Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-22
The Great Northwest.

thereto is read with tho greatest pleasure
Almost every new State and Territory has its
emigrant agents who have a deep personal
interest in setting forth in brightest eolors
the advantages of the particular localities
for which they are employed, and specula-
tions in Utopian city lots have re-opened rich
harvests, in some Instances to the great det-
riment of innocent investors, who have
bought their sections of enchanted landscape
from well drawn maps, to find, when they at
tempted to stick their stakes, " bowling
Wilderness or unapproachable - water
lots But the true source for information
is the Government Surveyors report, or the
narrative of the disinterested traveller who
made his own observations, and who did not
get homesick while making them, or dyspep-
tic on frontier or overland fare.
Mr.. G. c. Coffin, better known to the pub
lie as 8. Carlton y has recently made val
liable addition to the stock of information
regarding the Northwest and its resources,
by public lecture which is partially re-
ported in the Boston Posi-, and from which
we abstract some of his statements. Speak
ing of the great water way Of the St. Law
renee and the lakes, Mr.. Coffin says:
:. By the recent survey of the lakes by the
officers Of the L. S. Coast Survey, it was dis
covered that the distance from Buffalo to the
western end of Lake Superior was not so
great as we had supposed it to be. Accord
inc to former estimates, the distance by wa
ter from Buffalo to Duluth, the new town at
the further extremity of Lake Superior. was
/ 1865 miles, but the late measurements show
that it is not much more than $50 miles /;
not so far by 50 miles as-it is from Buffalo to
Chicago"
Duluth, two years ago wilderness, is
now place Of 8 800 inhabitants. The wa
ter power Of the St. Louis river, which en-
tiers into the lake at that point, after de-
scent Of 800 feet. is said to be equal to 70 coo
horses, enough certainly for good sized
manufacturing city. As is well known, the
| junction Of the Northern Pacific Railroad
with Lake Superior is at this point, and this
leads into and through what is denominated
.. the granary of North America, " the great
wheat field oil the northwest which is watered
by the Red river and its afluents. Its vast
ness Is thus sketched by Mr.. Coffin
Think of a region where the land is so
level that were it not for the river, the farm
er might turn furrow across the field as far
as from Boston to Concord, y. H., withOu t
4 hillock, or hollow, or stone to break its
course or let him start from the southern
border Of the wheat field and drive his team
due north and were it not for the tributary
streams he might turn lurrow as far as from
Boston to Philadelphia lie was afraid his
I. i'll 4 4,v,+ 81
Baron Munchausen or Sinbad the Sailor. but
he referred them to the report Of Gov. Mar
shall, of Minnesota, who says that the Red
river valley contains 60 600 square miles OF
the richest wheat lands in the world. The
SIX New England States contain 6j 900 square
miles, but a large portion wes taken UP by
mountains Gov Marshall estimated the
annual wheat product Of the valley, when
it shall be put under cultivation at 600 900
600, bushels Look forward to the time when
one acre in five shall be under cultivation
and that time is not far distant. Let the
WELD per acre be 20 bushels as it is in Min
nesota and the grand product would be $50
GOO 600, in round numbers To transport
this yeld-only 20 per cent. Of Gov. Mar
shall : estimate-G42 600 cars. carrying Il
600 pounds TO the car, would be required
or 81 900 trains, with 30 cars to the train
or Z l trains per day for the 800 working DAYS
of the wear This for wheat alone, to say
nothing Of all the other transportation needed
in country rapidly filing up with people.
Passing the Manitoba province, containing
a population of 10000 inhabitants, whose
trade connections are now entirely with
Minnesota, which will be permanently Sc
cured as a tributary to the great outlet by q
railroad down the valley Of the Red river
aided by important political results now OF
foot; also the Hudson Bay Company with it.
immense wealth and resources, we come t.
the plains of Saskatchewan, designated a.
q the greater wheat field " as compared viii
the valley Of the Red river and the province
Of Manitoba, which it equals in fertility
- Read, says Mr.. Capt. Palissee's re
! port made to the British Government, anC
Prof Kinds, made to the Canadian Govern
ment, if you would know the extent an,
r richness Of that region and its resources
If You viii find exhaustless beds Of Goa
n throughout that section Of the continent
- Mackenzie, IN 1850 discovered springs O
- petroleum 300 miles beyond Edmanton-
e more than 1900 miles from St. Paul. IrOI
: ore abounds along the Saskatchewan. VIII
a can doubt that in the swiftly coming year
. katchawan? And 1t may be nearer than W
II think Railroads are reaching out in ever
d direction. This year viii see fully 500
( miles added to the 55, 600 now in operation
= and the extension promises to be greater j
the Northwest to reach that wheat field
lie equaling that Of the Nile in fertility, and ia
p surprising it in extent. The slow movin
N burghers Of Amsterdam, who have bee
, prOverbally cautious about investing /
Al
G to the richness Of the Northwest and hay
a supplied all the capital needed to construc
in the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad to il
\ present terminus They have recently di
:, posed of their franchise to the Northern Pa
u clfc and are to furnish the money to con
be plete the line to Panama Not a bond
ne that company has been sold in this countr-
or Thus foreign capitalists are enabling US
" develop the empire of the Northwest
h The valley Of the Yellowstone, for a mo-
or complete exploration of which an appropr
,If alton has been made by the present Congress
- is described as equal in fertility with IL
80 other sections named. Gen. Hancock. WI
has explored the region, characterizes it
- one of the most inviting on the continen
/. 1t is well timbered and abounds with cvei
A. variety of game.
IIv Montana is next noted, with its populati,
~ of 10000 inhabitants and civilization d
,ir noted by cities, towns, villages, churche
Ter schools, printing presses, telegraphs, and
,se short, everything except railroads, and tn
are on their way there
g In 1862 there was not an inhabitant
the territory, which now is producing mo
he gold than any other State or Territory in t
:: Union. A large number of steamers Div b
IS tween Omaha and Fort Benton during t