Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-08-04
OUR MINNESOTA LETTER.
SrxvKSsyILE. Mimi, July IL. 1877

| junction Of the n p. r. r., with the S. S.
d NJ. r. r. All the freight and supplies.
including teams, wagons. rts, etc.. are land
| ed here, and will be until We cars start out
from the Dalles. This "junction," by the
way, has been a portable article for three
months past, and the exact point where it
will finally settle down, is not yet pernia-
nently fixed. These imaginary points very
| quickly become real ones. One week ago
where there now stands about twenty houses,
| tents, stores or cabins. there was only sim
| gle shanty. Two hundred to five hundred
men are coming. here daily, nearly all of
whom diverge to different points, and are
seeking different kinds of business or en-
ploment. OF course "the stamps" are the
| first and last indictment. Few, if any, come
here for pleasure, and but few are passing to
other places of note on business. All kinds
of goods and merchandise are offered for sale
and at fair prices. Among the rest. of course
there is abundance of whisky: and although
have seen hard places before, | think there
is more whisky here to the square inch than
ever saw before on the same extent of terri
tory. There are fifteen open bars; nor do |
believe that the first one of them pays trib-
ute to his Uncle Samuel. A revenue assessor
| and collector would be enabled to do a sue
cessful business by the way of replenishing
his Uncle's treasury. were he to make weekly
or even monthly trips along the line of this
road. BY the way-side. behind a tree, under
! piece of birch bark. or small piece of can
yass. in every nook and corner you may find
| liquor shanty. OF course the Legitimate
consequences follow. Every hour of night
or day is made hideous by the bowling ours
ing, screaming and fgting of drunken men,
While am writing there is a noisy auction
eer across the way. who, with accustomed
CHATTER is knocking off goods rapidly, and
picking up the stamps. Still closer there are
from twenty to fifty men big row. and many
of them fighting with fists, feet, teeth and
nails. This is my THIRD day here. during
which time there have been over tw enty pref
ty "brisk engagements" Yet there is nothing
OUT OF the regular Older of things among the
grading men on these new railroad lines.-
Among the mechanics and artizans, however,
we find good order. and high standard OF
intellect. But the real pioneer in this will
derness, class of men which are really fit
for no other purpose in life. Their proper So
cieiy is wolves, bears and wild beasts gener-
ally, which are shamed into silence by the
more terrific bowling of these supposed inya-
dcrs. Such is life on the frontier. however
poor the compli ment to human nature.
Along the surveyed line OF the Northern
Pacific. there is now tote road open for
distance of forty miles from this place. which
brings us to the Mississippi river. Thus far
there is no serious obstruction to the railroad
! 1t is true that much pilihs is required through
the tamarack swamps, but this is not near
ly as expensive as heavy work excavation, or
the bridging of deep rayines. No heavy
earth cuts, thus far are found on the line, and
earth will be extensively borrowed" TO make
the road bed for long distances where it may
be cheaper than Filing. Over this distance
the grading is let, or sub-let to light contrac-
tors, some of whom have only single mile.
This induces great confusion among the
workmen, and is next thing TO disastrous to
the contractors. since the former are almost
daily striking" or boiling Then, too.
no one has any confiden in the soundness
| or ability of the contractors, and this fact
makes it extremely difficult for them to OF.
!, tain either help or supplies. Under all tho e
unfavOrable circumstances the work is pro-
crossing very slowly, and many a month is
destined to pass before supply train. or
al
A change must sooner or later come over the
spirit of this enterprise or this seventeen hum
dred miles Of railroad will not be built i'm the
next seventeen years. This change we NAV
all earnestly pray for, since the building of
| the road will, of necessity unlock the great
treasures of the country, il not of the world,
and many MILLIONS now dormant and literally
dead. will be brought 10 light and life. and
| find its way into the legitimate channels of
business, aud be scattered generally. and al
most promiscuously throughout the North
west. 1t must be conceded that the bull
| ding of the Lake Superior d. Mississippi
| Railroad, has materially affectedthe business
| of both Minnesota and Wisconsin; aud, am
| inclined to the opinion that the counties OF
| Pierce and St. Croix have been. TIE recepta-
| Gle of nearly half million dollars wi ich had;
| not this road been built would never have
| their way thither. This very money has
served to materially "soften" the "hard" times
which our citizens have experienced. If,
| then, the building of one hundred and sixty
miles Of railroad has thus repleniShed our
empty pockets. we may justly conclude that
the building of ten times that amount will
| be of no little value, even to US in the ST,
Croix Valley. And, what is better than all
the rest, a majority of the money which reach
es us from these roads. is the production of
skill, much more than actual "bone labor"
though the twain are generally combined
| 1t is not Boosting to say that our own me-
| chanics aud citizens are commanding better
| pay here to-day, and have credit for better
skill, and mole energy than those of any
other locality. i regret that this labor, skill
and business tact and talent is obliged to
come hither, and trus; that the day is mol far
distant when it may DE needed and employed
at home. A. n.
A profuse and many times excessively
offensive discharge from the nose, with
| tsfocy;nx nm nf tho noea of tirooa i'm.