. We had come dSwn on, the other
side OF the river where the land was as
good as was ever formed by nature. .s =