Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-21
SAINT PAUL, Mimi, April IL, 1870.

Editor Rutland Herald DEAR SIR !:
On the 4th of last December the ice closed
navigation at this point, and for just four
months the sleighers and skaters have
held high carnival on the broad bosom of
the majestic Mississippi.
On the 4th of this month, the warm sun
and swelling current broke up the ice, and
steamers soon began to ply between the
small towns in the immediate vicinity.
The ice in Lake Pepin broke up ON the 9th
instant, and the first boat up the river for
1870 is the steamer Tom Jasper, which
came in last night at half-past eleven
o'clock. The first boat up last season was
the Sucker State, on the 10Th of April.
The water was unusually high on the
closing of navigation and as considerable
snow fell near the headwaters of the
Mississippi and Minnesota, the result is a
very general flood throughout the State.
Great damage has been done in nearly
every river town in Minnesota. The water
is higher at this point than it has been for
nineteen years, but st. Paul stands on
such prominent ground, that with the ex-
ception of few buildings on the fiat, and
river bank-we are nearly hundred feet
above the river, and of course go flood can
ever reach us.
Railroad fever is very nearly at white
heat in this State. The different COM
panies have all the money they require to
carry out their programmes, and steady
employment is given to all who are will
ing to earn livelihood by physical labor.
The st. Paul g. Pacific Railroad is now
running to Chippewa River-135 miles,
and will be completed to the Red River
of the North, 216 miles, during the COM
ing summer. The Lake Superior Railroad
is now completed to the Kettle River, SO
miles, and the remaining so miles to
Duluth will be completed at the rate of
about mile a day,-although the formal
opening will probably not occurr until
the 4th of July next.
Negotiations are now pending,-to be
completed in few days,--for lease of
the Sioux City R. R. to the Pennsylvania
Central thus carrying out the original
plan of having one controlling power aud
one unbroken line from Lake Superior,
via St. Paul, to Sioux City, and then one
to d junction with the Union Pacific Rail
road
The effect of this arrangement on real
estate in st. Paul and Duluth, is to put
property holders in the best spirits. Du-
luth springs, with one leap, from an I'M
known settlement of five houses, to city
of power, influence and reputation while
St. Paul, with a wealthy population of
twenty-five thousand, to start on, becomes
the eastern terminus of two railroads
from the Pacific, and the most promising
railroad center of any city in the United
States.
A large corps of engineers are survey
ing the route through this State for the
Northern Pacific Railroad, and within a
few years passengers may dine the same
week in st. Paul at the head of naviga-
ton on the Mississippi, and in San Fran
cisco at the Golden Gate, and in Portland,
Oregon, at the head of uninterrupted
navigation on the Willamette.
The Chamber of Commerce of this city
has moved into rooms in the Opera House,
and has now the largest and best reading
room in America, which is thrown open
freely to all, citizens and strangers
About two hundred fifty papers a week
are received, and among the most well
come Lam happy to acknowledge the good
old Rutland HERALD. 0. e. ID.