The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-27


Minnesota you can obtain, aud you
will see a small stream entering the
Mississippi, from the west, at this
peint-the Sank River. Our FIRST
camp was three miles west of the city,
blown down IN one Of the widest,
fercest thunder storms ever known
10 this region, which carried desolation
and death 10 several homes.
From this point our course was up
the Sank Valley, in q sourhwesterly
direction about twenty miles. then
noTthTest about forty miles to Sank
Centre, near the northwest corner Of
Sreorns County.
The river, all The way, has flowed
through q region where every acre
almost might be called fertile, except
about ten miles west of the MississIp-
pi We find a low ridge Of granite. 1t
IS coarse grained and very hard. 1t
rises amid the vast reach of level
prairie like coral leaf in mid ocean.
One other peculiar feature we no
tice: The Sank River seems to be
boundary between timber and open
prairie. Ride to the top of the loftiest
hillock you can find, and sweep the
horizon. NorthWard are beautiful
groves of timber-oaks, elms, naples,
box, elder, poplar, and here and there
a tamaTac and black birch. South
ward, as far as the eye can reach.
| there is not tree to bound the sight,
| but a sea of grass, with here and there
| fields OF wheat, cats and barley. wav-
ing in the gentle breeze, and distant
| farm houses dotting the landscape.
| From Sank Centre our course was a
| little south of west for thirty miles to
White Bear Lake and the town of
/ Gtenwood. The lake is due west
| about sixty-five miles from st. Cloud,
and not much of the land beyond this
point has as yet been taken up. There
are many desirable locations-some as
beautiful as any ia Minnesota. which
NAV be secured In this region.
We reach here the region Of small
lakes-thousands OF which are found
In Misunderstanding have neither out
let or inlet, but whose waters are never
| stagnant. We camp beside them at
| night, water our horses, fill our camp
kettles, and make our coffee and tea
from the Wasers s.ored up IN these
natural reservoirs. We have reached
4
4 finds its way IN three directions
eastward to the Mississippi, south
ward into the Minnesota River, and
north aud west into the tributaries of
the Red River of the North.
/ In some places the soil is thinner
here than in the Sank Valley, and we
see granite boulders and eobble stones
that were brought from the far North,
in the drift period, and dropped upon
| these ridges.
| From White Bear Lake our course
has been northwest to this point,
through country unsurpassed for
/ fertility and beauty. And we're We to
ride on to the Northwest, one thou
/ sand miles from this point, We should
find the same features of soil and eli
mate.
[ have thought of this region as be-
irg in the far North-but We are only
a trife North of the latitude of Paris
which is classified by geographers as
being in the middle of the temperate
zone. The line Of the Northern Pa.
| cfic Railroad viii run through jusi
such a zone-all the way across the
outinent-through the heart of the
productive West. True, we here in
Dakotah City have an elevation of five
or six hundred feet above that OF
Paris, but as we 60 Northward from
this point toward Fort Carey. the ele-
vation becomes less. The climate is
said to be milder even at Fort Carey
| and on the Saskatchewan than it is
| here. Certain it is that less snow
falls Ia Montana in the winter, and on
| the Asslnib0ine. than at st. Paul--as
Ia Worm ont aud New Hampshire.
TIMBER AND FUEL.
/ The great want Of the region north.
west of White Bear Lake is timber
and fuel, which can only be supplied
by the construction of railroads The
objection does not apply to the region
north of the Sank Valley, and to this
valley OF the Red River. The tim
4 bered region Of Minnesota lies mainly
east of the Mississippi, and also north
of the Sank, on the western side Of the
Mississippi.
Immigrants have usually sharp eyes,
and they select their farms where tim
Der and fuel are contiguous to good
prairie land. Ga such land they can
quickly have a home, aud surround
themselves with the comforts and
luxuries of life. 1t requires, CON-
paratively, but little labor to fence in
homestead Of one hundred and sixty
acres, or put up a log house, where
timber is near at hand. Nor does IL
take long to make life comfortable
when twenty five bushels Of wheat
Eper acre is raised on the sod, as IN
this valley.
| would suggest to those who may
4 be seeking new homes 10 this region
to select such land.
Coal has been found in several
places throughout the northwest, and
this line of the projected road will
run over the great central coal-held
of the continent, so that settlers need
have no fear there will be lack of
fuel 10 the future.
4 GEOBGEToWH.
j While the party are in camp we
cross the river at rope ferry, ascend
the steep bank and find ourselves in
= Georgetown, consisting Of two dwell
II ing houses and large store house,
owned by the Hudson's Bay Com
pany. The steamboat that plies be-
tween this point aud Fort Carey IS
expected up this morning, and even
now we hear her whistle echoiug along
, | the woodlands.
The river is winding and narrow,
and not we'll adapted to steamboat
navigation. 1t may as we'll be left
out of all calculations relating to the
future internal commerce Of the
country.
A few years hence and a railroad
will be built northWard to Pembina
aud the Lake Winnipeg region, to
bring to Lake Superior the resources
| 4 H. FTE9~~-sa~ry