The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-10-27
folT aAlIY, B. N. A.,
September 26th, 1870:

z - -
-FOUR correspondent, who left St.
Cloud with his family on the 18th Of
August, with his household goods, pro.
visions. &c., drawn by an OK team, gives
IN account # eaeh days progress, nm
u rssching Alexandra, Douglas
county, whore they spent their arst
Sabbath. The second NJ at Fort
Ab,roronbis; the third near Frog
Point, and tho lost Sabbath day on the
journey on the British side Of the line
It Pembina. He continues j
EARLY On the 18th, 10 reached tho
now famous Fort Garry. We, we're
made tally aware Of the proximity Of
tho town as we approached by the in
oeasant crash Of fire arms., We almost
thought that there was skirmish with
40 enemy, target practice OK something
Of that kind bu: it was only the firing
Of aport,men Who were out IN quest Of
game around the town..
Although ths road across the prairiss
Of Minnesota and D.kot.h arc gensr-
ally good, aud very good, yet, in {.
journey Of several weeks and many
hundred miles, It il very likely. that
VET weather viii occur, which makes
deep mud holes out Of whieh ono team
cannot take their load, or tho wagon
may upset and the load be OF such j. d.
sen pt;oa that one man cannot very
easily handle it; therefore for mutual
did aud comfort it i very essential that
people travel in company. In this ~
spset we were exceedingly fortunate in
having fsllealin With . surveying party
on oar;f1t Day: wsst of Richmond
and Travelled With them to Pomme do
Tsr1e, eight days. This .~.s |. p.zty
proceeding to survey II Clay county.
near Georgetown, under Mr.. Cooley, Of
Minneapolis: Hi party consisted Of
thitasn men, - foe, obisiog and jolly
tellovs - sver wsat out on such IN
expedition. = They had Two OK wagons
and t~o pony, osrss - carry along their
supplies, which vsss sbsndast and con-
vsnisnt: When Mr.. Cooley and party
loft ~, 10 Joined III. John: Lyons,
o. Sank Rapids, vAo: vas wssouisg
freight for the government to the new
military post, Geo. H. Thomas, At
Pembina. o. tho way toward :Aber-
esonbis ~ Frequently met OK teams,
ranging from Two to seventy yoke, r.
turning from tho military posts in Da,
kotah Territory; and then We met the
single OK carts from Red River in great
Numbers. lind that by their respec-
tive owners that the former are called
''trsins" aud the latter "brigsdes.
j" Minnesota i certainly the most de-
ightul country that I ever travelled
over. It looks like an orn.mented
park, Of unboanded extent, with it,
rolling or andulatiug, grassy surfsoe,
ito oak openings, it, lakes aud lakslets,
it, streams and rivulets flowing onward
and eastward to swell the volume Of the
M,saiasipp', or westward. to th. Red
River Of the North. The soil y rich
and ready for the plough to turn up for
tho husbandman's seed, or ready: for
tho herdsman's aocks to Craze on
without stroke Of labor. Without any
light Of fancy, 1t may be really and
truly called, the poor mans terrestrial
paradise. I must confess that many a:
time in my journey I Vas tempted to
halt and locate on some of the beauti-
full spots I cav. The valley Of tho Red
river in British Territory is fully as
rich 10 soil ~ on the American aide,
but is wanting in those pleasant features
presented BY scattering oaks and small
lakes, although I have no doubt these
will bs found towards the sources Of tho
small rivers IN the provinces of Manito-
b. s}2s:.:7 q G:.>. ~. -G'.+# ia -.
. Families migrating from Canada to
Manitoba should fetch their horses
from home, With = few farm implements
and tools for building purposes, with
means enough to buy years provn-
ions; oetaey may purchase oxen 1t St.
Cloud, whsrs good cattle eas DO had
At reasonable prices. In either case,
whether it bs horses OF oxen they tAke
into this country, they may Is we'll pro.
cure their wagons At st. Cloud, because
tho difference q price viii not ply tho
fright On them from Canada. Thp Is
not yes an inviting asld for young meo
from Caa.de - la6ossrs or % clerks.
Naifhap II n a favor.hl> nl.oa f.. -,