St. Cloud Democrat., 1866-04-12
MINNESOTA.
Its Physical Features, Soil and sClt'
matc-Its Educational Condation
and Prospects.


it will have population Of half q million.
1t embraces territory of 1851 square
miles; equal to nearly two States like New
frsm the British Possessions on the North
sippi and Lake Superior on the east to the
sources of the Mississippi are within this
State, that river being navigable $50 miles
within its borders. The Falls Of St. An
thony. few miles above the head of
steamboat navigation, furnish one of the
most valuable water powers on the con-.
tinent. T., ...
TOPOGRAPHY, SOIL, PRopucr1oSs.--The
surface,cf the State constitutes the sum-
NIT of the great watershed from which
flows the Mississippi to the south, the Red
River to the north, and the St. Louis and
other lesser streams to the eastward into
Lake Superior. Much of the southern
portion consists of exceedingly productive
rolling prairics The atmosphere is ex
ceedingly dry, and the climate remarkable
for its salubrity. The black soil yields
enormous returns to the busy husbandman.
The wheat produced in 1865 is not less
than 10, ,OOO, ,OOC bushels. A comparatively
small portion of the land is brought under
cultivation. The yield of the last season is
said to average from twentytiv to thirty
bushels per acre fer the whole State
Some tracts are said to have produced over
isty bushels per acre. Corn natures and
| ripens within three months from the, plant
ing. Potatoes, turnirs and other escu-
lents are produced in great quantities.
The scenery fan king the Upper Mississippi
isbeautiful and grand. Through several
hundred miles it is one continuous high
land, superior in its attractions to the
Highland of the Hudson. 1t is truly the
land of the '.Laughing Water" Clusters
and chains of lakes abound in all direc-
tions, there being. it is slated, not less
| than ten thousand of these charming ex-
panses! IS
| BASIS OF CIv1LZAT1oN.-To State has
| favored there can be no other than a
splendid future. This region seems adapt
| ed to the development ct neble civiliza-
ton: The majesty of the hills, the bread
sweep of the prairies, the grandeur of the
great river, now ''gliding unvexed to the
sea-" the placid beauty of Mule Lacs, ani
the murmuring music of the merry water
| falls, all invite to greatness of mind, to
largeness Of heart, to energy Of eudeavor,
and purity of purpose. There is o tremen-
dous educating power IN such heritage
H. this. 1t is u powerful, eternal protest
q. . Est the littlene g rated by narrow
State lines, the mental barrenness provoked
by sterile sand bank and the moral cor
ruption which naturally enough finds a
cougenial soil iii the miasmic ef1iuvia Of
interninable swamps.
SCHOOL FUND.-The men who laid the
Foundation of the State, seemed to have
been insi ired by the colossal physical
| facts which everywhere confronted their
gaze. , One eighteenth Of the entire do
| main was dedicated to the work of etluca-
square miles or 2, 1866, 600 acres Of the best
creation of fund for the support Of COM
ron schools. The minimum price at which
these lands should be sold was fixed by
law at five dollars per acre. The fund
thus accumulated and securely invested,
in three years, lack buta little of mil
lion Of dollars, and the sale are but just
| begun. Governor Swift while in Office,
after careful estimate of the value of
these lands at the legal miainum declared
that the income to be derived therefom
would eventually be sufficient to support q
school-system equal to that of Massachu-
sets, for population As dense as that of
the old Bay State. Minnesota is more than
ten times as l.rge as Massachusetts,, who Sc
population is not less than l,25O,O A
population OF equal density would give
IL, 500, 900 people 10 this State, and these
figures, assuming the Governors estimate
to be correct, will give some clue to the
prospective value Of the school fund in
store for her people. - .. s. -
SCHOOL SYsTEM.-The school laws arc
yet somewhat crude and ill-digestea, but
the code comprises within itself all the
elements of perfect system. -
A normal scnool is in successful opera
tion at Winona. 1t has system of county
supervision. the adoption Of which was by
law judiciously left optional with the re-
spective counties. This law was made in
1868. About twenty counties have
voluntarily accepted Its provisions. and are
now reaping to . greater or less extent,
the advantages of wisc supervision.
The salaries p,ii the superintendents in
some cases are as high as 81 200 per year.
The other counties will soon avail them
selves of this valuable aid to educational
advancement. Institutes are usually held
where superintendenls have been appoint
ed, and are exerting marked influence
upon the schools.
EDUCATIONAL PROsPECTs-The New
England States being largely represented
in the population, education finds great
favor with the people; Minnesota must
soon be in the front rank.
AS an indication Of the spirit of the
neonla wa rive som0 facts about school