Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-02
Letter from Minnesota.
TcoRREsPoNDEScE OF THE sPY.l
ST. PAIL. MINI. Oct. q

ST. PAUL, MINI, Oct. 90, 1871.
Dear Spy:-Although well aware that your
many readers have lately had voluminous in.
telligence from this section, yet presume lit.
tie supplementary news and perhaps more local
intelligence may possibly he interesting to some,
and not unwelcome TO any who peruse your
valuable newspaper columns.
OF course, the all-abSorbing topic of conversa.
ton, recently, has been the Chicago calamity
an event of such magnitude as to affect all ave-
nues of trade, and particularly the northwest,
which is very extensively supplied from that
great and wonderful market. How nobly the
whole country has responded in heartfelt sym
pathy as well as substantial charity and terri
bic as was the untold suffering and unprcce-
dented ruin, may not The distress and loss prove
in some respects a national blessing, as the dis
aster certainly was a national misfortune. Re
fugees from Chicago are daily arriving, seeking
new homes and business, and confirming by
their graphic narratives, Invested of all sensa.
tional and supcrhuous embellishments, the
worst accounts received of the contilgration.
Other parts of our country have not been
without their burning trials, and Minnesota
with them has had double claims placed before
her this season, irresistible demands of charity
from abroad, aud equally pressing needs in her
own territory, For the last two week extern
sive prairie fires have been raging all about us,
destroying life and all kinds of property, and
some of them even within view of this city {:
these, in connection with the great fires in Wis
consm, have filled the usually clear air with Il
dense smoke at times almost hiding
the sun from us. At one time the fine rail-
road draw-brdgc over the Mississippi river
was in danger, and at night it was fearful to
see trains Of cars passing over, while the same
was threatened with complete destruction by
| what literally eaped like "wildGre," mad on its
| Grand Of awful desOlation. We have had very
| little rain since last spring, consequently the
| land is very dry and the rivers low. At present
the Father of Waters is mortified at the imam.
propriate title which he bears, and has nm.
willingly allowed lot Of wandering bovine an.
finals 10 paddle where commonly large
steamers from st. Louis did the same. Ii is
said that immense quantities Of goods are now
waiting at different points for the rise of the
river.
Last week chronicled another episode and new
epoch in the history of Minnesota, namely-thC
uniting Of the Mississippi river and the Red
river of the north by iron bands 2l6 miles il
length, the completion ofwhich is an event o
important railroad progress. The enterprise
was inaugurated in 1851, when the COMPRESSION
al land grant was made, but not commenced
until the summer Of 1866. It is thought here
that the lands adjoining the line of this rail
way will be taken up by permanent
residents in about five years, which otherwise
might have occupied half century in their set
Element.
The formal opening Of this steam thorough
fare was celebrated by the happy and appro
PIRATE reunion Of the "old settlers of the state
brought together at the invitation of the nres
dent Of the railroad. was glad to be a wit
ness Of the affair, for it was pleasant sight IL
see those old weather-beaten pioneers Of tb,
border guther again in their proud metropolis
some Of them after years Of separation in differ