The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-08-11

i IL, 1870. ...... iaa Vt .sl'e.a :.
a The Winona aud st. Peters r. r.
coming in from the west, does 4 large
business, a bridge is building across
the river for a road 70 La Crosse, and
there has been talk Of road to con.
meet with the Iowa Central, to reach
the coal fields Of Iowa. The Wlnona
Republican is lice daily and weekly
paper.
4 All in oil, one will not easily find
pleasanter place to spend week or
two, or longer time, than in Winona.
Yours &c, B.
sa. TREMpEALEAu, WIS,
tfa August End, 20.
Dear Courier When l made you
q partial promise in one OF my first
letters to write you somewhat fully
of st. Paul, Minneapolis, and st.
Anthony, it was with the hope that
i should visit them again and have
more time to look about This hope
/ fear, is not to be realized, and I
will say Of them in brief space
what / now hare 10 say.
st. Paul is doubtless destined to be,
rs il IS now, one Of the chief cities Of
the Northwest. Its situation, prac-
tically al tho head Of the Mississippi,
the center of q large agricultural
region, the natural eastern terminus
of Railroads that will thread the
country far west Of it, its already
gathered wealth and business enter
prise, ,-all foretell for it a successful
future. Nearly every kind of busi-
nose and profession is increasing
prospective and immediate wealth
shows itself in large business houses,
some commodious hotels, many
private dwellings and grounds. Az
you walk it's streets and observe its
business aspect, you are Satisfied that
st. Paul is to bo for years to come,
tho commercial center Of all this
upper region ofcountry.
Minneapolis has been, to most Of
those who have not visited Mime
sofa, quito hidden by the proportions
which St. Paul has assumed to itself.
Nevertheless, Minneapolis and st.
Anthony taken together, (thcy are
really ono city, separated only by
the river,) are only second to St.
Paal in business, Importance and
population, while in many things,
Minneapolis is far superior to the
State Capital. Az st. Paul, every
thing is arranged with view to busi.
ness at Minneapolis some regard is
had to comfort and beauty. This
| shows itself in wide, straight streets,
(no New York corn paths or Boston
zig.zags, in large lots for dwellings,,
with forest and ornamental trees =
in short, people seem to 60 to st
Paul to make money, to Minneapolis
to hpe. There is more wealth at St.
Paul moro culture, I should Judge
at Minneapolis. The population Of
Minneapolis and st. Anthony togeth-
| er bear about the ratio to st. Paul, of
ID to 90. The table land on which
Minneapolis is built, gives it most
delightful location. st. Anthony
has the State University and Mime
apolis boasts the best High School
building in the State. Hon. A. s.
Kissell, our present able Supsrinten-
dent Of Public instruction, did . good
work for the Schools OF Minneapolis
during the two or three years Of his
superintcndency,
Let me say a few words of the
the State of Minnesota. The claims
of Minnesota have long been before
the country. People found their
way to St. Anthony's, seeking
health or pleasure, or both, as long
as twenty years ago; and 80 long
ago as 1857, the population of st.
Paul was over 5000 it is o little
moro than double this now. One
great barrier to the more rapid and
full settlement of Minnesota has
been the telltale mercury. Most
people think it sufficiently cold when
everything IN the ordinary way oi
fluids freeze up out OF doors and in,
and when the mercury at 200 or rs
below zero, warns you to
Beware of cheeks and nose,
/ Beware OF fingers and toes"
but when the weather gets 80 much
colder that the mercury itself freezes
up, and you can't tell ho,o cold it is
we are apt to feel that we would
| rather be farther off when it happens
Probably there is no more suffering
| from cold here than in Southern
Iowa, yet there are few who care foI
| SO high a latitude or 20 low . temp
erature. The opinion has therefore
quite generally prevailed that whilt
Minnesota is = good place for sicl
people to seek to get well, wellpeopl,
can live with much more comfort
elsewhere. While so low 3 tcmpera
tare prevails much of the winter, il
is to be remembered that it Is STEADY
cold, not tho fluctuations Of oul
latitude tha The air is very dry
4 not filled with that chilly, penetra
ting vapor which, down with us ant
especially on our rivers, fills one'
clothing and chills like cold bath
Tho winters are longer here thar
there; but here they are saved tn
infiict,on ofthosc long weeks of hall
and-half weather; ranging fron
about mid February until s0Metim
in April or May, when encw, AM
rain, and frost, and sunshine, ant
mud form about the only topic Q
,, conversation.
Minnesota is a fine State for whca
but the seasons are too short for
to ever compete with Illinois an
Iowa, and Kansas in raising corr
, and consequently it will never be
4 ~.