St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-08-16
CLOUD MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, AUGUST l6. 1866
MINNESOTA.

. Dl1NNEsOTA.
49,. sAUK VALLEY AND ST. CLOUD.
Editors Wheeling Register.
GENTLEMEN In my former letters, Ispske
favorably Of Minnesota as State that of
cred great and varied advantages to emf
grants. ...ss ..~.
I wish, by your kind permission in this, to
call attention to a particular and, rs l
think, favored section Of Minnesota.
known widely and favorably as
THE sAUK VALLEY.
St. Cloud is the commercial centre of
this great and fertile valley, and is situated
on the West back Of the Mississippi river,
ct the foot of Sauk Rapids, and seventy
five miles above the Falls Of St. Anthony.
It is flourishing town of about three
thousand inhabitants. II was surveyed as
town site in the year 1852, and but a
short period before that the site was own
ed and occupied by the Chippewa Indians.
st. Cloud has now forty stores and gro
ceries, two printing ofices-the Times,
Democrat, and the DEMOCRAT, Republican
some three or four good hotels, United
States Land Office, two saw mills, a chair.
sash, blind and shingle factory, three brew
cries, express agency &c. 1t is also the
designated point for the State Normal
School It has six churches-Episcopali-
an, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congrega.
tional, Baptist and Universalist; also a
Catholic Cathedral, one high school and
various others under the Common School
Laws of the State. Most of the buildings
are substantially built many o them being
of brick; the streets are wide and hand
some, and the town itself is pleasantly sit
uated on high bank Of the river, extend
ing off to the crest into fertile prairie to
the banks of Sauk river. On the East bank
Of the Mississippi opposite st. Cloud is the
terminus of the St. Paul and St. Cloud r.
R., it being the first division of the St. Paul
and Pacific Railroad; and here at East St.
Cloud, the depot buildings of the road are
in process of erection, to be completed by
the first of September next. Thus the
farmers Of Sauk Valley, and the merchants
of St. Cloud and other towns of the valley,
have railroad facilities to ST. Paul, thence
river navigation and railroad, to Chicago
and the East. u.
St. Cloud is the frontier depot and out
post for the Montana travel; and in the
month of Juue last, there left that point,
200 teams loaded with supplies, and 405
men, under Capt. Fisk, for the gold mines
of Montana. About 200 miles north, are
the Lake Vermillion gold mines and 100
miles North. and East. the head Of Lake
Superior. A winter road is already open
ed to Superior; and Congress has donated
lands on the route, tor the construction cf
railroad from st. Cloud to the waters Of
Lake Superior thus, when built, placing
Sauk Valley Us near New York as Chicago
and Milwaukee. -
St. Cloud owes its rapid growth, very
| much to the enterprise1Qf the business men
who started there soon after Its survey
| the Burbanks. the Clarkes, the Brokers,
Tenvords and Waits-but most of all to
Wilson the founder But more than t6 all
men, to the fertility and unrivalled beauty
of the Sauk Valley, already dotted with
cultivated farms 70, SO miles from the
mouth of the Sauk River upward, towards
| it's source. This valley has rich, alluvi-
! al soil; is charmingly diversified, by tim
Der: lake and prairie; and yields wheat,
! oats, corn, rye and potatoes in great album
dance. New towns are starting up on the
route to Fort Abercrombie, along the yal-
ley, and homes:eads Of choice lands well
come the new conner. In that valley,
! mention Green Lake, the lands about New
| Munich, Richmond, and Sank Centre, as
especially attractive. But, if any prefer a
pla:e nearer the railroat depot, at St.
Cloud, l recommend the lands on Elk Riv-
er and St. Francis, seven or eight miles
from the railroad and St. Cloud.
fURs. J.,
Down this valley to the railroad come.
twice a year, trains of Pembina carts from
| the Hudson Bay region, laden with furs.--
One thousand bales came to st. Cloud, the
prt Isn't month, by one train. There are ten
robes. in each bundle, making ten thousand
robes in all, worth from $l0,O0Oto $l2,-
900; and. it is estimated, that during the
season the furs shipped, via ST.. Cloud, to
st. LOUIS will amount to $500, 900. In ad-
dition to buffalo robe, there are wolf skins,
otter, mink, and other varieties, many of
these are very valuable. This m ,kes St.
Cloud the largest fur depot in the United
States. Before the railroad, these fur
carts went through to St. Paul. Hereafter
St. Cloul will be the great depot -.-.. II
3. 3. ~ POPULATION ~ ,rr.
As incontestible proof of the. superior
claims of Minnesota, as an agricultural
district, it need only to be stated, tina its
rapid settlement is without precedent.
In 1858, it was admitted to The Union as
State, with a population of one hundred
aud fifty thousand, and an erea of eighty
one thousand two hundred and fifty square
Fmiles. In 1860: it contained one hundred
and seventy-six thousand five hundred and
thirty five. 1t now has a population Of up
wares of three hundred thousan:'.
/ .s. S., WHEAT AND THE CROPS. ..#
cannot better close this letter than by
quoting items Of news of the wheat trade,
aud of the crops of Minnesota, in the last
month. The Dakota Union Gays, ..forty-
six thousand five hundred aud th,rty-two
bushels of wheat were shipped from the
town of Hastings during the last week in
June. The price on monday was $2.1O; on
Saturday. it fe!lto $1.93. The wheat crop
never looked h,tter." The St. Peter I'D.
ucrtiser quotes wheat, at that point, at ninety
cents; and rains have benefited the crops
The Red Wing Argus, of Goodhue county,
states that on Tuesday. the last week ia
June, the number Of bushels Of wheat
bought on the street was ten thousand six
hundred, for which $2D,175 was paid. In
addition TO this, the sales in store we're
four thousand bushels, for which 81 600
was paid. Fhe.averaas price was $1.93.
The receipts Qf Wednesday following, were
about the same; the average price being
$l,85. The st. Cloud DENocRAr speaking
Of immigration, says, .'settlcrs continue TO
of the 18th Of June. saws. sseyery lay: