St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-04-12
HE BEST AND MOST DIRECT
ROUTE TO MONTANA.
THE

because 1t has been fully aud practically
demonstrated that the shortest and most
feasible route to the gold mines Of Montana
is uia st. Cloud, Fl. Abercrombie, Fl. Uni
on and Fl. Benton. They do not like
Capt. Fisk, because he proposes starting
from this place in May and going over the
route We have mentioned with one thou
sand cams and q couple of thousand emf
granite. They therefore say hard things
about the route and Capt. Fisk; and the
Reeora, under a caption similar 10 that
which heads this article, endeavors to i'm
press emigrauts with the idea that they
San do better by following tie Sioux City
and Niobrara route. IA.
In order to sustain its position, the Rec
ord asserts that Virginia City, Montana,
is almost directly west of Mankato. But
it is MOTT is more neerly on direct east
and west line from St. Cloud-and line
directly west from Mankato would not
strike the Territory Of Montana at all
But suppose that the statement made by
tho Record is correct What does it
amount to? From the great stress placed
upon it, one would really suppose that ma
ture had laid numerous plank roads be-,
avecn this State and Montana. and that
the shortest one lay straight from the sub
urhs of Alankato to Virginia City. The
Truth is, that the Intervening country IS
mountainous, abounding in sloughs, and
in many places destitute of wood, water
and grazing. This is especially true Of
the country lying directly west This rem
ders it necessary to choose the best route
that the character of'the country will ad-
nit Of, and TIE shortest that is feasible
No route from the State can be direct.
That which the Record advocates bends a
long ways 20 the south; while that paper
denounces Capt. Fsk's route because it
bends toward the north. What is the diff
ference? Only this: that while the Sioux
City route leads southwark aud the ct. Alb
srcrombie route nortlward, the latter is
much the shorter, traverses o much better
country, involves the crossing Of no mour-
tains or difficult streams, and furnishes an
abundance Of good voter, grass and fuel.
Are not these very important considera-
tions with cmigrauts? And, besides, this
route is much more healthy than the other,
as result of good water and pure air.
The Record will probably have hard
tine in demonstrating to any enigrants
who may feel disposed to follow the Sioux
City route, wherein it will be profitable for
them to 60 to Mankato as a starting point,
when they can do better by starting from
Dubuquc or almost any Iowa town, and
thus save the time and and cost Of travel
to Mankato. ~ "
In pursuing the subject, the Record be-
comes little reckless in its statements, as
i. will be seen from the following ...
4No military escort has been or will be provided by
tho government" 4 t8s b s.gxs sl5$zG y; 81
/ So far is this from being correct, that not
Eonly has an escort been already provided
by the government, but the officer who is
10 take command oft has been designated
IN the person Of Col, Babcock, D. s. A.,
who win Do here IN the early portion Of
next month. .s .s,s5 So. n
I Another statement IS, that Capt. Fisk
feillsxaot from the members Of the expe-
slltion- s., !.
E"A bonus q fifty Of one hundred dollars Tor the
Isdlsss o. - rely accompanying him. s.s .ss
Car, + IN akss no such cxaction. Hl