Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-12-18

A RETURNED CoLoNIsr.-Mr. George Mar.
tin of Washington, who went to Detroit
Lake, Minnesota, last spring as one of a par
ty of colonists. to avail themselves of the
homestead act granting lands to ex-soldiers
returned on Thursday of last week, aad will
remain in Williamstown until early snrin,
Mr.. Martin gives a most aattering account Of
the success OF those who went out last Nav
and remained at Detroit Like and vicinity
and is SO much pleased with the country tina.
be intends making il his future home. When
the party arrived out last May, not more than
half a dozen buildings had been erected Al
the place designated as Detroit Lake, which
is forty-six miles east o f Moosehead or the
Red river crossing. When MIR. Martin left
there, a little more than two weeks ago. he
tween sixty and seventy dwelling houses had
been completed and occupied, and the land
in that townshipsnearly all taken up. Three
dry goods stores, q hardware store, grocery
stores, and a boot and shoe store we're in op-
GRAFTON, doing good business; three churches.
a Baptist, COngregationali-t and Catholic.
were in course of construction, the former
nearly ready to occupy, and a good school
was running and well patronized. A steam
saw-mill was nearly ready for manu- featuring
lumber, a Mr.. Currier, who went from Ber-
lin, being one Of the company building it.
Pine lumber delivered on cars at Detroit
Lake had been furnished at SIS per NJ. and
when the new mill goes into operation il
was expected it.would be somewhat cheaper.
The Northern Pacific Rail Road had ex.
pended thirty thousand dollars in depot
buildings at that point, and Mr.. Martin said
it was no unusual sight u see FIVE freight
trains on the side tracks at one time, so great
is the business of the road already. Work
had been suspended both upon the main line
and on the St Paul and Pem1ina branch for
the season The Northern Pacific is graded
through to the Mississippi river or about two
hundred miles into D lkota. Labor has
been in great demand, the price being from
- SO to $500 per day, and the supply not
Sufficient at that.
10 relation to the soil and its adaptation
To the raising of vegetables AMI small grains,
Mr.. Martin confirmed all that has heretofore
been said of it. Forty bushels to the acre
was about the average yield of wheat, a car
load Of which raised 10 that vicinity took
the first premium at the State fair Ia. fall.
Eighty bushels Of oats to the acre was re-
Earded as a fair crop. P1tatoer sold for
forty cents per bIshel, and beef of the very
hest quality for from five to seven dollars per
hundred.
There are yet good lands 20 locate on in
Minnesota, and farther on IN Dakota, on or
near the railroad. and we understand the
same facilities, with reduction Of fare aud
freight transportation. will be furnished the
coming spring. through the agency Of the
New England Bureau Of Migration, as last
season, application to be made as heretofore.
The city Of Burlington must be sadly
demura.ized, Notwithstanding the high valu-
alton OF it's real estate. According to the
Free Press not long since, one OF the " late
return " husbands lost half an hour in at
tempting 10 pick up a patch o. moOnshine
on his front door step, mistakIng It Tor a
pocket handkerchief, and was only cured Of
his delusiJn by a reminder from within,
which came very near making him a com
p4nion piece for " The man with a broken
ear Another sad case related is. that Of
an afflicted head Of 4 family calling late in
the evening at a drug store for a bottle Of
= Miss Soothlow's " insIing Syr'p." After
the announcement about a year since that
the hotels had decided to stop selling,
Sunda ys. We had expected the city would
reform.