The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-09-30

Notwithstanding Minoesota will send
out fifteen million bushels of wheat this
year, the State has hardly begun to be
developed I have been in the saddle
several weeks riding over - fertile
acres as any yet under cultivation
over wide reaches Of prairie, where, for
sixty miles, We saw no human footprint,
no sign of settlers cabin, no curling
column of smoke from the hearth Of
the pioneer; an ,unbroken savanna,
waiting only the coming Of the hus-
bandmau to yield its golden grain, its
sweet grasses to his industrious hand.
This region extends westward to the
Rocky Mountains casd the northwest
to the arctic circle, for it il one Of the
peculianties Of the Northwest that as
good wheat may be grown in latitude
fixty76ge - in forty-6ve better even
than Al=neis, Kansas and Nebrask.,
With al their fertile scres, cannot Vie
With Minnesota aud the Red River &c
gion Of: the Northwest In the produc-
ton Of xheat.,r The dry atm, .tmospheFe 4lr
and, the steady temperatare Of this
great northwestern plateau will makeit
the future; granaEy If, the continent.
illinois, Missouri, Southern, Iowa, Ne
braska and Kansas. Will supply the
country Nth. eozo, but Wisconsin,,
Minnesota, and the tiers Of States yet
to be organized northwest Of Lake Su-
perior are destined BY nature to be
wheat producing.
I hear of one farmer who has one
thousand acres of wheat now ready for
the reaper. His crop is estimated At
10000 bushels and - Lis firm i near
4 railroad, it will net him from $685.
900 to $28,OOO.
This is exceptional. He cannot hope
to have SO large yield every year. I
would not have your readers obtain q
false impression from these letters of
nine, which perhaps are too enthusias-
tic, but ono thing is manife THE
farmers Of Minnesota are getting neh-
They cannot very we'll fail of becoming
wealthy if they unite industry and en-
terpriss with good judgment. Tho cir
cumstances of the hour ara all on their
side. -,
I would not make the farmer of New
England disseminated I would not
advise any well-todo t.rmers Of Masn-
ohusetts or Vermont to leave his old
home aud rush out here without 6rst
coming to survey the country; but if l
were young man measuring off tape
and ribbon OF selling stays aud hoop
skirts to s,mpering young ladies in
city store, would give such = jump
over the country that my feet would
touch the ground in the center Of .
great prairie. ....
I would have homestead out here.
True there would be hard fare at 6rst.
The cabin would be Of logs. These
would be short commons for . year: or
two. But with my salt pork I would
have pickercl prairie chickens, moose
aad deer. I should have ea]loused
hands and the back ache At times ;.hut
my sleep would be sweet :, I should
have no theatre to visit nightly, no star
actors to see; I should miss ths tramp
Of the great city, the ever hurryisg Of
the throng. The first year might Be
lonely possibly l. should have the
blues now and thea; but, pessee,ipg
my: soal with p.t;enes fer. twelve
month, l should have oeighbors.di !The
railroad j. would come. Towns ~opN
spring up Is if by magic. The Ittle
log hut would give place to mansion
Roses would ia the garden: ~ Morning
slories would open their blae bells b.
the doorway. The vast exp.nse voald
wave With golden grain. Thrift ,nt
plenty, civilization With 81 its Injuries
would be mine.
/ Are the eolors of the picture to-
brightl Remember that in 1s49 Min
nesota had less than; :, 900 iehabitasta
aud that to-day she has nearly 100000
; This year the population has increase'
. nearly 1oo, 900, and tho tide never y,
setting 50 strong - today.;f::-- =
"A correspondent of the Goxst,!
:. H.,fZenann aavs that ,hand Fiction