Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-06-30

An 1ntolligent Esti1Hate Of its Soil,
Climate, * hfuIn ass, &c.
Interesting Letter FROM Low. Henry
M;g.:.
ST. CLouD MIN, .Iur %, 1871.

AAASOASot4AA8 1>OHeO AEVItA sbOVs 44OAX y
M;g.:.
ST. CLoup MN, Jul %, 1871.
FRIEND TOMAS nave occa
sionally eypcrioIl I impulse to
write to y'su ny es ions of this
region OF couitr, {, his renewal
Of the III, uls -
Minnesota has = ly received
as much hes ~, Nor eulogy as
any one ii the nc sa,s.ics of the in
terrier. As 2 VII. owing State
the stafisti Of culture give it
a leading positio rs water power
is on the r.ost - fcent scale.
Its climate is un st d to be be-
yond all p IS, tpl lealthfulness
and invigor; sior u re than TWEEN
ty years 81 e, frem the accounts
which ! head Of u ,ncsota, l con-
ceivcd en- rncst desire to see its
beauty nd breathe its inauguration.
Have my anticipations been real
lied in my nine months of expert
ence?
AS to the soil, have seen but a
small portion of the State. To the
eye, the portion l have seen is less
beautiful and attractive. than those
portions of Iowa with which l am
familiar. l have nowhere seen in
dications of extraordinary fertility.
Between Minneapolis and this place
seventy miles-the railroad passes
through country level, sandy, and
thoroughly uninviting. So poor is
the soil that it would seem that a
mans wealth, living upon it, should
be rated according to the fewness
of his acres. And yet 1 have heard
an intelligent man praise it, and the
current advertisements Of it would
create an eagerness for its posses
sion. The eastern mode of farming
would doubtless make something Of
it, but the open sub-soil would dis
courage high-farming," from the
teaching to which it subjects the
soil. While st. Cloud occupies
beautiful situation and boasts some
cho ce attractions, the country about
it, for miles in every direction, is
poor. Soil light, covered with
brush; sub soil, gravel; German cul-
tivators. l think large portion of
the State has an open sub-soil. For
the lessened fertility implied there
is a compensation in the excellence
Of the drama e and the quickness of
the soil, quality nearly essential
where the growi..g season is so
brief. But certainly "westcrn farm
ing" will soon ruin such land.
There are large bodies Of timber
to the north and east Of this place.
The sub-soil is clay, and the land is
said to be greatly superior to the
prairie and brush land of this re-
gion.
To the northwest of this place,
one hundred miles away, is coun-
try described by all witnesses as ex-
seedingly charming from the inter
of natural lawns, wood
lands and pellucid lakes, and water
This is the region which
drew the enthusiasm of "Carleton,"
and gave the Northern Pacific en-
terprise its first associations with
sentiment. An enormous immigra-
ton, mostly foreign born, is making
its wsy thithcr under the inspira-
ton Vi the representations Of the N.
Z. Il. r. 1t is pretty difficult to get
at the exact truth with reference ID
he country through which this 1
is to pass. Witnesses, how u,
agree that for not more than about
100 miles does the road pass thro'
desirable lands within the limits of
his State. From Duluth to the
Mississippi the country is worthless
low, swampy and dctestablc. The
is finding infinite cmbar-
EASEMENT in getting, in some places,
! foundation for its track. For
y tbs they have bee. filing in
~s'e TIE rack is onb,ttrea. &lst
j - is not yet accomplished.
For 1r sixty mics west Of the
rivei ,iie country is very poor. Then
appears fertility ripcning into
summer scenery.
l shall not retail accounts given
me by actual tourists Of the country
through which this road goes in
reaching the Pacific, but were l
l should investigate
sharply before putting my funds in
to the hands of that corporation, i. e.
if l regarded the security as in any
contingent upon the as
sumed value Of its lands. Iconfess
| have MAJ yelled at some of the
statements put forth under the pat
ronage Of that corporation. My in
formation may indeed be poorer
than theirs.
AS to the climate Of this region,
is enlightcning. l used
to hear that there were no winds in
ADMINISTRATIVE winds arc the char
acteristic prairie winds. 1t used to
be said that the temperature was
have never experienced
a more fluctuating temperature. But
that the atmosphere has remarkable
qualities is true. There are many
brilliant days, winter and summer.
The air is dry, electrical, and in a
wonderful degree invigorating. My
room is within five rods Of the Mis-
sissippi, and yet / have seen fog but
once and that the mcrcst trace. The
air seems to have indefinite capacity
for moisture. The people here are
to sneak of the air as