The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-02-25

ST.. CLOUD, Minn., Feb. 8, 1860.
The railroad which was first survey
ed from St. Paul and Minneapolis to
the Red River Of the North, in 1857,
(cailcd the main trunk of the St. Paul
and Pacifc,) has been in running or
der for some months, to point about
forty miles west of Minneapolis. Re-
cent negotiations in Holland assure It's
completion to the Red River of the
North in course of the en:uing two
years. It was libc,ally endowed with
land grant by the act of March 3,
1857, which has since been consider
ably increased. The road has lately
passed out Of the hands of Mr.. Litch-
field into the possession Of capitalists in
Amsterdam.
Mr.. George L. Becker, the general
manager Of the road, recently made a
visit to Amsterdam, where he had u
most agreeable interview with financial
men who have heretofore largely nego-
| tiatcd the company's bonds. The con-
| dition and prospects of the road insplr-
| ed such confidence, that these Amster-
| dam capitalists undertook to negotiate
six millions more of its securities-in
fact to push the road to completion to
the western boundary Of Mime sofa
Cred River, in the year 1870.
The road now runs through the
counties Of Hcnnepin and Wright, and
when finished will traverse the counties
of Mceker, Kandiyohi, Monongalia
Chippewa, Stevens and Wilkin, IN the
order in which they are named The
whole line Of the road is through an
extremely fertile country. The first
fifty miles lie through the Big Woods
The remainder hundred and fit,
miles is over handsome rolling prairie
watered by numerous lakes and streams
which for the most part, are skirtet
with an emple growth of hard Woo
timber.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT.
The county Of Meeker, through which
! the road will he completed the coming
summer, has hardly waste acre in it
aud has developed within the past yea
or two with remarkable rapidity. Th
sons of distinguished United State
Senator are there engaged in practics
farming. OF tue many fine farms il
that county which I have PERSONAL
4 seen I call to mind one belonging to
Swede that could not be bought for les
than $4,000.
noMEsTEADs.
Good homesteads can now be had j
. Kandiyohi and Monongalia counties
within ten miles of the point to whic
the railroad will undoubtedly be finisbe
in a year. Chippewa, Stevens an
, Nilkin counties are nov quite sparsel
settled, and very choice selections {
land can be made in either of them
actual settlers any time in the course
J. the next six months. The railroad wi
Il undoubtedly cross the Chippewa rive
near the line OF the original surve,
namely the confluence of the two mai
y forks, at a place called Six Mile Timbe
It is expected to. terminate on the Re
= River at Brcckinridge, twelve mil,
above (south) of Fort Abercrombi
" The whole area between the Mississip1
and the Red River com mprises beau,
fully diversified surface Of arabic Ian
with such proportion of prairie, timb
= and meadow as to render 1t exceeding
, attractive to tho farmer.
l. We seem to be plodding along, al
g yet marvels are accomplished. II
IT. counties OF Stearns, Douglas and POI
were wilderness dozen years az
* They could now equip pretty respec,
bic army; and for aught I know,